The Reef (15 page)

To her shock as they came in sight she saw Willsy, two of his friends and four young women. She didn't recognise any of the girls, but then she hadn't met all the staff yet. Jennifer was frozen to the spot as the TV host sauntered in front with what looked to be a cluster of acolytes around him. He stopped.

‘Ah, halt, who goes here? A lost maiden, a damsel in distress? Want to join our party?' His face looked red and blotchy and he wore dark glasses.

‘We're going to the cove, come along,' called one of the girls. They seemed merry and Jennifer wondered if they'd been drinking. Did these girls know anything about this man and his mates? He looked so affable and attractive. For a moment a doubt flashed into her mind, then the memory of Rhonda's smashed face returned.

‘No thanks. I'm just going back to the resort. I've been to the beach.' She knew she sounded prissy. What could she say to these girls?

‘Resort is the other way, love. Wrong track,' said Willsy, giving her a second look. ‘Haven't I seen you there?'

‘Yes. I saw you at the resort the other night. I'm a friend of Rhonda's,' said Jennifer evenly, her eyes not leaving his face.

If there was a flicker in his expression it was veiled behind his sunglasses. He looked away, stepping to the side and ushering the girls past him. ‘Don't think I know her. See ya.'

They moved past and the last girl gave Jennifer
a concerned glance. ‘Do you work at the resort?' She had a foreign accent.

‘No. Be careful of those guys,' said Jennifer in a low voice.

The dark-haired girl gave her a smile and a quick thumbs up. ‘Don't get lost.'

Jennifer turned around and took the track to the resort as the group headed off, her happy mood deflated.

That evening, sitting on their little patio before dinner, she told Blair she'd seen Willsy and his mates with a group of girls.

‘Listen, the guy is on holidays on a tropical island, he's going to look for a good time. So long as it doesn't get out of control, there's nothing we can do. So, what did you do all day?'

Jennifer looked at her husband then said shortly, ‘Sat under a tree, read a book and dozed off.'

‘Great. Sounds great. Listen, there's an interesting couple from Switzerland here. I've invited them to join us for dinner.'

‘Why? Must we? Can't you entertain them?' sighed Jennifer.

‘While Rosie is away, you and I are the host and hostess, babe. Don't be such a stick in the mud. And get a bit dressed up, they're money people.'

Jennifer longed for Rosie to get back. She did feel frumpish. Willsy's arrogance had unnerved her and now Blair irritated her. She didn't feel herself at all. Her body felt very wobbly, not sick, but
not well. Maybe later in the week she'd go back to the mainland for the day, see a doctor, have a day trawling round the shops and cafes. The idea made her feel better. She went inside to change for dinner.

Moonrise

T
HE STRETCH OF SAND
in front of the resort was becoming very familiar. Jennifer could picture every tree and cluster of rocks she passed each morning on her pre-breakfast walk. She always ended up at the jetty and walked its length.

Peering into the clear green shallows she was occasionally rewarded with a glimpse of the lazy bulk of Methuselah, the grouper who had claimed the expanse between the jetty and the old wreck as his territory. There were always schools of slim silver fish that swam between the boats in a perfectly choreographed formation, changing direction as one. Inevitably other early-morning visitors
lamented the fact no fishing was allowed inside the reef. Sometimes graceful eagle rays danced in the deep green water around the pylons or close to shore with balletic ripplings of wings, their long tails trailing.

Jennifer had lost track of the days, each was the same as the one before. Perhaps one sunset was marginally more or less spectacular than another, or the breeze whipped up more strongly today than yesterday, or clouds scudded in at midday – threatening a shower that never came – and were gone by late afternoon. She drifted through the first week, sinking into a sun-induced torpor where the day was divided into meals, reading, a dip in the resort pool, cocktails, conversing with strangers.

She couldn't bring herself to set up her computer and start work. She made the excuse to herself that there was no space. But she had no interest either. Her university days seemed a world away. She decided to shake her lethargy by going across to Headland Bay on the mainland for the day.

Rosie was back and Blair was preoccupied and irritable. Probably because he was no longer in charge, Jennifer surmised. Rosie had made a special point of calling on Jennifer and asking how she was settling in.

Jennifer was honest. ‘I'm not sure, to tell you the truth. I'm just drifting along like I'm on holiday, but I'm not having a brilliant time. I feel I'm the single person on a Valentine's Day couples'
outing or something. Blair takes his job seriously and he might as well be working on the mainland as I never see him until dinnertime and then he's out socialising with guests. I'm afraid I haven't been able to keep up with him.'

Rosie chuckled. ‘And I bet all your friends think you're just so lucky to be living on a magic island on the Great Barrier Reef. I know the feeling. You need to have a focus of your own. By the way, any time you want to do any resort activities you get a staff rate. Scuba, the submarine . . .'

‘Thanks, but no. I have a . . . thing about the water. It's a miracle I went swimming in the lagoon the other day.' Jennifer wondered if Rosie knew Gideon. She supposed she must, but she didn't mention their meeting to Rosie.

‘Oh dear.' Jennifer heard the sympathy in Rosie's voice, the unspoken,
What the hell are you doing here?
‘That's difficult. I thought Blair said you had a project to work on for the uni or something?'

‘I do, but I haven't had the energy. In fact I'm going over to Headland today on the morning catamaran. It will be smooth, won't it?'

‘Of course it will be. It might get a bit bumpy on the way back if the wind gets up. But that catamaran skims along. I've some pills or a seasick patch if you want. Have you got plans over there?'

‘I got the name of a doctor, from Doyley actually. He's a fount of information. I thought I'd have a check-up and, well, a little retail therapy might do the trick.'

‘Sounds good,' laughed Rosie. ‘Call me when you get back and show me the spoils. We can have a catch-up drink.'

‘Great.' Jennifer was looking forward to the day ahead.

Headland Bay was a small Queensland town with big ideas. At the wharf where the catamaran docked there were pleasure boats, a take-away food and general store, a fish and chip shop, a small newsagent and a coffee bar. A large, colourful display poster pictured how the area would look when the proposed Headland Marina Complex was built – berths for luxury yachts, restaurants, shops.

Inside the Branch Island reception area, where several couples were checking in their luggage for the trip back over to the island, Jennifer was greeted by Vera.

‘Morning, Mrs Towse. How are you liking the island? This is your first time off it, eh?'

‘Please, call me Jennifer. The island is beautiful.' She glanced at the guests listening to the conversation. ‘Why do you call it the rock? That makes it sound so barren.'

‘Rock fever, luv. It's what you get living on a small island surrounded by a big ocean. If you don't get off every couple of weeks or months, you go a bit crazy. You've only been there ten days or so, right?' She gave a smile and raised an eyebrow and Jennifer felt she was being chided for escaping so soon.

‘I have a few errands to do. Some shopping. Where's a good area?' asked Jennifer.

‘Oh, we have a big shopping centre, look for signs to Tropicana World. Soon we'll have a fabulous mall, this place is going ahead since the new council got in.'

What a shame. Developers will make this like everywhere else when it could be kept low-key and tasteful.
‘Fine. Book me on the late afternoon trip back, will you? See you later.'

Jennifer took the car from the storage depot and as the engine ticked over it occurred to her she could drive away, anywhere. Further north, down south, inland or to the outback. She longed for open spaces, a distant horizon that was not the sea. She longed for anonymity and knowing she had choices. A movie, shopping, cafes, restaurants, pubs. She wanted rain and cold weather. She wanted change. The parade of blue sunny days bored her.

The shopping centre was sterile, the same stores and layout found in any town or city suburb in Australia. But it provided a welcome distraction. She didn't need or want anything in particular but she browsed with the thoroughness of a dedicated shopper and bought a few items.

She drove around the boldly signed ‘CBD', which seemed to consist of appliance stores, video and mobile-phone outlets, boat repairers and offices housing small businesses. Further out of town she found the residential streets, a large garden nursery, a few restaurants, a corner store and
a newsagent. She wound up the hill to the public gardens, which had a view across the harbour to the sea where the reef with its skirt of small islands drew visitors to its postcard beauty. Blair constantly repeated how lucky they were on Branch, named because it was an island sprouting right from a limb of the Great Barrier Reef.

The fence surrounding the gardens was covered in massed purple, pink and white bougainvilleas and Jennifer realised how Branch was lacking in colourful flowers. She was tempted to go back and buy some bright silk ones, but felt that taking artificial flowers to Branch Island would contravene its ethos of ‘nature rules, okay'. Tucked into a green oasis at the side of the public gardens was a restaurant appropriately named The View. She parked and asked for a table on the verandah.

She hadn't been eating well though the food at the resort was regarded as a big drawcard. Blair and the chef were concocting fabulous dishes but to Jennifer these were too elaborate, too much like the glitzy meals in foodie magazines. The guests either went for the dressed show dishes or what Jennifer had named the whole-hog buffet, in her mind more variety and quantity of food than any human needed.

The uncomplicated dishes at The View appealed to her and she ate heartily. She felt so much better she wondered if she should cancel her doctor's appointment. What she needed, she decided, was a regular hit of the outside world.
While she was waiting for her coffee, she turned on her mobile phone, which had been useless on the island.

‘Hello, Vi, it's me. I'm on the mainland for a day so we can have a chat.'

‘Oh Jen, it's so good to hear your voice. My goodness, we miss hearing from you. Your mum is going to be so cross she missed you. She's down at the club.'

‘I miss you too. Is Don okay? And how's Mum?'

‘They're good as gold. Now tell me, what's it like? You haven't sent us any emails yet.'

‘I'm sorry, Vi. I feel bad about that. But it's like I've been in some cocoon. The days just pass and I haven't been able to get myself organised. Just been playing at being a resort guest. Blair has settled right in and loves it.'

Vi heard the disquiet in Jennifer's voice. ‘But you haven't settled in? You needed a rest, sweetie. Recharge your batteries, that's all. Are you doing any work? I mean, how do you pass the time?' Vi couldn't imagine Jennifer just lazing by a pool or doing whatever people did at those flash resorts.

‘I've been doing a bit of retail therapy over here in Headland Bay. I'll be fine, Vi.'

‘Is that a nice little town?'

‘It is at the moment. A holiday place that's the jumping-off point for this part of the reef. Developers are moving in to jazz it up, you know what that means.'

‘Oh dear. So tell me more about the island,
your mother is going to want to know every detail. She's playing a comp and they hang about with tea and sandwiches after so she won't be back for hours. Can you ring again before you go back?'

‘I'll try. The island and the resort are lovely. Just like the postcards. I'm afraid we have a rather small unit. But it's secluded. There's an empty one next door that they use for visitors doing office work and so on. Blair said we might be able to use it for friends. So we could put you up.'

‘All in good time, Jen. You settle in properly. I wouldn't tell your mother that just yet. She's itching to get up there of course. And are the people nice? Have you made any friends?'

Jennifer was tempted to share her upset over Rhonda's beating but didn't want to worry Vi. They chatted and Jennifer tried to make island life sound upbeat, mentioning Gideon as one of the interesting people she'd met.

‘What about your old friends, have you heard from anyone?'

‘Not really. Communication is difficult. Once I get my computer going . . . I'm about to call Trisha,' said Jennifer, feeling guilty that she hadn't called anyone from what she thought of as her ‘old' life. The waitress brought her coffee as she said goodbye to Vi, then Jennifer dialled Trisha, her closest friend from uni.

‘What's happened to you? We've been dying to hear. Is it fabulous?'

Jennifer sketched a picture of tropical nights
under the moon, fantastic activities, the glamorous resort, the intriguing island.

‘Sounds like paradise. Any famous people there too?'

The question caught Jennifer off-guard. ‘There was a TV guy . . . actually, oh God, Trish, he beat up a girl . . .' The words tumbled out in a low whisper and she felt close to tears.

‘What! What the hell happened? Who'd he beat up? Who is he?'

‘He was drunk. That guy from
Life Starts Here,
the reality show, the host . . .'

‘Dougie Wilson? Willsy? Doesn't surprise me, he's an egotistical moron if you ask me. Wasn't he a boxer? God, how bad is the girl?'

‘She was bruised and bleeding, he grabbed her on the beach late at night not far from our place and she got away and came to our door.'

‘She was lucky by the sound of it. Did he rape her?'

‘No. But Trisha, it's all been kept quiet. Please, you mustn't mention this to anyone . . .' The relief she felt at sharing the painful secret was overtaken by worry that the news might get out.

‘'Course not. But then, who's going to believe her story unless there was a witness? Though you and Blair could testify to what happened. I tell you, guys like that think they can do what they want with women,' said Trisha angrily.

‘Rhonda doesn't want anyone to know. Blair was acting manager and it would be bad PR for the resort, he thought.'

‘That's for sure, but, shit, what about the poor girl?' said Trisha bluntly and when Jennifer didn't answer, knowing it made Blair look bad, Trisha added, ‘Well, at least if anything happens on an island the culprit can't get away easily. It must have been awful for you.'

‘Yes. Anyway, she's gone home to Ireland and he's left too.' Jennifer paused. ‘It's good to talk about it. I think it rattled me more than I realised. I'm feeling very isolated. I'm not the island type. I know what my mother would say – you made your bed, girl, now sleep in it.'

‘What about the book? How's that coming?'

‘Haven't done a thing. But I'm starting tomorrow. I feel so much better, Trisha. I thought I was going mad. I came over to see a doctor, but I feel so much better after talking to you.'

‘Any time. And any time you want some company let me know. I could take a bit of sun, scuba and snorkelling on the reef. It sounds gorgeous.'

Trisha filled Jennifer in on their mutual friends and her own life before Jennifer glanced at her watch and said she'd be late for her appointment.