Riding the Storm (4 page)

Afterwards, finding it impossible to talk to the sobbing Joanne or her son, people spoke to Robert, offering him their condolences instead. Urbane and dry-eyed, he shook the hands of those who were well dressed, inviting them to join him for a drink at the pub. Ryan wanted only to get his mother safely home. With the funeral over, he was hoping that Robert would take the hint and leave. If he never set eyes on his uncle again, it would be too soon.

After seeing his mother home and tucked up in bed with a pill to help her sleep, he decided to call on his father’s solicitor, hoping that somehow Peter had found the time to make provision for him to take charge of the stables and horses. He had to wait a while as he had no appointment but, aware of the lad’s history, Mr Anderson made a time in his busy schedule to see him. When he heard what Ryan wanted, he shook his head.

‘I’m so sorry, Ryan. I wish I had better news for you. Unfortunately, a lot of people put off making these arrangements until it’s too late. I’m afraid your father was one of them.’

‘So Mum is still—’

‘The executor of his original will. I’m afraid so. Yes.’

‘But can’t you talk to Dr Richards – I’m sure she’d be able to put you straight on the long-term effects of Mum’s condition.’

‘Yes but these things always take time,’ the man said gently, in sympathy with the boy’s grief. ‘And now – now that your father’s gone – why does it seem so important to act on
all this immediately?’

Realizing the man couldn’t help him and too tired to explain further, Ryan stood up and sighed. ‘Thank you, Mr Anderson. I won’t take up any more of your time.’

‘I’m sorry.’ The man stood up to show him to the door. ‘I wish I could have been of more help.’

In spite of his nephew’s hostile attitude, Robert stayed one more night.

Ryan needed to stock up on provisions for the stables and wanted to see Mike, who would be going to Melbourne soon, but he didn’t want to leave his mother alone with his uncle. The man was quite capable of going into her bedroom and shaking her awake.

Trying to wait him out, Robert didn’t set off until noon but finally he realized Joanne wasn’t going to get up and was forced to leave without seeing her and completing the deal on the horse. Once again, Ryan avoided his uncle’s handshake although Robert insisted on having the last word.

‘This isn’t the last you’ll hear of me, boy. One way or another, I always get what I want.’

Ryan smiled, refusing to be intimidated by his uncle’s words, and heaved a sigh of relief as he watched Robert leave, the empty horsebox bouncing behind him.

‘Has he really gone?’ Joanne asked, before venturing from her room.

‘Yeah,’ Ryan said. ‘We finally wore him down. I don’t think he’ll be back.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Will you be OK for an hour or two, Mum? I need to call at the store and order more feed for the horses. Then I want to drop in on Mike. He’s leaving to start his training in Melbourne soon.’

‘Of course I’ll be all right – now Robert has gone. It’ll be nice to have the house to myself for once. I can catch up on my soap – haven’t seen it for days.’

‘Nothing will have happened. It never does. I’ve got my phone so just call if you need anything.’

Joanne smiled. ‘I’m OK. Go and spend a bit of time with Mike.’

As always when he visited the home of Mike’s parents, Ryan was reminded of the contrast between the mansion with its Olympic-sized pool and bowling-green lawns and his own more traditional rustic Queensland home. Mike’s father was on his way out but he took the time to clap Ryan on the shoulder and once more offer his sympathies.

‘Don’t be a stranger, Ryan. Always welcome here – you know that.’

Mike was also pleased to see him although he couldn’t understand his friend’s reluctance to help him deliver another boat.

‘Come on, you made excuses last time and missed out on that trip to Whitsundays. This time I won’t take no for an answer.’

‘Mike, I’d love to but I can’t. Mum’s not in a good place – she’s still pretty fragile—’

‘I know but you still need some time for yourself. After all she’s a grown-up, isn’t she?’

‘Not always.’

‘What does that mean?’

Ryan hesitated, wondering if it would be disloyal to tell. ‘Hell, you’re going to be a doctor – you might as well know.’
And putting it as simply as he could, he told his friend about his mother’s worsening condition.

‘I had no idea or I wouldn’t have said what I did.’ Mike was considerably chastened and shocked by this news. ‘Are you sure there’s nothing they can do?’

‘Just treat the symptoms as they show up. That’s what Dad said. We could have managed together for some time but I’m afraid that sooner rather than later, she’ll have to go into care. That’s why it’s now more important than ever for me to turn Tommy into a successful racehorse. We’re going to need more than my veggie patch can provide.’

‘But you’re only the same age as me. You don’t even have a trainer’s licence—’

‘Not yet. I’ll have to make it my business to get one as soon as I can.’ Ryan sighed, knowing how hard it would be to plead his cause to the conservative racing authorities. ‘But enough about me and my troubles. How are you? What happened about that girl and the baby?’

Mike grinned. ‘Oh, that’s old news. Either she wasn’t pregnant or she lost it, so I’m off the hook.’

‘And is she all right?’

‘I suppose so.’ Mike shrugged. ‘I’m done with her, like I told you.’

Ryan stared at his friend, stunned by his lack of compassion. There were times when Mike could be quite insensitive; he could only hope he would use this sense of detachment to make himself a better surgeon, which was his ultimate goal. ‘I should go,’ he said, glancing at his watch. ‘It’ll be dark soon and I don’t want to leave Mum alone after nightfall.’

‘You can’t put your life on hold forever. You might be
looking for a safe pozzy for her sooner rather than later, bro.’

‘Just don’t tell anyone, right? Not even your father.’

‘I never tell him anything.’ Mike grinned and saluted. ‘Your secret is safe with me.’

Ryan drove home with a lot to think about. He felt a jolt of fear when he saw that the sun had gone down and there were no lights on in the house. He burst through the back door to find his mother sitting at the kitchen table, staring at nothing.

‘Mum, what’s wrong? What happened? Why are you sitting in the dark?’

‘Robert,’ she whispered. ‘Robert came back.’

‘Oh, shit. Of course he did. Why didn’t I think of that?’ Ryan was so incensed, he didn’t realize he was shouting.

‘Don’t yell at me, Ryan. You know it upsets me.’

‘Sorry, sorry.’ He sat down beside his mother, taking her hands. ‘Just tell me – why did he come back? What did he want?’

‘What he wanted all along. To take Tommy.’ She pushed a fat envelope towards him. ‘He had the money all ready and paid me in cash. I haven’t counted it but there seems to be an awful lot—’

‘Oh, Mum. Why didn’t you call me? I’d have come home.’

‘I don’t know. He was so kind to me, so sympathetic – not how he was with you. He said he could see I needed the money to fix up the house.’

Ryan closed his eyes. His uncle had been clever. He had picked on the very thing closest to Joanne’s heart. ‘And Tommy’s papers – did he take them, too?’ He glanced at his father’s desk, hating the thought of his uncle rummaging
through it to find them. ‘And how long ago did he leave?’ He held out his hand for the envelope when she would have snatched it away. ‘No, Mum, give it to me. I might catch up with him yet.’

‘Ryan, it’s too late. It’s done. You’ll only argue with him and make him angry again.’

‘He hasn’t seen angry yet. Taking advantage of a grieving woman who isn’t—’

‘Quite right in the head? Oh, don’t worry – I know what people say about me.’

‘Oh, Mum.’ Ryan picked up the envelope and tucked it into his jacket. Sometimes he wished she didn’t have these moments of perception. ‘Just tell me how long? How long ago did he leave?’

‘I don’t know. Two hours. Maybe three.’

‘Well, he can’t travel fast with a horse in a box. I could catch up with him yet.’

‘Now, Ryan, please. Don’t do anything foolish.’

‘Don’t worry. If he’s three hours ahead of me, I’ll have plenty of time to calm down.’

Driving as fast as he could and sometimes over the speed limits, Ryan kept an eye out for police cars as he lane-hopped, dodging in and out of the traffic on the highway. Even at night it wasn’t long before he spotted his uncle’s distinctive trailer with Lanigan’s Melbourne in flashy luminous letters on the back and sides. Although he was well past Cairns, he hadn’t covered nearly as much ground as Ryan expected. Fuelled by anger and frustration, he drove in front of Robert quite dangerously, forcing him to stop at the side of the road. Robert jumped out of his car and ran towards him, equally angry.

‘What’s the matter with you, boy, forcing me off the road at night. You tryin’ to get us both killed?’

‘Here’s your filthy money.’ Ryan flung the envelope at Robert’s feet. ‘Now give me the horse you stole.’

‘How? You figurin’ on tyin’ him to the back of your car an’ makin’ him trot home?’ Robert mocked his nephew, ignoring the packet lying on the road between them. ‘I haven’t stolen anything. I paid for that animal fair an’ square. Best get back home to your momma, son. I don’t think she does too well on her own.’

But Ryan wasn’t listening, already running to the horsebox to check on Tommy. Even before he opened it, he knew there would be no horse inside.

‘Where is he? What have you done with—’ he started to say.

Robert laughed shortly. ‘Think I’m a fool, boy? I knew you’d be hot on my trail soon as you found me out. You’re too late. I sent Hunter’s Moon off in luxury not half an hour ago. Look up an’ you’ll probably see the lights of that silver bird right there in the sky. My man’s goin’ to meet him at the airport. Hunter’s Moon will be home and hosed long before I get there.’

‘You – you bastard,’ Ryan said, realizing his uncle had outsmarted and beaten him.

‘Yeah, well. I’ve been called worse.’ He pointed to the packet of money, lying on the ground. ‘Better pick that up, boy. Your momma’s goin’ to need it. I won’t say I’m hopin’ to see you any time soon.’ So saying, he gave a mocking salute, climbed back into his vehicle and drove away, leaving Ryan in a cloud of dust at the side of the road. Ryan picked up the discarded envelope and brushed the soil from it, watching him go. Back
in his car, for the first time he unfastened the envelope, looked at the money and counted it. His uncle had given them the exact amount his father had paid for Hunter’s Moon.

R
OBERT TOOK HIS
time on the return journey, feeling happier than he had in days. From time to time he let out a bellow of laughter, pleased with himself for acquiring the horse he had wanted for so long and with the added bonus of getting the better of his nephew. He had enjoyed seeing the dejected slump of the young man’s shoulders when he realized he was defeated; it made all his plotting worthwhile. His foreman in Melbourne had already texted him to say that Hunter’s Moon had arrived safely and was settling into his new quarters as if he had been there all his life. As a precaution, he had called the vet, who examined him thoroughly, pronouncing him fit, in spite of the fact that he had been living and exercising in what Robert described as relatively primitive conditions.

Delighted that he had accomplished his goal more easily than he had expected, he decided to make a detour to Sydney to give himself a small reward. There was a woman he sometimes visited when he was there on his own. It would be wrong to call her a prostitute but in return for good food and expensive presents, she was generous to a select group of men friends. Sensibly he decided to call before arriving on her doorstep unannounced.

‘Why, Robert, what a pleasant surprise.’ She did indeed sound genuinely pleased to hear from him. ‘I love to see you when you’re in town. Come over right away. I’ll put some champagne on ice.’

Driving down unfamiliar roads, looking out for a flower shop and anticipating the good time he was about to have, Robert ignored a red light. He knew something was wrong only when he heard the noise of air brakes applied far too late and the frantic blaring of a semi-trailer’s horn. Had he been driving the car on its own, he might have got away with it, but the horsebox took the full impact of the collision, making the car swing around and crash into the truck. His last thought before blacking out was that he wouldn’t get to see Meriel after all.

It was Chrissie who took the call from the hospital in Sydney, relaying the message to Val.

‘But what on earth was he doing in Sydney?’ This was her mother’s first reaction before she realized that her husband could be in real danger.

‘He’s been involved in an accident, Mum, and they don’t know how serious it is. We’ll have to go up there at once. He hasn’t come round yet and he’s still in intensive care.’

‘My God. I didn’t realize. I thought it was just a minor bump in the car. He is going to be all right?’ Val was finding it hard to believe such a thing could happen to her seemingly indestructible husband.

‘We won’t know the whole story till we get there.’

‘Well, obviously you can’t go. You’ve enough to do here with the wedding coming up—’

Chrissie shrugged. ‘I dunno. Until we know what’s happening with Dad, we might have to postpone it.’

‘Don’t say that. You’ve the honeymoon booked. It’ll upset all of your plans.’

At that point, it didn’t occur to either of them that Robert’s condition could be critical and that he might die. This was only brought home to Valerie when she walked into the ward to find her husband unconscious and hooked up to various instruments monitoring his condition and with a nurse assigned to his sole care. A tall, severe-looking woman with her hair scraped back from her face, she was busy making notes on his chart.

‘He – um – he will be all right, won’t he?’ Val asked.

‘Hard to say. We’ll know more if and when he regains consciousness.’ The nurse took down some more notes from the instruments beside the bed. ‘The police will want to talk to him then. The truck driver says your husband drove through a red light.’

Val stared at her. ‘I don’t know what he was doing in Sydney. He was supposed to be on the highway, coming home.’

The nurse shrugged. ‘We see this sort of thing all the time. People distracted, talking on mobile phones.’

‘How do you know he was on the phone?’

‘It was still in his hand. Look, I shouldn’t be discussing this. It’s a matter for the police. The truck driver was pretty shaken up, too.’

It occurred to Val that there was a lot more sympathy for the truck driver than for her husband’s plight. She booked into a cheap motel not far from the hospital and reported the news – or rather the lack of it – to Chrissie.

‘Stay just as long as you need to, Mum. And don’t worry about things here. Sam and Bill can take care of the horses – for the time being, anyway. I’m going into town to see Tony tomorrow to give him the heads-up that we might have to postpone—’

‘Oh, Chrissie. I hope it won’t come to that.’

On reflection, Chrissie was surprised to find out how little she cared. It had been several weeks since she had seen Tony, who had given up calling her every night as he used to do. She had the feeling he was beginning to take her for granted.

At the end of twenty-four hours, Robert regained consciousness but he seemed vague, having no memory of the accident or how it occurred. He seemed surprised to see Val and wondered why she was there. His doctors told her that while his injuries seemed to be relatively minor, the horsebox taking the main impact of the collision, the shock of the accident had caused him to suffer a minor stroke. And although they expected him to make a reasonable recovery, he would be confined to a wheelchair in the immediate future. His medical insurance would cover the cost of an ambulance to deliver him back to Melbourne where his own doctor would take over, referring him to a specialist who would monitor his progress. It was suggested that Val should consider hiring a nurse. She reported all this to Chrissie, who sighed.

‘I’ve already talked to Tony and arranged to see him tomorrow. Looks as if we’ll need to rethink our plans.’

‘Really? You don’t sound all that put out.’

‘Don’t I?’ Chrissie sounded flat. ‘I’ll know more after I’ve spoken to Tony.’

As she drove into town the next day, Chrissie had time to consider her relationship with her fiancé and how it had changed. Having met him in college, he was her first love and she had assumed she would love him forever, although the excitement seemed to have gone out of the relationship in recent times.

They had been best friends long before they became lovers. She had always been the smart one, lending him her notes and letting him copy her work. At one time she was even accused of copying his, but eventually the truth came out when Tony couldn’t help revealing his lack of application and he was politely advised to leave. Even then, Chrissie remained loyal, doing her best to ‘stand by her man’ while he made a new beginning in the hospitality industry. This suited him better as he had the knack of charming people to do things for him all the time.

If Chrissie was wearing her reading glasses when he wanted to kiss her, he used to take them off and say she was beautiful. She had believed him, too, and was thrilled when he asked her to marry him although other people – mostly girls – said he was unreliable as well as being a serious gambler, too. He had been seen playing poker not just at the casino but at some of the less well-regulated clubs. Chrissie dismissed these rumours as founded in jealousy, although she did know about his gambling and had sometimes helped out, paying his debts. He always promised it wouldn’t happen again – until the next time.

After the wedding, they were planning an extended trip to London and Paris. There weren’t many girls who could boast of a honeymoon in Paris, the city of romance. But now, because of
the news about Robert, these plans were all up in the air. And, even if Val hired a full-time nurse, Chrissie knew she couldn’t leave her mother to cope alone with a man who was sure to be the most overbearing and demanding of patients.

Chrissie had arranged to meet Tony for lunch at the hotel where he worked on probation as an assistant manager. It was one of the newer ones at the top end of town, patronized by politicians and show-business celebrities.

She knew something was wrong as soon as she saw him coming towards her. He was handsome as ever, well groomed and his blond hair gleaming, but he seemed to have lost weight since she last saw him and his smile was strained, a small muscle twitching beneath his eye. As a rule, Tony sailed through life on a golden cloud, never letting anything trouble him. He was the prince of charm and took it for granted that everyone loved him. He could have the grumpiest of hotel guests eating out of his hand in moments.

She moved into his arms and raised her lips for his kiss but he pushed her away with a brief peck on the cheek before steering her towards the dining room and the private alcove where they were to dine. She tipped her head to one side, considering him.

‘Come on, Tony, I know that look,’ she said. ‘What is it this time? Not losing at poker again, I hope?’

‘Oh, Chrissie.’ He glanced aside, looking mildly irritated. ‘You know very well I’ve given that up.’ And he hid his expression by picking up the menu, giving his full attention to that instead.

‘What will you have?’ he said from behind it. ‘The chef’s doing fresh crayfish today and I hear that it’s good.’

While pretending to study the menu herself, Chrissie felt someone’s stare and looked up to catch the eye of a slender blonde who was serving behind the bar. She had that smooth, heavy hair that fell forward on either side of her face; the kind of hairstyle that looks simple but can take half an hour to prepare. She looked away as soon as she realized Chrissie had seen her, a faint blush staining her cheeks.

‘Crayfish would be great,’ Chrissie said, snapping the menu shut. ‘But first things first. I wanted to ask if you’ve given your notice yet?’

‘Actually, I haven’t.’ Tony bit his lip, once more failing to meet her gaze.

‘Good,’ she said, making him blink in surprise. Briefly, she gave him an outline of what had happened to Robert and apologized for delaying their wedding plans. ‘It won’t be forever,’ she concluded. ‘Just until we find out how he’s going to be.’

‘Right,’ he murmured, staring at her. She could tell he was more immersed in his own thoughts than in what she had to say. ‘Sorry to hear about your pa,’ he mumbled almost as an afterthought.

‘Where are you, Tony?’ She sat back, regarding him. ‘I can see you’re not here with me.’

‘No. Yes. Sorry, sorry.’

She closed her eyes, trying to contain her impatience. ‘Tony, will you please stop saying “sorry” and give me your full attention.’

‘Yes. Chrissie, I’m sorry.’ The words came out in a rush. ‘I feel awful doing this to you when you’ve got so much else on your plate. But I can’t marry you. Nor can I leave my job and
take off for Europe – not now or any time soon. I’d be giving up too much here.’

‘I see.’ She paused, wondering about this sudden turnaround. After all, he was the one who had suggested the overseas trip. ‘OK. Maybe it’s for the best in view of what’s happened. I’ll tell them at work about these changed plans.’

‘Yeah.’ He looked considerably relieved. ‘You do that. And thanks. Thanks for taking it all so well.’

‘I don’t know so much about that,’ Chrissie said, surprised and a little hurt that he should fall in with her suggestion so easily. Did he really not care?

She became more and more aware of somebody watching them. The blonde behind the bar was now staring openly, making no attempt to disguise her interest. Chrissie turned in her seat to look at her directly but immediately the girl looked away, pretending to wipe the bar.

‘Who is that girl, Tony?’ she said. ‘And why is she so interested in us?’

‘That’s Alison,’ he mumbled, refusing to look at her. ‘She’s new.’

‘Doesn’t she know that it’s rude to stare?’

‘Oh, Chrissie, I’m so sorry.’ He sat back in his seat, looking defeated. ‘I feel such a heel when you’ve been so wonderful to me always.’ He reached across the table, trying to grab her hands, but she snatched them back out of the way. ‘I really hate letting you down, especially at a time like this, but I can’t help it. I’ve fallen in love. Really in love this time.’

‘Yeah. With that blonde airhead over there.’

His surprise was almost comical. ‘How did you guess?’

‘Because I’m psychic, you idiot.’ At that moment, Chrissie
was too angry to feel any pain. ‘And I’m not hungry just now. So if it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll pass on lunch.’ Feeling a buzzing in her ears, she stood up to leave, wanting to put as much distance between them as she could.

‘Chrissie, please.’ Tony stood up. ‘We have so much history together. Let’s behave like civilized people. Please stay and have lunch as we planned. I don’t want us to part bad friends.’

‘That’s just it, Tony, isn’t it?’ She looked at this handsome, spoilt young man as if seeing him properly for the first time. She took off her engagement ring and pushed it towards him. ‘We’ve always had an uneven relationship. I give – you take – and I don’t think we’ve ever really been friends.’

She left the table with her head high, knowing it was unlikely that she would ever see him again. He was probably already cracking a bottle of champagne, celebrating his freedom with his new love. She wondered, rather unkindly, how the new girl would feel when he asked her to help him to pay for his gambling debts. When her initial indignation subsided, she was surprised to find she wasn’t as upset as she expected to be. She was her own woman again – she was free. Tony was a luxury she no longer needed to afford. As she took the road home towards Cranbourne, she put on a new CD and sang along with it, enjoying a sense of freedom and independence, feeling more light-hearted than she had in years.