Only Killers and Thieves(86)

“No, I don’t suppose you are.” She sighed, glanced behind her, up the stairs. “Would you prefer to be alone? Only, I saw you and thought you might like some company, perhaps talk about Mary—you must be upset?”

He took a long time to answer: “How did it happen? How did she die?”

“I told you, she just—”

“No, I mean exactly. What did it look like? I should have been there.”

“It was all very peaceful, Tommy. Mr. Weeks kept her comfortable with his drops. We were waiting for Shanklin the day you rode out. I sent the telegram that morning myself. He never came.”

“And she died when?”

“Late the same night. I intended sending a boy into Bewley the very next day, fetch him out right away.”

So they were camping, Tommy reasoned. That first night in the scrubs. Noone woke him. Leaning against the myall tree, whittling the cross for Locke.

“Did he come the day after? Shanklin?”

“No. Nothing. I don’t know what happened.”

They sat in silence a moment. Tommy said, “She always looked peaceful.”

“Oh, she was. She was as comfortable as a person can be.”

“Did you sit with her?”

She nodded. “For as long as I could.”

“But . . . was she on her own?”

“Yes, Tommy, but listen—that’s only natural, we’re all alone at the end. She knew you and Billy cared for her and would have been there if you could.”

“Least you were.”

She reached out and cupped his knee. “Are you hungry? Shall I ask for an early lunch?”

“I’m waiting on Noone,” he said.

“Noone? Whatever for?”

“He’s fetching over Kala, one of them we found. For a housegirl.”

“A housegirl? Goodness—is she trained?”

“What in?”

“Cooking, cleaning, laundry, and such. She won’t be any good to you if not.”

Tommy shrugged. “She’ll be alright.”

“No, that won’t do. John should have told me. I’d rather lend you one of ours. You can’t just take on anyone, Tommy. She’s wild. Might not even be safe.”

“Safe how?”

“Well, what if she means to harm you? No, you must have one of mine, while we train the new girl here. When she’s capable we’ll swap them. How does that sound?”

“Thank you, no. It’s not really for that. I don’t care if she’s trained or not.”

Mrs. Sullivan sat there scowling, then snatched a breath and said, “Even you, barely a man, I just don’t understand it sometimes. It’s really no better than fucking a dog. You know, John’s been with so many his cock doesn’t work. He’s all dried up and limp as a leaf. Watch yourself, Tommy, or you’ll end up the same, and bloody well deserve it too.”

If she was shamed by her language she didn’t show it. She stood and flicked her skirts and marched back up the steps. Tommy listened to her go. He wanted to call after her, to explain what he had planned, but he was learning. He’d asked for her help once and she’d scolded him, then given him a bag of boiled sugar sweets. The sweets had been a godsend, but she wouldn’t have thought to give them to any of the men. Might as well have scrubbed his hair and pinched him on the cheek.





34



They brought Kala around the back of the house, meaning at first Tommy missed her coming in. He was still on the steps when he caught a burst of male laughter and what sounded like a muffled scream; he came down the stairs, followed the noise around the homestead to the rear yard. Rabbit had her. She was naked on his horse, bound, her head covered with a feed bag, but it was Mallee who was laughing and causing her to scream. He leaned from his saddle to poke and tickle her, putting on a show for the housemaids and kitchen hands who were gathered in the yard. They watched his performance vacantly, only their heads moving, slowly tracking the horses as they crossed from left to right.

“Hey!” Tommy shouted, running. “Hey, stop that!”

He met them in the clearing between the house and the sheds. Rabbit offered a muted wave. Tommy noticed scratches on Kala’s body, marks on her legs.

“Where you taking her?”

Rabbit answered: “Tie her in stable, Marmy says. Big trouble this one.”

“Leave her with me. I’ll do it.” He waved for them to bring her down.

Mallee was scowling at him. “Stable,” he said.

Tommy looked from the trooper to Kala again, sitting upright and alert on the back of Rabbit’s horse, listening from inside her hood. Tommy pulled back his shoulders and fixed Mallee in the eye.

“She’s ours now,” he said. “A gift from Noone—from Marmy. I’ll tell him you wouldn’t let me have her. He won’t be pleased. I’ll tell him it was you.”

He pointed at Mallee. The trooper glanced worriedly at Rabbit, whose shrug said he didn’t disagree. Mallee dismounted and dragged Kala kicking from the horse. She fought him all the way down. Tommy snatched the feed bag from her head and she fell still, stood there blinking and squinting against the sun. Air surged through her nose. Her face was swollen in places and her bottom lip was cut. She looked at Tommy and he smiled warmly but her gaze went right through him as if they’d never met. He took hold of her arm. She struggled and Tommy let go.