Eve’s Second Chance

Evelyn stretched within the tight confines of her seat. There wasn’t much room between hers and the one in front. Her back was aching – four hours sitting in a bus had whiskers on it. She looked out of the window at the decreasing light of day. Clouds looking ominously black on top, glowed red underneath from the setting sun. Silhouettes of rangy trees showed stark against the horizon. David twitched then startled in his sleep. He was jammed hard against her, not wanting to lose contact with his mother for a moment. His forehead was sweaty and Evelyn brushed his hair back into a cocky’s peak, waking him as she did so. “Are we there yet?” he asked, his voice scratchy with sleep………. CHAPTER 4 (Thom) was feeling awful. His head ached and he felt down right worn out. For the first time in years he was troubled with asthma, he hated these depressions, and would much prefer highs. Anyway, right now he had no energy and wanted to crawl into his (unmade) bed, and never get up. He was driving himself mad by going over, and over, and over a variety of solutions to resurrect his business. He would settle on one, then moments later, question its viability. He would look at another, then another, then come back to the first one…….. CHAPTER 7 Thom took time off to visit his lady friend. He had known Martha Collins all of his life. She had moved away some years ago, to a small Town some twenty-five miles from Stott’s Corner, and kept in touch with him by letter. She had never married and worked at the one and only bank there. She was financially well off, as she went without the pleasures of life, fervently believing that one way to gain personal security and happiness was to have a healthy bank balance. Though the relationship with Thom had remained clandestine, she was very protective of their life-long friendship. And more so now as she grew irritated by his constant mention of Evelyn Simmons/Beech………… CHAPTER 11 The phone call came early in the morning. It invaded Evelyn’s dream and became the ring of the school bell. She jumped out of bed convinced she had slept through the alarm. Her feet hit the bare boards running. It was only when she noticed the darkness outside that she stopped to get her bearings. The phone, it’s only the phone. She glanced at the bedroom clock as she grabbed her dressing gown and headed for the stairs. Five o’clock. Was she meant to be at work? No, it was Kathy’s turn for the breakfast shift, and anyway, they didn’t start until six. “Hullo?” she whispered, as she didn’t want the children to wake. Which was a bit silly as the ringing was enough to wake the dead! “Who is it?” “Eve?” It was Thom and he sounded hysterical. “Eve? Please, can I come over? I’ve, that is the Police…” “What’s happened? Thom are you alright? You’re not hurt? The café?” “No, no Eve, nothing like that. It’s Martha!” A wave of irritation rushed through her. That bloody woman again. What now? “Oh?” she knew she must sound techy, but did Thom really think he could get her up before dawn to tell her about his bloody love life, or whatever sort of relationship he had with that bloody woman? I must stop swearing! It’s most unbecoming of a lady, she chastised herself. “Eve, she’s dead!”............... CHAPTER 14 Sergeant Crawley hit the roof. “What do you mean you’ve got more evidence? Who gave you permission to re-open the case Constable? It’s nonsense, all this business of murder. You read too many comic books my lad. Now I don’t want to hear any more of this, there’s a bull loose from the Egan property, get on with closing the roads off before someone gets hurt. Off you go then.” A despondent Bob Mc Carthy headed for the patrol car. He left the file on the desk and when he had gone, Sergeant Crawley took it into his office. He figured he may as well check out what this new evidence was. A short while later, he sat ruminating over what Bob had found out….. CHAPTER 15 Thom drove to Evelyn’s. He was too angry with himself to notice the approaching storm. As he drew into the driveway, big rain drops splashed onto the windscreen. He ran to the back door calling, “Eve? You there pet?” No answer. Maybe she didn’t come home, he wondered, or the car, maybe she went out. But the car was parked around the back. The washing began to tangle around the line as the wind picked up. She should have got that in, he noted as he ran into the house. In the sitting room, he found Martha’s last letter to him. It lay boldly on the coffee table, Evelyn’s cold cup of tea next to it. Damn and bugger, he cursed, sweeping it into his hand. Where the hell has she gone?... …. CHAPTER 17 Thom drove at a reckless speed towards Meadow Banks, his ‘dark side’ that had accompanied him all his life, now taking over. At times through the haze that filled his head, he imagined Martha to be waiting for him with a cup of tea. He would tell her the mess he was in and she would sort it out. Hadn’t she always? Then he would remember she had gone. Where was she now? Oh yes, the cemetery, the one back at Stott’s Corner. Buried beside her parents. She had bought the plot years ago. Thom laughed. Always so organized was his little Martha……………….. CHAPTER 18 Constable Bob McCarthy sat opposite his Boss. “See Sarg. Thom’s got himself confused, he doesn’t know who’s who! It’s like there’s two of him, one the person Eve knows, the other’s this crazy guy Susan talked too.” “And who is he now then?” Sergeant Crawley asked. “We need to get him in here quick smart to sort the whole flamin’ lot out! So get out there son and find him.” Sergeant Crawley was fed up to the back teeth with this saga, though he had to admit that Bob was onto something he himself had chosen to ignore……….. CHAPTER 18 Sergeant Crawley sat Thom down in the interview room, which was really a converted storage room. It was a tight squeeze. “Here, drink up, you looked bushed,” he told Thom, as he handed him a steaming cup of tea. Play it friendly he told himself, this guy’s a walking time bomb……… David pulled Mandy further into the bushes. They had hidden in the scrub to the left of the house. He fought tears back as he watched Uncle Thom drag his dad to the ute. He watched the struggle then silently cheered when his father ran down the road. But that soon turned to fear as Thom revved the engine and gunned the ute after him……… CHAPTER 19 “Come on guys time to go home,” John said. “We need to get our heads around this whole, bizarre episode don’t you think?” he added as he ushered his family back to the house. Evelyn took one more look around the sad scene in-front of her, then nodded. “Yes, I need a drink.” “Whiskey?” John asked, a smile twitching his lips. “Or a good, old fashioned strong cup of tea with two sugars?!” “Tea for two I think,” Evelyn answered……. …….. Bob closed the folder, ready to present it to Sergeant Crawley in the morning. Evelyn, he yawned and shook his head, what a way to get your second chance…...