Chapter 25
Things That Have Bloody Annoyed Me Today:
The family I have.
The family I don’t have.
Guy Majors.
True crime enthusiasts.
Broadcasters who should know better.
The house was almost completely cleared now, except for the mattresses, electrical and white goods and the odd folding chair so the Aussies could watch TV.
They wouldn’t be watching Rhiannon’s big interview though, for obvious reasons.
I said I wasn’t going to watch it either but as the time came closer, my will to avoid it was weakening.
I was still staying out of their way for the most part but occasionally I’d go into one of the rooms and take last lingering looks at the dents in the carpets where beds or chairs used to be.
Most of my bedroom furniture, bedframe, the vast majority of my clothes, toys, and the contents of the garage were already on a cargo plane to Brisbane without me.
My life was already in Australian airspace, even if I wasn’t following behind it.
Instead, Heather and I were working out a plan of our own. Flight bookings and knowing looks and clandestine visits to her office to sign pieces of paper I didn’t quite understand. We hadn’t told the Aussies. Heather said Melissa would put up a hell of a fight for me.
‘I doubt it,’ I scoffed as I left her office that final lunchtime with my brown envelope. ‘She hasn’t shown me the least bit of care since they arrived.’
‘I don’t know,’ said Heather, standing beside me as we waited for my cab. ‘Why come all this way otherwise?’
‘The antiques. And the art. And the jewellery. And anything else of any worth she can get her hands on.’
Heather shook her head and for once didn’t argue with me. ‘She knows about Freddie’s money for you as well.’
‘How?’
‘He called the house the other day when I was over there showing the Lombards round. Didn’t she tell you?’
‘No, she didn’t.’
‘He asked to speak to you, said who he was and that he wondered if you had changed your mind about the money.’
‘Shit.’
‘Melissa put two and two together. Asked how much there was. And he told her. She made it sound like you two were closer than you are. So now she knows not only what you’ve got coming in two years and five years respectively, she also knows about the wad he’s saved up for you.’
‘She’s not entitled to any of it, is she?’
Heather shook her head vehemently. ‘Have no fear. It’s all nicely tied up in a bow in your name.’
‘Minus your fee,’ I reminded her.
‘My fee comes out of Claudia’s estate once the house sale goes through. Claudia stipulated everything else went directly to you and didn’t Pass Go.’
‘What the hell am I going to do with it all, Heather? Didn’t anybody stop to think it isn’t the best idea to give a sixteen-year-old millions of pounds?’
‘Claudia knew you were sensible, at heart. That you’d put it in all the right places. And it’s coming to you piecemeal so it’s not as though you get the entire wad all at once. It’s taken care of, don’t worry.’
A thought flew in. ‘Actually, I think I know what I want to do with the Freddie money. Would you get in touch with him for me and sort it out?’
‘Of course. Just say the word.’
I smiled at her. ‘Do you ever wonder sometimes how the hell you got involved in all this; in me?’ I asked her.
‘No,’ she said immediately, without hesitation.
‘I remember it well. And I’m grateful for it.
Watching you grow up, keeping an eye on you and your mum.
It’s been a privilege. You’re an extraordinary girl, Ivy.
And remember what I said: You are multitudes.
You don’t have to be anything but yourself – not her, not him, not some “monster” – you’re you.
And you don’t have to have all the answers yet either – whether you want to be a showgirl or a centre forward or a bloody rocket scientist. It’s all up for grabs. Your life starts here.’
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘You’ve done everything for me. And I don’t think I ever once said thank you for it.’
‘You have,’ she said, smiling. ‘Many times. You just don’t remember you did.’ She moved the curls away from my face where a breeze had blown them. ‘Are you going to watch the show tonight?’
I breathed in deeply, and then out, my chest clenching with dread. ‘I don’t think so. I don’t think it will teach me anything about Rhiannon I don’t already know. Maybe I’ll flick over if there’s nothing else on.’
She smiled. ‘Maybe I will too.’
My cab turned into the drive. Heather held out her arms.
‘Remember what I said now—’
‘—yeah, I know.’
‘Make sure you do.’ She held on for longer than ever before and kissed my head. ‘Please take care of yourself, Ivy. There’s a good girl.’
The rest of the day passed frighteningly quickly and about an hour before the TV special with Rhiannon was due to air, River paid me another visit.
He stood leaning on his car in the lane, just beyond the trees and waited for me to come to the window as I was brushing my teeth.
He flashed his lights twice. The Aussies were in the lounge watching Who Wants to be a Millionaire eating pie and chips off three lap trays as I crept down the stairs to greet him at the five-bar gate.
I wrapped my dressing gown tighter around myself, noticing he had a bag with him. I’d never seen him with a bag before. ‘You going somewhere?’
‘Back to the States. Rhiannon told me to leave you alone. She said you went to see her.’
‘Yeah, I did. Wow. She actually listened to me. So what are you going to do now?’
River shrugged. ‘I have no idea. I still got a month on my visa, but the hire car has to be returned by Tuesday so I thought I’d go back a little early.’
‘But where will you go?’ I asked him. He shrugged. ‘You should have somewhere to go. Why don’t you call your sisters?’
He didn’t answer immediately, and when he did, he changed the subject. ‘I’m gonna miss England. It’s been nice. I’ve enjoyed meeting you.’
‘They’ll welcome you with open arms, I know they will.’
‘Maybe.’ He seemed as spiky as a porcupine. ‘I always got the impression they thought I was kinda … I don’t know, dirty when I got back.’
‘Did they say that?’
He shook his head. ‘I probably pushed them away, I don’t know.’
‘I’m sure they’d love to see you. I know I miss my brother and I’ve never even met him.’ He smiled. ‘When do you leave?’
‘Whenever. Just wanted to say goodbye to you first. And to say sorry, again, for not being there for you with the Bishopstons. Although, I’ve been thinking about it, and it’s probably for the best that I wasn’t in that instance. I’m a kinda act first, ask questions later guy.’
‘Definitely for the best. Listen, our flight’s on Monday – why don’t you stay here with me and then we can all go to the airport together? You’re flying out of Heathrow, right?’
‘I’m not supposed to contact you anymore,’ he said.
‘—I’m asking you to stay, please. You’ll be doing me a favour.’ I gestured at the house behind me and rolled my eyes. ‘I’d rather go back with you than those three.’
‘Driving you crazy, huh?’
‘Big time. Larry’s stressing about being back for some cricket match, Melissa’s wanging on about needing room for her duty-free perfume and Jordy’s, well, you know when someone’s being too nice?’
‘Absolutely. I can see right through it.’
‘Me too! We don’t have any beds but there’s a ton of duvets and blankets and thick carpet on my bedroom floor.’
‘Won’t your Aussie guardians mind?’
‘I shouldn’t think they’d bat an eye. I’ll say you’re my boyfriend. You could pass for eighteen.’
‘OK,’ he said warily, staring up at the giant house like it was Buckingham Palace. ‘In that case, could I grab a shower real quick?’
‘Oh yeah. We still have showers.’
I led River inside the house like this was nothing out of the ordinary.
Larry was the first to come in with his empty tray on a backdrop of gameshow applause and an ad break.
He did a double take when he saw an almost six-foot heavily tattooed guy with black fingernails and spacers in his earlobes standing at the island.
‘Oh wotcha?’ said Larry as he dropped the plastic straight into the open bin bag dangling on a cupboard door. ‘Who’s this, Ivy love?’
‘This is River. He’s my boyfriend. He’s eighteen.’
‘Oh right. How you goin’, mate?’ Larry reached out to shake River’s hand but River just looked at it. It was also pleasing to note how much he towered over Larry and how clearly Larry was put out by this.
‘Nice to meet you,’ said River.
‘How do you know Ivy then?’
‘Through her mum. The serial killer.’
‘Ah right.’ Larry looked from me to him and back again.
Then Melissa shuffled in, also with an empty tray and assorted containers and cups for the bin bag. ‘Who’s this tall drink of water, Ivy?’
‘My boyfriend. His name’s River. He’s eighteen.’
‘Ah right. You’ve not mentioned him before. You were at my sister’s wake, weren’t you, love?’
River nodded.
I cleared my throat. ‘Yeah, River’s going to be staying with us until we leave for the airport. He has to catch a flight too. He’s going back to the States.’
‘He knew her mother,’ Larry filled in quietly. ‘The serial killer.’
‘Rhiannon saved my life,’ said River firmly. Melissa didn’t even offer to shake his hand – just went to the fridge to grab a carton of strawberry milk. She stabbed the straw in the top and glared at him.
‘There’s pie and chips in the oven. I got you a veggie one.’
‘Thanks,’ I said as she and Larry went back into the lounge on whispered utterances of ‘Who?’ and ‘What?’
‘Anyone else I need to introduce myself to?’ said River, leaning on the kitchen island.
Jordy trudged into the kitchen in their bunny slippers, yawning their head off. They also put down an empty tray of plastic containers onto the draining board and proceeded to scrape everything into the bin bag.
‘Christ alive, I thought you were the fahkin Crow!’
‘Jordy, River; River, Jordy – Larry’s kid.’
‘Pleased to meet ya, Riv,’ said Jordy, shaking his hand. ‘Hey, you’re the one in the books, aren’t ya? The one Rhiannon saved?’
River looked at me, then back at Jordy. ‘You know who I am?’
‘I started reading them when I came over and met Ivy. I just got into them. I’m not the biggest fan in the world of Rhiannon but I thought Ivy turned out okay so she must have something about her. You and Ivy are …’
‘In a relationship,’ I told them, reaching for River’s hand. River went with it.
Jordy nodded and looked at River. ‘Ah right. Good. I’m glad you’re all right now, Riv.’
‘Thank you,’ said River, slightly taken aback as Jordy grabbed a Cornetto from the freezer and went back out for the second half of Millionaire. ‘Jordy seems nice?’
‘Yeah. They’re AJ’s step-sibling.’
‘Ah cool.’ Just then, we heard the TV boom out an advert for the Rhiannon interview with Guy Majors which the Aussies were at pains to switch off straight away.
‘Oh shit, it’s the interview tonight, isn’t it?’ cried River. ‘We have to watch it. It’s going to be historical. And knowing Rhiannon, hysterical. You are going to watch, aren’t you?’
‘I guess so,’ I said, as I led him upstairs.
It was a first for me, having a freshly showered heavily tattooed six-foot goth lying on my bedroom floor, smoking a joint and wearing one of Larry’s oversized cricket shirts and navy boxers.
Everything else he had with him stank of woodsmoke and pot, and I didn’t want to share a bedroom unless he was entirely fumigated.
His head was propped up on sofa cushions and his feet on my dressing table stool.
It wasn’t entirely unwelcome. It was like he was my older brother and we’d just opened our stockings on Christmas morning.
My chest panged with longing, thinking about Leo.
Wondering if this Christmas we could do that – open our presents together before Dad got up—
Shit. I’d called Rafael ‘Dad’ in my mind. This was dangerous. This could still go very wrong and the only one who stood to get hurt was, as usual, me.
Still, the thoughts allowed me some respite from the dread of seeing Rhiannon again so soon after the visit. The ad break was endless but it gave us time to make a huge bowl of popcorn, and two fruit smoothies from all the random-ass fruit we had to eat up or let rot.
‘I don’t know why but I’m nervous,’ I told River.
He sat up. ‘You don’t need to be, she’s amazing.’
‘You really love Rhiannon, don’t you?’
With that, he hitched up the sleeve of the Aussie T-shirt to show me a very clear tattoo of her face – all in black with the only coloured part her green eyes. It was perfect – gave me goosebumps. ‘I owe her everything, Ivy.’
We were not on the same page, but I smiled anyway, even though it didn’t reach my eyes.
I was watching the show merely because he wanted to see it – River was watching because Rhiannon was his God and all the angels put together.
But his dad hadn’t been killed, molested, chopped up and buried like mine had.
‘You’re so lucky having her as a mom,’ he remarked as the ads came to an end and the music started.
I was about to say something about what a moral grey area she was, and question how he could revere someone like her so completely, when the credits started to roll and he reached for the remote and shushed me. ‘It’s starting!’