Chapter 66
Chapter Sixty-Six
R ose had a salad lunch waiting for her when she returned. ‘I thought you might need something substantial to eat.’
‘Thank you. I’ve lost so much weight. I didn’t realise until I was in the change rooms trying on clothes. I look like shit.’
‘You don’t. You are thin though.’
They ate and talked. Rose was about to start a new job at the hospital. ‘The pay’s good and I can work around the kids’ school hours. I need to start making some good money.’
‘Money. That’s what I’m going to need too. That shop and house weren’t insured, and you can bet Bob didn’t keep much of the big stash of money he told me about in the bank. That’s gone up in smoke, like everything else. Lucky, I hid some cash away.’
Rose put her knife and fork down. ‘I have a plan for you. I’m not sure you’ll like it, but I’ve been on the phone, and I think I have a place for you to stay. ’
She had Evie’s attention. ‘How much is it a week?’
‘I would have thought your first question would have been, where is it?’
‘I don’t care, as long as it’s south of here and not in the city. How much is the rent?’
‘Well, it will be free to begin with, until you find a job. It’s got furniture and there’s even an old Datsun in the shed that you can use to try and help you find a job.’
‘What? No rent? What’s the catch?’
Rose picked up her fork and pushed her food around her plate. ‘You might not like it, but I know it will be the best option for you right now.’
Evie’s eyes narrowed. It’s not back in Beaudesert where we used to live, is it? I don’t think I could go back there.’
‘No, not Beaudesert. It’s on Stradbroke Island.’
‘What? Rent free?’
Her next words came out in a hurry. ‘It’s a little place Chris owns. He doesn’t live there. He just rents it out sometimes. At the moment it’s empty and I rang him when you were out shopping. He’s overseas so it took me a while to get him, but he said no worries at all.’
Evie’s heart thumped hard and she took a deep breath. ‘You didn’t give him all the details of what happened to me, did you?’
‘Look, I just said that your ex had been killed, something to do with drugs, and you needed to get away from Yeppoon. I said you hadn’t been involved, and you weren’t with him at the time it happened.’
Putting her head in her hands, Evie tried not to burst into tears. The shame of everything. The humiliation, to think that she had indirectly been involved with organised crime that had ended up with two murders. ‘I can’t live there. I just can’t.’
Rose grabbed her arm and made her look up. ‘Take the help, Evie. Chris helps me out all the time. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be surviving, bringing up these kids. He’s offered me that house numerous times, but I’m settled here. He bought this house for me and there’s been plenty of other times he’s helped me out. The boys’ dad has the kids on the weekend and he’s not a bad bloke. I’m okay. But, take a look at yourself. You’re a bloody mess. What ever happened to that beautiful, vibrant young girl you once were? If you don’t grab this opportunity, you’ll sink lower. You’ve hardly any money, and you don’t want to reach out to your family. Your mind isn’t working as it should be. You hardly smile or laugh; it’s as if you’re just going through the motions. You’ve only been here a day, but I can see where you’re headed.’
‘I don’t care about much, anymore.’
‘Well, if you don’t care, just take the house for a while, at least until you get yourself sorted. Chris is overseas for a couple of months, so it would only sit empty anyway. His house at Point Lookout is also empty, with him being away. He did say he’d love you to stay there, but I thought that might be a bit much for you.’
‘Do you think I’d get a job on the island?’
‘I reckon you would. There’s a pub and some shops. Probably a bit of cleaning work with all the holiday rentals. The house is nice and small and close to the beach.’
‘Where is it?’ Evie asked.
‘It’s your old holiday house, The Magic Fish .’