Page 6 of Obsession Under the Southern Stars

“Of course,” I reply, although personally I think people assume children are more resilient than they actually are. “Whereabouts in Australia does your grandma live?”

“Darwin,” Olivia says.

My eyebrows rise. Jesus. Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, right at the top of the country, and it has a tropical savanna climate. Temperatures can reach forty degrees centigrade or over a hundred Fahrenheit, and it experiences tropical cyclones and monsoon rains, a far cry from the temperate climate of Wellington.

“The didgeridoo came from near Darwin,” I say, which is the only interesting fact I can remember about the place right now. Rory frowns. Olivia looks amused, as if wondering why the guy in front of her would think saying something so idiotic would comfort her brother.

She looks over her shoulder a third time, then sends me another pleading glance. “Can you help?”

I shove my hands in the pockets of my jeans. “I’m not sure how, if she asked me to stay here.”

As voices rise again, though, Rory turns and buries his face in her shoulder, and she hugs him and says, “Please?”

Well, we do need to get to the airport soon. I step into the hallway, toe off my Converses, then walk barefoot into the living room.

The kitchen is on the far side, overlooking the garden, and Zoe and her parents are standing around the square table in the center. Her mother looks like her girls, although the dark hair that’s shoulder length and wavy is threaded with gray. Evan Moon is average height and slightly overweight with brown hair thinning on top. He sees me first and stares, and then the two women see his expression and follow his gaze.

“Oh,” Zoe says. She walks around the table and crosses the living room to stand in front of me. “I’m sorry, I asked Olivia to keep you outside.”

I look down at her. She’s around five foot six, so a good six inches shorter than me. I think she has her dark hair colored,because it has a purple sheen to it in the bright sunlight that’s streaming through the windows. Her big green eyes are shining, and as she sees that I’ve noticed, she drops her gaze and rubs her nose. She’s close to tears, whether through frustration or sadness, I’m not sure, maybe both.

“It’s not Olivia’s fault,” I murmur. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

She looks back up at me, and I give her a small smile. Then I look over at her parents and walk toward them. “I’m so sorry if I’m interrupting,” I announce. “I’m Joel—I work with Zoe. I was a bit worried we’ll be late for the plane, that’s all.”

“Of course,” Evan says, coming forward to shake my hand. “We didn’t mean to make you both late, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not a problem at all.”

“He’s always too early,” Zoe says, going over to a suitcase in the kitchen and extending the handle.

I grin and go across to Diana Moon and shake her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Hello, Joel. We’ve heard a lot about you.” She glances at Zoe, who sends her mother a look that could have killed at twenty paces.

“Oh?” I ask innocently. “Extolling my virtues, was she?”

“Something like that,” Diana says, with enough amusement to convince me that Zoe has probably taken time to convince them why we’re not suited by listing all my faults. I’m not insulted. There are a lot of them.

“I’d better get going,” Zoe says. “We’ll talk more when I get back.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Diana says.

Zoe pulls her suitcase into the living room, then stops and turns to face her parents. “I’m begging you, don’t do this,” she says softly. “Please.”

Evan looks at Diana. Diana turns away, picks up a basket of washing, and goes out through the sliding doors into the garden.

Evan looks back at his daughter. “She’s made up her mind.”

“I don’t see why they can’t stay here with you,” she whispers. I’m guessing she’s talking about her younger siblings.

Evan’s gaze flicks to me, then back to her. “We’ll talk about it later.”

She bites her lip. Then she takes her case, turns, and walks past me toward the front door.

Her father and I exchange awkward smiles, and then I follow her out.

“I’ll see you two later,” she’s saying, in the process of hugging Olivia. Rory looks up at me and I smile and ruffle his hair, conscious of Zoe watching me.

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