Page 87 of In the Long Run
‘And then?’I prompt, balling my hands into fists inside the pouch of my hoodie.
‘He left.Or at least we thought he’d left, but he was leaningagainst his car in the car park when we came out.Talking on his phone.All smiley and like he was waiting for us.It was …’ She pauses, her gaze shifting away from Eugene and me to the scarred green wooden picnic table in between us.‘It was creepy.Ask Margaux.She said the same thing.He finished his phone call and it seemed like he was going to try and talk to us again, so I locked up in a rush.I totally forgot about the alarm.’Celeste drops her head into the crook of her arms.‘He followed us out of the car park but went the other way.I thought he was just being a dick.But then when I got here this morning, the place was trashed.And, well, you know the rest.’
I’m going to … I glue my jaws together.
I’mnotgoing to kill him.
I’m not going to react.
I’m going to keep my nose clean and let the police do their job.My focus needs to be on supporting Eugene and Celeste through all of this.And then I’m going to do what I always do: clean up the mess and make things right.
Because while I might not like all the parts of who I’ve become, I’m beginning to realise there are some I do.
‘What are you doing?’I ask Eugene as I come out of the bathroom that afternoon after showering.He’s surrounded by the papers I’ve spent months digitising, his bad foot on the ottoman Celeste bought him.
He doesn’t look up.‘I was looking for the insurer’s phone number.Just had a few more questions.But I got sidetracked.’
‘Can I help?’
He shuffles a few of the papers on his lap.‘No, no.I’ve got it.’
I pull a clean hoodie over my head and pad down the hall towards the kitchen.Celeste and Eugene made French onionsoup and a bunch of different desserts while Gen and I were away.Those leftovers have my name written all over them.
‘Hungry?’I call over my shoulder as I open the microwave and find a day-old loaf of Alizée’s sourdough in there.I put it on the bench and open the fridge.‘Eug?You want some soup?Or something sweet?’I try again but he doesn’t respond.He’s been understandably flat all afternoon.He didn’t want to come home while Celeste and I cleaned, but there wasn’t really anything he could do to help considering all the slip hazards.I’m sure if I heat up a bowl, he’ll eat some of it.
The thump of his moon boot against the hallway carpet announces his arrival in the kitchen.‘Did you do this?’he asks, in a tone I’m not used to hearing from him.He’s angry.
I turn slowly around, swallow the mouthful of cold soup I helped myself to before even getting the container out of the fridge.‘Do what?’
He slaps a piece of paper on the bench and points at the bank logo in the top corner.‘This.’
Dread trickles down my spine as I reseal the container of soup and close the refrigerator door.The money I deposited when I first returned is the only credit on the page.‘I did.’
‘I told you not to!’He jabs his finger towards my chest, and I let him.
‘I know, but I didn’t know what else to do.’
His hand falls to his side.‘You listen to me.You respect my wishes.I had this under control.Where’d you get all this money anyway?’
‘I know you’re mad—’
‘You think?You lied to me.’
I swallow.‘I did.’
‘What’s our deal?’He throws the words in my face, and I flinch.
‘That we don’t do that.’
‘I can’t believe you.’
‘I was trying to help.You’ve worked so hard to build Alizée’s into what it is, and I didn’t want a …’ Fuck, what’s a word for ‘mistake’ that isn’t ‘mistake’?Because that’s not going to be helpful right now.I change tack, shake my head.‘I didn’t want that to change.’
‘My mistakes are my mistakes, Knox,’ he seethes.‘If I ruin everything, I ruin everything.You don’t have to solve other people’s problems for them.How many times do I have to tell you that?How am I ever going to pay you back?’
I push away from the counter, cross my arms.‘I don’t want it back.I don’t care about the money.When things turn to shit, family helps each other.I was helping.’
‘That’s not how it works.That’s too much money!Where’d you get so much cash?’
