A nod.
‘It must get a little lonely.’ Hundreds of tiny pins stabbed at the inside of her skin. She shifted in her seat, uncrossed her legs and re-crossed them in the opposite direction.
Owen looked down and picked at the already raw skin around his fingernails. Gave a shrug. ‘There’s ways around it.’
‘Like?’
‘Some of my mates can drive. I get to see them sometimes.’
‘Is that when you’re able to buy drugs?’ Yarrabee was no different to any other town—or city, for that matter—there was always someone willing to provide you with whatever you needed for the right price. And based on what she’d read, Owen was definitely in with a wayward crowd.
He gave a rough laugh. ‘It’s not like weed is that bad. It’s legal in other countries. And they use it here for medical stuff.’
‘True. But for better or worse, it remains illegal in Australia. And it can have negative consequences if used to excess—reduced concentration, memory loss, increased anxiety, depression; even schizophrenic episodes.’
Owen rolled his eyes as she rattled off the possible side effects.
‘How often have you been smoking it?’
‘Most days.’ At least the kid was being honest.
‘And when was the last time you had any?’
‘When I was caught joyriding in Cole’s ute.’ He stuck out his bottom lip in a childish pout. ‘He’s been watching me like a hawk ever since.’
Joyriding? A sharp pain started at the base of her skull, as if someone had pierced the hollow pocket of flesh at her nape with a darning needle. She gave her head a small twist and checked the notes she’d printed off. Damn it! The summary mentioned the drug taking and some small-time dealing but it ended at the bottom of the page in the middle of a sentence and the third page was blank. The printer must have had a hissy fit. Okay. It was okay. She could do this. Glueing her spine to the back of the chair, she forced her attention back to Owen.
Get the words out, Hannah. This is about Owen, no one else.
True, but a tangent wouldn’t hurt either of them. She asked him a series of questions about his childhood, his hobbies, more about his school experience and his relationships with his parents, but none of that was getting to the crux of the matter. Finally, her body at ease and her breathing steady, she steered the conversation back to the reason he was here.
‘So … tell me what happened when you illegally drove your brother’s car.’ Good. Not even a waver in her voice.
‘I didn’t steal it, I borrowed it.’
‘Without permission from the owner.’ A hot flush crept up her neck. She’d forgotten to turn on the aircon. That was all. Nothing a sip of water wouldn’t fix.
‘I lost control and crashed it into a tree.’ Owen gave a nonchalant shrug. ‘It was his old ute. He only used it for paddock bashing.’
Her whole body tensed, as if bracing for the impact as the ute careened off the road. She swallowed hard. Pressed her damp palms against her thighs. She had to stay on top of this, keep it professional, at least give the impression she knew the full details of the case.Start with the obvious.
‘Fortunately, you weren’t injured.’
‘Walked away without a scratch.’ He may as well have brushed his palms together in a take-that gesture, he was so pleased with himself. ‘But the car was a total wreck. Which is why Cole pressed charges, the arsehole.’
Car a total wreck. Driver died at scene.Old headlines screamed from the buried archives in her brain. Her jaw clenched. The screech of tyres pierced her eardrums.
The searing smell of rubber burning on asphalt. A deafening thud. Bones crunching beneath metal. Sirens wailing. Someone screaming.
‘Are you okay?’
Hannah’s eyes flew open. Black dots jostled around the outline of the boy sitting across from her. Her palms were pressed against her temples, fingers rigid as knives. She lowered her hands. Blinked. Shook her head. ‘Sorry, I think I have a migraine coming on.’
‘Does that mean we’re done?’ He shuffled forward as if preparing to leave.
They’d barely scratched the surface of Owen’s behavioural issues and she was letting her own shit get in the way of her job. So unethical. So irresponsible. Getting this kid to admit he’d done anything wrong was going to be a challenge. He hadn’t hurt anyone, had no qualms about breaking the law and was here under sufferance. All she had to do was tick the boxes, get through the required number of sessions and sign off on the paperwork. But would that stop him doing the same thing again? Endangering his life and the lives of others just so he could get some kicks?
She had to see this through to the end. Try and make Owen understand the consequences of his actions. But maybe it would be better to call it a day and start afresh now she knew more about the situation. When she would be more together. More professional.