The Sound

  ‘No problem,’ he answers, and his hand squeezes mine.

  37

  We don’t let go of each other until Jesse opens the door of the truck to let me in. And he takes my hand again across the gear stick as soon as he starts driving.

  ‘You can’t go in there on your own,’ Jesse says as we tear along the Polpis Road towards Tyler’s house.

  ‘I know what I’m doing. Stop arguing with me.’

  He is hunching over the steering wheel. ‘OK, here’s the deal,’ he says. ‘I’ll sit outside in the car. But if you’re not out of there in five minutes, I’m coming in.’

  I nod because there’s just no point in trying to debate this one and also I’m quite glad to have extra backup in the form of someone who actually knows how to land a punch. ‘Do you have an iPod or an iPhone on you?’ I ask, checking my watch.

  He nods, shifting in his seat to pull it out of the back pocket of his jeans. I turn it on and check it has the app I need. It does.

  A few minutes later we draw level with Tyler’s house. Jesse parks down the street in the shadowy dips between street lights. A white Honda is parked in front of us.

  ‘Wait here,’ I tell Jesse, climbing out of the cab of the truck. I walk to the white Honda. The engine is running and the window is down. The passenger door springs open and I climb in.

  Paige is sitting with both hands on the wheel. She looks even paler than normal. Her dark hair is tied in a knot at the nape of her neck. I messaged her this evening and asked her to meet me here. I only gave her vague details and so the first thing out of her mouth is not Hello but, ‘Are you sure? This book really exists?’

  I nod. ‘Yes. I’m sure.’

  ‘And you think it contains proof we can use against him?’

  I pull a face. ‘Yes. But, we need a confession too.’

  She leans back in her seat. ‘A confession?’

  I nod.

  ‘How are you planning on getting that?’

  ‘I’m not,’ I tell her. ‘You are.’ I hand her the iPod. ‘It has a record function,’ I explain.

  She stares at me for a few seconds but then she nods and with a shaking hand takes it.

  ‘She thought he liked her,’ she says, a trace of bitterness in her voice. ‘He completely fools them. They’re kids, only fourteen, they think he’s this gorgeous, charming older boy who’s really into them until it’s too late and he’s forcing them.’ She breaks off with a shudder, gritting her teeth. Her fists are on top of the wheel, shaking. ‘And then they’re too scared to say anything because it’s his word against theirs and didn’t they ask for it? I mean, that’s what he makes them think – that they won’t be believed!’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell your parents?’ I ask, trying to understand, not accuse.

  She shrugs and her voice breaks when she says, ‘I thought I could handle him on my own.’

  ‘If we have evidence then will Lola be OK with it becoming public?’ I ask. I need to know. Because we can’t rely on Hannah.

  Paige looks at me then. Her eyes are bright. ‘Yes. She hates him. She wants to see him locked up.’ She pauses. ‘He only kissed her, but he bruised her up a bit and he tried . . .’ She grimaces. ‘He didn’t get what he wanted. Not like with Hannah Miller.’

  I can’t hide my surprise. ‘You know about that?’

  She nods to herself, gives me a faint shrug. ‘I guessed. I’m right, aren’t I? That’s why Jesse tried to kill Tyler last summer, isn’t it? Why Hannah isn’t around this summer? It all added up as soon as I saw Tyler with Lola.’

  I can only nod. ‘And Parker?’ I ask. ‘That time I saw you arguing on the beach, what was that about?’

  ‘I was warning him away from Lola. I couldn’t believe he was making a pass at her.’ She shakes her head in disgust. ‘I can’t believe I ever dated him.’ She flicks me a sideways glance. ‘You know he was bragging on Facebook about vandalising the Millers’ bike store?’

  My mouth drops open.

  ‘Yeah,’ she nods, ‘he is that stupid.’

  I am kind of glad that he is. That should be enough evidence for the police to arrest him on.

  Suddenly Paige takes a deep breath. ‘OK, let’s do this thing,’ she says. ‘I’ll distract Tyler. Keep him downstairs and get this confession.’ Her dark eyes flash. ‘Tyler’s bedroom is on the second floor, first door on the right. You find the book. Then we both get out of there.’

  ‘OK,’ I say, suddenly wondering what the hell I’m doing. I am not a Charlie’s Angel.

  But then Paige hugs me. ‘Thanks for doing this, Ren,’ she whispers. ‘I didn’t know what I was going to do on my own.’

  Before I step out of the car I turn to her one last time. ‘You don’t think he’s the one killing these nannies, do you?’ I ask, hoping so much she’s going to laugh at me.

  But Paige doesn’t laugh. Instead she says, ‘I wondered the same thing. But the night that girl was attacked on Dionis he was with Summer. She told me all about it.’

  I frown. I’m not sure if this makes me feel better or worse. I decide better. Because I don’t fancy going head to head with a nanny killer. Not without more backup than a can of mace.

  Ten minutes later I am crouching behind a rose bush by the steps up to Tyler’s front door which Paige has, as promised, left ajar. I can hear her voice on the other side of the door and I creep forwards. I peek through the gap and see the back of Tyler’s head. He and Paige are in the living room, right in front of the door. Paige is facing me. She sees me and for a split second she freezes mid-sentence but then she turns back to Tyler and starts screaming at him – I don’t hear the words – only Lola’s name and several swear words. She’s creating a cover for me so I push the door and tiptoe as fast as I can towards the stairs, holding my breath. My hand is on the banister and then I’m up the stairs and at the top on the landing, counting down the doors towards Tyler’s bedroom. Paige is still yelling below so I’m guessing that the cover worked.

  It’s immaculate inside Tyler’s room. The bed is made, there are no clothes hanging on the back of chairs. It’s army cadet neat. I dash towards the bedside table and yank open the drawer. Inside there’s a copy of Machiavelli’s The Prince, just as Noelle Reed told Brodie there would be (though she relayed it to me as The Magic Valley Prince). I reach for it, my fingers trembling, and pull it out.

  The cover is frayed and loose and when I open it up I see that it’s been fitted over a notebook. I flip to the first page. Someone has scored two lines down the page, breaking it into three columns and at the head of each column is written a name: Jeremy, Parker, Tyler.

  Parker’s column is practically empty but I see my name, amongst five others, printed in Jeremy’s column. Next to my name is the number three. My body goes cold. They actually award points by the number of bases scored. I grit my teeth, feeling the blood rushing to my face. I’m not sure which is worse – the number, or the fact that there are two names beneath mine – Summer being one of them (three) – and the realisation that Jeremy must have been hooking up with them all those times that he told me he was studying. I think for one awful moment that I’m going to throw up right there on top of Tyler’s pristine sheets.

  I glance across at Tyler’s column, my eyes struggling to focus. Summer’s name is there too, with a number four scratched beside it. Eliza’s is above it – but he only made it to first with her, probably when she was drunk. And there, above Eliza’s name, is Paige’s sister, Lola, with a number one beside her name too.

  I flick the pages back and find the scorecard from last year. Because that’s what it is – a scorecard. They tally the number of bases achieved and seem to be awarding extra points for hotness (I’ve scored an eight and a half on that one) and foreignness (I get a bonus award of two for being English). There’s a part of me that feels momentarily pleased before I vanquish it in a fit of disgust.

  Last year, in Tyler’s column, I see Paige and Summer’s names scribbled down and twelve other names inclu
ding Hannah Miller’s. Beside her name there’s a number four, followed by an exclamation mark. There are several exclamation marks, in fact, which I can only assume is code for something.

  I hear a noise outside just then – the crunch of gravel – and glance up. How long have I been? I imagine Jesse sprinting up the drive and dart towards the door. The last thing I want is him getting arrested for coming near Tyler. If the police catch him on the property he’ll be done for violating the terms of his parole and sent back to juvie. I need to get out of here.

  The bedroom door swings open just as I reach it and my legs almost buckle.

  Tyler is standing in front of me. A flash of surprise crosses his face as he sees me but then his gaze flies to my hands and the copy of The Prince I’m holding. His eyes narrow into alligator slits as he looks back up at my face.

  ‘Little extra-curricular study into the art of warfare and politics, Ren?’ he asks, pointing at the book.

  ‘You could say that,’ I answer, clutching the book tighter.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he says, his voice strangely cool and collected. ‘I don’t like to lend my books. Maybe you can buy a copy from Amazon.’

  ‘Not sure they stock this edition,’ I reply, my eyes skirting the room, looking for another way out. There’s only the window though.

  ‘Ren,’ Tyler says, my name a warning. His eyes are glimmering, a muscle twitching wildly beneath one. ‘Give me the book.’ He takes a stride towards me.

  I spring left, trying to dodge past him to the door. But he’s faster. He darts in front of me, blocking the exit, panting now, his eyes lit bright.

  ‘I know what you did to Hannah Miller,’ I say, breathless.

  He throws back his head and laughs. ‘That is what this is about?’

  ‘She was thirteen years old.’ I can’t keep the rage out of my voice.

  He smiles slowly, viciously. ‘She wanted it. Oh, OK, she didn’t want it exactly but she didn’t put up much of a fight. The younger ones are so scared all the time. I can’t count how many of those there have been. You’ve got all their names right there.’

  ‘You sick bastard,’ I spit. ‘This is just a game to you?’ I ask, holding up the book. ‘It’s just about winning some points? You ruined a girl’s life! You almost ruined her brother’s life.’

  He shrugs. ‘Yeah, well, boys will be boys and Jeremy’s pretty competitive as you can see. Though I’m still winning. He would be in the lead if he’d managed to bang you last night. Your boyfriend showing up really helped me out. Who knew the English nanny was such a player?’

  ‘You bastard.’ I wish I could come up with something more creative but words simply fail me.

  ‘Oh, Jeremy had you going though, didn’t he? You know, he used to tell me all about it after you’d been together. I know how you kiss, how you like it. Sure you don’t want to try me out too? You know, help put me in the lead?’

  I react without thinking. I slap him so hard that the noise of it is like an explosion, a firework. Jesse must have heard it from the road. I hope. I pray. Tyler takes a step back, his hand flying to his cheek, his irises bleeding rage, and then he lunges, striking so fast that his fist is just a blur beneath my eye.

  I’ve never been hit before in my life, except by a netball in PE once, so it takes me a while to realise that my head hasn’t just rocketed off the top of my spine but is in fact still attached to the rest of me and that the ringing noise is just the repercussion of the blow sounding in my ears and not an orchestral score blasting from the stereo. I blink and realise that I am cowering against the door. Tyler looms over me. He grabs hold of my arm and hauls me to standing. His lips are drawn back over his teeth in a snarl. ‘I just want the book back, Ren.’ He grabs for it and every ounce of strength and fight in my body is focused on holding on to that book.

  He smiles at me, even as he tries to wrestle the book from my hands. ‘I like it when girls put up a fight,’ he whispers, his face almost against mine.

  He pushes me backwards until my calves bang against the bed and panic soars up my throat, threatening to close my airway.

  ‘Let her go now, Tyler.’

  I turn. I’m expecting Jesse, so for a heart-stopping moment I’m frozen with confusion. It’s Matt and he’s standing in the doorway between me and Tyler. ‘Let her go,’ he says again.

  Tyler hesitates, and then takes a step backwards, laughing, holding his hands up in a gesture of defence. ‘Dude, we were just messing around. Ren here was playing games.’

  ‘I was not . . .’ I splutter. ‘He just hit me.’

  ‘What’s going on?’ Matt asks now.

  ‘This!’ I say, holding up the book and moving simultaneously to hide behind Matt’s broad shoulders. ‘This is what’s going on! Do you have any idea what your brother and this shithead here have been doing for laughs? This summer and last summer?’

  ‘What?’ Matt asks, turning to look at me over his shoulder.

  ‘She’s just pissed at Jeremy for breaking up with her,’ Tyler interrupts, shouting over me.

  ‘I am not! I couldn’t care less about Jeremy – he’s a total dickhead. What I’m pissed off about is that you’re going around sexually abusing girls.’ I turn to Matt. ‘It was all a game – a competition between Tyler, Parker and Jeremy – to win points.’ I turn back to Tyler. ‘And for what?’ I ask, my voice shaking. ‘You bunch of losers.’

  ‘What the fuck?’ Matt suddenly shouts.

  ‘She’s lying!’ Tyler yells.

  ‘I’m lying? Then what do you call this?’ I say, waving the book in his face. He lunges forward and tries to snatch it from my hand but Matt smacks his arm away.

  ‘What’s she talking about, Tyler?’ he asks.

  Tyler eyes him carefully, his eyes darting to me then back to Matt. He laughs, trying to downplay it. ‘What’s it to you anyway, Matt? Jealous that we wouldn’t let you be part of the game?’ His eyebrows rise mockingly. ‘Come on, dude, if you want to play you only have to ask.’

  Matt is speechless for several seconds and then finally he asks, ‘Is this why Jesse Miller beat the crap out of you? Is that what that’s all about?’

  Tyler doesn’t say anything.

  ‘Yes,’ I answer from behind Matt’s back. ‘He attacked Jesse’s sister.’

  ‘You son of a bitch,’ Matt spits, his shoulders tensing tight beneath his T-shirt. I wonder if he’s about to punch Tyler and am thinking, Yes, yes, punch the bastard!

  ‘And my sister?’ Matt asks, through gritted teeth. ‘Does Eliza know about this little game you’ve got going on?’

  Tyler scoffs. ‘Don’t be stupid.’ He shrugs though, smiling slyly. ‘She got me some points, though. Jeremy didn’t think she should be fair game but I let him have the nanny in exchange for a hook-up with your sister. For all her Ice Queen routine she’s quite the little slut when she gets going.’

  Matt charges Tyler right then. He manages to land a punch to Tyler’s shoulder, but Tyler shoves him backwards and Matt stumbles into the desk.

  I don’t stay to see what happens next. I turn and I run, as fast as I’ve ever run, leaping the stairs three at a time, almost twisting my ankle, holding the book against my chest. I reach the door and fling it open. Running towards me up the drive, sprinting through the darkness, is Jesse. He’s beside me in the next second, the question falling from his lips.

  ‘I got it,’ I pant, just as we hear a yell behind us. We both turn. Tyler is standing by the front door, poised. He sees Jesse and starts running towards us.

  Jesse grabs my hand and starts sprinting back up the drive towards the road. Our feet spit up gravel. Jesse is yanking my arm so hard I’m flying not running, and we reach his truck and throw open the doors and I climb inside with my heart racing and my lungs starting to question their part in this whole break-in, chase, flee operation.

  I bend over my knees as Jesse starts the engine and try to breathe. The book is still clutched in my hands. Jesse presses his foot to the floor and we go skidd
ing out of the lay-by and onto the road just as a fist thumps against my window. I look up, startled, in time to see Tyler’s face, a fright mask of hatred and rage. Jesse tears past him in a screech of tyres. My fingers fumble for my inhaler, which is still in my back pocket. I pull it out and take a puff, then I hold up the book. ‘We got him,’ I say, still panting, and I smile across at Jesse.

  He puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me towards him so he can kiss the top of my head.

  ‘What happened to Paige?’ I ask, swivelling in my seat to look back down the road. ‘Where is she?’ Panic sends leaping signals through my body like strobe lighting. What if she’s still back there?

  ‘She’s meeting us at the store,’ Jesse says, reaching across to calm me. He holds my hand and I hold on to the feeling.

  38

  We pull up outside Miller’s and when we climb out of the truck my legs are shaking with spent adrenaline. I have to hold on to the door for a few seconds to get my balance. Paige is standing beside her car, hugging herself. When she sees me, she starts crying.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ she says through the tears. ‘He threw me out. And I didn’t get anything.’ She hands me my iPod. ‘I’m sorry.’

  I smile at her and reach into my back pocket, pulling out Jesse’s iPod. I hold it up. ‘Backup, baby,’ I say, grinning. I hit the replay button. Tyler’s voice echoes around us:

  ‘OK, she didn’t want it exactly but she didn’t put up much of a fight. The younger ones are so scared all the time.’

  Paige looks at me in stunned silence. Jesse mutters something far more creative than I could come up with in Tyler’s bedroom.

  ‘He’s going to come looking for this,’ I say, holding up the book. ‘So let’s get inside.’ I pull Jesse towards the store. ‘Paige, you go home. We’ve got everything we need. We’ll call you.’

  ‘OK,’ she says, glancing nervously over her shoulder at the empty road, as though she expects Tyler to come tearing down it any second. She darts forward and hugs me. ‘Thank you, Ren.’