I see a flicker of shittiness on Jonah Griggss face but he holds the salute. Yes, sir.
You, too, Santangelos dad says, pointing at his son. Santangelo swears under his breath.
Sorry, what was that? his father asks loudly.
Nothing, Santangelo mutters.
And then the Brigadier is looking at me and I hold his stare, despite the fact that a part of me feels sick. He looks younger than Ive remembered him to be all this time. Younger than Santangelos dad, anyway.
Do you want me to take her back to the school? he asks Santangelos dad.
No! I almost yell.
Santangelos dad shakes his head. John Palmers coming down soon. Shell be fine.
The Brigadier continues to hold my stare, like hes taking in every detail of me and it seems like a million years later that he turns to go.
I hear youre going to be sticking around for a couple of weeks, Santangelos dad says to him as they both leave. Only then does Jonah Griggs relax.
Since when do real army brigadiers run the Cadets? Santangelo asks.
They dont.
I can tell that Griggs is confused about the Brigadiers presence. He looks at me and I walk over to the
other side of my cell, settling myself as far away as possible from both of them.
Gaols not that bad, especially when youre used to crap food at school and you get Thai takeaway.
Hows Hannah these days? Santangelos dad asks me as he hands it over.
You know Hannah?
Since she was your age.
I shrug. Shes away.
The phone rings and the other police officer comes in holding it.
Its Clara, he tells Santangelos dad. She wants to talk to Chaz. Santangelo takes the phone through the bars and Jonah Griggs snickers and makes himself comfortable on the bunk while Santangelo tries to speak as quietly as possible.
HilookI knowYeah, like I did it on purpose, Mum. Okayyoure what? Dont go to their place. Shes a liar. She only pretends to be that sweet in front ofOh, good, believe her over your son. No. Hes being an a-hole. I didnt say arse, you did. Fine, take his side.
He hands the phone to his father. She said not to forget to pick up the bread. He sulks.
By ten oclock I make a pact with myself that I will never commit a crime because gaol is the most boring place on earth. Even more boring than the Jellicoe School on a Sunday afternoon. Its so boring that when Santangelo comes over to my side of the cell, I welcome the conversation.
Chewy?
I reach over and take a stick. Up close he is truly a good-looking guy and Im curious about the Raffaela connection but dont dare ask him about it. Santangelo has this way of looking at me, not in a pervy way or like someone whos interested. Hes staring at me like he did in the negotiating hut. Like he has a question to ask or something to say, but doesnt quite know how to say it.
Spit it out, I say.
Spit what out?
Whatever you want to say.
Hes about to deny it, but then he seems to change his mind. The guythe Hermit? My dad used to take me out there sometimes, to see how he was going.
I move closer. No one at the Jellicoe School has ever mentioned the Hermit. Their way of dealing with it has always been to pretend it never happened.
You knew him?
He nods. He was a bit mad. Like obsessive compulsive, you know. Hed stand on a tree branch and dive into the river in the same spot all the time and just let the current take him away. I thought hed die doing that, not
We dont say anything for a while.
Do you remember much about that day? he asks.
Only that when I woke up I was in Hannahs bed and I heard someone crying like an animal. I remember opening my eyes and seeing the blur of her body holding on to anothera man. He was clutching onto her with grief and they were both so distraught. I wondered if he was a friend of the Hermit. I remember that I never saw the clothes I was wearing that day ever again, which was a pity because I so liked my Felix the Cat T-shirt and grey cord jeans and whenever I asked Hannah for them, shed just shake her head.
I dont answer. What did your dad say? I ask instead.
He doesnt look at me. I dont know. Just that it was messy, he mumbles.
How messy? What do you mean messy?
He looks up at me. You knowmessy.
I see Jonah Griggs get up from his bunk and walk towards us. Why are you telling her this? he snaps at Santangelo.
He ignores Griggs. My father cried. Id never seen him cry. He told me that the Hermit had a kid.
I feel sick. Up till now the Hermit had never possessed a life. He was just this madman who lived in the bush. But to know that he left someone behindAnd then a horrific thought enters my head.
Was he my father? I whisper. Is that what your dad said?
Why would you think that? he asks, surprised.
Griggs grabs Santangelo by the arm. Youre stressing her out.
Why is this your business? You dont even know her.
I feel my windpipe constricting and I know whats about to happen. Im trying to work out where my backpack is so I can get my inhaler but I realise that its out there with the cops.
Jonah Griggs looks at me for a moment and I see a frown appear on his face. Sit down. Youre going to faint.