Catherine Jinks TheRoad Read Online Free PDF

what . . .?’ Grace stammered.
    ‘Ripped apart.’ Cyrene shook his head, in stunned disbelief. ‘For Chrissake.’
    ‘Was it a fox?’
    ‘A fox ?’
    ‘That ate him . . .’ Grace trailed off, seeing Cyrene knit his brows at her.
    ‘Gracie,’ he said, ‘the bloody eyes’ve been cut out.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Have a look.’
    Grace didn’t want to. She edged closer, reluctantly, coughing as the smell penetrated her defences. She saw reddened teeth . . . a sliver of bone ...a busy fly trickling down into a pit of dried blood . . .
    ‘Oh my God.’ She turned away.
    ‘Musta been dead when it happened,’ Cyrene continued, his voice hoarse. ‘Brought here dead, or there’d be more blood. There’d have to be more blood.’
    ‘Oh my God,’ said Grace. Suddenly she knew. Her heart began to hammer; she looked around wildly. ‘He’s here,’ she gasped.
    ‘Eh?’
    ‘He’s found me. He’s bloody found me!’ A movement tugged at the corner of her eye and she whirled – but it was only the piece of old tyre, slowly revolving where it hung from the peppercorn tree. Beyond it, the land was still. Nothing stirred in the silvery clumps of foliage. Nothing moved except the tyre – and the flies, of course, which were settling back onto Bit’s exposed entrails.
    ‘Y’reckon he’s done this?’ Cyrene asked, sounding sceptical.
    ‘I know he’s done it! He always said he’d do it ta me !’
    ‘Oh,but . . .’
    ‘He’ll do it! He will!’ Grace was almost crying. ‘I gotta get outta here!’
    ‘All right, now wait a minute.’ Cyrene approached her with an outstretched hand. ‘Let’s just calm down . . .’
    But Grace knew that time was of the essence. Her husband had left her a message – he was coming for her. ‘Nathan!’ she screamed. ‘Nathan!’ She ran towards the house, panting, sweating, pebbles scattering before her sliding shoes, and found her son sitting on the back doorstep. He looked up.
    ‘Get inside!’ she yelled. ‘In! Get in!’ He didn’t argue. He didn’t have the chance. She nudged him as he rose, pushing him over the doorstep. He stumbled. She hauled him to his feet again.
    ‘What?’ he said, frightened. ‘Mum . . .’
    ‘We’re goin ta town,’ she croaked. ‘Wait till I get me purse.’
    ‘But –’
    ‘Don’t argue , Nathan!’ She tried to think where her purse was. On the table? No – in the bedroom. Cyrene was clumping up the back steps; she heard the screen door slam. She scurried down the hall.
    ‘Gracie. Wait,’ Cyrene called after her. ‘Let me ring the police.’
    ‘Okay.’ She had found the old black handbag, which was sitting on her bed. Inside it were her wallet, her sunglasses, her address book. ‘Ring the police, then. I’m still goin.’
    ‘In my truck?’ He spoke gently, but something in his voice made her freeze. He had reached the bedroom door. She turned to look at him.
    ‘Oh please, Cy,’ she whispered. ‘Gimme your keys, I gotta get out.’
    Cyrene crossed the threshold, and closed the door behind him. ‘Grace,’ he said quietly, ‘there’s a gun down the hall, and a phone in the kitchen. We’ll be all right.’
    ‘A gun? Your gun?’
    ‘That’s right. It’s only a Lithgow single shot .22, but it’ll do the job.’
    ‘Get it, then! Quick!’
    ‘I will,’ he said slowly. ‘Just put down that bag and ring the coppers.’
    ‘But he’ll get in!’ Grace began to wring her hands in desperation. Why couldn’t Cyrene understand ? ‘We gotta lock the house up!’
    ‘I will. One thing at a time.’
    A gentle tap-tap-tap at the door made Grace jump. But she realised almost instantly that Nathan was looking for her. A nervous little voice squeaked, ‘Mum? Where are ya?’
    ‘Here. I’m here.’ Grace wiped her tears away. She swallowed, and cleared her throat. ‘C-come in.’
    When Nathan entered, he had that familiar, wide-eyed, frozen look on his face. Grace recognised it. She had seen it too many times, through bruised