The Big Whatever Read Online Free PDF Page A

asked him – did he want to come with us? Because the moment Drew copped that bullet, there was nothing else for it but to run. But Johnny just looked at her, shook his head slowly.
    Thinking about it as we barrelled down the Hume Highway, I figured maybe that was just as well. If there was one soul in all the world who could slip out of a tricky situation, even one as tricky as that, it was our Johnny. So if you’re out there, bro, I pray that it’s all cool with you and me today, and if not, well maybe we’ll meet again some time and straighten it out over a couple of cool ones and a couple of hot ones.
    Ten miles outside Goulburn, the highway empty but for the odd truck lumbering over the ranges, Cathy said, “Look out for an all-night Golden Fleece. It’ll be along here somewhere.”
    â€œIt’s okay, we’ve got plenty of petrol.”
    â€œDo what I say, Mel. Stop at the Golden Fleece.”
    I looked at her. Man, had this chick gone COMPLETELY CRAZY? The closer we got to Goulburn, the more nervous she became.
    The servo was on the near side of town. When I pulled in, Cathy was out of the car and across the road before I’d even put the handbrake on. I had the kid put a few bucks worth of juice in the tank while I stretched my legs. I went inside, paid for the juice, and when I got back to the car there was a bloke sitting in the back seat with Cathy. Young guy, wiry, short dark hair, green overalls. Head down.
    I got in and turned around, but Cathy said, “Drive away, Mel. Keep cool and just fucking drive.”
    So I did.
    No one said a word until we were ten miles out of Goulburn. Then Cathy and this guy had a huge pash session, after which she straightened up and said “Mel, this is Stan. We’re giving him a lift to Melbourne. That okay with you?”
    This Stan character leaned forward eagerly, patted meon the shoulder. I glanced back and saw a smiling face. A direct look, maybe sincere. A hand offered. We shook.
    â€œMel,” he said. “I can’t thank you enough, brother. I owe you for this, and I won’t forget it.” He wound down the window and looked into the dark, breathing deep. Then he sat back and said to Cathy, “Got anything?”
    She rummaged in her bag and handed him a joint: “Starters.” They lit it and swapped it, then offered it to me, but I passed.
    She gave him the cognac and he took a long swig. Then the sparkle powder was broken out, and mandies for good measure. Then they settled down together, all mellow and nice.
    But man, I was wound tighter than a .013-gauge E string.
    Soon afterwards, murmuring, squelching sounds started coming from the back seat. Holy Jesus, I thought to myself, she’s making the bloke right at home.
    I’d long since got hip: the guy was an escapee from Goulburn Jail, and Cathy had it planned all along. The sex and drugs were just to make sure I’d be a willing driver. The dope score, Drew, the hoist – she’d made all that up as she went along, improvising her crazy twisted melody, jamming WILD CRAZINESS.
    I remembered that Cathy had been hanging out with some armed robbery boys. Was one of them Stan Something? Yeah, could be. They’d been tight one time, then came a big bust. Bye-bye Stan, good luck with sewing mail bags, and the buggery.
    Now he was with us. Problem was, if the cops weren’t already looking for us, they’d be after escapee Stan before long. How soon would the alarm be raised at the jail? No later than six.
    But if the law was after us that night, we saw neither hide nor hair of them. We hit Gundagai with the sun coming up. I needed something in my stomach but Cathy said to keep going, don’t stop this side of the Murray River.
    It got hot. Baby, it got VERY HOT. The head gasket blew outside Holbrook. We limped to the edge of town. I pulled up and left the motor running, kicking and hiccuping, blowing steam, while I took a leak. By