The Third Day, The Frost Read Online Free PDF Page A

lived. Robyn led. She wasn’t the fastest over a short
distance, but she had stamina. I stuck with her fairly well, then
came Fi, then Lee, then Homer, who was too heavy for long-distance
running. Robyn set a cracking pace, yet when we got within sight of
the buildings, she wasn’t even short of breath. She was getting her
fitness back faster than I was.
    She stopped behind a big tangle of
blackberries in a little gully, and we looked anxiously for Kevin
and the others. ‘There they are,’ Fi said, as she arrived beside
us. I saw them then, too. They were slowing down as they approached
their cottage, three still jogging, the other two, Kevin and
another, walking. A moment later they were in among the sheds and
out of sight.
    ‘Let’s go for it,’ Homer panted. ‘We mightn’t
get another chance for ages.’
    ‘Not everyone,’ I said.
    ‘You go,’ Robyn said. ‘And Lee.’
    The others didn’t say anything, so I took that
for agreement and, with an anxious look towards the lake, crouched
low and ran down to the buildings, using them as cover to hide me
from anyone up in the main house. We came in through a gap between
a galvanised-iron shed and a carport and arrived, breathing fear,
quivering like working dogs as they watch their boss approach. We
were in a small courtyard, very old, with wallflowers and lavender
piled up around a huge well. The stonework around the well was
collapsing, but it was a pretty little spot. Lee grabbed my arm.
‘This way,’ he whispered. I followed him, realising as I did that
he could hear their voices. We ran a few metres around an old wall
and came to a half-open door. I heard someone say, ‘Yeah, but he
had an average of sixty in Sheffield Shield, you know,’ and then
Lee pushed the door open.

Chapter Four

    At first I didn’t see Kevin. I saw four
astonished faces, four open pairs of eyes, four startled mouths.
One man, a small middle-aged bloke with a thin moustache, started
saying, ‘Who the ...?’
    Then Lee shut the door and I saw Kevin, who
till then had been hidden by it.
    I’ll always treasure the look on Kevin’s face.
Sometimes life really can be like the movies. This time it was.
Kevin did one of those dumb double takes that they do in comedy
films, and it was a beauty. He was casually asking, ‘What’s the
problem?’ but he didn’t get to finish the word ‘problem’. His chin
dropped and his eyes looked like they would pop. His mouth started
trying to form a new word but his bottom lip couldn’t get around it
and just kept wobbling uncontrollably. The only sound that came out
was a sort of ‘wo, wo, wo –’
    I flung myself on him. For a minute he was too
shocked to do anything, but eventually he remembered how to hug.
Lee joined in and we formed a clump of three, arms around each
other, having a good rock. My old hassles with Kevin were all
forgotten at that moment.
    When we’d had our hug, I took a look at the
other men. They were watching and smiling, but as I brushed my hair
back and wiped my eyes, the little guy with the moustache spoke up
again.
    ‘Sorry to be a party pooper folks, but you’ll
have to get out of here. They’ll be back at any moment.’
    ‘Can we take Kevin?’ I asked.
    They looked suddenly alarmed. ‘No, no way,’
one of them said.
    ‘They’re right,’ Kevin said. ‘I can’t come
with you.’
    ‘But we, we were hoping ...’ I said.
    ‘Look,’ Kevin said, ‘you’ve got to go.
Tomorrow we’re working at the piggery. It’s over to the ...’
    ‘Yes, we know where it is.’
    ‘OK, be in the bush behind it, on the top of
the little knoll there, about lunchtime. I’ll get away somehow and
meet you for a few minutes. We can talk then.’
    ‘OK.’
    He hurried us through the door and we ran back
past the well and the galvanised-iron shed. Kevin went out onto the
muddy brown track, then gave us a signal. ‘Hurry,’ he called. As we
ran past he slapped my back. ‘Take care, Ellie,’ he whispered. I
was moved