Page 59 of Return to the Waratah Inn

Marc sniffed. “She helped Carly onto the bus. Don’t worry about it.”

“I am worried about it. I have to know where she is. She’s my responsibility.”

“No idea,” Marc replied. “She said she’d be home later.”

“Does she do this a lot?” Reeda asked.

“All the time,” Carly said. “She likes her freedom. That’s what Mrs Casper used to say.”

“Yeah,” Marc agreed.

Jen returned from the bathroom with two freshly washed children in their PJs. Both had wet hair slicked neatly back by a comb. Reeda introduced them all and helped the two small children sit up for their snack with Carly and Marc. Carly looked sleepy, her little eyes blinking open and shut, as she ate. Reeda wanted to sit with her and ask about the school, the teacher, and whether she’d made any friends, but she couldn’t do that right now. She had to find Simone.

Reeda took Jen aside. “Listen, I’m sorry to do this to you, but I’ve got to go looking for Simone. She didn’t come home from school, and I have no idea where she might be.”

“What?” Jen’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? What happened?”

“I don’t know, but apparently she does this a lot—simply doesn’t come home with the other two. They told me so just now. I’m going to drive down to the school to see if she’s still there. She’s only twelve… I’m worried…” Reeda bit down on her tongue. She had to stay focused. Simone needed her, even if she didn’t realise it yet.

“I’ll watch the other children,” Jen offered.

Reeda squeezed her hand. “Thanks. I’m so glad you’re here. I’ll call Duncan too and let him know, but he might be in surgery.”

“It’s fine. I’ve got it under control. I can turn on the TV if things get too wild.”

Reeda nodded. “Okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

The drive to the school was only fifteen minutes, but it felt longer, especially in the afternoon traffic. Every stoplight took forever to change. Every line of cars made her tap her fingers on the steering wheel in frustration. They’d chosen the school because they’d heard good reports about it from friends.

Tweed Heads Public School was close to the Twin Towns Resort near the Queensland border. It was an old school, blending Federation heritage and mid-century architecture with a mixture of white timber and red brick in an open-air design.

Reeda pulled her car into the parking lot on Bay Street and then leapt out to jog to the school entrance. The school was empty, with only a few cars in the lot. Most likely they belonged to teachers and administrative staff who hadn’t yet left for the day. She headed for the admin building, but spotted a group of students along the outside of the fence line before she got there. She slowed her pace, puffing lightly, as she strode towards them.

She spotted Simone immediately. The girl leaned up against the fence, one foot pressed to it, with a cigarette dangling from her fingers. She was surrounded by a gang of three boys, mostly shorter than she was, and another girl. She blew out a puff of smoke before turning to see Reeda striding towards her. Her face morphed into a scowl. She pressed the cigarette between her lips and drew in a deep breath.

“Simone Vann, come here right this moment,” Reeda demanded in the best schoolmarm voice she could muster.

Simone grunted and pushed away from the fence. “Later, guys.”

The kids murmured their goodbyes, and Simone wandered towards Reeda. “What?” She raised both hands in question.

Reeda’s nostrils flared as she considered how to respond. “Get in the car. We’ll talk on the way home.”

In the car, Simone sat in silence. At Reeda’s request, she’d dropped her cigarette into a bin before they got into the vehicle, and now she stank of smoke. Reeda gripped the steering wheel hard with one hand as she shifted gears with the other, her jaw clenched in anger.

“What were you thinking?”

Simone shrugged. “I made some new friends.”

“I’m glad you’ve made friends, and we can talk about the type of friends you associate with, but firstly, why didn’t you get on the bus with your brother and sister?”

“I wanted to spend time with my friends.”

“But it was their first time on the bus. I told you they needed your help. What if Carly didn’t make it home? You were supposed to help her. You’re the big year six girl. They were relying on you.”

Simone rolled her eyes. “No, they weren’t. Marc helped Carly get to the house. I told him everything. They made it, didn’t they?”

“They made it, no thanks to you. That was your responsibility.”