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Back The Wife and the Widow
Chapters (44)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  39. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  40. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
  41. Also by Christian White
  42. Praise for The Nowhere Child
  43. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  44. Newsletter Sign-up

‘Sudden,’ he echoed. ‘Yeah. You could say that.’

22

THE WIFE

Abby listened to the rain drum against the roof of the Volvo, working up the nerve to go inside. She was parked on Old Harbour Road, opposite Deepwater Living, Bobbi’s apartment building.

She took a few deep breaths, forced herself out of the car and started toward the building. Six or seven ravens perched on the chain-link fence that separated the apartment block from an empty block of land next door. They watched her. One of them squawked at her in a tone that sounded personal.

She found Bobbi’s apartment number on the intercom list. 2-D. Someone had added ykes in black texta, making it 2-Dykes. A chill ran through her. It was tempting to think of Belport as a progressive little microcosm, separate from the mainland and immune to its prejudices, but then something like this came along and reminded her such thoughts were naive. She thought about what went on inside the old ferry terminal and didn’t suppose a place like that would need to exist if Belport was as accepting as she thought it was.

Buzz. The intercom spat static, then a sweet, soothing voice said, ‘Yes?’

It was Bobbi’s girlfriend, Maggie.

‘It’s me.’

‘Could you be a little more specific?’ Maggie asked. ‘I wouldn’t ordinarily ask, but there may or may not be a murderer loose on the island.’

‘It’s Abby.’

‘Abby! Get your arse up here. The remote unlocking doesn’t work, but luckily for you, neither does the security gate.’

The front gate gave with just a gentle nudge. Abby navigated around a small garden of ferns, then skipped up two short flights of external stairs to Bobbi’s apartment. Maggie was waiting for her on the second-floor landing, resting one hand on her hip and the other on her heavily pregnant belly. She was dressed in maternity jeans and an XL white T-shirt. Pregnancy suited her.

‘Come here, Ab,’ she said. ‘It’s so good to see you. In fairness, I’ve been cooped up inside for weeks so it’s good to see anyone, but it’s especially good to see you.’

She showed Abby inside. The apartment was warm and bright. There were potted plants on every surface and more out on the balcony.

‘I’m halfway through second lunch,’ Maggie said. ‘Or maybe it’s first dinner. Either way, there’s plenty, if you’re hungry.’

‘No thanks,’ Abby said.

Maggie slid herself into the breakfast nook and chowed down on vegemite toast. Abby sat with her.

‘Is Bobbi around? I know she’s been working nights lately, so I thought I’d catch her before she goes on duty.’