Murder On Wild Winds Island

CHAPTER FOUR

We sat at a table outside under the trees and waited for our beverages.

The woman who'd introduced herself as Tanya Mitchel was in her forties with blonde hair, tanned skin and a genuine smile. 

"So how long have you worked here?"  I asked.  It wasn't so much for my story as for my general curiosity.

"My ex-husband and I own this place."  She said.

"Ex?" I asked before I could stop myself, "Sorry I shouldn't have asked that... I..."  I paused, not feeling at all professional.

She smiled, "It's fine.  Honestly.  We didn't work as a couple but we work well as business partners.  He does the paperwork and number side of it and I manage the staff and oversee the animals."

I nodded, impressed they could keep things together even if they weren't a couple anymore.  I hadn't heard a lot of divorce stories, but a couple of Mum's friends went through a divorce and from what I'd heard through whispered conversations over wine, they hadn't been what you'd call amicable.

Our coffees were delivered and I took a sip, savouring the taste.

"Good coffee, thank you."  I said, even though I was reasonably sure I'd just burnt the tip of my tongue.

It was worth it though; the only coffee at my cottage was instant and that did nothing to help my morning mood.

"You're welcome.  We use all organic and fair trade beans.  It makes all the difference."  Tanya said.

"I really must buy a coffee machine."  I said, wondering how long it would take to get one delivered from Sydney or even Adelaide.

"There's an electrical store in Ayrsea.  Tell Jai what you're after; he'll look after you.  It's on Main Street and the shop is called R J Electrical.  He and his wife Renee are really nice people."  Tanya said, drinking her own coffee.

"To be honest, everyone I've met on this island has been nice." 

She hesitated when I said that and I wondered what I was missing.  She paused like she wasn't going to say anything, then leant in closer, "You haven't met everyone then."

My curiosity heightened, "Is there someone I should watch out for?"

"No.  Not exactly.  Let's just say some of the older residents aren't so thrilled about progress."  Tanya whispered.

It didn't look to me like much progress had been made at all in the last hundred years, but I didn't voice those thoughts.

Instead I said, "Change is hard for some people.  What things are they unhappy about?  Maybe I could write an article about whatever it is and try to help them out?"

Tanya made a face that was somewhere between a smile and a grimace, "Well one of the things they're unhappy about is the newspaper changing from printed to exclusively online."

I almost laughed at the irony of what I'd offered but covered it by drinking a mouthful of coffee, "Okay well I probably can't help with that one."  I said with a small smile.

She shrugged, "Don't worry, most of us are happy with the change.  It saves having to recycle unnecessary paper.  It's much better for the environment that way.  Which in turn makes it better for the animals."

She smiled as a bird came and landed on her shoulder.  It was a rather large magpie.  I was surprised to see it snuggle up against her cheek, but she patted it affectionately and I realised it must be her pet.

"Morgan, this is Pat."  Tanya said whilst still looking at the bird.

I didn't know how to greet a magpie so just smiled.

Tanya turned to me with a look of rage I hadn't been expecting, "She's waiting for a response." 

I stared at Tanya and Pat for quite a while under Tanya burst into laughter and sent Pat flying off in disgust.

I kept staring at her, unsure if she was having some sort of medical episode.

She wiped her tears away and smiled at me, "Sorry, I couldn't resist.  She wasn't really waiting for a response."

She kept smiling and I smiled awkwardly back at her, trying to decide which version of the story she actually meant. 

It was at that moment Tanya's phone mercifully started ringing and she excused herself and told me she looked forward to reading my article about the koala.

I looked at my watch.  It was 11:30; time to head back to my cottage to work on the article.

I decided I really should ask Gerard how many articles I should be aiming for each day and wrote a quick email while I sat in my car.

I pushed up my sleeves, cranked the air conditioner and started to reverse out of the gravel park.

I panicked as a figure appeared behind me and the proximity sensor on my car started going crazy.

Jack Foster put up his hands in surrender as I stopped the car and jumped out. 

He was in his uniform and wore dark sunglasses.  He didn't look angry or horrified, but I felt both of those things.

He put his hands on his hips and looked down at me as I glared up at him; I might have been new to the island, but that didn't mean I couldn't have an opinion and tell someone when they'd done something stupid.

"What were you doing?  Didn't your mother ever teach you not to walk behind cars when they're reversing?  I don't want to be arrested for killing a cop."  I said in what felt like one breath.

Jack was completely unscathed and also unphased.

He shrugged, "Sorry, I didn't see you reversing.  Perhaps  next time don't pull out of the park so fast?"  He said with a shrug.

I felt my temper rise as I realised he was blaming me; he was acting like it didn't bother him, but his words suggested otherwise.

I threw my hands in the air and got back in my car, hoping he wasn't going to arrest me.

I was surprised when he waved as I drove past, "Drive safe Morgan."  He yelled with a smile that seemed completely out of place after our little altercation.

I drove back to Ayrsea feeling frustrated.  I was tired, sore from the lumpy mattress I planned to replace if I stayed on the island and hot; I wasn't in the mood for altercations or frustrations or anything else of the sort.

I wanted to go back to the cottage, get one of the large bottles of carbonated water from the little fridge and sit on the porch and drink the whole bottle. 

I turned the air conditioner on full, turned the radio up and drove as calmly as I could back to town.

Why was Jack Foster everywhere I went?  He was driving me nuts. 

I drove back into town, up Acacia Avenue and frowned when I saw an unfamiliar car parked up my driveway.