Forest Shadows Read online

  Mr Twichette continued. ‘I still can’t get my head around your doing such a thing, Jacinta – stealing! No doubt you were influenced by him.’ He jabbed a finger in Snook’s direction. ‘Nevertheless, I want to hear the truth, from both of you. Now!’

  Before Jars could reply, Mr Twichette banged the top of the desk with his fist. ‘Five!’

  Snook shook his head from side to side causing his long, fair hair to bounce. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other and folded his arms. ‘Look, Mr Twichette,’ he blurted, blue eyes flashing, ‘For the last time, we didn’t take no stupid rocks.’

  Mr Twichette sat back in his chair, clasping his hands over his chest. His lips flattened into a smile, rich with scorn. Then, in a low, kind of creepy, syrupy voice, he said, ‘Is that so? Well the facts seem very clear to me, Master Kelly. You were both in Mr Pearson’s jewellery shop during the lunch break. You both left the premises and, lo and behold, some very valuable items left, too. I’m sure both of you will agree that it would have been impossible for someone else to have taken them. Unless they were invisible. So tell me the truth. Why did you do it and where is Mr Pearson’s rock collection now?

  Four!’ he shouted, reverting to his blustering self.

  Snook unfolded his arms, and said, ‘You’re dead wrong. It’s like Jars told you already; we was just lookin’ at all the gems and minerals and stuff. It was for a project on mining.’

  Mr Twichette looked at the ceiling and then rocked forward in his chair. ‘Twaddle!’

  Jars stepped forward. Twitchy wasn’t listening to her or Snook. It wasn’t fair. She decided to do something about it. Blow it all, she’d stand up to him. ‘Look, Mr Twichette, what Snook says is true. It’s dead wrong of you to accuse us, especially since you haven’t any proof, so for the last time, we didn’t steal a thing. That’s the truth!’

  Taken by surprise at Jars’ uncharacteristic outburst, Mr Twichette’s bottom lip quivered and his beady eyes widened. Recovering, he slammed a hand down on the desk. ‘It goes without saying that I don’t believe you, Miss Kelly, or Snook. Therefore, you may like to know that Mr Pearson is considering involving the police, and having heard your feeble excuses, it is an action that I now agree with. That is most unfortunate – for you and the school. It will bring shame on you and your families and it will bring shame on this institution. However, that may be avoided if the stolen items are returned. Forthwith! Three!’

  Jars glanced at her cousin. Lips clamped and face turning a dark purple, he looked as though he was about to explode. Not that she blamed him. Twitchy was being a real pain. Still, she’d better say something.

  ‘Mr Twichette, I apologise for what I said before, but we are telling the truth about the project. Miss Sweetman gave us permission to go down the street to do research in Mr Pearson’s shop. You could ask her.’

  ‘Hmph, project or no project, I still believe you stole those goods.’ He opened a drawer and took out an official-looking form. Then, after waving his pen above it in a sort of preamble, he began to write. ‘You leave me no choice. You will be suspended until further notice.’ He clicked the pen shut and waved the completed form in the air as if to emphasise his point. ‘I have already tried to telephone your parents to inform them of the whole sordid situation. Unfortunately, there was no one at home, so I shall be writing to them instead.’ He glanced at his watch. It was ten past two. ‘For now, go directly to the detention room and stay there until it’s time for the school bus. Monday is Labour Day holiday, so between now and Tuesday you need to decide your action – to return the collection or not. If not, I shall make your suspension formal and you will have to live with the consequences. I hope that is all perfectly clear.’ He threw the pen on the desk. The cross-examination was over.

  Without answering, Jars and Snook turned and quickly walked out of the room. Snook, his face now a deep plum colour, led the way past a staring Mrs Cherry, who’d been listening and probably enjoying, the shouts and bangs coming from office. They stepped out of the building into the yard. ‘At least he didn’t finish his stupid countin’,’ Snook mumbled as he swung open the detention room door.

  Chapter Four

  * * *

  Snook, followed by Jars, stepped off the school bus, just up the road from their house in Cray Bay. ‘What a nightmare!’ Snook said as he slung his school bag over his shoulder. ‘I sure coulda’ bopped that Jim Thompson one.’

  Jars, who had spent the entire bus ride trying to stop Snook from reacting to the jeers and name calling coming from some of the kids at the back of the bus, looked across at her cousin. ‘I’m pleased you didn’t. We’re in enough trouble as it is.’

  ‘Yeah, but it wasn’t fair what they were sayin’ about us – callin’ us crooks and thieves and other stuff. Anyway, how’d they know we were in strife? It’s queer.’

  ‘I don’t really know,’ Jars said shaking her head, ‘but I’d be surprised if it wasn’t that Mrs Cherry who tattled and if she did it would have spread like wildfire. She’s known as a bit of a gossip and she would have heard Twitchy’s rantings for sure. They were loud enough.’

  ’If it was her, she’s done a darn good job. We’re gonna be judged guilty by everyone in school before long. Probably by everyone in town, too. Includin’ Mum and Dad. It’s not fair.’

  ‘Life isn’t always fair.’

  ‘Nah, sometimes it just sucks.’

  Chapter Five

  * * *

  After getting off the bus and leaving the insults behind, Snook and Jars began the short walk home. They walked in silence. There was nothing more to say. Not really.

  As usual, Shadow, Jars’ German shepherd dog, was waiting for them by the front gate of the Kelly house. It was also where Jars now lived. Following the deaths of her parents in the Northern Territory, her aunt and uncle, Mr and Mrs Kelly, had taken her in. ‘G’day, boy,’ Jars said as she opened the gate. She patted his head. ‘Hope you’ve had a better day than us.’

  Shadow, grinning and wagging his tail, bounced around them as they made their way across the lawn, soft and squelchy from recent rain, a common occurrence on Tasmania’s west coast. Skirting the 44-gallon drum, whose permanent home seemed to be next to the garden shed, they climbed the few steps to the front verandah. ‘So you hope Shadow’s had a better day than us?’ Snook said as he opened the door. ‘I hope so, too, but you know what? It’s gonna get worse. Dad’ll go mental when he hears about all this.’

  Jars and Shadow followed Snook inside. ‘Yes, and it won’t be long till somebody tells him,’ she said to his back, placing her schoolbag on the lobby floor. ‘And that’s not all. The whole town will know soon. The schoolkids will tell their parents and their parents will tell others. The whole place will be abuzz.’

  Snook crossed into the kitchen. ‘There’ll be all sorts of crazy rumours. Just wait and see. I can see the high spots now: Cray Bay’s crime wave … Desperate students steal fortune … Jewel heist by schoolies. Strike me dead, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Sixty Minutes programme turned up. But what the heck.

  There’s nothin’ we can do about it. Not yet anyway.’ He opened the fridge door, and at the same time came to a decision. ‘Let’s forget Twitchy and his stupid blame games for now.’ He rubbed his stomach. ‘Yeah, let’s think of other things. Like food. All this excitement’s made me hungry. Want a sandwich? There’s some ham in the fridge that Mum left for us.’

  Jars wasn’t listening. She was thinking about Twitchy and what he’d said … Send you back to the Northern Territory perhaps. Would her aunt and uncle really do that? ‘I think I’ll go watch some television,’ she said to Snook who was buttering some bread.

  ‘Okay, I’ll join you in a minute. Watchin’ a bit of telly’s not such a bad idea. It might do the trick and take our minds off Twitchy and his crazy accu … accu …’

  ‘Accusations,’ Jars said over her shoulder as she and Shadow made their way through to the living room. She flopped into an armchair and reached
for the remote. She switched the set on. Something called Oggy and The Cockroaches, filled the screen.

  Shadow settled at her feet and then rolled onto his back, legs in the air, tongue lolling. ‘At least you’re happy,’ Jars said, ‘but there’s no need to be so impolite about it. Why can’t you lie there like any normal dog would?’ Despite her mildly admonishing tone of voice, she couldn’t help smiling. Shadow was a sight for sore eyes, a welcome antidote to their horrendous afternoon.

  She was trying to watch the show, not really getting the drift, when Snook came into the room munching a sandwich. He sat in a chair next to her. ‘That dog’s in a dangerous position.’

  ‘How do you mean?’

  ‘I mean he’s got a particularly lethal bum and when he lies like that it’s time to worry.’

  ‘Don’t be awful; you’ll hurt his feelings.’

  ‘Seriously though, what do reckon our next step is?’ Snook said, mouth full. ‘I mean how’re we gonna prove we didn’t do it?’

  Jars scrunched her eyes then bit her lip. It was a worry, a real quandary. When she thought about it, there was no real way they could prove their innocence unless the real culprits were caught. But that seemed impossible. The crooks must have been invisible or close to it. It sure was strange, a real dilemma.

  She turned to face Snook. ‘I guess the sensible thing to do is tell the truth. Tell your parents exactly what’s happened before someone else gives them their version.’

  ‘Mmmm. Sounds all right in theory, but if they don’t believe us, we’ll be in strife big-time.’

  ‘I guess so,’ Jars said half-heartedly, but it’s not just your parents.

  It’s everyone else, too. We’re already copping it from the school, and then there’s the police and goodness knows who else will get on the band wagon. Then your parents are bound to find out. You’ll be grounded for sure. I’m even thinking your mum and dad might send me away like Twitchy said, back to the Northern Territory, or to a place for kids like me … to an orphanage.’ The last words caught in her throat and she lowered her eyes.

  Snook turned to face her. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘don’t be so stupid. Why would they do something as drastic as that? Besides, we’re goin’ to prove we didn’t do it – somehow. I just don’t know how yet. All I know is that we will!’

  Jars looked up. She saw the look of determination in his face, a fierce, burning intensity that told her Snook was fair dinkum. She wished she had it, Snook’s confidence, his optimism, but in her mind, she could only see the anger of her aunt and uncle when they found out. Her bottom lip trembled as she thought of the consequences. ‘ They might though, send me away. I’m new here, sort of on trial and I’m different.’

  Snook sprang to his feet and stood over her. ‘Different? You mean ’cause you’re Aboriginal?’

  ‘I guess so.’

  ‘That’s stupid! And ridiculous!’

  Jars cowered a little. Her cousin was getting mad and it was her fault. She shouldn’t have said what she did. She could see that. Even Shadow had rolled off his back to see what the shouting was all about. ‘Of course you’re different,’ Snook went on. ‘We’re all different, so don’t start thinkin’ you’re somethin’ special.’

  Snook was right. Feeling a little guilty, she tried to apologise. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. ‘Sorry, Snook. I suppose I was feeling sorry for myself, but I’m okay now. What you said is spot on. Everyone’s different.’

  He sat down again. ‘Yeah, well getting back to the real problem, maybe we’ll get lucky. Just think about it. Dad and Arnie’ll be busy lobster fishin’ for most of the long weekend. They’ll only stop tonight for dinner and a sleep, so maybe they won’t hear what’s happened to us; and Mum’s stayin’ with Auntie Jean in Burnie for the weekend, so she won’t hear anythin’ either. That’ll give us three days to try and find out who really stole those rocks.’

  She thought for a while. As usual, Snook was being his optimistic, enthusiastic self, always seeing the bright side of things. She however, was less sure. ‘But where do we start, Snook? I wouldn’t know where to look and anyway, keeping quiet about it doesn’t feel right. It feels sort of deceitful. I still think our best bet is to tell your parents everything as soon as they come home. Tell them before someone else does and just hope they believe us.’

  Snook scratched his chin. ‘Yeah, but if we do what I say and if we really try, we might just get lucky. We might even find out who the real crooks are. You never know.’

  Chapter Six

  * * *

  As though the strategy for proving their innocence had been settled, Jars and Snook sat back into their chairs, each alone with their thoughts. There was a loud knock on the front door, followed by a familiar voice. ‘Oh no!’ Snook said, rising and throwing his arms in the air. ‘Quenton Quigley! I bet he’s come to gloat. Well, we’ll see about that.’ He strode to door and threw it open. ‘What do you want, Quigley?’

  Smirking to himself, not saying anything, Quenton pushed past Snook. Then, following the sound of the television, he made for the living room. Snook closed the door and followed.

  ‘Boy, are you two in trouble!’ Quenton said, looking first at Jars then Snook. ‘The whole school’s talking about what you did.’

  Jars couldn’t believe it. Talk about being cheeky! Barging in and accusing them straight off like that. She leaned forward in her chair ready to say something, but words failed her. She sighed and sat back in the chair.

  Quenton, known by everyone who knew him as the school snitch, gossip and bully, was clearly enjoying himself. Oblivious to Jars’ annoyance, he sidled over to her. ‘You’re full of it, Miss High and Mighty. Everyone knows you and Snook took that rock collection.’ He leaned over, jabbing a finger in front of her face. ‘It seems you’re not the goody, goody you pretend to be. I reckon you somehow conned Snook into robbing Pearson’s shop.’ He straightened but continued to stand over her. ‘That wouldn’t have happened when Snook and I were best friends. We didn’t ever do anything that bad.’

  Snook, who was listening and trying not to lose his cool, couldn’t take it any longer. His head jerked up. ‘Whatcha talkin’ about, Quigley?’ he spluttered. ‘Are you mad or somethin’? Best friends? You and me? You gotta be jokin’.’

  ‘Well, I was, until she came to stay with you. She’s spoiled things between us; she should have stayed in the Northern Territory. That’s where she belongs.’

  Snook strode across the room, grabbed Quenton by the collar and spun him around. Still holding on to him, he thrust his face forward till their noses were nearly touching; then in a quiet but no-nonsense voice, he said, ‘Look Quigley, you’ve gone far enough. Leave Jars out of it. You don’t know what she’s been through.’

  Jars pushed up from the chair and walked over to Snook. She placed a hand on his shoulder. ‘It’s okay, I’ll tell him.’ Her face was blank and her eyes had a sad look as she remembered. ‘I had to come here, Quenton, to Cray Bay. Uncle Jim and Aunt Irene, as well as Snook, were the only family I had. There was no place else to go, except to an orphanage. A welfare lady made all the arrangements.’

  Snook jumped in. ‘Yeah, Jars couldn’t help it. She had no choice. After a buffalo smashed into her dad’s car and killed her family, everythin’ changed.’ The second he said the words, Snook looked sorry. He shouldn’t have mentioned her family, the buffalo, or the killing. But it was too late. Tears had already started to well in Jars’ eyes. They always did when the memories of that day came back to her. He bit his lip. ‘Sorry, Jars. I’m a screamin’ idiot. A complete dork.’

  Pouting and looking a little taken-aback, Quenton changed the subject. ‘Yeah, yeah, I get the message. She’s sensitive. But what I really came round for was to show you something. He reached into his back pocket and took out a folded piece of paper. ‘I was looking for a book on the library shelf and this fell to the floor. It was between the pages. Like it was hidden.’

  ‘Looking for a book?’ Snook said, whis
pering to Jars. ‘More like looking for a block of chocolate.’

  Jars, recovered now, couldn’t help smiling. She could just imagine Quenton sneaking a sweet, especially since his mother had put him on a diet. Not before time, she thought. All those lollies and soft drinks he was scoffing all the time would be bad for anyone’s health. Especially Quenton’s. You just had to look at him. Flab hung from places it wasn’t supposed to and when he walked, he wobbled. A diet would do him good.

  Quenton straightened the sheet of paper. ‘Listen to this.’ He read it aloud:

  THE TREASURE MAY BE FOUND WHERE THE MAD HATTER DRINKS AND THE RAINBOW RISE.

  Snook and Jars exchanged glances. Snook shot out an arm, snatching the paper from Quenton. He showed it to Jars.

  Jars read it again. Looking across at Quenton, she asked, ‘Do you know what it means?’

  ‘Haven’t a clue.’

  ‘But that’s what it is,’ she said. ‘A clue. A riddle.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Snook said, ‘and whoever solves it gets the treasure.’

  ‘Don’t get too excited,’ Jars said. ‘It obviously belongs to Mr Quigley and he obviously hasn’t solved it, otherwise he’d have the treasure. Anyway, maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it’s just somebody’s idea of a prank.’

  ‘Howdya know that?’

  ‘Because it was still in its hiding place. If it was real, then Mr Quigley would have done something with it.’

  ‘Yeah, maybe, but I reckon we could do something with it, figure out what it means. I’m gonna take a copy.’

  But Snook’s enthusiasm was short-lived. The news on the television suddenly had everyone’s full attention. ‘Quick, Jars,’ he said. ‘Turn the sound up.’

  Chapter Seven