Ch. 10 - Up The Mountain

"I see," I replied. An orphan… I hadn't been expecting that, but at the same time, it made sense. "Thank you for telling me."

Claire nodded with a smile. "I'll contact you when everything's confirmed and let you know when we can pick her up." She rolled her shoulders and put her hands in her pockets. "Well, I won't keep you any longer…"

An image of Claire's name on the documents at the station flash across my mind.

"Actually, I was wondering, did you hear about what happened at the weather station?" I asked, watching her expression carefully.

"The station?" she replied. Her expression was innocently blank.

"Yeah, the police have it sealed off at the moment."

"How odd," she said.

"It is odd, especially as it seems like it was done on your orders." I'm not a combative person but nature so I'm not sure where the guts to goad Claire came from.

Claire smiled her special smile. "I see I shouldn't underestimate you," she said. She raised a hand to tuck away an escaped lock of hair. "Have a good day."

Then she turned and walked down the stairs.

"Likewise," I said after her.

Well, that didn't help make anything clearer. I sighed and shook my head and headed out of the stairwell.

Some of the other occupants of the computers may have changed, but I couldn't be sure. What I could be sure of was that there hadn't been a pile of books on the stool I'd commandeered earlier.

"How's it going?" I asked Millie.

"Horrible," she replied, not even looking up. "These idiots have no idea what they're talking about."

I leaned over her shoulder to see what kind of idiots she was talking about.

"Oh, that's just a forum. You shouldn't take them too seriously. Anyone can post anything on them," I said.

Millie grimaced. "I think books are better."

"I agree." I put a hand on top of Millie's head. "So, libraries have some worth after all even with the internet?"

"I will admit it, Lachlan," Millie said with folded arms and much gravitas. "You have taught me something today. Good job."

How humble. "Thank you."

Millie's powerful stature was ruined somewhat by the loud gurgle that suddenly erupted from her stomach. She jumped and clutch at her middle.

I checked the clock on my phone. "Anything you want to borrow? I think we're both due some lunch."

"Yes, but…" Millie poked her index fingers together and made a show of looking pitiful. "I don't have a library card…"

"I'll borrow them for you."

Millie beamed and grabbed for the tall stack of books on the stool.

"Six is the borrowing limit!"

--

I glanced rather worriedly to the side as I turned the wheel. Millie was up front in the passenger seat with two boxes of takeaway on her knees and a large book. "Hold it steady," I said. "Don't let the juices leak out. Soy sauce is a pain to clean."

"I know, I know," tutted Millie.

The upper box tilted dangerously as we merged into the traffic, so I leaned over and grabbed the book then dropped it into the back of the van. I'd purposefully ordered more for lunch then gotten them to pack the leftovers into boxes to bring back, so I wasn't going to let them go to waste.

"Hey!"

"We're almost back. These last few roads are windy."

"Hmph…"

After lunch we'd taken a stroll around the town centre and I'd bought a few sets of clothes for Millie. Sure, Claire had said she'd be gone in a few days, but that was still a few days. She couldn't just keep wearing my shirts like dressing gowns.

"So, what was that phone call about?" Millie asked, pouting.

"Phone call?"

"In the library," she explained. "You had your thinking face on when you came back?"

"My thinking face?"

"Yeah, you know the one. So, spill."

I wanted to pretend that I didn't know the one, but I knew it was useless with the little girl. I sighed and slowed for the next hairpin turn.

Outside the cluttered buildings had turned back into trees and shrubs and the number of vehicles on the road besides us had dwindled to none.

"It was Paili Kai," I said. "He turned up at the station, but it's cordoned off, so…"

"Poor guy. I totally forgot about him."

Poor guy indeed.

"And then what?"

"Not much. I asked if this'll affect his work, and he said it wouldn't."

"And then?"

I glanced at Millie. Her eyes were sharp, and I knew I had no chance of getting out of this one. I was worried knowing Claire had been right there would scare Millie off, but what choice do I have.

"And I ran into Officer Claire." I paused to see Millie's reaction.

The little girl looked out the front of the car and used both hands to steady the takeaway boxes on her lap. "She's that officer that came with Aron the second time, right?"

"Yes," I said. That time you ran away again, I nearly added. "You have a good memory."

"Flattery will get you nothing," Millie said curtly. "So, what did she say?"

I sighed. "She said you're an orphan from Solar Term down in the south."

Millie said nothing. I used the rearview mirror to see her expression. It was mostly blank, but I sensed there was fear underneath it all.

"You'll remember everything eventually," I said.

"Mm…"

The low hum of wheels on sealed road gave way to the crunch of gravel and, after a few more turns and upward inclines, I slowed and pulled into my usual spot in the meteorological station's meager parking lot.

"Who's that?" asked Millie.

I was focused on not backing us off the cliff so waited until I'd pulled on the handbrake before leaning over to look out Millie's window.

There was a car parked some distance away down the road in a little clearing on the side. There was a man leaning against it like he was waiting.

"Coming to say hello?" I asked Millie.

Millie pouted and I could tell she was trying hard not to look at her books sitting in the back of the van. I chuckled and reached back to grab her book and handed it to her.

"Roll down the window and put the food up on the dashboard. I'll put it away once I come back."

"Okay!"

I turned off the engine and got out, leaving the door open.

"What can I do for you, Officer Aron?" I asked as I neared.

Aron turned and smiled when he saw me. Most people, given the prospect of waiting around, would have been on their phone but not Aron. He'd been looking out toward the horizon. The sun was making its way back down to the horizon and it cast a shadow over Aron's face making him look even more lonesome than normal. Give him a cigarette and he'd make the cover of an album.

"Nothing, nothing," he replied. "I just got off duty and thought I'd swing around." He was wearing plain clothes so that lined up.

And surprised me.

"That's nice of you," I said without any sarcasm. I'd actually thought I wouldn't be seeing him again. Claire looked to be in charge of Millie's case after all.

"I also heard you did a bit of trespassing yourself…"

I blushed. How'd he find that out? "That's not… I was just curious. It was the middle of the night."

"You were still working in the middle of the night? I hope you get paid good overtime."

I'd been naive thinking he'd just come to see me. This was just another interrogation.

"It's not bad," I lied. "But it was paperwork to do with Millie, so I don't get paid extra for that."

"That's a pity."

"Yeah… Actually, I ran into Claire Chan today," I said. "It was pretty weird. I met her at the library."

If he's going to try to needle information out of me, I may as well return the favour.

Aron looked surprised. "Claire? Huh… Why was she there?"

"That's what I want to know… Do you know her background at all?"

Aron folded his arms as he leaned against his car. "I heard she's from some department high up. She's got the authority to deploy nearly anywhere."

"What kind of department?" I asked.

"Dunno, that's above my pay grade," he replied.

"How mysterious." I also leaned against his car.

Aron laughed. "Nah, more like someone forgot to update some list somewhere."

"Does that happen often?"

"...More often than you'd think."

"Speaking from personal experience?"

There was a glimmer in Aron's eye, and he shook his head. "No, I'd never mess up something as bad as that."

I rolled my eyes.

"About that dinner invitation…" Aron began

I froze. "That." I'd panicked that first time he'd asked me and made up some excuse to postpone.

Aron chuckled. "Don't take it so seriously, really. I was just thinking you might like to catch up with Karl…" His tone was natural, completely natural, but I could feel there was a hint of untruth in it. "Really."

I swallowed. I had my qualms about having dinner with Aron, but if it involved his brother Karl, I was definitely turning it down.

"I'll have to see after all this stuff with Millie gets wrapped up," I said, trying to sound natural.

Aron nodded. "Makes sense. You've got a lot on your plate right now."

I could sense how he tried to hide his disappointment. The guilt.

But thankfully Aron's phone chose that moment to ring, saving me from having to dig myself out this hole.

"Okay, got it. I'll be right there." Aron hung up.

"Work?"

"Yeah, I gotta head off."

"Got to earn that overtime."

We said our goodbyes and he got in his car while I waved him off. The sun had nestled behind the mountain and already the streetlights had turned on.

I turned away from the golden sky and headed back to my van.