The Negotiator (3 page)

He frowned and she hurried to reassure him. “No need to worry. Lucky for us, we have roadside assistance. I’m going to call and see if they can come and get us back on the road.”

“But, we haven’t got a phone.”

Cally winced and pulled open his door. “That may be so, my lad, but I happen to know there’s a phone booth right up the road. Come on, we’re going to have to walk.”

With a groan, he slid across the seat and climbed out. She collected her handbag from the floor of her car and slung it over her shoulder. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, she locked the car and began to walk with him in the direction of the booth.

Ten minutes later, sweat beaded across her forehead and upper lip. Her blouse was stuck to her skin and Jack complained with every other step. As they reached the phone booth, she opened her handbag and riffled through the cards in her wallet until she found the one she was looking for. She sent up a silent prayer of gratitude that she’d renewed her roadside assistance membership.

It had fallen due a couple of months earlier and she’d spent a few restless nights tossing up whether or not she could afford it. She was glad now she’d erred on the side of caution. Her little Corolla was nearly twenty years old and, sadly, had seen better days. And of course, there was the other factor: There was no one she could call if she was in distress.

As the heavy Friday afternoon traffic roared by them, she found some change in her purse and dialed the number that was listed on the back of the membership card. With her ear pressed tightly against the phone, she waited on hold for what seemed like forever.

A friendly voice finally answered. After taking her details, the operator advised her it could be a while before someone got there. Cally swallowed a sigh and did her best to remain positive.

“When you say it could be a while, how long are you talking, exactly?”

“I can’t really say. We’ve had a higher-than-normal number of calls this afternoon. We’ll get someone there as soon as we can.”

Dismay surged through her. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers to alleviate the persistent ache that now intensified.

“Okay, well I’d really appreciate your help as soon as possible. It must be at least a hundred degrees out here.”

“Of course, Ms Savage. Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

Cally gritted her teeth. “No, there’s nothing else.”

Hanging up the receiver, she rested her forehead on the slightly cooler metal of the phone booth and closed her eyes on a heavy sigh.

“What’s happening, Mom? Are they going to come and fix it? When are they going to get here?”

Forcing her eyes open, she lifted her head and looked down at her son. Impatience clouded his features. His thick blond hair, woefully in need of a haircut, partially obscured his deep brown eyes.

His father’s eyes
.

Her heart clenched every time she noticed them. The shape, the color, even some of the expressions she’d catch in them reminded her of Stewart. Jack had inherited her cheerful personality but the only physical trait he’d inherited from her was his hair color.

Emotionally, he was more like her than she cared to admit. She worried his honest and trusting nature would make him vulnerable to people who would take advantage of him. She knew only too well how easy it was for that to happen—and how dire the consequences could be.

Pushing the gloomy thoughts away, she gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “They’ll be here as soon as they can, sweetheart.”

He gave her a crooked grin. “I guess I could always do my homework while we wait.”

She laughed in surprise. “Really? Since when have you been so keen to do your homework?”

“Nah, just kidding. Besides, it’s Friday. We don’t get homework on Friday.”

Smiling at the cheeky look on his face, she sent up a silent prayer that God would watch over her little boy and keep him safe. He was all she had and he was more precious to her than all the money in the world. Not that a little bit more cash wouldn’t be appreciated. Especially in times like this. She had no idea how much it would cost to repair the tire, but nothing to do with cars ever came cheap. The cost of gas alone put a healthy dent in her weekly budget.

With a tight smile, she slung her arm over Jack’s shoulder and they made their way back to the car. It was parked where they’d left it. Wiping the perspiration off her forehead and neck, Cally climbed in the front. Jack took his customary seat in the back.

The temperature inside was only marginally cooler than outside, but at least it provided shelter from the broiling sun and the pungent smell of exhaust fumes. Besides, she’d rather be within the safety of the car if the blue Toyota happened to come back past.

“Wind down the windows, honey. It’ll cool things down a bit.”

Jack leaned forward to do her bidding and she attended to the windows in the front. Her budget hadn’t stretched to a car with air conditioning and they were used to driving in the February heat with the windows down—which worked all right when the car was in motion. Now, halted on the side of the road with the heat rising off the asphalt in almost palpable waves, conditions were less than ideal.

“To say the least,” she murmured.

“What did you say, Mom?”

“Oh, honey, I was talking to myself. It’s pretty hot, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Too bad we haven’t got a pool. Jimmy Baker has a pool. Did you know he can swim ten laps of the big pool without stopping?”

“Really? That’s pretty good. He must get lots of practice.”

“Yeah, he goes to the pool in North Sydney for swimming lessons. Can I get swimming lessons, Mom? It’d be great if I could swim ten laps, too. Then Jimmy and I could have races. That really would be cool, wouldn’t it?”

Cally concentrated on holding her smile, hoping her much-too-observant son wouldn’t notice the bleakness in her eyes. Even working two jobs, the money she earned barely stretched to cover the weekly commitments. By the time the car payment, the house payment, the phone, electricity and grocery bills were taken care of, there was never very much left over for anything else. For things like haircuts, new tires, cell phones, swimming lessons.

It was so different from the childhood she’d had. There’d been more than enough money for anything she wanted. All she’d had to do was ask. She’d been petted and pampered and loved—probably even spoiled. She’d never known what it was like to do without or to have to leave something on the shelf because she couldn’t afford to buy it.

But then she’d fallen pregnant right after her sixteenth birthday and life as she’d known it had ended…

She fought against the familiar pain and squared her shoulders. That was then. She’d managed to make a life for herself and her son. Everything was fine. Everything was great.

She sighed heavily.
Yeah, right
.

“
Mom, are you okay?”

Blinking back the memories, Cally peered at Jack through the rearview mirror. The concern clouding his eyes nearly broke her heart. “Of course, honey. I… It’s just the heat. I-I’m fine.”

“You look so sad.”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced a smile. “Sometimes grown-ups feel a little sad, but it’s nothing for you to worry about. I guess I’m thinking about the flat tire and how much it’s going to cost to repair.”

“Do we have enough money to fix it?”

“Honey, you don’t have to worry about things like that. That’s what Moms are for.”

“But—”

“Jack, please don’t worry about it. Besides, ever since I started that new cleaning job, we have heaps of extra money,” she lied.

His face brightened. “Really? So I can get swimming lessons?”

She bit back a groan of desperation. The smile stretched tight on her face. “Of course. Why not?”

“Cool! You’re the best.” He grinned at her, his face alight with excitement.

She bit down hard on her lip to stifle the sob that threatened to escape
. She’d find the money somewhere.
She just needed to get a bit more creative with their finances. If she took in someone else to help pay the bills that would be a bonus.

Sighing softly, she turned her face back toward the open window, watching the endless stream of cars pass by them in waves of heat and exhaust fumes. So many cars and not a single roadside-assist vehicle in sight.

“Are we cleaning tonight, Mom?”

“Yes, honey, we are. We’ll have an early dinner and then get going. Provided we get the car fixed, that is. Otherwise we might be taking the train.”

“I don’t mind. The train’s pretty cool. Lots of people to look at and I love going through the tunnel.”

She smiled: To be ten years old again and see the world through unjaded eyes. For her, innocent pleasures in the simple things had come to an abrupt halt the night she’d told her father his teenaged daughter was having a baby.

“’Scuse me, luv. You been waitin’ for roadside assistance?”

A burly head, covered in untidy gray hair, thrust itself through her open car window.

Cally gasped in surprise. Her thoughts scattered like the wind. The mechanic had arrived.

CHAPTER THREE

“You got a spare?”

The man who spoke with the rough Australian vernacular, grinned at her. He wore dirty blue overalls with an embroidered name tag that identified him as “Mike”. His teeth were yellowed with tobacco stains and he chewed a piece of gum with ferocious concentration.

“In the trunk,” she replied, thankful he’d finally arrived, even if he did look like he needed a bath.

He moved away and then yelled out from behind the car, “You might have to flip it open for me, luv.”

Cally flushed with embarrassment and fumbled around the side of her seat for the lever, grateful he couldn’t see her. She heard him work the spare tire and jack out of the trunk, snapping his gum in time with his movements.

“You might have to get out of the car, if you don’t mind. I gotta get the jack under there and even though there’s not much of you, it’ll be easier to jack it up with you outside it.”

“Of course. I’m sorry.” She opened the door and stepped onto the hot asphalt. “What about my son? Is it okay if he stays in there?”

Mike poked his head through the open back window and gave Jack a toothy smile. “G’day, mate. I’m Mike. What’s your name?”

Jack grinned back at him, completely unperturbed by the man’s filthy appearance. “I’m Jack. Do you think I can get out, Mike? It’s getting pretty hot in here.”

“No worries, mate. But get out on the far side, over there, won’t you? Too much traffic on this side. And better stay close to your mom, okay?”

“Sure, Mike. Thanks.” Jack pushed open the door and stepped out onto the shoulder of the road. Cally came around to stand with him, feeling vulnerable and exposed. It was difficult to admit how much the recurring appearance of the blue Toyota rattled her—not to mention the blow to her hard-fought independence having to rely on the filthy, but friendly mechanic to change her tire.

First thing she would do when she got a spare minute or two was to read her car manual. She’d be damned if she’d sit back helplessly a second time.

“The tire’s in pretty bad shaped, luv. I can take it with me, if you like. Save you havin’ to get rid of it.”

She stepped forward in alarm. “Oh, that’s all right. I’m not going to get rid of it. I’ll need to have it repaired.”

Mike chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. “You’re not gonna be able to repair that one. The wall of the tire’s been shredded. It’s rat shit, I’m afraid.”

“But… Are you sure?” She frowned, knowing the cost of a new one would completely blow her budget.

“Yep, and you really should put a new one on the other side, too. It’s not safe to have one good one and one old one runnin’ together. The tire around the front passenger’s side’s gonna go too, before long.”

Desperation seeped into her bones. All at once, she was overwhelmed by the continuing struggle to keep things afloat. As if things weren’t already stretched to the limit, now she’d have to find the money for two tires.

Aware that Mike was still looking at her, Cally forced a smile. Checking to make sure Jack was sitting well away from the road, she walked up to the mechanic until she was close enough to speak to him without having to yell over the noise of the traffic.

“How bad do you really think it is?” She pointed to the tire on the passenger side.

“Well, it’s fairly well worn. The spare I’ve just put on is in pretty good nick, but we don’t recommend havin’ tires with different wear on them bein’ run together.”

“Why not?” she asked, wondering how serious the issue was and whether it could be delayed until she’d managed to save a little more money.

“Well, it can affect your steerin’ a bit. Your car will try and pull in the direction of the worn tire.” He shrugged. “It’s just not somethin’ I’d recommend.”

“So it’s not a matter of life or death or anything?” she persisted. “I mean, it’s not going to cause an accident, is it?”

“Well, that’s a question I can’t rightly answer.” He scratched his stubbled chin with a grease-stained finger. “Who knows what could happen if you took your attention from the road for a few seconds and your car started veerin’ off into another lane. If you’re travelin’ beside a big semi or somethin’ you could find yourself right underneath it.”

She tried to suppress a shudder. She’d just have to make sure she concentrated for every second she was in the car and take her chances with the tire until her finances improved.

As Mike replaced the jack in her trunk and hoisted the ruined tire onto the back of his truck, she walked over to Jack and helped him up.

He grinned at her and pushed his sweat-dampened hair out of his eyes. “Are we going?”

“Yes, honey. We’re going.”

Jack called out as he climbed back into the car. “See you later, Mike!”

Mike gave him a cheerful wave. “See you, Jack.”

Cally came up to where Mike stood outside his service truck. She gave him a weak smile. “Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it.”

“No, worries, luv. You take care now and make sure you get yourself a couple of new tires as soon as you can.”