A Croc Called Capone by Barry Jonsberg Read Free Book Online Page B

weekends and public holidays.’ He didn’t.
    â€˜Bushwalking, mate. Whenever I get the chance, I’m off into remote areas, mainly here in Australia, but also in other places. Africa, for example. It’s my passion.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Look, guys, I don’t want to be rude or anything, but I’m really tired and I’ve got a full day tomorrow.’ He stood. ‘Sleep well, okay?’
    â€˜Are you going on the croc cruise?’ I asked.
    â€˜Nah. I don’t do cruises. I’ll be taking myself off into the bush. A good long walk.’
    â€˜Maybe we could join you one time?’ Dyl said.
    Murray smiled and ruffled Dyl’s hair. It didn’t make any difference. Dyl’s hair was already ruffled. You couldn’t squeeze in even a small additional ruffle.
    â€˜Sorry, guys,’ he said. ‘I go alone. No offence, but I see enough children at work.’
    He took off down the path towards the cabins.
    â€˜He is just about the nicest serial killer I have ever met,’ said Dyl.
    â€˜You meet plenty then, do you, Dyl?’
    â€˜Well, you know my neighbourhood.’
    I glanced over at our table. Brendan was clearing dishes while Rose and Cy simpered, gushed and generally got in his face at every opportunity. I was starting to feel sorry for the guy. It was difficult to tell who was being more nauseating, but I think Rose had the slight edge. Then again, she’d put in years of practice.
    â€˜Can I ask why you decided to talk to our murderer, Dyl?’ I said. ‘Isn’t this going to alert him?’
    Dylan leaned towards me.
    â€˜Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer,’ he whispered.
    I was impressed.
    â€˜It’s a line from a movie,’ he continued. ‘I’ve waited years to say it. I just wish I knew what it meant.’
    We walked back to our cabins with Mum and Dad. Rose and Cy stayed at the restaurant to glare at each other and throw themselves under the waiter’s feet.
    â€˜Don’t stay up too late, boys,’ said Dad. ‘It’s been a long day and I reckon we should be fresh for the crocodile cruise in the morning. Imagine. Seeing crocs in the wild! I can’t wait.’
    â€˜Me neither. Night, Dad. Night, Mum.’
    â€˜Night, Mr and Mrs Hill,’ said Dyl.
    I was tired, but it turned out the day hadn’t quite finished with us. We made it two metres up the brick path to our cabin, when a Pssst sounded in my head. I stopped and looked around.
    â€˜Blacky?’
    â€˜Follow me, tosh. I need a word in your shell-like.’
    He sat under a low bush about thirty metres away. I grabbed Dylan’s arm and pointed. As soon as we walked towards him, Blacky took off. We followed for about three minutes. It was dark once we left the small cabin lamps behind. I could barely make out his form as he climbed a bank to one side of the rough path. Dyl and I scrambled up behind him and stepped out from darkness into a world of pale moonlight. A white beach glistened, stretching as far as my eyes could see. Slow waves rolled in. The moon dappled the sea.
    â€˜Wow,’ I said.
    â€˜Looks like paradise, doesn’t it?’ said Blacky.
    â€˜It does,’ I said. ‘It sure does.’
    â€˜Enjoy it while you can. In thirty years this will all be gone. This and most of the surrounding area. Global warming, tosh. Rising ocean levels will wash all this away. Hey. Let’s hear it. Three cheers for humanity.’
    â€˜Thanks, Blacky,’ I said. ‘You really know how to ruin a scene.’
    â€˜It’s called “reality”, mush. And I’ll have no lectures about ruining scenes from a human, thanks very much.’
    We sat on a sand dune and watched clouds scud across the face of the moon.
    â€˜Global warming,’ I said. ‘Waste emissions thrown into the atmosphere that cause the temperature of the Earth to rise, because heat cannot