Vanishing Point by Alan Moore Read Free Book Online Page B

down and are a bit stuck.’
    â€˜Well, ya got good weather for it.’
    â€˜It would be good if we weren’t stuck. I can’t appreciate the weather or anything else because of worrying about what’s wrong with our Kombi and getting back to Adelaide.’
    â€˜Adelaide! In that! Jeez, woman, what ya thinking of out here alone in one of those an’ on these tracks?’
    â€˜Oh, no, I’m not alone. Or rather, actually I am just at present because my husband has gone to get help in Ceduna. We waited here for a while, but there’s so little traffic that he decided to walk there cross-country.’
    â€˜How long ya been here? When did he go?’
    â€˜He left early this morning. Reckon he’ll be back with help tomorrow.’
    â€˜Well, if he left this morning he won’t be back for a day or so, this bin a weekend, like. Late t’morrow at best. Would ya like me ta give ya a ride ta the main road and ya can hitch in to town?’
    â€˜Thanks for the offer but I’ve got a little baby in the Kombi. I can’t really hitch a ride or risk not getting one with a baby.’
    â€Strewth, woman, are ya mad? Got a bubs out ‘ere. In that!’ The driver’s tone reflected his obvious incredulity.
    Katherine looked embarrassed. The stranger had voiced the same opinions as her mother, and now her guilt welled up inside her. She looked down at her feet and shuffled them in the sand. ‘Yes, I know. I must have been off my head. Now this has happened I admit it was pretty dumb.’
    The driver climbed out of his vehicle and walked over to the Kombi. Once out of the driver’s seat Katherine was surprised at his size. He was as bulky as a large sack of potatoes and stood at least six foot tall. Katherine took in his appearance and made a snap judgement. He seemed all right; probably in his early forties with the look of a man from the land. His leathery and tanned face matched his brown eyes in colour. Distinct stubble indicated that at least a couple of days had passed since the last shave. His hair, still dark, had a few streaks of grey and was thinning. In a few more years he would have the typical partial atoll of hair surrounding the island pate of the balding. He looked like a man used to hard physical work and, although dusty, his clothes did not smell stale and unwashed. On the man’s right arm, just above the elbow, was a small, geometric pattern tattoo. Katherine always felt you could judge a man by his hands and his were broad with short fingers, almost podgy. Katherine was sure this indicated a streak of stubbornness, probably a practical person with little creativity.
    Leaning his hand on the vehicle he peered inside the two central open side doors of the Kombi. Carolyn lay on the open back seat, propped up with two pillows and happily gurgling. Katherine came up behind the man and joined him in the examination of the interior.
    â€˜They are so sweet when they’re happy,’ she said. ‘Her name is Carolyn and she is just over four months. She’s such a good baby.’
    The driver pulled back, almost knocking Katherine over. ‘Sorry. I’m Benjamin. Benjamin, not Ben.’
    Katherine took the extended hand. ‘Oh! Sorry. I should have introduced myself. I’m Katherine, Katherine Thompson.’
    His hand was calloused and hard. He shook hands firmly before she slid hers out of the grasp, almost too quickly. She realised how rarely she had ever shaken hands with strangers and felt unsure of how long the handshake should last.
    â€˜So, what do I call ya, woman? Katie?’
    â€˜Most people just call me Kath or Katherine, but Katie’s fine.’
    â€˜Okay, Katie for the time being, eh?’
    They lapsed into silence. Benjamin looked hard at Katherine, almost as if summing her up. ‘Well, what are ya gunna do?’
    â€˜I don’t know. I guess I’ll just wait here til