A Home Like Ours by Fiona Lowe (feel good books .txt) 📕

but Geoff Rayson made a captain’s call.’

‘He’s been in town more than once. I’ve done a bit of digging and he attended the opening of duck shooting and the Mad Monday celebrations. Don’t you remember?’

‘Duck shooting and football? Even if I hadn’t been on retreat in Bali, I avoid both.’

‘According to photos in The Standard, Aki, Don and Craig were at both events.’

A tapping sound came down the line and Helen could picture Vivian thinking with her fingers on the steering wheel.

‘Really? What about Messina and Cynthia?’ Vivian asked.

‘There weren’t any photos of them.’

‘That sneaky bastard!’

‘Tucker or Rayson?’ Helen asked.

‘Both!’

Helen paced under the shade of the oak. ‘I know you said council would never agree to a resort, but doesn’t this point towards it being a definite possibility?’

‘More than anything, I want you to be wrong,’ Vivian said slowly.

‘But?’

‘Geoff knows exactly how Messina, Cynthia and I feel about Tucker’s behaviour towards women. But it looks like he’s been inviting that weasel up here for events we avoid and giving Tucker carte blanche access to the voting block of male councillors. Christ!’

A horn blared. Vivian swore and then there was silence.

‘Vivian? You okay?’

‘I’m ropeable.’

‘Maybe you should pull over.’

‘Good idea.’

‘Anyway, I’ve been thinking that between the rorting of tenders and now this Andrew Tucker connection, surely—’

‘Alleged rorting,’ Vivian said.

‘What?’

‘For all of Geoff’s affable muppet persona, he’s a clever political animal. I’ve looked into it and Boolanga Signs got seventy per cent of the tenders and they were a mix of dollar amounts. It’s not enough to prove a rort.’

Helen fumed, remembering Len’s nod and a wink when she asked for the garden sign quote. ‘At the risk of you accusing me of drinking the Kool Aid, what if the cottage’s wiring is just an excuse to kick me out? Is the community garden next? What if the mayor’s quietly freeing up the land in preparation for sale?’

‘I know you’re visualising the land around the cottage as the bridge between the community garden and the old farm, but they’re on different titles and a public road runs between the two. Before it can be sold or leased as a resort, they’d have to do some legal legwork and build another road.’

‘So I am being paranoid?’

‘No, I’m starting to think that you might be onto something. Now the cottage is vacant and derelict, Geoff can raise a motion to consolidate the titles.’ Vivian barked a laugh that hurt Helen’s ear. ‘That scheming prick. I didn’t think he had it in him, but it’s the perfect “look over there” ruse.’

‘I knew the cottage wasn’t derelict!’ The significance rolled Helen’s stomach. ‘God, that probably means he’s paying off someone in Engineering and in Parks.’

‘Or Tucker is. If he’s schmoozing the other councillors with Geoff’s blessing, any one of them can bring a proposal to the table. That takes the spotlight off the mayor, but either way, it comes with the absolute security of a win.’ Vivian sighed. ‘You know what this means?’

Helen had no idea. She was starting to feel like she was in the middle of a TV show about local government. ‘A protest meeting?’

‘Not without concrete proof. It would show our hand far too early. If those men get a bare hint we’re onto them, they’ll rush a vote and then we’re screwed. No, we need real information from the man himself.’

‘Geoff Rayson?’

‘Handsy Andy Tucker.’

‘How?’

‘I’ll brief Messina and Cynthia. We’ll set up a meeting and bring the conversation around to Riverfarm.’

‘But if he’s never approached you and he’s already got the votes he needs, why would he even take a meeting?’

‘Two reasons. Votes are never a sure thing until they’re cast, so if he thinks we’re interested, he’ll want to court us.’

‘And the other reason?’

‘Men’s egos are always their downfall, and rich men like to brag.’

Helen had no experience with rich men. ‘I’ll have to take your word for it.’

‘I’ll be in touch when I’ve got something to report back,’ Vivian said. ‘Meanwhile, keep me posted. Unity, Helen! The only way to fight this is to stick together.’

‘Do you think she changed her mind?’ Jon said. He was staring out the bay window towards the orange-brick house.

‘I hardly know her,’ Tara said, ‘but I feel she’s the type of person who’d text or call if she wasn’t coming. Besides, she’s not all that late.’

They’d decided it was best to talk to Fiza first before offering Amal a job, so had invited her to Tingledale.

‘Yeah, but I’ve got cricket training,’ Jon said.

Tara hesitated, caught on the horns of a dilemma. As much as she wanted Jon to socialise, if Fiza didn’t arrive soon it meant she’d have to talk to the woman on her own. It wasn’t that she couldn’t do it, but there was something about Fiza that always made her feel she was failing in some way.

‘Unless you want me here?’ Jon asked when she didn’t respond.

‘No!’ He cocked his head at her emphatic tone. ‘I mean, it’s more important you go to cricket than be here. But if Fiza agrees, you should be the one to offer Amal the job.’

‘Too easy. The other day when Flynn dragged him over for more trampolining lessons, we got talking and he asked me to show him how to bowl.’ He checked his watch. ‘Talking cricket, I don’t want to be late.’

‘You go.’ The doorbell pealed.

‘Thanks.’ Jon kissed her. ‘I’ll explain on my way out.’

Flynn and Clementine thundered down the stairs, enticed by the sound of the doorbell. Their faces lit up when they saw Fiza and fell when they realised she was on her own.

Jon apologised, kissed Tara and the kids goodbye, then disappeared, leaving Tara alone with disappointed children and a confused guest.

‘Sorry I am late,’ Fiza said. ‘I was delayed by an emergency at work.’

‘Can we go next door and play with Sammy and Leila?’ Flynn asked.

‘Mummy, look at Fiza’s hair!’

‘Clementine!’ Tara scolded, utterly horrified. ‘Don’t be so rude.’

‘But—’

‘It is okay, Clementine,’ Fiza said. ‘It has surprised many people.’

‘Mummy, can