TWO:
I slept in the next morning, so that when I finally got up Mum had already been up for a few hours unpacking boxes in the lounge room. Seeing her there surrounded by boxes made me feel guilty.
"Why didn't you wake me Mum?" I asked.
"I looked in on you and you were dead to the world. I didn't have the heart to wake you." Mum admitted.
"I'll just grab a coffee and then I'll be in to help you." I promised her.
Ten minutes later I was seated on the floor unpacking boxes of knick- knacks. I hadn't realised until the move how much "stuff" we had. Luckily Dad would be arriving sometime today and he would be more than willing to help unpack. I was pretty impressed with the amount of junk I personally had managed to get rid of when I was packing up my old room, and I knew if I hadn't got rid of as much I would still be unpacking things now, instead of being almost done!
"How did you sleep last night Claire?" Mum asked suddenly.
"Not bad. It took me awhile to get to sleep. And I was actually cold during the night, but I don't know why since it was such a warm night!" I said.
"Cold?" Mum repeated surprised. "I'll have to get your father to look and see whether there is a draft or something in your room."
We got back to our unpacking, and soon enough everything in the lounge room was unpacked and organized. Mum looked around triumphantly. "There! It looks like home now, doesn't it?"
"It does." I admitted. "And you know some of these furnishings really suit this room!"
Mum smiled. "I'm going to get a glass of cold water, want one?"
"Do we have any lemonade instead?" I asked.
"You know we don't. We'll have to go into town this afternoon and get some shopping done." Mum said, and she started to walk down the passage to the kitchen, when the doorbell rang. "Claire can you get that? It'll be the man to put the phone on!"
I sighed, and pushed my hair off my sweaty face. I went and opened the door. Sure enough it was the man from the Phone Company.
"In the middle of unpacking mate?" He asked me, looking at my dirty jeans and top.
"Yeah." I said. "You don't realise how much you have until you want to move it all!"
He laughed. "No need to tell me. I moved up here from the city a few years back myself. Bit of a culture shock isn't it?"
"To say the least." I admitted, thinking of the main street. "I'm not sure what I think of it yet though.."
"You'll get used to it up here." He assured me. "Once you get to know people of your own age too. Anyway, I better get this phone working for you. I'm sure you want it on when the nearest neighbor is about a fifteen- minute walk and a few minutes in the car don't you? Although I have to admit I am surprised someone finally bought this place."
"You are?" I asked, surprised myself. "I have to admit I'm dubious about living in the country and all, but the house itself is quite nice looking!"
"I meant it being the old Johnson house and all." The man explained.
I raised an eyebrow. That was the second time I'd heard our new place called that, and I wondered why. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"Sorry." The man said. "I didn't realise you didn't know."
"Didn't know what?" I demanded.
"Nothing." He replied, but he said it in the same tone as the lady in the take-away shop yesterday when she'd said there was no reason for the place being cheap, despite expressing no surprise at the fact that it was cheap!
I frowned, and put my hands on my hip. I was about to demand an explanation when Mum arrived on the scene looking harried. "Claire!" She admonished me. "What are you standing out here chatting for? You know the man's got work to do!"
"It's okay mate." The man said to Mum. "So, where is the main phone being placed?"
"Claire while I show him do you think you could start unpacking the study boxes?" Mum asked.
I shrugged, and went into the small room we were planning on using as a study. Not long later I heard the phone ringing, as the phone man tested it to make sure it worked. And then I heard Mum thanking him, and him leaving.
Mum came in then. "You look tired." She said to me.
I had to admit I was.
"Fancy a trip into town then? I want to go to the supermarket, and you could see whether that woman's daughter is working in the take-away shop?" Mum said.
I jumped at the chance to get away from the unpacking, and go into the town, despite it being so small, and almost dead the night before. "Sure!"
*****
Mum went into the supermarket and I went into the take-away shop to see whether the girl was working. The woman from the night before was working again. She smiled at me. "Hello, how was your first night?" She asked.
"Not bad. I slept a little funny, but that's to be expected. And my room seemed to be colder than the rest of the house. Mum thinks maybe there is a draft or something." I said.
"A draft?" The woman repeated. "And which room is yours?"
I told her, and a funny look came over her face, but before she could say anything else a girl about my age came into the shop. "Hi Mum, could you chuck some chips on for Kelly, Lisa and me?"
"Okay." Her Mum replied, and then she said "Shelly this is Claire-she's just moved here and she'll be in your year this year."
Shelly grinned at me. "Where did you move here from?" She asked.
"Melbourne." I replied.
She looked at me strangely. "You moved up here from Melbourne? Are you mad?"
"Mum got a transfer. She's a surgeon." I replied. "But I agree with you. I miss Melbourne already!"
She laughed. "Hey, come and meet my friends while the chips cook. Unless you've got something to do?"
"No, I've got nothing to do." I said, and I went with her outside to where her friends were sitting. Shelly introduced us all.
"So where are you living? Are you a townie or a country?" The girl called Lisa asked me.
"A what?" I asked, confused.
"A townies someone who lives in here, a country is someone who lives out of the town, on one of the highways. Or even further away, like Eildon or something." Shelley explained.
"Oh okay." I said, mentally agreeing with the phone man who told me it was a culture shock out here. "I'm a country. We live in-well people call our place the old Johnson place?"
The three girls exchanged a look, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.
"I thought that was still empty." Kelly said, her voice strange. "I wonder whether Paul knows about someone moving in there. He hasn't mentioned it to me."
"Why should he care?" Lisa demanded. "It's been two years, and he's your boyfriend now. I'm sure he doesn't even think about her!"
Shelley noticed the look of confusion on my face. "I don't want to be the one to tell you this Claire, but if I don't someone will I am sure. The Johnson family lived there up until about two years ago, and then they sold it because they couldn't bear to live there anymore. They had two children, Andrea and Craig. Andrea was two years older than we were, and Craig was about three years older or so. I didn't really know Craig-he worked at the pub and was studying by correspondence for a University course. Andrea though, we all knew. She was the nicest girl. Very sweet, very friendly. She never made us feel like we were only little kids or anything. And she and Paul were the perfect couple. Anyway Andrea was killed in her room, and they still don't know who did it. It was a mystery, and it was also a tragedy! Her Mum found her, and she was never the same afterwards. The only suspect was Sam-her ex. He worked in the pub with Craig, he still does actually. When Andrea dumped him to go out with Paul he was pretty cut up about it. But he had a watertight alibi. So it went unsolved."
I felt my heart begin to race. No wonder our place was so cheap, and no wonder everyone called it "the old Johnson house" with a strange note in their voice! I wondered whether or not Mum knew this?
"But that's all in the past." Lisa assured me.
"Right." I agreed, giving her a weak smile. It may have been in the past but the idea of a murder having occurred in my very own house freaked me out a little. Before I could really digest the information I saw Mum calling to me. She'd obviously finished her shopping.
"That's my Mum calling me, so I better get going." I said, standing up.
"Sure thing. Listen on the weekend we're having a end of holidays party if you want to come." Shelley offered.
"I'd love to!" I said. I liked the idea of getting to know some more people before the school term began in two or so weeks.
"Well I'll give you a call and let you know the details." Shelley said. "Did they change the phone number or keep the old one, do you know?"
I frowned, trying to remember. "They kept the old one." I finally said.
"Okay, well I'll speak to you soon." Shelley said.
I nodded, and smiled at them all. "It was nice to meet you all." I said.
Lisa nodded back and smiled, and Kelly said "You too."
I hurried over to Mum, who smiled at me. "Friends already? It didn't take you long. I told you that you'd fit in!"
"They all seem nice enough." I said. "They're going to a party on the weekend for the end of the holidays, and Shelley is going to call me with the details."
"A party already?" Mum looked impressed. "Good stuff Claire!"
As we drove home I thought about what they had told me. Poor Andrea! Getting murdered in her very own house. No wonder her family had sold the place. Mum didn't seem to notice that I was quieter than usual. As we pulled up the driveway I noticed Dad's truck out the front. But looking at the house now that I knew all I knew it didn't look so nice. In fact, it looked scary. I shook my head as I got out of the car to clear my thoughts. Thinking the place looked scary just because I knew what had happened in it now was stupid! It looked the same as it had before we went into town. I went inside to greet Dad, trying vainly to keep the thought of the murder out of my mind.
I slept in the next morning, so that when I finally got up Mum had already been up for a few hours unpacking boxes in the lounge room. Seeing her there surrounded by boxes made me feel guilty.
"Why didn't you wake me Mum?" I asked.
"I looked in on you and you were dead to the world. I didn't have the heart to wake you." Mum admitted.
"I'll just grab a coffee and then I'll be in to help you." I promised her.
Ten minutes later I was seated on the floor unpacking boxes of knick- knacks. I hadn't realised until the move how much "stuff" we had. Luckily Dad would be arriving sometime today and he would be more than willing to help unpack. I was pretty impressed with the amount of junk I personally had managed to get rid of when I was packing up my old room, and I knew if I hadn't got rid of as much I would still be unpacking things now, instead of being almost done!
"How did you sleep last night Claire?" Mum asked suddenly.
"Not bad. It took me awhile to get to sleep. And I was actually cold during the night, but I don't know why since it was such a warm night!" I said.
"Cold?" Mum repeated surprised. "I'll have to get your father to look and see whether there is a draft or something in your room."
We got back to our unpacking, and soon enough everything in the lounge room was unpacked and organized. Mum looked around triumphantly. "There! It looks like home now, doesn't it?"
"It does." I admitted. "And you know some of these furnishings really suit this room!"
Mum smiled. "I'm going to get a glass of cold water, want one?"
"Do we have any lemonade instead?" I asked.
"You know we don't. We'll have to go into town this afternoon and get some shopping done." Mum said, and she started to walk down the passage to the kitchen, when the doorbell rang. "Claire can you get that? It'll be the man to put the phone on!"
I sighed, and pushed my hair off my sweaty face. I went and opened the door. Sure enough it was the man from the Phone Company.
"In the middle of unpacking mate?" He asked me, looking at my dirty jeans and top.
"Yeah." I said. "You don't realise how much you have until you want to move it all!"
He laughed. "No need to tell me. I moved up here from the city a few years back myself. Bit of a culture shock isn't it?"
"To say the least." I admitted, thinking of the main street. "I'm not sure what I think of it yet though.."
"You'll get used to it up here." He assured me. "Once you get to know people of your own age too. Anyway, I better get this phone working for you. I'm sure you want it on when the nearest neighbor is about a fifteen- minute walk and a few minutes in the car don't you? Although I have to admit I am surprised someone finally bought this place."
"You are?" I asked, surprised myself. "I have to admit I'm dubious about living in the country and all, but the house itself is quite nice looking!"
"I meant it being the old Johnson house and all." The man explained.
I raised an eyebrow. That was the second time I'd heard our new place called that, and I wondered why. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"Sorry." The man said. "I didn't realise you didn't know."
"Didn't know what?" I demanded.
"Nothing." He replied, but he said it in the same tone as the lady in the take-away shop yesterday when she'd said there was no reason for the place being cheap, despite expressing no surprise at the fact that it was cheap!
I frowned, and put my hands on my hip. I was about to demand an explanation when Mum arrived on the scene looking harried. "Claire!" She admonished me. "What are you standing out here chatting for? You know the man's got work to do!"
"It's okay mate." The man said to Mum. "So, where is the main phone being placed?"
"Claire while I show him do you think you could start unpacking the study boxes?" Mum asked.
I shrugged, and went into the small room we were planning on using as a study. Not long later I heard the phone ringing, as the phone man tested it to make sure it worked. And then I heard Mum thanking him, and him leaving.
Mum came in then. "You look tired." She said to me.
I had to admit I was.
"Fancy a trip into town then? I want to go to the supermarket, and you could see whether that woman's daughter is working in the take-away shop?" Mum said.
I jumped at the chance to get away from the unpacking, and go into the town, despite it being so small, and almost dead the night before. "Sure!"
*****
Mum went into the supermarket and I went into the take-away shop to see whether the girl was working. The woman from the night before was working again. She smiled at me. "Hello, how was your first night?" She asked.
"Not bad. I slept a little funny, but that's to be expected. And my room seemed to be colder than the rest of the house. Mum thinks maybe there is a draft or something." I said.
"A draft?" The woman repeated. "And which room is yours?"
I told her, and a funny look came over her face, but before she could say anything else a girl about my age came into the shop. "Hi Mum, could you chuck some chips on for Kelly, Lisa and me?"
"Okay." Her Mum replied, and then she said "Shelly this is Claire-she's just moved here and she'll be in your year this year."
Shelly grinned at me. "Where did you move here from?" She asked.
"Melbourne." I replied.
She looked at me strangely. "You moved up here from Melbourne? Are you mad?"
"Mum got a transfer. She's a surgeon." I replied. "But I agree with you. I miss Melbourne already!"
She laughed. "Hey, come and meet my friends while the chips cook. Unless you've got something to do?"
"No, I've got nothing to do." I said, and I went with her outside to where her friends were sitting. Shelly introduced us all.
"So where are you living? Are you a townie or a country?" The girl called Lisa asked me.
"A what?" I asked, confused.
"A townies someone who lives in here, a country is someone who lives out of the town, on one of the highways. Or even further away, like Eildon or something." Shelley explained.
"Oh okay." I said, mentally agreeing with the phone man who told me it was a culture shock out here. "I'm a country. We live in-well people call our place the old Johnson place?"
The three girls exchanged a look, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.
"I thought that was still empty." Kelly said, her voice strange. "I wonder whether Paul knows about someone moving in there. He hasn't mentioned it to me."
"Why should he care?" Lisa demanded. "It's been two years, and he's your boyfriend now. I'm sure he doesn't even think about her!"
Shelley noticed the look of confusion on my face. "I don't want to be the one to tell you this Claire, but if I don't someone will I am sure. The Johnson family lived there up until about two years ago, and then they sold it because they couldn't bear to live there anymore. They had two children, Andrea and Craig. Andrea was two years older than we were, and Craig was about three years older or so. I didn't really know Craig-he worked at the pub and was studying by correspondence for a University course. Andrea though, we all knew. She was the nicest girl. Very sweet, very friendly. She never made us feel like we were only little kids or anything. And she and Paul were the perfect couple. Anyway Andrea was killed in her room, and they still don't know who did it. It was a mystery, and it was also a tragedy! Her Mum found her, and she was never the same afterwards. The only suspect was Sam-her ex. He worked in the pub with Craig, he still does actually. When Andrea dumped him to go out with Paul he was pretty cut up about it. But he had a watertight alibi. So it went unsolved."
I felt my heart begin to race. No wonder our place was so cheap, and no wonder everyone called it "the old Johnson house" with a strange note in their voice! I wondered whether or not Mum knew this?
"But that's all in the past." Lisa assured me.
"Right." I agreed, giving her a weak smile. It may have been in the past but the idea of a murder having occurred in my very own house freaked me out a little. Before I could really digest the information I saw Mum calling to me. She'd obviously finished her shopping.
"That's my Mum calling me, so I better get going." I said, standing up.
"Sure thing. Listen on the weekend we're having a end of holidays party if you want to come." Shelley offered.
"I'd love to!" I said. I liked the idea of getting to know some more people before the school term began in two or so weeks.
"Well I'll give you a call and let you know the details." Shelley said. "Did they change the phone number or keep the old one, do you know?"
I frowned, trying to remember. "They kept the old one." I finally said.
"Okay, well I'll speak to you soon." Shelley said.
I nodded, and smiled at them all. "It was nice to meet you all." I said.
Lisa nodded back and smiled, and Kelly said "You too."
I hurried over to Mum, who smiled at me. "Friends already? It didn't take you long. I told you that you'd fit in!"
"They all seem nice enough." I said. "They're going to a party on the weekend for the end of the holidays, and Shelley is going to call me with the details."
"A party already?" Mum looked impressed. "Good stuff Claire!"
As we drove home I thought about what they had told me. Poor Andrea! Getting murdered in her very own house. No wonder her family had sold the place. Mum didn't seem to notice that I was quieter than usual. As we pulled up the driveway I noticed Dad's truck out the front. But looking at the house now that I knew all I knew it didn't look so nice. In fact, it looked scary. I shook my head as I got out of the car to clear my thoughts. Thinking the place looked scary just because I knew what had happened in it now was stupid! It looked the same as it had before we went into town. I went inside to greet Dad, trying vainly to keep the thought of the murder out of my mind.