Abby, Two
Copyright© 2019 by Old Man with a Pen
Chapter 19
Alice directed and I drove. At the gate, Alice said, “We have a standing appointment with Mrs. Broadbent.”
“Alice ... this is the racetrack.”
I should know ... I race here at the amateur events.
“I know,” Alice said. “You know the houses on the west side?”
“Yes.”
“People actually live here. Mrs. Broadbent is a recent widow and she wants to move. She doesn’t hate the races ... she hates the drive to get out of her home during the the 12 hour race. She has problems with the track when they include Barry Gordon in the rally races. That leaves her surrounded by the track.”
The gate guard hung up his phone.
“She’s expecting you.”
The water in the swimming pool was shallow and green. I was directed to the back. Mrs Broadbent was waiting at the large barn.
Introductions were made.
“You two don’t look like sisters,” she said.
“I know,” I said. “I’m not quite a year older ... and ten years smarter.”
That got a laugh ... and a bruise. “OW.”
“Siblings for certain,” she said. “Abby Austin? Abby Austin ... Abby Austin! ... your mom won a race twenty years ago. I was pleased as punch ... we girls have to stick together. I expected more wins ... she was fast.”
I said, “The track made her quit when they found out she was pregnant.”
“That was you?”
“Yes,” I said.
“I heard you had ‘difficulities’ with the Aboriginal Child, Family and Community State Secretariat.”
“Yes.”
“They are such a bunch of bloody arsses. Nosy old bitches.”
Alice was very interested ... not! She fidgeted. It was noticed.
“Business,” Mrs Broadbent pushed a button on a remote. The rollup door clattered its way to the top.
“It’s at the back,” she said.
Ooo ... interesting ... we’re going to have to move a couple of shipping containers completely packed floor to ceiling worth of ‘junk’ to get to the back. How do I know there was that much junk? We filled two 40’s before we got to the car.
“Alice,” I whispered, “How did you know?”
“Window ... I peeked ... and she posted it on the Aldi post it board.”
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