The Family Across the Street by Nicole Trope

25

Logan

Fifteen Minutes Ago

‘Debbie, Debbie!’ he keeps screaming as he drives, weaving in and out of traffic, other cars hooting their anger. He can hear muffled conversation from the other end of the line but he has no idea what’s going on. It sounds like she’s dropped her phone. He feels like he cannot control his speed. His foot is pressed on the gas pedal and the van goes faster and faster and he is powerless to make it stop. He roars through a stop sign, narrowly missing being hit by a car that had the right of way. The driver holds their hand down on the hooter, long and loud, indignant at his behaviour, but he is moving so quickly, too quickly, and the sound is only momentary before he’s left it behind.

He needs to slow down or he’s going to get pulled over and then he won’t get to her. He won’t be able to save her. Debbie is small and light, and although she’s stronger than she looks, she won’t be able to defend herself against an enraged man. Patrick’s hands on his sister, Patrick’s hands on Debbie, the two women he loves most in the world. This cannot be. He cannot let this happen.

‘Logan,’ he hears, ‘Logan, why are you shouting my name?’ She yells the words, sounding hysterical.

‘Debbie…’ he says again, pure relief running through his veins, making him feel almost high. He lifts his foot off the gas, the van slows down and he searches for a space to pull over for a moment. His whole body has broken out in a sweat and there is an ache in his jaw from clamping his teeth together. His hands slip a little on the steering wheel. ‘Who’s there? Who’s there?’ he yells as he pulls the van to the side of the road.

‘Stop yelling,’ she says, even as she’s shouting herself. ‘Stop yelling and listen. It’s my dad, just my dad,’ she says, her voice still raised. ‘He came over to bring me some soup and he dropped it all over the carpet. We’re cleaning it up but you’re yelling like a crazy person. What on earth is wrong?’ Her voice softens and with her explanation he feels his body relax, his muscles release, and he takes a deep breath. It’s her dad, just her dad.

He would like to reach through the phone and grab his wife, hold her to him. He could have lost her. She could have been taken from him and he will not let that happen.

Logan rubs his eyes, creating the dark space he needs, knowing that if he doesn’t calm down, he will not be able to explain himself.

A white cockatoo lands on the front of his van, cocks its yellow-crested head and stares at him. ‘Put your dad on the phone,’ he commands, and he is grateful that she doesn’t question him. He watches the bird as it climbs onto a windscreen wiper and perches there, making eye contact, before spreading its white wings and flying onto a tree in a garden near where he’s parked.

‘Logan,’ says Paul, concern in his voice.

‘Listen, Paul, I don’t think I can explain it to her without freaking out, but Patrick is here, in Sydney. He’s here and I got a text saying that I’m next and I think he’s here to hurt me because of…’

‘Because of what happened with Maddy? Debbie told us. Surely not.’

‘I think so. Please just take Debbie with you. Take her to your house. I’m getting there as fast as I can.’ He squeezes the steering wheel, watching the bird as it struts up and down a tree branch. He looks around and pulls out into the road again, keeping to the speed limit, concentrating on what he’s doing.

‘All right, son. You calm down and drive carefully. I’ll take her with me and text you when we’re at my house. You come there and we’ll call the police and explain. Now just calm down. Everything’s going to be fine.’

‘Thanks, Paul,’ says Logan and he is ashamed that he’s shedding a few tears.

He watches the road, tries to orient himself because he’s gotten himself a bit lost.

She’s with her dad, she’s with her dad.

He can handle this because Debbie is safe and that’s all he needs to know. He spots the name of a road he recognises and turns the van around. ‘She’s safe,’ he repeats aloud. ‘She’s safe.’

After driving for a few minutes, Debbie calls him. ‘We’re on the way to my parents’ house. There wasn’t anyone there, like in the street or anything. Maybe he isn’t coming after you.’ In the background he can hear the classical music that Paul always plays in his car. Just after Logan asked Debbie to marry him – getting down on one knee on a beach, embarrassed that he couldn’t think of a less clichéd idea but so excited he dropped the ring with a small diamond it took him months to save for – Paul took the whole family to hear a string quartet at the opera house to celebrate. The music was beautiful at first, but soon Logan found himself drifting off and Debbie had to keep nudging him awake. ‘Guess it’s not for everyone,’ Paul said afterwards and he remembers the way Debbie and her mother laughed at him but he also remembers that the laughter was gentle and inclusive and that for the first time in his life he didn’t feel judged. This is family, he thought and he couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to have found a woman like Debbie with a family who accepted him. He doesn’t deserve Debbie, he knows that. And he will give his life to keep her safe if he has to. It’s not even something he has to consider. It’s just the truth.

‘I think he is, Debs. Just get to your parents’ house and make sure everything is locked. I’m on my way.’

He takes a few shortcuts, hoping to make his trip to Debbie’s parents’ place shorter. He looks around at the houses in the street where he’s driving and realises that it’s the street from this morning, the street where he started his day – where he first understood that it was going to be a really, really shitty day. He could never have imagined how bad it was going to get.

How is it that he’s back here? How is it possible? He wasn’t thinking about a particular route, just about getting to Debbie’s parents’ house as soon as he could.

Why is he even thinking about this woman? It doesn’t matter. He’s sure the police will check on Katherine West and her family.

But dammit, the niggling feeling is there again and just won’t go away.

Without knowing why, or what he plans to do, he cruises to a stop in front of Katherine’s house and gets out of the van.

A large tree on the pavement rustles in the silent afternoon and he looks up to see a whole host of cockatoos resting in the heat. One of them peers down at him and then spreads its wings and leaps, landing on the front of his van.

‘Okay, universe,’ he grumbles. ‘I understand.’