Page 86 of The Side Road
Ben had a lead; a friend of a friend’s uncle knew an old guy who collected antique bikes. They were searching for classified advertisements for spare parts found at the back of the magazines.
After an hour, Tash said, ‘This is impossible. There are probably ten Black Shadows left in the universe. We should try the internet.’
‘This guy is under the radar.’ Jack tossed a magazine aside and picked up another. When his phone rang, he picked it up. ‘Ben, my man, what’s up?’ Jack paused. ‘Sounds promising.’He ended the call. ‘We might have something. Ben got a call from a lady who knows this bloke, whose brother bought a 1936 BSA 500 V-Twin from an old guy who lives out west. Ben says he might be our man. How much cash can you get your hands on?’
They looked at Oliver, who was fiddling with the tyre spokes.
‘Ben might have a lead,’ Tash said. ‘But we’ll need money.’
‘If you find something, let me know. But don’t get your hopes up.’
The lead turned out to be a decade old. The old guy who lives out west had died.
27
BUTTONS
As Oliver approachedthe school gate, he noticed a tall man leaning against the fence, knitting. The lanyard around his neck pointed to a staff member and not a parent, but Oliver didn’t like to make assumptions. His neatly groomed appearance – pressed pants and a tailored shirt – suggested he was organised, in a relationship, or he still lived at home with his mother.
The man paused his knitting and looked up as Oliver approached. After studying Oliver for a moment, he held out his hand. ‘Josh Healey. I’m Tash’s homeroom teacher. Please, call me Josh.’
Oliver took the man’s hand and introduced himself. Josh’s nail polish matched the colour of his yarn.
Using the narrowest needles Oliver had ever seen, Josh appeared to be making a scarf for a small animal. Concentrating, he returned to his knitting and finished the arrow-shaped end.
Seeing Oliver’s interest, Josh said. ‘It’s a bookmark. I’monly using three stitches. I’m hoping it doesn’t scream, “beginner”.’
‘Not at all. I’ve just finished my first scarf. It’s addictive once you get the hang of it.’
‘It is,’ Josh agreed. ‘For the record, Tash is great. She’s one of the brightest students in the class.’
Oliver smiled.
‘Who does the least amount of work.’
Oliver wiped the smile off his face. ‘Did you say the least amount?’
‘Yes.’
Oliver let this sink in. ‘It’s lucky she’s bright, then.’
Josh smiled. A small laugh escaped from his chest.
‘She reads a lot. And she’s twelve.’ Oliver felt the need to defend his daughter.
‘Her art essay on Howard Arkley is due soon. I haven’t seen her draft. Could you chase that up?’
‘I will.’
Josh was casting off. ‘Any plans for the school holidays?’
‘No.’
The school bus pulled in and Josh disappeared into the sea of twelve-year-olds who were returning from an excursion to the historic Stockman’s Museum.
Oliver knewit was time to add dancing to the Monday dating routine. With a little work and some inventive low lighting, he could make the garage into an acceptable dance venue. A quick trip to the electrical section of the local hardware store was all he needed.
After giving the music some thought, he added the obvious slow dance classics from the 1950s and ’60s to his playlist. But he wanted a more contemporary vibe for theirdate. Music from the 1990s – the decade he was born – was also appropriate. His playlist included ‘All My Life’ by K-Ci & JoJo. Following this, ‘Someone to Hold’ by Trey Lorenz. For something Australian, he included ‘Fall At Your Feet,’ by Crowded House. The last song would be ‘Fade Into You’ by Mazzy Star. He hoped it would be a winning combination because the school holidays started in two weeks.
