First Among Equals Read online

  “Did you feel it?” Crystal asked, as though reading her sister’s thoughts. “When you drove into town?”

  “Feel what?” Holly could only remember her nostalgia, the sadness of things never quite being the same.

  Crystal spread her arms out wide on the porch. With her hair in a display above her head, she looked like a child making a snow angel.

  “Whenever I drive into Hanmer, it feels like someone is giving me a big hug. The whole township wraps its warmth around me and holds me tight.”

  “Must just be you,” Holly said, poking Crystal in the side where she was ticklish, and smiling when she squealed. “All I felt was sulphur crawling up my nostrils. Every time I leave, I forget how pungent the mineral springs are.”

  They were both laughing when a flash of movement exploded toward them out of the darkness.

  Chapter Two

  “Oh, my goodness,” Holly said, holding a hand to her chest. “What is that?”

  Crystal was standing behind her sister, hands resting on her shoulders. “Don’t worry. It’s just a feral cat.”

  As soon as Crystal said the words, Holly could track the shape that had come barrelling at them out of the darkness. A small cat, with ginger spots shaped like a leopard’s markings. It mewed, opening its mouth wide to expose sharp teeth.

  “Isn’t it sweet?” Holly moved a step closer to it, and the cat tilted its head to one side, eyeing her warily.

  “No, it’s not.” Crystal said.

  Holly turned to her in surprise, eyebrows raised. Of the two of them, Crystal was the one more likely to have a gooey centre regarding anything small and furry.

  “It’s a wild cat,” she explained. “They have them all over town. Let’s go inside. If we feed it or make it welcome, then it’ll never leave.”

  “Bye-bye, kitty,” Holly whispered. The cat mewed, seemingly in answer to her words.

  Crystal tutted as she held the back door open for her sister. Holly hung her head in pretend shame as she quickly scampered through.

  “It’s serious,” Crystal said. “They kill off the native birds and stuff. The council is always coming up with new plans to try to drive them away.”

  “That poor thing was barely more than a kitten.”

  “A kitten who could wipe out a native species, given half the chance.”

  Holly chewed her lip. “Perhaps, if you fed it, then it wouldn’t feel the need to chase down wildlife.”

  Crystal snorted. “How many times have you heard a horror story from an owner about their well-fed pet cat bringing them a present of a bird or mouse?” She shrugged. “It’s just their nature to hunt. Unfortunately, our precious wildlife isn’t savvy enough to evade them.”

  Holly didn’t have the experience to defy the authority in Crystal’s voice. They’d never had pets as children. What with university and then work, she hadn’t had the time to even consider it as an adult.

  “The town motto is that just because it’s cute, doesn’t mean it isn’t harmful.” Crystal wagged her finger, then tired of the instruction. “I need to sort out the orders for tomorrow before my brain goes completely to sleep. Are you okay to set yourself up in the spare room?”

  Holly nodded. “Of course.” She hesitated for a moment, then added, “Thanks for having me.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Crystal said, although Holly’s words had reignited her smile. “You’ll always have a place here.”

  The warmth behind her words was strong enough to light a glow in Holly’s chest.

  Earlier, while still driving, Holly had thought she’d eat out at one of the town’s excellent restaurants tonight. Now that the time had come to consider it, though, she didn’t feel hungry. There had been a lot of nights like that lately. If Holly ran her fingers up her side, she could feel her ribs sticking out like piano keys. Whatever tune they’d play would be sown with failed dreams and despair.

  Don’t be so maudlin, Holly chided herself. You’ve got so much that it’s shameful to want anything more.

  The reprimand was accurate enough, but sometimes what you had didn’t stretch so far that it could fill the hole for the things that were gone.

  A knuckle tentatively tapped on the front door. If Holly hadn’t been standing so close, she doubted she would have heard the sound at all.

  “Hello?” she asked, opening the door.

  A young man stood outside, dressed in a suit and tie that looked like their primary purpose was to make him feel uncomfortable. His eyes widened with shock as he looked at Holly. He looked back over his shoulder. She couldn’t work out whether that was to check he was in the right place, or to ensure the path was clear if he needed to run.

  “Um, hi. Is Crystal here?”

  “Sure,” Holly said, stepping aside and waving him through. “Who may I say is calling?”

  “It’s Derek. Derek Masters.”

  “Well, wait there, Derek, and I’ll go tell Crystal that you’re here. I’m her sister, Holly.”

  “Nice to m-meet you, H-Holly,” Derek stuttered, his cheeks flushing red.

  “You, too.”

  Holly moved down the hall, wondering if the man was a suitor of her sister’s. If so, Crystal really was robbing the cradle. The man did seem incredibly young. She was turning the handle to her sister’s bedroom when she checked herself. Title deed or not, she was a guest and couldn’t just barge in.

  Holly knocked on the door instead. “Crystal? You have a visitor.”

  There was a long pause, stretching out until Holly wondered if she should be checking the bathroom instead. Then her sister called out in a voice thick with tears, “Who is it?”

  “Derek Masters.” Holly leaned closer to the wood, angling her shoulder to hide her face and hopefully her voice from their unexpected visitor. “Would you like me to tell him to go away?”

  “No, that’s okay. Just give me a second. Can you show Derek through to the dining room and offer him a soft drink?”

  “Sure.” Holly walked back to the man and waved him through in front of her. “She won’t be more than a minute. Crystal’s just finishing up some inventory work for the store.”

  “I can go away and come back later if that’s more convenient.” Derek fidgeted, snapping his fingers, cracking his knuckles, and tapping on the side of his leg. Every part of him seemed in constant motion. It made Holly feel restless and jumpy. His nervousness transmitting across to her like a virus.

  “Don’t be silly. Would you like a soft drink?” Holly asked Derek. “Or juice? Crystal won’t be too long.”

  “Thanks.” Derek followed her along to the fridge, touching one finger to the wall as though marking a path that he could later retrace. “Do you have Sprite?”

  “We certainly do.” Holly opened the fridge and gave a sigh of relief that she hadn’t been lying. “I think I’ll join you.”

  “Derek!” Crystal’s enthusiastic welcome told Holly that the young man meant something special to her. She waited for his soda to be poured, then grabbed his hand and took him out onto the back porch, settling him into the chair that Holly had used earlier.

  Left alone, Holly opened the cupboards one by one, nothing their contents without any real thought or hunger. As the light faded away completely, Holly flicked on the lights to keep nosing around.

  Where she’d expected to see a lot of cans and packet mixes for quick casseroles, there were raw ingredients instead. Perhaps Crystal’s love of baking had extended into a general appreciation of all forms of cooking. If so, then Holly was in for a treat. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a home-cooked meal. Certainly, nothing that she prepared had ever been from scratch.

  In the cupboard closest to the fridge, Holly spied a box of snack-size peanuts. Inside were four unopened packets. It gave her pause, but then she shook her head. What did it matter now if there were peanuts in the house? Her father’s allergy had been spelled out to them repeatedly as children. Holly still gave a start if she walked into an event and saw ope
n bowls of nuts on display.

  But her father wasn’t around to be affected, not any longer. Holly felt a bittersweet sadness engulf her as she put the box back on the shelf.

  “Found my stash, I see.”

  Crystal’s voice made Holly jump. She spun around, one hand raised palm out in surrender as though she’d been caught doing something naughty. A second later, Holly issued a ragged laugh. “Oh, you gave me a fright!”

  “Sorry,” Crystal said, a twinkle in her eye suggesting that she wasn’t sorry at all. “Usually, folks can hear me coming a mile off.”

  True enough. Holly must have been buried deep in her memories to miss the baby elephant approaching.

  “When I saw those”—Holly nodded at the nuts—“I panicked for a moment, wondering if Dad had seen them yet.”

  Crystal put her arms around her sister, resting a chin on her shoulder. “I know. I felt like such a rebel buying them at the supermarket. I didn’t even like them.”

  Holly snorted with amusement. “That’s why there’s only half left.”

  “Well, I had to practice for a while to check I didn’t care for them.” She pulled back. “Thanks for seeing to Derek. He’s not in a good way.”

  Holly opened her mouth to ask why, then closed it again, reading a note of caution in her sister’s eye.

  “Are you his sponsor?” she asked instead, random threads knitting together. Crystal nodded.

  “It’s my first time in this position.” She glanced back at onto the porch where the light just caught the edge of Derek’s seated frame. “I’m terrified that I’ll do something wrong, but I haven’t broken him yet.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be everything he needs you to be,” Holly said firmly. “If the boy wanted someone to look out for him, I couldn’t think of anybody better.”

  Crystal blushed and ducked her head. The gesture made her look more like Derek’s age than close to Holly’s. “I hope so. I have an enormous capacity to think of ways that I might screw up.”

  “Who owns your recovery?” An old mantra that had stuck in Holly’s head.

  Crystal nodded. “I do, and Derek owns his, as well.”

  “Then unless you’re going to start drinking in front of him or drag him into a bar, I think you should give yourself the benefit of the doubt.”

  “Thanks, sis.”

  “What did you come in for?” Holly asked. “Surely, it wasn’t for my awesome pep talk.”

  “I think I’ll take Derek down to the village to get a meal. He’s having trouble at home and stormed out. If I make sure he’s got something solid in his belly, that’ll take away one trigger.”

  Holly nodded. During her sister’s recovery, she’d learned a lot more than expected about the things that could trigger a relapse. A craving for food or something sweet could easily become confused for a desire for something alcoholic. Take care of your bodily needs first, and the battle might be easier to win.

  “Unless you want the rest of those, I’ll pop them in the Salvation Army bin at the supermarket on the way.” Crystal pointed at the peanuts.

  Holly stood back, hands raised. “No. You go for it. Even in rebellion, I can’t stand the taste. Don’t get me started on Satay and how it ruins chicken.”

  As Crystal leaned over to pick up the box, she laughed. “Are you going to be okay faring for yourself tonight? I could pick you up something on the way back?”

  “Nah.” Holly shook her head. “I’m not hungry, anyway, and I fancy a wander around the village. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s changed.”

  “If you want to take a dip in the pools, they’re staying open later now.”

  The hot pools were the mainstay of the alpine village. Aside from their scent infiltrating the entire town so it smelled different from any other place Holly had lived, they brought in a constant stream of tourists. The town’s lifeblood—a wellspring of heated water rich with minerals bubbling up from the earth.

  “I’ll see how I feel.”

  “You packed a swimsuit?”

  “Of course.” Holly raised her eyebrows. “Always prepared, remember.”

  “Cool.” Crystal’s gaze swung away, and she frowned, distracted by her responsibilities to Derek.

  “Go on.” Holly gave her sister a push. “Take care of that lost boy. I’m big enough and ugly enough to take care of myself.”

  “Well, ugly enough certainly.”

  Holly mimed a punch at her sister who walked out of the room on their laughter, then she turned back to the cupboards, looking in earnest this time.

  If she was going down to the village, she might as well stock up on snacks. Even though her hunger was hiding lately if it returned she’d like to be able to satiate it. Holly pulled her mobile phone out of her back pocket, quickly putting together a list of her favourite hits. If she felt ambitious, she might even venture into the great unknown of buying something that wasn’t heat and eat.

  Just so long as Holly also had something to fall back on. Her last attempt at cooking hadn’t gone down so well.

  As she walked back to the spare room to collect her purse, Holly heard the squeak of the gate. Thinking it was her sister leaving, she pulled aside the net curtain.

  Crystal and Derek were standing at the front of the property, side by side, backs to Holly. In front of them was a large man, well over six feet tall and broad-shouldered. His face was mottled with patches of dark red. If he’d been a cartoon, steam would be pouring from his ears.

  Concerned, Holly quickly picked up her bag and walked out the front door just in time to hear him screaming.

  “Are you trying to kill me? If that’s a threat, I’m calling the cops right now!”

  Chapter Three

  Holly ran toward her sister, scared the large man was about to hit her. His fist was raised in the air, so tightly clenched that the knuckles gleamed white.

  “Stop!” Holly cried out as she reached them. “What are you doing?”

  The man took a step back. His shock at her sudden appearance cut through the anger, and he dropped his arm.

  A second later, and he’d recovered, stepping forward to demand, “Who are you?”

  “I’m Holly, Crystal’s sister. And who are you?”

  The man frowned, glancing away for a moment as if newly aware that he was standing on the side of the road, screaming at a woman.

  When the silence stretched on too long, Crystal answered for him.

  “Holly, this is Mr Masters, Derek’s father. It’s okay to go back inside, he’s just a bit upset.”

  “I’m not going back inside,” Holly responded. “Not until somebody tells me why he’s yelling at our front gate about calling the police.”

  Crystal raised her eyebrows at Derek—you all right—and when he nodded, she pulled Holly a few steps away. “It’s nothing,” she said.

  “It’s not nothing,” Holly replied hotly. “I could hear him yelling from inside the house.” She studied her younger sister, trying to work out from the blushes what was going on. After a moment, Crystal pulled the crumpled box of peanuts out from behind her back.

  “This is what he took offence at. He’s allergic, just like Dad was. I’m sure that he just panicked a little.”

  “Screaming at the top of his lungs isn’t ‘a little’ anything.” Holly put her hands on her hips and glared at the man. “She was just going to take them down to the Sallies bin to donate them. It’s not like she was sticking them down your throat.”

  “Holly!”

  Mr Masters stepped onto the path, his finger jabbing out in front of him to lead the way. “I’m sick of your sister sticking her nose into our family’s business. Perhaps I overreacted about those”—he waved at the box—“but I’m taking my son home out of harm’s way.”

  He paused for a moment, the glare he directed at Crystal softening when he turned to Holly. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m just concerned about my son.”

  “Please don’t take him home,” Crystal said. “He
came here because he needs to talk to someone who understands. If you pack him off back home, it’ll just increase his stress.”

  “I don’t need a lecture on raising children from a woman who doesn’t have any.”

  If he’d directed that jab at Holly, she would have been the one tightening her hand into a fist. The veiled accusation just ran off Crystal’s back, lost in her concern for Derek.

  “Please, Mr Masters. Derek’s not going to come to any harm with me. I understand what he’s going through.”

  “Wait a moment,” Holly said, stepping closer to Mr Masters. “I thought this stuff was meant to be anonymous.”

  Derek laughed at that. A harsh sound in the gathering gloom. “You think anybody can keep a secret in this town? The first time I went to a meeting, everybody knew.”

  Holly’s heart melted with sympathy as she looked at him. Derek really was so young. Much younger than Crystal had been when she began dealing with the same issues.

  Well. Maybe that was a positive. If Derek could put this addiction behind him now, the future would open up.

  “Mr Masters, I’m sure that you’ve come here out of love and concern for your son, but I don’t think you should interrupt his therapy. Would you burst into a psychiatrist’s office mid-session?” She waved her hand from Derek to Crystal. “This is just the same.”

  “It’s not ‘just the same,’” Mr Masters said. “I’m sure that trained psychiatrists wouldn’t be telling stories about how when the drinking stopped feeling as good, they turned to heroin. My son doesn’t need his ears filled with that rubbish. He needs a positive role model in his life, not some washed-up drug addict!”

  As his words poured out, Holly took a step back. She shook her head, disbelieving, and looked to Crystal for support. “My sister never—”

  “Yes, I did.” Crystal’s face flushed a deep crimson, and she hung her head in shame. “Although it’s something I told Derek in confidence.”