‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
13
They managed to get back to the butcher store about an hour before closing.
“Patrol car’s not here,” Rick observed.
“I’m not waiting,” Isaac insisted, getting out of the car and heading for the store.
Rick rolled his eyes, but followed.
When Isaac stepped into the store there were a lot more customers around. The Italian man seemed to be taking care of most of them, and the younger man Isaac assumed was his assistant was seeing to a couple in a corner.
He made his way over and stood behind them, getting his phone out to find the photo of Zac and Taylor while he waited. By the time the couple had decided what they wanted he couldn’t handle it any longer.
“Excuse me,” he apologised, “I’m sorry for interrupting, but are you Nikolai?”
The young man shook his head.
“No, sorry,” he replied with a slight accent, “Nikolai didn’t show up for work today. He’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Do you have any way to contact him?” Isaac frowned.
“Sorry, no.”
Isaac spun to face Rick, who quickly grabbed him by the arm and pulled him outside.
“Calm down,” he said under his breath once they were out the door.
“Calm down?!” Isaac asked incredulously, “how am I supposed to calm down?! Why is this happening again?! It’s been almost a decade!”
“We’ll work it out,” Rick promised, “if anyone can find Nikolai, it’s the cops, okay?”
Isaac stopped to take another deep breath, before opening his eyes in time to see a patrol car coming down the street.
“They’re here,” he nodded to it, making Rick turn around.
They watched as the officers pulled up behind Rick’s car, getting out and making their way over.
“Isaac,” one of them held out his hand, “Rick.”
“Davison,” Isaac returned.
“We sent another car out to the boat ramp. You said you found their car?”
“Yeah I went for a dive, it’s down there,” Rick nodded.
“He pulled these,” Isaac ducked in the window of Rick’s car to produce his brother’s wallets.
Davison took them and looked them over.
“Alright. Let’s not panic just yet,” he said with authority as he handed them to the other officer.
“Pretty sure panic’s already in the building,” Isaac couldn’t help himself.
“We’ll go have a talk to this butcher,” Davison went on, “I take it you’ll be waiting here?”
“You’d guess right,” Isaac nodded.
Davidson nodded to the other officer and they both headed into the store. A number of people walked out once they’d gone in and they heard some cries from the Italian owner.
Isaac stood back against Rick’s car to wait.
“Do you think this Nikolai knows something?” Rick asked him.
“I think it’s an amazing coincidence that he just happens to have the next day off,” Isaac shook his head, “but I don’t know. Maybe something happened to him too. They did say they couldn’t contact him.”
“Guess we’ll find out,” Rick sighed.
“Patrol car’s not here,” Rick observed.
“I’m not waiting,” Isaac insisted, getting out of the car and heading for the store.
Rick rolled his eyes, but followed.
When Isaac stepped into the store there were a lot more customers around. The Italian man seemed to be taking care of most of them, and the younger man Isaac assumed was his assistant was seeing to a couple in a corner.
He made his way over and stood behind them, getting his phone out to find the photo of Zac and Taylor while he waited. By the time the couple had decided what they wanted he couldn’t handle it any longer.
“Excuse me,” he apologised, “I’m sorry for interrupting, but are you Nikolai?”
The young man shook his head.
“No, sorry,” he replied with a slight accent, “Nikolai didn’t show up for work today. He’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Do you have any way to contact him?” Isaac frowned.
“Sorry, no.”
Isaac spun to face Rick, who quickly grabbed him by the arm and pulled him outside.
“Calm down,” he said under his breath once they were out the door.
“Calm down?!” Isaac asked incredulously, “how am I supposed to calm down?! Why is this happening again?! It’s been almost a decade!”
“We’ll work it out,” Rick promised, “if anyone can find Nikolai, it’s the cops, okay?”
Isaac stopped to take another deep breath, before opening his eyes in time to see a patrol car coming down the street.
“They’re here,” he nodded to it, making Rick turn around.
They watched as the officers pulled up behind Rick’s car, getting out and making their way over.
“Isaac,” one of them held out his hand, “Rick.”
“Davison,” Isaac returned.
“We sent another car out to the boat ramp. You said you found their car?”
“Yeah I went for a dive, it’s down there,” Rick nodded.
“He pulled these,” Isaac ducked in the window of Rick’s car to produce his brother’s wallets.
Davison took them and looked them over.
“Alright. Let’s not panic just yet,” he said with authority as he handed them to the other officer.
“Pretty sure panic’s already in the building,” Isaac couldn’t help himself.
“We’ll go have a talk to this butcher,” Davison went on, “I take it you’ll be waiting here?”
“You’d guess right,” Isaac nodded.
Davidson nodded to the other officer and they both headed into the store. A number of people walked out once they’d gone in and they heard some cries from the Italian owner.
Isaac stood back against Rick’s car to wait.
“Do you think this Nikolai knows something?” Rick asked him.
“I think it’s an amazing coincidence that he just happens to have the next day off,” Isaac shook his head, “but I don’t know. Maybe something happened to him too. They did say they couldn’t contact him.”
“Guess we’ll find out,” Rick sighed.