‹ Prequel: Going Bush
Going Bush 2: Suburbia
45
The next day Taylor shadowed Charlie with everything that he did, even taking over some of the smaller tasks from memory of the day before. He helped with half of the cooking, and made sure his cleaning was up to par. By the end of the day Charlie had taken a step back and let Taylor do most of the work himself, though he was obviously uneasy at not being in control of his work.
Taylor prepared the dinner mostly by himself, and helped serve it up. He ignored the odd looks from the master as he went about his duties, and left anything dealing directly with him to Charlie.
After dinner he was excused as Charlie and the master went to the living room to talk. He made his way to the bottom of the staircase as Charlie had for him the night before to wait. He couldn’t hear anything they said, nothing but soft murmurs coming through the open doors.
He was waiting for quite a while before Charlie emerged. He quickly stood as the much older man made his way over and then waited for him to lead the way up the stairs.
“You’ve done well,” was all Charlie said.
Now that he’d opened the gates to speech, Taylor couldn’t help but ask.
“Anything I should know about? Was he… you know. Was he happy?”
“He’s very pleased with your progress,” Charlie nodded, leaning against the rail as he climbed, “he will see how you go in the morning, and then decide tomorrow your fate.”
Taylor nodded as they reached the landing and headed for the bedroom.
“Thanks Charlie,” he said sincerely.
Charlie didn’t respond as they made their way in and settled for the night.
*
“Tell me you got something,” Isaac answered the phone as Rick pulled another U-turn.
“I got something,” Davison mused, “a phone number.”
“Huh?” Isaac frowned.
“I’m putting you onto a friend of mine, Johnnie Carlson. He’s on the task force after Nathan Devereux. He’s also doing what you’re doing.”
“What am I doing?” Isaac gave Rick a weary glance.
“Going up and down that highway trying to find the turnoff,” Davison replied making Isaac roll his eyes, “he’s been calling me with updates so I figured the two of you could cut out the middle man. I’ll text you his details.”
“Thanks Davison. Do we need to keep this on the down low?”
“I’m not sure, you’ll have to work it out with him.”
“No problem.”
“Bye Isaac.”
Once they’d hung up, Isaac waited as the message came through. Once he received it, he called the number straight away.
“Carlson.”
“Hey Carlson, this is Isaac Hanson. A mutual friend of ours gave me your number…” he squinted slightly, still keeping an eye on the road verge as they drove.
“Ah… yes. Sorry I don’t have anything for you yet, but we’ve certainly narrowed down the search field. We’ve got it down to about ten miles. I say by tomorrow afternoon we’ll know exactly where your van went.”
Isaac pumped his fist silently.
“Thanks for the update,” he replied calmly giving Rick a glance, “and you have my number now.”
Taylor prepared the dinner mostly by himself, and helped serve it up. He ignored the odd looks from the master as he went about his duties, and left anything dealing directly with him to Charlie.
After dinner he was excused as Charlie and the master went to the living room to talk. He made his way to the bottom of the staircase as Charlie had for him the night before to wait. He couldn’t hear anything they said, nothing but soft murmurs coming through the open doors.
He was waiting for quite a while before Charlie emerged. He quickly stood as the much older man made his way over and then waited for him to lead the way up the stairs.
“You’ve done well,” was all Charlie said.
Now that he’d opened the gates to speech, Taylor couldn’t help but ask.
“Anything I should know about? Was he… you know. Was he happy?”
“He’s very pleased with your progress,” Charlie nodded, leaning against the rail as he climbed, “he will see how you go in the morning, and then decide tomorrow your fate.”
Taylor nodded as they reached the landing and headed for the bedroom.
“Thanks Charlie,” he said sincerely.
Charlie didn’t respond as they made their way in and settled for the night.
*
“Tell me you got something,” Isaac answered the phone as Rick pulled another U-turn.
“I got something,” Davison mused, “a phone number.”
“Huh?” Isaac frowned.
“I’m putting you onto a friend of mine, Johnnie Carlson. He’s on the task force after Nathan Devereux. He’s also doing what you’re doing.”
“What am I doing?” Isaac gave Rick a weary glance.
“Going up and down that highway trying to find the turnoff,” Davison replied making Isaac roll his eyes, “he’s been calling me with updates so I figured the two of you could cut out the middle man. I’ll text you his details.”
“Thanks Davison. Do we need to keep this on the down low?”
“I’m not sure, you’ll have to work it out with him.”
“No problem.”
“Bye Isaac.”
Once they’d hung up, Isaac waited as the message came through. Once he received it, he called the number straight away.
“Carlson.”
“Hey Carlson, this is Isaac Hanson. A mutual friend of ours gave me your number…” he squinted slightly, still keeping an eye on the road verge as they drove.
“Ah… yes. Sorry I don’t have anything for you yet, but we’ve certainly narrowed down the search field. We’ve got it down to about ten miles. I say by tomorrow afternoon we’ll know exactly where your van went.”
Isaac pumped his fist silently.
“Thanks for the update,” he replied calmly giving Rick a glance, “and you have my number now.”