The Crunch Campaign (9 page)

‘I like bananas, though,' continued Georgie. ‘I have them with honey on my Weet-Bix.'

‘Me too,' said Joel. ‘I should have had some before we came. I'm starving. Do you think we'll have time to get something to eat, Kato?'

Exasperated, Katie shook her head. ‘Look, we're on a tight schedule. You –' She pointed at Georgie, the tip of her finger a centimetre from the tip of the kid's nose. ‘You have to be quiet. We've got work to do and you shouldn't be here, anyway. One more word and I'm locking you in there.' She waved her arm at a shipping container. Georgie shivered and gripped Lorraine's hand tighter.

‘Hey.' Clementine pointed to a van with the words
Glasshouse Strawberries
painted on the side
. ‘
Let's follow that.' The van wasn't driving fast – there was too much traffic – so they followed at a jog.

‘I hope you know what happens next,' said Joel, ‘because I sure don't.'

‘Oh, shut up.' He had said exactly what Katie was thinking.

The van pulled up under a sign saying, ‘Grasso Bros Wholesalers'.

‘Stop, everyone,' Dominic stretched his arm in front of them like a boom gate. ‘This is what I think we should do. Clementine and Lorraine, you go up to whoever's driving the van and say you're lost.'

‘Lost? Why would we say that?'

‘Because we just need to suss out what this person's like. It could be some cranky old dude who'll wonder what a bunch of kids is doing sniffing around the fruit markets on a Sunday night. I'm pretty sure we shouldn't be here. Not with forklifts and trucks racing around.'

‘Dom.' Joel rolled his eyes. ‘It's a public place. We can't get in trouble for being here. No one's even noticed us. And, considering Quiche's get-up, that's pretty amazing.'

‘Dom's right,' said Clementine. ‘It's pretty intense here. People could get snarky, wondering what we're doing.'

While the others were talking, a plan had been forming in Katie's head. Not like a light turned on, more like clouds clearing. ‘I agree with Dom,' she said. ‘We only get one chance at this. Clementine and Lorraine, you say you're looking for the office. There has to be an admin office here somewhere.'

‘There is,' said Joel, ‘near the front gate. That big brick building. That guy's going to think you're either blind or idiots.'

‘Yeah well, for some reason you missed it.' Katie kept talking. ‘Say you're doing a school project.'

‘All right.' Clementine looked nervous, but Lorraine was bouncing in her gumboots. Katie could tell she was concocting a more elaborate story than a project on the fruit and vegetable trade.

‘Now don't go over the top, Lorraine. We just need to know if Mr Glasshouse Strawberries is friendly or not.'

‘That's it,' said Dom, ‘and if he is, we have a bit of a talk with him about his business.'

‘And government policy,' added Joel in a high-pitched singsong voice, like the woman on the Brand Power ads.

A man of about sixty got out of the van. He had bowed legs and a shiny bald head. He moved so quickly, it was impossible to tell if he was friendly or not. He opened the back of the van and there was a sweet whiff of strawberry mixed with the heavy smell of diesel.

‘Go now,' Katie elbowed Lorraine, ‘before he gets busy unloading.'

Lorraine bent over and said to Georgie, ‘I'll be back in a minute. I'm just going to ask the man where the cumquats are. Stay with Katie now.'

Katie folded her arms. There was no way she was taking over hand-holding duties.

Lorraine and Clementine strode up to the van. Katie admired them. They were perfect for this sort of thing – Lorraine's exuberance guaranteed attention, but Clementine's calm added credibility.

‘Hi! Hello? Excuse me?' called Lorraine as she approached the guy bending into the back of the van.

He turned and peered down at them over four flat boxes, with his chin resting on the top. ‘Yes, what?'

‘Ah, could you please tell us where we might find the cumquats?'

‘The what?'

Clementine looked at Lorraine then back at Katie and the others, who were too far away to hear what was going on. Lorraine was making up her own script. All Clementine could do was go along with it.

‘Cumquats,' said Lorraine. ‘I'm Felicia di Martini and this is Deirdre Carruthers. We're looking for top-quality cumquats for our jam.' She waved a hand at Clementine, who tried to look like a Deirdre – whatever Deirdres looked like.

The man jerked his chin. ‘No idea. And this is a market, not a shop. I hope you need a lot. At least twenty-five kilos.'

‘Oh,' said Lorraine airily, ‘we're not some small-time operation. Deirdre and I run quite a large company – Jungle Jams? We supply restaurants, hotels – just signed a contract to supply the Blade Air first class lounges. You've probably heard of us.'

‘Nope. And I don't want to be rude to you girls, but I've got work to do.' He walked the few steps to a wooden pallet and put down his boxes.

Clementine took Lorraine's wrist. They had picked the wrong grower. Lorraine drooped – she had put quite a bit of thought into her story. She hadn't got to the part where Prince William enjoyed Jungle Jams on his visit to Australia. He had even taken some home from Australia as a gift for his granny, the Queen.

‘Deirdre?
' said Clementine as they walked back to join the others. ‘Not that I mind, but our own names would have been fine.'

‘Oh, character names make life more interesting.'

‘So,' said Katie, ‘was he our man?'

‘He made your auntie Nancy look like Tinkerbell,' said Lorraine. ‘We need to pick someone else. Let's find someone with curly hair. He was bald. In my experience, bald men are often cranky.'

Katie humphed and looked around. Vans dashed here and there. People shouted. It was obvious everyone was too busy to want to chat with them about advertising.

‘Come on,' said Dominic, pointing to an area by the far wall of the market where a lot of people seemed to be heading. ‘Let's go over there. It looks like a coffee van or a snack place. We might find someone taking a break.'

‘Hey!' It was a boy's voice behind them. They turned to look and he was about their age, but stockier and more tanned than Joel or Dominic – like he'd spent a lot of time working hard, outside. He had white-blond hair and wore jeans and a long-sleeved khaki shirt. On his feet were weird work boots – although spattered with mud, they were deep purple, like an eggplant. ‘You'll find some cumquats right at the back,' he said to Lorraine, as her eyes moved quickly from his boots to his friendly face. ‘There won't be a lot, but the fancier fruit shops buy cumquats all year round. Look for Allan & Sons wholesaler.'

‘Thanks,' Lorraine smiled at him in a way Katie had never seen before.

‘Right, thanks,' said Joel. ‘Allan & Sons. Let's go.'

‘Hold
on
.' Lorraine glared at him. Hadn't they come to speak to a strawberry grower. Surely this guy would do?

Katie was thinking the same thing. ‘Actually, have you got a second?'

The boy glanced over at his father, who was arguing with another man. ‘Just one,' he said.

Dominic stepped into the conversation and held out his hand. ‘I'm Dominic and this is Katie, Joel, Clementine and Lorraine.'

The boy grinned. ‘I'm Zach. I didn't think you looked like a Felicia.'

Lorraine scrunched up her face a bit. ‘I should have come up with something better, I know.'

‘But why were you coming up with a name at all? And why are you looking for cumquats? I don't believe you make jam.'

Katie relaxed. Zach seemed friendly, even if his dad didn't. ‘Actually we need to speak to a strawberry grower about advertising. But your father seems – ah – busy.'

‘Yeah, he's flat out and, anyway, he's not interested in marketing and stuff, but I am. Maybe I can help. I'm more interested in that side of things than the farming, believe me.'

‘Zach!' his father bellowed from the van. ‘Get back here and give us a hand.'

‘Would you be able to get away and talk to us? Just for twenty minutes?' Katie winced as if she was about to be hit.

Lorraine chipped in. ‘Or even ten?'

Zach looked at his watch. ‘Dad normally has a coffee when we're done. Meet me over there – where the flower wholesalers are, at eight.'

‘Okay,' said Katie.

Joel shook his head. ‘No good. That's not for another hour. We've wasted enough time as it is. Katie, you'll get into trouble for sure.'

‘C'mon, Joel, when did you ever worry about Katie getting into trouble?' Lorraine laughed.

‘I'm not worried about Katie, I just reckon if her mum gets – difficult, this whole fruit plan for the prime minister will fall over.'

‘What's this about the prime minister?' said Zach.

‘Nothing,' snapped Joel.

Katie stepped in. ‘Cool it, Joel. We've come this far and Zach's offered to help us. Mum has been much more – relaxed, lately. We can hang for a bit.'

Joel shook his head. ‘She might be okay about
you
being out this late, but what about the kid?'

Katie looked around. ‘Lorraine, where's Georgie?'

‘I don't know. I left her with you, remember?'

Katie's heart stopped.

The head of security barked questions at Katie. ‘What did she look like? Height? Distinguishing features?' They were in a bland room with a white table in the middle and six brown plastic chairs. There was a vending machine in the corner with a notice taped to it that said, ‘OUT OF ORDER'. Curling posters on the walls detailed evacuation procedures in case of bomb threat or flood. There were also yellowing flyers warning of bugs that could damage Australia's biodiversity. Katie tried to focus on them in an effort to calm herself down. But the security man rapped his fingers on the table. He was a heavy-featured man, who looked incapable of smiling. His face was set in a permanent frown and his hairline almost met his eyebrows.

‘I don't know. She's short, she's got brown hair, sort of lopsided . . . What does it matter what she looks like?' Katie's voice was thin, ‘How many five-year-old kids could be lost here? If anyone finds one, it'll probably be her.'

‘Don't be smart,' the security man said. ‘You'll have to give the police those details, so you might as well give them to me.'

‘The police?'

‘Of course. They're on their way. A missing child isn't something we take lightly. And I need to call your parents.'

‘My parents?'

‘Yeeees, your mum and dad.' He spoke slowly, as if Katie wasn't quite right in the head. ‘Your parents need to know your little sister is missing.'

‘But she's not my sister!' Katie's tears were close to the surface. She hoped one of the others had found Georgie. Five was too little to be in a place like Rocklea markets all alone.

‘She's not your sister? Well, what was she doing here with you? What are
any
of you doing here? This is no place for children.'

Katie shook her head. ‘We weren't doing anything bad, but it's hard to explain, and it won't get Georgie found. I should go and help the others look.'

‘So who is this girl if she's not your sister? I need to contact her parents. Do you even know who her parents are?' His buggy eyes became beady.

‘I didn't abduct her, if that's what you're thinking. She's my mum's fianc
é
's daughter. I'm just looking after her.'

The security man looked like he wanted to say
– You didn't look after her very well, then, did you?
‘Okay, so what's your mum's phone number?'

Katie gave it to him.

Thirty minutes later, the little room was boiling with people. Outside, sirens blared and blue lights flashed. Joel, Lorraine, Dominic and Clementine had been told to stop searching – they didn't know the markets and would only get in the way. They sat on chairs lined up against the wall. Lorraine's face was puffy with crying. Joel ate a packet of chips. Clementine had found a pen and a piece of paper and was drawing a picture of Georgie. Dominic sat next to Katie, his knee touching hers. Four police officers pored over a map of the markets spread out across the table.

It was close to ten when Liam Parfitt rushed into the room carrying Billy. Vanessa followed close behind, pushing Sam asleep in a stroller. Barney trailed behind, holding onto Vanessa's shirt.

‘Mr Parfitt?' said a policewoman. ‘I'm Detective Sergeant Lloyd. Please come with me.'

‘Katie.' Vanessa sat down next to her and wrapped her free arm around her shoulders. ‘What are you doing out here? And why would you bring Georgie?'

‘I didn't mean to bring her, Mum. She was meant to stay home with Nancy. She followed us.'

‘What? All the way here without you noticing?'

‘No, she followed us to the station, so we brought her with us. It was too late to take her back. I only took my eyes off her for a second. I swear.'

‘That's all it takes,' grumbled the security man.

‘Please,' Vanessa glared at him. ‘That's not helping.'

Katie burst into tears, and wrapped her arms around her mum's neck. ‘I'm so sorry. I'd never do anything to hurt Georgie – or any of the kids.'

‘I know, I know. It'll be all right. Everybody's looking for her. She can't have gone far.' She squeezed Katie tightly. If that was meant to reassure her, it had the opposite effect. It seemed like they were both falling apart over a kid they hardly knew.

Suddenly Liam's voice lit up the room. ‘Look who's here!'

They all stood up to see him with Georgie in his arms. He kissed her loudly on the cheek. The room exhaled and even the security man smiled. There was a moment of silence and then everyone seemed to be talking at once.