Page 24 of The Island

“You see a koala or two?” Ivan asked, leaning into the car window. It was then that Heather noticed he had a black-and-yellow object attached to his overalls. It was a walkie-talkie.

“Oh, yes,” Heather assured him.

Ivan picked his nose and sighed. “So you’re going to drive onto the ferry? Not your husband?”

“I’ll drive. He’s a bit tired.”

“You know, I can do it if you want. Never driven a Porsche before,” Ivan said.

Heather took a quick look at the blood all over the steering wheel. “No, I’m happy driving it on if you’ll guide me,” she said with a winning smile.

“Course I’ll guide you, missy. No worries. Take a little spill, did you? I see the airbags went off.”

“Not really—we just went into a ditch. The airbags are so sensitive. The rental guy warned us about it,” Heather said.

“Modern cars! Drove me old Holden Sandman thirty years, never had a problem. Kids get pics near the koalas?”

“Um, yes,” Heather said, hoping Ivan wouldn’t ask to see them.

“Evil little bastards. They can give you a nasty scratch. The koalas, I mean, not your kids! All right, I’ll put the ramp down and you just drive on slowly. Come to a full stop and put your hand brake on. What you Yanks call the emergency brake. It’s right next to your seat.”

Ivan lowered the ramp and she drove onto the ferry.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Ivan said.

“Not at all.”

Heather turned the engine off. Ivan put his hands into his pockets and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He lit one.

He didn’t seem to be in any particular hurry to get going.

“Um, look, could we go over now?” Heather asked.

Ivan shook his head. “I’d just as soon wait. That Dutch couple should be along any minute. I told them to be sharpish.”

“Matt said you’d take us over now,” Heather said.

“Matt? He gets a bit big for his boots sometimes. He’s not even an O’Neill. He’s a Watson. This is my ferry and I decide when we bloody go.”

“We’re sort of rushing to get back to Melbourne. We have a dinner reservation.”

Ivan grunted and put his hands on his pockets. “I’d have to make two trips…”

Heather reached into her jeans pocket, pulled out a fifty-dollar bill, and examined it to make sure there was no blood on it.

“That would be a big hassle for you. Perhaps if I made it worth your while?” she asked, holding the bill out the window.

Ivan grinned and snatched it. “Let’s get going.”

He raised the ramp and closed the gate at the back of the ferry.

Heather looked behind her to see if she could spot any other cars coming down the road.

So far, so good.

Ivan unhooked the ropes that attached the ferry to the shore and jumped back onto the boat. He started the diesel engine.

“Should we tell him about the woman?” Olivia asked.