“All I want to ask is this,” a stout woman in baggy jeans and a T-shirt two sizes too small, cried over the top of the male protester beside her. “Do we really need another shopping centre? There’s a good one about a mile down the road.”
“We don’t all have cars, love,” an elderly lady decorated in beads piped up. “The way I heard it they’re going to sell out to a chain store. I feel terrible about the koalas but a new shopping centre right here would be exciting. I could walk over every day. Meet people.”
“And you, sir?” Chloe asked, confronting an elderly man with military medals festooning his jacket.
“Why doesn’t Rowlands pack up and go back to where he belongs,” he barked.
“We can’t give in to the greenies,” a young mother with fuzzy blond curls, babe in arms, was exclaiming. “We all want the shopping centre. Everyone except those guys.” She gestured towards the red bandannas.
“You couldn’t put it somewhere else?” Chloe asked Mary Stanton doubtfully.
“Not a chance. We’ve done our homework. We have community backing.”
At that there was an outcry, people on the fringes rushing in to protest, some with the light of battle in their eyes.
It should have made Chloe uneasy but for some reason she was focused on the boy in the tree. What was the big deal? It wasn’t all that high. Yet...
When the branch suddenly snapped it was no real surprise to Chloe. People underneath panicked, running out of harm’s way, but Chloe, the slender, the fragile, the petite, zeroed in. She wordlessly put up her arms, waiting for the boy to topple into them.
Incredibly he did.
People gaped in amazement, blinking like rabbits, honestly not believing their eyes. Chloe was spinning across the springy grass almost dancing, holding the boy aloft before they both suddenly fell, full stretch, side by side, to peals of merriment.
The crowd, a moment before in full roar, fell silent, then broke into a delighted round of applause and some giggles, as first Chloe then the boy leapt lightly to their feet. “How the heck did she do that?” one of the red bandannas asked in wonderment.
“She must be pumping iron,” his companion replied.
“Look, isn’t that sweet?” the old lady cried.
The boy had leaned up to kiss Chloe’s cheek, fumbling in his pocket for a piece of paper for her autograph. How could a skinny, five-three maybe five-four girl with a mop of wild red hair have the strength to catch him? He figured she had to have had some help from her guardian angel. His had disappeared the same day his dad had left home and never returned.
Everyone wanted to shake Chloe’s hand.
“It was nothing,” she felt compelled to say, still trying to grasp how the boy had seemed to weigh little more than Samantha, her baby goddaughter.
“Adrenaline,” an elderly man, an ex-professor explained. “One becomes absolutely superhuman in a crisis. Wonderful, my dear, and your cameraman got it.”
“What a turn-up that was!” a protester in scruffy running shoes cried.
The crowd was delighted, for the first time turning to one another, wondering, smiling, ready for a friendly chat.
“You know there’s another possible site we passed on the way,” Chloe addressed Mary Stanton, who was giving her wide-eyed attention. “Huge corner block near a nursery. A For Sale sign on it.” Had she really noticed all that?
“Old Waverley’s farm,” Military Medals supplied. “He won’t sell to any developer,” he added sternly.
“You tried him, did you?” Chloe prompted the still confused Mary.
“We certainly did, but he was very hostile,” Mary managed ruefully.
“Try him again,” Chloe suggested. “He’s sitting in the blue Holden over there.” She waved a hand.
Mary took a deep breath. “You know him, do you?” As she had just witnessed, anything was possible.
“Never met him in my life, but I’m sure that’s he.” My goodness, why? Chloe thought. If she was psychic, she wanted to be the first to know.
“I can’t bowl up to a stranger.” Mary turned to Chloe, flustered. “You could be mistaken.”
“All right, anyone know Mr. Waverley?” Chloe’s voice echoed like a silver bell.
Sure enough, Running Shoes answered. “Old Jack? He’s sitting over in his car. Probably hoping to bump up the price of his farm. That’s where the shopping centre should be, if you ask me. We could all agree to that.”
“Well, I never!” Mary Stanton thrust her shoulder bag under her arm. “Normally I don’t revel in these contentious occasions but this has been really amazing. I just might be able to get Mr. Waverley to listen.” She touched Chloe’s arm. “Thank you, dear. I’ve never seen a young woman so vibrant with life. Or so strong.”
“Keep me posted,” Chloe called, shooting a hand behind her to grasp a bony wrist. “Just a minute, Archie.”
The boy’s mouth fell open in astonishment. This Chloe was a female to be reckoned with. “How did you know my name?” He grinned.
“You told me, didn’t you?” Chloe looked down brightly.
“No, I didn’t.” Archie blew out his breath. She didn’t look at all different from the people around her but she certainly had powers. “I’m called after me grandfather, Mum and I are going to live with him.”
“You can tell me all about it when we give you a lift home,” Chloe said, “but first things first, Archie. Why aren’t you at school?”
“They won’t miss me,” Archie whispered. “The koalas are my friends. I don’t want to see them go.”
Around them the protest meeting was breaking up, the crowd faintly dazed, collectively beginning to lose all memory of that extraordinary incident. If old Waverley would sell out, things could work out. That Chloe Cavanagh was a magical girl.
“I can’t understand it,” Bob said as they stood watching the film run through the monitor. “I’ve got everything bar the moment when you caught the kid and started your astonishing dance.”
“The crowd surging around didn’t help, Bob. Sure you had the camera trained on me?”
“Are you crazy?” Bob gave her an injured glance. “Of course I’m sure. Hell, Chloe, you should be ashamed of yourself for asking. I’m one of the best in the business.”
“Well, you’re never going to live down this one, Bobby.” Chloe patted him kindly on the shoulder. “All we have is this shot of Archie and me in deep conversation.”
“It was a miracle,” Bob suddenly announced. “I know it. How am I supposed to video a miracle? It just doesn’t happen.”
“If you say so, Bobby.” Chloe laughed. “I’ve got to tell you, I’ve never felt like that in my entire life. It was like some other being got hold of Archie. I suppose it’s not all that unusual. I had a friend who lifted a car off a neighbour’s child. The mother backed out the garage not realising her little girl was there. Ian jumped the fence when the mother screamed and lifted the rear of the car right off the toddler. Do you know, she wasn’t even hurt.”
“I’d say the kid had a darn good guardian angel.” Bob scratched