The same question had been on the tip of my tongue.
***
”I don't want to talk about it." Luke's tone was firm, final.
Wendy stepped closer. Anger and something else I couldn't quite figure out radiated from her eyes. Her fists were jammed on her hips. "Not good enough, Luke. I’ve seen fucking injuries like these before."
"Wendy," I cautioned before asking, "Did this happen at work?"
Luke sighed loudly, shook his head and tears welled in his eyes. I wanted him to confide in us. I wanted to help him.
"My father," he whispered. "We had an argument."
"Your fucking father? What the fuck is wrong with people? Why do those who are supposed to love us cause such hurt? I hope he looks worse than you." Wendy's voice rose as she spoke.
I was shocked by the depth of her anger. Luke’s injuries brought back personal memories, of that I had no doubt.
Luke shook his head. "I didn't fight back."
"Why the fuck not? You're huge! I would have thought one thump from you and it would be lights out." Wendy was angrier than I'd ever seen her and her face was turning beet red.
"He's my father," Luke defended.
"Has he been charged?" I hoped he didn't get away with inflicting such injury, but suspected Luke had done nothing to make him accountable.
"Yeah. I didn't want charges laid, but my Captain visited me in the hospital and insisted what he'd done was unacceptable. He said he couldn't be allowed to get away with such brutality. I have no idea how they found out it was dad. Mother begged me not to allow them to press charges. She said it would cost him his law practice if he was found guilty. There was no fucking concern for me. I didn't know what to do so before I left the hospital, I asked to see the Police Psychologist."
"What did he say?" I placed a hand on Luke's bare shoulder and soaked in the warmth of his skin.
"He said if my dad wasn't held to account, he'd have no respect for me, he would see me as a weak arsed inferior. I'd never had his respect, so really, it made no difference what he thought. I made the decision that if he walked away without consequences, I'd never have any peace. He’d believe he’d gotten away with beating me once, so he could do it again. The day I was being released from hospital, the Captain came to see me. I was going to tell him to go ahead with the charges but he said they’d already been laid by the department. He also informed me that my transfer here was approved."
Wendy bent over and studied the terrible bruising and scarring on Luke's torso. "You had surgery?"
"Yes, my injuries were extensive. They said mother called an ambulance, but I don't remember them arriving or the ride to the hospital. I was unconscious. They took me straight into surgery and I stayed in the hospital for almost two weeks. I had three broken ribs, a ruptured spleen which they removed, my right lung was punctured, lots of bruises, small cuts, and a fractured skull."
"Fucking hell!" I exploded.
Wendy nodded. "You were beaten with a bat."
"Cricket bat. I'd been at my parents for a barbeque and we'd played a game of cricket, I'd left it near the door. How did you know?"
How had Wendy known Luke's injuries had been caused by a bat? While I was turning this over in my mind she asked, "how long ago?"
"Three weeks. I called Mr Parker when they said I could go and he said I could stay with him. Two of my mates brought me here, one drove my truck and the trailer with Sally while the other followed. They left the following day to go back to the Gold Coast. I'd been there for a week. Once I felt up to it, I started looking for a place to stay and you know the rest."
I was curious. "Why Mr Parker?"
"I used to help out at his farm when I was still at school and we became good friends. He was the only person I could really talk to and trust. After I left, we stayed in touch and a few times I came back for holidays. I didn’t leave the farm so no-one knew I was here."
"I had no idea."
"I wanted it that way. I had a lot of turmoil in my life, decisions to make. Mr Parker and I spent hours talking. He helped me to understand myself."
"And, your father?" I felt him tense under my fingers.
"We disagreed about something and it became violent. I've never liked the arsehole, but did respect him for how hard he worked and his commitment to his clients. Trouble was, his clients came before his family. Every. Single. Time. Now, I feel nothing. I can’t even bring myself to hate him."