Mammon Read Online Free Page A

watched him roll his head from side to side, shaking it as though something was rattling around inside, tormenting him. Like a dog shaking a mouse to death. The shadow shook, too, but stayed fast. Glued to him.
    Grace felt her bottom lip sagging. A squeak escaped her throat. In her head, the words came tumbling. Go away! Go away! Go away!
    â€˜Aargh! Get out of my head!’
    â€˜Grace!’
    She glanced over her shoulder. Joe was running across, his eyes promising violence. But as he neared, he slowed to a walk, his mouth wide, eyes large. ‘What is that . . .?’
    Grace’s heart drummed hard. Joe could see it too.
    â€˜Oi! Jesse!’
    All three glanced across; on the other side of the basketball courts, an older boy stood. ‘Get your arse home.’
    Grace edged over to her brother, gripping his arm. ‘Joe –’
    Jesse backed away, eyes darting between this strange girl and her brother. ‘Yeah, yeah. Comin’.’ Jesse flipped his hood over his head and swaggered into the distance.
    Grace and Joe watched as the two figures spoke briefly. The older boy glanced over.
    He had a shadow too – but darker, stronger.
    A soft wind blew across Grace’s face, cooling her clammy skin. She turned around. ‘Joe?’
    He grabbed her arm. ‘Come on.’
    â€˜Did you see it?’ He saw it. She knew he did.
    â€˜Come on!’
    She yanked her arm back. ‘Don’t drag me.’
    â€˜It’s time to go home.’
    â€˜My violin . . .’
    â€˜Hurry up!’ He shoved her towards the music room.
    She crept in, past the woodwind section, and shoved the violin into the case as delicately as she could. ‘Grace!’ The conductor held up a hand. ‘What’s going on?’
    Grace slung the strap around her back and grabbed her backpack. ‘Sorry, miss. I have to go home. My mum called.’
    â€˜All right, but make sure you practise. The concert is only two weeks away!’
    â€˜Yep.’
    She could feel Joe’s impatient glare from the doorway, intensifying as she approached the bike. ‘Come on!’ Snatching her backpack, he slung it over his shoulder.
    â€˜You saw it, didn’t you?’
    â€˜Get on the bike, Grace.’
    She swung her leg over the seat. ‘How did you know where I was?’
    â€˜I heard you screaming! Surprised the whole neighbourhood didn’t hear you.’ He kick-started the engine, revving it, the spluttering soon settling into a steady hum.
    â€˜I didn’t scream!’
    â€˜Yes you did!’ The bike sped through the front gates, tyres squealing as Joe opened up the throttle.
    * * *
    â€˜WHAT WERE YOU doing down there, anyway?’ Joe grabbed a tennis ball from his bedside table and started lobbing it against the wall.
    â€˜Joe, that was Jesse Tyler, right?’
    â€˜Yeah. The oldest brother did eight years for armed robbery. Just got out. The other one, Travis, got expelled last year, d’you remember?’
    Grace watched the ball bounce in a triangular pattern. ‘What did Jesse look like to you?’
    He shrugged, looking out the window. ‘Oh, bit weird.’
    She watched a drip of sweat snake down his neck. ‘Like what?’
    â€˜Just weird. Who cares?’ His hands shook.
    She narrowed her eyes. ‘I know you saw it.’
    The ball bounced harder.
    â€˜Answer me!’ Swooping in, she snatched the ball.
    â€˜Give it to me!’ He lunged for it; she hid the ball behind her back. ‘Uh, uh!’ She wagged her finger. ‘Tell me what you saw!’
    Too quickly for her to react, Joe grabbed her left hand and pinned it down, wrenching the ball away. ‘Ow!’ She rubbed her hand.
    The bouncing resumed.
    Indignant, Grace got to her feet. ‘If it’s nothing, why did you rush home?’
    Joe caught the ball, squeezing it hard. ‘Look. You embarrassed me and yourself. I was working on the engine and you dragged