Free The Lost Tohunga by David Hair

mate, who both looked pretty bad.
    â€˜Why did they do that?’
    She hung her head. ‘For talking to me.’ She looked up at the policewoman, hating the pity she saw there. ‘Because Evan, the bearded guy, he’s my man.’ She looked at the ground. ‘It was my fault.’
    The sunburnt woman let her breath out and shook her head. She and the cop exchanged glances. ‘What’s your name?’ the cop asked.
    â€˜Hine.’
    The woman looked Hine over, taking in her bleeding cheek. ‘Did Evan hit you, Hine?’
    She turned her cheek away, and didn’t answer.
    The cop touched her shoulder. ‘I’m Police Constable Robyn Partridge. We need you to come down to the station and make a statement. And then I’d like you to come with me to the refuge. Just for the night, so you can think things over. Okay?’
    Godfrey was looking at her with big soulful eyes, and he trotted up and licked her bloody cheek. It stung, and she shoved him away, but her cheek felt better immediately, as if he had wiped it with anaesthetic. She reached out and cuddled him. ‘I’ll be okay,’ she told them. ‘I don’t need no refuge.’
    Godfrey whined mournfully at her.
    Â 
    Taupo Police Station was on Story Place, behind the Rose Gardens. The police loaded Evan, Brutal and Ronnie in a van, but they took Hine in a cop car. She wished Godfrey was there, but they wouldn’t let him come in the car. He had wagged his tail and darted away, as if on a mission.
    They took her through reception and down a corridor, past the holding cells, to an interview room. The closest cell was empty except for a dishevelled tramp, whose eyes followed her as she walked past. Although he looked like a broken old man, there was something malevolent about him. His reek reached her through the open doorway, and he smacked hislips as he watched her walk past. Shadows clung to him, as though light refused to come too close.
    â€˜Revolting man,’ muttered PC Robyn as she led Hine into a bare room. ‘We picked him up last night, urinating in a drinking fountain at one in the morning. Some people you feel sorry for, but there’s something about him …’ Her voice trailed off, and she glanced at Hine as though embarrassed to have said so much.
    PC Robyn went for tea, while Hine tried not to think how badly Mat and those two tourists might have been hurt. Sometime during those few minutes, she lost her remaining courage. When PC Robyn came back, she said as little as she could, before asking to see Evan. PC Robyn made an exasperated noise, and ignored her request. ‘Do you know this Matiu Douglas? We took him to A&E — he has broken ribs.’
    â€˜No, I’ve never met him before. We’d only said a few words, see. I’m sorry he got hurt,’ she added truthfully.
    â€˜What about the two Germans? One has a broken nose and both have concussion. Do you know them?’
    â€˜No, they just wanted to help, I guess. Pretty dumb, huh?’
    â€˜It’s not dumb to help a person in need, Hine,’ PC Robyn told her in flat tones. ‘Evan and his associates will be bailed, you know. They’ll be out in twenty-four hours.’
    A vague hope he might be locked away for a while vanished. Which means I’ve got to make it up with him . ‘Let me see Evan!’ she pleaded. ‘He’s my boyfriend. Ain’t it my right?’
    PC Robyn rolled her eyes. ‘Very well,’ she said grimly, standing up. She hit a buzzer, and a big Maori cop came in. ‘This is PC Tamati Richards. He’ll take you through. Your boyfriend is in the middle holding cell.’
    Hine nodded and got up. They took her back down the corridor to the holding cells, a room full of cages just like in a movie. The room fell silent, and she felt that horrible tramp watching her. Then Evan leapt to the front of the cell.
    â€˜Hey, baby! I’m sorry! I