by Jane Harper
Carmen laughed. ‘And there’s been no-one since?’
Falk didn’t answer straight away. Six months ago, back in his hometown. A girl, woman now, from long ago. ‘I had a near miss recently.’
‘It didn’t work out?’
‘She was –’ He hesitated. Gretchen. What could he say about her? Her blue eyes and her blonde hair. Her secrets. ‘Very complicated.’
His head was so far in the past he nearly missed the sound of his mobile buzzing from the bench top. He was slow to reach for it and by the time he picked it up, it had fallen silent.
Immediately, Carmen’s mobile started ringing from her bag, shrill and urgent. She rummaged around, pulling it out as Falk checked his own phone for the name of the missed caller. Their eyes met as they both looked up from their screens.
‘Sergeant King?’ he said.
She nodded as she pressed a button and lifted the phone to her ear. The ringtone fell silent, but Falk could almost still hear it resonating, like a remote but insistent warning bell.
Carmen listened and her eyes flicked up to meet his. She mouthed silently, ‘They’ve found the cabin’.
Falk felt adrenaline rush through his chest. ‘And Alice?’
She listened. A single sharp movement of her head.
No.
Day 3: Saturday Night
When the rain came, it set in quickly, blocking out the stars and reducing the fire to a smoking heap of ash. They retreated into the cabin, finding their bags and belongings, each marking out their own small territory. The hammering on the roof made the space feel tight and it seemed to Jill like any camaraderie around the campfire had evaporated with the smoke.
She shivered. She wasn’t sure which was worse: the dark or the cold. Something snapped loudly outside and she jumped. The dark was worse, she decided immediately. She apparently wasn’t alone in the thought as someone moved and a torch clicked on. It lay on the cabin floor, illuminating the disturbed dust. It flickered.
‘We should save the batteries,’ Alice said.
No-one moved. With a noise of frustration, Alice reached forward.
‘We need to save the batteries.’
A click. Darkness.
‘Is there anything at all on the phone?’ Jill said.
The sound of rummaging, and a small square of light. Jill held her breath.
‘No.’
‘What’s that battery on?’
‘Fifteen per cent.’
‘Turn it off.’
The light disappeared. ‘Maybe there’ll be something when the rain stops.’
Jill had no idea what impact the weather would have on the signal, but she clung to the idea. Maybe when the rain stopped. Yes, she would choose to believe that.
Across the cabin, another light went on. It was stronger this time, and Jill recognised Beth’s industrial torch.
‘Are you deaf?’ Alice said. ‘We need to save the torches.’
‘Why?’ Beth’s voice floated from her shadowy corner. ‘They’ll be searching for us tomorrow. This is our last night.’
A laugh from Alice. ‘You are kidding yourself if you think there is any chance they’re going to find us tomorrow. We are so far off track they won’t even begin to look here. The only way we’re being found tomorrow is if we walk out and present ourselves to them.’
After a moment, the torchlight disappeared. They were in blackness once more. Beth whispered something under her breath.
‘Something to say?’ Alice snapped.
No answer.
Jill could feel a headache starting as she tried to think through their options. She didn’t like the cabin – at all – but at least it was a base. She didn’t want to go back out there, where the trees jostled for space and sharp branches scratched her, and she had to strain her eyes for a path that kept disappearing under her feet. But out of the corner of her eye, she could also see the mattress with its strange black smear. She felt sick at the thought of leaving; scared at the thought of staying. She realised she was shaking, with hunger or cold, she wasn’t sure, and she made herself take a deep breath.
‘Let’s check the bags again.’ Her voice sounded different to her own ears.
‘For what?’ She wasn’t sure who had spoken.
‘Food. We’re all hungry and that’s not helping anything. Everyone check your bags, pockets, whatever. Really carefully. We must have a muesli bar or packet of peanuts or something between us.’
‘We already did that.’
‘Do it again.’
Jill realised she was holding her breath. She heard the rustle of fabric and zips being undone.
‘Can we use the torches for this at least, Alice?’ Beth switched hers on before waiting for an answer. For once, Alice didn’t argue and Jill sent up a silent prayer of thanks. Please let them find something, she thought as she dug around in her own bag. One single victory to lift spirits until morning. She felt someone step closer to her.
‘We should check Beth’s bag.’ Alice’s voice was in her ear.
‘Hey!’ The torch beam bounced off the walls. ‘I can hear you, Alice. I haven’t got anything in my bag.’
‘That’s what you said yesterday.’
Beth swung the beam across the room and shone it in Alice’s face.
‘What’s the problem?’ Alice flinched but didn’t waver. ‘That’s what happened, wasn’t it? You lied and said you didn’t have food last night. When actually you did.’
The sound of breathing. ‘Well, I don’t tonight.’
‘So you won’t mind if we check.’ Alice took a fast step forward and pulled Beth’s bag from her hand.
‘Hey!’
‘Alice!’ Bree cut in. ‘Leave her. She doesn’t have anything.’
Alice ignored them both, opening the bag and thrusting her hand in. Beth grabbed it from her, pulling so hard Alice’s arm was wrenched back.
‘Jesus! Watch it!’ Alice rubbed her shoulder.
Beth’s eyes were wide and black in the torchlight. ‘You watch it. I’ve had it up to here with your shit.’
‘You’re in luck then, because I’m sick of this. All of it. I’m walking out at first light tomorrow morning. Whoever wants to come, can come. The rest of you can stay here and take your chances.’
Jill’s head was pounding now. She cleared her throat. It sounded unnatural and strange.
‘I’ve already said, we’re not splitting up.’
‘And as I’ve already said, Jill,’ Alice said, turning to her, ‘at this point, I don’t care what you think. I’m going.’
Jill tried to take a deep breath, but her chest was tight. It felt like there was nothing in her lungs. She shook her head. She’d really hoped it wouldn’t come to this.
‘Not with the phone, you’re not.’
Chapter 19
Falk was back behind the wheel before first light. He pulled up outside Carmen’s apartment block. It had been dark when she’d left his place seven hours earlier, and it was still dark now. She was waiting on the pavement, ready to go, and she didn’t say much as she climbed in. They’d said it all the night before after the call from Sergeant King.
‘How did they find the cabin?’ Falk had asked, when Carmen had hung up.
‘A tip-off, apparently. He didn’t go into detail. Says he’ll know more by the time we get up there.’
When Falk had called the office, there had been a silence on the other end of the line.
Do they still think they’ll find her alive? Falk didn’t know. If they find her alive, she might start talking about all kinds of things. Yes, she might. You’d better go up. Don’t forget we still need the contracts. No, Falk wasn’t likely to forget.
He and Carmen again took turns driving. Like before, the roads were largely deserted as they passed now-familiar paddocks but this time, Falk thought, the journey seemed a lot longer.
As they at last neared the entrance to the park, Falk saw the green glow of the service station sign and pulled in. He thought about
what the guy at the till had said last time. Once you find the belongings or shelter, body’s always next. He blinked now as he went through the service station doors. There was a woman serving behind the counter.
‘Where’s the other guy?’ Falk said as he handed over his card.
‘Steve? Called in sick.’
‘When?’
‘This morning.’
‘What’s wrong with him?’
The woman looked at him strangely. ‘How would I know?’ She passed back his card and turned away. Just another dickhead from the city.
Falk took his card. He could feel her eyes on him the whole way back to the car. Above the forecourt, the cyclops eye of the camera stared down with its impassive gaze.
If the lodge had been busy before, it was in overdrive now. High-vis vests and media vans were everywhere. There was nowhere to park.
Falk dropped Carmen off at the lodge entrance and she ran in while he looked for a space. Sergeant King had said he’d leave instructions at reception. Falk crept along at slow speed and at the end of the row, was forced to double-park behind a ranger’s van.
He got out while he waited. It was even colder than he remembered and he zipped up his jacket. Across the carpark, away from the hive of activity, the Mirror Falls trailhead stood still and empty.
‘Hey.’
Falk heard a voice and turned around. For a second he didn’t recognise the woman. She looked different out of context.
‘Bree. You’re out of hospital.’
‘Yeah, last night. Thank God. I needed to get some air.’ Her dark hair was piled up under a hat and the brisk chill had made her cheeks a little flushed. She looked, Falk thought, quite beautiful.
‘How’s your arm?’
‘It’s okay, thank you. Still a bit painful.’ She looked at the bandage peering out from under the sleeve of her jacket. ‘I’m more worried about everything else. Beth and I are supposed to be leaving later today. I’ve got an appointment with a specialist in Melbourne tomorrow morning, but . . .’ Bree looked over at a search party climbing into a van. She brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. Her chipped nails had been neatly filed down, Falk noticed.
‘That cabin wasn’t really used by Martin Kovac, was it?’ She didn’t bother trying to hide the fear in her voice.
‘I don’t know,’ Falk said truthfully. ‘I suppose that’s what they’ll try to determine.’
Bree started to chew one of her neat nails. ‘What will happen now they’ve found it?’
‘I imagine they’ll concentrate their search around that area. Look for any sign of Alice.’
Bree didn’t say anything for a minute. ‘I know the Kovac stuff was a long time ago, but someone else knew about that cabin, didn’t they? To tip off the police? One of the searchers told me that’s how they found it.’
‘I suppose so. I don’t know much more than you right now.’
‘But if someone knew about it, then someone might have known we were out there?’
‘I’m not sure that’s necessarily the case.’
‘But you weren’t there. Sometimes the trees were so thick you couldn’t see anything. You don’t know what it was like.’
‘No,’ he admitted. ‘That’s true.’
They watched as the search group’s van drove away.
‘Anyway,’ Bree said after a minute. ‘I really came over because I wanted to say thanks.’
‘For what?’
‘Being fair to Beth. She said she told you about being on probation. Some people hear that and make judgements straight away. People quite often think the worst of her.’
‘That’s fine. Is she okay? She seemed a bit subdued when we spoke the other day.’
Bree looked at him. ‘When was that?’
‘A couple of nights ago. I saw her outside the lodge. She was watching the rain.’
‘Oh. She didn’t mention that.’ Bree frowned. ‘Was she drinking?’
Falk hesitated half a beat too long and Bree’s frown deepened.
‘It’s okay. I thought she might have been. She’s under stress. I expected it.’
‘I think it was just the one,’ Falk said.
Bree shook her head. ‘Just the one. Just the ten. She’s not supposed to have any, full stop. But that’s Beth for you. She always wants to be good, but somehow never quite manages it –’ Bree broke off and looked past him towards the lodge. Falk turned. On the entrance steps, out of earshot, a figure was standing and watching them. Too-tight jacket, short dark hair. Beth. He wondered how long she had been there.
Falk raised a hand. After a beat, Beth raised one in return. Even from that distance, he could see she wasn’t smiling.
Bree shifted. ‘I’d better get back. Thanks again.’
Falk leaned against the car and watched Bree walk across the carpark. On the lodge steps, Beth stood, doing exactly the same thing. She didn’t move until her sister was back by her side.
Day 3: Saturday Night
Bree could hear her own breath loud in her ears. Alice’s back was against the wall.
Jill held out her hand. ‘Give me the phone.’
‘No.’
‘Where is it? In your bag? Let me see.’
‘No.’
‘It’s not a request.’ Jill leaned over and grabbed the backpack.
‘Hey!’ Alice tried to snatch it back but it was pulled from her fingers.
‘If you want to go so badly, Alice, you just bloody go.’ Jill thrust her arm into the bag, then, with a grunt of frustration, she upended it, spilling the contents onto the floor. ‘You’re on your own, and it’ll serve you right if you die in a ditch on the way. But you’re not taking the phone.’
‘Jesus.’ Alice crouched, gathering up her things as Jill pawed through them. Damp fleece, compass, water bottle. No phone.
‘It’s not here.’
‘It’ll be in her jacket.’ Beth’s voice came out of nowhere and Bree jumped.
Alice looked barricaded in her corner, with her possessions clutched to her chest. Jill shone the torch in her eyes. ‘Is it in your jacket? Make this easy.’
Alice flinched and turned away. ‘Don’t you touch me.’
‘Last chance.’
Alice said nothing. Then Beth lunged at her, grabbing fistfuls of her jacket with both hands.
‘This is bullshit, Alice. You were happy to search my stuff when you thought I was hiding something –’
Bree tried to pull her sister back, as Alice writhed and squealed.
‘Get off me!’
Beth scrabbled at her pockets and then, with a satisfied sound, pulled out her prize and held it aloft. The phone. With her other hand, she shoved Alice away.
Alice stumbled a couple of steps then lunged forward, grasping for the phone. The pair struggled, locked together, then hit the table with a crash. There was a clatter as a torch fell to the floor and the room went dark. Bree could hear the grunts of a scuffle.
‘It’s mine –’
‘Let go –’
Bree could hear herself shouting. ‘Stop it!’ She wasn’t sure who she was talking to. Something heavy rolled against her foot. The torch. She picked it up, and shook it and the light bounced back on, blinding her. She fumbled as she turned it towards the noise.
Alice and Beth were on the floor in a tight knot. Bree almost couldn’t tell them apart in the tangle of limbs, then one of them lifted an arm. Bree started to cry out but it was too late. The beam cast a swooping dark shadow as Beth’s hand came down fast and hard. The crack as it connected with Alice’s cheek seemed to shake the walls.
Chapter 20
Carmen came out of the lodge holding a map marked with a large red X.
‘We’re going here,’ she said as they climbed back into the car. ‘It’s a fair way, about forty minutes. The North Road is the closest access point.’
Falk looked at the map. The cross was buried deep in the bushland. A handful of kilometres to the north, a thin vehicle access road cut through
the green.
Carmen put her seatbelt on. ‘Sergeant King’s already at the site. And Margot Russell’s here as well, apparently.’
‘Not by herself?’ Falk said.
‘No. I saw Lauren in the lodge. A liaison officer drove them both up early this morning. Margot’s still refusing to see her dad. He’s driving up separately.’
As they pulled out of the carpark, Falk glimpsed a figure watching them from inside the lodge entry door. One of the twins, he thought. In the shadow, he couldn’t tell which one.
The wind was whistling through the treetops again as they drove along the rural routes, Carmen speaking only to give directions. The roads became smaller and tighter until at last they found themselves bumping along a badly paved track towards a swarm of officers and searchers.
The site was buzzing with a strange mixture of concern and relief. Finally, a breakthrough of sorts, if not quite the one everyone was hoping for. As they got out of the car, Falk saw a splash of red. Ian Chase in his Executive Adventures fleece stood on the fringe of a group of rangers. He was hovering, not quite in the group, not quite out. When he saw Falk and Carmen, he gave a brisk nod and headed towards them.
‘Hey, is there an update? Have they found her? Is that why you’re here?’ His eyes kept flicking towards the bushland and back again.
Falk glanced at Carmen. ‘Not as far as we know.’
‘They’ve found the cabin, though.’ Chase was still looking back and forth. ‘Her body could be near.’
‘Unless she’s still alive.’
Chase stopped and blinked, unable to wipe the clumsy look from his face fast enough. ‘Yeah, of course. Definitely. Hopefully that’s the case.’
Falk couldn’t really blame him. He knew the odds were low.
An officer at the lodge had radioed ahead and Sergeant King was waiting for them at the edge of the bushland. His face was grey, but when he moved it was with an undercurrent of adrenaline. He gave a wave as they approached and glanced down at their feet with a nod of approval at their hiking boots.
‘Good. You’ll need them. Come on.’
He led the way, plunging into the bushland with Falk and Carmen in his wake. Within a minute, the chatter and bustle behind disappeared and a thick hush enveloped them. Falk spotted a strip of police tape flapping on a tree, guiding them along the route. Beneath his feet, the trail was faint, mostly defined by flattened patches where boots had recently trampled through.