The Bluffs : A Novel (2020)

by Perry, Kyle

  ‘You don’t know Madison like I do,’ said Eliza, feeling sick. ‘She’s capable. But some of it . . . it doesn’t make sense.’

  ‘Oh, you mean like how Georgia fucking died?’ said Murphy.

  ‘They set it up themselves,’ said Con, his voice giving nothing away. ‘But if they were going to wait for him . . . surely they wouldn’t have left for no reason.’

  ‘And who attacked me, up on the mountain? One of them?’ said Eliza. She wiped the sweat from Jack’s forehead. ‘Jack, you sweet idiot, what were you thinking?’

  Con was back on his phone. ‘Gabriella, are you there?’ He put her on speaker for the others’ benefit.

  ‘We’re waiting at the top of the trail. An ambulance is on its way, but the commander has ordered a chopper from Launceston: if we lose Jack, we lose the girls. How’s he doing?’

  ‘Tell them to hurry,’ said Con. ‘And call in Forensics. We have evidence here, the last place the girls might’ve been.’

  Murphy stalked out of the hut, slamming the door behind him.

  ‘Murphy?’ shouted Con. ‘Gabriella, Murphy is coming your way. Keep hold of the car keys and stop him from doing anything stupid. Careful, he knows how to pick pockets.’

  The sound of a motorbike engine rumbled outside the hut.

  ‘Shit! He’s taking Jack’s bike. Gabriella!’ shouted Con into the phone.

  ‘On it!’ came her breathless reply.

  Eliza squeezed Jack’s hand, but he didn’t squeeze back.

  I’m sorry, Jack. I need to tell them about the fight.

  CHAPTER 24

  MURPHY

  Murphy rode Jack’s dirtbike down the trail, manoeuvring around the rocks and roots, the headlight illuminating the muddy tyre tracks that showed the route Jack had arrived by.

  He was approaching the end of the wallaby trail now, the sound of the engine rattling inside his helmet, the visor raised to keep from getting water-blind from the raindrops. He saw lights up ahead, coming up fast. Tom and Gabriella, standing in his way, waving him down, shouting for him to stop.

  Murphy revved the engine and drove straight through.

  They dodged to the side, their faces a blur in the rain and torch beams, and then Murphy was on the wider four-wheel-drive track, the bouncing headlight lighting the road and the tree limbs that spread over it, ghostly arms reaching for him.

  A wallaby bounded across the trail ahead of him, joey in her pouch, pausing at the edge of the track to watch him, eyes reflecting the headlights. Murphy rode right past: he knew where he was headed.

  He took old dirt tracks he knew well from a youth spent riding these same trails with Butch. He criss-crossed forestry and muddy bush routes, down the mountainside, until he came out into the outskirts of Limestone Creek and directly onto a farm’s driveway. He rode it to the road, then through paddocks and into town.

  Roaring through the streets of dilapidated houses and barking dogs, it didn’t take him long to reach the Masons’ large double-storey house. He left the motorbike idling against the fence and stormed up to the front door, ignoring the stepping stones on the manicured lawn. He kicked open the heavy wooden door with a crash that busted the doorframe.

  ‘Madison!’ he shouted, flicking on the light in the main living area, everything sparkling clean. ‘Where are you?’

  Nelly Mason’s scream echoed from upstairs, and seconds later the stairway light flicked on. Mr Bruiser exploded down the stairs, crouching on the final step and yapping like a guard dog. A moment later Kevin Mason ran down the steps, naked, holding a cricket bat.

  Nelly was behind him, wrapped in her dressing gown.

  ‘Murphy, you bastard, what the hell are you —’ shouted Kevin.

  Murphy pulled the Glock out of his belt and pointed it at his head.

  Kevin fell instantly quiet, the cricket bat dropping out of his hands. Nelly fainted, her body hitting the carpeted steps with a dull thump.

  ‘Madison. Get down here,’ shouted Murphy. ‘Now!’

  ‘No,’ croaked Kevin, voice strangled. ‘Madison, he’s got a gun!’

  He heard Madison’s footsteps and then she too appeared, hair messy, her phone in her hand.

  ‘Lose the phone or I’ll shoot your dad,’ said Murphy.

  Terror flashed across Madison’s face. She dropped the phone and it cartwheeled over to Nelly’s sprawled body. ‘You killed Georgia? I was so sure it wasn’t you . . .’ she whispered. Then outrage crossed her face. ‘I defended you.’

  ‘Jack said you planned this,’ shouted Murphy. ‘You and the girls planned to go missing. For the sake of your fucking YouTube channel?’

  The fear vanished from her face, replaced by a raised eyebrow. She came down the stairs and put her hands on her hips. ‘That’s what Jack said, is it? Did you know he’s screwing your daughter?’

  ‘Madison, go back to your room,’ choked Kevin.

  ‘Don’t worry, Dad, he won’t shoot – it’s Murphy.’ Madison cocked her head. ‘He’s just as weak as Jasmine.’

  ‘Did you plan this, Madison? Did Jasmine agree to it?’ said Murphy, shaking the gun. ‘Answer me!’

  ‘You think I told Georgia to throw herself off a cliff?’ said Madison, now smirking. ‘You really think I’m capable of that?’

  ‘Did you set this up?’ said Murphy.

  ‘Yes,’ said Madison. ‘I did. I planned it all.’

  ‘What are you saying?’ said Kevin, turning towards her a fraction.

  ‘You found the backpacks, is that it?’ said Madison. ‘Won’t be long until it gets out then. Yes, we planned it. But something’s gone wrong. They haven’t made contact with me, Georgia is dead, and Bree didn’t get her backpack either. I think someone has really taken them, Murphy. Or, more likely, Cierra and Jasmine are playing a game I don’t know about. The little bitches.’ Her eyes twinkled. ‘One thing’s for sure: with Georgia dead and the other three missing, maybe our story has become true. We summoned the Hungry Man.’

  ‘What about Jasmine? Tell me,’ said Murphy. ‘All of it.’ He shook the gun again.

  ‘Say please,’ said Madison.

  He ground his teeth so hard they creaked.

  ‘Go on,’ said Madison. ‘Say please.’

  ‘Madison,’ whispered Kevin.

  ‘. . . please,’ ground out Murphy.

  ‘No. I’m going back to bed. I’ll talk to the cops tomorrow, but I’m not talking to you while you’re in such a foul mood. Goodnight, Mr Murphy. Night, Dad.’

  Madison picked up her phone and walked up the stairs. Murphy watched her go.

  Nelly, he saw now, was awake, but hadn’t moved. Kevin was white as a sheet.

  Murphy put the Glock back in his belt. ‘Your daughter is out of fucking control.’ He stomped out of the house, kicking over a potted plant on his way to the dirtbike.

  A story was forming in Murphy’s mind. Georgia’s death was accidental, then Jasmine and Cierra ran – afraid of being in trouble – taking their backpacks and hiding somewhere. And for some reason Madison was calm, assured. It was agonising that she wouldn’t share whatever secrets she kept behind that smug little face, but that . . . that meant whatever had happened to Jasmine, maybe it wasn’t too bad.

  Two emotions were warring inside him. His daughter was missing and that was like an illness, pneumonia: there was something blocking his chest and he couldn’t breathe and he was burning with fever. But this other thing now inside him: a glimmer of hope.

  Jasmine and Cierra’s backpacks are gone, so they both made it from the Lake Nameless trail to the Fisherman’s Hut at Lake Mackenzie. As he drove back home on Jack’s motorbike, certainty set in. Jasmine is alive.

  In the morning he would head to Lake Mackenzie and join the search that would surely begin there.

  He left the dirtbike in the driveway, behind Butch’s Hilux. He could hear music from the back shed – Butch was still out there.

  Murphy walked into his room, stopping in front of Jasmine’s crayon drawing. Fo
r the first time since Sara’s death, he kneeled down at his bed to pray.

  Sara, if you’re up there – I need you now . . . bring Jasmine back and I promise, I’ll never smoke weed again, I’ll never . . .

  He thought carefully of the things Sara didn’t approve of.

  I’ll never smoke weed again, I’ll stop swearing. I’ll . . . make this right, God. Whoever I need to speak to. I will make my life right, I swear it . . . Jesus, bring her back safely and I’ll take her to church every bloody Sunday, I swear it . . .

  CHAPTER 25

  CON

  Con and Eliza sat across from each other in a waiting room at Launceston General Hospital. Gabriella lay on the carpet, her jacket bundled up into a pillow, fast asleep. Early morning sunlight shone through the skylight, revealing a blue sky.

  Once Jack was safely in the ambulance chopper, Gabriella and Eliza had driven straight to the hospital, but Con had stopped past the hotel to make sure he took his meds. But despite that, the lack of sleep was dragging at his edges. He could feel himself getting jittery, the anger bubbling inside of him.

  Madison Mason.

  If Jack was telling the truth, then Madison had planned it all. Well, almost – certainly the disappearances. What about Georgia’s death? Surely not.

  Con stood and paced the room. A girl who would put her own sister in harm’s way for popularity. Still, before he could speak to her . . .

  His phone buzzed. The commander.

  He’d left her a message when he got to the hotel, but it had been the middle of the night. It seemed she was awake now.

  ‘I just have to make a phone call, Eliza. I’ll be back soon.’

  Eliza nodded, the leopard-print bow around her head slipping a little. She looked bone tired.

  He headed into an adjacent room to take the call.

  ‘Cornelius.’ The commander’s voice was cool as chipped ice. ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘I’m at the hospital,’ replied Con. ‘I’m waiting for Jack to wake up.’

  Her voice turned hard. ‘And you honestly believe him?’

  ‘I . . . I did. I do.’

  ‘He’s trying to cover himself. He was just caught at the scene – shot at the scene. We’ll have to deal with Eliza’s part in that before long, but finding the girls has to be our priority. Jack claiming they arranged their own disappearance is awfully convenient.’

  ‘To him, it was a deathbed confession,’ said Con. ‘He had no reason to lie.’

  ‘You know this leaves us in a difficult situation.’

  ‘How so?’ Con was growing agitated with the way she danced around the point.

  ‘Madison Mason anticipated this. She said in her video that the police would target first Murphy, then Michaels, and then her. With Gabriella’s outburst —’

  ‘Which turned out to be right!’

  ‘Which was highly unprofessional. It gives any defence lawyer worth half her salt the ability to defend Madison from anything short of a smoking gun!’ snapped the commander. ‘That’s out of our hands now. But I trust you’ve told Gabriella she’s off the case? Don’t make me do it myself. You’re the lead detective.’

  ‘Commander,’ said Con, reeling – this call was not going the way he’d expected. ‘I need you to reconsider.’

  ‘I’ve no doubt you do,’ she said. ‘I’m sending Detective Tran to the Fisherman’s Hut to join Forensics. You’re sending Gabriella home, right now, or you’ll join her.’

  ‘Commander, I —’

  ‘Get in there, Badenhorst, and determine if Jack is telling the truth or not. Before you go after Madison Mason. Oh, and Cornelius? I’m coming to Limestone Creek. It’s time I was on the ground. I’ll be there in a few hours. If I cross paths with Gabriella, I’ll know you were too weak to follow directions.’

  The line went dead.

  Maybe she’s not a morning person? thought Con angrily. Well, neither am I.

  He stalked back into the waiting room. Gabriella was still sleeping, but Eliza was gone, replaced by a nurse who was scrolling through his phone. He saw Con coming and quickly put his phone away. ‘Mr Michaels is awake. You can head through, if you like. Your other colleague is already in there.’ He glanced at Gabriella. ‘I didn’t know if I should wake this one or not, but the other detective didn’t seem concerned.’

  Con left Gabriella asleep, stalking after the nurse towards Jack’s room.

  CHAPTER 26

  ELIZA

  Bare seconds after Con had left the room to make his phone call, Eliza looked up to see a young nurse enter the waiting room, typing on his tablet in a heavy-duty case.

  The nurse looked down at Gabriella, gently snoring, and turned to Eliza. ‘Detective?’

  Eliza didn’t hesitate. She nodded.

  ‘Mr Michaels is conscious now, but barely. He’s lost a lot of blood, and he’s only just come out of surgery,’ he said. ‘The surgeon insists that Mr Michaels needs to rest, but we understand you need to speak to him with some urgency. He’s not in a great way, but as he’s just woken up from the anaesthetic and we haven’t started him on the painkillers yet, this might be the only time you’ll get any sense out of him.’

  Eliza glanced at Gabriella, asleep on the floor, and then back to the nurse.

  ‘Yes, we do need to talk to him,’ she said.

  ‘Okay. Well, please keep it brief, and I’ll need to stay in there with you to monitor his condition.’

  Eliza gestured for the nurse to lead the way. When they reached the door of Jack’s room, she paused. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but at this stage . . . everyone is a suspect. Police procedure. You’ll need to wait outside.’ She used her stern teacher’s voice. ‘And please don’t try to listen in, okay, sir? I don’t want to arrest you for obstruction. This is an active, uh, homicide investigation.’

  The nurse nodded uneasily. Eliza fixed him with a stare, nodded once very professionally, and walked inside.

  Jack was on the bed, a bandage around his side, an IV in his arm, a cannula in his nose. He was sweating, his eyes bloodshot, his face faintly blue.

  When he tried to sit up he winced. ‘Eliza . . . did they find ’em?’ His words were slurred and muffled.

  ‘I’m so sorry . . . I nearly killed you,’ Eliza whispered, crouched down beside his bed. ‘I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Where are the d-detectives?’ he said. His teeth chattered.

  ‘They’re on their way. Look, Jack,’ Eliza said, ‘you said that the girls planned the disappearance?’

  ‘No!’ he said, trying to sit up again. ‘I don’t! I didn’t! D-don’t tell anyone!’

  ‘Jack,’ said Eliza, glancing back at the door. She leaned closer to his ear. ‘What does Madison have over you?’

  ‘Wh-what are you talkin’ about?’ stammered Jack, breathing heavy. His eyelids fluttered and he fell back.

  ‘Madison drew you into this, didn’t she?’ she said. ‘She blackmailed you?’

  ‘How . . . Wh-what did she tell you?’ said Jack.

  ‘Tell me what it is. I can help you,’ insisted Eliza, hating herself for what she was doing, but knowing it was necessary. To steel herself she thought of her niece. ‘Was she going to expose you and Jasmine?’

  ‘What . . . what do you know about – You told Murphy?’

  Eliza tapped her tongue against the back of her teeth. ‘Jack —’

  The door flew open and Con strode into the room. ‘Michaels. You’re awake. Good.’ He crossed his arms. ‘I need you to tell me the truth.’

  ‘I . . . I dunno —’

  ‘Don’t bullshit me, Jack,’ said Con. ‘You were found with the possessions of two of the missing girls, and you were sleeping with one of them.’

  ‘Detective, please,’ said the nurse, stepping in behind him. ‘Be gentle.’

  ‘Well? Georgia’s blood is on your hands. Will you help us find the others?’

  Jack grimaced and writhed on the bed. ‘Or are you just making it all up, to save yourself? You were found where we suspec
t the girls were last. You were sleeping with one of the missing. You were up the mountain, the day they went missing.’

  Jack moaned. He trembled, shaking his head, tears rolling down his cheeks.

  ‘Mr Michaels?’ said the nurse, rushing to his side. He checked the digital readout of his vitals. ‘Please, detectives, I need you to step outside.’

  ‘No. I need to hear him say it. I need to hear him say he lied about their plan, that he put the girls in even more danger just to save his own skin.’

  Seeing Jack’s distress, Eliza realised she couldn’t keep this secret.

  She couldn’t protect Wren anymore.

  She turned to Con, grabbed his arm and took him outside the door.

  ‘Eliza, what are you —’

  ‘It’s time I told you the truth,’ she said. ‘But please . . . whatever you do, don’t tell Madison.’

  She looked around and settled on a linen closet just across the hall. Con followed her into the small nook.

  ‘I have a confession . . . the fight between Jasmine and Madison.’ Eliza had to look away from Con’s eyes. ‘Madison approached me a few weeks ago. She asked that Cierra and Madison share a tent on the camp, and Jasmine and Bree too.’

  ‘That’s all?’ Con gave a dark laugh. He seemed rattled today. ‘They wanted to sleep in each other’s tents? You’ve blown the case wide open, thanks so much for —’

  ‘That’s not all,’ interrupted Eliza. ‘Madison told me that, on the second day of camp, Jasmine and her were going to have a fight. And that, afterwards, I’d have to send everyone else ahead, including Madison, and keep Jasmine, Georgia, Bree, and Cierra back with me. So it would be just us five, far at the back of the group.’

  ‘What? And you agreed?’ said Con.

  ‘I thought they just wanted to film something! It’s not that simple —’

  ‘Why would you agree to that, Eliza?’

  ‘Because Madison blackmailed me,’ she said quickly.

  That stopped him. He took a second to process that. ‘With what? What could she possibly —’

  ‘What I’m saying is I’m sure Jack is telling the truth. Madison made me keep the four girls behind. They were capable of staging a fight. They would be capable of staging a disappearance.’