by Jane Hinchey
“Not necessarily. Remember that Colin takes tourists on four-wheel-drive tours. He's bound to have a logo or signage on his vehicle.”
“You ever considered a career as an investigative reporter?” Jenna said. “Because you'd be darn good at it!”
“That's high praise coming from you.” I chuckled. “But no, thank you, I’m happy with my bookstore. And as much as Australia is very interesting and beautiful, I'm looking forward to going home.”
We drove slowly down the suburban street, past house after house until we were almost at the end and I'd been ready to admit defeat when I spotted it. A white four-wheel-drive with a sign on the door reading Arrowstrand Scenic Tours. Remy crept past while we all craned our necks and eyeballed the house where the vehicle was parked.
“Drive down further, then turn around,” I said. “And stop. We'll watch from down the street.”
“You think he'll leave?” Remy asked, doing as instructed.
“Yep. Nigel just delivered important news in person. We can only guess it was something along the lines of ‘get your butt home.’ And let’s not forget it’s his daughter’s twenty-first birthday. But that means he would have been intending to return home today anyway, so why did Nigel hunt him down? Let’s see whose house this is.”
“Jenna's right. You are good at this.” Remy turned off the ignition, pulled on the handbrake and we all watched out of the front windshield, waiting.
“I guess I've had a bit of practice.” I shrugged. Two murders in Whitefall Cove since I'd returned home. Officer Liliana Miles had said I attracted trouble, and I was starting to think she was right.
“Here we go,” Remy murmured. We watched as a man in his late forties left the house. Colin Webb, I assumed. He was dressed in blue cargo shorts, boots, and a dark blue polo shirt stretched taught over a large belly. On his head a baseball cap. In his hand, an overnight bag. I cocked my head and watched as he opened the back door of his car and tossed the bag inside. So this was where he stayed when in Darana, supposedly for convenience’s sake for his early and late tours. Then I saw the real reason. A young woman came out of the house, dressed in a flowing sundress, her long hair shining under the sun. She waited by the car and when Colin closed the door, he pulled her into his arms, planting a long, slow kiss.
“Oh god. I think I threw up in my mouth a little,” Jenna choked. “He looks old enough to be her father. And look at her. She's gorgeous. What's she doing with an overweight middle-aged man? He's probably balding under that cap too.”
“He does appear to be punching above his weight,” Remy agreed.
I couldn't say a word. I was seething. Dirty, rotten, cheating bastard. Poor Andi. I knew what it felt like to be the one cheated on. I wondered if she suspected her husband was having an affair. It was easy from the outside looking in to assume there would be signs, but I'd had no clue Simon had been maintaining an affair with one of his students right under my nose for a year. I'd had absolutely no clue. The remembered hurt and shame resurfaced, and I wanted to burst from the car and confront the pair.
“Easy, Harper.” Jenna laid her hand on my shoulder when she saw me reach for the door handle. I let my hand drop. Colin ended the kiss and climbed into his four-wheel-drive, and waved an arm out the window as he reversed out the driveway and drove away. Back home to his wife. We continued to watch the woman who wound her hair on top of her head and secured it with a hair tie she had around her wrist.
“Christ, she doesn't look to be any older than Kaylee. I wonder if she knows he has a family in Arrowstrand?” Jenna said. I shrugged.
“Do we go talk to her?” Remy asked, fingers tapping on the steering wheel as she waited for instructions.
I looked from Remy to Jenna. “What do you think?”
“I think we should,” Remy said. “We can't rule her out of this. She could be in it with Colin. What if your parents are here, in her house?” A very good, valid point.
“Okay. Let's do it.” I opened my door and climbed out, Remy and Jenna following suit. We walked along the uneven footpath to the woman’s house and knocked on the door.
“Hello?” We couldn't see through the mesh of the screen door.
“Hi.” Remy reached into her back pocket and pulled out a badge, holding it up briefly. “My name's Remy Leigh, I'm an agent from Adelaide, and these are my associates. We're investigating the murders in Arrowstrand and were wondering if we could ask you some questions?” Oh, she was good. Enough detail to be convincing without actually lying.
“Oh yes, Nigel was just here telling us about what had happened.” The screen door opened, and she ushered us inside. Her house was lovely with a quaint, hippy type vibe.
“What can I do to help?” Her worry and concern looked genuine, as did her youth. So damn young.
“Can we start with your name?” Jenna whipped out her phone and hit record.
“Of course. I'm Annabel Price.”
“And the man who was just here, he's your boyfriend?” Remy asked.
Annabel nodded. “Yes. Colin Webb.”
“What else can you tell us about him?”
She paled, her hand clutching at her throat. “You don't think he's involved, do you?”
“We're following up several lines of inquiry,” Remy deadpanned. “So Colin lives here with you?”
“Yes. He stays overnight in Arrowstrand a few times a week because of his tours. Sunrise and sunset tours. It gets tiring traveling between the two towns so sometimes it's just easier if he stays over there, plus”—she blushed,—“he says I don't always let him get enough sleep when he's here.”
I ground my teeth together but didn't say a word. He spun Annabel the same lie he told his wife, with neither being aware of the other.
“And who is Nigel?” Remy asked.
“He books the tours for Colin, like his tour manager, I guess. He dropped in today because he needed to talk to Colin about business and couldn't get him on the phone. That's when he told us about the deaths in Arrowstrand. It's truly awful.” She wrung her hands together.
“Do you mind if I borrow your bathroom?” I asked.
“Oh, sure.” We were standing in her living room and she pointed over her shoulder. “Off the kitchen is a hallway. It's the second door on your left.”
“Thank you.”
I left Jenna and Remy to continue the questioning of Annabel and headed down the hallway. Of course, I didn't have to use the bathroom—it was a rouse—but I opened the bathroom door, poked my head in, then silently closed it again. Tiptoeing down the hallway, I peeked into each room. No sign of my parents. No sign of witchcraft either, no altar or witch tools. If Colin had my parents, he wasn't holding them here. Creeping back to the bathroom, I flushed the toilet, ran the tap, then joined the others.
“Thanks for your cooperation, ma'am,” Remy said. “We'll be in touch if we have any further questions.” And with that we hustled out the front door and back to the Land Rover.
“Well?” Jenna hissed once we were inside the car.
“Nothing. They're not there. And the backyard is nothing but weeds. No garage or anything. What about you guys, she reveal anything else? Besides her so-called boyfriend is a cheating scumbag, that is.”
“Nope. She said Nigel turned up, had a heated conversation with Colin out the front, then left. Colin told her he had to leave, told her about the murders and that he might be tied up in Arrowstrand for a while because, get this, the Arrowstrand Caravan Park was one of his biggest clients and they needed his support right now.” Jenna sneered, her fingers mimicking air quotes.
“Let's head back. We know Colin's secret—not drugs, an affair. And Nigel knows his secret and is covering for him.”
“Yeah, but he's not happy about it,” Remy pointed out. “Mrs. Butcher said Nigel was furious when she saw him earlier.”
“It will be interesting to see them together tonight at the barbecue,” Jenna said. “But also, we don't know who is peddling drugs in Arrowstrand.”
“Maybe Kaylee would know?” I suggested. “She works behind the bar at the hotel. She's probably seen a few deals go down. See if you can bring it up in conversation with her tonight.”
Chapter Fifteen
After freshening up, we headed to the house for the birthday celebrations. Andi was bustling between the kitchen and the rear deck where everyone was gathered. Colin was at the barbeque, tongs in hand. Nigel was at the far end of the deck, a cigarette clamped between his lips, Omar with him.
Kaylee arrived, looking frazzled. She paused by my side. “I spoke with Mick. He knows the full story. I'd appreciate it if you kept your mouth shut.” She strutted off before I could answer. My eyes met Jenna's, and she quirked an eyebrow. I shrugged.
“I think we should split up,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Gran, you go talk to Nigel. See what you can find out.” We'd already filled Gran in with what had transpired today with Nigel’s mad dash to Darana to warn Colin to come home. “Remy, you take Omar. He knows about the scroll; we can't discount he knows about summoning a goddess too.”
“On it.” Remy broke off, snatching up two beers from the cooler and approaching Omar with a smile, holding out a beer. His eyes registered his surprise, but he accepted the beer and clinked bottles with her before taking a swig.
“Jenna, try to get close to Kaylee,” I said.
“Easy.” Jenna nodded. “We struck up a bit of a friendship at the hotel today. Shouldn't be hard to pursue that further.”
“Where's Blake?” I craned my head, finally spotting him ascending the staircase at the side of the house. I crossed to meet him. He would not be of much use investigative wise, but he was still an extra set of eyes. “There you are.”
“Oh hey, Harper.” His smile was wide and genuine.
“Hey, Blake, how are you feeling?”
“I’m good.” He nodded, sliding his hands into the pockets of his jeans and rocking back and forth on his heels. “What’s happening?”
I frowned. “We’re celebrating Kaylee’s birthday. Remember?”
“Oh yeah, I got that.” He scoffed. “I meant, what’s up? With you? You look sad.”
I blinked. “I’m missing my mom and dad, that’s all.”
His jovial mood sobered. “Yeah. Your mom is great.” I didn’t know what to think. Did Blake actually know my mom, or was he reacting to the inadvertent mind meld he had with her?
“Will there be cake? I like cake.” And he was off, following Andi inside
“And that leaves me with Colin,” I said to myself, my eyes landing on the man turning sausages on the grill.
Dinner was a loud and raucous affair. The food was delicious and plentiful, and each of us was plying our respective charges with alcohol to loosen lips. So far it wasn't working. We had nothing and I could hear the tick tock of time running out.
Andi tapped the side of her glass with her fork to get our attention. She stood. “It's been lovely to have you all gathered here around our table.” She smiled in genuine appreciation. “And I'm especially happy to have my husband home.” She bestowed a loving hand on Colin's shoulder.
Sitting directly opposite, I met his eyes. He didn't blink, just stared blindly at me. Yeah, you cheating bastard. I know what you did.
Andi continued, “But most of all, we’re here to wish our baby, our beautiful Kaylee, a happy birthday.” She nudged Colin. “Sweetheart? Can you do a toast while I get the cake?”
“Oh. Sure.” Colin snapped out of whatever daydream he’d been indulging in and stood, holding a beer in his hand.
Kaylee watched expectantly.
“Twenty-one years ago today, you came kicking and screaming into the world,” he began, “and boy, did our lives change.” He chuckled. “Let the sleep deprivation begin. Over the years we’ve watched you grow into the beautiful, wonderful young lady you are today, and your mother and I couldn’t be prouder. I know you don’t enjoy being the center of attention and I also know you’re holding your breath and hoping I don’t turn this speech into an embarrassing moment. Relax, baby girl, I’ve got you.” He paused, checked over his shoulder to see Andi give the nod from the doorway. As she walked out with a birthday cake glowing with candles, Colin smiled and said, “Happy birthday, Kaylee.”
We burst into song, all watching, enthralled as Andi set the cake in front of Kaylee. As the last “hip, hip hooray” faded, she blew out the candles. Andi dropped a kiss on her daughter’s cheek and handed her the knife.
“Who wants a piece?” Kaylee asked, plunging the knife into the cake, expertly serving up slices of rich chocolate cake onto plates that Andi then passed around.
Colin continued to stare at me and I arched a brow at him. A dark flush of color ran up his collar and into his face. I had gotten little out of him in our conversation by the barbeque earlier. I'd pushed—hard—about his tours and my skepticism about needing to stay away from home because of them had crept in. I practically told him I knew he was having an affair, but it had been water off a duck's back. Until now. Now he seemed to be piecing it all together, the penny finally dropping. Which told me he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed if it'd taken him this long.
After we ate the cake, the women helped gather the dishes and carry them to the kitchen. I caught sight of Colin grabbing Nigel's arm and dragging him down the stairs leading off the deck. Handing Jenna the stack of plates I was carrying, I hurried to follow, being as quiet as possible as I eased down the stairs. It was dark now; the sun had set with a magnificent display before dipping below the horizon and now the blood moon was dominant in the sky, casting more light than I'd like. Keeping my back pressed to the side of the house, I crept along until I spied the two men standing close together near the far corner of the house, voices low.
“How the hell would she know then?” Colin hissed, voice full of rage.
Nigel shrugged, putting another cigarette to his lips and cupping his hands around the end as he lit it. “How should I know? I told you, I haven't told anyone. How long do you think you can keep this up? I may have kept your secret, but it doesn't mean I approve. Andi is a good woman. She's stood by you throughout everything, yet you continue to lie to her.”
“Shut up,” Colin grumbled, grabbing Nigel’s shirt in his fist. “You don't know anything.”
“Oh, I know plenty,” Nigel scoffed. “Not just about Annabel either.”
“What do you mean?” Colin paused and Nigel pushed him away. There was a scuffle, Colin slammed Nigel up against the side of the house and I winced. “I said, what do you mean?” Colin's voice rose, carrying on the night air.
“I know about the fire,” Nigel snarled. “And the missing drugs from the vet's bag.”
Colin released his hold on Nigel and ran his hand around the back of his neck. “Well shit,” he said.
“Exactly,” Nigel spat. “So if you don't—” He was cut off by Andi calling Colin’s name.
Shit. If she came down the stairs, she'd see me. I quickly swung beneath the staircase and crouched low to the ground, holding my breath and praying no one saw me.
The two men had frozen in place when they'd heard Andi call and now Colin spun on his heel, shouting, “Coming!” He climbed the stairs, his feet only inches from my head. Nigel watched, dragging on his cigarette before tossing it to the ground and grinding it out with his boot. He turned and headed toward the front of the house.
Darting out from behind the stairs, I followed.
Chapter Sixteen
Keeping to the shadows as best I could, I followed as Nigel headed across the open expanse of the park towards his trailer. I mulled over what I'd overheard him say to Colin. He mentioned a fire. Was it the one that heralded the collapse of the sheep station? The one that destroyed the Webb family's homestead. I tried to remember if Andi had said anymore about the fire, what had caused it, because now I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, someone had lit it intentionally. And what was that about drugs being stolen from a vet’s bag? I'd stumbled upon t
he idea that Mom and Dad had to have been drugged to make kidnapping them possible, but so far, we had found no one in Arrowstrand who had access to drugs—even the medical center where the visiting doctor ran his clinics was drug free. It seemed Nigel had the answers to all of my questions.
A sharp sting in the back of my thigh had me slapping at my leg. “Ow!” Damn mosquitoes. This wasn't the first time they had bitten me, but considering the little blood-sucking insect had managed to bite me through my jeans he must have been the size of a bush turkey. My fingers brushed against something, forcing the stinging pain to flare again. “What the hell?” Stopping, I twisted to try to see the back of my thigh, my fingers softly brushing over a foreign object sticking out. Was that... a dart? I plucked it from my leg, holding it up in front of my face, and peered at it in the dim light. It was a dart. A small one. I blinked, my vision turning hazy.
“Oh no. No, no, no.” The realization that I'd been drugged hit me with the force of a sledgehammer. Of course it could have been whatever drug was in that dart, but nevertheless, my words were slurred, my vision blurred, and my limbs heavy. I was halfway between the main house and my trailer and I wasted precious seconds trying to decide which was my better option. Back to the house and the safety of others?
Or my trailer, where I could lock myself inside and hopefully sleep off whatever drug was rendering me incapacitated. I couldn't think, my brain was a fog, but my legs staggered onward with little control from me. When they gave out, I fell to my hands and knees and crawled. I had no idea my trailer was so far from the house, but when you're crawling over hard dirt everything seems a million miles away. My arms gave out, and I crashed to my chest, my chin hitting the ground with a thunk, my teeth rattling in my skull. Ouch.
I lay sprawled in the dirt, trying to think. I should call for help. Opening my mouth, I tried calling out, but nothing came out, just a feeble croak, my tongue swollen and thick. Then I heard it. Footsteps. Oh thank goodness, someone was coming, I was saved. I lay with my head resting on one arm and waited for my rescuer to reach me when a niggling thought popped into my ever so sluggish brain. It's not your rescuer you idiot. It's the killer.