by Janine Grey
‘Well, I am worried, Mick. And the more you prance around the subject, the more worried I get.’
‘All Fin said was that he was uneasy about some stuff. But this was weeks ago.’ He shrugged. ‘He hasn’t said anything since. All I meant was he’ll take you seriously about the break-in.’
‘What did he say?’ Eliza was more curious than annoyed, wondering what had concerned Fin so much.
‘We spoke about Old Pauly mostly. Fin thought it was strange the way he just disappeared. Here one day, gone the next. No explanation.’
‘He’d come into money, hadn’t he?’
‘Yeah, and he was throwing it around in the pub like nobody’s business. But he never said where it came from. And he wasn’t one to keep quiet when he had something to yap about. Fin was right, it was a strange thing.’
‘If he’d found some valuable opal, he might have wanted confidentiality.’
‘Yep, maybe. But then something happened up at the Flat. It really didn’t sound like much at the time. Fin thought it was just some city trash come out to cause trouble.’
‘Why? What happened?’
‘When he got back from Sydney, he found the carcass of a blue-tongued lizard. The lizard was friendly with strangers, curious. It looked like it wasn’t a natural death, Fin said. More like a knife wound.’
‘No one around here would do that,’ Eliza murmured, then remembered she’d thought precisely the same thing about her ruined dress.
‘Not the locals. As for the noodlers, well, I’m not so sure. Most of them seem like decent sorts, but you never know. Most likely it was some idiot, like Fin reckoned. He asked me if I’d seen anyone hanging around town, or heard anything, but there was nothing I could tell him.’
‘And Fin didn’t have any idea who was behind it?’
Mick shook his head.
‘Okay, I’ll phone him. It’s too weird and scary not to call him.’ Eliza smiled. ‘Thanks, Mick. Sometimes Fin has me so tangled up I don’t know which way is up. I just don’t want him to think I’m high maintenance or a drama queen.’
‘Ah, young love.’
Eliza felt her cheeks heat. ‘I don’t know if I’d call it that.’
‘You mean after the way he carted you out of the pub that night? Jeez! It’s as obvious as the noses on your faces how you two feel about each other.’
‘You think Fin . . . I mean, he said he was falling for me but that’s attraction, isn’t it? Not love.’ She suddenly felt dizzy as her heart took flight. Did he love her? Was that why he kept pulling away, from fear he was falling in love?
‘The bloke’s besotted. Probably hasn’t realised it yet, men being idiots and all that. But what’s your excuse? I thought women were supposed to be in touch with their feelings.’
‘We are . . . I am!’ Eliza protested.
She knew what was in her heart, didn’t she? Knew what it meant when she sometimes lay in bed watching him sleep, or when a look from him could stop her breath in her throat. But things burnt so fiercely between them, it was sensible not to get carried away, wasn’t it?
‘I just want to be sure,’ she said.
‘If you want to be sure, you’ll be eighty by the time you commit.’
Eliza finished her beer and got up to walk to the door, Mick following. ‘Were you sure when you met your wife?’
‘Still not. Sometimes you just hope it’s the right thing.’
She laughed. ‘I think I’ll follow my instincts.’
‘Good luck,’ he said. ‘Call Fin.’
‘I will,’ she promised, waving as she set off home.
She took her phone from her pocket as she unlocked her front door, and saw a missed call from Fin. He’d probably phoned to let her know what time he expected to reach Helton. But when she rang back, it went to his voicemail.
‘Hi, it’s me,’ she said. ‘Call me back, okay? Something happened today that I need to talk to you about. It’s kind of important . . . maybe.’ She thought about what Mick had said, about their feelings for each other. ‘Stay safe, Fin.’ Her voice was husky.
CHAPTER 16
Fin bit off a curse as his phone lost reception briefly.
‘Hello?’
A second later, the female voice at the other end of the line sounded, as distant as if it came from outer space.
‘I’m still here,’ he said.
‘Good. Mr McLeod, we’re quite, well, surprised, is the way I’d put it,’ continued the senior sister from his mother’s nursing home. ‘Mr Bragg is a lovely man. Devoted, you might say. But this development is so sudden. And with your mother not able to communicate at present, it does seem a little unusual.’
Unusual was not the word Fin would have used. Un-fucking-believable, was more like it. Fin shook his head at Jerry’s obstinacy. The man clearly couldn’t see what everyone else could.
‘I’ve already spoken to Mr Bragg about this,’ he told the nurse. ‘I suggested we discuss it when I’m in Coffs Harbour the week after next.’
‘The thing is he says he’s found a celebrant prepared to conduct the service. He seems so set on this idea that I’m concerned he plans to move ahead rather quickly.’ The sister sounded flustered.
‘Okay, listen,’ Fin said, cutting to the chase. ‘Obviously this can’t wait so I’ll leave today but it will be a while until I can get there. Tomorrow morning. If Mr Bragg tries to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, you need to call the police.’
‘Oh!’ The woman sounded quite horrified. ‘I don’t know if I could do that. I was hoping you’d speak to him —’
‘I’ve done that. Mr Bragg knows my opinion. You need to have the authorities intervene if I’m not there, sister. Not to do so will be a significant failure in your duty of care. My mother has not given her consent to this.’
‘Well —’
‘I hope I’ve made myself clear,’ he insisted, mentally listing what he’d need for a few days in Coffs Harbour while he sorted out the mess of Jerry Bragg’s making.
‘Yes, very,’ said the nurse. She didn’t sound happy. ‘Goodbye, Mr McLeod.’
Fin did swear as the line went dead. He pressed ‘end’ and saw that he had a message from Eliza. After he’d listened to her voice, his finger hovered over her number as he debated whether to call her. In the end he decided to wait until he’d smoothed out the edge of anger. He also needed to work out how to break it to her that the weekend plans she’d set such store by had just been trashed.
‘Damn it all to hell!’
He dumped his bag on the passenger seat of his car, got in and thumped the dash. Why did Jerry have to pull this stunt right now?
*
Len Twomey strolled slowly along the main street past Treloars Cottage. Eliza Mayberry’s car was still parked alongside the house, so clearly she had no intention of rushing off to Ruin Flat. He’d had a moment’s panic earlier, worrying if she might head up to the mine instead of summoning lover-boy. She’d rushed out of the house, shaken by the surprise he’d left her. Fortunately, instead of jumping in her car, she’d headed up the street to the home of a local man named Mick Mason.
When she returned, he’d been sure McLeod would show up soon. But it had been three hours and there was no sight of him.
The tattle around town was McLeod was seriously smitten. You’d figure he’d come running at the flimsiest excuse. Shows how wrong you could be. He shook his head and wandered back to the café. It was worth enduring the scowls from the owner and the extra centimetre of flab on his belly for the sticky date tart.
He was going to have to move to Plan B. It was more risky, setting McLeod up for a fall while he was on site. With any luck, though, he’d be down that precious mine of his, and wouldn’t have a clue that anyone had been at the camp. From what Twomey had seen on his previous visit, there was plenty of crap around the place. He could think on his feet and use whatever came to hand. He wouldn’t do anything lethal, of course, just enough to send a strong message that it was time to
move on.
When Twomey called Bannister, he wanted to be able to let him know that McLeod had got the message and would be shipping out pronto. There was a nice little bonus in it for him if the situation was resolved quickly.
Twomey just wanted to be out of this shithole. He’d had enough of the heat and the dust, and, most of all, the flaming fucking flies!
The bell over the café door tinkled as he pushed it open. He caught the proprietor’s unfriendly eye. ‘I’ll have an iced coffee, a BLT and the sticky date tart,’ he said. ‘And hurry it up if you can manage it. I haven’t got all day.’
If he was going to get into his oven of a car and head back into the wasteland, he was damn well going to do it on a full belly.
*
Why hadn’t he called her back?
Eliza gave up on the database she was scanning for any record of Logan McLeod’s name. She hadn’t had any luck in any case. She wriggled her shoulders as she paced the room, willing her phone to ring.
It had been more than an hour since she’d called Fin. Maybe he was back down the mine where his satellite phone couldn’t receive signals. Or he was en route and didn’t want to stop to answer the phone. She tried to push back against the insistent little voice in her head that taunted her with the thought that he couldn’t reach the phone for some other reason.
What if something had happened up there? What could have happened?
Anything at all, the voice answered.
Even if you disregarded the episodes at Ruin Flat that had made Fin uneasy, the mine held all sorts of risks.
Her heart froze as her mind spun back to the first day she’d laid eyes on Fin, lying filthy and exhausted on the ground after a collapsed ladder had trapped him underground for half the night. He’d only escaped because he’d been able to haul himself out on guts and brute strength.
What if this time he wasn’t able to save himself?
What if he was injured and dehydrated, unable to call for help? He would be alone until she finally got worried enough to investigate and raise the alarm.
What if the ladder hadn’t been an accident? Mick’s words about Fin’s suspicions still resonated.
She shivered at the ugly possibility, feeling cold despite the heat. Then, common sense returned. It hadn’t been that long since her call. She was probably just rattled by the break-in. There was little point worrying about the what ifs. Right now, the most practical thing she could do was to make certain Fin was all right. She would report the break-in to authorities when she got back and let them figure out what it was all about.
It was still early. She had plenty of time to drive up to check all was well. If he had a problem with that, she’d laugh it off as a brain explosion . . . No, she wouldn’t. She wasn’t tiptoeing around his moods and his pride any longer. Someone had violated her home, and she was scared for them both. If Fin wasn’t prepared to take her seriously, then Mick’s romance radar was clearly way off beam.
*
Fin was beyond Lightning Ridge and in the middle of nowhere when he pulled the car off the road and got out. The monotony of the drive had dulled the edge off his anger with Jerry and the nursing home staff’s reluctance to deal decisively with the situation.
Viewed with greater objectivity, Jerry was just a sad old guy trying desperately to snatch at a last chance to be with the woman he’d placed on a pedestal, not realising that that chance had long passed him by. And the hospital clearly wanted to avoid any unpleasantness. Fin couldn’t blame them.
While Fin was still worried, his initial vision of a bizarre marriage ceremony involving his bewildered mother had eased. No one in their right minds would let something that insane go ahead.
He grabbed a bottle of water and leant against the car, feeling the heat scorch his back through his shirt. Drinking deeply, he thumbed his phone to call up Eliza’s number and hit dial. It would be good to talk to her about the situation. He imagined her now, her blue eyes serious as she listened to him. Even though she’d be pissed off that their weekend was shot, she would say something eminently sensible, and his worry would seem utterly misplaced.
As he waited for the connection, he wondered what she’d wanted to speak to him about. He’d been so caught up with his own dilemma, he hadn’t given it much thought at the time, but now he had time to consider it, she’d sounded as though she had a lot on her mind, too. This weekend would have been a big test of their relationship, and of whether they could spend time just enjoying each other and life without their pasts and the mine muddying the waters. Perhaps she too had her doubts about how it would have unfolded.
The call went to voicemail, making Fin frown. He replayed her message from earlier, his frown deepening as he wondered what to make of it.
A kernel of doubt niggled that she was getting cold feet, but he pushed it away. She had made love to him with such passionate intensity, it made no sense that she would now change her mind. Spurred by anxiety, he ended the call without leaving a message and rang her number again. This time the call dropped out before he had the option of leaving a message, same when he tried once more.
This early in the afternoon, she’d be working away in her kitchen, with those librarian’s glasses perched on her nose and a slight frown line between her brows. Or she should be. In which case, why wasn’t she answering?
Frustrated, he called her number again. When the line dropped out, he rang the hotel, figuring Chris might know where she was. She didn’t, but told Fin Mick had dropped in for a lunchtime beer and she’d heard him mention seeing Eliza.
‘Thanks, Chris. Can I speak to him?’
‘Sure, love. Everything all right?’
‘Hope so.’
‘I’ll get him for you.’ She raised her voice to be heard over the din. ‘Mick! Fin McLeod for you.’
‘Yeah?’ Mick’s voice came on the line.
‘Mick, it’s Fin. I can’t reach Eliza. Have you seen her?’
‘Yeah, brother. Few hours ago. Gorgeous girl. Has she told you then?’
‘Told me what?’
‘Aw, that she loves you, of course.’
Fin felt a sudden flare of heat in his chest so intense, he staggered back heavily into the car bonnet. He sat, his heart pounding, trying to suck in oxygen. Perhaps she hadn’t been planning to tell him that she was leaving him but that she loved him.
‘What? No. No, she hasn’t,’ he managed. ‘We keep missing each other and now I can’t reach her at all.’
‘I told her to tell you.’
He should have called her back. Fin realised it now.
‘Is she home, Mick?’
‘I thought she was with you. Or she might be talking with the coppers at Lightning Ridge.’
‘What? Why did she need the cops?’
‘She didn’t want to call you or the cops, but I said she should.’
‘What about?’ Fin bit back his irritation.
‘About the dress. She said her dress was ruined.’
He wasn’t making any sense. ‘Mick, I don’t understand. Was Eliza in trouble?’
‘Nah, she’s fine. Pissed off about the dress and someone breaking into her house.’
Fin gritted his teeth. ‘Mick, are you saying that someone broke into Eliza’s house?’
‘Yeah. Burnt it.’
‘Shit! They set fire to the cottage?’
‘Nah,’ Mick said, as though he was speaking to an idiot. ‘The dress. She was going to wear it for you at the weekend. Eliza said they burnt it but she doesn’t know why. Or who. I told her no one from town would do that. Said she should phone you and you’d understand. Because you love her and she loves you.’
‘Damn it!’ Fin felt all the breath squeeze out of his lungs. She had called him and he hadn’t phoned back. If anything happened —
‘Mick, listen.’ He struggled to keep his voice low and his instructions clear. ‘I need your help. Go to Eliza’s cottage now and if she’s there, tell her to call me, okay? Tell her to call me imm
ediately.’
‘No point, brother. Saw her a while back heading out of town. Reckoned she’d decided to drive up to the mine to see you. But she might have gone to Lightning Ridge, I suppose. What’s going on?’
Fin didn’t have an answer to that but worry uncurled in his gut. If she was on her way to the mine, she might already be out of phone range. With the phone pinned between ear and shoulder he had swung the Land Rover around and was driving towards Ruin Flat before responding.
‘I don’t know. What time did you see her?’
‘Not sure. Half an hour, maybe a bit more. No more than an hour, I reckon. She in trouble, Fin?’
‘Maybe,’ Fin said, watching the speedo climb to ninety, then one hundred. Speed cameras be damned. ‘Mick, listen. I need you to call the cop shop and tell them what you told me, okay? Tell them something’s not right and they need to get someone up to the mine right now. I’m on my way but I may need them.’
He swore as the car hit a pothole and the phone spurted from his grasp but he didn’t have time to stop and retrieve it. The disquiet beetling in his gut was enormous now, and he knew every second counted.
The ladder, Pauly’s odd behaviour, Blue’s death, the break-in at Eliza’s . . . individually they could be rationalised as random incidents. Together, he wasn’t sure what they amounted to, but he couldn’t ignore his instinct that there was a connection. Something was seriously wrong, and he and Eliza were at the centre of it. The last time he’d had this feeling, his professional life had gone to shit. This time, the stakes could be far higher.
Whatever was going on, he had to get to Ruin Flat to stop it – before it was too late.
*
Out on the road, the blistering afternoon heat battering her car, Eliza wished that the camp wasn’t quite so far from town. How Fin could work in these temperatures, she had no idea. Even underground, it must be stifling. She found herself gripping the steering wheel with slippery hands. Despite the air conditioning, she could feel the sweat bead on her upper lip, and the upholstery scratched her bare legs.