by Annie Seaton
‘Do you ever fly?’ Her eyes were clear and steady as she held his. Kane was tempted to look away but that would have been the cowardly thing to do. She deserved as much honesty as he could give her.
‘No. Not anymore. But that’s a whole different story. Maybe for another pizza day.’
And maybe not.
Ellie frowned as she looked over his shoulder. ‘The next tourist has just come through the gate.’
Kane was relieved. A new level of friendship had been established and she’d opened up to him.
‘I’ll go and check the chopper for you.’ He stood and picked up the empty pizza box.
He knew Ellie was watching him as he walked out and dropped the box into the rubbish bin. He’d already checked the bird when she’d come down from the last flight and refuelled it, but hell, that was his way.
Chapter 15
Tuesday afternoon
Panos Sordina’s Office, Darwin
Everything had been going fine until Ellie Porter started sticking her nose in. The drill site was away from most of the regular scenic tour flight paths, and no one would ever have cause to go down the back; it was almost two kilometres from the highway gate to the eastern boundary. None of the tourist boats travelled that far down the river. The place was miles from anywhere. It should have been perfect. But she had to start snooping. And when Fairweather heard that she had been out there – and there was no doubt he would – there would be consequences. It was a complication he didn’t need. He didn’t know what he would say to her on Saturday, but that could wait. In the meantime, there was another problem to deal with.
‘What box, Susan?’ As Panos pressed the phone to his ear, he could feel the blood thumping through his veins.
‘Oh, just a small box I found in the shed.’
‘What was in it?’ His words were like bullets.
‘I have no idea. It wasn’t mine to look at. It had her father’s name on the top.’ Susan’s voice trembled. ‘She was really happy to take it.’
‘I bet she fucking was.’ He’d seen no box in the shed. It would have been burned if he had. No matter how hard he tried not to think about it, Panos knew he was responsible for Peter Porter’s suicide. He might as well have put the noose around his neck himself.
‘Panos? Have I done something wrong? I didn’t mean to upset you.’ Susan’s voice was teary, and a bolt of regret jarred through him. He rubbed his forehead with his fist and his anger eased a little.
Susan was his wife and he’d loved her when they’d got married, but he’d loved the money she’d inherited from her first husband just a little more. She put others first, and her martyrdom always irritated him. And now despite her illness and the loss of their beautiful home in Darwin because of his gambling, here she was, feeling sorry for Ellie Porter because her father was dead.
Peter Porter’s death haunted him. He had been found hanging from a beam, a tumbled pile of mango crates beneath his dangling legs. Eyes bulging, red spots on his cheeks. In the recurring dream, Peter called Panos to help him, his hands reaching out. A dream that made him jump to Fairweather’s bidding every day since. He had hoped he’d get away from him when he’d married Susan’s money, but a visit from Mick, Fairweather’s frightening offsider, had put the fear of God into him. It had been a clear warning: do as he was told or he would end up dead too.
Lately, that was looking like an attractive option.
Panos ran his hand over his eyes, trying to blot out the memory; he didn’t want to think too much about what Mick had meant.
‘Panos?’ she repeated softly.
‘I’m here.’ He tried to inject some life into his voice. ‘I’m sorry I snapped, darling. You know how hard it was for me when Peter died.’
‘I know, Panos.’
‘Are you feeling okay?’
‘Yes. I’m not too bad. It’s been nice to have some visitors.’
He’d been waiting for this to happen ever since the call from security that someone from Makowa Lodge had flown over the drill site. Ellie Porter would not let it go. They should have put the new barbed wire fence at the front gate, but that would have been like telling passers-by ‘Illegal Drilling Taking Place On This Property’.
He should have gone to the farm and spent the weekend with Susan, but his guilt kept him away. The guilt about trying to convince Peter to sell, the guilt about Susan having to live in that dump, the guilt about what was happening down the back, they all gnawed at his insides like the cancer that was slowly killing his wife.
So he’d slept on the couch in his office, eaten at McDonald’s around the corner, and taken a small measure of pride in the fact that he’d stayed away from the race meeting.
He’d have to go to the farm soon or find a laundromat. Especially if there was any chance of a face-to-face meeting with Fairweather. Last time they’d met, he’d looked at Panos as though he’d crawled out from under a rock.
‘I’ll be home on Friday night. I’m pleased you had some company. I’ll call you tomorrow night.’
‘Love you, Panos.’
‘Ditto.’ He stared into space as he ended the call. In his own way, he did love Susan. She was a kind woman and had never uttered one word of complaint about their situation. He didn’t deserve her.
Only a few minutes passed before the call he was dreading sounded on his other phone. He looked at it as it chirped out the happy ringtone, and dread clawed at his throat. The ringtone did not reflect the caller on the other end of the line. When Mick had given him the phone that was to be used only for contacting Fairweather, it had been set up for his use, but Panos had not been brave enough to change any of the settings. So the happy tune stayed; it was almost obscene.
The music got louder.
He had to pick it up. And he would have to meet with the cold bastard; it was inevitable. Panos needed more money.
And I deserve more. This deal was worth millions to Fairweather. If he wanted Panos to do his dirty work and secure more committee votes, it was going to cost him.
His hand reached out in front of him, slowly, tentatively, as though the phone would rear up and bite him.
‘Yes?’ He injected confidence into his voice.
‘Panos.’ The voice was soft and the cold spread through his whole body. ‘I’ve received a very disturbing call from the site.’
‘Which site?’
‘Don’t play with me, Panos. I know Ellie Porter has been out there. You’ve just spoken to your wife about it.’
Christ help me. He’s tapping my phone as well? With Fairweather’s reach, Panos should have realised all of his calls would be tracked but for God’s sake, he’d only hung up a few minutes ago.
‘So what are you going to do about it?’
He cleared his throat. ‘I was just pondering the situation when you called. Susan said Ellie had visited her. Maybe she didn’t see anything.’
‘You’re lying to me, Panos.’ When Fairweather spoke his words were like chips of ice. ‘I know you’ve spoken to Ellie Porter. Twice. In fact, I have transcripts of both calls in front of me. What do you think is in that box?’
God help me. ‘I don’t –’
‘Think back carefully. Did you give anything to Peter that had the company name on it?’
‘No.’
‘Are you sure?
‘One hundred per cent.’
Fairweather paused, and then seemed to come to a decision. ‘You have one way to redeem yourself, and one way only. She knows too much and she’s threatened to go public with it. You let me down with her father. You won’t let me down again.’
Perspiration rolled down his neck and a sharp cramp clenched Panos’ bowels.
‘Helicopters can be very unsafe. Especially over the wild gorges of Kakadu National Park.’ Fairweather’s voice hardened and Panos looked at the drop of perspiration that had rolled off the end of his nose and landed on a piece of paper on the desk. He watched as the circle spread and blurred the text.
‘I don’t understand.’ The numb feeling had spread to Panos’ mouth and for a moment, his vision clouded at the edges. A strange, stretching numbness pulled at his cheeks.
Am I having a stroke? Please, God.
‘I’m really not very happy with you, Panos. For the past six years, I’ve continually bailed you out of the problems you’ve made for yourself. I’ve been very patient, but now it’s time to repay that debt. Even if you have to be up there with her and bring the bird down yourself, her helicopter will crash. Do you understand me?’
‘I can’t do that.’ Panos shook his head from side to side. He was dead either way.
‘You will.’
‘No.’ His voice was a bare whisper.
‘What did you say?’
‘I can’t do this anymore.’ Panos sniffed, not surprised to feel the tears on his cheeks. ‘I can’t. It’s over. I’m out.’
‘I am disappointed, Panos.’ Fairweather’s voice was even, almost chatty.
‘I’ll get a loan. I’ll hand over the property. I’ll sign it over to you. It’s yours anyway, we both know that. That’ll clear all my debts.’
‘Oh no. I’m afraid it’s far too late for that.’
‘I’ll –’
‘Goodbye, Panos.’
The cold silence of the disconnected call surrounded him as Panos dropped the phone and lowered his head to the cold leather-topped desk.
Chapter 16
Tuesday night
Makowa Lodge
Ellie pushed open the door to her apartment and kicked her heavy boots off as soon as she was inside. She’d picked up a hamburger at the bistro on the way past and the smell of the onions was making her mouth water. At this rate she’d have to ramp up the exercise. Pizza for lunch and hamburger for dinner. At least she’d managed to resist the hot chips.
The lunch with Kane had sent confusion spiralling through her again. When he’d reached over and wiped that piece of cheese from her chin, it had taken every ounce of willpower not to reach up and hold his hand against her skin. She’d tried to ignore the warm feeling that coursed through her blood every time their eyes had met. Instead she’d lowered her eyes and focused on the pulse in his neck, remembering the steady beat of his heart against her cheek as she’d lain in his bed.
She didn’t trust these unfamiliar feelings. As she crossed to the sink to wash her hands, she glanced up at the clock. Half an hour to eat and then Skype Emma and Mum, and Dru. Maybe hearing about the family stuff in that box would cheer Mum up. After wiping her hands, she dropped the towel on the sink, and bent down to pull a plate from the cupboard. The aroma of the onions won out and she unwrapped the burger, unable to resist taking a bite before she took the plate into the living room.
Ellie stopped dead in the doorway and grabbed for the plate as the hamburger slid to the edge.
The sofa was empty. She put the plate on the coffee table, casting her mind back to the night before, and trying to remember exactly where she’d put the small box. Standing with her hands on her hips, she slowly scanned the room before continuing into the bedroom. The top drawer of the chest of drawers was open and her underwear was hanging over the edge. Her neck prickled as she walked over and bent down, picking up two pairs of her lace panties from the floor. Her mouth dried and she threw them back down to the floor. Ragged cuts had been sliced through the crotch of each pair. Hands shaking, she walked quietly over to the small bathroom and peered in. The shower curtain was pulled closed across the small bath. She always left it open because she hated the feel of the wet plastic against her skin when she showered. Slowly, she reached out, poised to run.
The soft plastic slithered against her fingers as they curled around the edge and she yanked the curtain back.
Nothing. No one was there.
She checked that the windows in the bathroom and the bedroom were locked before she walked back to the living room. Leaning over each end of the sofa, she looked for the box on the floor, but there was no sign of it.
Lowering herself to the soft cushions, she sat straight and looked around, trying to see if anything else was missing. But nothing was out of place. Only the box and her underwear. A shiver ran through her at the thought of someone touching her panties. The furniture melded into a blur of colour as she stared at the wall, ignoring the food in front of her. The clock ticked in the silence as the greyness of uncertainty enveloped her. It was time to start taking a bit more care. A lot more care.
After a few minutes, she picked up the plate, took it into the kitchen, and tipped the cold burger, which was now sitting in a congealed pool of juices, into the small bin under the sink.
Her stomach roiled as she walked across to the table and opened her laptop. Someone had been in her room again. The metallic taste of fear and doubt filled her mouth.
She fought for calm as she logged on and set up a group call. The musical tones of the Skype call signal broke the silence as she waited for her sisters to pick up.
‘Ellie!’ Dru’s blonde curls filled the screen. ‘You’re early. I just got to the office.’
‘Hey, Dru. Have you got time for a chat? Em’s not picking up. She mustn’t be home yet.’ Ellie managed to speak naturally and her calm voice surprised her.
‘Yes, but be quick. I’ve got an unexpected meeting.’ Dru’s voice was as clear as if she was in the room with her.
Holding the laptop in front of her, Ellie walked over to the door and checked it was locked. Dru always had unexpected meetings when they tried to set up a family call. Even when they tried to talk at Emma’s place a couple of weeks back, whenever the discussion turned to Mum’s issues, there’d always been something she had to do or a call she had to make. It had been like that since Dad’s death, but she and Em still always made the effort to include her.
Ding! As she stared at the computer screen, an email notification came in from Emma.
Ellie chewed her lip thoughtfully. Dad had always laughed when the computer dinged when an email had arrived. He hadn’t been savvy with computers but she’d set up an account for him a few months before he died.
‘Dru, you’re the computer whiz. How long do email accounts stay active if you don’t use them?’
‘As long as the service provider exists. But with something like Gmail or Hotmail, they’re pretty much there forever. Why, what’s up?’
Ellie stared at the screen. Dru was only half paying attention and was focused on something on her desk and Ellie knew she wasn’t interested in the past. And she could do nothing to help way over in Dubai. ‘Nothing important. Have you settled back to work after your holiday?’
‘Yep, work’s good. How about you?’
How about me? Broke my rules and slept with a guy I work with. Someone has been breaking into my room. And then there’s the old farm.
Ellie shook her head as she stared at Dru’s big blue eyes and the office window behind her sister. Even over the connection, she could see the smog of Dubai hanging in the air.
‘Yes, really busy. The lodge is full and –’
‘Look, Ellie, I’m really sorry, Sam is waving at me from his office. Obviously a drama of some sort. Give my love to Mum . . . and Em. I’ll email you. Bye.’
The screen went blue before Ellie could even reply. She jumped as a tree branch scraped against the corrugated roof.
Why would anyone be interested in a box of old school reports? Maybe there was a petty thief on the prowl. But why would they take the box and leave her laptop and the other minor valuables alone? And why would they go through her underwear drawer? She thought of the thug who’d chased her off the farm.
Maybe it was some sort of warning. Her uniform had indicated where she worked, and it wouldn’t be hard to find out where her apartment was.
The Skype call chimed again and she pressed answer.
Emma’s happy smile filled the screen. ‘Hey, sis. You look tired.’
Ellie closed her eyes for a brief second and drew a breath. ‘Hi, Em. I am a bit. Mum there
too?’
‘She’ll be here in a minute. We’re going across to the cafe in the village for dinner. Mum’s idea.’
Ellie frowned, surprised. ‘Wow, Mum’s idea? What’s happening over there?’
‘I took her down to the new clinical psychologist at the hospital in Port Douglas on Friday, and he’s eased her medication right back. I don’t know what he said to her, but she looked brighter as soon as she came out of the consult.’
‘Shit.’ Ellie bit her lip, not knowing what to do. The last thing she wanted was to set Mum back again.
‘What do you mean shit? We’ve been waiting for this to happen for five years.’
‘I know and it’s wonderful to hear.’ Ellie hesitated. ‘Where is she now?’
‘In the shower.’ Emma’s face filled the screen as she leaned in closer to the camera on her computer. ‘You okay?’
‘I’ll be quick before she gets out. Tell me as soon as you hear her.’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘You’re not going to believe this, but I think she’s been right all along. There’s something going on at our old place. I saw it with my own eyes.’
‘Something like what?’
She quickly filled Emma in on everything she’d seen; first the trucks, then the earthworks and suspicious construction next to the river, and finally her trip to the farm, including meeting Susan Sordina and being run off the property.
‘Ellie, I don’t like the sound of this. It makes sense of something else I was going to tell you too.’
‘What else?’
There was a long silence at the other end.
‘Em?’
‘After you left I read some of the emails Mum got from one of the action groups. Right now there’s a parliamentary committee looking into exploration applications in the north of the Territory. For fracking and seabed mining.’
‘Are you serious?’
She glanced across at the living room window and saw her face reflected back at her. The sudden realisation that anyone out there could see her clearly in the brightly lit room sent a shiver down her spine. She jumped up and pulled down the rarely used blind behind the curtains.