by Annie Seaton
‘Your mum looked out for mine when Dad died. If there’s any way I can help out, please let me. I’d like to.’
‘Thank you. I’m going to try and get her back to Darwin tomorrow. To look at apartments. Fancy a drive?’
‘What time?’ Kane noticed Ellie’s hesitation.
‘After lunch. We’re both on the same shift, which will make it easy. You’ve got three flights to take up in the morning.’
‘Yes, longer flights . . . and yes I would love to come. I’d like to help out if I could.’ She stared up at him and he couldn’t look away from her blue eyes. ‘I’m having lunch with someone, but I’ll make it an early one unless you want to get away before noon?’
‘No, as long as we get away by one that’s fine. I’ve lined up a couple of places to look at around four o’clock. If Mum’s up to it, we can have an early dinner and drive back. Maybe I can tempt you with a potato pizza?’
Ellie smiled at him and nodded.
Heather came back and stood behind Ellie. She looked as surprised as he was; they’d been in their own little world there for a moment.
‘Hey, Kane. Excuse us for a minute? I just need to talk to Ellie again.’
Their voices were low and Kane turned back to survey the crowd. Most of those couples with children had left and the bar was emptying out. He thought about going back to his room. A couple of nights out was more socialising than he’d done since before the crash in Afghanistan.
Closing his eyes, Kane blocked out the sound of the room around him and thought back to that last night in the desert. He waited for the usual surge of adrenaline to settle in his chest, but he must have been more relaxed than he thought. There was a pang of sadness, but none of the physical symptoms that usually took over when he thought about what had happened. He let himself test the memory – slowly – like opening a photograph album and flicking through the pages. Taking slow, easy breaths, he let his muscles relax. His pulse stayed steady and his heart beat slowly in his chest. Dirk and Jerry had been playing cards, and Hawk had been strumming on her guitar. The conversation was animated, with the usual swearing when someone got a bad hand.
If they’d known it was their last night of their lives, what would his crew have talked about? Would they have questioned what they were doing in this godforsaken desert fighting a war that could never be won? Kane waited for the guilt to come slamming in, but it stayed away. The usual pain blocking his throat didn’t come. It was sweet relief; the violence of his reactions when he was feeling that pain frightened him.
He opened his eyes slowly and looked around. There was no point wishing he could go back; he couldn’t change what had happened. In a way he was pleased Ellie knew some of his background – maybe he was beginning to let go a little bit. Kane straightened his posture and stretched his legs out in front of him as he looked at her. A comfortable, almost mellow feeling had settled in his bones.
She and Heather were still deep in conversation as they walked back to the table and a lull in the crowd noise let their words carry across to him.
‘Do you want me to come with you?’ Ellie was looking up at her friend with a frown. ‘Just be a bit careful out there.’
‘Let me go and see if his car is in the car park. Maybe he changed his mind and went home. The old bugger refuses to turn his mobile on so I can’t text him.’ Heather headed towards the door.
‘Everything okay?’
Ellie glanced at Kane. ‘We can’t find Bill. Heather’s car’s still out of action and she needs a lift home. I’m going out to help her look for him.’
He jumped to his feet. ‘Not by yourselves. I’ll come with you. I said I’d fix her car but the cable hasn’t arrived yet.’
‘She’s just gone to check the car park.’ Ellie bit her bottom lip.
‘How will she get home if he’s gone?’
‘She’ll probably stay. It’s a good hour out there on a dirt road.’ Ellie frowned.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘It’s not like Bill. He’s really not been himself lately.’ Ellie came to an abrupt stop on the lawn beside the covered area of the bar. Heather was standing in the doorway, her face wet with tears. Ellie ran over and put her arms around her.
‘What’s wrong?’ They led Heather away from the noisy crowd.
Heather hitched a sob. She turned and looked up at Kane. ‘Can you help me?’
‘What’s happened?’ Ellie kept hold of Heather’s arm.
Her voice broke. ‘I don’t know what to do. His car is still in the car park. His keys were on the ground and there’s a big smear of blood on the door. Really big. And on the ground too.’
Ellie threw a worried look at Kane.
‘Show us where his car is. Maybe he’s just hit a kangaroo or something on the way in.’ Kane kept his voice calm, even though all of his senses were on full alert.
When they reached the old battered Land Cruiser – and it did look like it had hit plenty of wildlife in its day – Kane crouched down beside it and ran his fingers over the smear of blood on the driver’s door. It was still wet. The dark maroon stain covered the chrome of the door handle and ran down in a broad splatter of drops to the ground where a large stain covered the gravel.
‘Maybe he cut his hand when he tried to open the door.’ He looked around. ‘Where were the keys?’
‘On the ground over there.’ Heather pulled them from her pocket. The leather of the key ring was damp with blood.
Ellie nodded. ‘Kane’s right. That’s what’s probably happened. He’s probably gone to the office to get the first-aid kit. Come on, we’ll go and look for him.’
‘As long as he hasn’t passed out on the way.’ Heather hurried away towards the administration building, closely followed by Kane and Ellie. The office was in darkness and the door was firmly shut; the only light shining through the glass window came from the drinks refrigerator inside.
Heather walked across to the staff entrance and tried to turn the handle. Kane put his hand on Ellie’s before she could follow.
‘Is there anything else I should know about Bill?’ He was surprised at the level of Heather’s distress.
Ellie shook her head as Heather walked back to them.
‘Later,’ she said in a soft voice.
‘Is there somewhere else around here he might have gone for help?’ Kane directed his question to Heather and she shook her head.
‘Everyone lives off site apart from you and Ellie.’
Kane was surprised; he’d assumed that the staff apartments were full.
‘Most of the staff live at Jabiru,’ Ellie explained. ‘And most of the Aboriginal staff have homes in the settlements along the river. So there’s really no one here apart from me who Bill would go to for help.’
‘Maybe he went down to your apartment?’
‘Maybe he did.’ Heather turned swiftly and followed the path to the back of the lodge. They hurried after her.
‘What were you going to tell me before?’ Kane kept his voice low as their footsteps crunched on the gravel.
‘Bill used to drink a lot. We used to find him passed out all over the place, but he’s been to AA and he’s been dry for a long time.’ Ellie leaned over and whispered close to his ear as Heather walked ahead of them. ‘She’s probably worried that he’s passed out somewhere now. He’s been acting a bit strange this week.’
‘If that’s the case, I hope he’s nowhere near the river.’
‘Oh, God.’ Heather’s harsh gasp filled his ears. She had stopped dead at the end of the path. Kane pushed past her and ran across to the figure lying prostrate on the path at the bottom of the steps near Ellie’s room.
‘Look after Heather.’ Kane crouched beside the unconscious man and placed his fingers on his neck, searching for a pulse. He let out a relieved breath as the strong beat pulsed steadily against his fingertips. ‘He’s alive.’
Kane rolled Bill into the recovery position. He sat back on his heels for a moment and pulled his own shirt
off, rolled it up and placed it beneath Bill’s head before he ran his hands gently over the man’s body, looking for the injury that had caused the blood to be on the car door. The sounds of a car’s wheels moving slowly over crushed stones at the edge of the road behind the staff apartment block distracted him and Kane glanced up as the headlights swept across them. It was then that he saw Bill’s hand.
‘Whose car is that?’ Heather’s voice was thready.
‘It’s a Mercedes. I saw the badge on the back when it turned.’ Kane looked up as Ellie put her hand on his shoulder but he barely registered her touch on his bare skin.
‘Is he drunk?’ she asked.
Kane shook his head. ‘I don’t think so.’ He’d leaned forward to sniff Bill’s breath but there was no smell of alcohol coming from him.
Bill moaned and tried to sit up but Kane put his hands on his shoulders. ‘Stay there, mate. I just want to check you out.’
‘Do we need an ambulance?’ Ellie’s voice was calm.
Kane shook his head as he turned and stared up at Ellie, his stomach clenching. The blood was starting to get to him.
‘It would be quicker to take him to the medical centre ourselves, wouldn’t it?’ He swallowed and kept his voice steady as he searched the ground around them, but he couldn’t see what he was looking for. Ellie nodded as she looked at Kane, picking up the warning he was trying to convey.
‘What’s wrong with him?’ Heather crouched beside them. ‘It’s okay, Dad. We’re here now.’
‘His hand is hurt. I think he’s lost a fair bit of blood and that would be why he passed out. We need to get him to the hospital.’
Kane looked across the car park, remembering the sound of the car slowly driving away. He wasn’t ready to tell them that one of Bill’s fingers was missing.
*
After binding Bill’s hand with a bandage from the first-aid kit in Ellie’s car, Kane drove to the medical centre. Ellie and Heather sat in the back of his Jeep and they’d supported Bill between them as they’d sped up the dark highway.
‘What did you do, Dad?’ Heather asked but Bill just shook his head and stared ahead, his bound hand pressed against his chest.
‘Were you looking for Ellie? Is that why you were down the back?’
‘Button it, Heather. Enough with the questions, can’t you see a man’s in pain?’ Bill dropped his head to his chest and closed his eyes.
There was no traffic on the road and it only took twenty minutes to get to Jabiru. Ellie had called ahead and one of the resident doctors met them in the emergency department.
‘I’m going to admit you, mate.’ The doctor finished his examination and patted Bill on the shoulder. ‘I’m going to give you a good slug of local anaesthetic and antibiotics while I do what I can. And you can tell me exactly how you managed to rip your finger off.’
Bill tried to sit up but the doctor’s hand stayed him.
‘I can’t stay. I have to be in Darwin tomorrow afternoon.’ Bill jutted his chin out and Heather stepped forward.
‘I’ll look after Dad when I get him home.’
The doctor shook his head. ‘I won’t put him in for surgery till the nursing staff comes on at seven in the morning, but he needs to stay here tonight. It’s more than a few stitches. The rest of you might as well all go home and get some sleep.’
Kane and Ellie waited in the car while Heather had a few moments with her father. Ellie sat in the front with Kane and Heather was quiet in the back seat as they returned to the lodge. Ellie turned sideways in the seat and looked back at her friend in the last, dim light from the streetlights before they turned onto the highway. Heather’s hand was over her eyes.
‘Did your dad say any more about what happened?’
‘No.’ Heather rubbed her eyes. ‘But he told me to stay with you and not go home.’
‘That’s a good idea. It’s way too late for you to drive out to your place,’ Ellie agreed. ‘But I still want to know what happened.’
‘Leave it Ellie, it was just an accident. Like we thought.’
‘How could it be an accident?’ Ellie finally gave into the fear that had settled in her chest. ‘The way Bill was the other day, and with what’s happening at the farm I –’
‘Dad talked to me about that after you left.’ Heather’s voice was sharp. ‘He said you’re imagining things, just like your mother.’
Ellie clenched her hands on her lap as anger surged through her. ‘It’s something to do with the Aboriginal council or the environmental committee, isn’t it?’ It was dark now and Ellie couldn’t see Heather’s expression.
Kane reached over and squeezed her hand. ‘What happened the other day?’
‘Bill warned me off when I asked him some questions.’
‘Like he said, Ellie, just drop it. It was an accident.’ Heather’s voice was short.
There was no more conversation until they got back to the lodge.
Ellie pushed opened the door of her apartment. Kane raised his hand and stepped in first and flicked the lights on. ‘It’s okay. All good.’
‘You can have my room. I’ve got an early start. I’ll sleep on the sofa.’ Ellie frowned as Heather nodded and walked past her into the bedroom. The door closed behind her with a loud click and Kane raised his eyebrows.
Ellie crossed the living area and stood by the bedroom door. ‘Something sounded a bit off, didn’t it?’
‘It did.’
‘I’m not going to let it go.’ Ellie pushed open the door and sat beside her friend as she lay back on the pillow with her hand over her eyes. ‘What’s going on, Heather? I know there’s something. Why would someone do this to Bill? Has he been threatened?’
Heather’s eyes flew open and she stared at Ellie. ‘What?’
‘I think I know what’s going on.’
Heather’s face closed. ‘You heard Dad at our place. He’s right. Just stay out of it.’
‘For fuck’s sake, Heather. Someone tortured him tonight. They cut his finger off. What the hell is going on? Why are you both acting so strangely?’
‘It was an accident. No one cut his finger off. You have a vivid imagination, Ellie.’ Heather rolled over and turned her back. ‘I’m tired. Just forget it. Dad’s got things under control.’
Ellie closed the door quietly and crossed to the small kitchenette. She looked over at Kane, who was standing just inside the door. ‘A cuppa or something stronger?’ She lifted her eyebrows and waited for him to answer. He’d been to his room and changed his shirt while Ellie had been in the bedroom with Heather.
‘Coffee would be good, thanks.’
The kettle boiled with a soft whoosh. Ellie poured the water and let out a soft sigh as the aromatic orange fragrance of her tea calmed her jangling nerves. She carried the two mugs across to the door, and waited for Kane to slide open the screen door. He seemed to understand that she wanted to sit outside in the quiet dark of the night. The air was still and only the occasional ominous splash from the river and one stray bird call broke the silence. The sounds of Kakadu were about the only thing she could rely on lately.
Ellie looked over the top of her cup as Kane stared into the darkness. ‘What do you think really happened to Bill?’
Kane swung around in his chair and put his cup down. ‘He refused to let the doctor call the police. He’s insisting it was an accident.’
‘He’s lying.’
‘Of course he’s lying. Injuries like that don’t happen by accident. Not opening a car door. What’s going on? Who would do this to him?’
‘It’s too much of a coincidence, isn’t it?’ Ellie shook her head from side to side, tears welling in her eyes. ‘He’s a good man. He wouldn’t do anything wrong.’
‘Ellie.’ She jumped as Kane reached over and took her hands that she had clenched in her lap. ‘I want you to be careful. It’s way more than a coincidence.’
‘This is a tourist park, for God’s sake. A resort where you’re supposed to have a good time. Not
the back streets of the Darwin waterfront.’ She stifled the sob that rose in her throat and met Kane’s eyes squarely. ‘I’m sure Bill’s hiding something and it has to do with the work at the back of the farm. His “accident” worries me. Now I think Heather knows something too. That thug scared me and someone has been in my apartment twice now. And now that I’ve have seen the drilling with my own eyes, I know Mum is right about the fracking. And maybe about . . .’ She couldn’t put her doubt about Dad’s death into words and her breath caught. Kane held her close and his hand was warm in the small of her back.
‘Why would Bill be involved in anything to do with the farm?’
‘He’s on the committee that’s involved in protecting the environment. They make decisions about mining licences. I may be making a big leap in my thinking but what if he was attacked as a warning?’ Ellie drew in a shaky breath and swallowed. Her throat was dry from all the emotion coursing through her. ‘There’s no other reason for anyone to hurt him.’
After his out-of-character behaviour with her on Sunday, Ellie knew she was right. Bill had got wind of something happening there. Maybe he was being warned to stay out of it. Whatever it was, she was going to get to the bottom of it.
If only there was someone I could turn to. For years, Ellie had held it together, not wanting to lean on Mum or Emma. A great sense of desolation filled her and she put her elbows on her knees and dropped her face into her hands.
‘Shit, oh shit.’ She muttered the words in frustration.
Finally she lifted her head and met Kane’s eyes. She knew he’d been watching her, she could feel his gaze on her. She needed someone to help her find out what was going on; she couldn’t do it by herself.
Ellie held his eyes and saw only concern and kindness. She let her gaze travel across his face and he stared at her as she examined him. His short hair was brushed back from his high forehead. Laughter lines that spoke of happier times were traced in small white creases in his tanned face. But his eyes were hooded and she could see the touch of dark shadows beneath them.
We all carry our own secrets and our own grief.
Kane stood slowly and held out his hands. Ellie took them and he pulled her to her feet. He embraced her and the feeling of safety she’d experienced in his arms came rushing back.