by Sarah Barrie
He picked up the length of dowel that had been keeping the window secured. There was nothing wrong with it. He frowned. It couldn’t have come out of its own accord. He stared at the cat. There was no way anything on the outside of the window could shift it. He couldn’t explain it.
Uncomfortable, he went outside to the shed, grabbed what he needed and returned to the bedroom.
‘What are you doing?’ Ally asked, appearing behind him as he worked.
‘I’m nailing it shut.’
‘Oh, good idea.’
‘This is nice.’ He hadn’t seen her in a dress before. It suited her. Really suited her. He tried not to spend too long looking at her legs.
Ally shrugged self-consciously. ‘You’re kind of dressed up, so I thought I should follow suit.’
‘I’ve been working this morning, dealing with clients.’
‘On a Sunday?’
‘This is the only time they could get away from work.’
The look in her eyes was still wary, so he reached out, slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her in, covering her mouth with his. He kissed her gently, then when she softened, asked for a bit more. Her response was intoxicating. Her arms slid up his and snaked around his neck, and he pulled them closer together. She smelled like a summer’s day, held nothing back from that kiss. When his response became uncomfortable enough, he drew away, his control almost disintegrating at the dreamy look in her eyes. It made him smile.
As they flew along the main road into town, Ally attempted to process the events of the morning. He’d actually kissed her again. She just didn’t seem to be able to scare him off.
‘How’s your back?’ he asked, bringing her attention to the present.
‘Oh, it’s just stiff. I was planning on sleeping but I usually watch TV until the – until I’m tired.’
‘Until the sleeping pills kick in?’
‘Do you have to be so damn perceptive? Yes, except, I haven’t been taking them, not every night, and when I don’t, it takes longer to get to sleep.’
‘You stopped your meds?’
‘Not all of them, but the ones to help me sleep, I don’t always need them so much out here.’
‘Even so, you should be wary of making changes. Are you going to tell me about the crazy story?’
‘You need another one?’ she asked dubiously. She didn’t want to press her luck.
His grin was fast and cheeky. ‘Entertain me.’
‘I went upstairs after you left and a movement caught my eye. It was like a shadow moving across the wall. A tall shadow. So without actually sticking my head round to see where it went or what created it, I just kind of backed away.’
She saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel. ‘You didn’t call me.’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘After last time?’
‘You wouldn’t have called me then either, except Mia made you.’
‘I wouldn’t have known that time if Mia hadn’t woken me. When I take those pills I don’t wake up.’
‘You’re evading.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘Sorry, Mr Prosecutor.’
‘Why didn’t you call me, Ally?’
‘I – It’s hard to explain.’
‘Try.’
‘I’m always finding threats, imagining them. My therapist calls it hyper-vigilance. Every crackle could be a fire, every whiff of smoke, a major emergency. I can’t even look at a match without feeling ill. Screams, shadows … I overreact to normal stuff, create dramas. Besides, after seeing David last night, I thought I was probably hallucinating again. Thinking I should just pack up and go to Mia’s.’
‘I’m glad you didn’t.’
‘I wasn’t sure. And Cam? I still haven’t got to the crazy part. Not the really crazy part.’
‘Then by all means, continue.’
‘So I went downstairs, gave myself the lecture. Luna’s less dicey on the toilet training these days so I leave her in for company. And she took off, straight up the stairs, barking like she does when I’ve come home from somewhere – all excited. I called her but something had her attention so I ended up going after her.’
‘Seriously?’
‘Now you sound mad and you’re freaking me out.’
‘I freak you out sounding mad but what you’re describing to me has you heading upstairs?’
‘I have to learn to deal with my hyper-vigilance. My logical mind was telling me there was a rational explanation. So anyway, I found her in the spare room. She was barking excitedly and she was staring at the wall near the wardrobe. The door was open an inch, but there was nothing in there. She sat there even after I walked out, like she could see something I couldn’t.’
‘Maybe there was a rat in the wall.’
‘I guess. And maybe I didn’t really see a shadow, but all I could think about when I thought I saw it was the Wilson boys’ encounter with the mysterious apparition at the top of the stairs.’
‘I knew they’d be in your ear with all that rubbish.’
‘I don’t suppose there’s anything to the Billy story?’
‘Of course not – you know what kids are like with that kind of thing.’
‘I’m sure Mavis’s delusions don’t help either.’
‘So you slept downstairs in the lounge chair.’
‘Yes.’
‘Like always.’
‘And you figured that out how?’
‘You don’t say “my bedroom”, you say spare room or Mavis’s room. Mia’s been using the spare and the night of the rats you moved her into Mavis’s, so where does that leave you? And you said you went upstairs to get changed – not to go to bed. There’s always a blanket folded up on the blanket box in the lounge room, and neither bed has had sheets on it since the snake episode.’
She stared at his profile, frowned. ‘Were you a detective in a past life too?’
‘There has to be a bit of detective in any lawyer. And I made the last one up. I have no idea if there have been sheets on the beds since the snake, just that there weren’t any there this morning. I guessed.’
‘And I thought Lee said you weren’t a smartarse.’
‘I’m very smart. I’m also a bit peeved you didn’t call me.’
‘Surprisingly, I felt like enough of a crackpot already.’
‘You can be as much of a crackpot as you like, I won’t hold it against you.’
She knew he was teasing, probably trying to make her feel better, so she let it pass, smiling a little as they pulled into Ebony’s clinic.
The sign on the window read Closed, but when they approached the doors they slid open.
‘Ebs?’
‘In the back!’
They walked to a storeroom overflowing with rows and rows of drugs and equipment.
‘Up or down?’ he called out.
Ebony’s head appeared from behind a rack of unpacked boxes. ‘Right here. Hi. Hi, Ally. Did you bring my plans?’ she asked Cam.
‘In the car. We’re hungry. We’ll talk over lunch.’
‘Can we eat at the inn? I want to ask Linda what she’s found out about the last lot of shooters.’
Cam sighed. ‘Ebs …’
Ebony lifted her brow and sighed back. ‘Cam …’
With a roll of his eyes he gestured for her to go ahead. ‘Inn it is. Let’s go.’
The inn was small, and the restaurant was crowded with weekend travellers. The furnishings were deliberately rustic and Ally found them charming; basic but comfortable. Wooden tables and chairs complete with checked tablecloths were packed into the back room, which overlooked a picnic area and pretty creek. A small bar in the far corner was packed with patrons. The noise was one level shy of uncomfortable, but the mood was upbeat.
An attractive middle-aged woman with an infectious grin waved at them from behind a food service area as they entered. ‘Hi, Ebs, Cam and?’
Ebony reached her first. ‘Linda – this is Alissa Morgan.’
&nb
sp; ‘Ah, Mavis’s daughter.’
‘In-law.’
Linda laughed. ‘I can understand the justification. Thanks for the piglets.’
‘You’re Lee’s sister?’ And then she saw the resemblance.
‘Yeah. They’re doing well. Kids love ’em. Sure we don’t owe you anything?’
‘You’re doing me a favour. And Lee got me some plants.’
‘Well, that’s all good then. How are you coping out at Mavis’s?’
‘Okay. Lee’s done some much needed work for me.’
‘He said the place was two-thirds falling down. You going to rebuild?’
‘Yes, she is,’ Cam said, leaning over the counter to kiss Linda on the cheek. ‘I get to help. You’re busy today.’
Linda pulled a face. ‘Gonna be busier later. And speaking of.’ She turned her attention to Ebony. ‘How’d the wallaby turn out?’
‘It was full of holes – oh wait, you mean the one you brought in? He pulled through. He’s recovering at the wildlife park – we’re waiting to see if his leg will heal enough for release.’
‘Damned party hunts. That lot was a buck’s night. These packs of idiots do some five-minute course, get a licence and think they’re experts. It’s a wonder none of them have shot themselves – or each other.’ She shook her head and pursed her lips. ‘There’s another shooting party coming in from Melbourne this afternoon. Rob’s going to read ’em the riot act before they head out there. Sound like another lot that shoot first – anything that moves – and think about it after.’
‘I reckon they might be.’ Rob dropped his hat on the counter and there was a round of greetings.
‘Did you find out any more about the last load that came through?’ Ebony asked.
‘I had a chat with Martin. He’s not saying much. No way any of them would have shot a wallaby, he says.’
Ebony pulled a face. ‘Of course he does. I suppose they all know exactly where their bullets went and none strayed into the no-shooting areas. Right?’
Rob smirked. ‘Yep. For someone thicker than a donkey’s dangler, he sure knew the trajectory of every one of those bullets.’
‘Were there any out there last week?’ Ebony asked. ‘Ally said she heard some noises.’
Rob’s gaze narrowed in on Ally. ‘Gunshots?’
‘No, more like a scream.’
‘Are you serious?’ Ebony asked in disbelief. ‘You never said scream.’
Rob held his hands up, palms out. ‘Now before we go there, one of the cops up north thinks he might have a lead on Tara, and no more women have suddenly disappeared, so let’s not assume the worst. A few animals around here can make sounds like that – foxes or screech owls. Lots of noises in the bush.’
Ally shrugged. ‘Any of the above are better than a woman – or Kyle and Terry’s explanation.’
A tall bald man with a kind but tired face wiped his hands on a towel and tossed it on the bench. ‘The boys been scaring you with their stories?’
‘Ally, this is my husband, George.’
‘The Ally Lee was talking about? Mavis’s daughter-in-law?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Rob’s probably right about the sounds. And if anyone is hunting, the animals can sound quite human. Ever heard an injured pig squeal?’
No, but God, I’ve heard horses scream. The memory made her feel sick.
Rob nodded at George. ‘The sound can carry for miles, and if they’re in the old military range, they’re right on your back doorstep.’
‘That’s off limits, they can’t shoot there,’ Ebony cut in.
‘Not saying they were, or even that anyone was out there, but Mavis’s place backs up to that – Ally would hear it, that’s all.’
Linda leant in, lowering her voice. ‘And some of them shooters are scarier than any ghost, let me tell you.’
‘Oh, come on, honey, they’re okay for the most part.’
‘For the most part, maybe,’ she said to her husband, then told the others, ‘but we have groups in – let me tell you, I have nightmares going to bed some nights knowing how close they are. Maybe you should be looking their way for those missing girls.’
Rob shook his head. ‘There’s been no hunts posted when those girls have gone missing. I’ve already looked into it.’
‘But you said you had a lead on Tara?’
‘A possible sighting. Still waiting on details.’
‘Well, that’s something. Finding her safe and sound would go a long way to making everyone round here feel better.’ Linda turned when a cook caught her attention from the kitchen servery window and she checked a white slip of paper. ‘Lee’s order’s up – you seen him?’ she asked George.
‘Bar. I’ll light up the number – he’ll see it eventually.’
‘Lee’s here? I thought he was on a job this morning.’ Cam pointed towards a table by a window. ‘Right, there’s a table – Ally, jump on it before anyone pinches it, would you?’
‘Okay.’
She found the table, sat herself down. The others were still talking and occasionally glancing in her direction. What was Cam telling them? Ebony moved across the room to join her.
‘In case you were wondering, that’s just an “I forgot to ask Ally what she wants to eat,” conversation. We weren’t discussing dental records or criminal history or anything.’
‘Or anything,’ Ally repeated with a smirk that Ebony was quick to mirror.
‘We’re having steak – that okay?’
‘Yum.’
Ebony caught Cam’s eye, mouthed ‘Steak’, then getting the thumbs up, ‘I’m curious to see these plans,’ Ebony said, and unrolled the papers Cam had given her.
‘Aren’t the renovations almost finished?’
Ebony shook her head and smiled wickedly. ‘Next project. I’m extending to the block beside the clinic. See?’ She showed Ally the plans. ‘This is a kennel with a run, round the back a couple of stables, an equine exam room, four small yards.’
‘How are you going to manage all this by yourself?’
‘I’m not. I’m going to get in another vet, and finally, a receptionist. Carla – Cam said you met her at the show? She’s playing receptionist and vet nurse until I get someone else in.’
‘Wow, sounds – and looks – great.’
‘Yep. Just got to put the finishing touches on the first phase. I’ve got a stack of unpacking to do tomorrow in the new storeroom.’
‘I’ll give you a hand, I’m not busy.’
‘That would be wonderful. You might be sorry though. I close at twelve for surgery – except I don’t have any, so there’s a couple of free hours before afternoon consults, if that works?’
‘No problem.’
‘Ally, Cam will probably have a go at me for worrying you, but he brought me the snake to take a look at and I’m not convinced the cat killed it.’
‘Because it was too mangled?’
‘Yeah, but also too big for Tom to drag up onto the roof.’
‘It was in the bed. With the sheet pulled over it and the bedspread on the floor.’
‘Unless the cat found it upstairs already, or possibly on the roof. Might have been sunning itself on the tin. Animals will sometimes try and bury their prey.’
‘That’s what Lee said.’
‘What did Lee say?’ Cam reappeared and sat down. ‘I ordered you a steak, same as us, that okay?’
‘Fine, thanks. We were just talking about the snake.’
‘Don’t worry about the snake.’ He sent Ebony a censoring look. ‘We should look at these plans, Ebs.’
Lee pulled out a chair and flopped down at their table, placing a huge meal in front of him. ‘Lunching without me?’
‘Weren’t you checking out the place in Kandos?’
‘If I have to work on a Sunday, I get to finish at lunchtime. Besides, it didn’t take long. The place has potential, but the old guy next door breeds turtles. There are swampy-looking swimming pools set up all over the festy
backyard and the stink’s gonna outlive religion. I couldn’t stand to work on the house, let alone expect someone to live in it. Needless to say I didn’t bother doing an in-depth analysis of the place.’ He flicked a look at Ally. ‘How’s that front door holding up? I pinched a beauty of a deadlock from a demo.’
‘Oh, that sounds great. Thanks! Maybe then it will stop opening itself whenever it feels like it.’
‘Draught?’ Ebony asked with a frown.
‘Maybe it’s the ghost.’ Lee made a spooky noise and shovelled in a mouthful of pasta salad.
Cam screwed up a serviette and bounced it off Lee’s forehead with a growled, ‘Idiot.’
Ally carefully put down her fork. ‘The frame is warped. You know about the ghost?’
Lee immediately looked regretful. ‘Yeah, just the local kids. You know, all kids like to tell ghost stories.’
‘If there was any truth to any of it, Mavis would have mentioned it, right?’
Because she was looking for it, she didn’t miss the lightning-fast warning look Cam sent Lee.
Lee shook his head. ‘I shouldn’t have teased. Sorry, Ally, forget it.’
They had been talking about her? Embarrassment had anger rising to the surface. ‘Don’t tiptoe around me!’
Cam, Lee and Ebony looked at each other.
Ally realised she was overreacting, and went through her breathing exercises in her head.
‘Ally, has anything other than the snake thing been going on?’ Ebony asked.
Ally glanced at Cam. He said nothing. ‘No, it’s fine.’
‘No shooting?’ Ebony pressed.
‘No,’ Ally reassured her. ‘But Clint did mention the shooters like the military grounds.’
Lee nodded. ‘Lots of pigs and foxes and rabbits, a few deer. It’s not illegal to shoot feral animals.’
Ebony’s fist clenched on the table. ‘They’re not supposed to be in there. These hunting groups are thinning out the populations in the legal spots and chasing them further into areas they have no business shooting in. What if a stray bullet hits livestock, or hikers?’
Cam shifted in his seat, and this time it was Ebony that copped a scowl. ‘That’s not going to happen, Ebony.’