He went back on board, put out the gangplank and picked up a bundle of sheets. At least the last group had stripped the beds and the boat looked like it had been given the once-over. It wouldn’t be too hard to clean but they didn’t have much time.
As he walked up the path he realised Savannah’s car still wasn’t under the carport. He dropped the bundle of sheets at the end of the verandah and went to the back door. It was locked. He knocked.
“Savannah?” he called.
Jasper barked.
Ethan bent to pat his head.
“Where is she, mate?”
He went back around the front. The blinds were up but the door was locked. He peered inside. There was a mug on the table and one of her jumpers draped over a chair. He hoped that meant she hadn’t left for good.
He set to work getting Riverboat ready for the next lot of customers. The shed was open so he could get to the clean linen. There was just enough to kit out the boat. Maybe she’d realised stocks were low and had gone to collect some.
Just after three the first cars began to arrive but there was still no sign of Savannah. A small worm of worry turned inside him.
By the time he’d welcomed everyone, showed them the ropes, taken their money and put each boatload through their paces before waving them off, he was frantic with worry. It wasn’t like her. No matter what she thought of him or how angry she was with Jaxon, he just couldn’t see her walking out on the customers.
He took his tinnie back to the jetty then went all around Jaxon’s place again. Perhaps Savannah’s car had broken down somewhere between here and town. He got on his bike and set out to look for her. He slowed at Gnasher’s gate then took off again. She wouldn’t be in there. Not with her car anyway. He passed the Palmers’ gate. If she’d finally had an invitation to Belinda’s place she would have come home on time.
He kept going. Each time he rounded a bend he hoped to see her car on the side of the road ahead. When he reached town he pulled over at the first corner. Now what? he wondered.
Ethan perched on a stool at the front bar of the pub cradling a beer. He’d been to Riverboat Point twice today. The first time he’d called in to the garage, the supermarket and the tea room asking after Savannah. No-one had seen her. He’d ridden home again and paced back and forth for an hour before he decided he needed a drink. There was none left in his fridge and Savannah’s place was locked up so he’d made the journey back to town.
“Howdy.”
Ethan glanced sideways. An old bloke had come and perched on the stool next to his. Ethan scowled at him then looked back at his beer. He put it to his mouth and emptied the glass.
“My name’s Terry. They tell me you’re a bit of a mechanic.”
“Do they?”
“Any good with old cars?”
“Maybe.”
“That new bloke at the servo has no idea.”
“Look, mate. I’ve got a bit on my plate at the moment. Maybe another day, hey?”
“Suit yourself, but I’ve got a car needs fixing and I’m willing to pay good money to have it done.”
Terry flipped over a coaster and picked up a pen from the bar. He scribbled down a number and slid the coaster towards Ethan.
“That’s my number.”
Terry picked up his glass and moved to the other end of the bar.
Sad really, they were the only two in the pub at this hour but Ethan wasn’t in the mood to talk. Savannah had disappeared. She obviously didn’t want to be found. He’d blown his chance with her.
“Another?”
The barman lifted his empty glass.
“Yes.” Ethan put his money on the counter.
The barman poured him a schooner and placed it in front of him.
“Thanks,” Ethan said and stared at the glass.
More people came in. He heard their voices around him but he ignored them. A child cried. Someone bumped him. Ethan edged away.
“Hello.”
He ignored the female voice beside him.
“You’re Savannah’s neighbour, aren’t you?”
At the mention of Savannah’s name Ethan looked at the speaker. She was a good-looking woman, fit with dark curly hair and a bright smile.
“Ethan, is it?” the woman asked. “I’m Mandy Sampson. I was out your way yesterday helping Savannah clean.”
Ethan straightened up. “Have you seen her today?” he asked.
“No.”
“Aren’t you one of the fitness group?”
“Yes, but Savannah didn’t show today. She said it would depend on what happened with the broken-down houseboat. I assumed she was still having trouble.”
A child came and pushed between Mandy and Ethan.
“Mum,” he whined. “Dad said I can’t have a coke.”
“I’ll get you a lemon squash in a moment. Go back to Dad.” She looked at Ethan. “I’d better order these drinks,” she said. “Troops are getting restless.”
He watched while the barman served her. He swallowed his pride.
“Savannah’s not home. Her car’s gone. She didn’t give you any clues about anywhere else she might have been planning to go today?”
Mandy frowned. “No. She had two boats to see off this afternoon. Don’t you help her with that?”
“Yes.”
Mandy held his gaze. “Wasn’t she there?”
“No, but it was probably just a misunderstanding. I’ll sort it out when I get back.”
A child yelped behind them.
“I’d better keep moving.” She added some numbers underneath Terry’s on the coaster. “Give me a call if you need.” She tucked her wallet under her arm and gathered the four drinks in her hands. “See you later,” she said and returned to her family.
Ethan shoved the coaster in his back pocket. Not quite the same as the phone numbers he’d collected in the old days. Not that he wanted those days back. He wanted Savannah. He tipped down the rest of his drink. It was time to go home. He’d try Gnasher on the way just in case he’d seen her, but it was a slim chance.
Ethan hurried out to his bike and hoped like hell Savannah would be at her place when he got there.
CHAPTER
45
Savannah sat on the edge of the bed looking at the thin waif of a girl lying under the filthy blanket. She was used to the smell now. When she’d first followed Li into the van she’d retched at the rancid smell of vomit and faeces. She’d thought the girl Li leant over was dead but she’d stirred at the sound of Li’s voice.
Savannah had helped Li clean her up as best they could. Li called her Hung and Savannah assumed it was her name. Her body was emaciated but even so Savannah could tell she wasn’t a child but a young woman. There was cold water and soap but the towels and bedding were filthy. Savannah stripped the bed and they lay Hung on the mattress and covered her with the best of the sheets and blankets.
Now Savannah turned her attention to Li. She wasn’t doing much better than the girl in the bed. The wound ran jaggedly around the top of her arm in an arc for several centimetres. It gaped open and the skin around it was crusted with blood and turning purple.
Savannah pulled off her singlet top. It was the cleanest thing she had to put over the wound. She inspected the series of puncture marks in Li’s leg. They looked red and inflamed. Savannah frowned.
“Is this a dog bite?”
Li stared at her with dull eyes.
Savannah tapped her fingers and thumb together imitating a bite.
“Did a dog bite you?”
Li’s eyes responded. “Yes.” She nodded vigorously. “Dog.”
“Brutus no doubt.” Savannah shuddered at the thought of the great ugly dog sinking its fangs into Li.
None of this made any sense. Savannah tried desperately to think of a reasonable explanation. All she was left with was a headache and a bad feeling. Belinda and Ashton were not the people they’d led her to believe they were. Then another thought struck her.
“How di
d you get out of here?”
Li looked at her and shook her head.
Savannah made all kinds of gestures with her hands. “Outside.” She pointed through the caravan door. “How did you get outside?”
Li struggled to her feet and hobbled to the caravan door. She pointed across the shed to the outside door.
“Ash,” she said and waved her hand sideways.
Savannah looked from the door to her hand. “Open,” she said. “Ash left the door open?”
Li gave a little nod and Savannah sank back on the bed.
“No doubt he won’t do that again.” She slapped her fist into her palm. “Jaxon and his great ideas.”
She thought about the message he’d left about the neighbours and how she’d fretted over which neighbours she had to watch out for. She snorted. Turned out none of them was much chop. She let out a short mirthless laugh.
Li watched her closely from the end of the other bed.
Savannah stood up and went outside. The air was fresher in the shed. She rubbed her hands up and down her bare arms. She got down on her knees on the concrete floor and looked under the van. The toilet and shower pipes went down into the concrete. Back on her feet she walked all around the shed. It was fully lined. She picked up a chair and struck the wall with it. Some kind of plasterboard had been used and it was solid. Not a lot of sound would get out and there wasn’t anyone close enough to hear it.
Perhaps Belinda intended to leave them here until they starved to death. Li and her friend weren’t too good already. Savannah shuddered at the thought of the three of them dying slowly. She was strong and healthy. She would be the last.
She had no idea of the time but her stomach told her she’d missed lunch. Ethan would be back by now. Perhaps he’d come looking for her. She let out a sigh. Why would he after last night? Still, he might begin to wonder if her car was there but she wasn’t. If he went inside he’d see all her things and her phone. She’d left that on the table. Surely he’d expect her to be there to see off the houseboats. She wondered if it was three o’clock yet. Her spirits lifted a moment then dropped again. Even if he did go looking he’d never expect her to be in a soundproof shed somewhere in the middle of the Palmers’ property.
Savannah walked the perimeter of the shed again. If she was going to get out and get medical help for the two women, it was all up to her. She stopped in front of the sink. The tap stuck out of the wall above it. The sink and the cupboard below it looked like the old style that had been in Jaxon’s kitchen before he did it up.
She stared at it a moment then pulled open the middle door. The pipes had to go somewhere. She was greeted by a musty smell. A few old dishcloths and a bottle of detergent lay on the bottom shelf. The thick L-shaped pipe that led from the sink disappeared through the shed wall just above the base of the cupboard. The pipe wiggled when she shook it. There was a dark stain around the plasterboard and several cuts ranged out from the hole around it.
She didn’t know how much time she had before Belinda came back or even if she was coming back at all. Whichever the case, Savannah wasn’t going to sit around to wait and see. She grabbed hold of the pipe and shook it vigorously from side to side. Her arms ached with the effort but she kept going and was rewarded when the L section of the pipe broke off. A trickle of putrid brown water slopped onto the base of the cupboard.
She picked up the wooden chair again and smashed it on the ground. Two legs broke off. She was conscious of Li standing in the door of the caravan watching her. Savannah took one of the chair legs and wedged it into the gap around the pipe in the wall. She wrenched it up and down and the plasterboard cracked. She pulled chunks of the rotten board away. Behind it, shafts of daylight streamed through holes in the tin. It didn’t take Savannah long to break away enough of the board to make a hole big enough for her to climb through.
“All I need to do is chew my way through the tin and I’ll be out.” She laughed. The sound she made was loud in her own ears.
Li bobbed down beside her and peered into the cupboard. She reached in with her good arm and felt around then she said something Savannah didn’t understand and pointed.
Savannah got onto her hands and knees and tried to see what Li was pointing at. She stuck her head right in the cupboard. The tin around the pipe hole looked different from the tin above it. It looked like a patch, as if a square had been cut out of the shed and covered over with a separate piece.
Savannah dragged the mat over to the edge of the cupboard. She lay on her back and put her feet in the cupboard, testing the patched area. Then she brought her right leg up to her chest and kicked out with all the force she could muster. The tin popped out like a cap off a bottle. Savannah got back on her hands and knees. She’d made a hole big enough for her to squeeze through.
Li squatted beside her and looked fearfully into Savannah’s eyes.
“Dog,” she said.
Savannah peered out through the gap. The light was gloomy. Perhaps it was late afternoon. She must have made a racket knocking that tin off but Brutus didn’t appear. She hoped he was sleeping or tied up or even inside the house. Anywhere but near her.
Li got up and went back to the caravan.
“Dog,” she said again.
Savannah was glad she wanted to stay. Their only hope was for Savannah to get away and get help. Li was in no shape to run and climb fences.
She gestured to Li. “I’ll get help,” she said.
Then, before her courage left her, she stuck her head through the gap.
The sharp metal edge of the tin dug into Savannah’s arms and shins as she pulled herself through the hole. She clenched her teeth against the pain and struggled to her feet. The cool air raised goosebumps on her skin. A sports bra and running pants were not enough covering in the late afternoon. She felt a tickle on her leg and looked down to see blood running down to her socks from the grazes on her legs. Behind her she heard the cupboard shut.
“Good thinking, Li,” she murmured. If anyone came to check it might take them a bit more time to realise she was missing.
Savannah took in her surroundings. She was standing in thick bush. There was no sign of Brutus. If Ash or Belinda were keeping an eye on the shed door they wouldn’t see her. Savannah had no idea of her bearings. And she didn’t know how much time she had. She couldn’t stay still.
The track would lead her back to the gate but she would be exposed in the open. Shivers ran down her arms. She hugged herself. The scrapes on her arms stung under her fingers. It was time to get moving. She took a deep breath and edged along the shed wall to the side away from the door.
She peered around the corner. There was a general smattering of bush and trees between her and what she imagined would be the Palmers’ other side fence. If she could get off their property and put a fence between her and Brutus she might be able to follow the fence line to the road.
She set off, moving from tree to tree, bush to bush in a stop-start fashion. Each time she reached a spot where she felt she had enough cover she paused and listened. At one point she heard a vehicle behind her. It sounded close enough to be on the property.
When it stopped she moved. Thicker bush blocked her way but she pushed through it. Branches scratched the bare skin of her arms and her midriff. Finally she burst into a clearing. Her hand flew to her mouth to smother her scream. On the ground, stretched out in front of her, lay the dead horse. It was a bag of bones and in spite of the cool air, flies buzzed all around it. Beyond the horse was a huge hole.
Savannah kept her hand over her mouth. She staggered around the hole, passed the mound of dirt that had come out of it and dropped into the safety of the trees on the other side. She squatted, bracing her back against a trunk and retched. There was nothing in her stomach to come up but a bit of spit. She licked her lips. She was so thirsty.
She couldn’t get the picture of the horse out of her head. Then she remembered Ethan’s practical message. Everything has to die eventually. She pushed her
self up with the support of the tree. With what she knew about Ash and Belinda, the words no longer reassured her. She got the feeling with them death would be sooner rather than later.
Savannah took two deep breaths and started off again. Her shins were burning from the cuts of the tin and her left leg was beginning to jag with spears of pain. She stumbled. To her left she caught glimpses of the river. She paused to get her bearings. There was no sign of any boundary fence. A terrible thought registered. What if the Palmers’ property went on and on? Perhaps it had been a mistake to head in the opposite direction to her car and her phone.
Behind her came the sound she’d hoped not to hear – a deep bark from Brutus. It was impossible to tell where or how far away he was but Savannah knew he would find her quickly if he was looking for her. Just as he had led Ash and Belinda to Li this morning.
The bark came again, closer this time. Savannah made a split-second decision. She turned towards the river and hoped like hell Brutus wouldn’t follow her into the water.
Her steps were stilted now. Brutus barked again, closer. She forced herself to move faster. Sticks and thick grass hindered her. A branch whipped her face, another scraped across her stomach. She staggered past the last of the thinning trees to the muddy bank.
Savannah baulked at the huge expanse of water in front of her. She glanced at the trees behind. There was no going back. She took two steps forward, stopped and then fled into the river at another bark from Brutus. Much closer now. The water was freezing. The gasp caught in her throat. Under her runners the bottom felt soft. She waded out and tried to swim but the current took her. She was cold and her feet felt like lead inside her shoes.
A loud bark and a splash sounded behind her. She looked over her shoulder. Brutus propped on the edge of the river. He barked furiously.
Savannah ducked her head under the water. She held her breath for as long as she could then came up gasping for air. Her heart pounded in her chest. When she looked back Brutus was much further away. She let herself relax and go with the flow of the river. From her position on her back she saw Ash burst from the trees. She took a breath, twisted and ducked under the water again.
Riverboat Point Page 29