Whitsunday Dawn

by Annie Seaton

  CHAPTER

  24

  1 May, 2018

  The holiday atmosphere in the main street of Airlie Beach relaxed Liv. How could she not chill, surrounded by smiling tourists enjoying a holiday in the tropics? Her heart lifted as she strolled through the shops. She lingered on the foreshore beside the huge lagoon pool, indulged herself with an ice cream as she stood in the shade beneath the massive fig trees, watching the children squealing in the pool, and simply enjoyed the freedom of being out in the open air. While she was surrounded by people, she felt safe but she still kept an eye out for anyone watching her.

  Laden with shopping bags, Liv caught a taxi back to the apartment late in the afternoon. By the time the taxi turned onto the road that ran past the marina, the sun was setting in a spectacular palette of pinks and golds. Liv paid the taxi driver and lifted the shopping bags filled with clothes and shoes. She looked at the staircase and changed her mind, opting for the lift. When she stepped out at the top floor, the corridor was in semi-darkness but a night light illuminated the door to the apartment. Placing the bags on the floor against the door, she dug into her pocket for the keycard. As her fingers closed around the hard plastic, a soft creak came from the door. As it swung open slowly the plastic bags fell sideways into the apartment with a rustle.

  Liv paused, frowning as her heart kicked up a few beats. As she slid the keycard into her pocket, the back of her neck prickled. Despite the warm breeze blowing through the open sliding door to the balcony—the door that she’d closed and locked before she’d left earlier—goosebumps rose on her arms. She left the bags on the floor and stepped quietly into the apartment, her new canvas slipons making no sound on the tiles.

  As she reached the bedroom, her breath caught. Her suitcase was open and the contents were scattered over the bed and floor. As she stared at the disarray, something hit the floor in the ensuite bathroom with a tinkle.

  ‘Shit.’ The muttered oath came through the half-open door to the bathroom and Liv froze.

  Turning on her heel, she tiptoed to the foyer, then hurried through the door and stepped over the bags. She cursed as the breeze caught the door and slammed it shut behind her. Whoever was in there would see the shopping bags and know she’d been there. Dragging in a ragged breath, Liv looked from the lift to the staircase that was now in darkness. The stairs would be quicker than the lift, and the thought of closing herself in there and someone waiting for her at the bottom sent a fresh spike of fear running through her. Her hands were sweating, and they slipped on the rail as she negotiated her way down in the darkness, hoping that one of the other tenants would come home and turn the light on.

  By the time she got to the bottom of the second flight, footsteps were pounding down the steps above her. She flung the door open and ran into the car park, desperately looking for somewhere to hide, but all that was ahead was an open expanse of lush green lawn leading down to the sand of Shingley Beach.

  Grateful that she’d changed into her new shoes, Liv ran across the lawn and onto the beach, praying that it joined the boardwalk that led to the marina. She expelled a relieved breath as she reached the end of the curved beach. The sun had set, and the beach was not as well-lit as the lawn or the boardwalk and she hurried into the shadows of the rocks. Catching her breath, she looked back at the apartment block, but there was no sign of anyone following her. At the edge of the sand, a short ramp joined the boardwalk that led onto the finger wharf where Fynn’s Footprint was docked.

  Please be there, please be there. Her whisper was in time with her footsteps as she ran the two hundred metres along the timbered walk to the south marina, not daring to stop and look behind her. Nothing in her life had ever been as welcome as the sight of Fynn sitting up on the Footprint’s deck. As she turned down the timber ramp, and along the finger wharf, he looked up.

  ‘Liv! What’s wrong?’

  By the time she reached the boat, he’d jumped onto the wharf and she ran into his arms. Her throat ached as she drew in great gasps of air, struggling to speak as he held her close.

  ‘Is there anyone following me? Did they see where I came? They mustn’t know that I’m here.’ Her words were short and jerky as the fear settled deep within her. Someone had broken into the apartment. How did they even know where to find her?

  As far as the company knew, she should have been on a flight back to Sydney. A shiver ran down her back; she’d come very close to whoever was after her.

  ‘I can’t see anyone on the boardwalk.’ Fynn’s arms held her close. ‘Calm down, Liv. Take another deep breath. It’s okay, I’ve got you. You’re safe.’

  By the time her panic had subsided and her breathing was easier, Fynn had led her onto the boat and down into the saloon. He let go of her briefly to open the fridge and pass her a bottle of water.

  Liv placed the cold bottle against her forehead before she opened it. Fynn took her free hand again and held it. She appreciated the warmth of contact as she drank. The ache in her throat eased.

  ‘I haven’t run that fast since I left high school,’ she croaked and cleared her throat.

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘I got back from shopping and the door was open. I went inside, and my suitcase was open and everything was on the bed or the floor. Then I heard someone in the bathroom.’ Her voice shook and she took another deep breath. ‘I took off down the steps and I heard someone running above me, but I ran as fast as I could.’

  ‘You did the right thing.’

  ‘I just hope they didn’t see me come to the boat.’ Liv looked up as she put the water bottle onto the table.

  Fynn’s jaw was tight and his usually smiling lips were set in a straight line. ‘If they did see you come here, we’ll deal with it.’

  ‘Thank goodness I locked my computer in the safe. I just hope they didn’t find it.’

  ‘I shouldn’t have let you go to the apartment. Greg said it wasn’t safe, but damn’—he slammed his fist onto the tabletop and Liv jumped—‘I didn’t think they’d be so fast.’ He pulled her into his arms and dropped his chin to the top of her head. ‘Look, Liv, you’ve pissed off a very powerful company. They know you’ve got something on your computer that may incriminate them, and they’ll do their damnedest to get whatever it is. It’s time we had a look at what’s on it. We can’t wait for Greg.’

  ‘If it’s still there.’ Liv shook her head. ‘God, I hope it’s still there.’

  * * *

  Fynn focused on keeping calm in front of Liv. When he thought about how close she’d come to being hurt—and he had no doubt that they would have hurt her to get hold of her computer—he clenched his hands. If they’d taken the computer, it would be a damn shame, but at least Liv was safe.

  ‘I’m going to call Byron, and I’ll leave you over with Lou while Byron and I go to the apartment and get your stuff. You’re coming back here.’

  ‘No.’ Liv stepped back out of his hold and folded her arms.

  ‘It’s not safe there. I’m hoping that they mightn’t have had time to look for the safe with you interrupting them. They may have thought you took your computer with you. Did you see anyone following you in town?’

  She shook her head.

  He tapped his bare foot against the floor as Liv lifted her chin and her mouth set in an obstinate line.

  ‘I’m coming with you,’ she insisted. ‘Whoever it was will be long gone by now. They’re probably expecting me to call the police. And I will call them too.’

  ‘All right. But we’ll wait for Byron to come first. Safety in numbers.’

  Byron was at home when he called, and Fynn was pleased to see the headlights of his Prado when he pulled into the five-minute parking space above the marina only a short time later. Liv followed him to the car and he held open the back door for her. Byron shot him a look as he pulled himself into the front seat. ‘What’s happening, Fynn?’

  ‘I just need some backup. Someone’s broken into the apartment. I’ll fill you in later.’
/>
  Byron parked on the road across from the apartment block, and Fynn took Liv’s hand as he helped her from the four-wheel drive. He was pleased when she didn’t pull away when he kept hold of it. As they crossed the usually quiet street, a dark sedan cruised past them and the light streaming down from the street light illuminated the front of the car. A man looked at them from the passenger seat, and Fynn paused as Liv drew in a quick gasp.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘I’m sure that was one of the security staff from the office in Sydney. I can’t believe it.’

  ‘I’d say he’s after you or your computer. And I’d hazard a guess that he hasn’t found it, and they’re waiting for you to come back.’

  Liv’s fingers squeezed his. ‘In that case, I’m glad you’re both with me. I feel like I’m in some sort of spy movie. It’s surreal.’

  ‘I was going to suggest you waited out in Byron’s car, but after seeing those guys, I think you’d better come inside with us.’

  ‘I’m not arguing.’ A slight smile lifted her lips and Fynn grinned back at her.

  ‘That’d be a change, darlin’.’

  He pulled out his phone and opened speed dial before he handed it to her. ‘If we have any problems at all, hit six. It’s a shortcut to the local police station and it’s only over the hill from here.’

  Liv’s shopping was still scattered outside the entry and Fynn bent to pick up the plastic bags. Byron went in first, checked the rooms and called them in. ‘All clear.’

  Fynn locked the door behind them as Liv crossed to the safe and keyed in the security code she’d set.

  ‘Thank God,’ she said as she lifted her briefcase out. ‘It’s in there.’

  ‘Gather up the rest of your things. We’re not staying here.’

  ‘Okay.’ The look they shared when Liv readily agreed needed no words.

  ‘Did you check in the shower and toilet?’ she asked Byron, flicking a nervous glance towards the ensuite.

  He nodded, but Fynn headed through the bedroom. ‘I’ll check again.’

  After he’d checked the bathroom again and opened the sliding door of the wardrobe, he called out to Liv, ‘All good.’

  As she walked past him into the bedroom, she paused and held his arm before reaching up and brushing her lips across his. ‘Thank you.’

  Byron was in the kitchen, unpacking the fridge.

  ‘By the look of things, they’ve been through this too.’ Byron turned to him. ‘Chuck me the sponge.’

  Fynn picked up the sponge and a couple of plastic bags. He held them open while Byron emptied and wiped out the fridge.

  ‘How serious is this, Fynn?’ Byron kept his voice low.

  ‘Very. Liv doesn’t think her father is capable of seeing her hurt, but Greg’s getting ready to expose them, and I think Sheridan is getting desperate. There’s something on that computer that they want back.’

  ‘Greg’s article in the paper last weekend got the politicians backpedalling.’

  ‘Yeah, he said that was just a strategic move before the community meeting. He changed the focus of the article to the environment so they didn’t twig to what he was actually investigating.’

  Byron nodded. ‘The regional council has called a meeting tomorrow. If you find anything that I can use to argue against any approvals, let me know.’

  ‘I will. Greg called me a couple of hours ago and said he’s flying up on the early flight tomorrow, but Liv and I will have a look at the laptop tonight.’

  ‘You need to back up the computer, in case there’s another incident.’

  ‘Yes, Greg said that too. I should have done it before we brought Liv to the apartment, but I didn’t think they’d move so fast. I’ve got my external drive on the boat.’

  ‘I bought one today too,’ Liv said as she came out of the bedroom carrying her suitcase. Byron stepped forward to take it from her.

  ‘Thank you.’

  Fynn held the door open for Liv as she followed Byron into the foyer of the apartment block. He didn’t miss the nervous glance she flicked at the shadows in the stairwell as they crossed to the lift.

  ‘You want my take, mate?’ Byron pressed the button to take them down to ground level. ‘I think you need to get on Footprint and head out to the islands. I can pick Greg up at the airport and bring him out on my boat.’

  ‘Not a bad idea. How would you feel about that, Liv? We can sail to somewhere isolated, bunker down in a bay, wait there until Byron brings Greg out.’

  Liv nodded. ‘I think I’d feel safer out there than I would here in town or in the marina. I’m seeing shadows in every corner here.’ Her face was pale. ‘I’m having trouble dealing with the fact that my father might be behind this.’

  Fynn put his arm around her shoulders as the lift headed down and she leaned into him.

  CHAPTER

  25

  Liv stood up on the deck as Fynn steered the boat into the channel. She’d been nervous about going out into the Passage in the dark, and when Fynn had glanced at her, he’d changed his mind.

  ‘We’ll moor at the front of Cannonvale Beach tonight instead of going out to the islands. We can cross the Passage at first light like we did today. The tide’s still good early.’

  Liv bit her lip and nodded. ‘Thank you. I know I’m a scaredycat, but that trip over from Hamilton on Monday wasn’t a good experience. I don’t know how I’d be doing it in the dark.’

  ‘No point pushing your boundaries.’ He grinned at her. ‘Yet. But I will make a Whitsunday sailor out of you before you leave.’

  ‘We’ll see. It’s a bit different to the inland lake I’m used to.’ Not being able to see out in the dark Passage added to her fear of what— or who—was in the shadows.

  ‘Anyway, the best thing is we’ll have phone service this close to shore and I can give Greg a call after we eat. I want to let him know what we’re doing.’

  ‘Okay.’ She smiled up at him as his stomach rumbled.

  ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.’

  ‘Not really.’ Liv shook her head. ‘My stomach hasn’t stopped churning since I realised someone was in the apartment.’

  ‘Luckily, I stocked up the freezer when you were at Byron’s on Sunday morning. Once we moor, I’ll cook something to tempt your appetite.’

  They motored to only a few hundred metres off the front of Cannonvale and once they’d picked up a mooring, Fynn pointed out the lights of Aunty Tat’s house.

  ‘She’s such a sweet thing. It’s sad to see how her mind comes and goes from the past to the present,’ Liv said.

  ‘Dementia is cruel.’ Fynn nodded as he cut the motor. ‘We’re not far from the shore here, but far enough out that it’ll give us time to move if a boat heads towards us. I’ll turn the gas on, and get dinner started.’

  She summoned up a smile. ‘Sounds good. But let me help. You’ve done so much for me today.’

  Working in the small galley was cosy, and a couple of times, they bumped into each other. Liv was aware of Fynn’s proximity but it wasn’t awkward. He kept her busy chopping and dicing while he thawed some beef in the microwave, and mixed together a marinade. It wasn’t long before a fragrant aroma permeated the galley and Liv’s stomach gurgled loudly.

  She laughed when Fynn looked sideways at her from the stove. ‘Not hungry, hey? Looks like my famous marinade has done the trick.’

  ‘Maybe I am a little bit hungry after all.’

  Fynn poured her a wine while he attended to the stir fry, and Liv raised her eyebrows when he took a bottle of water from the fridge.

  ‘None for you?’

  ‘I don’t drink when I’m at sea,’ he said. ‘Even this close to shore, you have to keep your wits about you. We don’t want to wake up and find we’ve slipped the mooring and drifted to New Zealand overnight.’

  ‘Wouldn’t be too bad,’ Liv joked. ‘I’ve always wanted to go there.’ She sat at the table and watched as he stir-fried the vegetables she’d chopped
. His eyes lit up and he grinned back at her.

  ‘Maybe I can sail you there one day.’

  ‘Maybe.’ Liv nodded and took a sip of the white wine, tucking her feet beneath her. It was strange, since she’d kissed him briefly back at the apartment, something had changed between them. Even when there was silence now, it was a comfortable silence.

  ‘As soon as we eat, we’ll boot up your laptop.’ Fynn drained the rice into the sink and put the empty pot onto the chopping board.

  ‘It’s time to have a look.’ Liv swallowed as she wondered what they were going to find. She put her hand over her mouth as a yawn threatened.

  ‘You tired?’ Fynn opened a cupboard and lifted down two bowls.

  ‘Sort of, but I’m wired. All I’ve done lately is drift off to sleep.’

  ‘You can’t beat being rocked off to sleep on the water.’

  ‘I won’t be able to sleep until I know what we’ve got.’ Liv watched as Fynn spooned the stir fry into the bowls and a delicious aroma filled the saloon.

  ‘Hopefully something that will put the project back some more,’ he said.

  ‘Yes.’ She nodded and looked around. ‘How long have you had Footprint?’ Liv looked around. ‘It’s beautiful.’

  ‘She.’

  ‘Sorry. She’s beautiful.’

  ‘I bought her when I was nineteen. My parents loaned me the money, but she didn’t cost much. She was an old wreck and I’ve spent the last fifteen years doing her up.’

  So he’s thirty-four.

  ‘Well, you’ve done a great job. Do you spend much time on her?’

  Fynn raised his eyebrows. ‘I live on her.’

  ‘All the time?’

  ‘Yep. Unless I’m travelling away for the university, I’m on board.’

  Liv sipped her wine and tipped her head to the side. ‘I can’t imagine living on a boat.’

  ‘It gives you a sense of freedom that you just can’t imagine when you live on land. Some nights, I sit out on the deck and watch the birds diving for fish. The only sound is the wash of the waves on the side, or the splash of a fish in the bay. The nights in the marina are special too. When the wind comes up, the clanging of the halyards can sound like church bells. Every day is different and if I get sick of the view, I simply move on to another bay. I can work anywhere.’