Little Girl Lost

by Gover, Janet

  But he was handsome, and nice. She liked the way he laughed, and she loved the fact that he did all that wonderful work with old wood. Too many people were happy to throw away old or damaged things, even damaged people. This copper was a good man. Fancy that, she thought, as she kicked the bike’s stand into place and began to remove her helmet. She had a date with a good man. That must be a first.

  ‘Hi.’

  At that moment, she decided to stop thinking too hard. She would stop remembering he was a cop and stop thinking about other cops she had known in another time and place. Cops who were so very different to Max. She would forget where she had come from and what she had done. It was time she just let herself enjoy an evening without fear.

  ‘Hi,’ she said.

  Their fingers brushed briefly as they walked into the pub side by side. It could almost have been an accidental touch. But it wasn’t. Tia knew that and she suspected Max did too.

  The bar was moderately busy. The first person Tia saw was Sarah from the store. She was sitting very close to a tall man who looked vaguely familiar to Tia, although she was certain he didn’t work at the mine. Maybe she’d seen him around the town somewhere.

  Sarah raised a hand in greeting and by unspoken accord, Tia and Max drifted towards the place where she was sitting.

  ‘Hi, Pete,’ Max said. ‘Do you know Tia? She’s a driver too. At the mine.’

  That’s where she’d seen him before; delivering equipment to the mine in the big blue and white Mercedes prime mover that was parked across the road. It looked a lot like he was Sarah’s boyfriend. They looked good together. Kind of sweet.

  Tia had a sudden thought. Were people looking at her and Max in the same way and thinking the same thing?

  ‘Do you want to join us?’ Sarah asked. ‘Pete is just grabbing a cup of Trish’s extra strong coffee before hitting the road back to the Isa.’

  Her face was welcoming, but Tia thought she caught a hint of something in Sarah’s voice that suggested she wouldn’t be offended if Tia and Max sat elsewhere. It was a feeling Tia shared.

  ‘Thanks, but we’ll let you get on with it,’ Max said. ‘Be careful on the road, Pete. I’ve had reports of a lot of roos on the road north. More than we would normally see. They are probably on the move because of the dry weather. There’s been a couple of near misses.’

  ‘Thanks for the warning,’ Pete said.

  Tia and Max found a seat at the other end of the bar. Tia was secretly glad Max had taken this route, rather than a table out the back. This seemed less personal somehow; less like a proper date. She could tell herself it was just two people having a beer. Of course, she might not believe it.

  Trish Warren appeared in front of them, her eyes alight with speculation. ‘Well, hello, Max. And Tia, isn’t it? Nice to have you both here. If you’re having dinner, I’ve got a lovely shepherd’s pie. There’s chicken Kiev too. It’s new. No one has ordered it yet. You could be the first to try it. And the barramundi is good. Max, as you’re not in uniform, I guess you’ll be wanting a beer. And you?’ She stopped speaking and looked at Tia.

  Tia blinked a couple of times as she caught up with the flow of words. ‘Beer for me too, please.’

  Trish moved off towards the taps. Max caught Tia’s eye and winked. She had to bite her lip to prevent herself from giggling.

  The glass of cold beer materialised in front of her a few moments later.

  ‘Now, have you decided what to have for dinner? You did see the full menu up on the chalkboard there, didn’t you, dear? Oh, we don’t have any burgers. Plenty of rolls, but no burgers to put inside them.’

  ‘The barramundi sounds good,’ Tia said quickly to interrupt before Trish could get fully in gear.

  ‘Steak for me,’ Max said. ‘Rare.’

  ‘Right.’ Trish vanished again.

  ‘She’s a bit …’ Tia whispered.

  ‘She is,’ Max leaned forward to return the whisper, ‘But she’s good people. The best.’

  He was very close to her. She could feel his breath on her skin. It made her tingle. She leaned back quickly and reached for her drink. Max did the same.

  ‘So, how do you like working at the mine?’

  ‘I like it. The hours are long, but the money is pretty good. And I like being in the open.’

  ‘It would certainly beat spending all day in some tiny office staring at a computer.’

  ‘But that’s not what you do,’ Tia said. ‘I seem to remember you on the road late at night, harassing poor motorists.’ She grinned to take the sting out of the words, and his smile showed he understood.

  ‘You wouldn’t believe the level of crime out here,’ he responded. ‘I’ve had cattle rustlers and horse thieves, that’s not to mention the magpie attacks.’

  ‘Magpie attacks?’

  ‘In the nesting season, magpies get very territorial. There’s a pair that always nest in that big gum tree near the store. They tend to swoop down on anyone who gets too close. They’ve never really hurt anyone. But it’s a good idea to wear a hat around them at certain times of the year.’

  ‘Hats stop them attacking?’ Tia asked, not trying to hide her incredulity.

  ‘They do.’ Max grinned.

  ‘Not always,’ Trish added as she passed carrying a meal to someone at the end of the bar. ‘And you, Max Delaney, need to do something about those birds. Nasty thieving things. That was my mother’s favourite teaspoon it took.’

  ‘What?’ Tia asked as she watched Trish deliver the food.

  ‘One of the magpies stole a silver teaspoon from Trish’s window ledge last year,’ Max said softly. ‘At least, that’s what she says. Personally, I think she just lost it.’

  ‘I did no such thing.’ Trish whisked past back to the kitchen, still muttering about ‘thieving black and white fiends.’

  Tia felt that giggle start to rise again, and this time she didn’t stop it. Max joined her. Laughing softly, Tia looked into his face, noticing the fine laughter lines around his shining brown eyes. It felt good to be laughing at something as simple as a bird.

  Slowly the smile on Max’s face faded, and she caught something else in his eyes. A feeling that stirred a matching response somewhere deep inside her.

  ‘Here we go.’ Trish was back carrying two plates of food. ‘You’re lucky I haven’t burned yours, Max, after that comment.’ She tried to look stern as she placed the plates in front of them, but her grin gave her away.

  Tia and Max didn’t talk all that much as they ate. They didn’t need to. It was probably the best meal Tia had eaten in years. Maybe ever. It wasn’t just that the fish was good; it was the feeling of belonging that had slowly crept over her. It was her awareness of Max beside her, eating with great enjoyment, and still joking with the elderly barmaid. This was how ordinary people lived. People who had never known homelessness or abuse or despair. People who had never run for their lives, or watched a man fall to the floor with a bullet in his chest. For the first time in a very long time, she felt like everybody else. Not set apart by her past. It was a wonderful feeling.

  They were finishing the last mouthfuls, when the phone at the end of the bar rang. Trish answered it, stiffening as she listened to the voice at the other end.

  ‘Max. It’s for you. Dan Mitchell.’ Trish’s voice was clipped and dry.

  Without a word, Max left Tia’s side and moved quickly along the bar to take the phone. A silence fell in the room. All eyes and ears were on Max as he listened intently to a voice on the other end of the line. Sarah and Pete, who had been on their feet ready to leave, waited. It was as if everyone recognised that the call meant trouble.

  ‘How long?’ Max asked the caller.

  He listened for another few moments, his frown deepening. Something was obviously wrong. Tia could see this first date was not goi
ng to end well.

  ‘Right. Keep them at the campsite. It’ll be dark by the time I get there. We don’t want them wandering off too.’

  He listened for a few seconds more. ‘Good. See you soon as I can.’

  Max dropped the phone back and turned to Tia. ‘I am so sorry, I have to go.’

  ‘What’s happened?’ She was asking on behalf of the whole bar.

  ‘Remember that motorhome we saw this morning? Heading for Tyangi.’

  She nodded.

  ‘Their little girl is missing.’

  The room fell still and silent. Max could feel every eye on him.

  ‘Not that lovely little girl with the blonde hair,’ Trish said. ‘Oh, the poor thing.’

  ‘They’ve only been out there a day,’ someone muttered. ‘How the hell did that happen in just one day. Weren’t they watching her?’

  ‘They didn’t seem to pay much attention to the kids while they were here,’ another voice added. ‘He was too busy asking people about aboriginal art.’

  ‘City folk,’ Syd offered his harshest condemnation.

  Secretly Max felt the same way, but he said nothing.

  ‘Right then. I guess you’ll need a search party.’ Trish wiped her hands on a cloth as if getting ready to set out immediately.

  ‘Can I help?’ Tia’s words caught him by surprise a little, but they shouldn’t have. What else would she, or anyone, say?

  ‘It’ll be dark soon,’ Max said to the room in general. ‘Dan and I will search tonight. We don’t want too many people out there in the dark. But if we haven’t found her by daylight, I’m going to need everyone. There’s a lot of ground to cover.’

  There was a murmur of assent around the room.

  ‘Tia,’ Max said. ‘Can you talk to Chris Powell and everyone at the mine? Anyone who is off shift can help tomorrow. And can you find out what the plane is doing? I could use a spotter up there at first light, if that’s possible.’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘I’ll make some calls,’ Trish said. ‘Get some men on hand for tomorrow. Do you want horses as well?’

  ‘Not immediately, but it would be good to have them on standby,’ Max said. ‘She can’t have gone that far in a couple of hours. If we haven’t got her by tomorrow evening, we’ll bring in horses and trackers.’

  ‘You’re going to need water and food for the searchers,’ Trish said. ‘Leave that with me.’

  ‘And me,’ Sarah volunteered.

  ‘Thanks.’ The town was already doing what it did best – uniting to help. Max knew that he wasn’t needed here any more. The good people of Coorah Creek would make sure he had the resources he needed. It was up to him to use them wisely.

  ‘Thanks everyone,’ Max said. ‘I’m going out there now. But there’s not much chance we’ll find her tonight. If Dan hasn’t been able to, no one will.’ He turned to Trish. ‘You said Jack and Ellen are away? When do they get back? I can always use another good man, and he knows the area.’

  ‘Not for another couple of days,’ Trish replied.

  ‘Damn!’ Max let the expletive escape softly.

  ‘Can I help?’ Pete asked. ‘I’ve got a couple of pretty powerful torches in the truck. I don’t know the area well, but I can handle myself in the bush.’

  He could too, Max knew. Pete had stopped and helped out at a nasty road accident a few months before. ‘Good. Can you come out with me tonight?’

  ‘I sure can. I’ll let the depot know that I won’t be back in the Isa for a while.’

  ‘Do it now,’ Max urged. ‘Once we get out there, there’s no mobile service. There’s a phone at the ranger station, and Dan has a radio, but communications are going to be difficult.’

  Max turned and gently touched Tia’s hand. ‘I’m sorry’ he said in a voice for her ears alone. ‘I didn’t expect the evening would end like this.’

  ‘Go,’ she said gently. ‘Just find that little girl.’

  ‘I will.’

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was fully dark by the time Max pulled up in one of the Tyangi National Park camping areas. He immediately recognised the big motorhome parked to one side of the campground. There were lights on inside the vehicle, and outside lights shining onto a table and chairs set under a broad canvas awning. The ground below the awning was covered with what looked like AstroTurf. Beside him, Pete let out a long slow whistle.

  ‘I know what you mean,’ Max said. ‘It is impressive. Unfortunately, from what I saw of the owner, he really hasn’t got much of a clue. He can barely drive the thing. I’ve got no idea what he’s doing all the way out here. He’s obviously way out of his comfort zone.’

  A big Land Rover painted in the livery of the National Parks Service was parked next to the motorhome. A tall figure emerged from the vehicle and headed their way.

  ‘Hi, Dan.’ Max shook the ranger’s hand. ‘This is Pete Rankin.’

  ‘G’day.’ Dan shook Pete’s hand. ‘Thanks for getting here so fast.’

  ‘What can you tell me?’ Max asked.

  ‘The girl’s name is Renee Haywood. She’s six years old. She’s here with her mum and dad and brother. The brother is seven. Apparently the kids were playing outside while the mother made dinner. When she called them, only the boy came. His name is Dustin. He said they were playing hide and seek and he couldn’t find his sister.’

  ‘And the father?’

  ‘He says he was inside the van, working.’

  Max raised an eyebrow. ‘I thought they were here for a holiday.’

  ‘I guess he doesn’t take holidays.’

  ‘Probably how he affords that thing,’ Pete added.

  ‘Yeah,’ Dan agreed.

  ‘How’s the mother holding up?’ Max asked.

  ‘About how you’d expect,’ said Dan. ‘Mostly she’s been blaming her husband. I’ve done a quick search of the immediate area, but no sign of the girl. She’s been gone,’ he looked at his watch, ‘about four hours now.’

  ‘Then we’d better get moving.’ Max turned back to his car to collect the torches from the back seat. He also handed out water bottles.

  On the bonnet of Max’s car, Dan spread out a large detailed map of the park. In the harsh light of the torches, the search area looked big and rough. Between them, the two men decided the most likely areas for this first search. They would check all the marked walking trails that led from the campsite.

  ‘That’ll take us a couple of hours,’ Dan said. ‘But our best chance is if she has hidden close to one of the paths. Hopefully she’ll see us or hear us. She’s wearing blue shorts. Oh yes, she’s carrying a yellow teddy bear. Or she was.’

  Just then a man emerged from the motorhome. Max recognised him immediately from their conversation the day before. He hurried over to them, his face tense and strained.

  ‘Have you found her?’

  ‘Mr Haywood,’ Max said. ‘We are about to do another search.’

  ‘Only the three of you?’ Haywood’s voice was almost a shout. ‘That’s not enough. We need a proper big search party.’

  ‘Not tonight we don’t,’ Max said keeping a reasonable tone to his voice. ‘She probably hasn’t gone very far. If we haven’t found her by morning there will be more people coming to join the search. They’ll be more useful in the daylight.’ He didn’t say what he was thinking, that it was unlikely they’d find the little girl in the dark.

  ‘I’ll come with you. Let me get a torch.’

  Max held up a hand to stop him. ‘You need to stay here.’

  ‘No. I need to be out looking for my daughter!’

  Max felt a surge of sympathy for the man. No doubt his rising anger was fuelled to some extent by guilt, but the last thing they needed right now was a townie blundering around in the dark. The very
least he would do is spoil any tracks that might be out there. At worst, they’d have two missing people to search for.

  ‘We know the area,’ Max explained calmly, even though he wasn’t sure that Pete had ever been to the park before. ‘And we know how to handle this sort of terrain. You need to be here looking after your wife and son. And in case Renee finds her own way back. If she does, I want you to sound three blasts on the horn of the motorhome. Can you do that for me?’

  ‘Do you think she might find her own way?’ The desperate hope in the man’s eyes was almost more than Max could bear.

  ‘It’s always possible.’ Max thought it unlikely, but he wasn’t going to say so. That family would need every bit of their strength and hope in the long dark hours ahead. ‘Now, go back to the motorhome. Keep all the lights on. Have you any big outside spotlights? If you have, turn them on as well. Now we’ve got to get on with the search.’

  Haywood hesitated, clearly torn between his desire to do something, and the common sense in Max’s words. Finally he turned back towards the motorhome, his shoulders sagging. As he approached the vehicle, the door opened and his wife appeared.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she yelled, her voice harsh and ragged. ‘Why aren’t you out searching for her?’

  Haywood said something too softly for Max to hear. Mrs Haywood stepped back inside the motorhome and after a moment’s hesitation at the base of the stairs, her husband followed. The door slammed shut behind him.

  ‘Okay. Let’s go,’ Max said to Dan and Pete. ‘Keep those torches moving. If she’s awake she might see the light. And keep calling her name.’

  Pete and Dan nodded and set out along their allotted paths, their torches flashing through the trees. Max waited just long enough to be sure Haywood wasn’t about to do something stupid like follow them, and then he too set out.

  Within a few seconds, he had lost sight of the campground and he was alone in the darkness.

  ‘Renee!’ His voice cut through the night like a knife. He heard one of the others, Dan he thought, also calling the girl’s name. But that noise quickly faded away and Max was surrounded by nothing but the night sounds of the bush.