And that was all she was going to get from that. But she understood. It was a bit like talking to her ex-boss: CYA was important. Cover Your A.
Sienna shrugged. ‘Well, let’s get started. My main area of suspicion is the health centre here, it’s back up the road past the hotel.’ Then she remembered. ‘You won’t be able to check the pub because that burned down yesterday.’
He frowned. ‘Not a good year for the town.’
‘I don’t think it’s sunk in yet. Were you booked to stay there? I’m not even sure if there’s accommodation around for you. But I can check with Alma.’
‘I’ll probably do what I need this afternoon anyway and then I have to be up in Longreach to put the car back on the train for Brisbane tomorrow morning.’
‘So you made a special trip out here?’
He nodded seriously. ‘We listen when people think there might be an unsafe “source”. Safe transport and accountability is our motto, even though toxic chemicals and explosives are transported way more and cause more damage.’ He shrugged. ‘Bad press-wise, it’s radioactive matter that attracts the media and public attention. We try very hard to avoid giving anyone anything to complain about.’
He glanced around the house. ‘Right, I’ll get some equipment out of the car and have a quick scan of this house and the office next door then go up to the health centre.’
Five minutes later Sienna watched as Art ran the hand-sized gadget, again disappointing in its size and simplicity, over the house and next door at the police station. Douglas had left to join the hunt for Jacob, so she let Art roam the police station at will before he reappeared for directions to the clinic.
Sienna rang the hospital in Brisbane where Eve had been transferred and spoke to the consultant obstetrician looking after her. Dr Bentley, known to Sienna and the doctor she would have suggested Eve see, allowed her to feel confident that the care provided would be excellent. He explained about the toxicologist’s opinion that both Eve and baby should have no lasting effects. The dose of venom had been traceable but small and the first aid excellent at the scene. Sienna had meant to ask about that.
Then she spoke to Eve in her private room.
‘Hello? Eve here.’
Hearing her voice made Sienna appreciate how much she had been suppressing the concern. ‘Eve. My god. How are you?’
‘Sienna? I’m fine, everything’s fine. And no, thank goodness, the baby hasn’t shown any signs of distress.’
Her sister’s voice held volumes of intense relief and Sienna felt the prickle of tears as she absorbed the fear and strain Eve had been under.
Poor Eve. This was so her fault. She blinked the scratchiness away and cleared her throat, heartily sick of turning into an emotional sot at the smallest thing, though having your sister bitten by the third-most venomous snake in the world, because you’d exposed her to a psycho stalker, wasn’t small. But seriously, these pregnancy hormones could quite possibly drive her senseless.
‘That’s what your O&G said.’ She put so much effort into hiding her distress her voice came out flat.
Eve gave a small, poignant laugh. ‘I should have known you’d go straight to the top.’
Eve probably thought she’d sounded unconcerned when she was far from it. To hell with hiding that she felt bad. ‘I’m so sorry, Eve. I should never have asked you to take Maddy.’
‘Stop it.’ Eve’s exclamation sounded incredulous. ‘It’s not your fault. And Madison was an absolute champion. She knew exactly what to do and was as calm as a paramedic as she did all the right things. That girl is amazing. She should be a nurse.’
Relief seeped into her and she almost felt faint with it.
‘I know. But it’s been such a disaster. Blanche is having her flown back here today. With Jacob on the run we think it’s safe to bring her back to Spinifex. Alma needs her and I think wants her inputon a long-term solution involving them moving together somewhere safe.’
Eve broke in. ‘You keep saying Alma. Who’s Alma? Have you got a friend there I didn’t know about?’
‘Alma is the publican. I told you about her.’
Eve made a strange huff of suppressed laughter. ‘Oh. The publican. Sorry, I forgot. Maddy mentioned her, too. I didn’t realise you’d become friends.’
Sienna paused. Was she Alma’s friend? She didn’t have friends. It was too much to think about now. ‘Maddy’s boyfriend, Jacob, burned down her pub and I think she wants to start fresh somewhere else and take Maddy and the baby with her.’
There was silence until Eve said, ‘So he would have burned down the homestead. I’d hoped it was said just to scare us.’
Guilt tightened Sienna’s throat. ‘I’m so sorry, Eve.’
‘It’s just so unexpected. If I was still in Brisbane it would be a shock but not unheard of for some psycho to threaten others, but out at Diamond Lake?’
Sienna could imagine her sister shaking her head sadly at the fact that everything would change from now on. Would they ever find the same feeling of safety and permanence that had mantled the historic station? Sienna felt a fierce anger at Jacob for his arrogant destruction of other people’s peace of mind.
Then Eve went on and confirmed her worst suspicions. ‘It’s sad when someone like that comes along and ruins the rose-coloured glasses I’ve grown since I’ve been here.’
‘That’s not true.’ She didn’t want it to be true. Tried to convince herself as well as her sister. ‘You’ve always had rose-coloured glasses and you always will. Lex will make adjustments and put in safeguards, and maybe something good will come out of the near miss. I’m just sorry I blithely went along thinking I could fix Madison’s problems by sending her to my midwife sister.’
‘Stop it.’ Eve’s voice had firmed. ‘I will never regret meeting Maddy and Bridget. It’s been too long since I could interact with new mums and babies and it was lovely. It’s not Maddy’s fault, or your fault that there was a bomb about to go off in the shape of Maddy’s boyfriend.’
Eve sounded tired and Sienna needed to stop indulging herself by trying to offload her guilt. Eve had had an enormous shock. ‘Yes, well. Been a wake-up call for me. I’ll certainly take a bit more time when I find a woman with DV issues in my rooms next time.’
Eve’s voice drifted gently down the line as if she could see the creases of concern across Sienna’s face. ‘I know.’
Sienna said quietly, ‘I saw Maddy’s bruises. Made me feel far too guilty for hating our father so much when the worst he did was go back to the woman he loved.’
‘Who are you?’ Eve didn’t say anything else for a moment and the pretend shock in her voice made Sienna smile for the first time in a while. ‘What have you done with my sister?’
She feigned a laugh past the thickness in her throat. ‘Just don’t tell that half-sister of ours. I’d hate to ruin my reputation. Anyway, I’m so relieved you and baby are okay. And thank you for what you did for Maddy.’
As Sienna ended the call she looked up at the sound of someone at the door. The physicist had returned. Now to switch off the stupid emotions and get back to being herself. She turned away from him for a moment and put her hand to her forehead and breathed in sharply. Right. She turned back and walked to the screen door to open it. ‘Come in, Art. So, a wasted trip for you?’
‘Not quite.’ His face looked too serious for Sienna’s peace of mind.
‘I’ve just had a call.’ He came in and consulted his notes. ‘We think there’s been a lost source. We also think Spinifex may have been exposed.’ He looked around to make sure nobody else was listening. ‘Among the less common materials used for bore-hole logging is Californium-252, which surprised me as a physicist, as it is really nasty stuff. It’s produced in only two reactors in the world, in the USA and Russia, and is so intense as a neutron emitter it’s used to initiate nuclear fission reactors. Cf-252 sources are used for bore-hole logging, soil moisture testing, gold/silver detection and metal crack imaging/testing like aircraft wings.�
�� He paused. ‘Regen just rang. He’s been alerted to a possible source that has been located unshielded. Had been lost. There was a very fast check of the transporting log books. It appears the vehicle carrying it broke down in Spinifex and spent the night and next day here. On the twenty-seventh of October last year.’
Sienna knew that date. That was the date when Annette’s baby was fifteen weeks’ gestation. Her heart sank. ‘Could that have caused the cluster?’
Art nodded grimly. ‘According to nuclear data that we’ve cross-checked from several sources, a capsule with ten milligrams of Cf-252 would have a neutron dose equivalent rate of around two hundred and fifty mSv/hr from one metre. That’s a really hazardous radiation level and you would have to store it in a very large shielded container when not used.’
He went on, ‘For some reason it was out of the protective shield, and basically, pregnant women three to four metres away could also receive two to three hundred mSv over five to six hours from a source like this, and the likelihood of foetal damage would certainly be significant. They have no idea why it wasn’t replaced in the shielded container after use. Or how it turned up in Spinifex. The only positive note I can give is to assure you it has gone now and the company will be heavily investigated and very expensively made to pay for their mistakes.’
Sienna’s head was spinning. It really had been a radioactive contamination. A disastrous one. Her mind darted to the consequences. ‘What about ongoing effects to the women exposed? Leukaemias, cancers, future pregnancies?’
‘We don’t think the problems will be ongoing. But they are sending out a consultant physician who specialises in such incidents. She’s from the US, visiting and keen to fly in to the Spinifex zone. She’ll be able to answer your questions. That’s out of my specialised area. Is Sergeant McCabe around?’
‘Oh?’ Her pulse jumped. Spinifex had its own zone? Her hand went instinctively to her stomach. ‘Is there still risk of radioactive exposure now?’
He shook his head decisively. ‘No. Not dangerous now. The sergeant?’
Relief flooded her and she’d think about that later, too. She replayed his repeated question in her head. ‘No. Sergeant McCabe. I’m sorry. I’m not sure when he’ll be back. But I can give you his work mobile number.’
‘I’d appreciate that. There are residual readings, so when it did pass through the area, the source caused contamination.’
‘But you’re sure the source is gone now?’
‘I do. They’ve found it. The amount of residual radiation in the health centre is not enough to cause any problems at this point.’ He scratched his neck and his concern was palpable. ‘Until now it was supposition, because it’s happened before overseas and usually in less developed countries, that some form of source became mixed up and lost.’
‘You mean like the fracking rod Regan mentioned to me from the US?’
He nodded glumly. ‘This is bigger than that. And it was “parked” for an extended time outside your health centre. Say twenty-four hours.’ He lowered his voice. ‘This is a first for us and the situation will be dealt with comprehensively. Families will be given full disclosure, be fully compensated, and every assistance given, but I must stress this needs to be handled carefully.’
‘Of course.’ She was glad for the families if their financial burden would be lifted, but shuddered at the thought of the possible headlines and hysteria. ‘I can’t imagine the press would be good.’
He glanced back at the street behind him. ‘The town is safe now, so we’re not delaying information on possible danger.’ He sighed. ‘Radiation breaches are extremely rare and the public leans towards panic.’ A tinge of bitterness laced his voice. It surprised her, but she did understand his passion for his field.
He went on. ‘The public wonder about the health of the truck driver if an explosive truck turns over, or even if toxic chemicals spill and damage the environment. Yet anything to do with radiation sends them into a frenzy. It’s my job to make sure a speedy recovery and level approach to the facts are followed.’
The slightly nutty professor had disappeared. Instead, a man who knew his stuff stood before her, one who could be decisive and didn’t fudge the hard questions, and Sienna found herself impressed. ‘So enough radiation could have been leaked at the most dangerous gestation for the three women involved? Enough to cause a genetic deviation?’
He sighed again. ‘Yes. But I will make sure someone with more expertise in that area discusses the ramifications with you. She should arrive tomorrow. Several people will arrive tomorrow. We run a very safe industry and we don’t hide things, Dr Wilson. There will be a full-scale inquiry and you and the public will be privy to the results.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘I need to make more phone calls and would prefer a landline.’
‘Use the phone in my office. I’ll find Douglas’s number for you.’ He nodded and followed the direction of her finger with his head but didn’t move. ‘I’ll wait for the number.’
She raised her brows. ‘I’ll just get my phone,’ she said, and left him to locate it. On the way, she found Alma in the kitchen checking out Douglas’s fridge and cupboards for what she could cook.
‘How are you, Alma?’ she said and wondered how much the ex-publican had heard.
‘I guess I have less worries than that young man out there.’ She winked. ‘Mum’s the word.’
Sienna pretended to frown at her, but relief that the older lady was recovering made her smile. ‘That was a terrible pun, Alma.’
She shrugged and finally settled for eggs. ‘Can’t help myself. Too long in an outback pub.’
‘I’ll be back,’ Sienna said and carried her phone through to Art. She flicked through the address book until she had Douglas’s police mobile number that she carried for emergencies, and gave it to the scientist, who wrote it down. He thanked her and disappeared into the office and shut the door.
It was not her usual situation, being on the outside of her office door. She stared at it with residual horror. Blanche was coming today with Maddy, so she could let her know about the radiation. Maybe she could wrap all this up tomorrow? The thought made her step lighten. This had been a very strange assignment and Blanche had better cough up the donation to Sydney Central, because Sienna’s life had changed forever and the name Spinifex would mean more than a prickly bush forevermore. Someone else would take over for the families.
This town had been busily undermining her self-confidence dreadfully. She shrugged, vaguely surprised she could be calm, and went back to Alma and the sound of spluttering eggs.
‘You don’t have to cook for me here, Alma.’
‘Need to.’ Her wizened face grimaced. ‘I’d go mad if I don’t have something to do,’ she said as if it were a known fact she had no control over.
Sienna noted the bent head. The sigh. ‘I’m so sorry you lost your lovely hotel, Alma. Jacob must have been insane.’
Alma looked as though she were going to spit. ‘Or just that kind of man. They’re insane alright. Men who think they own women. Insane with a clarity of purpose. He probably thought I was hiding Maddy in there and wouldn’t let him see her. That’s how they think. If he burned the pub she’d have to come out and he’d be back in control. Probably hung around to see when she came out and when she didn’t he snuck away.’
‘So do you think he was still there somewhere, watching? While it burned to the ground?’
‘Probably. To gloat. That’s how they think. Like they own you.’
Sienna felt indignation even if Alma seemed to miss the connection. ‘Well, you certainly were caught in the middle of it all. Lost everything.’
Alma gave a sad shrug as she buttered the toast. ‘Today I’m a little more philosophical. Might be my destiny. My chance to help.’ Strangely, no bitterness could be heard in her voice. Sienna felt infuriated for the woman. She’d lost everything except the clothes she stood in.
Which reminded her. ‘People have been dropping off small gifts for you while y
ou slept. I put them over there.’ She pointed to a corner of the kitchen where a small suitcase sat with some brown paper bags on top. ‘Sets of clothes. Shoes. Bathroom necessities. And that suitcase.’
‘There you go. I’ll be fine.’
Sienna swallowed the lump in her throat. A battler battles. The bookie’s cap had resumed stance, found jammed into the pocket of the apron she’d been wearing when Douglas had rescued her. A faint tinge of embedded smoke drifted off it. Sienna reminded herself that Alma had barely escaped with her life. And she remembered her sister’s words. Alma had become her friend and friends helped each other. Like sisters did. Something she’d only learned recently. She would be Alma’s friend.
This last twenty-four hours had been a huge world-altering event for someone who wasn’t young. ‘What will you do, Alma?’
Chapter Forty-one
Alma
Alma squinted up at Sienna. Saw the concern and softened her tone because she could see that the doctor didn’t understand. Bricks and mortar, and even beautiful staircases, were nothing. Not when your heart had been broken in the worst possible way by your own stupidity.
She sighed and blocked out the picture that had haunted her ten thousand times. ‘I will rebuild the pub. Insurance will pay for that and the town needs a pub, I wouldn’t leave them without it, but I’ll get someone else to make the decisions on the building and once that’s done, someone else can run it. I’ve had enough.’
‘You’d leave?’ Sienna even looked startled. Which was funny when Alma knew how much Sienna struggled to understand why Douglas wanted to live here. ‘What will you do?’
What would she do? Did Sienna expect her to shrivel up and die without the pub? She knew what she wanted to do. What somebody needed to do. What could have helped her all those years ago. For the first time in years and years she had a real purpose, not just an occupation. If she had the good fortune, the chance, to follow that path she’d do a good job.
The Baby Doctor Page 23