Love,
Dad
“Holy…” Andy breathed out.
“What? Let me see!” Dennis reached for the page and Ben stepped away with it.
“Police evidence. But I have a question and need a straight answer, Dennis.” Ben passed the note to Andy, who refolded it and placed it in an evidence bag. “Whose idea was selling the business?”
“Huh? How is that even important. But it was Jack’s. He reckoned his doctor told him it was time to slow down.”
“And who knew about it?”
“Campbell. Me. And Mark. He worked with Jack on it rather than Joni. Jack didn’t want her upset.”
“Not Dekeles?”
“Why would that idiot know?”
Will spoke from the door. “Sir, he did know. He told Mark it would be the end of everything. I thought he meant our jobs.”
Ben patted him on the shoulder. “Thank you for speaking up. We’ll talk another time but appreciate this.”
“What about me? I found this, so do I get some special treatment?” Dennis said.
“Yeah. We won’t charge you with interfering with an investigation. Yet.” Andy said.
Ben didn’t bother answering as he strode out, dialling his phone.
A tractor drove down the middle of the road, fast for its bulk but still slow enough to make Ellie brake and peer around in the hope of overtaking. This stretch offered no option but to sit behind the machine and glance at the increasingly stormy sky.
She backed off a bit when the phone rang, flicking accept on the steering wheel, surprised her phone had signal out here.
“Ellie, tell me precisely where you are.”
“I sent you a message. On my way to see Gabi. I think Dad might be there.”
“He is.”
Ellie gasped.
“Do you know where you are? How far away from the cabin?”
“Are you sure he’s there?”
“I need you to listen. Paul Dekeles has been embezzling from the company for years. This whole time he’s known Jack was with your mother. He is dangerous.”
The car behind closed in. Ellie glanced in the rear vision mirror and almost swerved off the road when she saw who the driver was.
“Ben. He’s behind me! Oh, God, what do I do?”
“Are you near a town?”
“No! I’m almost at the parking zone which is in the middle of nowhere.”
“Get to the cabin and lock all of you in. Help is coming.”
Help had no chance of getting there in time. Ellie veered into the middle of the road and accelerated, squeezing past the tractor just as it reached a bend. She floored it, seeing the tractor disappear in her rear vision mirror.
“Ellie?”
“I can’t let him get to Gabi and Dad.”
The phone dropped out. Ellie told the car to reconnect, but the signal was gone. She gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles were white. Still no sign of Paul. Her speed was too high to be safe and she prayed nothing would get in the way. She needed a head start.
60
About Jack
“Local police are an hour away but heading to the point of last contact now.” Andy updated Ben as they took stairs two at a time. “Weather conditions are deteriorating with the risk of a storm.”
They burst through a fire door onto the roof of the police station. A helicopter approached to land.
Both men carried rifles and wore protective gear. The noise from the helicopter stopped them talking.
A few minutes later, they were above the city skyline. The Yarra River snaked below, with Port Phillip Bay to their right.
“How long?” Ben addressed the pilot through headphones.
“Depends on the weather ahead. I’ll let you know.”
“We’ll get to her, Ben.” Andy checked his rifle.
Ben had to believe him. Treat this like a job, track down the bad guy and keep a family safe.
He pulled a tablet from a bag and plugged in the USB Will gave him. He nudged Andy to watch as the image of Jack’s office appeared.
It was night. With only the lamp on over his desk, Jack handwrote a note. He reread it, then folded and placed it inside an envelope which he placed on the desk. There was a handgun beside the photo of Gabi and Ellie. He picked up the gun and loaded it.
For a moment, he stared at the photo, before laying it face down.
He pointed the nozzle of the gun to his head and sat for long seconds gazing out of the window.
With a sudden movement, Jack put the gun down. He screwed the note into a tight ball and tossed it into a bin beside the desk.
“Something changed his mind.” Andy said.
The screen went black, then another image of the office from the same camera.
There were no lights on. Paul straightened from behind Jack’s desk, the balled envelope in his hand.
“He knew all the time.” There was nothing else and Ben ripped the USB out and tossed it in the bag. The helicopter rose and fear stabbed at Ben. Not fear of flying. Fear of not getting there in time.
61
Danger In The Trees
The parking zone was nothing more than a dirt carpark surrounded by bush with room for maybe thirty vehicles. Ellie slammed her brakes on in the farthest corner and jumped out. She tossed her handbag into the backpack and sprinted into the undergrowth.
As far from the car as she dared go while being able to see it, Ellie planted herself behind a thick bush, peering through prickly branches. Paul’s car went past the entrance and she held her breath.
Keep going.
But it backed up and turned in. It circled the carpark and stopped near her car. When the engine was cut, the silence was disturbed by a long roll of thunder.
Paul climbed out, gazing around before checking her car. He pulled something from a pocket.
“Ellie! Ellie, I’m here and have news about Jack!”
Every muscle tensed until her legs ached to run.
“Why are you hiding from me, out of everyone? I’m your friend. The only one you can trust.” Paul walked around her car. It was a knife in his hand, glinting from sun through the trees. “We can go away together, El. Find somewhere private and start over.”
He leaned down and slashed at her tyres. One, then the others.
It was you who destroyed Ben’s tyres!
Her heart sank. She’d expected him to look for her, giving her the chance to get back to her car and drive the way they’d come.
He opened the boot of his car.
She sent her location to Ben’s phone, doubting it would reach him but desperate for help. One careful step at a time, she worked her way through the undergrowth to a narrow path. Ellie had no idea where this would lead and she hesitated, looking left and right. Which way?
The boot slammed.
Ellie ran.
62
The Hunter, 1
He didn’t have time for this. Hours on the road and now a trek through the bush.
A million-dollar detour.
The bag was locked in the boot. One handgun was in a pocket and he carried the other. His rifle was slung over a shoulder and would stay there unless he needed to take a long shot.
Finding Ellie shouldn’t take long and with her out of the way, he’d hike down to the cabin and take care of the other two. Pity about Gabi, she’d always been nice. There really was no malice behind what needed doing. After all, Jack was responsible for every cent in Paul’s bank account—his very secret bank account—so deserved a thanks. Before he died.
More thunder. He glanced up through a break in the trees. The sky was almost dark with the approach of the storm. Now, which way did Ellie go?
63
The Hunted, 1
Heavy drops of rain hit Ellie’s head and arms as she stumbled over rough terrain. There was a creek and she followed it, remembering it would lead her almost to the clifftop before continuing underground to emerge again as a waterfall partway down.
&n
bsp; It was years since she’d walked along it with Gabi, but the memory was clear.
Every sound made her glance back, but nothing was there. Glimpses of open ground broke through the trees. She licked rain from her lips rather than stop to get water.
The humidity dropped as the clouds emptied and rain hammered down, plastering her hair to her scalp. Slow thunder growled in the sky. The bush came alive with heightened smells of eucalyptus and wattle.
The storm wouldn’t last. Even now, the rain eased. Ellie needed to rest. Her legs screamed with fatigue, her back ached from the weight of the backpack. Should she leave it here?
She began to shrug it off.
“El-lie. I’m here to find you.”
Both hands over her mouth to suppress a scream, Ellie took off and splashed through the creek. Overhead, the heavy whir of helicopter blades forced air into the trees.
Ellie sucked in oxygen as she followed the sound of the helicopter. It appeared for a second above her and she threw her arms up.
Wait. See me!
But it moved away. No rescue. No last minute reprieve. No help.
64
The Hunter, 2
Paul crouched in undergrowth until the helicopter was gone. The wind had picked up and no pilot in their right mind would risk flying for long in this weather. He had that on his side.
But Ellie was a problem.
Whatever happened to the sweet, naïve girl he’d adored from afar for more than a decade? He’d watched her make terrible choices in men and almost lose everything by defying her father. All he’d ever wanted was for Ellie to see him. Really see him. Not the man looking after security, even when at her side or behind Jack. But as the man he was.
The helicopter left and Paul continued along the creek.
The night he took Ellie out for dinner, they’d been so close. Over an expensive dinner and candlelight, they’d talked. That one time, he’d almost lost sight of what he’d worked so hard to achieve. Almost.
Ellie chose to treat him the way everyone else did. No respect.
And it didn’t matter.
There was a million dollars in his bank, plus all the cash Jack carelessly left in no less than four safes. More fool him.
65
The Hunted, 2
For as long as she could, Ellie stayed under cover but close to the edge of the bushland. At some point she’d need to cross the open ground between here and the edge of the cliff and then—if she could find the track—descend to the cabin without Paul finding her.
No longer was she worried about why he was doing this. Every move was about survival. Ben’s plea for her to find safety, that Paul was dangerous, was etched in her thoughts. Her body responded out of sheer instinct. One foot at a time and careful of where it landed. Keep quiet. Above all, stay invisible.
Why had the helicopter gone? She strained to hear for its rotors but now, the wind was gusting through the trees, branches creaking and groaning. Was it the police or simply a sightseeing chopper too far off course? How long had she been out here? The layer of dark from the storm confused her.
Ellie stopped close to a large tree and took out her phone. There was one bar of signal on it. She began dialling Ben. Behind her, a crack, something breaking. She spun her head to look, to peer through the undergrowth. The wind was playing tricks, surely. Nobody was there.
“Ellie! Time to give up.”
She almost shrieked at Paul’s voice so close, and the phone flew from her fingers. It hit a rock and bounced away. With every bit of control she had, Ellie forced her body to stay still, flattened against the trunk of the old gum. The crunch of footsteps through the mass of fallen leaves and sticks approached. Terror rose until she was certain she would die in this lonely place.
The wind dropped. Her heart pounded in her ears.
Get to Gabi. Ben will find us.
Last night she’d lied. She didn’t wish they’d never met. Only that her wayward heart wouldn’t long for him. Bit by bit, Ellie reined in her rapid breath until she could listen to her surroundings again. And she could no longer hear Paul.
66
The Hunter, 3
She really must believe she was safe, blended in against the trees. But Paul knew where she was. He unslung the rifle from his shoulder. If he used a handgun, he might miss. Just a bit too far for the accuracy required.
He glanced at the safety and flicked it off, then raised the muzzle. She was gone.
Paul swore aloud as he stowed the rifle. In a few seconds he was where she’d been.
Concentrate.
Was she so brave as to run across open ground? Or rather, was she so foolhardy?
Oh, yes. She was. There was a couple of hundred metres of terrain between here and the cliff edge and Ellie was running as if her life depended on it. Which it did.
He liked that. It showed courage.
Paul strode out of the forest.
Ahead, Ellie was close to the edge of the cliff, doubled over. Out of breath, or terrified, didn’t matter.
It’s over.
“Oh, El-lie.”
Her head shot up.
“I’m here to help you.”
He loved how his voice carried out in the open.
She was running again, this time along the edge of the cliff. He followed at a walk, hugging the tree line.
He picked up his pace as she disappeared into the gloom. Somewhere he had a flashlight. He dug around in a pocket and found it.
Where was she? He crossed the open ground.
A sudden cry and he knew. In a moment he found a narrow path weaving down the cliff.
The helicopter was back, over the sea and parallel to the coastline. Was it close enough to shoot down? He didn’t need to. Whoever was inside wasn’t the problem unless it was Ben Rossi. Its flashing lights disappeared down the coast.
“Are you down there, Ellie? You don’t need to run anymore. I’ve come to help. I can get you to Gabi. You came to see her, didn’t you?”
Paul unlocked the safety on a handgun.
“Getting a bit over the games, you know. All I ever wanted was to make you happy.”
Anger boiled in his stomach. Ungrateful little bitch. Handed everything on a platter and still never happy.
She never loved you.
On the very edge of the cliff, Paul trained the flashlight on the path below. Blood streaked the ground in one spot. She must have fallen but was nowhere in sight.
“Oh, there’s a blood trail. I’ll bring you a bandage, Ellie.”
The path was deceptively steep and slippery from the rain. He took care with his footing, the flashlight weaving from side to side as he checked every crevice and bush. Ahead was a sharp turn and what looked like a cave entrance.
Tiny stones descended from above Paul and he flattened against the rock, hiding the flashlight. Someone was up there.
“Ellie!” Ben called.
Oh, you don’t wanna be interfering, Rossi.
“I’m here. But he’s close by!” Ellie emerged from the cave entrance, blood and mud splattered over her arms and legs.
Paul turned the flashlight on her. “Gotcha, baby.”
“Run! Ellie, run for your life!” Ben bellowed.
“I wouldn’t do that, not if you ever want to see him alive again. Make a choice, Ellie.” Paul sneered at the confusion in her face.
Then she turned to run.
A shot rang out.
67
To Trust
Partway around the sharp curve the gunshot rang out.
A guttural cry of pain cut through the air.
Ben. No, no, no.
The ground disappeared beneath one foot and she grabbed the branch of a bush, breaking her fall and landing on her side, her knees dangling over an edge. She dragged herself up, scrambling onto the path to lean on the rock face as she caught her breath.
Another shot. Further away.
The heavy clouds parted, leaving an almost full moon rising, reflected in the s
ea. Gabi used to tell Ellie to see the simple beauty around her.
Nature is bigger than we are. We don’t control it, only ourselves.
And Ellie needed to control her panic, or she’d never see Gabi again.
She dug deep. Past the terror. Beyond the fear Ben might be dead. At this moment, there was only one person Ellie could trust.
I trust myself.
Ellie dragged muddy hair from her eyes and continued down the path.
At the base of the cliff, Ellie hit the sand running. She dodged the waves battering the narrow stretch until she reached the mouth of the river. She stumbled along its side, scratching her legs on low lying branches in the dark. Back under the canopy of trees, the moonlight was all but gone.
Exhaustion racked her body and her breaths were gasps. But behind her was a killer. For surely, Paul had killed poor Frank Barlow. She’d trusted him. So had Dad.
There was a post and rail fence. Ellie climbed through. Wind Drifter loomed through the fog on the river, tied at the end of a rickety jetty. The ground rose. When the bushes gave way to open grass, she paused, scanning the area between here and the cabin. All was still.
Ellie sprinted over the grass to the front door. There was no response to her soft tap, so she peered through the window into the living room. No light or sign of movement. Somewhere in her bag, she had a key to the back door.
Halfway around, a crunch of dead leaves broke the silence. The hairs rose on the back of her neck. She’d just passed a shed and froze, her back exposed to it.
Last Known Contact Page 30
