As Jack snapped and Dave directed, he also looked around. The forcing yard had been constructed with pine posts placed close together and ringlock wire leading up to the gates. No bloody wonder the steers had gone over the top of the yards—there was nothing holding them in! If they’d been yarded—contained by the sturdy steel panels—this wouldn’t have happened. Well, Dave conceded, it may have, but not in the same way.
The wire had been torn from its nails on the posts and strewn across the paddock. Some posts had been snapped at ground level and were lying broken on the ground. The cattle had left the deep imprints of their hooves in the damp, muddy earth. In short, the scene was carnage.
‘I can see why he’s been so badly injured,’ Dave said, as Andy, who’d just arrived, appeared at his shoulder. ‘Because the fence snapped so easily under the weight of the animals, he was tumbled under their feet.’ He made a rolling motion with his hands. ‘Four hundred k-gees of beef running over the top of you isn’t going to leave you looking pretty.’
‘No,’ Andy said, going pale.
Dave clapped him on the shoulder and turned to Jack. ‘Okay, get some shots of this too. Once you’ve finished with the body, the ambos can take it away.’
While they’d been examining the scene, the clouds had rolled in and a light drizzle had started to fall. ‘Let’s work quickly, fellas,’ Dave said. ‘If this isn’t an accident, we need to find the evidence of that before the rain spoils it.’
‘Not an accident? You’ve got to be kidding,’ Andy said. ‘Look at it. The cattle have been spooked and they’ve crushed him. How can it be anything but?’
Dave turned around. ‘Might be my suspicious nature, but how were they spooked? Why’d they go crazy when Graham was in that spot? Look around—there was nowhere for them to go. They ran, hit the fence and then the gates. Sure, Graham might have been on his way up there to open the gates and push them into the yards, but he was at the front when they were spooked. Why is that? If I didn’t know better I would have said there was something down the back that set them off.’
Andy and Jack stared at Dave, their heads turning from the back of the yards to the crumpled fence. He could almost see the cogs turning in their minds.
‘I’m not saying it wasn’t an accident.’ He softened his voice. ‘It probably was. But we’re doing a disservice to Graham if we don’t look into it properly.’ Dave checked the sky. ‘We’re going to need to get a hurry on. Have you noticed how the birds have stopped singing and the wind has dropped? It’s going to pelt down in a minute. Let’s get going.’ He strode off towards the other end of the forcing yard.
Dave ran his hands over his face before turning off the ignition. He’d found it a lot more draining to deal with a scene when he was in love with the aunty of the deceased, than he would have if it had just been a run-of-the-mill incident.
His hand stilled as he realised what he’d just thought. Love? And that morning he’d been wondering if he could love again.
‘Hmm,’ he muttered, then opened the door and went in search of Kim.
Having so much experience in this situation, Dave found the house as he expected it: teeming with emotions—shock, disbelief, fear and sadness. Some neighbours had arrived to help out, so Kim was sitting on the couch next to her sister.
When she saw him walk in, she smiled and came over to him.
‘You’re all muddy,’ she said.
‘Yeah, it’s a bit of a mess down at the yards. Can I wash up somewhere?’
Kim led him to the laundry and stayed with him while he washed. ‘I can’t be here long, Kimmy,’ he said. ‘I’m going to have to write up my report and send it through. We need to get Graham’s body on the way to Adelaide for an autopsy, and the quicker we do all that, the quicker you will all be able to make arrangements.’ He dried his hands and looked down at her. ‘How are you holding up?’
‘I’m okay,’ she said quietly. ‘I wish I could take some of their pain away, though. John isn’t good at all. I’m worried about him. He’s so quiet and just staring all the time. He doesn’t hear anything when we talk to him.’
‘That’s normal. It’s only just happened. What about Natalie?’
‘She’s devastated, of course.’ Kim sniffed. ‘She and I have never been close, but I’ll be there throughout this, holding her close. I can’t imagine how things can ever be the same for any of them.’
‘And Amelia?’
‘Sad, at a loss, but she’ll be okay. She’s a fighter. Always has been.’
Dave closed his eyes and held Kim’s hands as he said, ‘I need to talk to them before I go. I’m sorry, but I do. I’ll make it quick.’
Kim nodded. ‘Come on, let’s get it over and done with. Then we can both go. I’d like a bit of time to myself.’
It was almost dark as they pulled up in front of Kim’s house.
Dave switched off the car and looked over at her. She was rubbing her neck.
‘Headache?’ he asked.
‘Yeah. A bad one.’
‘Come on, I’ll take you in and get you settled. Then I’ll head back to the motel and write up my report. Got your key?’
Kim handed it over, and he unlocked the door and switched on the lights before Kim walked inside. He watched as she flopped on the couch and shut her eyes.
‘Where do you keep the Panadol?’ he asked, opening cupboards in the kitchen.
‘In the bathroom above the sink.’ Her voice was dull and flat.
Dave found the packet and punched two pills out of the foil packaging, then filled a glass with water and took it to her.
‘Thanks,’ she said, and swallowed the pills. ‘You know, I think I’m going to miss you when you have to go back to the city.’
Dave gently took the glass from her and set it on the coffee table, before sitting next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders and leaning into her neck. He breathed in her scent and closed his eyes, trying to commit the sensations to memory. He would miss her. More than she would ever know.
Dave knew it was imperative that he solved these crimes so he could get back to Adelaide and sort out his life. He needed to move quickly. So he stayed silent.
Chapter 33
Amelia ran from her thoughts and feelings, as hard and as fast as she could. She pushed her way through the bushes and let the branches scratch her arms and face. The only thing she let herself think about was that she was going to Emerald Springs. She would be okay once she got there. Her safe place.
The oppressive atmosphere in the house was driving her mad. Amelia knew that parents should never have to bury their child: that wasn’t the way of nature. She understood John and Natalie were grieving and would forever. But it was hard to face the sadness that threatened to engulf what was left of her family. Amelia needed space, air and freedom. The only spot to get that was Emerald Springs.
As she half-ran, half-stumbled through the bush, she brushed beads of sweat from her eyes. The air was heavy with humidity and little green shoots were pushing their way through the red soil. Now that the rain had washed away a layer of dust, everything had become more vivid. Even the sky looked bluer than before.
By the time she arrived at the springs, Amelia was breathing heavily. Her ribs had the dull ache of an injury that was nearly mended, but not quite. She doubled over, her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Closing her eyes, she could smell eucalyptus oil permeating from the leaves of the gumtrees, made more pungent by the rains. Birds flitted from branch to branch, calling to one another, and there was the hum of bees in the distance.
After letting herself slowly fall to the ground, Amelia dug her hands into the sand and felt the grains slide between her fingers. Then she rolled over onto her back and stared straight up at the sky. It didn’t take long for the fuzz in her brain to disappear, and she began to feel as normal as she could.
She missed Graham. It was hard to believe something like this could have happened to her family. To anyone. But it had. Amelia had re
ad countless newspaper stories of people who’d been killed while mustering or working on farms. Stock work was always unpredictable.
A tear slid down her cheek. Angrily she sat up and brushed it away. She’d already cried so much and she wanted to be strong. She had survived being attacked and robbed, and she would survive this too.
Amelia stripped off her clothes and dived into the pool, staying underwater for as long as she could. Just before her lungs were about to burst, she opened her mouth and screamed hard. Bubbles rose around her and she kicked to the surface. Her lungs crying for air, she gulped deeply, all the while treading water. The freezing liquid against her hot skin sent goosebumps skittering across her body, but it felt good.
With her heart pounding in her ears, she flipped over and floated, using her hands to propel herself around the pool. She shut her eyes and focused on the silky feel of the water. After a while she paddled towards the waterfall that was flowing strongly because of the rain. She manoeuvred herself under the cascade, letting it fall over her head and trickle down her face.
Something brushed against her leg and Amelia’s eyes flashed open. Instinctively she drew her legs up to her stomach, and Chrissie’s comment about always being scared of what might lurk below flooded back to her. Her heart, which had settled, began to thud again.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she said out loud. ‘There’s never been anything in here.’
Even so, she scanned the pool for ripples. It had never bothered her before that the bottom couldn’t be seen, but now the uneasy feeling wouldn’t leave her. Moving as little as possible, she shifted further under the waterfall, closer to the bank. There was a ledge she could hoist herself up onto if it happened again.
Nothing.
Feeling a little braver, Amelia pushed her leg out into the depths of the water and felt around.
Still nothing.
She decided she’d imagined it and her heart started to slow.
Then she felt it again and let out an almighty scream. Panic made her splash towards the ledge and she grabbed at the rock, scrambling to get out of the water. With a heave she managed to push herself up onto the ledge. She sat there, her knees up to her throat, her chest heaving. ‘What the hell is it?’ she asked, her eyes raking the water, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was down there.
Then her hand brushed something and she glanced down. Right next to her was a thick rope. As her eyes followed the length of it, she realised it entered the water.
Trepidation ran through her. She leaned over and pulled the rope. Her arms strained: it was attached to something heavy. Slowly at first, then faster and faster, she hauled the rope in, desperate to know what was on the end of it.
Finally Amelia saw a dark shape emerging from the inky blackness. Time stopped. She couldn’t hear the gushing of the water or the birds singing. She didn’t feel the sun on her skin. Her total focus was on the object as it came closer and closer, and finally broke the surface.
Amelia stared at the bag uncomprehendingly before yanking the rope up further and bringing it onto the ledge. It was small, black and waterproof. She looked it over carefully before taking a deep breath and unzipping it. The contents were shadowed, so she angled the bag towards the sun and saw the zippered top of a second bag. She reached in, grabbed it out and opened it, her hands shaking.
Her anxiety level raced up the scale when she saw what was inside. Not stopping to think, she took out a handful of small plastic bags filled with folded banknotes in every denomination. Her handwriting was on the outside of each bag.
It was the rodeo money.
‘You touched everything?’ Dave asked, trying to keep the despair out of his voice. The most decent lead so far and it looked like the evidence had been compromised.
‘Well, yeah,’ Amelia answered. ‘I wanted to know what was inside.’
‘Right. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Can you please not touch anything else and move away from the scene?’ He rubbed his hand over his face.
‘I’m not out there now.’ Amelia was speaking quietly into the phone and Dave struggled to hear what she was saying. ‘I’m back at the house.’ Ah, now he understood. She didn’t want her parents to hear. ‘Graham was involved, wasn’t he?’ she asked in a small tone.
‘I can’t say, Amelia. Let me get all the facts first. I’ll be there soon.’ Dave hung up and grabbed his keys before heading out the door.
It only took him half an hour to get to Granite Ridge. As he pulled up, he saw Amelia was waiting outside. By the time he was opening his door, she was standing right beside it, bending down to talk in a low voice.
‘I don’t want Mum and Dad to know about this until you’re sure of what Graham did.’ She stared at him hard. ‘They’re dealing with enough at this point.’
‘Totally agree with you,’ he said as he got out of the car. ‘Where are they now?’
‘Mum’s lying down and Dad’s out in the paddock. He won’t be doing anything, just driving around aimlessly.’
Dave nodded. ‘The Barker cops are coming too. Will they be able to find their way or do we need to wait?’ He didn’t want to wait; he was impatient to see what she’d found, but he needed either Andy or Jack with him to help take photos and collect evidence. He turned as he heard a vehicle approaching behind him. ‘Geez, they were quick,’ he muttered.
The young cops pulled up and got out. They were grim-faced, their eyes compassionate, as they said their hellos.
‘This way.’ Amelia gestured and started to lead them towards Emerald Springs.
Dave grabbed his rucksack, which contained evidence bags, a finger-printing kit and a few other investigative tools, and his camera bag. They followed Amelia, who was setting a cracking pace down the road.
‘Should we drive?’ asked Andy.
‘You can’t get a car in there,’ Amelia called over her shoulder. ‘You can drive a few metres through the gate if you want, but it’s only just over here.’ She motioned with her arm and kept walking.
‘Here, grab this.’ Dave thrust the camera bag at Andy and hoisted the rucksack up over his shoulder, starting to follow Amelia.
Ten minutes in, Dave was wondering where on earth they were going. He thought he could make out a faint path, but Amelia was so sure-footed that finding the route didn’t seem to bother her. She pulled back branches and held them as they passed, only speaking to indicate how far there was to go.
‘How did you find this place, Amelia?’ Dave asked, as he patted his brow with a handkerchief.
‘Used to be our family’s barbecue spot,’ she said, and Dave noticed that she wasn’t even puffing. It seemed she was in very good shape—just over a week ago she’d been lying in a hospital bed. Jack also seemed pretty fit. Andy, on the other hand, was red-faced and sweat-stained beneath his armpits and down his back.
‘And who knows about this place, other than your family?’ Dave asked.
Amelia stopped walking and thought. ‘Graham and I used to bring friends out here, and so did Mum and Dad, although that didn’t happen often. And everyone who came here could have told others about it. It’s a rare and beautiful spot, so I wouldn’t be surprised if heaps of people know about it.’ She started to walk again. ‘I hadn’t been out here for ages though, until a couple of weeks ago, and I’m pretty sure I was the first one in years. The track was so overgrown. We stopped coming out here after we left school. Silly, really. It’s such a special place.’
‘And have you noticed anyone out here recently?’
Amelia nodded. ‘Last time I was out here—last Thursday, I think it was—I got pretty spooked. At first I thought I was just nervy after the robbery, but then I saw there were some snapped branches, like someone had bashed through. Then I thought it was roo, but I noticed a boot print in the sand. It was just Graham, though.’
‘How do you know that?’ asked Dave, raising his eyebrows.
‘The boot was a Blundstone. That’s what he wore all the time.’
‘
How could you tell they were Blundstone boots?’
‘The tread. It’s the same as when he walks into the kitchen with mud on his boots.’ There was a pause and Amelia’s eyes closed briefly. ‘Walked, I mean.’
‘But how does that make it Graham? Lots of men wear those boots.’
‘Um . . . well, I guess I don’t know for sure. But why would it be anyone else? It’d be so hard for them to get out here without being noticed on our property. Risky, too.’ She shrugged. ‘Anyway, we’re nearly there.’
When they entered the oasis, Dave drew a breath. It was as beautiful as Amelia had described. He looked around carefully, but nothing caught his eye. Jack and Andy were looking around too, wide-eyed.
‘So explain where you were and what happened,’ Dave said. He set his bag down and took out his notepad.
Amelia went through, methodically, why she had been out here, how she’d been swimming and where the rope had brushed her leg, before finishing with how she’d realised it was the rodeo money.
‘So are you saying I have to swim over there to get to that ledge?’ Dave asked, looking at the water with trepidation.
‘No, I’ll take you around this way.’ She walked along the edge of the pool and climbed up a bushy outcrop, then fought her way along the top and pointed to where Dave could drop down to the ledge. He swung his legs over the side and, holding his breath, dropped the couple of metres before landing safely next to the black bag.
He pulled a pair of plastic gloves from his back pocket and put them on, before looking inside the bag. ‘This thing should hold fingerprints.’ He turned and called across the water to Andy and Jack: ‘I need a big evidence bag and it’ll have to go back to Adelaide—I can’t pull prints off this one.’
Dave snapped a few photos, handed the camera up to Amelia, then turned his attention to the plastic money bags. Hundred-dollar notes were folded neatly inside one of them; on the outside was written one thousand dollars.
Emerald Springs Page 25
