by Valerie Parv
“Your investigator’s license doesn’t cover housebreaking.”
“I told you, you don’t want to know.” Ryan tapped the key tag in the officer’s palm. “This proves Coghlan set the fire.”
Tony closed his fingers around the tag. “It could just as easily prove you stole his keys while…ah…looking for evidence. I’ll get some forensic people out here as soon as I can, but for now we don’t have much to go on.”
“Can’t you at least interview Max Horvath?” she asked.
“I can find out what he and his men were doing when the fire started.”
Ryan nodded. “I’d like to ride along.”
The officer hesitated. “Normally, I wouldn’t consider it, but right now everybody else is tied up looking for a couple of tourists who went missing from their accommodation last night, so your help could be useful, as long as you remember who’s the law around here.”
Ryan’s look said he was in no doubt, and Judy guessed he’d follow the officer’s lead only as long as it suited him. She suspected Tony Honda was aware of it, too. The pair had obviously come to know and like each other through Ryan’s undercover work. But Ryan wouldn’t let friendship come between him and his target, in this case Max. Or her when this was resolved, she thought with an involuntary shiver. Just because they’d made love didn’t mean Ryan would stop pursuing her. Or that she’d be torn between wanting him to stop, and fearing he would.
After they left, she threw herself into helping restore order. They couldn’t do much about the bunkhouse without disturbing possible evidence, but she could give the men a hand. Cade was working on the fire-damaged fencing around the holding yards when she joined him.
Stripped down to a navy blue sleeveless T-shirt and low-slung jeans, with a battered Akubra hat pushed back on his head, he looked like a cover model for a romance novel, she thought. Almost thirty now, he’d come a long way from the skinny, truculent street kid who’d joined the family at fourteen. She’d been ten at the time and had been both fascinated and repelled by the life he’d led, so different from her own.
“I expected you to go with Ryan and Tony,” Cade commented without looking up from the new rail he was levering into position. The pale timber stood in sharp contrast to the silvery gray of the weathered wood.
She scooped up a handful of batten screws and handed them to him. “Men’s work.”
Cade looked surprised. “Ryan didn’t say that, did he?”
“Not if he wanted to live. I got the impression he and Tony were mates from a previous life, so I didn’t want to play fifth wheel.”
“It makes sense he and Tony would get along if they’ve worked on the same cases. I got a surprise this morning when Rye told me what he does for a living. I thought jackeroo was pretty much it. But I knew a jackeroo wouldn’t have been as skilled at investigating this fire, so he had to come clean about his real occupation.”
She felt gratified that Cade hadn’t known about Ryan’s undercover work either. “Dad was the only one who knew. I used to wonder why he didn’t get on Ryan’s case about living up to his potential, when he came home.”
Cade strained to slide the old cap rail back into place. The timber was scorched but still sound. Just as well. They could make a claim on their insurance, but replacing everything they’d lost would still stretch the budget. She appreciated Cade trying to salvage as much of the original material as he could.
“I half expected him to be on mine this time,” he said as he worked.
Her hand stilled on the other end of the cap rail. “You’re entitled to a vacation, aren’t you?”
“I’m not on vacation. I’m back for good.”
“I thought you didn’t want to be a cattleman? You always said you loved being a free agent, roving the world with your camera.”
He stared off into the distance. “Yeah, well, after a few years being free isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“Is anything wrong, Cade?”
He brushed sawdust off his hands. “Can’t a man decide to come home without something being wrong?”
“I guess not.” Despite his assurance, she felt uneasy. Cade had always been proud of living his life his way. He’d been her role model when she decided to start her air charter business. Whenever she’d wondered if she was missing anything by not getting married and starting a family, she would think of him. Happily self-employed, a high achiever, free of permanent ties. If he hadn’t exactly had a girl in every port, he’d never lacked for female companionship, although none of his relationships had lasted for long. “Cade, are you gay?” she blurted out.
His startled look raked her, then he laughed. “That’s quite a stretch, isn’t it? For the record, no I’m not.”
“Not that I’d care either way,” she hastened to add. “You’ll always be my foster brother and part of my family, no matter what.”
An unreadable expression flitted across his features, then was gone. “That means a lot to me, more than you can guess.” He began to gather the tools into a box. “What does a man have to do to get lunch around here?”
Knowing a change of subject when she heard one, she said, “Make it.”
“I’ll mess up your nice, clean kitchen. And use up all the good stuff before Ryan gets back.”
“It isn’t my nice clean anything. I just happen to use the kitchen more than the rest of you. I sure clean it more often.”
He grinned. “You know what they say? Practice makes perfect.”
“Explains why you’re so good at putting your foot in your mouth.”
He threw a cracked leather glove at her and missed. “Snippy today, aren’t we? Probably didn’t get enough sleep.” A theatrical wink followed.
Heat rolled over her. Cade couldn’t have missed seeing Ryan take her inside after the fire, and her unused bedroom would have confirmed his suspicions. “If I agree to make lunch for you, can we not go there?” she demanded.
“It’s okay to discuss my sexuality, but not…all right, you made your point, I’ll behave.” She thwacked at him with the glove, and he recoiled in mock alarm. “Can I help it if I touched a nerve?”
“You did not touch a nerve.”
“And there’s absolutely nothing going on between you and Ryan?”
“I said I don’t want to go there.”
He held up his hands. “No call for you to be bashful. Anybody with eyes can see the two of you have been smitten for years. I’m glad you’re finally doing something about it.”
She rolled her eyes. “What’s the point of arguing with you?”
His expression sobered. “One thing I learned on my travels is that you never know what lies ahead. If you love Ryan, don’t waste time fighting your feelings. Grab your chance with both hands and hang on. Doing anything else leaves too much room for regrets.”
Was there was something he wasn’t telling her? “Do you have regrets?” she asked.
Cade gave her a long, measured look. “More than I should have, little sister. Now how about that lunch? I’m starving.”
Ryan came into the kitchen while she was carving cold roast lamb to go with the salad she’d made. “How did you get on?” she asked, batting away his hand as he reached for a piece of lamb.
He feinted with his other hand and grabbed the lamb while she was distracted, stuffing the meat into his mouth before she could protest. “We didn’t see hide nor hair of Horvath or Coghlan, and—surprise, surprise—none of the staff could tell Tony where they were or when they might be back.”
“Surprise, surprise,” she echoed, wishing he would give her some space. Standing this close, the musky scent of him, a mixture of trail dust and perspiration, was a potent reminder of how much closer they’d been last night. She pushed the memory away. “Where’s Tony?”
“Gone back to his headquarters to help with the hunt for the tourists,” he said. “Andy and some of his people asked if they could use their tracking skills to help. Since there’s not much more we can do here til
l the police finish their investigation, I told them to go ahead.”
“And Cade?”
“He’s eating with the men before they go. Said something about not being a fifth wheel. Do you know what that’s about?”
“No idea.” Inwardly she cursed Cade for his clumsy attempt to maneuver her and Ryan into spending time alone. Getting them together seemed important to Cade, and his reason baffled her as much as her own reluctance. She carried the plates to the table and sat down while Ryan washed his hands then joined her. “Cade said he’s home to stay.”
“So he tells me.”
“You don’t find that unusual?”
Ryan cut into the tender lamb and ate before answering. “None of my business.”
“You don’t care if something’s wrong in his life?”
“If there is, he’ll tell us when he’s ready.”
“Men,” she said in exasperation, forking her salad and eating it angrily.
“Last night you didn’t have a problem with my being a man,” he pointed out, further fueling her annoyance. “I got the impression you found our differences stimulating.”
Her heightened color betrayed just how stimulating. “Last night, I was overwrought because of the fire. It doesn’t count.”
His interest sharpened visibly. “So we have to make love again when it does count?”
“That’s not what I mean.” She put her knife and fork down. “I don’t want us to make love again at all.”
“I know I didn’t disappoint you.”
“Far from it,” she said before realizing that the admission was unlikely to strengthen her case. “That isn’t the point. Cade’s already planning our trip down the aisle. How many others are thinking the same?”
“I don’t care what they think,” Ryan said.
“Then you’re the only one,” she denied, wishing she felt more sure of her ground. “Being good in bed doesn’t mean our next words have to be, ‘I do.’”
“This isn’t over, Judy.”
Why did he have to make such an issue out of last night? Her body tingled whenever she thought of their lovemaking. Spectacular didn’t begin to cover the roller-coaster ride she’d taken with him. But there had to be more to a relationship than good sex. Such as wanting the same things from life.
Ryan was unlikely to be happy having her wheel around the sky and return for nights of glorious lovemaking when her charter business allowed, although the prospect made her heart pound. No matter what he said now, if they got involved and even tried to build a future together, he’d eventually start thinking in terms of children, then she’d be trapped.
It wasn’t that she disliked the idea of children, only that she wished she could have them on her own terms. Biology was hell sometimes.
Her train of thought was derailed when the phone rang. Ryan picked it up, his light greeting quickly changing to concern. “Where are you? How long has he been missing? Have you informed the police?”
Judy’s heart jumped. When Ryan put the phone down, she looked at him in dread. “What’s happened?”
“Tracey and Heather took the kids out to Wolf Creek crater as planned. One of the kids was stung by a wasp. While they were attending to her, Sunny wandered off. He’s missing.”
She clutched a hand to her throat, well aware of how much Sunny meant to Ryan. “Oh no. How long ago?”
“Best part of an hour. They started a search on their own, thinking he wouldn’t have gone far. Then they called the police.”
“But they’re all out searching for those tourists.”
“They’re going to split the team into two,” he said.
She was all business now. “Can they get a helicopter or a plane up?”
“The police are diverting a chopper to Wolf Creek from the other search, but the pilot needs to refuel first.”
She pushed her chair away from the table and stood up. “They’re not the only pilots in the area. The Cessna’s ready to fly. I can be in the air over the crater before the helicopter pilot has finished fueling up.”
“We,” he amended quickly. “I’m coming with you.”
“Don’t you trust my piloting skills, Smith?” she snapped.
“You’re going to need a spotter. I have good eyes.”
Accepting his argument, she nodded. “Finding one little boy in country that rugged will take more than good eyes. Better start praying for a miracle.”
Chapter 13
“I didn’t mean for you to start praying until we reach the crater,” she said as she settled into what she did best, getting the Cessna into the air. In the seat beside her, he was gripping the seat belt as if it were a lifeline.
“A few extra prayers can’t hurt,” he said, sounding as if his nerves were wire-tight. She might have blamed his tension on Sunny’s disappearance but had flown with enough nervous passengers to recognize the symptoms.
Confirming her suspicion, he sucked in a breath as the small plane rattled and shook, gaining height. “Could this be why you haven’t flown with me before?” she asked.
He kept his gaze fixed on the horizon. “Could what be why?”
She glanced at his hands. “White knuckles.”
He made an obvious effort to relax. “Imagination. I never had the need to go up with you, that’s all.”
She gestured out the window. “See those pink creatures flapping past the plane? They’re pigs.”
At least he could still raise a laugh. “Okay, so I’m not the world’s most comfortable flier when it comes to small planes. Satisfied?”
She banked smoothly before answering. “I’ve seen you go into a corral with a kicking, screaming stallion and gentle it using nothing but a length of rope and a piece of cotton cloth. Everybody has their own idea of a nightmare. That would be mine.”
His breathing eased. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I only wish I’d had time to replace the brake disks on my baby before we needed to do this.”
She heard him gulp. “Brake disks?”
“They’re supposed to be micrometer-checked at each annual service and replaced when they get to minimum thickness. Mine were due to be miked this month.”
“Did you have to mention that now?”
“Oh, sorry. Look, they’re fine, really. I always err on the side of caution.”
He shot her a wry glance. “You’ve no idea how that reassures me.”
She checked gauges. “Relax. We’re in good shape, and we will find Sunny.”
He nodded tautly. “Do you carry parachutes.”
“One,” she responded.
He grabbed a handhold. “One?”
“For the pilot, in case something goes wrong and I have to go for help.”
It was an old flier’s joke but produced the intended effect. He leaned closer to the window, forgetting to be nervous as he concentrated on the landscape below.
After they’d flown straight and level for a while, he turned to her. “We should be over Wolf Creek soon. Tracey said when they last saw Sunny, they were in the crater not far from where the road ends at the base of the western wall.”
Judy nodded, bringing them lower until details of the landscape became more distinct. What looked like a low, unimpressive range of hills from a distance soon resolved themselves into the shattered quartzite walls of Wolf Creek crater. From the air, the crater looked like a giant thumbprint on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. Most of the landmark was buried under windblown sand, but enough remained above ground to create a moonlike landscape.
More than a million years before, according to her reading, a meteor weighing thousands of tons had hurtled to Earth from the northeast, spreading most of the material ejected from the crater to the southwest. This had resulted in steeply sloping sides on the northeast side and gentler slopes to the southwest.
Aboriginal mythology told of two rainbow snakes whose paths across the desert had formed two nearby creeks. The crater they called Kandimalal was where one of the snakes
had emerged from the ground. Whether made by mythical snakes or a meteor, the result was spectacular, she thought.
“This place always reminds me of a giant campfire site,” Ryan commented.
In the center of the raised rim was a darker smudge that did look like the remains of a campfire. It was an illusion, she knew. The flat floor of the crater was dotted with rugged spinifex grassland and sinkholes containing mineral-laden water. In the center, the trees were closer together with denser canopies, creating the appearance of a dark patch from above.
When Judy had last walked the crater, she’d seen brown ring-tail dragons stalking insects on the flowering shrubs along the rock wall. Red kangaroos lived in the area, but she’d seen none during the heat of the day. However, she had watched the spectacular pink Major Mitchell cockatoos feeding on seed from the wattle and paperbark trees on the crater floor. It wasn’t hard to imagine how any of these creatures might have distracted Sunny so he lost sight of the others.
A banking turn put them over where the road ended at the base. “There’s Heather’s car and Tracey’s minivan,” she said.
Ryan was scanning through binoculars. “I see them. Looks like Tracey and Heather did as I suggested and got the rest of the group together near the information shelter. One lost child is enough to deal with.”
Below them, the adults waved in recognition. Judy waggled the wings and then began to circle the crater, looking for any sign of the little boy. In her phone call, Tracey had told Ryan that Sunny was wearing a yellow T-shirt and jeans and a red baseball cap. The bright colors would hopefully make him easy to spot from the air.
“Anything?” she asked Ryan as he peered through the glasses.
“A flash of red near the rim on the western side,” he said.
She nosed downward as low as she dared, leveling off almost at treetop height. Ryan didn’t enjoy the experience, she saw as he white-knuckled the glasses again. But he focused on his task, swearing under his breath. “Nothing but some flowering bushes,” he said.
The plane disturbed a mob of red kangaroos who leaped away as the plane roared over their heads. No sign of a little boy. “When did the police say they’d have people on the ground?” she asked, her eyes scanning steadily.
