‘So, how long are you here for?’ Jacob asked.
‘As long as I’m needed, Jacob,’ he answered.
‘I’ll make up a room for you,’ Reen said, struggling to get up. ‘Have we finished here, do you think?’
Julie went back through her notes. ‘I think we’ve covered everything.’
‘I’d better head off too,’ said Mark. ‘I’m putting down another bore and the contractor’s coming tomorrow to start. I should get an early night. It’s bloody good to see you, Dessie.’ He shook his hand and headed off into the darkness.
Jacob stood up and touched Eliza’s shoulder. ‘Come on, I’ll walk you back to your room, and let everyone else catch up. Dessie, Mary can tell you what we’re up to, and I’ll see you at Manalinga tomorrow?’
‘I’ll be there, Jacob,’ Dessie answered in his soft voice. ‘Eliza, it was lovely to meet you. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.’
Pushing back her chair, Eliza got to her feet. ‘I’ll look forward to that.’
Once she and Jacob were out of earshot of everyone, she said, ‘He’s just like I imagined he would be after you told me that story.’
‘He’s a good bloke.’
‘He’s so engaging—have you noticed he always uses people’s names when he talks to them? That’s a sign of someone who wants to make you feel like you’re the only person in the world. I bet that’s why he makes such a good pastor.’
Jacob paused. ‘I’ve never really noticed that before, but you’re right. That’s how he talks. Dessie always uses your name when he speaks to you.’
They came to a standstill in front of Eliza’s room. The moonlight cast a ghostly shadow over Jacob’s face as he turned to her.
‘Guess I’ll catch up with you sometime,’ he said.
‘Guess you will,’ she agreed as she pushed open her door and felt for the light switch. Before she could turn it on, Jacob leaned down and kissed her cheek.
Eliza felt his lips linger there for a moment. All it would take would be for her to turn her head and she’d be able to touch her lips to his.
But she didn’t. She gently pulled back.
‘Good night, Jacob.’
Dessie came back from the bar and put two glasses of port down on the table.
‘How have you been, Mary?’ he asked as he carefully sat back down. ‘And John, how’s he?’
‘We’ve been fine,’ she answered slowly, ‘although we’ve had some old memories dragged up recently.’
Dessie nodded and sat there quietly before picking up his glass. ‘Here’s to good health,’ he said. ‘And to the future.’
Mary raised her glass too and took a sip before asking, ‘You see it too, don’t you?’ She stared at the glass of ruby-coloured liquid she held. Her arthritically gnarled hands looked like claws to her.
How had she got so old, she wondered. She didn’t feel old on the inside, and every time she stared in the mirror, she wondered who the stranger was staring back at her. When she looked at John, she saw the young, handsome man he had been, not the grey-haired, lined man he was now. Getting old could seem cruel. This was even more so when a ghost from her past entered her life. A ghost she’d had no idea even existed.
‘There certainly is a resemblance,’ Dessie agreed. ‘I’m pleased you rang and asked me to come up.’
‘What do we do? Do we say something? We’ve got no idea if we’re right. What if we’re so wrong that we make a big mistake? John’s sure they’re related, but we don’t know how. ’
Dessie steepled his fingers and held them against his lips, thinking. ‘Is she asking questions? Does she have any idea?’
Mary shrugged. ‘I’m not sure,’ she answered hesitantly. ‘All she’s said to me is that she was drawn to this area, and to a photo of John and me. She did make it clear she wasn’t sure if it was the area or us that had attracted her. I don’t know how to ask any more questions without arousing her curiosity.’
‘Has she said where’s she’s from?’
Mary went on to relay the conversation she’d had with Eliza when she had visited with Heidi and Tilly.
‘Hmm, so it’s really all hearsay, isn’t it? Her reactions could have been for any reason—something deep-seated in her that we know nothing of.’
They sat silently, the two old friends, staring into the fire.
Mary would never forget the day she and John and Clara and Richard had walked up the plank and onto the ship that was sailing to Australia. They were full of excitement about the future.
Getting away from London and its grimy, dirty streets seemed a blessing. Stories had filtered back from people who’d gone to Australia about large skies, so blue it felt like you were staring into an abyss.
As the boat sailed and Australia went from being a dream to being reality, opportunities stretched out in front of them. When they had first arrived on Australian soil, John had wondered if all the good news stories had been made up. The heat and flies were oppressive, and the pastures weren’t green, as they’d heard, but dry and brown. It never seemed to rain.
It had taken time, but Mary had fallen in love with the Flinders Ranges and knew she would live there until the day she died. The red dust had not only got under her fingernails and into her hair, it had got into her blood. Clara and Richard had joked that it had literally got into all of them as they breathed in the dust storms.
It had taken a couple of years for them all to become accustomed to the climate, but they had been good times. They had been hard, for sure, but good times. Fun times were the social occasions, the tennis and cricket. Good times were all about seeing the land develop under their care, and having new experiences, like their first flood, or dust storm, and the way their dreams were turning into reality, strengthening their friendships. Clara and Richard had loved the land the way that Mary and John did, and Mary remembered the two men having many lively discussions about animal husbandry practices and other issues.
Richard and Clara were perfect for each other. It had only been in the years before his death that things had started to change.
Richard had been laid-back and charming, quick with a smile. Mary had loved his jokes, and even when things looked dire, he could always make them laugh. He enjoyed cards more than he did sport but happily played tennis, just so long as there was a drink afterwards.
Clara, Mary remembered fondly, was graceful but also tough. She would drive a hard bargain with the travelling salesmen and fiercely protected those she loved. The trouble was that she could only be tough and strong for so long, and then she would fall into bouts of deep depression. It did take its toll on Richard, but he never once waivered in his love for her.
The death of their two closest friends had almost been the undoing of Mary and John. They’d tried to turn back time by asking all the ‘what if?’ questions. Would things have been different if they hadn’t left England? What if Richard hadn’t died?
‘Sometimes I wonder if we would have boarded that ship if we’d known what was in front of us,’ Mary said sadly.
‘Come now, Mary,’ Dessie said, getting up from his chair. ‘We can’t dwell on the past. You know that. Whatever will be, will be.’
‘Of course you’re right,’ Mary answered, looking up at him. To change the subject, she added, ‘John will be pleased to know you’re here. Will you come out tomorrow?’
‘Your place will be my first call, with Jacob my second.’
Mary smiled at him. ‘Dessie, I don’t know how this community would have survived if you hadn’t been here. You’re a godsend.’
‘That was who sent me,’ Dessie said. He patted her arm and walked out.
Chapter 27
Dave stared at the computer, deep in thought.
He wasn’t sure what he had just found—but it was intriguing.
He’d typed in Eliza Norwood’s name and found nothing. That hadn’t surprised him. Then he’d typed in Ashleigh’s name.
The IMS flashed up the missing persons
report.
Dave carefully reread all the information and looked at the photo again.
Eliza had certainly made a good job of changing her appearance. It was off-putting unless you’d spent a bit of time with her. The scar would help throw your average Joe off the scent too. But Dave wasn’t your average Joe, and after Reen’s confirmation, there wasn’t any doubt. It was the animal trafficking that bothered Dave now. Could there be a connection?
He clicked on the tab that said ‘persons’. The computer would connect every person it could to Ashleigh.
Only one name came up. The person who had reported her missing: Dominic Alberto.
As he looked at the screen, Dave saw that Dominic had an alert against his name.
‘Believed to be involved in organised crime.’
He dragged his hand across his face and heard the scratching of skin on stubble. He got up and went through to the little kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee and rest his tired eyes.
As he stirred in sugar, his mind whirled, trying to link the dots.
Eliza appears.
Reports of animal poaching.
Hearsay statements from two people.
Emu eggs missing.
Dominic Alberto believed to be involved with organised crime.
Organised criminals trafficked anything from guns and drugs, to humans, to wildlife.
Was it too big a leap to think that Dominic could be involved in the animal trafficking, which was why Eliza had turned up in Blinman? Maybe Eliza’s story about being an abused wife was just that—a story. The scar on her cheek could be the result of an accident. He had certainly thought before that Eliza could be involved, but this threw a whole different light on things.
Glancing at his watch, he saw it was three in the morning. He returned to his desk, then clicked on the ‘persons’ tab for Dominic.
A name jumped out at him.
Simon McCullen.
He’d heard that name before, but where? Damn, that’s right, there had been a message. He’d forgotten. Why hadn’t he made the connection between the name on the report and the phone message he’d received when he’d read it last time? He remembered telling Reen about the bent copper in Jindabyne and swore in frustration. How the hell had he forgotten that as well? God, he must be tired. Flicking through the piles of paper on his desk, he found his phone messages and read through them. There it was, written in Jack’s scrawly handwriting, Simon’s name and phone number. He tapped at the piece of paper and returned his attention to the screen.
After a few more clicks, he realised that Simon was the policeman who had been stood down, pending an internal investigation.
There’s something off here. Really off.
Why was Simon ringing to talk to him? How did he even know who Dave was?
Eliza was the only connection he could see. But how . . .?
He groaned and let his head fall back on the chair. In a matter of moments, he was asleep.
It was after lunch the next day by the time Dave had finished running the rest of the names from the national parks records through the computer and, not surprisingly, he hadn’t come across anything as interesting as his discovery the night before.
He’d only found a couple of DUIs, someone having had their licence suspended, and another having been charged with public disturbance. There was nothing that indicated an involvement with poaching or organised crime. There were three or four people who stayed at the park several times a year, but they didn’t raise any alarm bells with Dave. He guessed that if someone loved the area as much as the locals did, they would visit often.
Jack had woken him up when he’d arrived at work in the morning. After he had got Dave a coffee, they had talked about what he had found the night before.
‘That’s a pretty big leap to make,’ Jack said. ‘I mean, what’s the likelihood really of Dominic being behind the poaching?’
‘Stranger things have happened,’ Dave answered. ‘That coffee’s good. I guess you only got me the one?’
Jack grinned. ‘Yeah. You need to go home and have a shower and freshen up. Have another one there.’
Dave nodded. Kim was the best reason to go home, but a decent coffee was a good one.
‘New South Wales is a long way to get wildlife to,’ Jack continued. ‘If they were driving, which they’d have to be—’
‘Gotta be driving,’ Dave interjected. ‘The airport screening would have picked it up if they were flying.’
Jack nodded. ‘So, yep, it’s such a long way to drive with live animals. It would be high risk.’
‘Absolutely. Eggs wouldn’t be a problem if they had an incubator in the caravan, but any live animals—it would be a hell of a job to keep them healthy.’
‘I just think it’s a stretch,’ Jack finished.
‘You’re probably right. But it’s certainly worth keeping it in the back of our minds.’ Dave yawned and stretched. ‘Anyway, I’m going home to sleep, but I’ll be heading back up to Blinman tomorrow.’
Dave waited for Eliza at the shop. Eventually, he heard a diesel vehicle approaching, and turned his head to see the battered dual cab she drove come around the back of the building to where her room was. He waited until she went inside, then went over and knocked on the door.
She opened the door with a smile, which, he assumed, was because she was expecting Reen. It faltered the second she saw him.
‘Can I come in, Ashleigh?’
He saw her freeze and different emotions cross her face. He tried to read them: panic and trepidation were certainly there, but perhaps also a small amount of defiance.
Finally she pulled the door open a little wider and let him inside.
They stood facing each other, Eliza with her arms crossed, as if warding off whatever might be coming her way.
Finally, Dave sat at the little table and started to speak.
‘Obviously, I know who you are,’ he began.
She took a sharp breath. ‘I’m not going back,’ she said quickly. ‘I’m not.’
‘You don’t have to,’ he answered. ‘But I have a responsibility to let your loved ones know you’re alive and well. I can then just say you don’t want to be found and I can leave it at that.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. He doesn’t love me. No one at Jindabyne loves me. You don’t need to tell them anything.’ She stopped and took a breath. When she spoke again, there was panic in her voice. ‘And Dominic won’t leave it at that.
‘Can’t you see, I’ve had to run from him so he won’t hurt me anymore? The minute he finds out where I am, he’ll come and make me go back with him. Even if you don’t tell him where I am, he’ll find me.’
Tears began to slide down her cheeks and she hugged her arms around herself.
‘Can I just confirm you are Ashleigh Alberto?’
She nodded.
‘Okay. Did you pawn a pocket watch in Port Augusta?’
Eliza nodded again.
‘Do you want to tell me what led to you leaving Jindabyne?’
Slowly and haltingly, Eliza began Ashleigh’s story. Half an hour later, Dave had filled eight notepad pages and knew she was telling the truth.
‘What happens now?’ she asked in a small voice.
‘I have to file an information report. I’m not going to get to that for a few days, because I’m going to be up here investigating a couple of other matters, so you have time to work out what you want to do.
‘There are options. You can file a complaint against Dominic for assault or take out a restraining order against him.’
‘He’s not going to take any notice of that, Dave. He’s evil and violent.’ She looked down at her hands and spoke in a low voice. ‘I left a fairly obvious “fuck you” and he’ll make me pay for that.’
‘You’d better tell me about it.’
Dave kept his face neutral as she explained about her wedding rings and the pocket watch. He admired her spunk and determination. They would explain the defiance in her face
he thought he’d seen earlier.
He made some more notes, then told her: ‘Look, as I said, I’m not in any hurry to file this report and that’ll give you a few days to work out what you want to do. In time, I’ll have to let the Jindabyne police know that you’ve been found safe and well and won’t be returning there. My advice would be to hire a lawyer and have any paperwork mailed to you through them.’
‘What sort of paperwork?’
‘Divorce papers, settlement papers, that sort of thing.’ He stopped and looked at her. ‘You won’t be able to stay as Eliza unless you change your name by deed poll and, of course, you tie up all these loose ends: like getting a divorce, getting a new tax file number. Until you do, you won’t be able to live a normal life and move on.’
‘I hadn’t thought about that. I’ve just been living off cash I’ve got one way and another.’
‘Just one more question, Ashleigh.’
‘My name is Eliza,’ she broke in. ‘I’ll never go back to Ashleigh.’
Dave nodded. ‘Eliza.’ He stopped for a moment, choosing his words very carefully. ‘Why did you chose Blinman as a place to hide?’
Eliza pushed her lips together and closed her eyes. Slowly, she went over to the cupboard and pulled out a cardboard box. She fished around in it until she found what she was looking for and handed it to Dave.
‘I saw this picture in OUTBACK magazine and I felt like I was connected to this place.’
‘So, you just decided to drive here?’ Dave asked.
‘I had nowhere else to go.’ She paused. ‘I’d like to find out about my real parents. I thought that if I felt so connected to this place, or to Mary and John Caulder, through this photo, I might find the answer here. Sounds crazy, I know.’
Dave nodded. He’d heard wilder ideas in his time, and no one could explain how another person’s mind worked. He’d learned a long time ago not to judge.
‘Have you had any luck?’
Eliza shook her head. ‘I haven’t really done too much about it yet. It’s not long since I met Mary and John, but I’m certain they felt something when they saw me. I’m not sure what, but they were looking at me intently. Almost like they recognised me, but couldn’t work out where they knew me from.’
Indigo Storm Page 17
