by Maya Linnell
Angus piped up. ‘He must be out of range. Try him again. He’s the type of guy you need around in an emergency, not like whatshisname in there.’
Penny didn’t bother defending Vince. His complete lack of assistance, apart from a suggestion they call the police, was underwhelming. Dad’s right, I can’t believe I wanted to marry that man, she thought, throwing a dark look in the direction of the lounge room.
She punched Tim’s number into the phone for a fourth time and pulled it to her ear as the others continued their updates. Pete wrapped his arms around Diana, pulling her tight against him as she blew her nose.
‘We’ve done inside, outside and underneath the shearing shed, inside all the farm vehicles and cars. Nothing.’
‘They aren’t in the house, Pete. We’ve accounted for every cupboard and Lara did a clean sweep of every room after me. If they’re hiding, they’ve got a good place,’ said Angie.
Lara let out a strained sigh, looking at the old clock beside the calendar then glancing outside where the last rays of sun had turned the paddocks a rich, golden-yellow.
‘I can’t imagine Sam would take them. There’ll be big trouble if they’re hiding. I’ll … I’ll …’ Lara squeezed her lips shut, blinking back tears. ‘I know my hot temper got us into this mess, but if Evie’s hiding, I’ll need every ounce of self-control not to shake her.’
‘Thought you would’ve learned your lesson by now, Lara.’ Diana’s voice was high-pitched, desperation making her wild. She pressed her face into Pete’s broad chest with a sob.
Penny leapt in, sensing the knife edge both her sisters balanced on.
‘Don’t start that again—we’ll find them.’
But her words were too late. Diana’s comment was like diesel on an inferno.
‘Don’t you think I feel bad enough already, Diana? Anything else you’d like to add?’ Lara yelled, her eyes blazing. ‘Maybe you could just write a stat dec stating I’m an unfit mother and Sam would do a better job raising Evie? Or perhaps you could help Sam upload his porno to YouTube, save him taxing his tiny brain? Would you be happy then? Would you?’
Lara’s yelling brought Vince to the doorway. Penny watched his mouth fall open as he caught the last sentence. She could see judgement tainting his expression, the way he pulled himself up a little taller and took a step away from the tableau, distancing himself. In that instant, Penny knew her feelings for him had well and truly shrivelled up. These people are my family, as crazy as it may seem to an outsider, and I won’t be jumping ship, no matter how rapidly it’s sinking.
‘Settle down, love, we’re all worried,’ said Angus, his voice weary.
Lara caught sight of Vince in the doorway and shook her head at his expensive suit, the way he had failed to observe the unspoken shoes-off policy and his complete uselessness in the crisis. Penny started towards him, hoping to usher him out before he said something stupid. Lara growled at him from across the room.
‘What the hell are you staring at?’
Within seconds, Lara had scooped up a glass from the table and flung it towards him. Vince ducked as it shattered against the wall, showering the plaster with shards of glass and coating him with a spray of whisky.
Sixty-one
Tim’s boots clattered on the steps and he yanked the back door open. He searched Penny’s face for answers, sweat beading on his forehead after the panicked drive over.
‘Have you found them, Mac?’
Penny shook her head, anguish at their lack of progress written in her tight-knit brow and pained expression.
He swore softly, assessing the anxious faces in the kitchen. Although Vince wasn’t at the table, Tim knew he was in there somewhere, the only likely owner of the Monaro in the driveway. Any other day, Tim would have stopped to admire the classic car, but the safety of Cameron and Evie trumped everything else—even his own irritation at the buffoon’s unexpected arrival.
‘I got here as quick as I could. Eddie’s with Nanna Pearl. She said Sam called in to her cottage last night, borrowed a few litres of fuel to limp his crappy old wagon to the petrol station. Damn lucky he didn’t turn up at my place, the bastard. I had no idea he’d be capable of anything like this,’ said Tim. Slipping off his boots, he followed her inside, noticing a strong smell of whisky overlaying the takeaway pizza aroma. An open bottle and several glasses sat on the table, forgotten in the panic.
Angus pushed himself up with his walking stick, reaching out unsteadily to shake Tim’s hand.
‘Thanks for coming, mate. That’s the first lead we’ve had all afternoon. It must have been Sam driving down our road earlier. Bloody mongrel. Wait till I get my hands on him …’
Pete and Lara flew to their feet, pressing Tim for information he didn’t have until Diana raised a hand and spoke over everybody.
‘Wait a minute. You should stay here, Dad. Just in case we’re barking up the wrong tree with Sam, and the kids are hiding. No use all of us scouring the Bridgefield countryside. I’ll stay with you. Angie, you’ll stay too?’
‘I’ll man the phone.’
Angie nodded at Diana, and Penny rushed to the door, stumbling a little. Tim’s hand shot out to steady her and a little zap of electricity ran between them. Their eyes met. She’d felt it too. He looked away, begging his frantic mind to focus. You’re done here, Patterson, not to mention her boyfriend’s visiting and the kids are missing. For God’s sake.
‘You won’t be keeping me home. I’ll drive,’ said Pete, shoving his phone into his pocket.
Tim pulled his boots on as Penny grabbed a jacket from the coat rack, trying not to watch the way her body wriggled as she shrugged her arms into the mud-spattered Driza-Bone. She dragged a beanie over her ponytail and called orders into the kitchen.
‘Angie, get on the phone to Mrs Beggs at the general store. If anyone knows anything, it’ll be her. If you don’t have any luck, give Olive from yoga a call. Between the two of them, they’ll find out Sam’s new address in a jiffy. Call my mobile and let us know.’
Tim nodded at Angus and flashed a tight smile at the stricken sisters left in the kitchen. He felt the weight of their expectation, a lump in his stomach forming at the thought of returning to the farmhouse without the two missing children. What if we can’t deliver?
Penny pulled the seatbelt across her waist and frisked her top pocket. She groaned and leaned forward, speaking over Pete’s shoulder.
‘Stop! My phone’s still on charge upstairs. I’ll be back in a second.’
She jumped out of the four-wheel drive, sprinted through the kitchen and took the stairs two at a time.
Pulling the phone from its charger, she knocked a pile of paperwork to the ground. As she skirted around the mess, she spotted Evie’s handwriting. She picked up the card, running a finger over the neat lettering.
Get well soon, Aunty Pen. You’re my favourite aunty. I love having you home and I can’t wait to visit you in the city when you’re better too. Love from your favourite niece, Evie.
Penny hugged it to her chest before setting it next to the framed photo of Annabel and herself.
She knew her mother would have lain down in front of a bus to save her children. Cameron and Evie might not be my children, but I’ll do whatever it takes to find them. She ran down the stairs, two at a time again. Hopefully, we’re not too late.
Penny sat wedged between Leo’s backward-facing seat, a bag of toys and Tim’s leg. She could feel his body heat through the denim and wondered if he would notice her temperature skyrocketing in such close confines. She flicked the back-seat air vent open as her mobile buzzed and read Angie’s message out loud.
‘Head towards the old homestead on Kent Road. Sam’s charmed Mrs Simmons into a three-month lease with a view to buy.’
Pete pumped the brakes, fishtailing on the slick road, and swung the car towards the west. His headlights flashed across paddocks of red gums and lambs, windscreen wipers trying valiantly to keep up with the heavy rain.
The glare of red and blue lights illuminated the sky ahead of them. Pete swore as he flicked on his indicator, pulled off the road and waited impatiently.
‘We don’t have time for this.’
‘Not a word about Sam or the kids until we’ve had a chance to speak to him ourselves. Last thing I need is everyone knowing about that video,’ said Lara, her face desolate.
Penny nodded, her stomach twisting as a policeman approached the car. I wonder if Pete feels equally torn about lying to the local constabulary, she thought, pleased to be in the back seat.
‘Hey, Matt. How can I help?’
‘G’day, Pete. Didn’t realise it was you. Hey, Lara. What are you up to this evening? No Diana or kids tonight?’
Penny squinted as he shone a torch in the back seat, instinctively moving closer to Tim. He greeted them both by name, even though she didn’t recognise him and she fought the urge to beg for his assistance.
‘They’ve got a school thing. We’re just out for a drive,’ Pete lied. ‘But we’d better keep going, mate, unless there’s anything I can help you with?’
The policeman pulled a breath-testing machine from his belt and fitted a fresh tube.
‘Just blow into here, Pete, and I’ll leave you to it. Gotta be seen doing the right thing in the community—friends and strangers alike.’
Pete complied with the request, his composure impressive.
‘Clean as a whistle. Be careful on the road, mate. There’s some fruit loops out there.’
‘Too true. Night, Matt.’
Pete kept an eye in the rear-view mirror as he pulled back onto the road. He drove carefully as the police car turned and followed them along the highway.
Lara exhaled with relief as Matt sped up and overtook them. Penny prayed they wouldn’t regret the decision to tackle Sam on their own.
Paddocks of sheep gave way to rows and rows of blue gums. Pete flicked off the headlamps, eased the car into a short, straight driveway and aimed for the brightly lit homestead. He paused beside a utility shed. Penny felt her legs quiver as Tim unbuckled his seatbelt.
‘I’ll head up to the house as soon as I’ve scoped out the sheds. Be careful. I’ve seen enough of Sam on a footy field to know he’ll come out swinging if we push him too far.’
Lara made a dismissive sound. ‘Don’t I know it.’
The smell of eucalyptus flowed into the car as Tim slipped into the darkness. Pete continued towards the house and pulled up beside a silver wagon. Penny opened her door apprehensively. A dog barked in the distance. Lara and Pete’s boots echoed on the driveway as they followed a line of bushes and shrubs to the front door. Penny scanned the floodlit yard, blinking rapidly to keep the rain out of her eyes. She jogged past clipped hedges and well-tended flowerbeds, keen to keep up with the others. A creepy feeling prickled the back of her neck as she contemplated what they would find inside.
Sixty-two
Ornate leadlight panels flanked the front door, and Penny saw a shadow cross the hallway inside. Lara rapped again on the door.
Finally, Sam’s face appeared behind the wavy, tinted glass. Lara stepped up, so she was almost nose-to-nose with him when he pulled the door open. ‘Where are the children?’
A smile spread across Sam’s face as he shook his freshly shaved head. He ignored Lara’s question.
‘Family reunion, eh? If you’d given me notice, I would have baked scones.’
His laugh made the hair on Penny’s neck prickle even more, and she glared at him as she entered the house. She tried not to flinch as he locked the door behind them and searched for her niece and nephew as they filed down the antique-filled hallway.
They stopped in the kitchen.
‘Where are they, Sam? We’re not leaving until you tell us,’ said Pete, crossing his arms.
Sam raised his eyebrows, gesturing to the empty dining room.
‘Fetched a great price on the black market. Little blue eyes. Innocent faces.’
Penny’s jaw dropped. Lara raced towards her ex-husband. Pete grabbed Lara’s arm and pulled her back to his side.
‘My bad. I shouldn’t joke about these things. Still a feisty one, aren’t you, Lara? I thought I’d broken those habits.’
Sam pulled a mobile phone from his jeans pocket and dangled it between his fingers.
‘How’s the farm sale going? Remember what I said would happen if you told anyone about our little arrangement?’ Sam lifted an eyebrow as he typed into his phone.
‘It’s not an arrangement, Sam, it’s blackmail. I was getting you the money. You shouldn’t have forced my hand by dragging Evie and Cameron into this mess.’
Sam turned the phone screen around, and even from a distance, Penny recognised an email layout. His finger hovered over the ‘send’ icon.
‘Well, you won’t mind if I send this to your precious father then, will you?’
Lara clawed against Pete’s grip.
‘NO! Don’t send it.’
Sam pressed the screen. A ‘swoosh’ sounded as he turned to Pete.
‘And what about you, Petey-boy? Would you like to see her all trussed up like a Christmas turkey too? Bet your Diana wouldn’t know a whip from a ball gag.’
Pete’s hands curled into fists. A scream pierced the air before Lara hurled herself at Sam. Penny took off and ran through the kitchen, her shoes slipping on the tiles as she scoured the bedrooms.
‘You can look all you like, Penny, but you won’t find them in there,’ called Sam as he batted away Lara’s advances.
Penny scanned every room she passed, but there was no sign of the children. She stared out the dark windows as she backtracked towards the kitchen, knowing Tim was relying on them to distract Sam while he searched the sheds and gardens. She took strength from his presence somewhere beyond the glass and whispered the mantra that had helped her through months of illness: Calm mind, body and soul. Hold it together, Pen. Everyone’s counting on you. She took a deep breath and re-entered the kitchen.
Tim pulled the torch from his pocket and flashed it around the dark hay shed. He swiped absently at the cobwebs, ignored the mice running across his boots as he swung the beam left and right. No sign of Cameron or Evie in here either, the third outbuilding he’d checked. He called out, hoping against logic that they were hiding at the very top of the towering square bales, the small shaft of space where cobwebs hung from the steel purlins like Nanna Pearl’s lace curtains. His hope faded with each shed he found empty. His boots squelched as he jogged towards the main house. The yard was neat as a pin, no overgrown garden to contend with. He switched off the torch so as not to alert Sam to his presence.
Tim’s guts had knotted and clenched as soon as he’d received Mac’s message, trying to reconcile his childhood friend with the man who had somehow morphed into an abusive husband, right before his eyes. He spat on the damp grass, feeling guilty for letting something so big fly under his radar. You were his friend, you should have known something was going on. His breath came faster now, and the scorching in his lungs felt a puny price to pay for the shame of his obliviousness. Can’t focus on that now, need to concentrate. His desire to find the children chafed against a burning need to protect Lara and Penny, and beating himself up about misguided loyalty wasn’t going to help either of those objectives.
A light came on in another room as he drew closer to the house. He hoped they’d had better luck inside than he’d had outside. Pete will have him covered, he reassured himself, knowing the stock agent stood at least a foot taller than Sam. He’d seen Diana’s husband handling cattle; he’d be able to give as good as he got. Tim resisted the urge to check on them through the windows; instead he skirted around the squares of bright light projected through the glass. Picking up his pace, he ran through the trees’ shadows until he reached the carport.
The verandah lights flickered on automatically. He flattened himself against the brick building, trying to stay out of their glare as he inched open a rusty latch on the side entry. Tim winced as t
he metal bar scraped against the catch. He threw a look back towards the house, hoping the rain would cover the sound. The garage smelled like oil and mummified mice, with a strange overlay of fresh bleach that made his pulse race. Someone’s been cleaning in here. Tim shut the door behind him and switched on his torch. His heart leaped at the sight in front of him.
Sixty-three
Penny watched Pete and Lara wheel around as she walked into the kitchen. She shook her head sharply at their sad faces, her gaze then darting to Sam.
‘Nice of you to join us again, Penny. Find anything you like back there?’
Penny ignored his smug smile as she pulled her phone from her pocket and showed him a screenshot of her bank balance.
‘How about a compromise, Sam? I’ll transfer everything in my bank account right now if you destroy that video and release the children. It’s all yours. No strings attached.’
Lara let out a rush of breath.
‘Penny, you don’t have to do that.’
‘Shut up, Lara. It’s my money and I’ll do what I want with it. It’ll be worth every cent if it gets him out of our lives. And I’ll fast-track the farm sale the second I get home tonight. You have my word.’
Sam smirked.
‘Your savings are small fry compared to what I’m fishing for. A quarter of a mill won’t even scratch the surface compared to the proceeds of McIntyre Park Merino Stud. I think it’s the least I deserve for putting up with a basket-case wife and having my child poisoned against me.’ His voice dripped with venom as he glared at Lara.
Lara yelled, charging at Sam a second time. Her eyes were wild with anger as she raked her fingernails down his face. He grunted, swinging a clenched fist. Lara dropped to the floor, blood streaming from her mouth. Penny cried out, horrified, as her sister crawled away. Sam aimed a kick at her torso, the tip of his boot connecting with a sickening crunch. Lara collapsed back onto the floor. Penny’s own instinct for self-preservation battled with the urge to drop to Lara’s side and protect her from further harm. Calm mind, body and soul. It took all of her self-control to inch away from her sister and creep closer to the kitchen bench.
