by Di Morrissey
‘Oh, I don’t want to pry, but I get the feeling there could be more to this. If Sally doesn’t mind, I’d like to pay a visit to the farm you mentioned at Shelter Bay. Seawinds, was it? From what you’ve described, they could be manufacturing or growing something of real interest. We heard a rumour about someone in that area doing interesting soil and plant experiments, which crosses into my field of plant physiology. But they haven’t been very forthcoming with their results, if they have any.’
‘I keep wondering why they are being so secretive,’ said Jessica. ‘The security for the shed seemed really tight.’
‘They might be protecting a possible money earner. Trying to register a patent and be the first to get it out on the market. Not everyone is as altruistic as my friend Sean.’
‘Well, the old lady who answered the door there didn’t seem to recognise Sally’s family name or Arcadia. On the other hand, although she ignored us when we mentioned the name Broadbent, her reaction made us think she seemed to know it. But she was pretty anxious to see us leave.’
‘You’d think a couple of women making inquiries about a family in the area wouldn’t be a threat,’ mused Dan.
‘Ooh, what’s this!’ Jessica’s attention was drawn to something in the crack in the old rock where she’d been carefully scraping away the soil around the wild grass’s roots.
‘Wait. Don’t pull it. Just gently brush around it. Hang on, let me photograph it. We need to record things in stages . . .’ Dan reached for his camera.
Jessica wriggled to one side as Dan leaned in, focusing the lens on the small protrusion, which was no larger than the top of a pencil.
‘It doesn’t look like part of a plant,’ said Jessica.
‘Okay, brush around it carefully. It could be fragile, maybe an old bone or something, you never know,’ said Dan as he lay flat down beside her to get a closer look.
‘Really?’ Jessica swept the soil away with the soft brush Dan had given her, then paused. ‘I don’t want to do anything more in case I damage it.’
‘Can I have a go?’ Dan took a small trowel out of his backpack and carefully shifted more soil away. ‘It’s not botanical . . . it looks hard . . .’ He carefully dug at the earth and then handed Jessica the trowel. ‘Here, keep doing this very gently while I take another photo.’
‘It’s metal! Or stone,’ Jessica said.
‘See if you can lift it out . . . gently.’
‘What is it?’ breathed Jessica as she extracted a flat stone and held it in her gloved hand.
Dan bent close to look. ‘Flint of some description . . . perhaps it’s a tool for cutting or chipping.’
‘You mean it could be ancient? An artefact?’
Dan chuckled as he took her hand and posed the piece of flint on her palm in front of the camera. ‘Maybe. Hold it for a photo.’
‘It’s heavy, and look, it’s been shaped to a point,’ said Jessica.
‘It could have been used to carve the markings on the rock face here,’ said Dan. ‘If we could match the cuts and gouges to the cupules and find it’s the actual tool, that’d be quite a coup. Can you put it in here?’ he asked, handing Jessica a small, secure box. ‘I’ll take it to the museum guys.’
‘Jess!’ There was a scream from Sally.
Jessica and Dan scrambled to their feet as Sally came stumbling towards them.
‘What’s up?’ called Jessica.
‘Was it a snake?’ shouted Dan.
‘Snakes?’ Jessica said in alarm.
‘There’re copperheads and tigers,’ said Dan grimly. ‘Docile unless provoked.’
Sally was waving her phone wildly as she ran, and Jessica hurried towards her. ‘What’s happened? Is Katie okay? Toby?’
Panting, Sally reached them and grabbed Jessica’s hand. ‘The farm has been raided. The truffles, Jasper is injured . . .’ she gasped.
‘What!’
‘Sally, here, sit down. Take a few deep breaths for a moment,’ said Dan as he took her arm and guided her to a small boulder.
Jessica sat beside her friend and held her hand.
‘It’s the farm . . .’ Sally said, close to tears.
‘Katie, Mollie and Toby, are they okay?’
Sally nodded, and Jessica drew a breath of relief.
‘Someone got in and raided the truffles. Jasper was hurt, but he’s okay. Why would someone do that?’ Sally let out a sob.
‘Did they actually dig up the truffles?’ asked Dan as he squatted down beside her.
‘Some. Jasper must have heard them because he went after them. They threw something at him, a spade, I think. Toby says he’ll be okay. But they got some truffles . . .’
‘Anything else taken?’ asked Jessica.
‘Toby doesn’t think so. Luckily he’d already collected the first batch of ripe ones and packed them ready to send to Sydney.’
‘It’s okay, Sally, probably just some random grab; someone trying to make some money thanks to your hard work. You might have to increase your security, though,’ said Jessica.
‘I want to go home now.’ Sally looked at Jessica. ‘Is there any way we can get over to the car today?’
Dan glanced at the sky. ‘There’s a storm brewing, so the seas might be too rough. And I doubt the pilot would want to chance it in bad weather in a small plane. But let’s check with Carmen.’ He gave Sally a smile. ‘Tomorrow morning is meant to be fine.’
‘I just feel sick I’m not there.’
‘C’mon, Sal, let’s head back,’ said Jessica, helping Sally to her feet.
‘Let me quickly finish up here and I’ll walk back with you,’ offered Dan.
‘No, we’re fine, Dan. You keep going here. I know it’s important,’ said Jessica.
‘Oh, sorry, Dan. I’ll be okay.’ Sally drew a breath.
‘Why don’t you call your husband back again now, or your mother, and just reassure them that you’ll be home by tomorrow night. Also, maybe ask if there’s been any other . . . interference at your property.’
‘Yes, talk to your mum, that’s a good idea. While you’ve got phone reception,’ agreed Jessica.
Sally walked back up the hill to the pocket of reception.
‘That’s all a bit of a worry,’ said Jessica. ‘Arcadia is such a sheltered, out-of-the-way place.’
‘Yeah, but lots of people would know about it, and good truffles can fetch two grand a kilo,’ he added.
As Jess carefully packed up the tools she’d been using, Sally walked back towards them, looking a little less anxious.
‘I spoke to Mum. She’s upset, of course. Feels violated that someone got in and stole from us. She’s worried about Jasper too, and about insurance. She thinks Toby is downplaying it a bit so she doesn’t get anxious. She knows he’s nice like that.’
‘Well, at least there’s no immediate emergency or danger,’ said Dan. ‘Thanks for your help, Jessica,’ he added as he noticed the neatly packed toolbox.
‘Oh, don’t stop on my account, Jess. We haven’t even gone to the cave yet. I’ll head back to the cottage if you want to stay awhile and work. It’s too early for lunch,’ said Sally. ‘I’ll see if I can find Carmen and double-check that Victor is heading over to the mainland tomorrow morning. She might even have time for a coffee.’
‘I don’t want you to go on your own, Sally. You’ve had a horrible shock,’ said Jessica.
‘It’s fine,’ Sally said. ‘I feel like a quiet walk to put my head back in order.’
*
While her contribution was straightforward – taking measurements, marking plant and soil samples in little plastic bags, taking photos and listening to Dan’s explanations and theories, Jessica found it all absorbing. It was just nice being involved in something again, outside of her own personal issues.
After a while, Dan sat back. �
�Let’s take a breather.’ He passed her a flask from his knapsack. ‘Some fresh orange juice. I have another one here.’
‘Great. Thanks.’ Jessica took a sip. ‘Poor Sally. It’s scary to think strangers can get in and rip up your crop.’
‘It’s an interesting crop to grow. Do you know what got them started?’
‘I think they got the idea when they found a wild truffle down in their old-growth forest.’
‘That forest is obviously something to treasure. Has it ever been logged or damaged?’
‘Never been touched, as far as I know. Amazing trees hundreds of years old. You’d love it – they also find wild mushrooms growing there,’ said Jessica.
‘Mmm, yes, sounds like it would be the perfect breeding ground for fungi,’ said Dan.
‘Could those wild mushrooms be valuable? Like the ones you mentioned being used in those experiments?’
‘Possibly. When you have the wild spore you can start breeding, cultivating them. They only have a short life span but they multiply quickly. Some fungi are quite rare. Do you know if there are more paintings in Sally’s grandmother’s collection with fungi in them?’
‘Gosh, we didn’t look that closely and didn’t pay much attention to the mushrooms,’ said Jessica. ‘All the plants and flowers she painted were stunning . . . we’ll have to look as soon as we get back to Arcadia,’ she added.
‘The forest at Arcadia sounds right up my alley,’ Dan said.
‘It was one of our favourite playgrounds when Sally and I were growing up. The whole area – the forest, the creek and the cave.’
‘The cave that somehow sent you on this hunt to Shelter Bay?’
‘Oh, yes.’ She’d forgotten she’d told Dan about it. ‘Well, you don’t know the whole story. Nor do we, actually,’ said Jessica. ‘Sally and I used the cave as a hideout when we were kids. Then one time Sally tripped off the ledge when we were climbing back down and she fell down into the creek . . . could have been terrible, but she was okay.’
‘You rescued her?’
‘Well, yes. But she’d have jumped in to help me if I’d fallen. We’ve never told anyone . . . now you know our big secret.’ Jessica smiled, surprised at herself for mentioning it. ‘Anyway, we never went back there again. Until a couple of weeks ago.’
Dan nodded, listening quietly.
In a rush Jessica told him, ‘And we found this old tin hidden behind a bed in the cave. I don’t think anyone had been in there since us, and who knows how long before that. But we think we know who was there . . .’
‘The Shelter Bay people? Whoever they might be?’
‘Partly. There was a map that had the address “Seawinds, Shelter Bay” on it. Also, we found a note on pretty writing paper. A love note, as it turned out. A farewell message . . .’
‘A “Dear John” letter, isn’t that what they’re called? These days you get a text message. Sorry, go on,’ said Dan.
‘Yes, she said she couldn’t see him again, she’d always love him . . . that sort of thing. No signature. But we found some photos so we think we know who wrote the note.’
‘Really? So, who was it?’
‘Sally’s grandmother, Stella, the artist.’
‘Wow. Was she married at the time?’
‘She was, to Stephen Holland, who owned Arcadia.’
Dan gave a low whistle. ‘Oops. So where does Shelter Bay come in?’
‘Well, if the items in the cave, including the map, belonged to the Adonis we saw in one of the photos, then maybe that’s where he was from. We think the cave was their trysting place.’
‘How come the map was in the cave?’
‘We don’t know. We haven’t delved into it too much. I mean, Sally hadn’t expected to discover that her grandmother had a secret lover. It was a real shock. From the photo of him and the shots of Stella in the family album we know they were both very good-looking. Her husband, the doctor, was much older, so . . . I guess it’s understandable, but at the time it would have been a pretty daring thing to do.’
‘You’re right,’ said Dan. ‘Do you think she was seeing him before she was married?’
‘I doubt it. Stella was from the mainland. She met Dr Holland in Hobart when she was studying art.’
‘Maybe she broke it off, and he came back, watched her from afar, that sort of thing. Which might explain the letter in the cave.’
‘Well, if she broke it off, I doubt he’d risk hanging around. There’s a sinister side to it, too.’ Now Jessica had revealed this much to Dan she kept going, keen to hear his thoughts.
‘How sinister?’
Jessica told him about the sketchbook and the sadistic drawing of Stella and the dead owl.
‘That’s pretty threatening. Was the lover angry at being dumped?’
‘Who knows? All I know is that Sally’s grandparents definitely stayed together and I think they both lived to a decent age.’
Dan shrugged. ‘Every family has its secrets, I guess.’
‘I suppose so. I can’t imagine we all have such dark and troubling ones, though.’ Jessica handed the flask back to Dan. ‘Thanks for that.’ She gave a small smile. ‘Please don’t mention to Sally that I’ve told you.’
‘Of course. So tell me again, what did you think you’d achieve by just rocking up at this place, Seawinds?’
‘Well, we had a name, we were going to pretend we were doing family ancestry research or something.’
Dan frowned. ‘Seems a long shot. Like I said, I know a bit about Seawinds – it’s something of an historic house because of its connection to smugglers in the old days, and whalers and seafarers. The house has a tunnel that runs from the coast into the basement. It’s old, so I guess it’s too dangerous to use now.’
‘How do you know that?’ asked Jessica.
‘The fellow at the Botanical Gardens knows about the house. There was talk of opening it up as a tourist attraction, some tourism group’s idea, but it never happened. The family who live there put the kibosh on it. The smugglers’ tunnel is known in the boating fraternity. It took a skilled sailor to get in there.’
‘It sounds fascinating.’ Jessica sighed. ‘I wonder if that has anything to do with Sally’s grandmother’s secret? At first it was a surprise, a bit of a shock for Sally to find out her grandmother had been having an affair. But now I think it really bothers her as there’s something not quite right about it all . . . especially with the anonymous phone calls and now the terrible news this morning.’ Jessica stopped.
‘Yeah. I agree,’ Dan said. ‘Let me help. As I say, I’ll try to go to Seawinds and then call you if I find out anything. Perhaps I can call in at Sally’s place soon too. Are you going to see Chrissie and Paul on your way back?’
‘No, I think Sally will just want to get home.’
Dan began packing up his tools and samples. ‘So where’s your home these days?’
‘Good question. I’ve yet to make that decision. I walked out of a marriage and a good job. I know I can do better. So I’m just taking time out.’
‘That’s a gutsy move. But you sometimes have to do that. Take life like the proverbial bull by the horns.’
‘I’m tending more to tiptoeing through the tulips,’ said Jessica wryly.
‘And man, aren’t those tulips beautiful. Tassie can almost rival the Netherlands for them.’ Dan laughed.
‘Ha! Yes, you’re right.’ She smiled and handed Dan the notes she’d taken. ‘But being here has made me appreciate trees again. I took them for granted growing up in Tasmania. But living in Sydney . . .’ She shuddered. ‘Cement canyons, high-rises, traffic jams. I cringe when I see photos of crammed housing estates covering land that used to be old market gardens. Heritage homes and buildings knocked down. It’s shameful how they’re destroying a beautiful city.’
Dan held out a hand and helped h
er to her feet. His hand was warm, firm.
Jessica shivered, then busied herself slinging her bag on her shoulder. ‘Have we got everything?’
‘Yep. Thanks for your help.’
‘It was interesting. Your job is certainly varied.’
‘Plant physiology and plant biochemistry covers a lot of fields. Nature is an amazing canvas,’ he said. ‘My passion is the old-growth forests. Sean considers the old trees a resource of incalculable value. Those habitats have immune systems, just like people, and mushrooms are the cellular bridges between the two. His research is coming up with medicinal immune enhancements for humans, bees and animals.’
‘Wow. Your mushroom guy sounds like a fount of knowledge. When are you seeing him?’
‘He’s giving a public lecture in Hobart soon. After that he’s heading to Europe. More and more he’s being contacted by government agencies and organisations around the world that see the need to take drastic action to protect the environment. Trouble is, big money gets in the way of good government. Don’t get me started.’ He looked at Jessica. ‘Would you and Sally like to come to his talk? I can arrange tickets.’
‘Absolutely. Thank you. Let us know when it’s on.’
They walked together quietly for a while until Dan said, ‘I might just head over by the airstrip, is that okay? There’s a little flower that grows there, rather inconveniently, but we like to keep an eye on it. It’s endemic to this island and nowhere else that we know about.’
‘Of all the places to choose to grow.’ Jessica laughed.
He stopped and pointed. ‘Look . . . here’s one.’
‘It’s a spiky little thing, but sweet,’ said Jessica as they crouched down and Dan snapped a photo on his phone.
‘I’ll forward you the photo. Seeing as I’d better not pick the actual flower for you.’ He smiled.
‘I suppose plants and animals are safe here on the island. Carmen wouldn’t let anyone touch them.’
‘You’re right in one way, but this little flower has to tackle the same problem that the big trees around the world are facing,’ Dan said.
‘What’s that? Climate change?’
‘Yes, sadly. And it’ll only get worse, even if we act as fast as we can now.’
