Fifty Fifty (Detective Harriet Blue #2)(69)

Chapter 105


‘HOW MANY SPARE officers have you got?’ Kash was in the car, the phone pressed to his ear. I knew he was talking to the command chief of White Cliffs, who had loaned us officers to patrol the main street of Last Chance Valley while the people gathered. ‘I need at least two to come protect some bodies and take some suspects into custody. Can you redirect your men? No, not the one we’ve been looking for. Another one. I’ll send you the location.’

I told Frank and John to lie on the ground, and stood at the entrance to the cave in case Mick woke and tried to come out. I didn’t expect him to. I’d knocked him pretty hard. John Stieg was crying, his head on the rocky earth. Kash came and stood by me.

‘Do you believe them?’ he asked. ‘About the diary?’

‘I do,’ I admitted.

‘So the town’s still in danger,’ he said.

It was a breathless, wordless hour. And then Kash and I were back on the road, Kash driving too fast, smashing over plants and logs as we headed towards the highway. We had come so close to death. I had rushed at a gun without thinking. My mind kept trying to reassure me that I was safe, dumping calming chemicals into my veins, attempting to slow down my pulse. But we hadn’t found the diarist. We’d been wrong about Jace Robit and his crew. I only realised I was gripping the seat cushion so hard with my good hand when Kash reached over and touched my arm.

‘You’re making me nervous.’

‘Watch the road,’ I said.

Kash swung the car onto the highway. I shifted in my seat. There was sand all through my shirt and pants, driving me nuts. I pulled my bra away from my body and dumped a load of it onto my stomach. I wriggled in my seat, trying to get it out the bottom of my jeans.

In my left front pocket, another deposit of sand, and a small piece of paper. I pulled out the folded sheet and opened it. Switched on the overhead light. The letters were small and clunky, but I knew the handwriting right away. Had studied it closely.

Dear Officer Blue,

So sad you didn’t want to come away with me. I think we wold have made great partners. I’m sorry for steeling! I know it’s wrong. But its a big bad world out there and I’m gonna see it if it kills me. I’m getting out of here finelly! You’re a cool chick. See you round some time.

Zac Taby



‘ What is it?’ Kash asked.

‘Nothing.’ I wiped my face, tucked the note away. Zac must have left it before he walked out of Snale’s house, towards his doom. I’d failed him. I’d failed him.

‘Harry?’

‘It’s nothing. It’s fine. Let’s get back to town. If the killer shows his face, I want to be on him like wildfire.’





Chapter 106


THE TINY TOWN was lit up like a Christmas tree. People wandering towards the centre from the dark road out of town, cars parked haphazardly on the dirt. Kash and I drove through slowly, blasting the horn and shining the enormous hunting lights at dazed men in Akubras carrying bottles of beer.

‘Fucking Aussies,’ I said. ‘Any excuse to have a piss-up.’

Someone was seriously threatening to kill these people, and they were coming out in force to pretend they weren’t afraid. Horns beeping, shopfronts open. I leaned over and looked at the back car park of the mechanic’s. There was no semitrailer there. That, at least, was something.

We spied Snale telling off a couple of youths and stopped beside her. Her uniform was patched with sweat.

‘It’s a madhouse,’ she panted as Kash rolled down his window. She looked at us, seemed to measure the trauma on our faces. ‘What happened? Are you two alright?’

‘We’re OK,’ I said. ‘We’ll stash the car and come help with crowd control.’

Kash drove on. By the edge of town, there was a streak of white in front of the vehicle. Kash slammed on the brakes. It was Bella Destro, in ridiculous high heels beneath her blue jeans, steadying herself against the asphalt with one hand, a beer bottle in the other. I got out of the car and helped her to her feet.

‘You’re the last person I expected to see out here,’ I said.

‘Woo! Detective Harriet Blue!’ She staggered, grinned at me, sweeping back her hair. ‘Look at all these people! It’s a party!’

Kash honked the car horn, scaring us both. I dragged Bella towards the passenger side door.

‘I’ll drive her home. She’s off her head,’ I told Kash. ‘You meet up with the other guys, give them a hand. I’ll be back in a minute.’

I wasn’t focused. I was sad and hurt about Zac’s letter, about the stupid young lives all around me, kids trying to run off with stolen gold, flopping on the road like wounded animals, cheering and reeking of beer. This was a maddening place. I momentarily felt so beyond rage I could hardly speak.

I was distracted. Not thinking at all as I started driving Bella back the way we’d come, into the dark.





Chapter 107


IN THE CAR, she put her head against the window, the cheerful, clumsy girl I’d witnessed on the road gone. I figured she was tired. My mind was not in the car. It was back in the centre of town, where a killer was possibly planning on breaking out into a shooting spree.

I ran through the checklist of precautions in my mind. I knew Snale and another officer had separately locked down the armoury and the ammunition caches so that even if someone managed to get through their defences, they’d waste precious time trying to get to any useful weaponry. Snale and the team in town would be doing regular check-ins. I should have taken a radio, got onto their channel. No matter. I’d be back there in minutes. We’d need to charge Stieg and Scullen when this was done. Stealing. Unlicensed mining operations on trespassed property. We needed to arrest Mick, alert the families of the dead. That wasn’t important now. I shook my head. What was important was keeping everyone safe for tonight. Even if the killer never showed their face.