The Lost Man(27)

‘It was, when we found it.’ Nathan handed over the keys. ‘He locked it.’

‘Why?’

‘In case anyone came by.’

McKenna looked mildly amused, but said nothing as he opened the car and looked inside. He searched thoroughly, checking the same places as his colleague, plus a few more the other guy hadn’t thought of. Like Ludlow, he paused at the sight of the food and water in the back. Nathan could smell the sandwiches and fruit starting to turn. Eventually the sergeant slammed the rear door.

‘I reckon we’ve got everything we’re going to get, so you’re all right to take this when you go.’

Dismay crossed Xander’s face. ‘You’re not going to hold it for – I dunno – investigation or something?’

‘No, mate. I’m sorry.’ McKenna shook his head. ‘Look, I honestly would if I thought it would help. I’d get the CIB boys to fly in from the city, do all their tests, but you have to make a case for it and they won’t come for this. There’s no sign of a struggle. There’s nothing damaged, valuable equipment hasn’t been stolen. I’m not sure what was going through Cameron’s head but your uncle didn’t die in this car.’

No-one spoke for a minute. The crime scene tape tied to the door handles whipped in the wind.

‘So what do we know?’ McKenna said, looking at the four of them. ‘Cameron said he was heading to Lehmann’s Hill but for some reason he changed his mind. And it’s a fair old hike from here to where he ended up. He would have known what he was getting himself in to, this time of year. On foot with no water. What time did he leave home on Wednesday?’

‘About eight,’ Harry said. ‘Ilse and one of the casuals saw him.’

‘I’ve spoken to Steve at the clinic,’ McKenna said. ‘The autopsy’s been booked but he reckons Cameron was dead by Thursday mid-morning, at the latest. Maybe even a bit earlier given the temperature.’ He looked at Bub, his voice gentle. ‘You told Sergeant Ludlow you thought Cam had been having a bit of a hard time of it recently, mate. What was that about, do you think?’

‘I dunno.’

McKenna waited, but Bub said no more.

‘Look.’ Harry stepped in. ‘Cam ran a tight ship but he kept things close to his chest. You know that. But Bub’s right. These last few weeks, there’d been a few things going overlooked.’

‘Like what?’ McKenna said.

‘Nothing big. But stuff he said he was going to do but didn’t. Fix the gate to the cattle yard, that kind of thing.’

‘He didn’t mention falling out with anyone? Someone from town?’ McKenna asked and both Bub and Harry shook their heads. ‘What about with either of you? His missus?’

There was a tiny bristle at that, Nathan thought, but again both shook their heads.

‘Is that a no?’ McKenna said. ‘Or a don’t know?’

‘No,’ Harry said at the same time as Bub said: ‘Don’t know.’

The sergeant eyed them each in turn, like a teacher at school, and Nathan started to feel a little guilty himself. Glancing up the line, he suspected he wasn’t alone. The only exception was Xander, who was still watching Harry with a curious look.

‘Well, I reckon anyone seeing the car standing empty like this would’ve done the right thing and reported it –’ McKenna bit his words short. He glanced at Nathan, who stared back, steady. If he dropped his gaze every time someone mentioned it, he’d never look anyone in the eye again.

‘Anyway.’ McKenna took a breath and went on. ‘No calls came in, so I think we can assume no-one came by.’

‘Do you think Uncle Cam might have stopped to help someone and got in trouble?’ Xander said. ‘A tourist or someone?’

‘Look, I won’t rule it out,’ McKenna said. ‘But I haven’t heard of anyone coming through.’

It wasn’t easy, Nathan knew, for a stranger to make their way across the district without the locals knowing about it. The desert tracks were closed in the summer, leaving exactly two roads in or out. Two choices, leading to two other tiny towns in opposite directions and hundreds of kilometres apart. Everyone was forced to stop for fuel and supplies at some point, and locals tended to stare at strange cars at that time of year. It wasn’t easy to sail through unnoticed. But, Nathan thought, it wasn’t impossible.

‘And things are okay on the property?’ McKenna said as Harry nodded. ‘And look, there’s no point pretending this is a casual question: are your firearms in order over there?’

‘Yes,’ Harry said, with a slight edge to his voice.

‘All accounted for? Locked up properly?’

‘Yes.’

‘Where’s the key kept these days? Locked up securely in line with regulations, no doubt,’ McKenna said, deadpan. They all knew it usually hung by the back door.

‘I’ve got it,’ Harry said, and Nathan looked over in surprise. ‘It’s been on my key ring for the past three weeks.’

McKenna looked at him. ‘Any reason you’re carrying it?’

‘No reason,’ Harry said. ‘Needed it one day and never put it back.’

‘Cameron didn’t ask for it?’

‘He didn’t need to ask. He could have just taken it. But no. Didn’t ask for it, didn’t take it.’