Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2)(39)

‘It’s not that.’ Jill took the map and squinted. With a frustrated noise she thrust it to Lauren. ‘You did this camp as well. What do you think?’

Lauren’s fingers were so numb she had trouble holding the paper. She tried to work out what she was looking at. She could feel Alice looking at her. There were a couple of peaks. She couldn’t tell which one Alice had been referring to. The cold made it difficult to think.

‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I want to stay here.’

‘Well, you can’t.’ Alice bit her lip. ‘Look, we need to get some help or at the very least, get to the campsite. Come on, Lauren. You can see that.’

Lauren’s head was pounding and she found she didn’t have the energy to do more than nod. ‘Yeah. Okay.’

‘Yes? So we’re agreed?’ Jill sounded relieved. ‘We’ll go with Alice’s plan?’

As Lauren got unsteadily to her feet she was reminded again of that day at McAllaster. Unsteady on her feet then as well, and blinded for the trust challenge. The overwhelming feeling of relief when Alice had taken her arm, her firm grip solid and steady. ‘I’ve got you. This way.’ Lauren, disoriented and unsure, had felt Alice’s hand warm against her skin and, one foot after the other, followed her through the unfamiliar territory.

Now, as she passed the map back to Jill, she wished she didn’t once again feel quite so blinded. But at least they had a plan.

‘Let’s do what she says.’

You could say what you wanted about Alice, but the woman always knew exactly what she was doing.





Chapter 11



‘What did Daniel say to Alice on that first night that scared her?’ Carmen was staring out of the car window as the trees sped past, the hospital far behind them.

Falk didn’t reply straight away. He could think of a few things, none of them good.

‘Whatever it was, he obviously felt it was worth traipsing through the bush in the dark to get to her,’ he said finally.

‘It must have something to do with the reason why he missed the bus,’ Carmen said. ‘Otherwise he’d have told her – warned her, whatever – earlier.’

Falk thought back to what Bailey had said the day before in the carpark. A private family matter.

‘Could it have been something to do with his sister?’ Falk said. ‘Maybe it was Jill he needed to see urgently. I don’t know. Maybe we should just ask him outright.’

‘Speaking of sisters,’ Carmen said. ‘What did you make of the twins? I know Bree’s got the plush job upstairs, but I reckon Beth’s no fool. She’s got her head screwed on just as tight.’

That had been playing on Falk’s mind too. ‘And I wouldn’t be surprised if she understands those documents that pass under her nose better than she was letting on.’

‘Great. That doesn’t bode well for us, does it? If even the girl in the data room noticed Alice behaving strangely.’

‘I don’t know,’ Falk said. ‘I could see Alice seriously underestimating Beth. I mean, we kind of did as well. Alice might have let her guard down around her. Been sloppy.’

Or desperate, he thought. He remembered their last conversations with Alice. Get the contracts. Get the contracts. Pressure from above, pushing down.

‘Say Beth was suspicious about Alice,’ Carmen said, ‘would she even care? It sounds like she needs the job, but an entry-level post hardly inspires undying company loyalty. And she’s the type to be an office outsider.’ She paused. ‘Although outsiders often want nothing more than to be insiders.’

‘Maybe Beth wouldn’t care,’ Falk said, ‘but she might have told Bree.’ Bree seemed like someone who might care a lot.

‘Yeah, it’s possible,’ Carmen said. ‘Weird dynamic between them, though.’

Falk turned the car onto the final approach to the lodge. ‘I know. I couldn’t tell if they love each other or hate each other’s guts.’

‘Both, probably,’ she said. ‘You haven’t got any siblings, have you?’

‘No. Have you?’

‘Yeah. Loads. The love–hate relationship is very fluid. It’s probably worse with twins as well.’

Falk pulled into the carpark and into the first space he saw. Something seemed out of place as he slammed the driver’s door shut and he looked around, unsure, until he saw it. Or more accurately, didn’t see it.

‘Shit.’

‘What?’

‘His bloody car’s gone.’

‘Who? Daniel?’ Carmen twisted around. No black BMW. ‘Would he go back to Melbourne before Alice is found?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe.’ Falk frowned. ‘Maybe especially if he knew it was going to be a long wait.’

The rain started up again and by the time they reached the entrance of the lodge, heavy drops had already spotted their clothing. At the door of the lodge, Falk wiped his boots and ran a hand over his damp hair.

‘Hey. In there,’ Carmen said under her breath, nodding towards the lounge area.

Jill Bailey was sitting alone with a mug of coffee in her hand and a glazed expression on her face. Her eyes flicked over them with surprise, then faint annoyance, as they came in and sat down opposite her. Up close, the bruise on her jawline was turning a dirty yellow at the edges, and Falk could see her lip was swollen where it had been split.