Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2)(47)

‘I suppose because that was the last place Alice was seen,’ Falk said. He remembered what King had said. We haven’t told the women about Sam Kovac. Falk wondered if that was the best move under the circumstances.

‘Maybe.’ Lauren was still watching him closely. ‘It feels like more than that, though. The place had been empty for a while, but not forever. I told the other police. At least someone knew about it because someone had been out there.’

‘How do you know?’

‘They’d buried a dog.’

There was a silence. Dead leaves blew around their feet.

‘A dog.’

‘At least one.’ Lauren picked at her nails. Her hands were birdlike, the bones in her wrists visible under the skin. ‘The police keep asking if we saw anyone else while we were out there.’

‘Did you?’

‘No. Not after the first night, when the men’s group came to our camp. But –’ Lauren’s eyes darted to the bushland and back. ‘It was strange. Sometimes it did feel like we were being watched. We weren’t, obviously. There’s no way we could have been. You get paranoid out there though, your mind starts to play tricks.’

‘And you definitely didn’t see the men again?’

‘No. I wish we had. But we were so off track. The only way to find us would have been to follow us.’ She gave a shake of her head, dismissing the idea before it could settle. ‘I can’t understand what happened to Alice. I know she would have headed along that northern route. We walked that trail just a couple of hours behind her. And Alice has always been tough. Mentally, physically. If we managed to get out, she should have as well. But it was like she just vanished.’ Lauren blinked. ‘So now I go and sit at the falls, hoping she’ll storm out, angry and pointing fingers and threatening legal action.’

Falk nodded at the dark slice across her forehead. ‘That looks nasty. How did you get it?’

Lauren’s fingers fluttered to the wound and she gave a bitter laugh. ‘We managed to lose our stove canister and tent poles in a swollen river. I was trying to reach them and got hit in the head.’

‘Not during the fight at the cabin then?’ he said lightly.

Lauren stared at him for a beat before answering. ‘No.’

‘I only ask because Jill Bailey said that’s how she got her bruise. Breaking up an argument.’

‘Did she?’

Falk had to hand it to Lauren, her face gave nothing away.

‘Did she not?’ he said.

Lauren seemed to be weighing something up. ‘Jill got her bruise during an argument. Whether or not she was breaking it up is debatable.’

‘So Jill was involved?’

‘Jill started it. When Alice wanted to leave. They were fighting over who would get the phone. It didn’t last long, but that was what it was about. Why? What did Jill say?’

Falk shook his head. ‘It doesn’t matter. Maybe we misunderstood her take on it.’

‘Well, whatever she told you, she was part of it.’ Lauren looked down. ‘I’m not proud of it, but we all were, I suppose. Alice as well. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when she left.’

A bolt of lightning cracked bright overhead, throwing the gum trees into sharp silhouette. It was followed by a rumble of thunder and all at once the clouds opened. They had no choice but to move. Pulling their hoods over their heads, they jogged towards the lodge as the rain drummed against their jackets.

‘Are you coming inside?’ Falk said as they reached the steps. He had to shout over the noise.

‘No, I’ll make a run for my room,’ Lauren called as they reached the path. ‘Find me if you need anything else.’

Falk waved a hand and jogged up the steps into the lodge, where the rain rattled against the porch roof. He jumped as a dark figure shifted in the shadows near the doorway.

‘Hey.’

He recognised Beth’s voice. She was sheltering under the porch and smoking as she stared out at the hammering rain. Falk wondered if she’d seen him talking to Lauren. He wondered if it mattered. She had a cigarette in one hand and something he couldn’t see in the other. And a guilty look on her face.

‘Before you say anything, I know I shouldn’t,’ she said.

Falk wiped his face with a damp sleeve. ‘Shouldn’t what?’

Beth sheepishly held up a bottle of light beer. ‘Under my probation. But it’s been a really hard few days. I’m sorry.’ She sounded like she meant it.

Falk couldn’t muster the energy to be concerned about a light beer. It had been considered barely a step above water when he was growing up.

‘Just stay under the drink-drive limit.’ It seemed like a reasonable compromise but Beth blinked, surprised. She smiled.

‘I’m not supposed to smoke out here either,’ she said. ‘But for God’s sake, it’s outside.’

‘That’s true,’ Falk said as they watched the downpour.

‘Every time it rains it makes it harder to track someone. That’s what they told me, anyway.’ Beth took a sip. ‘It’s been raining a lot.’

‘It has.’

Falk looked across at her. Even in the poor light, she seemed exhausted.

‘Why didn’t you mention the fight in the cabin?’