Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2)(5)

‘No.’ He hadn’t but he had grown up in a place not unlike it. Isolated terrain, where trees grew thick and dense on land that was reluctant to let anything escape.

‘The history around here puts me off,’ Carmen went on. ‘I know it’s silly, but . . .’ She shrugged.

‘Whatever happened to Martin Kovac in the end?’ Falk said. ‘Is he still locked up?’

‘I’m not sure.’ Carmen tapped at her phone screen again. ‘No. He’s dead. Died in jail three years ago, aged sixty-two. Actually, that rings a bell, now I think about it. He got into a fight with an inmate, hit his head on the ground and didn’t wake up again, it says here. It’s hard to feel too sorry about that.’

Falk agreed. The first body had been that of a twenty-something trainee teacher from Melbourne, enjoying a weekend of fresh air in the ranges. A group of campers had found her, days too late. The zipper on her shorts had been wrenched apart, and her pack with hiking supplies was missing. She was barefoot, and her shoelaces were tight around her neck.

It had taken two more women’s bodies, and another reported missing, over the next three years before transient labourer Martin Kovac’s name was first mentioned in connection with the murders. By then the damage was well and truly done. A long and lasting shadow had been cast over the tranquil Giralang Ranges, and Falk was part of a whole generation that had grown up feeling a shiver when they heard the name.

‘Kovac died without confessing to attacking those three women, apparently,’ Carmen said, reading from her phone. ‘Or that fourth one who was never found. Sarah Sondenberg. That was a sad one. She was only eighteen. Do you remember her parents doing those appeals on TV?’

Falk did. Two decades on and he could still picture the desperation in her parents’ eyes.

Carmen tried scrolling down, then gave a sigh. ‘Sorry, it’s freezing up. The signal’s going.’

Falk wasn’t surprised. The trees along the side of the road cast shadows that blocked the morning light. ‘I guess we’re heading out of range.’

They didn’t speak again until they left the main road. Carmen pulled out the map and navigated as the track narrowed and the hills loomed large in the windscreen. They passed a short row of shops selling postcards and hiking equipment. It was bookended by a small supermarket and a lonely service station.

Falk checked the fuel gauge and put on the indicator. They both got out while he filled up, yawning, the early start beginning to catch up with them. It felt colder here and the air had a bite. He left Carmen stretching her back with a groan and went in to pay.

The man behind the counter was wearing a beanie and week-old stubble. He stood up a little straighter as Falk approached.

‘Headed into the park?’ He spoke with the haste of a bloke starved of conversation.

‘We are.’

‘Looking for that missing woman?’

Falk blinked. ‘Yes, actually.’

‘Had heaps of people come through for her. They called in the searchers. Must’ve had twenty people fill up yesterday. Rush hour all day. No better today.’ He shook his head in disbelief.

Falk discreetly glanced around. Their car was the only one on the forecourt. There were no other customers in the shop.

‘Hopefully they’ll pick her up quickly,’ the man went on. ‘Bad business, that, when someone goes missing. Bad for business as well. Scares people off. Too much of a reminder, I reckon.’ He didn’t elaborate. There was no need to mention Kovac, Falk supposed, not around there.

‘Have you heard any update?’ Falk said.

‘Nah. Don’t think they’ve had any luck, though, because I haven’t seen them come out. And I get them both ways. In and out. Nearest servo’s over fifty kilometres away. Further if you go north. Everyone fills up here. Just in case, you know? Something about being in there makes them want to be on the safe side.’ He shrugged. ‘Silver lining for us, I suppose.’

‘You lived out here long?’

‘Long enough.’

As Falk handed over his credit card, he noticed the small red light of a security camera behind the counter.

‘Are there cameras on the pumps?’ Falk said, and the guy followed his gaze outside. Carmen was leaning against the car, her eyes closed and her face tilted upwards.

‘Yeah, course.’ The guy’s eyes lingered a beat longer than necessary before he dragged them back. ‘No choice. I’m on me own here most of the time. Can’t risk the drive-offs.’

‘Did the missing woman come through with her group on their way in?’ Falk said.

‘Yep. On Thursday. The cops already took a copy of the recording.’

Falk pulled out his ID. ‘Any chance of another one?’

The guy looked at it, then shrugged. ‘Give me a minute.’

He disappeared into a back office. Falk looked out through the glass front doors while he waited. Beyond the forecourt, he could see nothing but a wall of green. The hills hid the sky. He suddenly felt very surrounded. He jumped as the man re-emerged with a memory stick in his hand.

‘Past seven days,’ the guy said, handing it over.

‘Thanks, mate. That’s appreciated.’

‘No worries, hope it helps. You wouldn’t want to be lost out there for too long. It’s the panic that gets you. Everything starts to look the same after a few days, makes it hard to trust what you’re seeing.’ He glanced outside. ‘Drives ’em wild.’