Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2)(55)

‘It’s disgusting, that’s what it is. Put it out.’

Bree could barely smell the smoke.

‘Put it out,’ Alice said again.

Beth looked over this time and blew a long plume of smoke in the air. It hung there, taunting them. In one swift movement, Alice’s hand darted out and grabbed the cigarette packet. She pulled her arm back and hurled it into the bush.

‘Hey!’ Beth was on her feet.

Alice was standing too. ‘Break’s over. Let’s go.’

Beth ignored her and without a backward glance, turned and waded into the long grass, disappearing through the trees.

‘We’re not bloody waiting for you,’ Alice shouted. There was no response, just the tap of water on leaves. The rain had started again. ‘For Christ’s sake. Jill, let’s go. She’ll catch up.’

Bree felt the swell of anger, tempered only by the sight of Jill shaking her head.

‘We’re not leaving anyone, Alice.’ Jill’s voice had an edge Bree hadn’t heard before. ‘So you’d better find her. An apology is in order, too.’

‘You’re joking.’

‘I’m absolutely not.’

‘But –’ Alice started, when there was a shout from behind the solid curtain of bushland.

‘Hey!’ Beth’s voice was muffled. She sounded far away. ‘There’s something back here.’





Chapter 14



The morning sky was a dirty grey when Falk knocked on Carmen’s door. She was packed and waiting. They carried their bags to the carpark, treading carefully where overnight rain had made the path slippery.

‘What did the office have to say?’ Falk reached across their car windscreen and fished out a handful of dead leaves that had caught beneath the wipers.

‘The usual.’ Carmen didn’t need to spell it out. He knew it would have been a virtual repeat of his own conversation the night before. Get the contracts. Get the contracts. She dumped her bag in the car boot. ‘Did you tell King we’re off?’

Falk nodded. After leaving Carmen last night, he’d left a message for the sergeant. The officer had rung back on Falk’s room landline an hour later. They’d exchanged updates – a depressingly short conversation on both sides. It sounded like the lack of progress was taking a toll.

‘Have you lost hope?’ Falk said.

‘Not entirely,’ King said. ‘But it’s feeling more and more like a needle in a haystack.’

‘How long do you keep searching?’

‘We search until there’s no point anymore,’ King said. He didn’t spell out exactly when that would be. ‘But we’ll have to start scaling back if we don’t find anything soon. Keep that to yourself, though.’

Now, in the morning light, Falk could see the tension on the searchers’ faces as a group climbed into the waiting minivan. He dumped his own bag next to Carmen’s and they headed into the lodge.

A different ranger was behind reception, leaning over the desk and issuing instructions to the woman hunched over the ancient visitors’ courtesy computer.

‘Try logging back in again,’ the ranger said.

‘I have. Twice! It won’t let me.’

Lauren, Falk realised. She sounded close to tears. She looked up when she heard them slide their keys across the counter.

‘You’re checking out? Are you driving back to Melbourne?’ She was half out of her seat already. ‘Can you take me? Please, I need to get home. I’ve been trying to find a lift all morning.’

In the harsh morning light, her eyes were red and lined. Falk wasn’t sure whether it was due to lack of sleep or if she’d been crying. Both, perhaps.

‘Sergeant King’s given you the all clear to leave?’

‘Yes, he said I’m allowed.’ She was already at the door. ‘Don’t go without me. Please. I’ll get my bag. Five minutes.’

She disappeared before he could say anything. On the reception counter, Falk noticed a fresh stack of printed fliers. MISSING, was written in bold letters above a reproduction of Alice Russell’s smiling work headshot, along with key details and a description. Below was the last group photo Ian Chase had snapped at the start of the Mirror Falls trail.

Falk looked at it. Jill Bailey stood at the centre, with Alice and Lauren to her left. Bree was on Jill’s right, with Beth a half-step out from the rest of the group. It was easier to make out details on the flier than it had been on Chase’s phone. Every face was smiling, but, on closer inspection, he thought every smile seemed a little forced. With a sigh, he folded up the flier and put it into his jacket pocket.

Carmen used the ranger’s radio and by the time she’d confirmed what Lauren had said with Sergeant King, the woman was back. She stood in the entranceway, clutching her backpack. It was filthy, and Falk realised with a jolt that it would be the same one she’d taken on the retreat.

‘Thank you so much,’ she said, as she followed them across the carpark and climbed into the back seat. She pulled on her seatbelt and sat upright, her hands clutched in her lap. Desperate, Falk realised, to leave.

‘Is everything all right at home?’ he said, starting the engine.

‘I don’t know.’ Lauren’s face creased. ‘Do either of you have kids?’