Down Among the Dead Men (Entangled Ignite) (14 page)

“Yes, I am. Thank you.”

“I’m glad to finally meet you. Dale’s told me about you.”

Caitlyn’s eyes widened. “Has he?”

“All good.”

“Right. Well, I wish I could say the same, but he hasn’t told me anything about you.”

Narelle smiled. “Probably thinks he’s protecting my client confidentiality, bless him. I’m waiting for him now.”

“So am I.”

When Narelle laughed, the skin around her deep blue eyes crinkled. “Popular, isn’t he?”

Uncomfortably aware that it had sounded like she was going to challenge Narelle for the right to talk to him, Caitlyn said, “I need to ask him a quick question, but then he’s all yours.”

“There’s no need to rush off on my account. I like to get home before my husband starts to worry.”

Caitlyn paused with the beer glass at her lips. “Husband?”

She nodded. “We’ve been married for twenty years. He’s the light of my life.”

Caitlyn was about to ask her about him when Narelle smiled over her head. Caitlyn swung around. Her chest filled with a massive sigh of relief at the sight of Dale. She had to restrain herself from jumping up and hugging him for being alive. She’d have to wait to hear how the drop had gone.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” she said, reaching for her glass.

“Don’t leave.” Narelle squeezed her forearm. “I promise I’ll only keep him for a short time.”

“I have to go to the ladies’ room anyway.” She slid out of her seat. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

She took her time, even stopping to talk to Bruce before returning to the table. When she got there Narelle was gathering up a pile of papers and gave her a broad smile. “We’ll have to have a longer chat someday, but now I must get home. You two have a good night, what’s left of it.”

When she’d gone, Caitlyn sat opposite Dale. “She seems nice.”

“She is. She gave me permission to tell you about her husband Gary.”

“She already told me that they’ve been married for twenty years.”

He shook his head. “I meant about his injuries.”

“Oh?”

“He was badly hurt in a work accident, and the payout was pathetic. Over time, his condition has worsened and now Narelle is caring for him full time as well as looking after their son and trying to work their claim.”

“That’s terrible. Can they sue the company or something?” When Dale said nothing, the answer hit her like a baseball bat. “They
are
suing them, aren’t they? This is the case you’re working on.”

He nodded.

“Well, I’m glad they’ve got you to help them. Will you win, do you think?”

“Who knows? But if we don’t, it won’t be from a lack of effort. Narelle is doing most of the paperwork herself in her very limited free time. I’m glad I can help her from a legal standpoint.”

“I didn’t know they had a son.”

“He’s five. It’s been hard on her.”

Caitlyn nodded. “I feel bad now. I thought she was your girlfriend. I never imagined all this was going on. ”

His eyes widened. “My girlfriend?”

“Never mind that now. Tell me about the dropoff and why you’re so damned late getting back. I was scared to death.”

He reached across the table and covered one of her hands with his large one. She stared at it. She was so tempted to turn her hand over and clasp his, but she forced herself to keep still—on the outside, at least. No one could see her insides squirming.

“There was no need to worry. It went as planned, and we shouldn’t hear from those guys again.”

Bruce arrived to collect the empty glasses. Both of them snatched their hands back. After a moment’s silence, Dale went to the bar and returned with two fresh drinks.

“I bet if you could do it over again you wouldn’t set out in search of your father. It’s been eventful so far, hasn’t it? And we haven’t even found him yet.”

“Yes, I would,” she said fiercely. “I’d do it all again. I found my sister. I wouldn’t undo that for anything.”

He smiled. “Even after all that’s happened?”

“It’s been an interesting three weeks.”

“You must be looking forward to leaving.”

Was she? “I suppose I am, but I like the people here. Most of them. What you see is what you get. There’s no faking. No phony friendship. Just reality.”

“Definitely no faking.” He hesitated. “You wouldn’t consider staying, though, would you?”

“Oh, no. I couldn’t.” She wondered why she felt so hollow all of a sudden. Three weeks ago she’d wanted nothing more than to turn around and go home.

“That’s what I thought.” He raised his glass and took a long drink. “How’s Steve?” he asked after a few moments.

“He’s improving. He’s back in his room.” She nodded in the direction of the rear of the pub. “Brenda’s taking care of him.”

“I’ve been wondering whether they assaulted him as a warning to you to stay out of their business.”

“Well, first up, they couldn’t have thought I cared about him from the brief chat we had before I went to talk to them. Second, he might never have been found, so it might not have worked as a warning, and third, I already know why—” She pulled herself up. She’d almost told him what she’d learned about Steve, but she’d promised, dammit.

Dale didn’t seem to have heard her, however. He was staring straight past her.

She turned to see what had caught his attention, and it didn’t take long to work out. A beautiful woman had entered the pub, and as this was such a novelty, she was attracting much attention on her way to the bar. Her high cheekbones and sharp jaw line gave her an exotic appearance. Glossy dark hair swung around her shoulders. Caitlyn couldn’t call her perfect because her nose was too long and her mouth was too small, but she had to admit that she was striking and worthy of all the attention she was getting.

At the bar, she spoke to Brenda, turned her head and smiled, then glided toward Dale and Caitlyn, her silk skirt clinging to her long slim thighs.

“Hello, Dale,” she said with a hint of a Spanish accent.

Caitlyn looked for his reaction and then wished she hadn’t. His eyes were all but popping out of his head.

“Dominica,” he said incredulously. “My God, am I glad to see you. I can’t believe you’re actually here.”

They stared at each other for a long moment during which Caitlyn’s heart shriveled to the size of a walnut.

“Of course I’m here. It’s Ginny’s birthday.”

“Actually, you’re late.”

Dominica gave a tiny shrug. “Or nice and early, depending on which way you look at it.”

As if suddenly remembering Caitlyn existed, Dale turned to her. “This is a friend of mine. Caitlyn.”

Dominica turned, acting as though she hadn’t even seen Caitlyn sitting there. “A friend? Hello,” she said. “I’m Dale’s wife.”

Caitlyn would have cheerfully crawled into a hole in the ground. She was sure this woman could see her feelings in her face. “I have to go.” She scraped back her chair and stood. “It was nice to meet you,” she said, hoping she sounded genuine, but doubting she did.

Dale looked up. She hesitated, wondering whether he’d ask her to stay. He didn’t.

Chapter Fifteen

“Now I know why he didn’t get divorced,” she said to Sally late that night. “His wife’s stunning and he’s head over heels in love with her.”

“Are you sure you’re not overreacting?”

“No. He was so glad to see her, and it’s no wonder. She has an accent like Penelope what’s her name.”

“Cruz. Oh, God, does she look like her?”

“Kind of. When you’ve seen her, you won’t be able to pretend he could ever have been interested in me.”

Sally groaned. “I wish I’d never said anything about Dale. I wish I’d let you bumble along unawares.”

“It’s not your fault. I’m going to give up on men altogether.”

“No, don’t do that. There’s a Josh out there for you, I’m sure of it. Now, come on, it’s time for bed, you need some sleep.” She took the wine bottle away before Caitlyn could reach for it again. “You keep telling me you’re not here to have fun, you’re here to find your father, so stop thinking about Dale and get on with it.”

“Huh, thanks.”

“Be happy for him. And more important, for their little girl.”

Until now, she hadn’t given a thought to how Dominica’s return affected Ginny, she realized with a jolt of shame. She’d been clinging to the hope that Dominica wouldn’t stay, but that wasn’t fair to Ginny. Or Dale.

She dragged in a long breath. “Ginny was a baby when her mother left. Not old enough to understand. But what happens if she leaves again after Ginny’s grown to love her?”

Sally made a face. “Let’s just hope that doesn’t happen.”

“Yes.” That was what she’d have to do.

…

The next night after the dinner rush, in need of fresh air and perspective, she left the pub by the back door, took a couple of deep breaths, then strolled around to the front of the pub. Flicking a casual glance along the street, she almost didn’t register the Kombi van parked outside the pub’s door. When her brain clicked into gear, she strode along the street, checking out cars in the light spilling from the pub windows. No sign of the black sedan, so it looked like Chet was alone.

What should she do? Dale had other things on his mind now—other priorities—but she couldn’t afford to let this opportunity go to waste. What if Chet went straight to Wally?

She’d have to follow him on her own.

She headed for her car. She’d wait for him to come out and follow him. But what if he drove out into the opal fields? She would never be able to find her way back. Nor would she be able to find the spot again if she had to lead anyone there.

She needed Dale and she didn’t have time to sit there thinking about it.

Rose did a double-take when she opened the door. “Nice to see you again.”

“I’m sorry. I know it’s late to come by, but I need to see Dale.”

“He’s in his workshop. Come inside. Do you have time for a coffee?”

She shook her head. “Sorry, no.”

“Go through to the lounge room, dear. I’ll tell Dale you’re here and he’ll only be a moment, I’m sure.”

“Actually, I know where the workshop is. Do you mind if I just knock on the door? It really is very urgent.”

“All right, dear.” Rose moved out of the way, and Caitlyn hurried past her.

At her knock, Dale opened the workshop door and snatched his goggles and mask from his face. “Caitlyn? What is it? What’s happened?”

“Chet’s here. In town. His Kombi van’s parked outside the pub and I was going to follow him, but—”

“I’ll get my keys. We’ll take the truck.”

Minutes later they drove past Chet’s van and parked at the end of the row of vehicles, then sat in silence, Dominica’s return lying like a land mine between them.

“I hope he doesn’t stay till closing,” she said, just for something to say to break the tense silence. “It must be nice for Ginny to have her mother back. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

Dale grunted.

“Were you surprised to see her?”

He stared at her for a moment. “Of course.” He went back to watching the pub door.

“You don’t want to talk to me?”

He sighed. “It’s not you, it’s the subject I have a problem with.”

She glimpsed movement from the door of the pub, and pointed. “That’s Chet.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m abso—”

Dale pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his warm lips sending instant spirals of pleasure through her. Before she could respond, he jerked away and the distinctive tinny sound of a Volkswagen engine penetrated her consciousness.

“Let’s go.” He turned the key in the ignition and waited for Chet to maneuver out of the space before reversing the truck. Then he followed the Kombi van at a discreet distance.

“What was that for?”

“Chet looked our way and I thought he might recognize you.”

She cleared her throat. “Yes, he would have done if he’d seen me, but you didn’t have to… I mean, you could have pushed me out of sight.”

“I could have.” He flashed a grin. “Not so much fun, though.”

She felt herself blush. “Could you be serious, please? We agreed that it wouldn’t happen again.”

“I know.” He straightened his face. “I’m sorry.”

“And especially now, with Dominica back. What if someone had seen us?”

“It won’t happen again.”

She shook her head then blew out a breath, watching Chet turn off the road ahead. “It looks like he’s going to the opal fields.”

Dale glanced in his rearview mirror. “I hope we’re not driving into a trap.”

“What?”

He glanced in the mirror again. “I’ve received some information tonight regarding the license number you gave me. The black BMW. I intended to bring you up to speed tomorrow.”

“What information?”

“The car belongs to a known criminal. A violent, ruthless man by the name of DeLonghi.”

“Oh.” She nodded. “That figures. The guy I spoke to had cold eyes. I could imagine him being ruthless.” She shivered. “I can’t believe I introduced myself to him. I’d never had so much as a fine for an overdue library book before I came here.”

“I don’t need to say that I told you so, do I? Anyway,” he went on. “He and his associates are well-known to the Federal Police.”

“Oh?” Again she bit her lip to stop herself blurting out anything about Steve.

“They’re suspected of being involved in an international gem smuggling operation.”

“Cripes. Gem smuggling? Opals?”

“Not only opals, it seems. They have interests all over the country, in diamonds and pearls, too. My contact recommends leaving them well alone.” He shot her a glance. “Do you understand what that means?”

“Yes.” She took a moment to absorb what he’d said. “So, knowing this, why did you agree to follow Chet tonight?”

“If I hadn’t, you would have followed him on your own, wouldn’t you?”

“Probably.”

He narrowed his eyes at her.

“Okay, definitely.”

“That’s what I reckoned. The point is, we have to be careful. Watchful. If there’s any sign that it could be a trap, we bail. Right?”

“No arguments from me.”

He put the truck in gear, and they drove without talking for some distance until the van ahead pulled off the road and parked. Dale did the same, coming to a stop in the cover of a large mullock heap.

“I think we’re far enough back not to concern him if he looks around. It means we’ll have to hurry to stay near him on foot, though.”

“But what about your leg?”

“It’s fine.” He rummaged through the items behind his seat and pulled out a large torch with a handle on one side. “Let’s go, and stay close. Watch where you put your feet.”

Despite his injury, he moved quickly and she did her best not to slow him down as they darted from one mullock heap to another, staying out of sight behind the mounds. Fortunately, with the moonlight at its brightest, there was no need to use the flashlight. She didn’t worry about trying to see Chet; she left that to Dale. She had enough to do avoiding boulders and dips.

Dale crouched behind a pile of rock, signaling to her to do the same.

She crept up until she was level with his shoulder. “What’s he doing?” she whispered.

“Looks like he’s going underground,” he said in a low voice. “He’s checking to make sure no one’s watching him.”

There was complete silence for a few moments before she heard a metallic rattle.

“The ladder,” Dale said. “He’s going down.”

When the sound died away, Dale peered over the mound. “Come on.”

He darted off, Caitlyn scuttling after him. He stopped behind a large mullock heap near the shaft Chet had chosen.

“Do you think he’s ratting?”

“No, he didn’t have any tools with him. Just a torch.”

They stayed low on the slope of the mound, peeping over the top, waiting for Chet to emerge.

Several minutes later, the ladder rattled again. She looked at Dale and he motioned her to be quiet. She stared at the hole in the ground, ready to duck the moment she saw Chet’s head. But when he reached the top of the shaft, he scrambled out without hesitating and took off without a single glance around.

“Do you think he’s gone?”

“Let’s wait,” Dale said. “If he doesn’t come back, I’ll go down and have a look.”

She waited. “Hey, I think I can hear the Kombi.”

He nodded.

“What if he sees your truck?”

“He won’t recognize it. And it’s far enough away that the occupants could be anywhere, on their own claim.”

“I suppose.”

“Okay. You stay here.” Dale grabbed the flashlight and started toward the shaft. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”

“Be careful.”

He stayed down there longer than Chet and she was starting to worry when she heard the ladder rattle. She scrambled to the top of the mound to see Dale’s head and shoulders above ground. He looked around before climbing out of the shaft and darting to the mullock heap. When he dropped to the ground beside her, he was breathing heavily.

“Are you hurt?”

He shook his head. “But I know what spooked Chet.”

“What?”

“Wally’s down there. I found his body.”

“His body?” She grabbed his arm and held on tight. “His
dead
body?”

He nodded.

“Shit.” Her heart pounded, her mind whirled. What would she tell Max? Her mother? Now there’d be no way to help her save her home. Or maybe that situation ended with Wally’s death?

“I second that.”

“Do you think Chet killed him?”

“No, it looks as if he was buried by a cave-in.”

She closed her eyes and swallowed the lump of tears that clogged her throat. Her father was dead. She’d never have an opportunity to talk to him again, to tell him how he’d hurt her by leaving.

“I’m sorry.”

She shook her head, swallowing again. “I knew it was a possibility, but it’s just…it was easier to think he’d done a runner.”

“I can understand that.”

She took a deep breath. “How long do you think he’s been dead?”

“Not long. Less than four days. I’m no expert, but I know rigor mortis sets in a few hours after death and lasts up to four days. Then decomposition begins.”

She fought nausea for a second. “It hasn’t?”

“No. He’s still stiff.”

“Then if we’d found him a bit sooner, he wouldn’t be dead.”

He shrugged. “There’s no point in thinking like that. He made his choices. Including getting involved with DeLonghi.”

“So you do think he was involved? He wasn’t just an innocent party?”

“It looked to me like he was gouging when the cave-in happened. This is not his claim, so the very least he’s guilty of is ratting.”

“Poor Max.”

“There are opals down there, too,” he said. “I don’t think Chet saw them. I shouldn’t think he’d have left without them.”

“How many?”

“I couldn’t see, there’s too much loose stuff. It will take some work to move it in order to get the body out.”

“I guess the opals were destined for DeLonghi.”

“That’s a good bet.”

Steve was tailing DeLonghi and his gang. It would be a coup for him to find the opals. A plan started to form in her mind, and a ripple of excitement ran through her.

She gazed around them. “Could you find your way back here? I mean, to this specific shaft?”

“Of course.” He gave her a bemused look.

She shook her head. “It must be a male thing. I wouldn’t have a clue how to get here.”

“We’ll have to go straight to the police now. Are you ready to face Michael Peterson and tell him the truth?”

“No.” She shuddered.

“I’m sorry, but it has to be done.”

“No, seriously. We mustn’t go to Sergeant Peterson.”

“There’s no question of doing anything else. We’ve found a body. We have to tell the police.”

“Yes, we do, but not him.”

“I don’t understand.”

She clutched at his arm again. “Do you trust me?”

His head jerked with surprise. “Yes, but I’m worried about what you’re going to say next.”

“Will you hold off going to the police for a little while, just until I’ve spoken to someone?”

“Who?” He frowned. “You have to tell me what’s going on.”

“I can’t,” she confessed. “I said I wouldn’t. But I will soon. As soon as he says it’s okay.”

“Caitlyn, you’re not going to put yourself in danger, are you? Hell, you’re not planning to talk to DeLonghi again?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“Well, whatever you’re planning to do, you’d better do it soon. What if someone else finds the body?”

She gasped. “Good point. What about the mine owners? They might be here tomorrow.”

“First thing tomorrow, I’ll find out who it belongs to. Then we’ll see if we have a problem.” He leaned his head back against the mullock heap. When he looked at her again, he said, “I’ll go along with your plan, provided that you promise me you won’t do anything dangerous on your own.”

She nodded. She wasn’t entirely sure she could keep her word, but she’d have to worry about that later. “I promise.”