Down Among the Dead Men (Entangled Ignite) (16 page)

She squinted at him. “I’m not playing anything at all. He’s married.”

“Oh. Right. I must have it wrong.”

“I don’t need your advice when it comes to my love life, Josh. Stick to mechanical matters.”

He smiled. “Another drink?”

“No, I’m going to see Steve. The sooner I sort this out, the better.”

Chapter Seventeen

The next day, Caitlyn sat down with Max. She had a right to know about their father before the police became involved. It couldn’t be put off any longer. She wiped sweaty palms on her jeans.

Max’s eyes darted around the lounge room before settling on Caitlyn’s face. “This isn’t good news, is it?”

“I’m afraid not, Max.”

“You going to give up looking for my dad?”

“No, that’s not it. Actually, we’ve found him. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry because he’s dead, or sorry because he’s not?”

“Sorry because he’s dead.”

Max looked at her hands. Muscles twitched in her face as she tried to maintain control.

“I know you didn’t have a good relationship with him, Max, but he was still your dad. You’re allowed to be upset.”

“I’m not upset.” She looked up, her eyes dry. “He was your dad, too. Are you upset?”

“I’ve been remembering what it was like when he was home with Mum and me, and I feel regret that the man I loved then is dead. It’s been a long time for me, though. Not so long for you.”

Max tried to stifle a sob, but Caitlyn heard it. She took hold of her sister’s hands. “It’s okay to admit that you loved him in spite of his faults.”

“I…I wish he’d been different, you know? I wish he’d been a good dad, but he wasn’t, and he wouldn’t have changed. But he was still my dad.”

“I know, Max.”

“How did he die?”

Caitlyn took a deep breath. “You were right about the ratting, and it seems the way he gouged out the opals, he left an overhang. It was the overhang that collapsed rather than the roof of the tunnel.”

“I knew it. Serves him right.” A solitary tear slid down her cheek. “Did he die straight away?”

“I don’t know for sure, but Dale thinks he might have been alive for a while. He wasn’t completely buried, but badly enough to trap him down there. It’s awful to think about. The claim owners are away, so there was no one to discover him until Chet went looking for the opals he was supposed to have delivered.”

Max nodded, then looked away. She sniffed a few times, then turned back. “What will happen to me now?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Caitlyn said. “But try not to worry about that because we’ll work something out. I promise.” She squeezed Max’s hands again. “Okay?”

Max nodded and stood up. “I’d better get back to work. Josh will wonder where I am.”

“He’s not your boss.”

“I know.” She shrugged and walked out.

Caitlyn sat in silence, memories of her father as a young man, both good and bad, and images of the way he’d died, chasing each other around her head. When the door opened she shook herself and looked up.

“I saw Max,” Sally said. “How did it go?”

“Oh…okay. She didn’t break down in tears or anything. I wonder if it would have been better for her if she had.”

“I don’t know. Poor kid.” After a moment’s silence Sally said, “I had to sign for a letter while you were busy in here. It’s addressed to Wally and it looks official.”

Caitlyn took the business-sized envelope that Sally held out to her. Was it illegal to open someone’s mail? Probably. But then, much of what she’d done recently was not strictly legal. This couldn’t be any worse—especially not with Wally being dead. She recognized the logo of the bank her father had used in the corner of the envelope before she tore it open. Unfolding a single sheet of paper, she scanned the contents.

“Uh-oh.” She went back to the beginning to read the letter more slowly. “It’s from the bank, Sal. They’re going to repossess the property.”

“Which property?”

“The service station, this house. All of it.” She read the relevant passage aloud. “I knew it was all mortgaged, and I knew about the arrears because I saw the bank statements in the office.” She sighed. “This means Max’s home is going to be sold out from under her. She’ll lose her livelihood as well, as if she hasn’t already lost enough. And Mum’s home will be sold, too, to pay off Wally’s debts, so I didn’t improve her position at all by coming up here.”

“It’s not your fault that this has happened.” Sally took the letter and read it for herself. “Can they do this now that he’s dead? Doesn’t it become his estate? It might be worth talking to Dale about it. I mean, he’s a lawyer—if there’s anything that can be done about it, he’ll be able to tell you.”

“You’re right. I’d better go and see him.” She sighed. “I really didn’t want to bother him with anything else.”

“Or I could go for you,” Sally said. “I was planning to go to the shop this morning.”

“Would you?”

“Sure. And if it makes you feel better, it’s not like we’re bothering him with something for you. This is for Max.”

She nodded. “Yeah, it does help.”

…

Anxious to hear the result of Steve’s call to his boss, Caitlyn went to see him soon after she’d spoken to Max. She walked through the rear door of the pub.

Brenda did a doubletake. “What are you doing here at this time in the morning, lovey? Did you miss the place so much?”

Caitlyn laughed, although in truth, she would miss it when she went home. How familiar the smell of beer had become in a short time. “I’ve come to see how Steve’s getting on.”

“Oh?” Brenda cocked her head. “That couldn’t wait?”

“Maybe, but I’m here anyway.” She smiled before knocking on Steve’s door.

“Oh, well. None of my business,” Brenda said as she continued on her way, carrying a pile of clean tea cloths into the kitchen.

“What’s happening?” Caitlyn said once she was inside Steve’s room. “How did you go with your boss?”

“Good. It’s done. We took Chet into custody yesterday afternoon and he gave us the information we were after. Just in time too. They’re on their way right now.”

“Tonight?” Her heart began to pound. She blew out a breath, trying to calm down. This was no time to lose her nerve.

“They’re supposed to meet Chet outside the pub early tomorrow morning. He was planning to tell them about Wally and then take them to the claim.”

“So he hasn’t told them yet? That’s good, but it was a close thing. Did he say anything about what Wally was doing?”

“He told us everything once he’d started. He wouldn’t shut up.”

“That’s good, right? You’ll be able to use his statement to help your case?”

He nodded. “He’d had a message from your father asking him to meet that night to take possession of the opals and pass them on to DeLonghi. Chet even produced a copy of the map Bracken had sent him showing the exact location of the claim he was working.”

“Dale was right, then. Wally hadn’t been dead long when he found him.”

“Sounds like it. Chet reckons he’d been hiding out recently. Seems he was afraid of some guys, but he wouldn’t tell Chet why.”

She kept quiet about Baldy and Bushy. They had their stones back and wouldn’t thank her for bringing them any more attention.

“Chet suspected he was going to keep some of the stones back from DeLonghi. He was playing a risky game, your father. If the cave-in hadn’t gotten him, I reckon one of the people he’d double-crossed would have before long. ”

“Yes, you’re probably right.”

“So, are you ready for another cozy chat with these guys?”

She grimaced. “As ready as I’ll ever be. This time, though, I’ll have people around me who know what’s going on.”

Steve nodded. “I’d offer to keep an eye on you, too, but they’d be on their guard if they saw me. I’m sure they thought I would die at the side of the road when they tossed me out. It would only spook them to see me around and very much alive. Tell Dale and Josh to let me know if they need me. I’ll wait here in my room, and they mustn’t hesitate to contact me at the first sign of anything going wrong.”

“Nothing will go wrong.” She figured that if she put on a confident front, she might start to believe it herself. “I’ll talk to Dale and Josh now, so that we can be ready early tomorrow morning. Will your people be here as well?”

“Yes. The sooner the better for us.”

“Great.” She hesitated. “If I don’t have an opportunity to say this tomorrow, I really appreciate what you’re doing.”

“Hey, it’s a win-win. You get peace of mind, but we get a result we’ve been chasing for a long time. I hope everything works out for you, Caitlyn.”

She smiled. “You’re a nice man, Steve.”

…

When she left Steve’s room, she went in search of Brenda. “There’s something I want to confess,” she said when she found her in the kitchen polishing cutlery. “I want you to hear it from me because after tomorrow, things will be different.”

“Uh-oh, I don’t like the sound of this.” Sitting down, Brenda gestured to her to sit opposite. “Is it something terrible?”

“Depends on which way you look at it.” She took a deep breath. “When I first arrived here, I told you that Wally had asked me to look after Max.”

“Ye-es.”

“He hadn’t.”

Brenda stared at her. “Go on.”

“It’s true that I’m his daughter, but I hadn’t spoken to him. We’re estranged. I came here to look for him.”

“Well, then.” Brenda slapped a hand on the table. “You must have had a good reason for not saying so before. You don’t need to worry, nobody will hear the truth from me. I’m not a gossip,” she said as she scraped back her chair.

“No, I know you’re not.” Caitlyn hid her smile. “I just wanted you to know the truth. I have to go now, but I’ll be back in time to marinate the chicken breasts for dinner. ”

“And remember not to call them pan-fried or Bruce will have a fit.”

Chapter Eighteen

Dale’s truck had a clear view of the street leading to the pub, but from where they sat, they couldn’t be seen by approaching vehicles. Every time she thought she heard a car, Caitlyn looked up, until at last she saw the one they were waiting for.

She didn’t know whether to feel relieved or terrified.

“Be careful,” Dale said. “Do
not
get into the car alone.”

“I know.” She stepped down from the truck, waited until the car’s engine had been switched off, then walked out into the street in a deliberately casual manner. Pretending to do a doubletake when she drew level with the black BMW, she smiled and changed direction.

When she reached the driver’s door, DeLonghi buzzed down the window and glared at her.

“Hello,” she said. “Fancy seeing you here. I’m glad I have, though, because I think I can help you. You know how you were looking for Wally?”

The two men exchanged glances. DeLonghi brushed nonexistent dust from his jacket sleeve. “Has Bracken returned?” he asked without looking up.

“Well, no, not exactly. But I know where he is.”

Silence. DeLonghi looked straight ahead, ignoring her presence.

She dropped the cheeriness and spoke in a low, serious, tone. “Last time we met, you asked me about Wally Bracken and I told you he’d gone away. Since then, I’ve discovered he’s not away. He’s dead.”

The younger man shifted in his seat. DeLonghi lifted a hand to his chin, rubbing it as if checking for stubble. He found none.

“You know this for a fact?”

“I do. I know where his body is. Nobody else knows yet. I haven’t told the police.”

Without reacting to this news, he folded his arms across his chest. He let his gaze travel the front of the pub lazily, although she didn’t believe there was anything lazy about him. Just when she thought she’d misjudged him and he wouldn’t take the bait, his eyes snapped back to her.

“What is your goal in passing on this information? Why not go to the police with your knowledge?”

“My goal?”

“You don’t understand English? What do you hope to achieve?”

“Nothing. Well, that’s not true. I hope to convince you that he’s dead so you’ll leave his daughter and me alone.”

His eyes narrowed and he appeared to consider what she’d said. “You could also achieve this goal by going to the police.”

“I could, yes.” She cleared her throat. “The thing is, I don’t want people to know what he was doing. It might reflect badly on the rest of the family, as I’m sure you can understand. And the evidence is down there with him.”

“Evidence?”

“The opals.”

His eyebrows rose and he looked at her for a long moment, until the younger guy interrupted by drumming his fingernails on the dashboard. DeLonghi flashed him a glare and he snatched his hand away.

DeLonghi became business-like. “You said, ‘down there.’ I assume that means he is underground. Tell me the location.”

She shrugged. “You know what the opal fields are like. I couldn’t give you accurate directions. I’ll have to show you where it is.”

“When?”

“I’m free now. What about you?”

DeLonghi shook his head. “We’re waiting for someone.”

“Oh.” She stopped herself from blurting out that Chet wasn’t coming. She straightened, wondering what her next move should be.

“One hour.”

“Sorry?” She leaned down again, one hand on the car door. “What was that?”

“I said, be here in one hour. Our associate should be here by then, and—” Before she had the presence of mind to move it, he grabbed her wrist. “You had better not be playing some game. If you are, I will make you very sorry.”

“I’m not.”

He twisted her wrist. Pain shot through it. Her eyes watered and her breath came in short gasps. He let go and buzzed up the window.

She hugged her wrist to her body and continued along the street in the direction she’d been heading. When she was sure she was out of sight, she darted down a side street and doubled back to where she’d left Dale waiting. He was already out of the truck, pacing. As soon as he saw her, he strode to her, took her by the shoulders, and pulled her against his chest.

“I’m okay,” she whispered.

Josh joined them. “Are you all right?”

Dale released her, stepping back to let Josh in.

“Yes, yes, don’t fuss.” She swallowed and made an effort to speak in her normal voice. “He hurt my wrist again. Nothing major.” Luckily. She’d thought he was going to break it.

“Ice,” Josh said, looking at the deep red swelling. “I’ll go and get some from Bruce.”

A little while later, she had an ice pack on her forearm. She leaned back against the truck, Dale on one side and Josh on the other. Her two bodyguards.

“So, what did they say?” Josh asked. “Did they go for it?”

She nodded. “I have to be back in one hour. They’re waiting for Chet.”

Josh coughed and changed position. When she looked at him he shifted again.

“What’s the matter, Josh?”

“I don’t like the idea of you going off with them. They’re not small-time crooks.”

“I’ll be with Dale.”

“I know, but with all due respect to Dale, he won’t be able to do anything against a Beretta or something.”

She gave a brief laugh. “This is Australia, Josh. People don’t walk around with Berettas.”

“These guys do,” Dale said. “We’re talking organized crime here. As Josh says, they’re not small time.”

She gave him a serious look. “Do you want to call it off?”

“Impossible. If you don’t turn up in an hour and there’s no sign of Chet either, which we know there won’t be, they’ll come looking for you. They want their opals. You’ve told them you know where they are. It’s simple.” He shook his head. “We have to finish it, now that it’s started.”

Her stomach turned over.

“I think I should come with you as well,” Josh said.

“No. The fewer people involved, the better,” she said. No way did she want to put Josh in danger as well as Dale.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “How will I face Sally if I let you go without trying to help?”

“How will I face her if something happens to you? I’d rather you were protecting Max and Sally,” she said, nudging him, “in case anything does go wrong.”

He gave her an exasperated look. “I’ll wait in my car till you’ve all gone. Come and get me if you need me.”

“Okay. Thanks, Josh.”

Neither she nor Dale spoke for some time. Awareness of him set her nerves on edge. When he reached for her, she gave a violent start.

“Sorry,” he said. “Didn’t mean to make you jump. The ice pack looked like it was slipping.”

“Oh.” She pushed the ice pack back into place. “Look, something is bothering me. What if DeLonghi wants you to go down the shaft to show him where Wally’s body is?”

Dale frowned. “He probably will. What about it?”

“It’s already collapsed once. It’s too dangerous. You can’t go down there.”

“No, there’s no overhang left. The roof itself isn’t likely to cave in on me. Anyway, it’s too late to worry about that.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost time.”

Her mouth dried.

“Are you ready?”

She nodded, unwound the ice pack from her wrist, and got into the passenger seat of Dale’s truck. They drove around the block and pulled up alongside the black BMW. She rolled down her window. DeLonghi’s window opened. He was almost within touching distance. She kept her hands inside the truck.

“Where’s your partner?” she said, nodding past him to the empty passenger seat.

“He will not be joining us. He remembered another commitment this morning. You, on the other hand, have gained a partner. I made an arrangement with you and you alone.”

“Yes, but I should have mentioned that I have a lousy sense of direction. Without my partner, I won’t be able to find the mine.” She jerked her head toward Dale. “And he’s the one who actually found Wally.”

A few moments passed before DeLonghi gave a curt nod. “Lead the way.”

She let out a sigh of relief as she closed the window of the truck. “For a minute there, I thought he’d be difficult about you coming with me.”

“Hmm. I’m more concerned about the whereabouts of his partner.” Dale adjusted his rearview mirror. “He could be following further behind, and if so, he might spot Steve.”

She looked in the side mirror, trying to see beyond the black car but not having much luck.

“He might plan to ambush us when we come back to the vehicle,” Dale said. “At the very least, it means Steve will be short one arrest.”

“But DeLonghi is clearly the leader. He must be the more important one to arrest.”

“Yes, but keep your eyes peeled for the other one. I don’t like not knowing where he is.”

After driving straight for some time, Dale steered the vehicle off the dirt track. “Okay, here goes. Now it’s time to focus. Right?”

“Right. I’m focused.”

She waited for the second vehicle to draw alongside. DeLonghi got out, zipping up a lightweight black jacket over a white business shirt. So far, she hadn’t seen him look less than immaculate. Unlike Dale and her. Dale wore faded jeans that were so old and soft they molded to his muscles, while she wore khaki cotton shorts and a navy tank top. Fashion hadn’t been at the top of her list of priorities that morning. Or any morning, come to that.

Her gaze returned to DeLonghi.
Focus
, she reminded herself. He’d left the top half of the jacket zipped open. Perfect for quick access to a gun. She shivered as the three of them set off in single file, Dale leading the way.

At the shaft, Dale stepped onto the ladder. DeLonghi gestured to her to follow Dale down.

“No, no. I can’t go down there. That wasn’t part of the deal.” She stared at him, her eyes wide. “I’m serious, I can’t. I panic in confined spaces. Claustrophobia. I get it bad.”

Distrust filled his eyes. He tilted his head to one side, studying her.

“It’s true,” she insisted. “I fell down a storm drain when I was a child.” She could sense Dale watching her. “It was awful. I screamed and screamed—”

“Enough! Explain to me how you managed to see Bracken’s body without going down there.” DeLonghi pointed to the shaft opening.

“I didn’t see it. I told you, he’s the one who actually found the body.” She pointed at Dale.

DeLonghi made an impatient gesture.

“Trust me, you don’t want me down there with you.”

“You are a most annoying woman,” DeLonghi said in a tight voice. He surveyed the area, squinting in the morning sun. She held her breath, hoping Steve’s people stayed well hidden—if they were there at all.

“Wait here,” DeLonghi snapped.

“Sure. I’m not going anywhere.” She didn’t mind being described as annoying. Better that than being forced to go underground, which hadn’t featured in her plan at all.

DeLonghi stepped on to the ladder, following Dale, who was now out of sight. She sat on the ground, crossed her legs, and waited for Steve, hoping he wouldn’t be long. She had no idea how much time it would take DeLonghi to gather the opals below ground. Maybe she should have brought Josh along after all. He could have disabled DeLonghi’s car to stop him getting away.

A noise came from the shaft. Possibly a shout. She shuffled closer, but could hear nothing. She stretched out on the ground, crawling commando-style, until she could see over the edge of the shaft. Dull noises reached her ears, but she couldn’t make out what they were. Then a loud crack rang out. She jumped to her feet and clapped her hands over her mouth. She had no doubt what it was.

A gunshot.

Dale didn’t have his gun, which meant it had to be DeLonghi doing the shooting. Bile rose, burning her throat. She choked it back down. She had to help Dale. Shaking, she planted one foot on the ladder. Clinging to the top rung, she swung her other foot over the edge. She hesitated then, but only for a moment, before her determination to find out what had happened to Dale took over. She climbed down, her heart thudding, sending spurts of adrenaline though her already hyped-up body.

The mine shaft closed around her, the darkness impenetrable. She had to rely on touch to guide every movement. When she reached the bottom of the ladder, her feet landed on the rough ground. She crouched low, looking around, hoping to see something to indicate Dale’s location. A weak beam of light reached her from the right.

Closing her mind to the fear, she focused as Dale had instructed and felt her way into the entrance to the tunnel. She crawled as fast as she could, loose stones scraping her bare knees. She heard sounds and stopped, straining her ears. A fight? Logically, there had to be two people to fight, so Dale was still alive. Relief flowed through her like an anesthetic, and she moved faster.

The tunnel opened into a large cavern, almost as big as a room. In the arc of light from the flashlight on the ground, Dale and DeLonghi were locked together, struggling to gain control of a handgun. DeLonghi held it, but Dale had his wrist in a grip, forcing his arm up.

DeLonghi’s other hand tightened around Dale’s throat. She grabbed a rock from the floor and threw it at DeLonghi. It caught the side of his head and bounced across the ground. Blood streaked down his face as he turned to look at her. Why was he still conscious? In the movies all it took was a whack with a wine bottle to lay someone out cold, but DeLonghi was still standing there, bleeding but alert.

Dale yelled, “Caitlyn! Run!”

DeLonghi lifted a foot and thrust it into Dale’s stomach, causing him to double over and release his hold.

She picked up a larger rock. With it raised above her head, she ran at DeLonghi. He lifted his elbow and swung at her, striking her right arm, causing her to drop the rock and stumble sideways. She lost her footing on loose stones and fell.

She could only watch, frozen, as DeLonghi brought his arm down and aimed the gun at her.

He was going to kill her.