Down Among the Dead Men (Entangled Ignite) (9 page)

“Ouch. I see violence runs in the family,” he said, rubbing his bicep as if she’d really hurt him. Fat chance. He was solid muscle.

She told him what Brenda had said about the men then caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “You know what? I have a theory.”

“Okay, let’s hear it.”

“I think Wally’s a gambler and those two men are here to collect the money he’s lost. If he doesn’t pay up, they’ll break his legs. What do you think?”

“I think you’ve seen too many Guy Ritchie movies.”

She sat back. “I really believe that’s the answer to why he’s disappeared. He’s hiding from his bookie. It would explain all the debt. He’s been borrowing against the business to finance his gambling habit.”

Dale looked unconvinced. He glanced away, and his face brightened. She followed his gaze and saw that his blond friend had entered the pub. She waved a large brown envelope and he grinned. Caitlyn brushed away her displeasure like it was one of the ubiquitous flies. She had no right to complain that he had a life. When he turned back to her, she slapped on a smile. “Let me guess, you have to go?”

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all. I’m going to pick up Max now.” Getting to her feet, she asked casually, “Who’s that woman who just came in?”

“Narelle? Haven’t you met her? I’ll introduce you. You’ll like her.”

“Sure, but not now. Have a good night.”

He gave her an odd look. “You, too.”

She watched him hurry to Narelle’s side and take her arm to guide her to a table. She blew out a breath and headed for the door. She wasn’t jealous. Of course she wasn’t. That would be ridiculous. She liked having someone to bounce theories around with, that was all. It felt good to have a partner. Nothing else. Nothing to do with the fact that everything seemed bathed in a brighter, more intense light when Dale was around. Nor the ease with which she could get lost in the way he looked at her.

The thing was, if Narelle was his girlfriend, then he was unavailable and that made her life easier.

Chapter Nine

In the stifling servo office the next morning, Caitlyn studied a tattered receipt while fanning herself with a pile of unpaid invoices. Why would Wally have a receipt from one of the classiest and most expensive hotels in Adelaide? Was it a coincidence that it happened to be right next door to the casino?

Max poked her head around the door. “There’s someone out here asking for you.”

“Hmm? Oh, right. Who is it?”

She shrugged. “How should I know? Come and see for yourself.”

Caitlyn sighed, put the receipt to one side, and added the invoices to the pile she’d already collected. Time for a break anyway. She needed air.

She stretched as she stood, yawning all the way to the door. When she reached it, her gaze flicked over the back view of a couple holding hands. There was something familiar about the woman’s sleek, shoulder-length black bob. Then she turned to speak to her companion.

“Sally?”

The woman swiveled, saw Caitlyn standing in the doorway, and flung out her arms. “Surprise!”

It
was
Sally. Her best friend since high school. The only person she knew she could count on as a friend even if they didn’t keep in constant touch. They hadn’t spoken since Sally’s last birthday and that only had been a rushed phone call, but it made no difference. Whenever they met up, it was as if they’d never been apart. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“What do you think?”

Caitlyn hugged her. “I have no idea. Seriously, what are you doing here?”

“Your mum was worried sick about you. You could have phoned her, you know.”

“I sent her a text message when I still had a signal, saying I was nearly here.”

“Yes, but you know what she’s like. When she didn’t hear from you again, she had this whole scenario worked out where you’d been kidnapped and tied up and the kidnapper had sent the message from your phone to stop her calling the police.”

“She didn’t call them, did she?”

“No, but only because I said that Josh and I would come and look for you and let her know you’re all right. You are, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am, but things aren’t going to plan. I was going to phone Mum from the pub, but I don’t have anything positive to tell her, and the information I do have, I wouldn’t want to share with her right now. How did you know I was here?” She waved a hand at the office behind her.

“We didn’t. We stopped to ask whether they’d seen you pass this way.”

Remembering Max, Caitlyn turned to wave her over. “Hey, you guys, meet Max.”

“I love your hair,” Sally said to Max.

Max stopped short, her eyes wide.

“Sally’s a hairdresser,” Caitlyn explained. “She loves her job. She’s also my oldest friend, so I can vouch for her being relatively harmless.”

Sally nodded at Max. “It’s natural, isn’t it? I’ve never seen such a gorgeous, rich shade of red that didn’t come out of a bottle.”

“I’ve never done anything to it,” Max said, watching Sally warily.

“No, I can see that, and you shouldn’t. Not to the color,” Sally said. “I could do a lot with the style, though.”

Max snorted. “I’m not into girlie stuff.”

“I can see you with a modern, spiky cut. Lots of texture—”

“Okay, Sally, leave the poor girl alone. Max,” she said, “guess what Josh does for a living?”

Max looked wary. “What? Makeup artist?”

Caitlyn laughed. “Not even close. He’s a mechanic. The best you’ll ever meet.”

Max’s eyes lit up. “For real?”

Josh shrugged, modest as ever. “I brought some parts for your car, Caitlyn. Things I thought might not have survived the journey.”

“Like a radiator?”

He grimaced. “No, sorry. I brought hoses, though.”

“It’s okay, Max ordered a new radiator. Will you show Josh where the car is, Max?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Sure thing.”

“And if there’s anything you need to know about mechanical stuff, ask Josh while you’ve got him there. Take full advantage of the opportunity.”

Once they’d walked off, Caitlyn grabbed Sally’s arm. “Come on into the house. Let’s have a coffee and I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Tea for me,” Sally said, then when she was seated at the kitchen table, “So, what have you been up to since you got here?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe it.”

“Try me.” Sally inspected her nail varnish. “Damn, I’ve chipped a nail.”

“How long are you staying?”

Sally looked up. She took a drink of tea and her eyes twinkled over the top of the mug. “As long as you want us to. Now, you’re supposed to be telling me what’s going on here.”

“Well, it turns out I’m not an only child after all.”

Sally gasped.

“Hold on, there’s more. My father’s a bigamist, and he might also be a thief. We don’t know whether he is or not because he’s missing, and he might have been murdered, but I’ve been kidnapped by a couple of goons who think he’s still alive, and someone broke in here to steal food, which could indicate that he is alive, but until we find him, we just don’t know for sure.” God, what was it Dale had said about watching too many Guy Ritchie movies? This all sounded more far-fetched than one of his plots.

“Hang on…you’ve been kidnapped?”

“Yes, but it didn’t last for long. As soon as Dale threatened them with his gun, they let me go.”

“His gun? And who’s Dale? Oh cripes, Caitlyn, what have you gotten yourself into?”

“I must admit, I hadn’t bargained for all of this.” She shrugged. “But I have to see it through now. Max is family.”

“Max with the raspberry hair? She’s your sister?”

Caitlyn nodded. “And I can’t abandon her now that I’ve found her.”

“No, of course not. But are there any other brothers and sisters you didn’t know about?”

“Not unless Wally had a third wife—” That idea made her put her mug down so hard coffee splashed over the rim. “We didn’t consider that as a possible explanation for his disappearance.”

“Good grief.” After a moment’s silence, Sally said, “So, why don’t you tell me about your rescuer? The one with the gun. Is he a big, tough alpha male?”

“My rescuer? Dale? God no. Hardly. No, he’s just someone who’s been helping me.” He was more than that, but how could she tell Sally how she felt about him when she wasn’t sure herself? “He’s the only one besides Max I know I can trust.”

Sally tilted her head to the side, a gesture Caitlyn knew well. It meant that a serious question was coming. “How do you know you can trust him?”

And there it was. “Well…instinct, I suppose. We’ve spent quite a lot of time together over the last couple of weeks and I can tell that he’s honest. Plus, he’s told me something about him that hardly anybody else knows.”

Sally’s eyebrows rose. “Hmm. Sharing secrets. That’s sweet.”

“Jeez, Sally, it’s so not. We’re talking about life and death stuff.” She hesitated before saying, “Anyway, you know I don’t go in for relationships any more.”

She heard the door rattle and looked up expecting to see Max and Josh, but it was Dale who pushed it open.

“Sorry to interrupt. I didn’t realize you weren’t alone.”

“That’s okay. What’s happened?”

“My contact—the one in Port Augusta—he’s been in touch.” He glanced at Sally.

“This is my best friend, Sally,” Caitlyn said. “You can talk in front of her.”

“Pleased to meet you.” He shook Sally’s hand. “What brings you to our little town?”

“She’s a hairdresser and she’s come to fix my disastrous hair,” Caitlyn said playfully.

“What’s wrong with your hair?”

“Well…look at it.”

He stared.

“No, don’t look at it,” she said quickly. “It’s a mess.” She tried to flatten the wild bits as she spoke.

He shrugged. “It looks fine to me.”

Sally chuckled. “Caitlyn’s been fighting her frizz forever. I think she should let it grow. It suits her personality.”

“Crazy?” Caitlyn suggested.

“Unpredictable.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’ve already given up my contact lenses, I haven’t worn makeup in days, and now you’re suggesting I let my hair grow out.” She shook her head. “I don’t think so. Anyway, that’s enough about me, tell me about your contact in Port Augusta, Dale. Has he seen Wally?”

“No. But Chet has left town for a few days. He told his neighbor he’s going to the opal fields. We know he spends time in Coober Pedy as well as Minagoona, so there’s no way to know which town he’s heading for, but if he doesn’t know Wally’s disappeared, he could come here looking for him.”

“He might come to the servo.”

Dale nodded. “That’s why I wanted to warn you.”

“I don’t think you should stay here tonight,” she said to Sally. “You’ll be safer at the pub.” Then to Dale, “If you and I keep watch from a distance, we can follow him and see where he goes.”

“My thoughts exactly. Hopefully, he’ll lead us somewhere interesting and not back to the caravan park at Coober Pedy.”

“I hope so.”

Sally frowned. “What about Max?”

“She’ll stay with Dale’s mum.”

“Why don’t we stay here with her? If anybody comes, Josh can protect her.”

“We don’t know how dangerous he might be.”

Sally gave her a wry smile. “Have you seen my husband? He’s more than a match for anybody.”

“He’s strong, I know, but…” She looked at Dale.

“If they’re quiet and keep the lights off,” he said, “he’ll think there’s no one home.”

“All right.” She gave Sally an earnest look. “Don’t take any risks, and don’t let Josh either.”

“We won’t. I promise.”

She grinned at Dale. “We might actually make some progress.”

Dale smiled and nodded. “Since I’ll be coming back here later, I might as well drive you to work now.”

“Oh, it’s that time already?” She leapt up. “I’m sorry, Sally. I have to get ready.”

“For work?” Sally laughed. “How can you have a job here?”

“I’m cooking at the pub.”

“Seriously? Well, I hope they appreciate how lucky they are to have a real chef cooking pub food.”

Caitlyn flapped a hand to shut her up. “I’m just helping out. And the money’s handy while I’m here.”

…

“Sally’s nice,” Dale said as they drove to the pub after filling Sally, Josh, and Max in on the details of the surveillance operation they’d planned for Port Augusta.

“She is, and so is Josh.”

“He’s big.”

“Huge. He looks intimidating, but he’s the stereotypical gentle giant.”

“Right.” He smiled. “I’ll take your word for it. What are they doing here? And no, I don’t believe that rubbish about your hair.”

“It’s my fault. I should have phoned my mum once I got here—should have known she’d worry. She decided I’d been kidnapped.” She bit her lip and grimaced. “Of course, she was almost right. I’ll call her tonight from the pub. I’ll reassure her that I’m safe.”

“Any time you want to use my phone to make a private call, just ask. Or the computer to send an email.”

She nodded. “Thanks. I’ll remember that. So, Sally and Josh came to find me and set Mum’s mind at rest. Now they’re going to stay and help.”

He glanced at her. “About what Sally said…about us being lucky to have you.”

Embarrassed, she ducked her head. “Oh that. Ignore her.”

“Just thought I’d confirm that some of us do consider ourselves lucky.”

Heat crept up the sides of her throat. “Why’s that?”

He shot her another glance. “Because of your great cooking.”

Why else? What else had she been expecting? Idiot.

…

That evening Brenda insisted on doing the cleaning up on her own. “I can see you’re in a hurry to be with your friends,” she said. Caitlyn had told her about Sally and Josh arriving.

“I’ll do it all tomorrow night, Brenda, I promise.”

“There’s no need, lovey. Keep on cooking. It’s all I ask.”

She gave Brenda a quick squeeze and escaped before the other woman could say more. She enjoyed working at the pub—something to do with having enthusiastic customers. The desserts were proving so popular people had started asking if they could order whole cakes and tarts. She’d refused because she wasn’t looking for a full-time job, and finding her father had to take priority, but it felt good to be appreciated.

Outside, she jogged to where Dale waited for her.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said after she’d climbed into the truck. “It could come in handy having Josh around. Would he be willing to help us if the need should arise?”

“Do you mean would he hurt someone? If he was protecting Sally, he definitely would. I reckon he would protect Max and me, too, just because he’s that kind of guy. But other than that, he’s not violent.” She rolled down the passenger window and stuck her face in the stream of air, cool now that the day’s heat had lifted. “I hope Chet does come tonight. We might even find Wally.”

“The sooner we do, the sooner you’ll be able to leave.”

Oddly deflated by the prospect, she pulled her head back inside and stared straight ahead. “Yes, that’s true.” But she wasn’t ready to think about leaving.

They pulled onto the forecourt and Sally and Josh came out to meet them.

Caitlyn hopped out of the truck. “We haven’t missed him, have we?”

“No. We’ve been watching the road,” Josh said. “No Kombi vans of any description. Max said it’s usually ten o’clock or later when he shows up, so there’s still a chance he’s on his way.”

“Right, so let’s get inside and have a cuppa,” Sally said. “I’ll make it.” She disappeared in the direction of the kitchen while the rest of them settled in the lounge room.

Caitlyn looked at Max. “Brenda’s got a room for Sally and Josh if they want it, but I think they would prefer to stay here. What do you think of that?”

“Cool.” She leaned closer, glancing at Josh who was talking to Dale. “Josh is brilliant. He’s taught me heaps today. I reckon he’ll show me more if he stays here.”

“I have no doubt at all.”

Max beamed.

“I think I should let them have my bed since it’s a double and Josh is so big,” Caitlyn said. “I know the room’s tiny, but it will be better than the couch. I’ll sleep there tonight.”

“Dad’s got an old camp stretcher in one of the sheds. I’ll find it for you tomorrow in the daylight. You could sleep in my room.”