The sun had barely risen when Laura left Callie in her backyard with water, dry food and bones, hoping it was enough. Wondering what the dog would do all day, she locked the back door, patted Callie one last time and, refusing to look back, clipped along the cement path to her car, clucking as she brushed dog hair from her pants.
The sun peeked from behind the hills, a golden orb creating swirls of gold and mauve in blue skies, at odds with the landscape cast with dawn shadows. The traffic thickened as she exited the expressway, only minutes from the Bedford hospital. Feeling torn she glanced at her watch. Already running late for work her decision not to visit Simon this morning came easily.
When Noah rang, she pulled into a loading zone a few kilometres from the office to take the call.
‘We’re on our way to speak to Dwayne Malone, alias Derek Martin,’ he told her. ‘This has been one busy dude with several outstanding warrants for similar offences committed in the outback, more specifically Coober Pedy and beyond.’
‘Good work. It’ll be my pleasure to swing by Alex’s place on my way into the office and let her know,’ Laura said.
Cynthia Holt answered her call on the third ring. ‘Yes, Laura,’ she said in a monotone.
‘Are you OK?’ Laura asked.
‘Yes, yes. We’re fine. I thought it might have been Greg calling. He left very early this morning before Alex and I were out of bed. Never mind. How can I help you, Laura?’
‘I have some good news. I thought I’d drop by for a few minutes and bring you up to speed, if it’s convenient for you and Alex?’
‘Yes, that’s fine. Alex is having another day off school today.’
Cynthia’s demeanour when she opened the door was no brighter than suggested by her tone over the phone. Momentarily taken aback by her uncharacteristically dishevelled appearance – her shape lost in baggy pants hanging in folds over her bare feet, the grey windcheater giving her complexion a greenish tinge – Laura wondered what had happened here this morning.
‘How are you, Cynthia?’
‘We’re good, thanks, Laura. Come in.’ Cynthia made an attempt to sound brighter, but her expression was as she stepped aside for Laura to enter. ‘Alex, Laura’s here,’ she called as they passed Alex’s room on their way to the kitchen. ‘Would you like a tea or coffee?’ she asked, gesturing for Laura to sit.
From her seat at the table Laura glanced around the room, acutely aware of a new coldness, a morbid silence. She was about to ask again if everything was OK, when Alex wandered in wearing floral pyjamas, bleary-eyed, her hair tangled.
‘Good morning, Alex,’ Laura said, ignoring her chalky complexion, the dark shadows beneath her eyes.
‘Morning,’ Alex rasped without smiling, sitting down in the seat opposite Laura.
‘Well, I have good news,’ Laura said. ’The CIB guys are on their way to speak to Mr Martin at this very moment. He has a previous record, so he’s likely to be brought in for questioning and possibly arrest. I don’t want to get your hopes up, but this is the most likely lead we’ve had to date.’ She took in Cynthia and Alex’s expressions. They both forced a smile.
‘That’s great news,’ Cynthia said, straightening her shoulders, her smile widening. ‘You’ve all worked so hard. Alex and I are very grateful, aren’t we, Alex?’
She nodded, swallowed, her tears welling.
Laura’s heart sank, her mind scrambled for answers as to this change. ‘I get the impression there’s something very wrong here. I thought you’d both be overjoyed at hearing this news. Are you sure everything is OK?’
‘Yes, everything’s fine,’ Cynthia said, lifting her chin. ‘Just a private matter we need to sort out tonight.’ She glanced at Alex.
‘OK,’ Laura said, reluctantly deciding to drop the subject. ‘Um . . . have you been able to contact Declan O’Leary?’
‘Yes. He sounds very nice,’ Cynthia said. ‘Alex has an appointment to see him next week.’
‘The kids love working with Declan,’ Laura told Alex. ‘I’m sure you’ll like him as well.’ She waited for a modicum of enthusiasm from Alex but there was nothing. ‘Well, I guess I’d better get on my way to the office,’ she said rising, watching Alex and Cynthia pull themselves up. ‘You should perhaps stay away from the store this morning, just in case Mr Martin is there,’ she said to Alex. ‘I’ll be in touch as soon as I hear from Noah. Take care,’ she added, rubbing Alex’s arm through the soft fabric of her pyjamas, feeling grateful once again that Declan was now on board.
‘Laura – got a minute?’ Tom called through his open door as she passed on her way to the staff room after her team briefing.
She stepped into his office, hoping this would be short and simple because she had already waited too long for her first coffee of the day.
‘Have you decided yet whether or not you’re applying to study for a promotional position?’ Tom asked.
Laura’s stomach sank. ‘Yes. Of course. I thought we’d agreed on that,’ she said, ,when in reality she had no idea what she wanted to do, simply because her life was in utter turmoil. Sometimes she privately wondered if it would be easier to leave the force, take her superannuation and get a part-time job in the local nursery nearer home.
Tom peered over his glasses. ‘Then get it into me soon will ya? I want to get my bundle of applications in within the next couple of days.’
Laura was tempted to remind him the deadline wasn’t for another two weeks. ‘OK. I’ll push it through today,’ she said, turning to leave.
‘How’s Simon?’ Tom asked.
‘Much the same.’
‘You seem to be coping OK.’
She nodded.
‘Don’t forget you’re entitled to compassionate leave,’ he said. ‘Don’t let the conflict between you and Kevin get in the way of that.’ His eyes returned to the report spread open on his desk.
Laura forged her way along the corridor to the staffroom. Standing next to the whirring coffee machine, she realised Tom knew far too much. She could see he and Kevin had been talking, probably as close as two peas in a pod, she thought. She put it out of her mind, deciding it was just as easy for her to ignore any bias Tom felt towards Kevin as it was for her to be stressed out by it. That was how she was going to see things from now on.
It was after three and Laura was typing the finishing touches to her study application, wondering what sort of day Callie and Gorgeous had been having and thinking about getting home, when Noah wandered in, his face a mask of disappointment. He sat on the edge of her desk.
She swung her chair to face him, her heart sinking at the look of him.
‘We’ve arrested Dwayne Malone for Alex’s attack and he’s been refused bail,’ Noah said, suddenly beaming.
‘Dammit, Noah,’ she said, lightly punching his arm and breaking into a smile, relief washing over her. ‘Good work.’
‘He is one stupid fuck. He had no alibi, saying only that he was at home alone, but couldn’t remember what he was doing at the time Alex was attacked. And he works voluntarily at a drug rehab centre, so he’s familiar with syringes and prescription drugs. And seriously, Laura, the stupidity of these crooks never ceases to astound me – he had a stash of women’s underwear in his garage, including a pair of underpants that fit the description Alex gave us. We have his DNA, so I’ve put a rush on getting the forensics report back on the balaclava. All good,’ he concluded, slapping his thigh and standing. ‘I’ll ring Cynthia Holt and let her know.’
‘She’ll be so relieved,’ Laura said. ‘From the look of them when I called in this morning they could both do with a bit of good news.’
‘Well, you can’t get much better news than this,’ Noah said, beaming at her again before heading towards his workstation.
Later, Laura sighed as she pulled into the hospital car park, recalling Dr Cowlett’s phone call just before she left the office, his voice joyous as he had delivered the news that Simon had been taken off the ventilator and was successfully breathing on his own. ‘Another giant step forward,’ he had said. Laura had imagined his wide smile, the tone of his voice reflecting an assumption that she shared his jubilation over Simon’s progress.
She arrived at his room to a closed door and waited for a moment, glancing awkwardly along the corridor, uncertain if she should enter. The door burst open then and Patrice stepped out carrying a bundle of towels, instantly taken aback to see Laura.
‘You can go in now. I’ve just sponged him and given him his gastric nutriment.’ Her smile broadened. ‘He’ll probably be eating real food soon,’ she said as though delivering the best of news.
Laura wandered in and stood at Simon’s side, stared down at his gauntness, the plastic bag of urine dangling close to the floor, and wondered for how much longer she could do this. Ten long minutes later she walked out.
Dusk was falling when she finally pulled into her driveway, cut the ignition, gathered up her bag and briefcase, expecting the entire time to hear Callie’s excited bark from the back. But there was only the muffled roar of the waves and the occasional screech of seagulls over the sea. She ran up the steps and across the deck, fumbled with the front door key, dropped her bag on the breakfast bar and rushed to the back door, peering through the glass, hoping to see Callie’s beseeching dark eyes gazing up at her as she anxiously awaited entry. But the space where she should have been was alarmingly empty.
Laura searched under bushes and behind the shed, her heart lurching when she was finally forced to accept that Callie was gone. ‘Callie?’ she called yet again, suddenly spotting a pile of dirt in the corner of the fence only to find an excavation. ‘Oh my God, Flynn will kill me if anything happens to that bloody dog,’ she muttered frantically, looking around as though willpower alone would cause Callie to suddenly appear.
She hurriedly changed into runners and charged out onto the street, calling Callie’s name, running along the worn gravel of Flynn’s driveway, about to head to the backyard when she spotted Callie, curled up tight in the corner on Flynn’s front door mat. Her heart breaking at the sight of the dog’s lowered head, her drooping ears, the way she cowered in the corner, Laura crept towards her. ‘Callie,’ she whispered, sensing the dog could dart past her and run away. ‘You’re missing Flynn, aren’t you? Poor puppy. Poor little girl,’ she soothed, inching towards her as Callie’s tail wagged tentatively at first and then with more confidence. ‘Come on. Let’s check on Gorgeous before we take you home for dinner,’ she murmured, scooping the dog into her arms and squeezing her to her chest.
Callie followed as Laura made her way through the rear gate into Flynn’s backyard. She surveyed the struggling patch of lawn bordered by various clay sculptures among cacti and palms. ‘Where have you been?’ a voice squawked from the corner. ‘Come on. Give us a kiss.’