‘Phones off, please.’ The flight attendant eyes me pointedly.
‘Yep.’ I send a quick reply to Tran telling her I’ll call her later.
Sally and Greg have been found. Their skeletal remains will be exhumed today, then submitted to a post-mortem and forensic testing tomorrow. Despite what Cam said about Sally’s accidental death at the pub, Mick Lamb’s initial assessment of her body suggests that she was shot in the head, just like Greg.
Meanwhile, Tran’s team have linked Cam to the body found in the bush last week. Dale Marx, twenty-three, had worked at the same Sydney hospital as Cam’s brother; no doubt he was collateral damage in their elaborate network.
I arch my back and check my messages again before I switch my phone to flight mode. Still no word from Mac. I have been trying to call him since last night; I left him a message this morning about Ben and I returning to Smithson, but he hasn’t replied.
Dread prowls my stomach. I fuss with the contents of the seat pocket in front of me, trying to ignore it.
We came straight to the airport from the hospital in Byron. De Luca is pale and weak, but she’s through the worst of it. The doctor has told her she’ll probably be able to go home in a fortnight.
Her girlfriend, Louise, took Ben to look at the fish pond in the garden while we talked.
‘I can barely remember anything once we got to the house,’ she told me, her face creasing with frustration. Even without make-up, her features were striking.
‘I don’t think that’s such a bad thing,’ I said. ‘There’s a lot I wish I couldn’t remember.’
‘I still can’t believe what Lane did.’ Her voice was uneven but her eyes were dry. ‘Preying on Abbey and lying to us all. But also that he jumped.’
‘And he shot you,’ I added.
‘You know, it’s funny, I’ve barely even thought about that. I just keep picturing him jumping off the cliffs.’
‘Me too,’ I admitted.
We sat in silence for a few moments. It felt oddly peaceful. I barely knew her, but we would be forever bound by what happened at the Clark house that night.
‘Aiden Fletcher turned up this morning,’ I told her. ‘He’s fine.’
‘What? Where?’
‘Hiding out in the house. Apparently he snuck in there on Tuesday night after the forensics cleared out. I guess he figured Cam wouldn’t return.’
‘And is he talking?’
‘Like a canary,’ I said with a smile. ‘He’s not holding back on Cam, or his own involvement for that matter. He’ll be charged. Same as his parents.’
‘Wow.’ For the first time since I met her, de Luca seemed genuinely shocked.
‘So, do you think you’ll go back to the squad?’ I asked her, just as Louise and Ben returned.
Louise looked at her witheringly, tossing her long blonde ponytail over her shoulder. ‘Yeah, Eddie, what are you going to do?’
De Luca sighed. ‘I’m a cop. What happened hasn’t changed that, but Lou’s worried about me going back to the Fairhaven squad. A change of scene might be good anyway, so was I thinking I’ll look into a transfer. We’ve talked about moving—Lou’s work is flexible.’ She glanced back at Louise, whose arms were crossed at her chest. But her expression was full of love as she looked at her girlfriend.
‘Do you have family around here?’ I asked de Luca.
‘Dad’s dead,’ she replied bluntly. ‘Mum lives close by but we’re not really in contact. It’s a long story, but she sided with my father over a whole lot of stuff. Even once he died, we couldn’t seem to get on the same page.’
I recalled her outburst the day I met the Clarks and what Tran said about her mother refusing to come to the hospital the night she was admitted. And the scars I’d noticed on her arm.
‘What’s Tommy going to do?’ she asked me.
‘Well, he’s extended his leave, and Tran said she organised a full-time CI for the next few months. Tommy’s got some stuff to work through.’
A hint of steel crept into her gaze. ‘I wouldn’t work for him again,’ she said. ‘That’s for sure.’ She gestured to her bandages. ‘It’s weird—I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, but I also feel strong. Lots of things suddenly seem really clear.’
‘I’m so glad you are okay,’ I said as I hugged her goodbye. ‘Stay in touch. I mean it.’
As the plane peels off from the runway, I glance at Ben’s profile. He astounds me; I am so in awe of his strength. He leans forward to see the wing through the little window. His hair is wild and curly like mine, and his eyes are the same light green, but the shape of his face, the curve of his lips are all Scott. My heart cramps cruelly. I feel so guilty that Scott won’t be able to see Ben grow up. I remember what Scott said to me just before he died, about looking after myself for Ben’s sake, and briefly consider how badly the last fortnight could have turned out for both of us. Overwhelmed, I find Ben’s hand and squeeze it, making a silent promise to Scott in my head. Better late than never.
‘God, I’m starving,’ I say, swallowing back tears.
‘Vanessa put some muesli bars in my backpack before we left. You can have one. You probably should—you didn’t have any breakfast.’
‘Thanks.’ I bend over to get one out of his bag, and I smile at him as I chew.
I already know our relationship is going to be a little unusual, that we will take turns looking after each other. If I’m honest, he’s been doing it for years.
‘I spoke to Jodie,’ I say. ‘Do you want to hang out with her and Annabel tomorrow?’
‘At Dad’s house?’
‘Um, yeah.’
‘Sure. I bet Annabel’s grown heaps since we’ve been away. Babies grow really fast, you know.’
I swallow past a huge lump in my throat and circle my hand around his. Outside, the world is a blur of green and blue. The past two weeks feel completely surreal. I wonder whether I will ever come to Fairhaven again, whether I will ever see any of those people again.
I kiss Ben on the top of his head. ‘You’re right,’ I say. ‘They do grow fast.’