It was one of those sparkling mornings of early summer, diamond-bright, just past daybreak. Zoe couldn’t get out of the habit of rising early, even though there were no horses waiting for her any more, shifting like shadows in the dawn light. She pushed down the longing in her heart. How she missed them.
Zoe carried her tea and toast out onto the little balcony, filled with melancholy, still dressed in her cotton nightie. These days she took every opportunity to confront her aversion to heights. Staying at the shack made that easy, and this self-imposed desensitisation program seemed to be working. The fear she used to feel sitting out on the deck had turned into a half-giddy kind of delight.
And she needed all the happiness she could get this morning, because the rest of the day wasn’t looking too promising. Time to start mapping the northern quadrant of Kiawa Bay. She gulped her lukewarm tea and took in the view. Low tide, with whorls and channels etched into the sand. Seaweed lay exposed in the intertidal zone, lacing the beach with green. To the north, a patch of dying seagrass lay like a bruise on the water. Depressing to think that this afternoon she’d be seeing the devastated meadow up close. She looked instead out to sea, where a pod of a dozen wild dolphins frolicked at the edge of the reef. Was Kane with them? She hoped so.
Voices floated up from below. Down at the lagoon, Bridget was feeding the dolphins and attempting to put them through their paces. Two men in khaki shirts and shorts stood beside her. They must be somebody special. The place didn’t open until ten. Well, if Bridget was trying to impress them, she wasn’t succeeding. The show had descended into chaos. Dolphins, not humans, set the agenda now and they’d become rather creative. Zoe liked the way each animal carried out a variety of its own favourite tricks, generally ones based on natural behaviours like tail-slapping, leaping and breaching. Bridget randomly rewarded their stunts, grateful that the dolphins were performing at all.
The slender spinners rose from the water and twirled as one in a spectacular aerial display in front of the two men. Nice. Bridget was so happy she threw half the bucket of pilchards in their direction. The larger, lazier bottlenoses snapped up the treats, leaving the acrobats unrewarded. No matter. The spinners leaped again in synchronised grace. Zoe smiled. Their behaviour was voluntary, born of spontaneous joie de vivre, and she much preferred it that way.
Bridget picked up her bucket of fish and led her visitors to the adjacent pool containing Mirrhi and Echo. Echo kept to the far side, swimming robotically up and down, up and down, keeping as far away from the strangers as possible. Now that Josh was no longer working with him, the young male had retreated into himself. He showed little inclination to interact with the staff, and Zoe was becoming concerned about him. Depressed captive dolphins had been known to commit suicide by simply deciding not to breathe.
But it was Mirrhi that the visitors seemed interested in, pointing at her and raising their voices in animated conversation whenever she drew near. Bridget coaxed her to the poolside. The men gathered round, stroking the young dolphin and taking photographs. Who were they? She made a mental note to find out.
Zoe finished breakfast and went inside to get dressed. A quick check of her emails first. Still no report from Queensland University on the seagrass samples. Damn. It was time to give them a call. Bridget had contacted the lab twice to hurry them up, so far with no result. Apparently they were short-staffed. Even so, the delay had dragged out for more than a month. Maybe she’d have more luck than Bridget had.
Zoe checked her account. Last month’s pay still wasn’t in the bank. She may be living with free accommodation and car, but she did have some expenses and they were beginning to eat into her meagre savings. She’d better have another talk to Bridget about it. Things always happened in slow motion around here.
A knock came at the door. ‘Are you decent?’
She got up to answer it. ‘Come in, Leo.’ He must be on his way to work, and already looked hot in his tailored suit. ‘What’s up?’
‘Any chance of a coffee?’
‘Sorry.’ Zoe felt his eyes on her legs and pulled her skimpy nightie down over her knees as she sat at the kitchen table. ‘No coffee. I’m hooked on tea.’
‘Not to worry.’ He sat down opposite her. ‘Thought you might like to know that I saw Quinn. Tackled him about chemical run-off on the reef.’
‘How’d that go?’
‘I didn’t get much joy. He’s got his head stuck in the sand, same as most folks around here.’
‘Ignoring the problem won’t make it disappear. I’d better have another talk to him.’
‘Good luck with that,’ said Leo. ‘Quinn’s trapped in the past and as stubborn as a mule to boot. Takes after his father. Don’t get me wrong – Marshall Cooper and I were friends, and good ones at that, but I won’t gloss over his faults. He belonged to a bygone era.’
‘What about Bridget?’ said Zoe. ‘Why not enlist her help? Surely if anybody can get through to Quinn, it’s her.’
‘I’d rather not drop her in the middle of a fight between her father and her fiancé if I can help it. She tends to take my side and that could cause them problems.’
Problems? There were already problems aplenty in that relationship. Still, the thought and compassion behind his comment surprised her. Leo may be overbearing and insensitive, but it was clear he loved Bridget in his own way.
‘My daughter didn’t know you had samples independently analysed,’ said Leo. ‘She feels a bit sidelined. After all, it is her research project.’ Yes, that was true. And it was a research project that Bridget seemed strangely uninterested in. ‘Any reason why you didn’t fill her in?’
Zoe fiddled with the sugar bowl. How could she explain it to Bridget’s father, of all people, when she didn’t understand it herself? Zoe might have superficially patched things up with Bridget, but she didn’t trust her.
However counterintuitive it seemed, Zoe’s stint in this quiet coastal town had taught her something that a lifetime of living in Sydney never had. She’d learned to believe her gut instinct, the way animals did. There’d been too many contradictions. Dozens of little inconsistencies that made her question Bridget’s motives. And the deceit. She’d seen its impact on Josh in particular. So Bridget had accomplished something nobody else had ever been able to: she’d cured Zoe of her illusions, taught her that common sense and discernment were important qualities too, and that trust needed to be earned. But this was hardly a breakthrough she wanted to share with Leo.
‘Bridget’s got a lot on her plate,’ said Zoe. ‘I didn’t want to bother her, that’s all. Her tests have been delayed, so I organised the second set to keep the research project on track.’
Leo studied her. She made herself hold his gaze. ‘Fair enough.’ He stood to go. ‘But Bridget knows now. You might have some explaining to do.’
Zoe groaned inwardly. That was going to be fun. ‘Bridget’s leaving this morning for Brisbane, but we’re going diving together on Friday. I’ll talk to her then. And I’ll talk to Quinn too. Have another go at getting through to him.’
Leo nodded, seemingly satisfied. ‘Pop in when you’re done. Let me know how you go.’ He turned to leave, then swung back around. ‘And give Quinn this warning: if he doesn’t move to clean up his act, I’ll damn well report him to the Department of Environment myself. Future son-in-law or not. Those blokes will swoop in so fast it’ll make his head spin. And I’ll report his mates as well.’ And with that Leo marched out of the door.
Zoe exhaled. Leo meant business. In one way she was thrilled to have such a powerful ally in her push to protect the reef. But she also knew that cooperative change would prove the most effective. Nobody liked having a gun held to their head. It would be the worst possible tactic to use with Quinn.
Zoe climbed from the seaquarium and headed for the change rooms, stopping when she saw her reflection in a window. Amazing, how much her figure had changed since taking this job. She’d gone down two wetsuit sizes, and looked so lithe and fit – like somebody else. What a shame there was no lover waiting in the wings to be impressed.
Karen came in as she was changing. ‘Good crowd today. How’d it all go?’
‘Fine,’ said Zoe. ‘The moray eel seemed a little off-colour. We’ll have to keep an eye on him. Maybe he was intimidated by all the new turtles.’
Zoe had to hand it to Bridget; she was doing a great job with the turtles. Two more had come in yesterday and they were running out of places to put them. Every tank and holding pen was crammed. As Zoe slipped into shorts and shirt and hung up her wetsuit, an unsettling thought crept in. It must be costing a fortune to care for them all. Feed bills would be going through the roof. The dolphins alone ate fifteen kilos of fish each, every day. Was her missing pay really due to an accounting mix-up as Bridget had said, or was the place in financial trouble?
‘Who were those blokes here this morning?’ she asked Karen.
‘What blokes?’
‘Bridget was showing them the dolphins. Early, like six-thirty.’
Karen shrugged. ‘I didn’t see her before she left for Brisbane.’
‘Did George come to look at those new turtles?’
‘Yep. Reckons there’s not much wrong with them that a good feed won’t fix. By the way, he left something for you.’ She tossed an envelope onto the table and gave Zoe a curious look.
‘Thanks.’ Zoe shoved it in her pocket. ‘See you later. I’m out on the reef again this afternoon.’ She hurried away before Karen could quiz her about the letter. George had analysed the substance from the rusted drum in Quinn’s shed for her. This could be the results.
She slipped out the side gate and scaled the stone steps to the shack. Opening the letter, she skimmed through to the bottom line. Fuck . . . Dieldrin. She needed a drink. She poured herself a glass of chardonnay from a half-finished bottle in the fridge, then she sat down to read the report again. It hadn’t changed. She couldn’t believe it. Swallowdale had a chemical sitting in its shed that was so toxic it had been banned in Australia since the 1980s. Zoe helped herself to another glass of wine, and sat for a while, thinking it through.
The seagrass could wait. She rang Quinn: something she’d rarely done before. ‘It’s Zoe. Where are you?’
‘Why, what’s wrong?’ The background roar of machinery almost drowned out his voice.
‘I have to see you. Can you meet me at the house in ten minutes?’
A deafening clash, a shudder and then silence. She waited. Had he hung up? ‘Make it fifteen,’ he said at last.
Zoe gulped down the last of her wine and dashed out the door.
Quinn stood in the driveway with Captain at his heels, staring at her in disbelief. ‘It’s impossible,’ he said. ‘Dad used Dieldrin in the past, when he didn’t know any better. Everybody did. For grubs, wireworms, funnel ants, soldier flies – pretty much any pest you can think of. They used to put ratoons of cane through Dieldrin baths before planting them. But after they banned the stuff, Dad got rid of our leftover stock.’ Zoe handed over the report. He ran his hand through his hair as he read it. ‘Where did this come from?’
‘When I went through your shed I took a sample from one of the drums. It was so rusted you couldn’t read the label. I wanted to find out what was in it, so I had George analyse the sample. There’s no mistake.’
‘Rusted drums?’ He sounded bewildered. ‘In my shed? Show me.’
Zoe followed Quinn to his jeep and they headed for the shed. This time she had to wait for him to unlock it. That was an improvement, at least. But when she looked inside, the two mystery drums were gone. ‘You’ve moved them,’ said Zoe. ‘Where are they? Those things are terribly toxic. They have to be disposed of properly.’
‘I haven’t moved anything.’
Zoe inspected the steel floor. The faintest circular rust marks showed where the drums once stood. ‘There, see? That’s where they were.’
Quinn gave the floor a cursory, disbelieving glance. ‘I haven’t got time for this.’ His voice was tight. ‘You come over here like you’re on some kind of mission and throw wild accusations around. Then when I show you there’s nothing here, you still don’t believe me.’
‘What about the lab report?’ said Zoe. ‘That’s proof.’
‘It’s proof the lab analysed something. How do I know it came from my shed?’
‘Because I told you it did.’ Tears welled up unexpectedly and she blinked them back. ‘Believe me, Quinn, those drums were here.’
‘So what, you think I’ve gone and hidden them?’
‘I don’t know what to think.’ Zoe rubbed her eyes until she saw spots. ‘Maybe somebody else moved them.’
Quinn’s expression softened. ‘I don’t know what you think you saw,’ he said. ‘But I can guarantee you, nobody’s been using Dieldrin at Swallowdale.’
‘There are other sheds, right? Will you show me?’
For a moment he looked like he was going to argue, then his body relaxed. ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘If it’s the only way I can convince you.’
An hour later and she followed Quinn from the last shed. ‘That’s it.’ He locked the door behind him.
Zoe examined his face. Clear, honest grey eyes without a hint of deceit. Yet somebody had moved the drums. ‘Talk to Rob. Please. It must have been him.’
‘Okay, okay, I’ll talk to Rob.’ His tone was soothing, as if he was pacifying a fractious colt. ‘Now will you come and have a cuppa? I’m parched.’
Josh was as pleased to see her as Captain was. The boy bounced around the kitchen while Quinn made tea, telling Zoe all about Aisha, and how he’d been helping with the harvest.
‘He’s doing a good job too,’ said Quinn.
‘Wow,’ she said. ‘I’m impressed.’ She looked from brother to brother. Pride was reflected in both their faces.
‘Can I go back with Zoe?’ asked Josh. ‘I want to see Mirrhi.’
‘I don’t see why not —’ started Quinn.
Zoe put her hand on the boy’s arm. ‘I have to talk to your brother.’
‘Go on then,’ said Josh.
She shook her head. ‘In private.’
Quinn picked up the tray and headed outside. ‘Hop it. I’ll run you down to the centre myself later on.’ Josh shot him a mutinous glance.
‘Please,’ said Zoe. Josh frowned and stomped from the kitchen, slamming the door behind him.
She joined Quinn outside on the verandah underneath the jasmine. A magpie carolled and the sweet scent of freshly cut cane wafted on the breeze. Zoe trailed her fingers along the latticework while Quinn poured the tea, eyes neutral, his face a mask. They were unsure of each other, on different sides of something important. She felt her knuckles tighten. It was painful, being here like this. Her feelings towards him hadn’t changed: one look at him was enough to tell her that. If only things were different. If only she was here to go riding, or to walk by the river, or for a long, lazy afternoon chatting about nothing and everything. She craved the warm, easy bond they once shared, and desperately wanted it back. Instead she was getting ready to rip apart their brief, uneasy truce.
‘I hear Leo came to see you,’ she said. The mere mention of Leo’s name provoked a flare of anger in Quinn’s eyes, before his expression grew guarded again. ‘He said you’re against the Mermaid Cove resort.’
‘Damned straight. I don’t want hordes of ignorant tourists overrunning the town. Kiawa would never be the same.’
Would that be such a bad thing? she wanted to say, but managed to hold her tongue. ‘It would be a real boost for Bridget and the Reef Centre.’
‘Bridget’s stressed out and run off her feet as it is.’ He swatted at a fly on the table, and swore when he burned his hand on the teapot. His control was slipping. ‘Fuck it, Zoe. You’re the last person I thought would want a development on the reef. Leo’s really gotten to you, hasn’t he? It’s amazing how his wealth can turn heads.’
‘Nice to know you think so little of me,’ she said. ‘I don’t think you understand. The resort will target eco-tourists and pump part of the profits into education programs and reef conservation. I’m all for it.’ The bitterness in his glare cut deep and for a moment her resolve almost slipped. No, however much this hurt personally, it had to be said. ‘Let’s put the Dieldrin issue aside for a moment.’
‘There is no Dieldrin issue,’ he said. ‘Why the hell can’t you leave things alone?’
‘Quinn, you’re in a position of leadership and influence in this town. It’s your responsibility to do the right thing.’ A pulse was throbbing in his cheek. ‘If you and your mates don’t tackle this chemical run-off problem before the wet season kicks in properly, it’ll be out of my hands. Leo won’t risk his investment – he’ll bring in the authorities. There are substantial fines and even criminal sanctions for what’s happening around here.’
‘Why did you have to go shooting your mouth off?’ Quinn jumped to his feet and paced up and down the verandah. The long fields of cane stretched out beyond him, like an emerald ocean. ‘I don’t reckon I’m doing anything wrong here at Swallowdale, but bring those government fellers in and they’re bound to find fault. Do you know how many growers in Kiawa are this close to selling up? They can’t afford to pay fines. And I know what the cost of compliance did up north. Put some small farms right out of business.’ He paused, ran his fingers over his eyes. ‘Just about every local farmer I know kept a disabled worker on after the government funding ran out for Project We’ll Show You. They’re paying those wages out of their own pockets. Ramp up their costs and guess who’ll be the first to go. Is that what you want? To put kids like Josh out of work?’
‘Of course not,’ said Zoe. ‘But Turtle Reef must be protected, no matter what.’ Her throat was tight and dry, barely allowing the words out. She took a mouthful of tea. ‘I’ve heard there are grants for farmers to help them transition to best practice. Maybe you could look into —’
‘Shut up,’ said Quinn. ‘Thanks for your advice, but I think you’ve helped enough.’
His sarcasm made her want to cry. She wanted to plead with him, plead for herself as well as for the reef. For a split-second the desire almost overwhelmed her.
No, emotion would not rule her, would not weaken her. ‘I’ll go.’ She stood up. ‘But please, Quinn, think about what I’ve said. One way or another, Kiawa has to move with the times. You can bring the local growers along with you. Help them adjust, learn new ways of doing things. Protect the reef at the same time. Or you can all flounder in the past and get washed away by the tide of progress. Your choice.’ At least he was listening now. ‘And those drums of Dieldrin were in your shed. Somebody moved them. You need to find out who.’