9.00 pm Friday
Makowa Lodge
‘Nothing.’ David had just returned from checking their suite, hoping to find a clue to Gina’s whereabouts. He shook his head and walked over to the table where Ellie and Kane were sitting. ‘It looks like no one’s been in there since the room was serviced today.’ He picked up Gina’s phone from the table. ‘Now tell me exactly what happened and how come you’ve got this?’ He pulled out a chair and dropped into it, every angle of his body showing his despair.
‘I went to the crèche to see Heather.’ Ellie chose her words carefully.
‘Who’s Heather?’ David leaned forward, his eyes fixed on hers.
‘Heather Jarragah. She works here,’ Ellie said.
‘Keep going.’
‘And I was surprised to see the kids there so late. The phone was in a drawer in the desk where she was sitting . . . Considering what happened to Bill, I wondered if she knew something.’ Ellie frowned; she didn’t want to accuse Heather of anything but her behaviour had been strange. ‘She said Gina didn’t say where she was going. Maybe she just left her phone there by mistake.’
‘She was going to the day spa.’ David’s eyes were bleak. ‘Is Heather connected to Bill Jarragah?’
‘Yes, his daughter.’
‘What do you mean “happened to Bill”?’
‘Someone cut his finger off. We had to take him to the hospital the other night.’
‘What?’ David’s voice was loud and he glanced over at the sleeping children. ‘Bloody hell! Cut it off? Is that why his arm was in a sling?’
‘Hold on.’ Kane stared at David. ‘Can you just cut to the chase and tell me what’s going on here and why you haven’t called the police? And how you know Bill?’
‘They’re not to be involved.’ David’s response was terse and he punched his fist into his other hand. ‘Fuck. He’s capable of anything. It’s got nothing to do with Bill’s daughter. That bastard’s got Gina.’ He dropped his head into his hands. ‘He called me just before you did.’
‘What bastard?’ Kane glanced at Ellie.
‘Russell Fairweather.’ David lifted his head and his eyes were bleak. ‘But he’ll have covered his tracks so well, it will be impossible to get him on anything. He told me tonight he had a man killed.’
Recognition of the name chilled her as Ellie’s eyes locked with Kane’s. Russell Fairweather.
‘Whoa.’ Kane put his hand up. ‘Can we backtrack a little? You still haven’t told me your connection with this and why your wife’s been abducted?’
Ellie rubbed her hand across her forehead. ‘You don’t know who David is, do you?’
‘No? Should I?’
David spoke quietly. ‘I’m the Chief Minister for the Territory. I’m being blackmailed by Fairweather. Foolishly, I thought I could handle it and I hid Gina and the kids here . . . but that bastard has connections everywhere. He even has my bloody phone tapped.’
‘Why didn’t you get help before this happened, David?’ Ellie couldn’t understand how someone in such a position could be blackmailed. Surely he had security men or something around him?
‘He threatened to harm Andrew and Binny if I did.’ David stared at the two children sleeping on the sofa. ‘I only had to keep them safe until Monday when there’s a committee vote taking place on a drilling licence. That’s why I sent Gina and the kids down here.’
Ellie narrowed her eyes as the pieces of the jigsaw began to fall together for her. ‘Bill Jarragah is on that committee too, isn’t he?’
Kane stared at Ellie. ‘You are fucking joking! Do you mean this is connected to the farm and Sordina’s murder?’
‘Yes,’ David said. ‘Fairweather mentioned his death when he threatened me tonight. I know he’s responsible. I wouldn’t put anything past the cold bastard.’
Ellie held his gaze. ‘David, you need to know. Panos Sordina was Kane’s stepfather.’
‘Oh fucking hell.’ David’s voice shook. ‘Too many connections. All to do with this bloody exploration.’
‘Fairweather has to be linked to the fracking at the farm.’
‘So it’s got out then. I’m surprised. Fairweather’s even got the media in his bloody pocket. There’s been no publicity about the exploration application.’ David’s voice hardened.
‘I didn’t read about it in the papers.’ Ellie lifted her gaze. ‘I saw it myself.’
‘Saw what?’ Puzzlement crossed David’s face.
‘The fracking. They’re drilling at the back down near the river.’
‘Already? The exploration licence hasn’t been approved yet.’
Ellie shook her head. ‘I saw a huge gash in the land when I flew over last week. The infrastructure is already in place. I went down there for a look and got escorted off the land.’
‘Jesus. What’s the point?’ David dropped his face into his hands again. His shoulders sagged and Ellie put her hand on his arm. ‘There must be something we can do.’
Kane leaned forward and his voice was firm. ‘If Fairweather wants your vote, she’ll be alive.’
‘Will she?’ David didn’t lift his head.
Ellie’s eyes filled with tears as they sat there quietly and she let everything that had happened run through her mind. Sordina’s murder, the fracking, Bill’s injury, the break-ins, Gina’s disappearance. Maybe she was on the wrong track with Heather.
‘Kane?’ She took a deep breath as she remembered Henry’s cold eyes. ‘That guy at the hangar today. I’m sure he has something to do with Gina’s kidnapping.’