I parked the car around the corner and headed back to the farm keeping to the scrub along the roadside. Luckily there was quite a lot of new growth after the fires and I was well hidden right up to her gate. From there I had to cross open ground. If they were in the house I had no cover as I crossed the gateway. If they were out on the horses who knew where they were.
Anna would have taken him out towards the back of the place to give me a chance to get to my listening post. That meant I could use a small copse of trees and some thick bushy scrub to get around behind the house. I was just about to climb through the fence when I heard their voices approaching. I twisted myself into a pretzel to see if they were going to just look at the horses or ride them. Bentford was still wearing his ordinary clothes. He wasn't going riding today. What he was doing was getting in my way.
I sat back in the scrub. Until they went back to the house I was stuffed. He was wearing an anorak but he looked uncomfortable in it. Slimy prick. Lounge lizard was the old-fashioned term for people like him. Anna knew I'd be hanging around waiting for a chance to get into the UTV shed. I wished she'd hustle the bastard.
In spite of my oilskin I was getting cold as the sun lowered in the late afternoon. There was frost in the air. Eventually Anna's high voice came tinkling across the open grass as she giggled disgustingly over the low rumble of Bentford's baritone. They finally came into view. Arm in arm.
Even though I knew it was all an act I barely controlled the urge to race out and deck the sod. I swivelled enough to see them disappear behind the row of foliage between the outbuildings, the vegetable garden and the house. After sitting for at least half an hour while the two of them admired the horses, I had seized up. I stretched my legs out in front of me and rolled onto my side.
It meant I was lying in long grass behind the scrubby bushes as a police car drove slowly past. I quickly climbed through the fence and sprinted to the UTV shed. What I couldn't see I could sure as hell could hear. I switched the receiver on and while there was an initial crackle it soon passed and Michael Bentford's cultured voice assaulted my ears.
`Expecting more visitors, Anna?' he drawled. `I didn't expect a party.' He laughed.
`No, no, Michael. I have no idea who this is.'
`Tell him to go away, my dear.'
I heard Anna's footsteps on the wooden floor as she walked towards the door.
`Good afternoon, ma'am,' said a female voice, `Constable Barnes….from the Marysville pol—
`I know who you are,' snapped Anna. `What do you want?'
'Is Mr Harry Nichols here?’ snapped the policewoman right back. `We've been trying to contact him and we believe he might be here. Perhaps you know where he is?'
There was silence. Then Anna's voice. `Ah, no, I'm afraid I don't, Constable.'
`Who is it Anna?' called Bentford.
`Why do you want him, officer? Has he done something?'
`We believe he could help with our enquiries, that's all. But if you haven't seen him…'
`I haven't.'
There was another short silence.
`Thank you for your time, Ma'am. Sorry to intrude when you're entertaining. We're just following up on an enquiry in Melbourne…if you see Mr Nichols, could you ask him to contact a…Sergeant North, from Richmond.'
Shit. Had he found out something about how Wendy died? After all it was me who suggested she might be poisoned. And what killed the Serbian hood who broke into Anna's house? The shot in the leg surely wouldn't have. Whatever it was I wasn't talking to the police about any of it. Sergeant North would have a long wait.
Then Bentford was almost grilling Anna on why the police were coming around. She was surprisingly patient and explained that a man had broken into her house a few days ago so it must have been that.
`Anyway, it wasn't me she was looking for, it was Harry. She didn't say why.'
`I must say I'm very relieved that you have removed Harry from your life, Anna. He was totally unsuitable.'
I ground my teeth and I thought I could hear Anna doing the same. `Do you think so, Michael?'
`Yes, I do. Now what about we go to that restaurant you mentioned? Down in the township I presume. I'll wait until you change into something suitable and we can head off. We can go in my car.'
`Oh, I don't know Michael. I'm a little tired. I've been up since dawn. Country hours, do you see. Perhaps we could eat here. I have some very good steak and I can make some salad. From my own garden,' she simpered.
Well done I thought. Keep the bastard here. Maybe we could lock him up in the barn as well. Until we could think of a way to get rid of him permanently.
`Now, now, my dear, I was hoping to save you from having to cook and clean. To treat you like the lady you are.'
I nearly threw up at his sliminess. I reckoned Anna would be struggling too. But after demurring for a minute or two she backed down. That tore it. She'd be alone in his car and now he knew the police were hanging about he might step things up. I could stop this but it meant breaking my cover as the jilted boyfriend meaning we'd be right back where we started.
But I could and would follow them. There was no time for me to walk back to my car a kilometre down the road so I'd have to use her car. I edged towards the front of the house, staying back behind the small trees bordering the parking space. Light beamed out as the front door opened. Anna appeared first. Her hair was loose and she was wearing a dress. Bentford followed her and opened the passenger door.
I swallowed. The fly was in the web. Of course if he planned to actually court her, then my fears were for nothing. For now, that is. That he planned to marry her was a given. It was only when and how that was at issue.
As the big silver car slid out onto the road I sprinted for Anna's old four by four. It reeked of dog and horse and I knew I'd quickly be coated in animal hair. I hesitated for a minute or two before heading for the gate. It wouldn't do to be caught by Bentford returning because Anna figured out a way to get out of her date. When I did get moving I didn't turn on the lights. Lights on Anna's road would be suspect.
It was a clear, frosty night. The sky was glittering with starlight which was enough to light my way. I turned them on as I turned into the main road. The traffic there was relatively heavy; mostly workers coming home from service jobs at the mountain resort. It made it hard for me to see if I was close to Bentford's Mercedes.
I knew he would drive fast if he was kidnapping Anna. He couldn't take the risk that I might be hanging around. Even though I was sure he wouldn't be wining and dining Anna at the Duck Inn, I swung past to check. I was wrong. The big silver Mercedes was parked right by the steps in a handicapped parking bay. I was just in time to see Bentford's hand steering Anna into the pub. It meant that so far, he had no suspicions.
I waited in the car getting more and more hungry by the minute but not game to leave however briefly, to get a snack. Two hours later they emerged, Anna looking far happier than she should have. They took off out of the car park and I hit the ignition switch but got no further than that.
A figure emerged out of the darkness and I got a glimpse of a white face and pale blonde hair as my car door was pulled open and I was dragged out onto my knees. I managed to raise my hands over my head but after I doubled over when a vicious kick landed in my guts, the lights went out.
When I swam back from the depths, my hands and feet were tied, my head ached abominably and the pain in my stomach made breathing difficult. I had no idea where I was, just that it was pitch black, freezing cold and stank. I tried moving. It was as if I'd frozen into place. My sojourn in the hedgerow had nothing on this.
I had a vague recollection of a blonde man, then nothing. I tried moving again. The stiffness eased a fraction, but I gasped as a cramp seized my shoulder. The pain in my gut threatened to stop me working through the cramp but I gritted my teeth and tried rotating the joint. That made it worse. I almost screamed but fear shut down my vocal cords. Whoever had done this would still be nearby. Then a strange thought occurred to me. These people had been trying to kill me for weeks so why was I still alive? Tied up and likely to die of hypothermia, but alive.