‘Jamie, I’m Detective Inspector Swan, and this is Detective Mueller. You up to answering a few questions?’
The two cops slouched in chairs on the other side of the desk. They looked pretty tired, but then they’d spent the last week trying to unravel the events that had culminated at the boat.
‘Yeah.’
‘All right then. How about you tell us everything that happened, in your own words.’
‘From when?’
‘From when you arrived.’
‘In Port Barren?’
‘Please.’
It took nearly an hour for Jamie to tell his story. He left a few things out. When the detectives wanted to know how they’d got back into town from the national park, all he told them was that they’d hitched a ride. He could tell that they didn’t believe him, but they let it pass. And he said nothing about Butcher’s hold over Lorraine.
It was Detective Mueller who steered the conversation towards the social worker.
‘Have you heard anything from Lorraine?’
Everyone knew that Lorraine had vanished from Port Barren on the day of the boat fire.
‘Nah. Have you?’
Jamie caught the look that passed between the two men. ‘What?’
They obviously knew something. Swan, the inspector took over.
‘They found her car late last night. She wasn’t in it.’
‘Where?’
‘Overturned in a creek, about three hundred kilometres south of Karratha. It looks like she’d tried to get across a floodway somewhere upstream but didn’t make it.’
Jamie could feel the eyes of the two cops on him, watching for his reaction.
‘They reckon she’s alive?’
Swan shrugged. ‘No idea. I don’t like her chances though. When these desert creeks are in flood, they’re pretty much unstoppable. She was stupid to even try to get across, especially in that crappy little car of hers. She probably stalled halfway, tried to get out, and got swept away.’
‘Will they find her body?’
Mueller answered. ‘Doubt it. Desert’s a pretty big place.’
Swan leaned across the table.
‘We’re still trying to work out why she ran like that. You sure you’ve got no idea?’
Memories of his last meeting with Lorraine, here in this very office, flickered through Jamie’s mind. He also remembered the touch of her hand that night at Archie’s.
‘Nah. No idea. Sorry.’
‘Thanks Jamie. We’ll need to speak to you again before we’re finished here. So will a few others.’
‘Others?’
‘There’s some internal affairs people coming up from the city to investigate Sergeant Butcher.’
‘I’m not goin’ anywhere.’
The younger detective grinned. Jamie guessed they’d read his file.
‘We’ll be in touch.’ The inspector stood and held out his hand. Jamie shook it awkwardly and turned for the door, but Swan hadn’t quite finished.
‘Oh, yeah. There’s just one more thing.’
Jamie stopped.
‘I nearly forgot. The forensic people wanted me to ask you – are you certain you picked up all of the remains of the girl out at the mine site?’
‘Yeah.’
‘It’s just that there’s a few bits and pieces missing. Most of it can be explained by scavengers, but apparently one of the femur bones from her leg is also gone, and they’re pretty big.’
Jamie shrugged. ‘Did they look back at Flaherety’s Curse?’
‘I looked myself yesterday when we flew out there. Couldn’t see a thing.’
‘Sorry. Can’t help you then.’
‘That’s okay. Just thought I’d ask.’
As Jamie left, the Detective Inspector’s eyes followed him thoughtfully.
Robb was waiting out on the front verandah.
‘Want a ride?’
It was only a couple of minutes walk, but his strapped-up ankle still caused him a bit of pain. Besides, it hadn’t stopped raining for a week.
‘Thanks. Pretty heavy rain.’
‘Yeah. It’ll come down like this through to the end of February now. Wait’ll you see the desert afterwards.’
‘Why?’
‘Everything comes to life.’
Jamie tried to imagine the desert landscape alive with creeks and rivers, wildflowers and greenery. It was too difficult to picture. He’d have to wait until he saw it.
‘How’s Butcher?’ The sergeant had been taken across to the Karratha hospital and from there he’d gone straight to the lockup.
‘Bit pissed off. Reckons he’ll sort you out properly next time.’
‘Should I be worried?’
Robb grinned.
‘Nah mate. By the time the courts finish with him he’ll be lucky to get less than twenty years.’
They drove the rest of the way in silence.
‘Here we are. Say g’day to Grandad for me.’
‘Yeah. How come you don’t come round more often?’
‘No need. We see each other about the place.’
‘I guess.’ Jamie found it strange. He missed having his own family around. ‘I’ll see you later, eh?’
‘Yeah. Catch you.’
Archie was out the back, patching a couple of leaks in the verandah roof. Jamie flopped onto his bed and watched for a while.
‘Eh, Archie?’
The old man looked at him.
‘You remember telling me that story? ’Bout the wanderers and the lost ones?’
Archie nodded a reply.
‘I meant to ask you, what do you reckon I am?’
There was no sound but the throb of rain on tin. Archie thought about his answer for a long time, then finally he smiled. It was the first real smile that Jamie had seen on him. His teeth gleamed in the light, and his blue eyes sparkled.
‘Neither mate. You’re a local.’