| |
The short drive from the police station to the Top Pub didn’t give the air-conditioner time to kick in. The windscreen was fogged up by the time Ryan parked the car outside the pub, and steam rose from the road as sweat ran to the small of Dawn’s back.
‘This weather is worse than I remember. Was it always so humid in late September?’
‘La Nino, or is it El Nina or whatever it is they call it. The weather is changing. The ice caps are melting and all that stuff.’
‘So that’s a no. I’m not going nuts and it isn’t usually this wet in September?’
Dawn opened the door. Ryan did the same.
‘We’ve had years like this before, but not for a while.’
‘I’ll grab Lisa and Abby. You get a table, I’m starving.’
Ryan gaped a moment, ready to argue he wasn’t taking orders from her, but Dawn was gone before he could protest.
Taking the stairs from the main entrance, up to the second floor, Dawn used her key to open the door to her room. She expected to find Lisa and Abby hiding out like she’d told them to, but the room was empty.
Adrenalin kicked in. Dawn relocked the door and ran down the stairs, her mind filling with horrible images of Lisa’s hair floating in the water, her eyes cold and dead.
As she reached the bottom rung, she nearly collided with Michael’s chest. His hands gripped her arms firmly, preventing her from losing balance.
‘Sorry. I was coming to get you. Ryan said you were upstairs.’
‘Where is Lisa?’
‘She and Abby are in the bar, grabbing lunch.’
‘Why are you here?’
Michael frowned.
‘I was keeping an eye on them for you.’
‘Why on earth is Lisa out of the room. We still don’t know if she’s in danger.’
Michael shrugged.
Dawn huffed and pushed past, striding into the bar, ready to blast her sister. The scene that greeted her made her stop in her tracks. She sensed Michael standing behind her, politely waiting.
She shouldn’t have gone off at him, but Lisa, and now Abby was all she had left of her family.
‘She’s a cute kid.’
Michael’s whisper, over her shoulder, tickled her ear and sent a tingle down her spine. Goosebumps exploded on her skin, despite the moist, warm weather. She tried to ignore them.
Focussing on Abby, she smiled at her niece, whose legs dangled over the edge of the bar and swung back and forth, heels hitting the timber. Her hair was tied up in two pigtails, hanging to her shoulders and curling into perfect ringlets.
Ben nodded and smiled diligently as Abby’s finger waggled in his face. Lisa bit her lip, trying not to laugh, and old Ned watched them both, eyes trying to focus as they flicked from Abby to Lisa and back again.
Dawn approached the bar. Ryan met her with a glass of wine in hand.
‘I’m not drinking, and neither should you. You’re still on duty.’
‘Have it your way.’
Ryan turned and handed the glass to Lisa who accepted it without a second thought. Then he turned back to Dawn, made sure she was paying attention and sculled half his beer in one long gulp.
‘What can I get you Dawn? A water, soft drink?’ Michael offered. Ryan grunted.
‘Water is good. Thanks for asking Michael.’
Lisa lifted Abby from the bar top.
‘Grab us a seat, Abby, over there.’
She pointed. Abby glanced over, then back up at her mum.
‘Can I have pasghetti?’
‘You had spaghetti for dinner last night.’
Abby pouted.
‘But I love pasghetti. But can I have the proper one?’
‘You get the table. I’ll order your proper spaghetti.’
Abby smiled and skipped towards the long table in the courtyard Lisa had pointed to. Dawn nodded for Ryan to follow Abby.
He rolled his eyes, but followed.
Michael, a stack of glasses in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, glanced at Dawn and read something in her eyes.
‘I’ll see you at the table.’
‘Thanks Michael.’
She turned to Lisa, about to ask a question, but stopped when she noticed the expression on her face.
‘What?’
‘You need to decide which one you want to date.’
‘What the hell are you on about?’
Lisa laughed aloud.
‘Have you had a boyfriend in the last twenty years?’
‘I ...’
Dawn didn’t want to discuss her one and only serious relationship. It was a disaster in more ways than one.
‘I didn’t think so. If you could read men as well as you can a suspect, you’d have noticed those guys fighting to impress you.’
‘Ryan, Michael? No way!’
‘Yes way.’
Dawn glanced at the table where Abby helped Michael pour glasses of water for everyone, only spilling a few drops, as Ryan supervised. It didn’t take long before they both glanced her way.
‘See.’
Lisa waited for Ben to take her order, then turned to head over and join her daughter.
Dawn stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm.
‘Can I ask you a favour?’
‘Sure. What do you need?’
‘You said you were on the P & C, right.’
Lisa nodded.
‘We need the minutes. Recent ones, since Jessica joined the meetings, and some old ones from the archives, but Sergeant Martin doesn’t want to raise any suspicions and won’t request a warrant.’
‘Which old ones do you need?’
Dawn drew a slow, measured breath. Apparently, she delayed too long. Lisa’s eyes opened wide.
‘Back from when Tracey would have been there? I’m sure Jessica had something to prove Fraser didn’t kill Tracey, but the P & C?’
‘I’m not sure yet, but how did you know Tracey was involved with the P & C?’
‘I had a vague idea. I remember Mum talking to Dad about her. Back before she disappeared.’
‘Mum mentioned Tracey? I never heard her.’
‘It was only the one time, I think.’
‘What did she say?’
‘Not much. Just that she was at the meetings, but you’ve not answered my question. Are you sure the P & C are the link?’
‘Maybe.’
Lisa glared at her.
‘Yes. I think so, but I’ve got no proof yet. I need the minutes to confirm.’
Dawn’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She plucked it out and glanced at the screen.
The number wasn’t familiar, but with everything going on, she needed to answer it.
Dawn slid the answer bar over, and Lisa nodded towards the table, indicating she’d join Abby.
‘Detective Grave speaking.’
‘Yowie. Glad I got you.’ Ronnie’s use of her nickname surprised her.
‘Ronnie, what’s up?’
‘Just wanted to check Lisa was okay.’
Ronnie’s tone was strange, and Dawn wondered why she was calling. She knew Lisa was home safe.
‘She’s fine. So is Abby.’
Lisa stopped walking and turned at the mention of Abby’s name. Dawn wondered why Ronnie hadn’t called Lisa herself. They were obviously friends. Ronnie babysat Abby often enough. Heck, Abby called her Auntie Ronnie.
‘I’m so glad.’
Silence hung between them a moment.
‘Ronnie. I have to go. I’m in the middle of lunch with them now.’
‘Oh, sorry.’
Dawn was about to hang up but stopped as Ronnie blurted out her next sentence.
‘Did Lisa say anything?’
Dawn watched her sister’s worried frown.
‘About what Ronnie?’
Dawn heard a door open, then slam. A muffled voice, the sound of fabric on the speaker, then a deep voice too hard to understand grew louder, angrier.
The next sound was unmistakable. Dawn didn’t need to be in the room to recognise flesh hitting flesh. A whimper filtered down the line, then the phone went dead.
Lisa stepped closer. ‘What’s up?’
Dawn’s stomach tossed and turned. Should she rush over to make sure Ronnie was alright? Of course she should, but Martin had warned her away from the Summersets. Still, Ronnie was an old friend.
‘Have you ever seen any indication of Brad abusing Ronnie?’
‘No. Brad is harmless enough. A bit opinionated at times, but he’d never hurt Ronnie.’
‘Well, someone just did.’
Dawn stormed across the room towards the table where Ryan and Michael now sat opposite one another, Abby keeping them smiling.
‘Sorry to break up the party, Abby, but I need to take Detective Ryan with me.’
Ryan rose, eyes alert. ‘Where are we going?’
‘I’ll tell you on the way.’
Lisa grabbed her forearm and squeezed. ‘Dawn. Be careful.’
She pointed her finger at her sister. ‘You be careful. Don’t leave this pub. You got me?’
Michael half stood—his eyes searched out Dawn’s. ‘I’ll keep an eye on them.’
‘Thanks, Michael.’
She wanted to say more. She wanted to tell him he didn’t need to take time off work to protect Abby and Lisa, but deep down she was thankful he was.
As they walked out the front door, Ryan pulled the keys from his pocket and turned to her.
‘Where are we going?’
‘Ronnie got smacked around by someone. Lisa says Brad wouldn’t do it.’
‘But you think someone did?’
‘I heard it myself. Over the phone. She didn’t hang up right away. Someone hit her, I’m sure of it.’
‘Let’s go then.’