Black Ice (10 page)

'Could you hear anything that would give you a clue where he was going?'

'No, Philip, I'm sorry. I know you would like to keep in contact with him.'

Philip's eyes narrowed. Why would Stella say that? Did she know about his father? They had worked closely together … He relaxed as she continued, 'Will your solicitor need him to sign a new partnership agreement when your father's shares are transferred into your name?'

'Yes. But I'm also thinking of changing the terms of the agreement. It's currently too restrictive.'

'In what way?'

'Well, if one partner wants to sell out, it has to be with the approval of the other partner.'

'Mr Brand appears to be someone who's easy to get along with. Surely that wouldn't be a problem?'

At the moment Daniel Brand was the biggest problem on Philip's mind. What the hell was the man up to? Had he grown suspicious? Was he carrying out investigations of his own? Philip couldn't afford to have the American dig too deeply into the activities of Brand & Weyburn. He just needed a little more time …

Cairns certainly deserved its title of Gateway to the North, Daniel thought as their plane turned to descend towards the airport runway. Tall mountains covered in thick rainforest ringed a city that sprawled up into the foothills and spilled down to the azure waters of Trinity Bay. Boats of all types and sizes tied up to the wharves and marinas jutting out into the bay.

During the flight Kirri had filled him in on the background of the cattle property J.D. owned. It had been in the O'Connor family for generations. Eleven years ago, J.D.'s father had purchased another cattle property near Normanton in the Gulf country, and he and Kirri's mother had moved there. The property south of Cairns had become J.D.'s, and he had diversified into breeding as well as running beef stock.

Kirri was seventeen at the time, straight out of high school, and desperate not to move with her mother to the isolation of Queensland's Outback. Her acceptance into the Bachelor of Visual Arts course at the Cairns campus of Townsville's James Cook University had been her salvation. Gran had stayed with her and J.D., and Kirri had flung herself into student life with a vengeance. When she'd finished the three year course, she'd obtained a job with a graphic arts firm in Cairns in order to save enough money to buy a decent car and finance her shift to Sydney. Within two years this became reality and she'd arrived on her father's doorstep again, eager to become part of Sydney's art world.

With a self-deprecating laugh, Kirri explained to Daniel how her dreams of winning acclaim for her artistic talent had been worn down in the hard slog of competing against many other hopeful artists. She had achieved a small amount of recognition, but still ached for the success she felt was within her grasp.

Finally she had set her sights on New York, and a nine-to-five job at the New South Wales Art Gallery had financed that dream. In New York she'd shared a studio with three young artists in Greene Street, Soho, and soon learned that to be credible in New York she would have to do something new. So if other artists were painting meticulously she would paint flamboyantly. If they were painting flamboyantly, her work was the epitome of detail and delicacy. Eventually she attracted the attention of a patron who came to the studio to look at her work. He bought a couple of her paintings and she had a write-up in
Art News
.

But all her efforts to get an exhibition, even in the smallest of the many art galleries, never came to fruition. Tired of painting six days a week and constantly attending parties to try to make contacts, Kirri had decided to go back to Australia. Her visa still had a few months to run, but her savings were getting low. Then a friend advised her to go to New Orleans and look at the French architecture, listen to the jazz, recharge and revitalise. So she'd used the remainder of her money to have a holiday before her planned return home.

Daniel smiled as she chatted, so delighted to be with her and have her relaxed in his company that he didn't tell her she had revealed some of this information to him two years ago. Not much about her family, but a lot about her artistic ambitions and her work in Sydney and New York.

Now she told him that her mother and stepfather were currently enjoying a five-month holiday touring Europe, so J.D. would meet them at the airport. Apparently when she had phoned home last night and told her grandmother and stepbrother about Daniel, J.D. had been most insistent that he would do this.

 

As they walked from the plane into the passageway to the airport terminal, Daniel noted the eagerness on Kirri's face that echoed in the quick tread of her sandals. Although he, too, was eager to meet his daughter, he was a little apprehensive about what kind of reception he would receive from Kirri's family.

He had just taken their luggage from the carousel when Kirri called out 'J.D.!' to a tall man in his mid-thirties who was striding towards them. Daniel recognised the lean bronzed features and dark hair of the man in the photo. The man he had spent two years alternately hating and envying.

J.D. hugged Kirri, then moved to stand squarely in front of Daniel. Daniel felt his antagonistic vibes and groaned inwardly. This wasn't going to be easy. It seemed obvious that J.D. thought Daniel had let his step-sister down badly, and wasn't prepared to accept the American's return into Kirri's life.

Suddenly Kirri swung around in front of J.D. and glared at him. 'J.D., this is Daniel Brand. I'm sure you're not going to ruin our reputation for northern hospitality and friendliness by punching him out in the middle of Cairns airport.'

'We could wait till we get to the outskirts of town,' Daniel drawled, and watched the dart of amusement in J.D.'s eyes. Then J.D. extended his hand, and Daniel gripped it, smiling at the strength J.D. was exerting. He returned the pressure, and was rewarded by a grudging twist of the other man's mouth that could almost be a smile.

'It took you long enough to come looking for her.' J.D.'s tone told Daniel he had a long way to go to prove himself to Kirri's step-brother.

'I explained what happened, J.D. You can't blame Daniel for thinking I'd left him.' Impatience tinged Kirri's voice and pleasure glowed briefly in Daniel's heart at her defence of him.

'Well, he doesn't have much judgement if he thought you'd do that, Kirri.'

Before Kirri could fly to his defence again, Daniel replied, 'I made a very big mistake in not believing in your sister once, J.D., but I'll never make that mistake again. She'll always be able to count on me from now on.'

Suddenly Kirri strode off, calling over her shoulder, 'If you two pig-headed males want to stay and fight, that's fine, but I'm going home.'

 

The air-conditioning in the terminal hadn't prepared Daniel for the blast of hot air that hit them as they walked outside. Summer in the State of Washington was mild compared to summer in Queensland's far north, and he wondered how Kirri had survived a winter in New York.

J.D. led the way to a grey Nissan Patrol four wheel drive and unlocked it. He watched Daniel put the luggage in the back, then opened the front passenger seat for Kirri.

'Thanks, J.D.,' her smile was mischievous, 'but I'll sit in the back with Daniel and give him a commentary on the scenery.'

Before Daniel could feel pleased with this idea, she continued, 'Who knows when he'll get back to Cairns again.'

Daniel recognised the comment for the gauntlet it was, but refused to take it up. Kirri would soon learn that he meant what he'd told J.D. He was going to be there for her from now on, no matter what the cost.

 

'How could you let him slip away like that?'

'I have to sleep some time, you know,' Brett snarled back. His hangover didn't predispose him to niceties this morning. The temptation of Jenny's attractive body had driven him to seek release with a young woman he'd picked up in a bar, and he'd been surprised to learn there were still a few skills he could add to his sexual repertoire. Though matching her capacity for alcohol hadn't been a wise move.

'Next time leave your mobile on. I've been phoning you for hours. And until Brand is dead it would be wiser if you slept alone.'

Only the fact that he couldn't deny it stopped Brett's protest. He knew any lie would be seen through.

'We
have
to know where he's gone. Check out that artist woman again, see if she's still there or if she's gone with Brand. If she has, find out where they are.'

Brett disconnected the call with a snarl and dropped the phone on the bedside cabinet. Then a soft hand slipped around him from behind and caressed his stomach. As it slid slowly downwards, he reached over and switched the phone off again.

 

Although Kirri's commentary was cheerful, her stomach danced the can-can on the way to O'Connor Valley. Her grandmother had seemed understanding on the phone, but would she also be as antagonistic as J.D.? And how would Catelyn react?

After a while she realised that Daniel appeared to be studying her more than looking at the scenery, and she gradually quietened, aware he shared the tension she felt. She looked at his large brown hand which lay on the seat between them, and resisted the urge to cover it with hers.

Since he'd kissed her yesterday, kissed her
twice
she reminded herself, her body had been in conflict with her mind. Her mind said he was a stranger, but her body had begun to hunger for him with an intensity that was almost frightening. It was as though she craved a familiarity that had been missing too long.

Within two short days she had become accustomed to his serious face invading her thoughts, and even more accustomed to her reaction to this - the yearning to see that slow smile of his light up his eyes. She even wondered what she would see there if she gave in to the temptation to kiss him with all the passion he had stirred in her.

Her emotions swung like an out-of-rhythm metronome, desire against caution, lack of memories against the urge to create new ones.

 

A bitumen road crossed and re-crossed the river that wound its way through O'Connor Valley. An enormous valley, it funnelled back between craggy mountains that formed part of the Great Dividing Range. Daniel's apprehension began to equal his excitement as J.D. turned off onto a dirt road. Soon he saw cattle yards, modern steel sheds, a worker's cottage and a large, highset house with verandahs on all sides, surrounded by undulating fields of green and brown.

The Nissan stopped in front of the house and they opened the doors. Daniel breathed in the sultry air. All cattle ranches must smell the same, he thought, as he inhaled familiar odours. Only here dust and dung and animal sweat blended with the tang of eucalyptus. Two cattle dogs came running over, but a curt word from J.D. sent them away.

'Catelyn,' Kirri breathed, and Daniel's chest tightened at her tone. She jumped out and hurried over to the steps to greet a grey-haired woman holding a small child dressed in a short-sleeved coverall. Kirri's arms enfolded the two of them, then she took the child and hugged her tightly.

Daniel followed slowly. The girl pushed herself back from Kirri's embrace and said with great severity, 'Mummy hug!'

Tears glistened in Kirri's eyes, but a glorious smile lit her face. 'I'm sorry, darling. Mummy didn't mean to hug you so tight. Mummy's missed you.'

Catelyn turned towards Daniel. Her dark eyes grew wary as she surveyed him. Then she smiled, and Daniel fell instantly, hopelessly, irrevocably, in love with his daughter.

'Hello,' he whispered. He wanted to reach out and take her from Kirri and hold her, but was afraid she might reject him.

Kirri saw the longing so transparent on his face, and her heart seemed to squeeze. He had every right to know his daughter, but she was worried that this meeting could lead to heartbreak for Catelyn. If she grew to accept Daniel as her father, how would she react when he returned to the United States?

But Kirri also realised how important her relationship with her own father had been, and still was, to her. She knew she could not deny Catelyn the chance to bond with Daniel. With a huskiness in her voice that betrayed her feelings, she said, 'Catelyn, this is your Daddy.'

'Day? Day?' Catelyn asked, obviously puzzled.

'No, darling. Not J.D.,
Daddy
.' Kirri smiled apologetically at Daniel. 'She can't say J.D., so she calls him Day.' Catelyn squirmed in her arms, and Kirri put her on the ground. With a gleeful shout, Catelyn toddled up to where J.D. was taking the luggage out of the vehicle. She lifted up her arms and called 'Day?'

J.D. laughed and swung the child into his arms. 'No treats today, you little minx. I brought your Mummy home, that's enough.'

Disappointment surged through Daniel. He realised he couldn't expect Catelyn to show him any affection, he was, after all, a stranger to her. But the need still lingered.

'I'm Cate O'Flaherty, Kirri's grandmother.' The older woman, an aged version of Kirri, offered her hand, and Daniel was grateful for the welcoming smile on her face. 'Your daughter has your jawline, Daniel, it explains where she gets her determination,' she added as Daniel took her hand in his.

'My father used to call it stubbornness, Mrs O'Flaherty.'

'Call me Cate. Now let's get you settled. I've made a batch of scones and they're better eaten hot.'

Just then a grey speckled dog ambled out from the verandah's shade. He greeted Kirri with a slow wag of his tail, then came to sniff at Daniel. Daniel could see the dog's vision had dimmed with age, so he turned his hands for the dog to smell his open palms. He saw approval in Kirri's eyes as she said, 'That's Toby. J.D. gave him to me as a pup on my thirteenth birthday.'

'Fifteen years ago,' he murmured. Annoyance flashed across Kirri's face, and he realised he had reminded her again just how much he knew about her.

And how little she knew about him.

 

Philip slammed down the phone. He'd been naive to think he could raise so much money in such a short time. The share market was so depressed that even selling all his holdings wouldn't give him half the money he needed.