Little Girl Lost (11 page)

He nodded slowly, his dark eyes softening for a moment. ‘Thanks, Tia.’

He reached out and laid his hand on her shoulder for a second. It was just a fleeting touch, but it held a world of comfort and encouragement and thanks. She welcomed it as she had never welcomed a man’s touch before.

Perhaps if it had been Max’s hand reaching for her in the squalor of the squat on that dark night, her life might have been very, very different.

‘There are a couple of large Esky water coolers in the storeroom. Fill those and take them too.’

‘Thanks, Mum.’ Sarah found the polystyrene coolers on the top shelf. She quickly filled them with water and added them to the growing pile near the front door of the store.

Her father emerged from the rear of the shop, carrying a couple of boxes of health food bars.

‘These will help. The searchers will need to keep their strength up.’

Sarah nodded. ‘Trish is organising food. Sandwiches for lunch and—’

She stopped. What happened after lunch depended upon how well the searchers fared. Maybe they would have found the little girl by lunchtime, or maybe they would still be searching into the evening and night. Sarah didn’t want to even think about that possibility. One night in the bush was hard enough for a lost child. Two was almost unthinkable.

She opened the front door of the store just as two cars, both full of people, sped past in the direction of the park. The sun was only part way above the horizon, but the search teams were already gathering. She carried the first armload of supplies to the green station wagon parked at the kerb and was stowing them safely in the back, when she heard her father’s voice.

‘Hi, Doc.’

‘Hello, Ken. Sarah.’

Adam Gilmore was carrying a large first aid kit. He handed it to Sarah to put in the car.

‘I can’t come out,’ Adam said. ‘I have a patient at the hospital. An injured child and I can’t leave him. Everything you might need is in there. I’ll be close to the phone. You can get a message to me via radio to the Mount Isa police. Max and Dan know how.’

‘Thanks. With luck, we won’t need you,’ Ken said, causing Sarah to freeze.

‘Dad, you’re not going out there.’

‘Of course I am,’ her father replied. ‘They need all the help they can get.’

Sarah became aware of her mother standing in the doorway of the store. The big ginger cat was rubbing against her legs, demanding attention, but he was being ignored. Her mother’s eyes were fixed on the small group by the car, and her face was white with fear.

‘Dad. You’re not up to this. You have to look after yourself.’

‘There’s a lost child,’ Ken said in a firm voice. ‘They are going to need all the help they can get looking for her. I’m coming!’

Sarah looked at the doctor. ‘Please talk some sense into him, Adam.’

‘She’s right, Ken,’ Adam said slowly. ‘You’ve just finished chemo. You shouldn’t be stomping around in the bush. You need to rest.’

‘But I want to help!’

‘It won’t help if you collapse out there – then there’ll be two people needing to be rescued.’

Sarah saw her father’s shoulders sag at the harsh truth of it. Without a word, he turned and walked back, past his wife and into the shop. Gina threw a grateful look in Adam’s direction.

‘Take care out there,’ she told Sarah as she turned to follow her husband into the building.

Sarah blinked back a tear. She hated the truth of it as much as her father did. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder.

‘You were right,’ Adam said quietly. ‘He needs to take it easy.’

‘Adam,’ Sarah turned towards him. ‘How is he? Really? What are his chances?’

The doctor held her gaze for a few seconds. ‘Sarah, I’m going to be honest with you. His response to the chemo has been good, but it might not have been good enough. All we can do now is wait. He’ll have some more tests soon and we’ll have to wait and see what they show. If we’re lucky, we’ve beaten it. If not … well, let’s just say it’s a good thing you came home.’

Sarah bit back the fear and the pain. ‘Thanks for being honest with me.’

‘Of course. Now, when you get out there, tell Max that Jess will be taking the plane up when it’s full daylight. She’ll have Rachel Quinn with her acting as spotter. A plane isn’t as good as a chopper in these circumstances, but there isn’t a chopper anywhere close. The plane is better than nothing. It’s worth a try, at least.’

‘I’ll tell him.’

Across the road, the front door of the pub swung open to reveal Trish Warren. She waved at Sarah.

‘Trish looks like she’s ready to load the food for the searchers,’ Sarah said.

‘I won’t hold you up,’ Adam said.

Sarah started the car and swung it across the road, to where Syd was carrying boxes and Eskys down the stairs.

‘It should all fit on the back seat,’ Sarah said.

It was a tight fit, but eventually they had all the food and even more water on board. Water was the key to survival in the outback. Sarah didn’t want to think about that little girl who was without it.

‘Good luck,’ Syd said as he opened the passenger door for his wife. ‘I’ll be standing by the phone. Tell Max he can route all calls through me and I’ll make sure the messages get to wherever they need to go.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Trish said, grasping his hand. ‘We’ll find her.’

Sarah watched the exchange between the pair, marvelling at the obvious affection between them even after what must have been several decades of marriage. When she was married, that’s the sort of marriage she wanted. The sort of marriage her parents had. Then she remembered her mother’s face. Her father’s illness was taking a huge toll on the woman who had loved him for so many years. Sarah blinked back the tears again.

She hopped behind the wheel of the car, barely waiting until Trish was comfortably settled beside her before accelerating away from the town.

She sped past Pete’s truck which was parked facing north, the direction he should have gone last night.

It looked like he was once again becoming a knight in shining armour for a little girl. She only hoped that Sir Knight would really come to the girl’s rescue.

The little boy’s eyes were huge and red ringed from crying. He sat on the steps of the motorhome, watching as the searchers began gathering. Pete’s heart went out to him. He stepped away from the others for a few minutes, and walked over to crouch down beside the boy.

‘You haven’t found her yet, have you?’ The boy’s voice wavered.

‘Not yet. But we haven’t given up. Not by a long shot. We’re just getting ready to start an even bigger search.’

‘It’s all my fault.’ The little boy’s voice broke and fresh tears ran down his face.

Pete resisted the urge to gather the crying boy in a hug. ‘I’m Pete,’ he said. ‘You must be Dustin.’

The boy nodded, sniffing.

‘Well, Dustin, tell me why you think it’s your fault?’

‘Mum and Dad were arguing. They were yelling at each other a lot so we went outside. Renee was really upset. She gets like that when Mum and Dad fight. I tried to distract her and said we should play hide and seek. She’s not very good at it and the first time I found her really really fast. I told her she had to try harder.’

‘Ah. And you think that’s why she’s lost?’

Dustin nodded, biting his lower lip in an effort not to cry.

‘You know, Dustin. I don’t see it quite like that.’

‘You don’t?’ The tiny voice quivered a little.

‘No. Let me guess … Renee is always getting into trouble for wandering off, isn’t she? She’s inquisitive. Likes to explore and look at new things.’

The boy nodded.

‘And I bet she doesn’t play one game for very long before she wants to do something else.’

Another nod.

‘Well, there you go. I bet she saw something. Maybe a pretty bird. Or even a kangaroo. And she forgot about playing hide and seek and went to look at it. That’s how she got lost.’

The small tear-stained face that looked up at him was hopeful. ‘Do you really think so?’

‘I know one thing for a fact, Dustin. It wasn’t your fault. Okay?’

This time the nod was a little more confident. ‘Can I help to look for her?’

Pete felt as if his heart was about to explode. Was this what being a father was all about? He could see the new hope in the boy’s eyes. Had he done that? And was it wrong to raise hopes that might yet be dashed? The boy’s sister might never be found; or she might be … He didn’t let his mind travel that road. He looked at Dustin who was bravely biting back his tears. Pete silently promised that he would be there for the boy as much as he could. If his parents were the kind who were too busy fighting to notice their kids, Pete would do whatever it took to make these next hours easier for Dustin. First he had to find Dustin something to do. Something that would make him feel like he was part of the rescue effort.

Sarah and Trish were at the other side of the campground. Someone had set up a trellis table in the shade of a small stand of gum trees. The two women were stacking boxes of food and water on the table and handing packages to the searchers who were getting ready to set out. Pete needed to start searching too. But there was something else he had to do first.

‘Come with me.’

Dustin jumped down off the stairs. Pete felt a small hand slide into his and he squeezed it as he led the boy across the campsite.

Sarah saw him coming and smiled. That smile lifted the weariness of a long night from his shoulders.

‘Dustin,’ he said, ‘this pretty lady is Sarah. Say hello to her.’

‘Hello.’

‘And this is Mrs Warren. She’s nice too.’

Trish reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair. ‘And I’m a pretty good cook. I think I may well have some home-baked cookies in one of these boxes, if you’d like one.’

Dustin nodded.

‘Dustin wants to help in the search for his sister,’ Pete said.

‘Oh, thank goodness.’ Trish caught on immediately. ‘I really do need help. There’s all this food and water to hand out to people. I need to be certain that everyone has some – including you, young man. And your mum and dad.’

‘They’re still asleep,’ Dustin offered. ‘I think they were up all night hoping Renee would come home.’

Pete caught Sarah’s eye and saw the sympathy there.

‘I think we should let them sleep for a while longer,’ Trish said. ‘Now, do you think you can help me get some more food from the car?’

‘Yes.’

‘Let’s go then.’

Trish and the boy moved off.

‘That was a very nice thing to do,’ Sarah said quietly. ‘That poor boy. His parents must be out of their minds with worry.’

‘I’d better get going now,’ Pete said.

‘I’ll come with you.’

‘You’re not staying here with Trish?’

‘No. I grew up around here. I know the country. I can be more use out there searching.’

Pete had to admit the sense of that. Sarah had obviously come ready to join the searchers. She was wearing jeans and strong hiking boots. Her hair was caught back in a ponytail, and an Akubra hat shaded her face. She may have spent those years in the city, but she still looked very much like she belonged in the outback.

‘Let’s go then.’

Dan was in the process of erecting a tent which would act as headquarters for the search. There were detailed maps of the park piled on a folding table. Max was handing them out to the teams of searchers, along with instructions regarding their specific search areas. At his side, Tia was noting down names and times in order to keep track of who was searching and where. Pete and Sarah waited their turn.

‘I’d like the two of you to head this way.’ Max ran his finger across the map. ‘Pete, when you were out last night you must have seen the gully here.’

Pete nodded.

‘It’s not a path, but it is easy to follow. Easier than walking through the undergrowth or over the rocks. She might have gone that way. It leads some distance, to a billabong. I need you to check that out.’

‘You don’t think she …’ Sarah started to say.

‘I don’t think anything,’ Max said. ‘If you see any tracks, be careful not to disturb them. If we haven’t found her by lunchtime, I’m going to call in a tracker.’

‘Are you carrying plenty of water?’ Tia asked.

Sarah nodded.

‘If you find her, she’ll be thirsty. Just give her small sips. Too much water too fast won’t help her,’ Max instructed.

‘I know.’ Sarah’s voice broke a little. ‘That poor little girl. Out there alone all night. She must be terrified.’

‘We’ll find her,’ Tia said firmly. ‘She’ll be all right.’

Sarah nodded and took a deep breath.

‘Right.’ Pete turned to go.

‘When you get back, make sure you check in with Tia again,’ Max added. ‘I don’t want to lose anyone else out there.’

As Pete and Sarah crossed the campground, the door of the motorhome opened. Mrs Haywood appeared, her blonde hair mussed with sleep, her eyes wide with fear.

‘Dustin!’ she almost screamed.

‘Mum.’ Her son ran to her and she enveloped him in a crushing embrace.

‘My heart just aches for those poor people,’ Sarah said under her breath. ‘I cannot imagine how hard this is for them.’

Mrs Haywood turned to lead Dustin back inside the motorhome. As he reached the top of the stairs, the boy turned and waved at Pete.

Pete waved back.

‘One day you’ll make a really good father,’ Sarah said.

He almost told her then. Told her about Linda and the baby. About the future he really didn’t want but couldn’t avoid. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then stopped himself. This was not the right time or place for that conversation. His problems were nothing beside the fate of a lost little girl.

‘Let’s just hope that today I make a really good searcher,’ he said as he led the way to the break in the trees where their path began.

The whole town had come to help. Or at least, that’s how it seemed to Tia. She had taken up her station underneath a military-style tent erected to shade the search centre from the sun. There was a makeshift table covered with maps and a clipboard on which she was recording all the people in the search, when and where they were going. And even more importantly, when they came back.

In one corner of the tent, Max had set up a radio, with which he could communicate with the outside world. It wasn’t quite as simple as it sounded. With no mobile phone service in this remote wilderness, Max would radio the police station in Mount Isa, who could then call the Coorah Creek Hotel on the phone and Syd would make sure any messages were delivered. Never before had she truly appreciated how useful mobile phones were.

Two more cars pulled into the camping area, which was now full of vehicles of every shape and size. She recognised Ed Collins from the garage. Three of her fellow mine workers got out of the second car. She glanced at her watch. They had probably just come off shift. Technically she should be going on shift now, but there was no way she was leaving this place until that little girl had been found … one way or the other.

The four men glanced about, obviously looking for direction.

‘Over here,’ she called. ‘First I need you to check in.’

‘Hi, Tia,’ Blue, her former driving instructor, said as he approached. ‘Any news?’

She shook her head. ‘Thanks for coming out, Blue. It works like this. I sign you in. Max will give you an area to search. When you come back, the first thing you do is come here to me so I can mark that you are back. We don’t need anyone else getting lost out there.’

‘Got it!’

‘See Trish before you go. Carry plenty of water. Make sure you keep some of it for the little girl, if you find her. Just have her sip the water slowly, okay. Not too much. It will make her sick. Trish will give you food too. Same rule.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Oh guys – the little girl – her name is Renee. Renee Haywood. She’s probably got a yellow teddy bear with her.’

The men shared a solemn look before they stepped over to the map table. Tia heard Max’s voice giving clear instructions about their search area and what to do if they found Renee. He also made sure they understood the need to be back by dark. The men listened carefully before setting off across the compound to get their supplies from Trish. A couple of minutes later, they vanished into the bush in the direction Max had sent them.

The campground was suddenly empty.

‘You’re pretty good at this.’ Max appeared at her side and handed her a bottle of water.

‘Thanks.’ She opened the bottle and took a long drink. It was almost the middle of the day. Despite the shade of the big gum tree above them, it was getting hot. Hot and dry. Her thoughts went out to that little girl, lost somewhere in that vast wilderness, with no water and no one to help her. For the thousandth time, Tia looked over at the motorhome. The door was shut, the family hiding inside. Didn’t those parents care at all about their little girl?

‘Don’t judge them too harshly,’ Max said as if he had been reading her thoughts.

‘How can they sit there in all that air-conditioned luxury? If it was my child, I wouldn’t rest until I found her.’

‘They have a boy to take care of. They can’t leave him alone. And, quite frankly, they are both so shattered they would be more of a hindrance than a help out there. I’m glad they’re staying put. I don’t want to waste time and energy that is more needed elsewhere.’

Tia glanced up at Max’s face. He looked tired. She knew he hadn’t slept much last night, if at all. He’d been running this search since daybreak without taking a break.

‘I don’t know how or why someone like you ended up in this small town,’ she said. ‘But they are very lucky to have you.’

‘I’m actually very glad to be here,’ Max said. ‘Just look at how many helpers we have. This is a good place, full of good people. Although it wasn’t exactly the career path I had planned.’

‘Really?’ Tia feigned surprise. ‘I thought being the only lawman in a town in the middle of nowhere was every young cop’s dream.’

‘I did something stupid,’ Max said. There was no regret in his voice. If anything, she thought she heard just a hint of humour. As if he was laughing at his younger self.

‘You can’t leave it at that,’ she said. ‘Tell all, Sergeant.’

‘It really was stupid,’ Max said. ‘It was back in Brisbane. I pulled over a drunk driver in a really fast car and booked him. I knew who he was, but I still booked him.’

‘Who was it?’

‘The Minister for Police.’

‘Oops.’ Tia felt her shoulders shaking. She didn’t try to hold back the chuckle. ‘I can see why that wouldn’t help your career.’

‘The next day the Commissioner suggested he could squash the ticket, but I would have none of it.’

‘Squashing a ticket isn’t exactly corruption.’

‘Yes, it is.’ The certainty in his voice was like a solid rock in the midst of a stormy sea. ‘It may be a small step over the line, but it’s still wrong. If I had it to do over again, I would do exactly the same thing.’

‘You really are an honest cop, aren’t you? I haven’t met too many of those.’

He looked down at her, his brown eyes thoughtful. ‘Yes. I really am. And so are a lot of others. But that’s not how you see the police, is it? What happened to you to make you think so badly of us?’

Tia hesitated. Here in the strangely intimate setting of an army tent in the middle of nowhere, in the midst of a life or death hunt for a lost child, something had happened. Max had opened up to her in a way she suspected he never had to the townsfolk of Coorah Creek. He obviously felt a need to keep a small amount of distance between himself and the townspeople. Even those he counted as friends. That made sense, given the fact that one day he might have to arrest some of them, or at least book them for speeding. But for some reason, he wanted to get closer to her. That was perhaps the best compliment anyone had ever given her.

It was her turn now. She should open up to him and for the first time in her adult life, she actually wanted to talk about her past. Max was a kind and gentle man and he would understand. He wouldn’t judge her. Maybe she could tell him everything – about the squats and the men, the crimes she had committed and the gun. Perhaps doing that would somehow set her free of her past.

As he stood there, waiting with infinite patience, she reminded herself that above all other things, Max was a cop. An honest cop. If he wouldn’t forgive a drunk driver to save his own career, how could he ever forgive her? How could he forgive her involvement in the murder of one of his own?

‘It’s all right,’ his voice was soft. ‘You don’t have to say anything right now. When you’re ready to talk, I’m ready to listen.’

‘And what if you hear things an honest cop can’t ignore?’

‘Then we’ll deal with them. You and I. Together. There may have been bad things in your past, Tia, but you’re not a bad person. That’s all I need to know.’

Tears pricked her eyes. It was so tempting simply to let go and tell him everything. But she couldn’t. If Max knew everything, he couldn’t just ignore it. He’d have to act on what he knew. She’d probably go to prison, and the mere thought of that was enough to terrify her. But that’s not what stopped her. Telling Max what was hidden in that rucksack in her trailer would set him on a dangerous course. He would have to act on the knowledge and if he did, he could get hurt … or worse. She couldn’t be responsible for that.

‘Now, you two, I’m about to head back to town.’ Trish suddenly appeared, breaking the moment, for which Tia was at once both profoundly sad and also very grateful.

‘Those searchers are going to need some substantial food when they get back. Particularly if the search is going to go into the night and tomorrow. Syd has been getting the next load ready back at the pub. Max, could you just use your radio to let him know I’m on the way. He’ll know what to do.’

‘I will,’ Max said.

‘But you haven’t got a car,’ Tia said without thinking. ‘You came with Sarah.’

‘I’ll take her car,’ Trish said. ‘There’s plenty of room in that for the stuff I need to bring back.’

‘Shouldn’t you ask …’ Tia’s voice trailed off at the look of puzzlement on Trish’s face.

‘Why would I bother her? She’s busy searching. She won’t mind. That’s how we are out here.’ Trish paused and fixed Tia with her steely grey eyes. ‘When you are part of this community – you’re part of a family. We all pitch in and help each other. You should have learned that today.’

With a wave, Trish spun on her heel and headed for the row of parked cars.

‘And I suppose everyone leaves their keys in the ignition too,’ Tia said.

‘I do tell them not to, but …’ Max smiled and shrugged.

It was so easy out here. Tia thought about the night she had stolen the Harley and headed west. Her hands had been shaking when she lifted the keys from the pocket of Andrew Kelly’s leather jacket. It would have been so much easier if he’d left them in the ignition. But those keys weren’t the only things she’d stolen that night. She thought about the rucksack hidden in her trailer and felt a shiver of fear, despite the heat of the day.

With Trish behind the wheel, Sarah’s car pulled away, swerving to avoid a truck that was approaching.

‘That will be Justin and Carrie with the horses,’ Max said. ‘That’ll be a big help. I’ll quickly call Syd while they unload. Then we should get them underway to take advantage of the rest of the daylight.’

Before he could move, a sound overhead caused both of them to look up. A light aircraft swooped fairly low over their location and began to bank into a tight circle.

‘That’s Jess and Quinn,’ Max said. ‘They might see something from the air. Keep a close ear on the radio. Jess will circle the search area a few times and if she doesn’t see anything, she’s going to head to Warrina Downs.’

‘What’s that?’

‘It’s a cattle property a couple of hours south-west of here. Big one. There’s a large aboriginal community there. And the best tracker in Queensland.’

‘Max,’ Tia said softly. ‘What are our chances of finding her … You know …?’

He reached out to grip her hand. ‘We’ll find her, Tia. I won’t leave this park until we do. As for the other … I guess if you believe in God, now would be a good time to talk to him.’

There was a shout from the direction of the horse truck. Max held her hand for a few seconds longer, then squeezed it and turned away.