“Dot, turn your back,” Brandon stated. “We’re going to help him remember.”
“No! Truly. Look at my phone. It’s in my pocket.” The man’s eyes widened and his voice shook.
Darcy had an awful feeling he was just another Stonefish lackey. He dug out the phone, flicked through the messages. The most recent one said,We have her.
The rain was a deluge now, soaking Darcy to the skin. This kind of rain would cause a flash flood. “Where have they taken her?”
The man shook, but whether it was from the cold or fear Darcy didn’t care.
“This rain causes flooding,” Darcy said. “If your people don’t realise, they could be in real danger.”
“All I know is the person who took her knows the Ridge. He’s been staying there for months.” He deflated before Darcy’s glare, and Darcy remembered where he’d seen him. At the Ningaloo Café talking with Cheryl and Jay.
Fuck. “Jay.” It had to be. Maybe he’d lied about the four-wheel drive. Darcy ran for his ute, Brandon on his heels. He peeled out of the car park, fishtailing on the slippery road. “Call Faith back,” Darcy said. “Tell her Jay is behind it.”
The streets were empty, and the rain already sat in puddles on the road. He had to get out of town before the road into town flooded. He pressed his foot closer to the floor. If Lara was still near the ridge in this weather, she’d be in real danger.
***
Faith paced the kitchen as the rain pelted the tin roof. Darcy had hung up on her and hadn’t answered her return call. No news from Matt or Amy yet. She couldn’t stay here waiting, but someone needed to be here in case Stonefish rang with demands.
Lee ran up on to the porch, shaking the water off himself. “Hey, Faith. Crappy weather today.”
“Lee, I’m sorry. Now’s not a good time.”
His face fell. “What’s wrong?”
“Lara’s missing.”
His mouth dropped open.
Her phone vibrated in her hand, startling her. Brandon. “Any news?”
“We think Jay took her,” Brandon said. “The guy I met with said the kidnapper had been staying at the ridge for a while.”
Her gaze darted to Lee. “I’ve got Lee right here.” He’d been a regular guest since they opened as well.
“No, Jay would have recognised him. There was no four-wheel drive.”
It made sense, but she kept her eye on Lee as she said, “Let me call Matt.” She hung up and the next call went straight to message bank. Matt was out of range, but if she radioed him, Jay would hear. She had no other choice.
The knife block sat next to the radio on the kitchen bench. A weapon if she needed it. “Matt, do you copy?”
“Yeah, what have you got?”
She glanced at Lee. “We think the person who took Lara was staying on the station for quite some time.”
Lee’s eyebrows raised, and he shifted. Faith’s fingers edged towards the knife, and Lee held up his hands. “It wasn’t me.” His gaze was steady, calm, with no fear or concern in them.
Odd, but she believed him. “Lee says it wasn’t him.”
A long pause and Faith held her breath. What if Jay attacked Matt? The heavy drops of rain on the roof created a racket, and she held the radio up to her ear. Finally Matt came back on. “Jay admitted to it. He left her tied up in the cave in the gully. I’m heading there now, but I’m pretty far to the south. The water’s got to be rising.” In the background Jay’s panicked voice called, “I didn’t know.”
Horror filled her. Lara would drown. “I’m on my way.”
She thrust her phone at Lee. “Call Brandon back. Tell him Lara was left in the cave in the gully. Darcy knows which one I mean. I’m going there now. I’ve got a radio if they need to contact me.”
Lee nodded. “Be careful.”
