“The boat doesn’t have a registration number on it,” Faith noted.
“Do you think he’s staying on one of the islands?” Amy asked.
“No,” Matt answered. “Georgie and I went looking for the shipwreck a couple of weeks back. If he’d been there then, he had the perfect opportunity to get rid of us.”
Goosebumps rose to her skin. They’d been focused on the seabed, not their surroundings. Even if they’d heard a boat coming, they wouldn’t have thought it brought danger.
“No more investigating,” Brandon announced. “No looking for smugglers, or for treasure.”
Lara made a sound of protest.
“He’s right, pumpkin,” Darcy said. “Until they’re caught, it’s too dangerous. Georgie and Matt have been lucky so far. If the smugglers they caught had been higher up the chain of command, they could have been in worse trouble.”
“But we’re so close,” Lara whispered under her breath.
Georgie smiled at her optimism.
“We should buy some drones,” Amy said. “Use them to check the areas we’re working in before we go in. That way we won’t accidentally run into them.”
“Do we have the funds?” Faith asked.
“I know a couple of guys,” Georgie said. “They’ll lend theirs to me.”
“Of course you do,” Matt said, squeezing her hand and smiling.
“Not jealous anymore?” she teased.
“Not when you’re next to me.”
Georgie kissed him and stretched. “I’ll chat to Declan about the danger on Monday. They might have some contingencies.” The events of the day were beginning to catch up on her. She felt sweaty and dusty and vulnerable. She stood. “I need a shower before Dot and Nhiari get here.”
Matt nodded. “Have a nice soak.”
He wasn’t joining her. Maybe he wasn’t quite comfortable with the situation, or maybe he wanted to speak to her brothers privately. “No discussing what’s best for me without me here.”
Matt grinned. “I wouldn’t dare.”
As she left the house, she took a moment on the verandah and scanned her surroundings. A grey nomad couple were setting up their caravan across the way, Bennett lay sprawled in the shade of the sheds panting, Maggie was hiding from some kids underneath another caravan and they were trying to tempt the kangaroo out, and Flotsam and Jetsam grazed around the horse yard. It was a normal Saturday afternoon, so why didn’t she want to step off the verandah?
There were plenty of places for a gunman to hide. Inside the machinery shed, behind the tack shed, hell he could be lying wait in her room or if he had a long range rifle, perched on top of the sand dunes behind the house.
She was letting her imagination get the better of her. He would be hiding waiting for the police to clear the scene.
Taking a breath, she trotted down the steps and across the red dirt to Matt’s room where she’d left her bag. Her muscles were tight, waiting to hear the loud crack of a gunshot. She threw open his door and hurried inside, slamming it behind her.
Safe.
She rubbed her arms and quickly got some clothes from her bag. Maybe Matt should move into the homestead. There was a spare room and he’d be surrounded by family, not on his own out here. It would be safer.
With her things prepared, she rushed over to the small bathroom and shut herself inside, and then checked the cubicle to ensure it was empty before locking the door.
She let out a shaky breath and turned on the water. It was ridiculous. Would the man really come after them now? The damage was done. He’d shot three people in cold blood. He wouldn’t hang around.
She stripped and stood under the cool spray, letting the water wash away the dirt and the sweat. As she closed her eyes she saw Jerry’s body lying bleeding in the dirt.
She shook the image away. It seemed surreal that only a few weeks ago he was trying to charm his way into her apartment.
Now he was dead.
