Chapter 1
“You’ll regret arresting me.”
Sergeant Dot Campbell stared coolly at the short, tattooed man in handcuffs next to her.Kurt Webb’s threats were nothing she hadn’t heard before, though this man was further up the chain of the Stonefish crime syndicate than others she’d arrested.Maybe he had more sway, but right now she was too exhausted to care.Battling back her urge to collapse into the nearest seat, she turned to the officer in charge at the Carnarvon Police Station.“Do you need anything else from me?”
He shook his head.“We’ll take it from here.”
Dot nodded and walked outside, taking a deep breath of the warm afternoon air as she slid on her sunglasses.It did nothing to clear the heaviness in her eyes, or the fog from her brain.
What a day.
She tugged at her black hair, the fact that she could reminding her that she was overdue a haircut.It was no longer pixie short, more reminiscent of a messy yeti, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a day off.She sighed as she checked her messages.They’d found the two boys Kurt had kidnapped, doctors had assessed both and the boys were safe at home.No news on her friend, Senior Constable Nhiari Roe, though.She’d taken a suspect into custody and Lee had overpowered her and take her hostage.Guilt filled Dot.She should have been with Nhiari, should have never let her go off with only civilians as backup.It didn’t matter that two of those civilians were ex-military.
Dot’s friend Georgie swore Lee was on their side, but Dot wasn’t convinced.Search and rescue were already mobilising to start the search of the ranges for Nhiari at first light tomorrow.
When would this end?
It had been six months of madness; sabotage, kidnapping, animal smuggling, poaching, and murder.What would be next?Frustration gnawed at her as she climbed into the police car.They had nothing but a name—Stonefish Enterprises.No one person to pin this on.Every time they got close, their lead was killed or disappeared.Stonefish was making a mockery of her and her town.
They hadn’t even apprehended the schoolteacher, Miss Simpson, who had hidden the fact that the boys had been kidnapped.
Maybe Dot had been away from the city too long.She’d honed her skills razor sharp there.She had hated living in Perth, but it had made her a damned good cop.
Or at least she’d thought it had.
Dot drove to the petrol station, which was on her way out of town.The three-hour drive back to Retribution Bay would give her plenty of thinking time.Perhaps she’d come up with something she had missed.
After she paid for her fuel and a corn jack to keep the hunger at bay, she headed outside.Waiting in line behind her police car were two more cars; a small, white hatchback, and behind it, a large four-wheel drive.Dot made eye contact with the driver of the hatchback, her hand raised in apology for the delay, and met the startled, wide-eyes of Myra Simpson.
Dot smiled.Finally, something had gone right today.
She strode around to the driver’s side window and waited for Myra to lower it.“Afternoon, Miss Simpson.Going somewhere?”
Myra swallowed audibly, her brown ponytail bobbing.“Ah, yeah.Just got news my mother is ill in hospital.”She dabbed at her mascara-smeared eyes.
“I’m sorry to hear that.Which hospital?”
“Ah, Royal Perth.”
“You’re driving all the way to Perth tonight?”
She nodded.
“Surely it would be quicker if you waited for the early morning flight.”
“I, ah, couldn’t get a ticket.”
Lie.When Dot had been to the airport yesterday to check on the supplies being flown in, someone had mentioned people had been cancelling their tickets to deal with the aftermath of the late season storm which had significantly damaged the town.“I need you to come to the station for questioning.”
“What about?”
Dot raised an eyebrow and Myra’s hands clenched the steering wheel, her gaze darting around, looking for an escape.Dot resisted reaching in and turning off the car.“We need to discuss what happened with your students, Jordan and Cody.”
Myra slumped back in her seat.“All right.”She seemed to have already forgotten about her sick mother.
The four-wheel drive behind them reversed, ready to move into the bay alongside, tired of waiting.Shit.“Pass me your keys.”
Myra hadn’t noticed the clear escape route behind her.She handed over the keys, and Dot exhaled as the cool metal hit her palm.“We’ll take my car.”She stood blocking the escape route behind them, but Myra could still choose to run for it.Not that there was anywhere to run to.Bush surrounded the petrol station and Myra wasn’t dressed for a sprint, still wearing the skirt, blouse and small heels she’d worn to school that morning.
