Chapter 6
EVAN
A stretch of farmland, where an old iron clothesline stood crookedly on a hill, festooned with sun-faded socks.
A group of Shetland ponies grazing in the shade of a pear tree.
Hand-painted signs urging drivers to slow down and watch for wildlife.
The bridge to Redbelly Crossing township wasn’t visible through the tree line until I was almost on it, white-painted wood and steel frame, bare boards that drummed under the car.
I looked across the river and saw the pub, with its striped corrugated-iron awnings and high sandstone chimneys.
There was a pair of squad cars and a forensics van parked at the roadside.
The entire outdoor seating area was closed off with police tape.
I came down onto the main road and spotted Louis Dodge pacing in front of the police tape, tapping out a message on his phone.
I parked across the street from the pub and walked over.
The portly, round-faced sergeant from Wisemans glanced up when he heard my footfall in the gravel, seemed relieved to see a familiar face.
‘Oh, Evan. Hey.’
‘How bad is it?’
‘Pretty bad.’
‘Who was she?’
‘Chloe Lutz. From Sydney.’
‘What was she doing here?’
‘Dunno. But because she’s from the big smoke, they’re sending me a detective from there. Guy should arrive any second.’ Dodge looked at me, paused the texting. ‘Happened last night, we think. They found her this morning. Are you just passing through town, or …?’
‘Hayley asked me to come on to it as lead of the local team.’
Dodge dropped his hands by his sides. ‘Why would that be?’
‘Why do you think?’ I said. ‘She’s trying to get rid of me, and this is the only way she sees how.’
Dodge’s meaty face twitched with conflicting emotions.
Anger, frustration, nervousness at the idea that whatever he said now might make it back to Hayley, our shared superior.
He was a rule-follower, Louis Dodge. A respecter of rank.
It was part of the reason he’d come up to sergeant as fast as he had, in a region where nothing happened and there was no opportunity to prove your skills and get promoted out. ‘Seems almost like—’
‘Like what?’ I asked. Like a reward for bad behaviour, I thought. Dodge could read the words in my eyes. He turned and eased a sigh. ‘Nothing.’
‘You’ll still be needed. Everyone will. I’ll make sure the detective knows you’re number three when he gets here,’ I said.
‘Uh-huh. Thanks.’
‘No worries.’
‘Speaking of which …’ Dodge wiped his brow on his hairy forearm. ‘Did you say to me once that your dad’s a cop?’
I ignored the question, having had more than enough talk of my father for the day and wanting to get a jump on the case. ‘I’m gonna go take a look.’
‘Because the name I have for the guy who—’
‘The hotel rooms are up top, yeah?’
‘Ah, well—’ Dodge put a hand on my arm. ‘It’s a closed scene, Evan.’
‘Not for me, it’s not.’ I walked off.