Body in the Gorge (Cockatoo Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) (7 page)

Becca grinned at him. “As much as I’d like that we don’t have any room here for a third person and its not necessary, there is two of us.”

I had an idea. “I think I’ll go and ask if we can put Cracker into the portable cage and place him outside our door for an early warning system.”

Becca clapped her hands. “That a great idea.”

I headed over to the house to ask Emma and Troy stayed with Becca at the caravan.

Emma came back with me, she was all flustered. “Oh my goodness what a terrible thing to happen on our property.”

Troy helped Emma to set up the cage outside the caravan door. I walked back with Cracker on my shoulder and he hopped into the smaller cage and sat up tall, looking as though he was quite happy to do Sentry Duty.

Emma looked pleased, “I’d offer the dogs too but I don’t think the rescue animals would be happy with them here so close. Are you right now girls, you make sure you lock your door, Good night.” Emma left for the house.

Troy gave Becca a quick hug and waved as he also left, his car was the last one to leave. I closed and locked the door.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A day to recover

The next day dawned with no further disturbances. We all slept in, including Cracker. By the time I woke up enough to open my eyes Becca was up and having breakfast. I sat up and yawned and stretched, “What are you doing?” I could see Becca was making a list. “We can’t shop today its Sunday!”

Becca added another item to her list. “ I know, this is not a shopping list, this is a suspect list.”

I rose out of bed and looked over Becca’s shoulder. Becca continued. “To get on my list the suspect has to have been in this area five years ago, strong enough to carry a body into the Gorge and be still here now if we accept that our caravan visitor is the killer.”

1. Boyfriend

2. Ranger Troy

3. Constable Chris

4. Chef George

5.Mr Brown Senior

6. Mr Brown Son

7. Helicopter Mechanic Randall

8. Pilot Jim

9. Madge’s husband

10. Emma’s family

I made myself some tea and poured a bowl of cereal and sat down to look at the list. “Oh surely not Troy or Chris.” I spluttered through a mouth full.

“Well I just wanted to write Troy’s name.” Becca blushed, I rolled my eyes. Becca crossed out numbers 2 and 3. “Well they fit the criteria but I agree this is our list so I’ll cross off number 10 as well, I can’t imagine anyone who takes such care of our wildlife being a killer of young girls. I’ll cross off Madge’s husband too I just remembered Madge saying he broke his leg badly about six years ago and was out of action for about a year. Thats why he has that limp. I’ll start a new list.” Becca tore up her list and started another one.

1. Boyfriend

2.Mechanic Randall

3. Mr Brown Snr

4. Chef George

5.Mr Brown son

6. Pilot Jim

Becca sat back. “I’ve put them in the order of most likely in my opinion.”

I pointed to number two. “This mechanic Randall have you noticed he’s always hanging around listening. I think I even saw him in the cafe in town after we were interviewed by the police. We didn’t know him then but I felt I’d seen him before the day we went on the helicopter ride.”

Becca looked shocked. “You are right, if he saw us looking at the photos from my camera maybe he decided he needed to see for himself especially if he heard us talking about the necklace. He may have forgotten all about that. The Browns were in town too they could have got all the information out of old Amelia.”

I sat back and shuddered. “If you go with your idea that the killer is the person who broke into here, then you have to cross off the two Browns as they all left early and the boyfriend hasn’t been sighted here for five years.”

Becca nodded. “Yes you are probably right the boyfriend is out because no one has seen him since, but I’m not ruling out the Browns, one of them would have been able to sneak back, after all their property is right next door even if that is a few kilometres away.”

Becca rose and tore up the new list and threw it in the bin too. “We don’t want any lists found here in case he comes back.”

After breakfast it was time to feed the animals again, it was very restful after the previous night. When that was finished Cracker hopped onto my shoulder and we all went over towards the farmhouse to help with the barbecue clean up to find only Emma at it, no sign of any men.

“Its amazing.” Emma said with a shrug. “How quickly men disappear when there’s cleaning to be done. Did you two get some sleep after all your troubles?”

I smiled. “Yes no more loud noises from Cracker, I slept well actually.”

Just then to prove me wrong Cracker started squawking and flapping his wing and jumping up and down I quickly moved him to the back of a chair, his claws really hurt when he got excited. We all turned to see what he was making such a fuss about.

Jim the pilot walked around the house and walked over to us. “Hi how are you all after last night, it was a great party.”

Emma responded. “We are all well just have a lot of cleaning up to do.” She looked at him hopefully.

Jim smiled back. “Actually I need to borrow some tools is Joe around?” Emma pointed to the back shed and went back to the clean up.

I looked at Becca. “Apparently this is women’s work in these parts.”

With all three of us working the place was soon neat and tidy again. We stopped for a well earned coffee, then Emma led us back to the wombat enclosure for the photo shoot. Whilst Becca took some photos in the enclosure of the little whiskery nose sticking out of the burrow. I helped Emma set up a temporary fence around a nice patch of grass, Emma pointed out some native grasses in the area which the wombat loves. Emma went in and managed to catch the wombat joey with Becca recording the whole thing.

I stroked the wombat’s fur whilst Emma had hold of the joey. I exclaimed, “the fur is so soft I was expecting it to be much coarser.”

Emma nodded, “I have never cared for the common wombat we don’t see them here but I believe the Northern hairy-nosed wombat has softer fur and bigger ears. There are so few left and this one is a female we have to take extra special care of her. They have set up a new area for them down south near St George to try and build up the numbers and to prevent complete extinction because of a disaster like fire in one area. So this girl will go there when she is ready for release.”

Emma placed the wombat onto the new patch of grass and Becca was waiting poised with her camera, but the subject was so delighted with the change of scenery and new grass clumps she took off with a gallop and raced around and round the fenced off area with Becca in pursuit. Emma and I enjoyed a good laugh and Cracker flapped his good wing and squawked in delight. Finally the little wombat settled down and as she munched away at the grass Becca was finally able to get some good close up shots of the baby. When Becca had enough, Emma gathered up the Wombat and took her safely back to her enclosure. We gathered some of the native grasses and put them in there for her to eat later.

Emma looked at her watch, “I have to go into town to pick up my daughter from the bus stop. She has been away at college doing a business course. You can use the temporary fence to photograph the wallaby if you like he could do with a hop around and a nibble on the grass too.”

We had a break for afternoon coffee, then Becca brought Magpie the wallaby out to the fenced patch. I settled down with my sketch pad and Becca took more photos of the wallaby when the wallaby wasn’t trying to get into her pullover. I was just finishing a sketch of the Wallaby when I heard a voice behind me.

“That’s good, the sketch captures it’s fragility.”

I turned around to see a young lady with long blond hair standing watching the activity. “You must be Carol, Emma told us about you, pleased to meet you.”

“Yes but please call me Caz it is bad enough having a Christmas birthday without being called Carol too!” Caz bent over to pat the Wallaby her necklace slipped out of her shirt. My eyes were attracted to the shiny silver and blue.

I moved closer. “That is a lovely necklace may I have a closer look.”

Caz moved closer and held out the necklace. “This is a boulder opal and silver one-of-a-kind necklace and earrings to match, my boyfriend gave them to me.”

I called to Becca. “Come and have a look at this lovely necklace and earrings Becca.”

Becca hurried over “Well that’s beautiful you have a generous boyfriend.” Becca took a photo of Caz.

Caz blushed, “yes Randall doesn’t say much but he is very sweet.”

I looked up “Randall the Mechanic?”

Caz smiled, “yes we only started going out together a few months ago, he gave me this for my birthday I haven’t told Mum they were from Randall yet, I don’t think she is too keen on Randall.”

Becca and I locked eyes and nodded. “We won’t say anything, well I’ve got enough photos have you finished the sketch Chloe?”

I put my drawing things down and picked up the Wallaby. “I’ll put Magpie away, I will see you back at the Caravan.”

Caz turned and headed back to the homestead she waved. “Bye, I’d better go and help Mum.”

By the time I arrived back at the van Becca was on the phone to Constable Chris.

“I’m telling you the necklace is identical to Sally’s and there were only six made, all sold to one man. Her boyfriend is Randall the mechanic.” Becca rolled her eyes at me. “What do you mean you need more proof! Okay I’ll wait for a call from Detective Grant.” Becca put down the phone. She looked at me “They are not convinced, but I know you are thinking what I’m thinking. Caz could be the next victim!”

I plopped down on the seat. “Chris is right the earrings are not enough proof but what can we do?”

A roar of a powerful engine and a cloud of dust appeared coming down the long drive. “Is that Randall’s car.” Becca asked. “It does look like one I saw at the helicopter shed. Speak of the Devil.” I agreed. Becca jumped up. “I’m going to talk to young Randall.” Becca strode off, I hurried to catch up, I was worried about what she was going to say to him.

Becca reached Randall before he could get to the farmhouse door. “Well you do scrub up alright, I didn’t see you up close last night, you are much better looking without the grease,” Schmoozed Becca.

Randall eyed Becca warily. “Ma’am.”

Becca continued quickly. “Caz showed us her necklace, its just darling, I would love one like it myself, where did you get it?”

“Oh.” Stammered Randall. “Er, I got it off Jim, I found it in a box in a drawer, Jim said he didn’t need it, don’t tell Caz she thinks I bought it just for her.”

“Well where did he get it?” Becca insisted.

“I don’t know he said it was in the drawer a long time, he’d forgotten about it.” He brushed past Becca and climbed the stairs.

I grabbed Becca’s arm and pulled her away. “Come on let’s go and have a cuppa.”

As we headed away from the house Becca whispered. “Do you believe this guy?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “ He seemed genuine enough.”

Over another cup of coffee we talked it through but were no nearer knowing the truth. It was time again to feed the animals and Becca and I joined Emma to do the rounds. Becca cuddled the Quoll with the gloves on, as she fed it the bottle she turned to Emma. “Do you like Randall?” She asked.

Emma sighed. “I’ve sort of got used to him, usually he’s very quiet and polite, but he had a fight with Caz today, not sure why, but he left as I came out here to do the feeding. Just then Caz came riding by on a lovely bay horse.

She called out. “I am going for a ride Mum, I’ll be back by tea time.” She trotted off down the drive.

Emma smiled. “She always goes for a ride when she’s angry, she’ll come back in a better mood.”

After attending to the animals Emma headed for the farmhouse and a well earned rest. We found books to read and settled under the shade of the nearby gum tree. All of us, Cracker included dozed off in the warm humid afternoon with a lullaby of circada song and the occasional raucous call of a crow.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Missing

A loud screech from Cracker woke us up suddenly. Becca jumped up and was nearly knocked off her feet by Caz’s horse thundering past mane flying, saddle empty.

“Where’s Caz?” Becca shouted.

Emma and her husband Joe came running out of the house to see what the commotion was about. Joe took off after the horse to catch it before it was injured.

Emma came running over yelling at the Dogs to keep quiet. “Where’s Caz?”

We all looked down the drive to the road, but it was empty.

Becca took Emma by the shoulders. “You go and ring the neighbours, see if anyone has seen her. Chloe and I will go in the car searching, we will go west along the Gorge road. We’ll alert anyone we see. Your family can go across country, you have horses and quad bikes. We’ll meet back here at dark.”