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  Well, well, well. Nerve endings fired all over Connor’s body.

  Drusilla Porter and Zayed Al Tayer were known to each other.

  Just how well, he was going to find out.

  Chapter 9

  In the days that followed it seemed like wherever Dru turned, someone was in her face and wanting something from her. All she wanted to do was graph the termite mounds. She’d changed to day shift and it seemed her mornings and nights had been filled with phone calls and meetings.

  Nothing out of the usual had been discussed when she’d driven off site to attend the weekly Aboriginal meeting at Wipporing. So much for Rocky’s assertions about changes in the wind. The meeting was just a laid-back chat over the usual cup of tea.

  While she’d been off site and her phone out of range, Mum and Ellie had both left messages about setting up a ‘family chat’. And Emma had called this morning as Dru was about to leave for work, demanding to know where she had been for the last three weeks because Mum was worrying about not hearing from her.

  The fingers of anxiety that were always inside Dru tightened their relentless grip as she pressed her phone against her ear. ‘Hello, I have a job, remember . . . and I’ve been on nights a lot. You know, work at night, sleep in the day,’ she said to Emma. Even though she was ready for work and had half an hour to spare, her words were clipped. ‘I’m about to leave to catch the bus now.’

  ‘Okay, no need to be snarky. I know all about shift work. But look, just give Mum a quick call and let her know you’re okay. Please.’ Emma’s voice was calm and measured and the usual spike of guilt tangled with Dru’s anxiety.

  ‘All right.’

  ‘She worries about you.’

  ‘There’s no need for anyone to worry. I’m a big girl now.’

  ‘You know that, and I know that, but you’ll always be Mum’s baby. She’d been so well lately, I don’t want her to worry about anything.’

  ‘Okay. I’ll call tonight.’ Dru clenched her jaw and attempted to inject some interest into her voice. ‘So how’s things with you?’

  ‘Busy. Like you. Jeremy’s been away up at the Cape for a week, and the clinic’s been hectic.’ Dru couldn’t help smiling as Emma’s laugh tinkled down the phone line. ‘Sorry, I have to go. George is coming across the river. And Dru?’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Love ya.’

  ‘Yeah. Whatever. I’ll ring later.’

  Tears pricked Dru’s eyes as Emma hung up. Discomfort—or guilt—settled in her chest; any talk of love made her uncomfortable. If Mum and Emma and Ellie knew what had happened last year, they’d worry about her even more. Mum would have another nervous breakdown, and Dru didn’t want that on her conscience. She could handle it herself. So maybe she was the bitch of the family. That’s just the way it was.

  The past few years had been so lonely until she met Megan in Dubai, and she’d been the first person that Dru had let breach her defences since Dad. At uni, the tag ‘ice queen’ had suited Dru fine. She’d focused on her studies and even though she’d joined what everyone called the high risk clubs—abseiling, rock climbing, sky diving, rodeo riding—she’d mostly kept her distance from her fellow adventurers. She knew she’d earned the same nickname here at Matsu. She smiled grimly. At least she was consistent.

  If no one got close she couldn’t lose them.

  Okay, so lonely was not good, but it was safe and she should have stayed there; accepting Meg’s overtures of friendship had been a huge mistake. It had opened a door to her emotions, and look where that had ended up. For a few months Dru had let go of the bone-chilling emptiness that she carried within and her heart had unfurled like a flower in the desert heat. Not only friendship with Meg but a whole new world had opened up when she met Zayed at a function for new staff not long after she’d started her contract.

  It had been more than a physical attraction that had led to her downfall, and it wasn’t love but trust that had been a huge part of it. Dru had been trying to make sense of where Zayed had figured in her life when her whole world had come crashing down around her.

  She should have kept doing what she’d always done and used her loneliness and emptiness as a shield. She should have stuck with her usual reticence—ice queen, bitchiness, whatever—call it what you like.

  It was safe.

  If she’d done that she wouldn’t be hiding in another desert thousands of kilometres away.

  Don’t think about it.

  ‘Dru? You home?’ Dru put her hand to her chest as she jumped up. Someone was knocking at the door. She’d been miles away.

  ‘Who is it?’ Damn, she hated this jumpiness. It was time to pull up her big girl panties and get over it.

  ‘It’s Adam.’

  She crossed the room and opened the door. Adam Hennessey was waiting on the path at the bottom of the steps.

  ‘Hi, Dru. I hope you don’t mind me catching you so early. I checked your roster and saw you were on day shift.’ He smiled and looked up at the clear sky. ‘Gonna be a hot one today. The heat’s coming quickly this wet season.’

  ‘Looks like it.’

  ‘I wanted to run that favour by you I mentioned the other night. I’ve been working around the clock and haven’t had a chance to catch up with you.’

  ‘What sort of favour?’

  ‘I know you drive to Kununurra to catch the plane to Darwin. Are you heading back there later this week?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said slowly. Last thing she wanted was to give someone a lift and have to make conversation for two hours. She thought quickly, searching for an excuse.

  ‘Do you have much time in Kununurra before your flight?’

  ‘Yeah, I’ll be there overnight Friday. My flight goes out at one on Saturday.’

  ‘I was wondering if you’d have time to do some shopping for me. I’m stuck on site for an extra week.’ Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. ‘Look, it’s my wife’s birthday in a couple of weeks and all she’s been talking about is this amazing stuff they sell at the diamond gallery in Kununurra. She even wanted me to take her there for a holiday.’

  ‘Jewellery?’ Dru stared at the handful of fifty dollar notes that Adam held out to her.

  ‘No, it’s this exclusive face cream. Four hundred friggin’ bucks. She read about it in the Qantas magazine last time we flew to Bali, and she’s been on about it ever since. I’m sure it’s an advertising scam but I know she really wants it. It’s supposed to be a paste made out of diamonds that is a skin rejuvenator.’

  Dru couldn’t hold back the laugh that bubbled up in her chest. ‘Diamond face cream? Four hundred dollars. Are you serious?’

  ‘Yup, and only available at Pentecost River Fine Diamonds in Kununurra. I can get it online but Cathy would see the online banking record. I want it to be a surprise.’ He held out the notes. ‘I have no other reason to go to Kununurra. Do you mind picking up a jar for me?’

  ‘Yeah, I can do that. But I won’t be back here for two weeks.’

  ‘That’s okay. Her birthday isn’t for a few weeks. I really appreciate it, Dru. She’s a pretty special person.’ His voice softened and he held her gaze steadily. ‘Gets a bit hard for the wife and family with me living up here. And since I won’t be home for her birthday, it’s the least I can do.’

  ‘Of course I’ll get it. I’ll have plenty of time.’ As Dru took the notes and looked down at the wad of cash in her hand, the door to the next apartment opened and Connor stepped out and locked the door behind him. She hadn’t realised he was next door to her. That donga had been empty for a couple of months and she hadn’t heard anyone moving about in there.

  ‘Morning.’ He nodded at them both before he headed across the narrow road to the small staff car park.

  ‘Morning.’ Dru shot Connor a tight smile and waited until he was out of earshot before she turned back to Adam. ‘Want it gift-wrapped?’

  This time the grin was sheepish. ‘Yes please.’

  ‘Four hundred dollars
!’ She shook her head. ‘It must be good stuff. Maybe I’ll have to try it.’

  ‘I’ll let you know if it works. Thanks, Dru, I really appreciate it.’

  Dru went back inside and put the money into the side of the bag she was taking home with her.

  She shook her head again as she pulled on her workboots and headed for the staff bus.

  Bloody hell, she thought. Not even Meg would spend four hundred dollars on a jar of face cream.

  By the time the bus reached the small building where the rehabilitation team was based, Dru was focused on the day’s tasks ahead. They’d made a lot of progress on the area between the processing plant and the tailings dam, and she wanted to draw up a schedule of work for the upcoming shifts while she was off. The focus for the coming dry season was to prepare the terraces where the open cut mining had destroyed the habitats and creeks. There was an expert on local flora flying in from Darwin to look at the site this week.

  She looked across past the temporary staff shed that had been set up when they started work in this area. The team was already halfway down the hill working in the heat.

  Rocky was sitting in the small kitchenette when she pushed open the door.

  ‘Morning, boss.’ He raised his coffee cup in greeting. ‘Kettle’s hot.’

  Dru looked across to the small meeting room adjacent to the kitchen. ‘The crew’s out early today.’ Many of the labourers were Indigenous and drove in from Wipporing where Rocky lived.

  ‘Yeah, they’ve been out there for a while.’ Rocky watched as she put a tea bag in the cup that had BOSS written on it. ‘They’re all ready for the change of shift this afternoon.’

  ‘And you’re not?’

  ‘Nuh, I’m going to hang around for a few more days. I want to see that plant bloke as much as you do. See if he’s the expert he’s supposed to be.’ Rocky’s grin was wide.

  ‘First time you’ve been interested in plants that I can recall.’ Dru raised her eyebrows as she opened the fridge and grimaced. ‘No milk?’

  ‘Nup. Have to have it black.’ He stared at her over the rim of his cup. ‘Are we having a meeting today?’

  ‘Yes, that’s why I was hoping I’d catch everyone. Never mind. At morning tea break will do.’ She pulled up a chair and grinned at him. ‘So how come you’re really hanging around?’

  ‘Family’s gone away to Wyndham fishing, and there’s a few things I want to do over at the dam.’

  Dru blew on the steaming liquid and waited for it to cool. ‘What things?’ She hadn’t mentioned her plans to work on the terraces to any of the staff yet.

  ‘Don’t worry. Nothing to do with the mine or your work. It’s on the land on the other side of the boundary. There’s a few stands of vegetation over there that are seeding, and I’m going to collect the seeds.’

  ‘What? You’re collecting seeds?’ Dru took a gulp of her tea and cursed as it burnt her mouth. ‘Shit, that’s hot.’

  ‘Yeah, what’s wrong with that?’ His lips were set in a thin line as he stared back at her. ‘Just because you’re the engineer with all the fancy university bits of paper, don’t think I don’t know what’s going on here. I’ve been here since day one of this place and I’m going to see that the right thing is done.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’ Dru put her hand up. ‘I didn’t mean anything like that. It’s just that I’ve never seen you out doing that sort of stuff.’

  ‘I’m one of the traditional owners of this land and I’ve got more interest in getting it back the way it was than any of these experts that come in their fancy suits.’ His voice was proud as he sat up straight in the chair. ‘Bloody condescending bastards. They think they make it right. Throwing money at us and sending our kids down to the university to learn about soil and all that shit. And the manthe? I’m sure most of them don’t understand its significance.’

  ‘Manthe? I’m sorry, I don’t know what that is.’ Dru kept her voice soft. She’d never seen Rocky fired up like this before. Something had obviously happened to upset him.

  He stared at her and his dark eyes were coal black. ‘That weekly ceremony you go to. The smoking ceremony when the mine staff “interacts” with my people every week.’

  ‘Oh, I didn’t know what it was called.’ Dru put her hand on his arm. ‘But I do know it’s part of the induction process for all new workers.’

  ‘Our senior people who perform the ceremony every week are traditional owners of the land, and they are “known” by the landscape, the Dreaming and the ancestral spirit beings within the landscape. The purpose of the manthe is to welcome the miners and ensure that they’re free to access the land and its resources.’ Rocky shook his head. ‘The company and the miners just don’t understand our relationship with the land.’

  ‘I’ve never seen you like this before. Every time we talk about what the mine is doing in the partnership deal, you’ve agreed. The pastoral lease, that’s on trust and all the restoration work that we’re doing, you’ve always seemed happy with it. How did your meeting go the other night?’

  ‘Yeah, it was fine.’

  ‘What’s upset you so much today, Rocky?’

  ‘Not what, who. Creeping Jesus, that’s who.’ He jutted his chin out and waved towards the door as a vehicle pulled up outside. His laugh was bitter. ‘Speak of the devil and he turns up.’

  Chapter 10

  The hostile atmosphere surrounded Connor as he pushed open the door and stepped into the small building.

  ‘Morning.’ He nodded at Rocky and then turned to Dru. ‘Morning, again. I wanted to see you at the plant before you came down here but I got caught up.’

  ‘Sticking your bloody nose in there, too,’ the older man muttered as he stood and pushed past them. Rocky Cardella was a different man away from a poker game.

  Over the past three days, Connor had created a smokescreen by sitting through several meetings with other sections as they’d gone over the safety polices of the mine. He didn’t know how anyone did this sort of thing for a job. If he had a dollar for every time he’d said ‘safety policies and procedures are only effective if you make sure they are properly implemented and enforced’, he could probably retire. One good thing was that everyone seemed to accept he knew what he was talking about. All the department heads were eager to show off their compliance procedures. He didn’t mention the number of times he had seen them breached as he visited various sections of the plant. What the policies said and what the practices were appeared to be very different.

  There had been a spate of silly accidents over the past few weeks, but most department heads were still falling over themselves to convince him that the policies were in place. No one had been seriously hurt, but there had been an inordinate number of breakdowns and lost time.

  But Dru was in his sights today.

  ‘What’s wrong with him?’ Connor injected a light tone into his voice as the Aboriginal man slammed the screen door behind him.

  Connor had put a lot of thought into how he was going to deal with Dru without arousing her suspicions. Until he had proof that she was involved he was going to play it very cool. The first thing was to try and establish some sort of working relationship. And try to be amicable. It was normally hard for him to be sociable and friendly but he knew he had to do it. His usual cynicism about relationships and friendships had to be put on hold.

  He waited for her to answer.

  Her eyes were ice-blue, and this morning her long hair was braided and pinned to the back of her head beneath a baseball cap. She was a far cry from the elegant woman in the stiletto heels and slinky dress in the photographs he’d found on Friday night. After Connor had come across the first photograph, he’d searched other online magazines and hit the jackpot.

  Time Out Dubai had provided a wealth of information and several more photographs of Drusilla Porter with Al Tayer. She’d never been named in any of them, which was why the Google search hadn’t pulled her up. Once he’d stumbled on the first photo, he’d done an image searc
h on Al Tayer. He’d found photographs of Al Tayer in meetings in Dubai, and in two of them Dru had been sitting at the same long table. Made him wonder what a newly appointed environmental engineer would be doing in high-level meetings about an entertainment precinct.

  Dru’s husky voice brought him back to the woman standing in front of him.

  ‘Nothing. He’s just being Rocky. He’s a moody bastard. Don’t take it personally.’ Her words seem to serve as a warning for her own attitude. ‘So what can I do for you, Mr Kirk?’

  ‘Connor, please.’ He gestured to the kitchen. ‘Mind if I grab a coffee?’

  ‘Sure. Help yourself.’ She sat back and waited as he flicked the kettle on and searched for a cup on the shelf above the small sink. ‘There’s no milk.’

  He could feel her eyes on him as he waited for the water to boil, but when he turned around and carried the steaming drink across to the table, she was flicking through a bound document on the desk.

  ‘It’s all here ready for you.’ She pushed the booklet across the table, and her eyes challenged him.

  It would take balls to steal millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds, and she sure had them. When he reached for the file, she sat back and crossed her arms, her voice clipped and her expression closed. ‘It’s all there. I’ll leave you to read it while I get out to the team. We’ve got work to do.’

  Connor held up his hand. ‘That’s why I was trying to catch you before. I want you to take some time to go through the procedures with me.’

  ‘It’s all in there.’ Her voice was disinterested but Connor raised his eyebrows as he noticed her hands. They were clenched together and her knuckles were white.

  ‘We need to go through it.’ He shook his head slowly; he was going to enjoy this. ‘Together.’

  ‘All right. But let’s make it quick. I have work to do.’

  ‘I’m sure you do. But so do I.’ Connor lifted his cup and paused as he sipped at the coffee. ‘Bloody hell, that is hot.’ He crossed to the small sink and topped the coffee up with cold water from the tap. She could wait.