‘It’s over one hundred years old, so I’d guess it was. They would have got the rock from around here. This crime scene I went to last week—the mine was under an overhanging rock, chiselled out between the ridges of granite. Amazing.’
Melinda fiddled with her camera and took a couple of photos before taking his hand and walking across the road to the pub.
There were five cars parked out the front and loud music pumped from inside. Dave pushed open the door and ushered Melinda inside.
As he stepped into the cool, he blinked a couple of times to adjust to the dimness and realised Tim Tucker was sitting at the bar. Beside him sat a man of Asian descent, his brown hands wrinkled, bruised and cut. On the other side sat an Aboriginal man with greying hair and a beard.
‘G’day, Tim,’ Dave nodded. He wondered if this was China and Killjoy. He remembered Tim saying they were going to catch up this Saturday. Maybe they’d decided on Sunday too.
Tim looked over his shoulder and nodded. ‘G’day there, cobber.’ His gaze rested on Melinda for a second. ‘Brought the missus out to see our little local?’
‘Sure have. We’re still sightseers. Haven’t been here long.’ As he talked, he realised Melinda hadn’t stiffened at the word ‘missus’. ‘Tim, this is Melinda.’
‘Pleased to meet you, I’m sure,’ Tim said, tipping an imaginary hat.
‘Hello.’
Dee came out from the kitchen, the tea towel over her shoulder. Dave hoped it wasn’t the same one from when he’d been here last time.
‘Well, bugger me dead, look what the cat dragged in. Didn’t you get enough of my history lesson the other day?’ Dee put her hands on her large hips. ‘And you’ve brought a different sidekick. Who might you be?’
Dave glanced at Melinda, who had a half-smile on her face. ‘I’m Melinda. The wife of what the cat dragged in.’
Dee gave a chuckle. ‘Hi there, Melinda. Welcome to the Oakamanda Pub, where the beer is cold and the service warm.’
‘Geez, Dee, can’t you do better than that?’ Dave asked, dragging out a bar stool and sitting down.
‘Why would I want to do better? It’s all true! What can I get you both?’
‘Have you got a white wine?’ Melinda wanted to know.
‘Sure, love. We’re not as uncouth as we look. Dave?’
‘Just a lemon, lime and bitters. Driving.’ He glanced at Melinda and saw she’d flushed at Dee’s words, even though they were friendly. ‘I was telling Melinda about your Contiki tours. We were hoping you might have time take us on one.’
‘Can do. I’ll get my daughter to come and mind the bar.’ She plonked the drinks on the bar and picked through the change Dave had put down. ‘What do you want to see?’
‘Whatever you want to show us,’ Melinda answered, picking up her glass. ‘The country is so pretty and I haven’t seen a mine shaft yet.’
‘Dime a dozen round these parts. Gotta be careful walking around out here. Can easily fall down into one if you don’t know what to look out for. Like the poor fella you guys brought up the other day.’ She nodded at Dave.
Immediately Dave wanted to ask how she knew the dead man had fallen in but as he opened his mouth the Asian man next to Tim spoke up.
‘Now, Dee, you’re jumping to conclusions again.’ His accent was pure Australian, which took Dave by surprise.
‘What do you mean?’ he asked the man.
‘Just that. You got no idea whether he was out walking in the night and fell in or was pushed down there on purpose.’
‘China, this fella here is Dave Burrows, Spencer’s new sidekick,’ Tim quickly put in.
China turned and regarded Dave silently before saying, ‘You’ll have your work cut out for you then,’ without offering his hand.
‘Meaning?’
‘Lots of blokes around here are sick of people trespassing. You lot don’t seem to do much about it. We’re getting a bit fed up with calling the coppers and no one turning up to help.’
Dave felt Melinda shift uncomfortably next to him. He fished around in his pocket and brought out his wallet and handed over three business cards. ‘You have any problems, you ring me. I’ll come out straightaway.’
The other man reached out and took one. ‘It’s hard to do anything, China. You know that. By the time the coppers get out to us, the trespassers have usually pissed off. Especially if they know we’ve rung and made a complaint.’
Dave held out his hand. ‘Dave Burrows.’
‘They call me Killjoy.’
‘Are you?’ he asked with a grin.
‘I don’t reckon. My dad called me that when I was a young fella. Been called it for so long I’ve forgotten me real name.’
Melinda laughed. ‘Why did he call you that?’ she asked.
Killjoy gave her a wide grin that showed two missing teeth. ‘Apparently I wouldn’t sleep at night and I stopped my parents from conceiving any other siblings.’
Dave and Melinda were the only ones who laughed; it seemed the others had heard the story before.
‘I take it there’s only one of you then?’
‘They broke the mould when I was born,’ Killjoy answered, raising his glass in a salute.
‘And thank God for that,’ Tim said, clapping his mate on the shoulder.
The back door opened and Dave felt a blast of hot air follow the young woman who walked in. Tall and slim, she was smiling and immediately he could see she was related to Dee. It was the smile: wide and welcoming. Holding her hand was a little boy, blond hair sticking out in all directions and his cheeks red. It looked like he’d just woken from sleep.
Dee held out her arms to the little boy and he shook off his mother’s hand and ran to her.
‘How’s my little man?’ she asked. ‘Have you been asleep?’ ‘Tim!’ the girl said. ‘I haven’t seen you in an age.’ Rounding the bar, she gave him a hug before giving one each to China and Killjoy. ‘Had any luck?’
‘The luckiest I’ve been is since you walked
