‘Did he buy up big then?’
‘Sure did. Got a swag, sleeping bag, billy, chair—you name it, he bought it. Cost a motza!’
‘Can you remember how much?’
‘I can go back through the till if you want me to, but I reckon it would have to be close to a couple of grand.’
‘Really? In one hit?’ Dave was intrigued. He made a note to check on Glen’s finances. That was a lot of money to spend, especially if he had a large payment coming up. Maybe he was counting on the sale of the lease and the money HMA Mining had enticed him with.
‘Found it a bit difficult to believe myself. It was my payday, for sure.’
‘Did he say where he was going to go camping?’
‘Nah, just out north somewhere.’
Out north. Towards Oakamanda.
‘And did he say why he was camping? Doesn’t it seem strange someone would come in and spend that much when they’ve never been before?’
Peter gave a small laugh. ‘Mate, I see all sorts in here. Let me tell you, humans are strange. Doesn’t matter how normal they seem, they’re still strange.’
Dave had to give him that one. He’d seen so many outlandish, weird and sad things people had done to each other, he was rarely surprised by human nature any more.
The owner continued. ‘He did make a comment that I thought was peculiar, though. Said he was hoping to find an old mate. I suggested that camping probably wasn’t the way to do that. Better to ask you lot if they know of him. Or enquire at the pub. Heading out and dropping into people’s places unannounced out here isn’t the done thing. Miners are suspicious by nature and are likely to pull a gun or set a dog onto you.’
‘What’d he say to that?’
‘Said he’d think about it, but the way he spoke, I knew he hadn’t taken any notice, you know what I mean.’
Dave nodded. He certainly did. ‘And you haven’t seen him again since?’
‘Nah, I helped him load everything into a hired four-wheel drive, then he took off.’
‘And this bloke,’ Dave tapped the photo of Ross Pollard. ‘Have you seen him around?’
Peter took a moment to have another look before saying, ‘He looks familiar but I can guarantee he hasn’t bought anything from here.’ He paused. ‘I reckon he might have come in a couple of weeks ago, but I can’t remember why.’
‘And the camping gear that Glen Bartlett bought. Would you recognise it if it came from your shop?’
‘Sure would. Even though we all stock similar brands, I remember what he bought.’
‘We’ll get you to come down to the station and identify the gear then. Is there a time suitable?’
Peter shrugged. ‘When I shut up shop, I guess.’
Dave asked the well-worn question: ‘Do you have security cameras?’
‘Yeah, we do. But I won’t have footage that goes back that far. Only a couple of days. Got it recording over the previous day, to cut down on costs.’
Dave nodded. ‘Thanks for your time. Look forward to seeing you later.’ He gave Peter a friendly salute and walked out.
Chapter 24
‘I already told you I won’t sell you my land,’ Tim said to Ross Pollard. ‘Now, I’ve asked you to leave. If you don’t, I’ll be calling the cops.’
‘But, mate, you don’t seem to understand the extent of the wealth we’re offering you.’
‘I don’t care about wealth. I care about living here until I die.’ Tim put his hand on his gun, which was sitting on his waist in the holster. He knew Spencer had said not to pull it out, but this bloke was going to need encouragement to leave and not come back. He swished away the flies that were gathering around his eyes and nose and glanced around to locate Chief. Sitting right behind him, like the loyal dog he was.
He realised his hands were shaking and he cursed the anxiety that had plagued him since he’d discovered the body.
‘Mr Tucker, please understand that I’m doing my job here. There’s no need to get nasty.’
‘You got no idea what nasty is.’ He brought the gun out and held it pressed to his side, trying to hide his shaking. Ross’s eyes widened and Tim almost chuckled to himself. This boy—and that was what he was, a boy, not a man—had no idea how the goldfields worked. Most miners had unregistered guns, booby traps all over the place and ways to deal with trespassers the cops wouldn’t agree with.
‘There’s no need for that. Fine, I’ll go.’
Tim watched Ross trudge away and was surprised when he found himself feeling a little sorry for him. He holstered his gun. ‘Going soft in your old age,’ he muttered as he walked back inside the hut, yawning. He hadn’t slept much last night. Haunted by dreams of Marianne turning into the body down the mine.
Ross Pollard’s visit hadn’t been unexpected. Dee had got a message to him saying Ross was doing the rounds again, trying to persuade people to sell.
The midday heat was taking its toll on Tim now. He’d used a lot of energy to get rid of Ross without showing any weakness.
He coughed and dabbed his mouth with hand. He needed to have a lie-down. He could dream of Marianne if he rested. And dream he did, flickers of memories flashing in front of his closed eyes like movie scenes.
Marianne sat at the piano, her fingers pressing each note gently but with emotion. It seemed to Tim she was making the notes sing.
This was his fourth visit and she never ceased to amaze him.
She’d finished the song and she turned and smiled at him. ‘What do you think?’ she asked, her slight Italian accent making even her voice sound musical.
‘It’s beautiful,’ he replied. It was more than that, but he didn’t know what words he could use to express how he
