‘Surely, they won’t demolish it now?’ Helen asked Bob.
‘I think they’re just pissed off at all the hoopla. This is their way of telling us they’ve got a new key.’
The excavator fell silent and the crowd cheered. Denny North joined the young constable, insisting Daryl and his son climb down from the cab.
Helen cupped her hands around her mouth. ‘Mr Mayor, explain how the order you’re holding instructs Moore Demolitions to raze the garden.’
‘You’ve made your point, Mrs Demetriou,’ the mayor said tetchily. ‘There’s no need to add to the chaos by wilfully misleading people. Yes, a mistake was made and we’ll definitely investigate how this order was inadvertently sent to the company—’
‘There’s no mistake. That paperwork’s all in order.’
The crowd chatter ceased. People craned to see who’d spoken, and the TV news cameraman swung his camera away from the mayor, focusing it on Daryl and his son.
Helen squeezed Bob’s hand. ‘There is a God. Geoff Rayson’s going down in front of a television camera.’
‘And who are you?’ the mayor demanded.
‘Jayden Moore from Moore Demolitions. That paperwork was hand-delivered to me last night.’ He suddenly glanced around as if he’d lost something.
Helen rose as far as the chains allowed, trying to increase her view. ‘Have Dangerfield, Rehn or DeLuca arrived?’ she asked Bob.
‘It was her.’ Jayden pointed to Vivian, who was no longer standing in front of the crowd but was opening her car door. ‘She delivered it along with a cash deposit.’
The camera crew ran towards the car. So did the police. But Lachlan and Judith were closer.
As the Mazda roared into life and reversed, trying to manoeuvre around Tara’s four-wheel-drive, Judith grabbed the back door handle—but had to let go when the car lurched forward. Lachie leaped in front of it, pressing his hands on the bonnet.
‘Stay back,’ Denny North yelled.
The car reversed again, pulling hard to the left, but it was blocked in by two other vehicles. It pulled forward and Lachlan jumped. Vivian tried to accelerate around him, the wheels spinning on gravel. The rear of the car fishtailed, then the sickening sound of crunching metal broke over the crowd when the Mazda slammed into the police divisional van.
A roar went up.
Denny North wrenched open the driver’s door. ‘Out you get, Councillor Leppart.’
Helen sat down hard, her brain scrambling to make sense of Jayden Moore’s accusation. Of Vivian’s attempted flight. It was Vivian who had bribed Ryan Tippett—not the mayor. Vivian who’d engaged the Moores and paid them a cash deposit, meaning she had access to a pot of money. Fury exploded in Helen like eucalypts on fire.
‘You used the tiny houses project to hide a deal with Andrew Tucker!’
Vivian whirled around, eyes blazing. ‘And it was the perfect plan until you stopped playing by the rules and went off-script on social media with your little friend.’ She jabbed a finger towards Jade. ‘Anyone else would have given up after they’d lost their job and their house. The two of you should have left town a week ago, but you’re both too stupid to recognise the signs.’
‘You set up the drive-by?!’ Jade moved towards Vivian, but Lachlan caught her by the arm. ‘You bitch! You traumatised my son!’
‘Councillor Leppart, I need to warn you that anything you say can and will be used in evidence against you,’ Denny North said.
As Vivian was walked to the police car, Helen called after her, ‘Your blind spot was underestimating a young single mother and an older homeless woman. We don’t shy away from battles. We live them every day.’
CHAPTER
43
‘Oh my God!’ Jade ran up the cottage steps, her face flushed. ‘How come we never suspected her?’
Helen was thinking the same thing. ‘She used something I was passionate about to keep everyone’s eyes away from her true intentions. God, she even said once that Geoff Rayson was using the “look over there” ruse when she was the one using it. I just hope it’s enough to take down Andrew Tucker as well as the councillors.’
‘It means Corey wasn’t involved,’ Jade said quietly, almost reflectively.
‘Can you take Milo?’ Lachlan said, passing the toddler to Jade. ‘I need to get to work.’
‘Can you go to my place and get my boltcutters first?’ Bob asked.
Lachlan checked his watch and looked expectantly at Jade.
‘I don’t drive, remember,’ she said.
He sighed. ‘Back in ten.’
‘We’d better add driving lessons to your getting-ready-for-uni list,’ Helen said to her. ‘Bob can teach you. He’s got the patience of a saint.’
‘I’m not even sure I’m going to uni.’ Jade’s gaze was on Lachlan’s retreating figure. ‘I better check Aima understands the garden’s safe.’
Sergeant North was instructing the Moores and Geoff Rayson to come down to the station. ‘And, Helen, when you and Bob have released yourselves, you need to come too. Bring Jade. Oh, and I’d appreciate it if you returned the excavator’s keys to the Moores. Wouldn’t want to have to charge you with theft.’
Bob’s shudder melded with Helen’s as they pictured the keys under the house.
‘Do you reckon they’d wait until Thursday when the house is jacked up and moved?’ he asked Denny North.
‘It’s today or you’re charged.’
‘It’s a shame Lachlan isn’t still trying to impress Jade,’ Helen said. ‘We could have asked him to do it.’ A sudden wave of exhaustion settled over her. ‘Thank goodness for Daryl’s son being a straight-up-and-down bloke or we’d still be suspecting the mayor. And doesn’t Jayden look like his father. I reckon Daryl must have turned heads in his day.’
‘Like I turn yours?’ Bob said.
She laughed. ‘You’re never going to give up, are you?’
‘Nope. Especially not now when I’m chained to you and you can’t walk away.’
Instead of ignoring the simmer of delight bubbling through her, she embraced it. ‘What if I told you that being chained to you isn’t as bad as I thought it might be?’
His face fell into serious lines. ‘I don’t want you
