Deep Water

‘How do I know that’s true?’

Greenacre had faxed a copy of the power of attorney document Margaret had signed. I produced it and my long-cancelled PEA licence. Megan had a Bachelor Enquiries card with her name on it.

I said, ‘We know something of Dr McKinley’s concern about the integrity or otherwise of Tarelton Explorations and other interested parties. We thought it safer to approach you away from your place of work.’

‘Thank God for that.’ Her dark, evaluating eyes shifted between us. ‘You’re father and daughter.’

‘We are,’ Megan said.

‘I don’t know why, but that helps me to believe you. Please wait until I rack the bike and get changed and then I’ll be willing to talk to you.’

‘Thank you,’ Megan said.

‘I should say I’ll expect you to talk to me before I talk to you.’

She wheeled the bike away and was the last rider into the garage. The roller door came down.

‘Game of chess,’ Megan said.

Dr O’Neil came down a set of steps above the garage. She was wearing a dark blue pants suit like the one she’d worn at Rookwood, heels, grey blouse, carrying a smart leather drawstring bag. She used the remote to unlock a silver-grey Subaru parked in the street, and gestured for us to follow. The car had a device for securing a bicycle on the roof.

‘Probably goes on hundred kilometre rides up and down mountains somewhere out bush,’ I said as Megan started the engine. We were in her old VW 1500, a car she refused to part with-like me with my Falcon.

‘I thought you liked athletic women.’

‘I did, now I feel a bit outclassed.’

We followed the Subaru to Double Bay where it swung into a parking spot outside a coffee shop. Megan had to drive further to find a space. We walked back and Dr O’Neil was waiting for us at an outside table. She was nervous, fiddling with the packets of sugar, as we sat down.

‘I’m betting you’d have a long black,’ I said.

She smiled. ‘You lose-super-strength cap and I sugar it. Those rides burn up the calories.’

‘Would you go in and order, Cliff?’ Megan said. ‘We’re on expenses, Dr O’Neil. Mine’s a flat white.’

I did as directed. Bringing Megan was the right move. When I got back the two women were on first name terms and the earlier tension had dissipated.

‘I’ve told Susan about Dr McKinley’s DVD and his suspicions,’ Megan said. ‘And that you saw her at Dr McKinley’s funeral.’

She smiled. ‘Come to think of it, I saw you, too.’

‘We’ve got a meeting lined up with a representative of Global Resources,’ I said. ‘Not sure what he’s going to say, but. .’

The coffee came and Susan O’Neil did as she said she would-shovelled sugar into her mug. ‘I know what he’ll say. He’ll offer the world for information about the aquifer and how to get to it.’

I sipped at my long black; it was very good, and so it should have been at the price. ‘What about the others- Lachlan and Tarelton?’

Susan shrugged. ‘Don’t know anything about Lachlan. All I know is that the bigwigs at Tarelton are going spare. Apparently the company borrowed a hell of a lot of money on the expectation that Henry would deliver and now they’re caught in a debt trap. They’re cutting staff. I’m going to save them the bother by handing in my notice when I can be sure I’ll get what’s due to me.’

‘It’d be useful if we had more cards to put on the table when we meet the man from Global,’ Megan said. ‘Our only interest is finding out who killed Dr McKinley, but I’m sure his daughter would hold to his idea of not exploiting his work. Is there anything else you can tell us?’

‘I don’t think so.’

I decided to be blunt. ‘Do you know the site and the technique?’

‘No, I don’t, thank God.’

She’d almost finished her coffee and was preparing to leave.

‘Could it be a quarry?’ Megan said.

Susan burst into laughter. ‘A quarry? Don’t be ridiculous. Did Henry leave a clue about a quarry?’

‘Maybe,’ I said.

She gathered up her bag. ‘Would have been a red herring then. Didn’t Henry say anything about his research procedure on the DVD?’

‘Nothing,’ Megan said.

Susan sat down again and went back to fiddling with the sugar. ‘I wonder why not.’

‘We should have told you,’ Megan said. ‘Cliff and Margaret found ashes in the fireplace in the cottage. He said he’d burnt all his notes. We weren’t holding back, we just. .’

Susan nodded. ‘It’s OK. He wiped his computer clean of the serious data and mine too before he went missing. I’ve had to cover up, pretend to be analysing his results. It’s been a strain.’

‘There is something else you can tell us, isn’t there?’ I said.

She nodded. ‘I just don’t know why. .’

Megan’s tone was sympathetic. ‘We should have shown you the DVD. We still can. He mentions you in the best possible terms. We think his reticence was out of a wish to protect his daughter, and you, Susan.’

Susan was almost tearful. ‘He was a lovely man. Great fun. I knew he liked me, but there was never the slightest word or gesture out of line.’

He had that area covered, I thought.

‘We haven’t heard a word to his discredit,’ Megan said.

Susan stopped fiddling with the sugar. ‘OK, here it is. Henry’s real research was done from the air. That’s why I laughed at the quarry suggestion. He didn’t go burrowing around on the ground. He chartered a plane and he took photographs and he had a system for analysing them. I helped him, but I only dealt with his figures and his coordinates, comparing them with the geological record.’

I drained my cold coffee and sat back in my chair. ‘Tarelton would have known about that.’

Susan shook her head. ‘No. He worked on the ground first and presented some findings that got the execs excited. That’s when he. .’

‘What?’ I said.

‘He chartered the flights himself. He didn’t tell them shit.’

‘But he told you,’ Megan said.

‘I found out. He put the photos into the system but I knew they weren’t from official sources and they were brand new.’

‘Don’t tell me,’ I said, ‘the photos were all on the computers and they were wiped.’

‘That’s right.’

‘And you were never able to pinpoint. .?’

‘No way. I’m sorry.’

‘It’s all right,’ Megan said. ‘That’s all very useful. Are you sure you can carry on at Tarelton after all this?’

‘Just.’

We started to move and I thought of one last question. ‘Where did he catch the flights from?’

‘You really are a detective,’ Susan said. ‘Bankstown airport.’

17

'Useful,’ I said as Megan drove us back to Newtown.

‘Mmm.’

‘What’s the matter?’

‘I was just thinking what a shitty world it is.’

‘Only parts of it.’