Killer Ute by Rosanne Hawke Read Free Book Online

– you stop living out of fear and hate. It’s hard to explain, but I know it’s a better way to be, and that’s more important than if some guy gets his just desserts. Leave that to the police, or to God. Either way it’s not my problem.’ He adds quietly, ‘Or I thought it wasn’t.’
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    Then Dev says something truly frightening. ‘I’m afraid it might not have been an accident today.’ He pauses and checks my face. ‘And I’m not sure I can cope with this twice.’

11
    We have a conference around the table after breakfast. Felicity starts the talking, but she’s focused on me. ‘There’s something that maybe we should have told you before, but we were advised against it by the police.’ She has my full attention; I sit up straighter. I have a feeling whatever this is I won’t like it. ‘What happened yesterday may not have been an accident and you need to know that you are not on a holiday.’
    A picture of Gran flashes into my head. The worried look on her face as we left. ‘Gran knew?’
    Dev nods. ‘I’m sorry, Joel. We didn’t want to worry you, but the detective knows that Scott still has a contact on the outside. The police are trying to trace him, but, of course, they need proof of illegal acts before they can arrest anyone. They just thought it might be dangerous right now – Scott being obsessed as he is about you.’
    I look at Felicity. ‘Dev didn’t know you or Max?’
    She shakes her head. Well, that explains a lot.
    Dev says, ‘The detective gave me a few choices of safe places but I thought we’d come here since there’s a beach.’
    â€˜But you are really a ranger?’ I ask Felicity.
    â€˜Sure. But we sometimes host people who are in a spot of trouble like you are. It’s not full-on witness protection, just a safe place to stay for a while.’ No wonder she wouldn’t take me to town with her.
    â€˜It’s a job we do on the side,’ Max says. ‘I’m an ex-cop so we get a few people who are giving evidence in court.’
    â€˜Looks like we didn’t get away quick enough – someone must have followed us,’ Dev says quietly. ‘Otherwise how could they know where we are?’
    Suddenly the room seems far away. The floor is wavering and rolling like there’s a flood.
    â€˜There are lots of ways,’ Max is saying. I can hardly hear him. It’s like he’s talking underwater. ‘Did you ring home? Send a letter? Tell someone who could be questioned?’
    Dev shakes his head as I groan. I know it’s my fault but I try to save myself all the same. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? You should have told me.’
    My voice is loud and Dev answers quietly like he always does when I start losing it. ‘I wanted to, mate.’ I can tell he feels bad, but not as bad as I do.
    It’s Felicity who catches on. ‘What’s wrong, Joel? What did you do?’
    I pull the mobile from my pocket. I hear their indrawn breaths. Dev asks with his voice so thin it scares me, ‘Have you been using it?’
    â€˜Mei gave it to me – we didn’t know. We thought it was a holiday. It was fun to keep the phone a secret – that’s why I didn’t say.’ My voice rises. ‘You should have told me.’
    â€˜It’s okay.’ Max has an encouraging smile in place. ‘What did you tell her? Where you were?’
    I nod miserably. ‘But Mei doesn’t talk a lot.’
    â€˜If someone asked her, friendly-like, she might tell them though,’ Max says.
    That’s when I remember the guy in the loo. ‘Someone spoke to me in the toilet yesterday – he seemed okay, was just asking directions.’
    Felicity sighs. ‘And you didn’t know the way.’
    â€˜Well, no, I’m a visitor.’ Then I realise.