Outback Blaze by Rachael Johns Read Free Book Online Page B

the crap,’ he told them. ‘I checked your beds and they haven’t been slept in. Why didn’t you answer your phones? Your parents are beside themselves with worry.’
    â€˜Ah shit.’ Jaxon kicked the cracked pavement.
    Brad sighed. ‘We decided to camp the night in the bush. We were out of network range. That’s all. We wanted to get back to nature.’
    Jaxon nodded enthusiastically.
    Drew pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead and swallowed a string of curse words. He decided to ignore the fact these boys had a law-imposed curfew and weren’t supposed to see each other except at school or under his supervision until they’d served out all their community service. ‘And you didn’t smell the smoke in town?’ he asked instead.
    â€˜What smoke?’ they both asked.
    Drew had interviewed thousands of people in the course of his career and had learnt to recognise true shock. These boys had no idea what he was talking about.
    He shook his head. ‘Never mind the smoke. How’d you get so far out that you didn’t smell it?’
    The boys looked at each other as if trying to subliminally make sure their stories matched.
    â€˜I said cut the crap, guys. I’ve been awake for twenty-four hours and I’m not in the mood. And you need to trust that I’m on your side. Whatever you did last night it sure as hell can’t be as bad as what you’re being framed for.’
    â€˜What the hell are you talking about?’ Jaxon asked, the flicker in the muscles of his neck telling Drew he was starting to freak.
    â€˜Just tell me the truth.’
    â€˜We kinda borrowed Jaxon’s sister’s car and went for a drive to this ghost town a little while away. Lisa’s away on a cruise with her new man and she never needs to know,’ Brad admitted.
    Drew clenched his fists. He could feel his blood pressure rising. ‘Yeah, she does. And you’ll have to tell me exactly where you drove, what time, anyone else you were with, everything.’
    â€˜Why?’ Jaxon folded his arms across his chest and lifted his chin.
    â€˜Because The Ag Store burned down last night and you two are our prime suspects.’
    The boys were speechless for the first time since Drew had met them. They weren’t stupid and it was clear they understood the enormity of the crime. It felt wrong to be reading them the riot act but he had to follow the sergeant’s directive.
    He took a deep breath. ‘Jaxon Bird and Brad McDonald, I’m arresting you on suspicion of arson. You are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so but whatever you do say will be recorded and may be used in evidence.’
    â€˜No way! This is fucked.’ Jaxon held up his hands, but Drew saw real fear in his eyes. Beside him Brad was starting to shake.
    Drew had never felt so wrong about an arrest in his life.
    A knock sounded on the front door earlier than Ruby had expected. Although she and her parents had returned home at about two a.m., none of them had been able to sleep. Now they sat at the kitchen table together staring into half-finished mugs of coffee. She felt neither awake nor asleep as she got up to answer the door.
    â€˜Good morning, Ruby.’ Sergeant O’Leary stormed through the door before she had it fully open. ‘Are your parents up yet?’
    â€˜None of us have slept at all. We just want to get the questioning over and done with.’
    â€˜Good, good.’ O’Leary saw himself through to the kitchen where her mother was already making him a coffee on autopilot. ‘The folks from Perth will be up to do their investigations very soon. I thought you might like to have a quick look through before they arrive. Sometimes the arson squad can take a while.’
    â€˜Great, excellent.’ Her father leapt to his feet. ‘Let’s go.’
    â€˜Hang on a minute.’ Ruby frowned at O’Leary.