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He was hoping Jock worked Saturdays; he needed to ensure that he wasn’t rostered on to fly anymore. That misunderstanding needed to be cleared up or he would be out of here in a flash. The office was empty and he was relieved that Heather wasn’t there striking her Marilyn Monroe pose in the doorway. She seemed like a friendly enough person, if a bit over the top with the come-hither glances.

Kane wasn’t interested in making connections. As soon as Mum was on the road to recovery, he was out of here. Where to, he wouldn’t know that until he moved on. He had no interest in the social bonding that was always a part of isolated work places. It had been different in the Army; there you relied on others just to stay alive. They’d had good times together in the mess – as much as you could have in the middle of a war.

A single drop of perspiration ran down his cheek.

He squeezed his eyes shut but the flashback slammed in without warning.

‘Look out. Lift up, lift up.’ Hawk’s voice was steady but Kane sensed his navigator’s fear in the same instant that the machine gun fire ripped through the oil lines of his chopper.

‘Brace, brace.’ His yell drowned in the thin, high-pitched scream as the bullets penetrated the airframe and smashed through Hawk’s body. Surprise filled her eyes as her life drained away. The smell of her blood mixed with the acrid stink of the burning oil. Not my fault. Nothing I could –

Kane swallowed and forced the image away, focusing on the stand in front of him. Postcards, small stuffed animals and books about Kakadu filled the racks and he reached out and picked up a small green crocodile with huge teeth and a happy smile. He held it loosely, letting the soft fur brush against his fingers.

‘Hey, there. Do you need a hand?’

He put the crocodile back on the stand and walked over to the high counter.

‘I was wondering if Jock was about.’ Kane glanced at the name badge on the woman’s chest. ‘Hi, Jan. I’m Kane McLaren. I’m working over at the hangar.’

‘Nice to meet you.’ She held her hand out and he shook it. ‘Sorry, but Jock’s not here on weekends. He’s got a place in Darwin and he won’t be back till Monday.’

‘Okay, thanks, I’ll catch up with him, then.’ He turned to leave, but like seemingly everyone else in this place, Jan was on for a chat.

‘Are you staying in the staff apartments?’

Kane nodded. ‘For a while.’

‘Where are you from?’

‘Brisbane.’ He glanced down at his watch and forced a friendly smile to his face. ‘You?’

‘Oh, I’m from Jabiru. A died-in-the wool-local.’ She winked at him. ‘Anything you need to know about the place, just ask.’

‘Thanks.’ He tried to think of something else to say but the art of social chit-chat had left him a long time ago. Rescue came in the form of a fluffy toy. There was another pile of them in a small basket on the counter and he reached out and picked up one of the soft green crocodiles. ‘I’ll have one of these. A memento of Kakadu.’

As she took it from him, his gaze dropped to the assortment of Cadbury chocolate blocks on display along the front of the counter, and he picked one up and passed it over to her. If he couldn’t see Jock, he’d go for a drive to the farm and see his mother.

The thought of spending the day alone in the lodge didn’t appeal and it also meant there was more chance of running into Ellie. From now on, he’d shut himself off. Do his job. Look after the choppers and put his energy into taking care of Mum. And stay away from temptation – even though her apartment was only three doors away from his.

‘Chocoholic?’ Jan rang up his purchases and he shook his head as he passed over a note.

‘Sure am.’ He hated the stuff, but he wasn’t going to say it was for his mother. That would open up a whole new conversation.

Two hours later Kane stood on the porch of the old farmhouse. He’d loaded his Jeep with groceries from the small IGA supermarket in Jabiru. Last night Mum had apologised that she couldn’t offer him a meal because she hadn’t been well enough to go shopping. He stared out over the dam and bit hard on the inside of his cheek, holding back the words that he knew would hurt his mother. What the fuck was she doing here by herself in this dump when she had a beautiful home on the beach in Darwin?

Susan sat behind him on an old sofa that looked as though the rats had been in the stuffing. Balls of white fluffy filling covered the verandah, and there were animal droppings scattered through it. Finally, he ran his hand through his hair and composed himself to speak.

‘So Panos is taking up farming?’ He kept his voice light as he walked over and sat beside her. Today her weight loss was much more apparent. On his first visit he’d tried to have a conversation about her illness, but she’d insisted she was fine and that the monthly visit to the hospital for her ‘treatment’ – she wouldn’t give him any details – was only for a short time and she was on the road to recovery.

She shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. Why do you ask?’

‘I heard there was some work happening here.’

‘Oh, he said there might be some trucks; there’s a new dam going in down the back. Who were you talking to?’

‘One of the pilots at the lodge used to live here. She noticed them when she drove past the other day.’

‘That would have to be one of the Porter girls.’ Susan sat up straight and her eyes sparked with interest. ‘Let me see. Was it Ellie?’