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Kane reached over and squeezed her hand. ‘What happened the other day?’

‘Bill warned me off when I asked him some questions.’

‘Like he said, Ellie, just drop it. It was an accident.’ Heather’s voice was short.

There was no more conversation until they got back to the lodge.

Ellie pushed opened the door of her apartment. Kane raised his hand and stepped in first and flicked the lights on. ‘It’s okay. All good.’

‘You can have my room. I’ve got an early start. I’ll sleep on the sofa.’ Ellie frowned as Heather nodded and walked past her into the bedroom. The door closed behind her with a loud click and Kane raised his eyebrows.

Ellie crossed the living area and stood by the bedroom door. ‘Something sounded a bit off, didn’t it?’

‘It did.’

‘I’m not going to let it go.’ Ellie pushed open the door and sat beside her friend as she lay back on the pillow with her hand over her eyes. ‘What’s going on, Heather? I know there’s something. Why would someone do this to Bill? Has he been threatened?’

Heather’s eyes flew open and she stared at Ellie. ‘What?’

‘I think I know what’s going on.’

Heather’s face closed. ‘You heard Dad at our place. He’s right. Just stay out of it.’

‘For fuck’s sake, Heather. Someone tortured him tonight. They cut his finger off. What the hell is going on? Why are you both acting so strangely?’

‘It was an accident. No one cut his finger off. You have a vivid imagination, Ellie.’ Heather rolled over and turned her back. ‘I’m tired. Just forget it. Dad’s got things under control.’

Ellie closed the door quietly and crossed to the small kitchenette. She looked over at Kane, who was standing just inside the door. ‘A cuppa or something stronger?’ She lifted her eyebrows and waited for him to answer. He’d been to his room and changed his shirt while Ellie had been in the bedroom with Heather.

‘Coffee would be good, thanks.’

The kettle boiled with a soft whoosh. Ellie poured the water and let out a soft sigh as the aromatic orange fragrance of her tea calmed her jangling nerves. She carried the two mugs across to the door, and waited for Kane to slide open the screen door. He seemed to understand that she wanted to sit outside in the quiet dark of the night. The air was still and only the occasional ominous splash from the river and one stray bird call broke the silence. The sounds of Kakadu were about the only thing she could rely on lately.

Ellie looked over the top of her cup as Kane stared into the darkness. ‘What do you think really happened to Bill?’

Kane swung around in his chair and put his cup down. ‘He refused to let the doctor call the police. He’s insisting it was an accident.’

‘He’s lying.’

‘Of course he’s lying. Injuries like that don’t happen by accident. Not opening a car door. What’s going on? Who would do this to him?’

‘It’s too much of a coincidence, isn’t it?’ Ellie shook her head from side to side, tears welling in her eyes. ‘He’s a good man. He wouldn’t do anything wrong.’

‘Ellie.’ She jumped as Kane reached over and took her hands that she had clenched in her lap. ‘I want you to be careful. It’s way more than a coincidence.’

‘This is a tourist park, for God’s sake. A resort where you’re supposed to have a good time. Not the back streets of the Darwin waterfront.’ She stifled the sob that rose in her throat and met Kane’s eyes squarely. ‘I’m sure Bill’s hiding something and it has to do with the work at the back of the farm. His “accident” worries me. Now I think Heather knows something too. That thug scared me and someone has been in my apartment twice now. And now that I’ve have seen the drilling with my own eyes, I know Mum is right about the fracking. And maybe about . . .’ She couldn’t put her doubt about Dad’s death into words and her breath caught. Kane held her close and his hand was warm in the small of her back.

‘Why would Bill be involved in anything to do with the farm?’

‘He’s on the committee that’s involved in protecting the environment. They make decisions about mining licences. I may be making a big leap in my thinking but what if he was attacked as a warning?’ Ellie drew in a shaky breath and swallowed. Her throat was dry from all the emotion coursing through her. ‘There’s no other reason for anyone to hurt him.’

After his out-of-character behaviour with her on Sunday, Ellie knew she was right. Bill had got wind of something happening there. Maybe he was being warned to stay out of it. Whatever it was, she was going to get to the bottom of it.

If only there was someone I could turn to. For years, Ellie had held it together, not wanting to lean on Mum or Emma. A great sense of desolation filled her and she put her elbows on her knees and dropped her face into her hands.

‘Shit, oh shit.’ She muttered the words in frustration.

Finally she lifted her head and met Kane’s eyes. She knew he’d been watching her, she could feel his gaze on her. She needed someone to help her find out what was going on; she couldn’t do it by herself.