Vanished by James Delargy (free novel 24 TXT) 📕

Mike wasn’t keen on prison talk. Being an unabashed pessimist he foresaw complications in everything. Which was beneficial when undertaking experiments but not so constructive on a practical level. Daily he fluctuated between being sure that they were going to jail and convinced that they would get away with it. Ian had already accused him of having a borderline personality disorder. ‘Nobody’s perfect,’ he had replied.

A drone came into earshot. From overhead. Immediately they picked up their things and ducked for cover like they were in a war zone.

‘There you go. We duck for cover but they stay out in the open,’ said Mike, the echo of his gum clacking. ‘And I swear there’s been more planes lately. Flying low enough that I can hear them in the tunnel.’

‘Less of the crazy,’ said Ian, admonishing.

‘The only thing crazy is being here with that family still around.’

‘He has a point, Ian,’ said Stevie.

Mike knew that his friend would side with him. They had worked together at Skyline for three years, bound by similar interests in complex board games and in getting ahead. But Skyline had other ideas. So he and Stevie found another way.

‘You have two options,’ said Ian. ‘Leave or continue digging. And we’ve hit a good seam so it would be a shame to stop now.’

‘Quit while you’re ahead,’ said Stevie.

‘You can,’ said Ian. ‘I won’t stop you. But you don’t get any money until I finish.’

‘Why?’ said Mike.

‘To keep your mouths shut.’

‘That’s not fair.’

‘It is compared to the alternative way of keeping your mouths shut,’ said Ian, letting the threat hang. He continued, ‘No one quits halfway through. I won’t quit on you, you don’t quit on me.’

It was a see-through move, playing on how shoddily Skyline had treated them. Then came the carrot.

‘How about tomorrow we head to a motel for the day – get some sleep and some action?’

The bribe was as obvious as the ludicrously oversized ‘Big Cassowary’ statue in Mission Beach but the offer of a bath, bed, booze and babes compared to a cold bivvy bag under the stars was a winning combo. His concerns could wait another night at least.

74

Emmaline

If they didn’t have conclusive proof before, the latest info from Queensland changed that. Ian Kinch’s movements for the last two months had been tracked.

He had disappeared at the start of October, at almost exactly the same time as the two scientists. This had been confirmed by his social media blackout – his Facebook silent, his Twitter account closed – his bank account untroubled.

Mike’s and Stevie’s family and friends had been helpful, concerned about their loved ones. And even more concerned now that the police were making enquiries.

Most recalled a guy fitting Ian Kinch’s description, good-looking and quick-witted, a new mate that Mike and Stevie had hung around with since Skyline had let them go. An odd bunch given how introverted Mike and Stevie were compared to Ian. For a few weeks before their disappearance they had been hitting clubs and bars every few nights. As if they were trying to blow all their redundancy money. As if it was their last night on earth. Their friends had been worried about the influence this new guy seemed to have but couldn’t deny that Mike and Stevie deserved some release.

Emmaline was now convinced that there were three miners in Kallayee. She imagined a timeline. Knowing that Skyline had given them the boot, they went out to blow off some steam and fell in with Ian. They got to talking, maybe about opportunities or just work in general. Ian then persuaded them to steal the data, or Mike and Stevie knew about the data already but didn’t know what to do with it. At this stage the first seemed more likely. An outgoing and street-smart Ian Kinch would have gained influence over the introverted scientists. Maybe he even appointed himself head of the crew, a dangerous but intriguing development for the previously reserved pair. Ian learned what the data could do. He hatched a plan and sourced the mining equipment, the serial numbers scrubbed. Ian Kinch was the face, Mike Andrews and Stevie Amaranga the brains, studying the data, surveying and picking the target. Kallayee might have been a lucky first stab or maybe they had tried a few locations in mid-to late November, before settling on Kallayee.

Weeks of hard graft had been put into the tunnel. A vein found, fortune struck. Then the Maguire family had shown up and interrupted them. So why didn’t Ian Kinch scare them off immediately? He had previous convictions for theft and minor assault after all. But the family had lived alongside them for more than a couple of weeks. Did it take that long for someone in the family, possibly Lorcan Maguire, to uncover the mine? Then he was chased and killed? But what about Naiyana and Dylan? The still un-answered question.

Finally she had a lead. Now that they could place the three miners and the family together in Kallayee, Emmaline needed to find out where the miners had gone.

75

Emmaline

But even before she could consider looking into the miners’ current whereabouts, something else came to light. The whereabouts of Nikos Iannis. On 30 December. His image had been captured on CCTV at a petrol station north of Kalgoorlie. Not his usual hunting ground. A city animal exclusively. Emmaline could think of no reason to be out there other than a meeting with Lorcan Maguire. And whatever might have followed.

In two hours she was back in Perth. Oily briefed her. Nikos had said nothing so far, other than to request his lawyer.

‘Want to take it?’ asked Oily.

There was no doubt about that.

In the interview room, Nikos sat behind the table, dressed in black slacks and a shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck. His arms were folded, leaning back in the seat in a come-and-get-me pose.

‘You again?’ said Nikos. Then he turned to his lawyer,