Vanished by James Delargy (free novel 24 TXT) 📕

earth, Rispoli, Anand and Oily guiding them at set points along the route like a crime-scene version of the road train she had seen in Leonora yesterday.

As they shuffled out of the way to a neutral position, Barker discovered a cluster of empty tinnies nestled in a clump of bushes. Recently discarded given the lustre of the metal. Emmaline got him to bag them up and give them to Forensics to check. For all she knew, this was a local drinking spot but it was worth checking out given what was discovered nearby.

After that Emmaline joined the teams in the gorge and watched on as the wreckage and surrounding area was sampled and swabbed, evidence cut and bagged from the scene, videos and photographs taken from every angle, including from the air, the chopper staying high to avoid unnecessarily raising dust and sand.

Unfortunately, the commotion had attracted more bystanders. The press had latched on, clogging up the roads and their engines with dirt in their desperation to be first on scene. The recovery trucks called to retrieve them had only added to the chaos.

With the exterior evidence logged, the burnt-out roof of the cab was cut open with a pair of lifesavers and the two bodies – no smaller third body was found – photographed in situ before being hoisted clear of the wreckage and the gorge. The early prognosis matched what Emmaline had determined: the bodies had been strapped in the front seat given the lack of movement, remnants of the seat belt seared onto their clothes and skin. But they hadn’t been unconscious.

‘Shot?’

‘Both of them,’ said Rebecca Patel, her face mask pulled down, unsteady on her feet due to the steep embankment.

‘Your initial assumptions?’

Dr Patel didn’t even put up a fight this time. ‘One bullet wound each. JDD was shot in his chest.’

‘JDD?’

‘John Doe, the Driver,’ said Dr Patel before continuing. ‘Given the entry wound it is likely to have caused extensive damage to the heart muscle and lungs at the very minimum.’

‘Self-inflicted?’ asked Oily. His thorough but stupid question was summarily ignored by Dr Patel.

‘JDP – John Doe, the Passenger – has a gunshot wound to the skull. Entry point just above the left eye. It was a catastrophic injury. There’s no exit wound. Death was likely instantaneous.’

‘Both male?’ asked Emmaline.

‘Provisionally it would seem so but I’ll only confirm that once they are on the slab. They have been burnt extensively but the fire wasn’t wholly catastrophic.’

‘So they were killed, then placed in the vehicle. It was then set on fire and pushed over the edge to make it look like a crash.’

‘It’s hard to make it look like a crash when both have potentially fatal bullet wounds,’ noted Dr Patel.

‘Any idea on which one was killed first?’

Dr Patel shook her head. ‘Impossible to determine at present. Securing an ID is our first priority.’

‘Agreed,’ said Emmaline.

Dr Patel returned to the burnt-out ute and Emmaline watched her crew perform a final sweep of the vehicle in situ before the Recovery team took over. The chopper lowered, whipping up dust and sand and the two bodies, bound like mummies, were winched up to the chopper for a speedy return to Leonora. The living wouldn’t be so lucky, having to wade through an assembly of beached vehicles and eager press. But not down here in the gorge. Emmaline stood back as the Recovery team calculated how they were going to remove the vehicle from the scene.

Emmaline was performing calculations of her own. She now had two murder scenes. Within a few kilometres of each other. And no idea which incident had happened first.

Were the miners – if these were indeed the miners – killed by Lorcan Maguire? Who was then murdered by Ian Kinch in revenge. But why would Lorcan Maguire take such a desperate step? Had Mike and Stevie attacked Naiyana and killed her? Is that why they hadn’t found her body yet? Lorcan then had discovered – as noted on the phone message – that his wife was gone and wreaked his savage revenge.

Or what if the order of death was the other way around? Lorcan Maguire had been killed first for some reason. Possibly by Mike and Stevie. Had this in turn led Ian Kinch to kill his fellow miners to wipe out any witnesses? That still left Naiyana and Dylan Maguire unaccounted for.

And what if Ian Kinch was one of these bodies? Killed by Mike or Stevie in an argument over money that spun out of control? If Ian was doing the selling it would have been easy for him to skim some from the sales. And equally possible for Mike and Stevie to siphon gold from the haul. Either of these could have led to a fatal argument.

Or finally, was an outside factor involved in all this? After all, none of them were hardened criminals. Even Ian Kinch couldn’t be classed as a hardened criminal. More a schemer. But schemes can easily turn deadly.

83

Naiyana

Eight years of marriage meant that Naiyana Maguire knew when her husband was up to no good. There was a Machiavellian stench that oozed from his entire being when he had a plan. Especially when he had been on the up. Suggesting that she be the stay-at-home parent as he made more money. In business dealings and bonuses. In buying the massive house. All of which came to an end when INK Tech had let him go and the bank had foreclosed on their home. Somethings were too big to manipulate. Now he was on his knees and scrapping like she had never seen before. The desperation was worrying. What was he capable of?

He had waited until he thought she was asleep before sneaking out of the house. There was only one place he would be going this late.

Ian, Mike and Stevie had shifted to days rather than nights as, according to Mike, it was easier on them and their body clocks. He had stepped into the