Vanishing Point Page 5

  Katherine took the extended hand. ‘Oh! Sorry. I should have introduced myself. I’m Katherine, Katherine Thompson.’

  His hand was calloused and hard. He shook hands firmly before she slid hers out of the grasp, almost too quickly. She realised how rarely she had ever shaken hands with strangers and felt unsure of how long the handshake should last.

  ‘So, what do I call ya, woman? Katie?’

  ‘Most people just call me Kath or Katherine, but Katie’s fine.’

  ‘Okay, Katie for the time being, eh?’

  They lapsed into silence. Benjamin looked hard at Katherine, almost as if summing her up. ‘Well, what are ya gunna do?’

  ‘I don’t know. I guess I’ll just wait here til my husband comes back. Are you on your way to Ceduna?’

  ‘Nope. I’m goin’ all the way to the west. I plan to pick up the Highway just t’other side Ceduna, then on to WA.’

  There was another long silence and Katherine was about to make a comment when he continued. ‘But I tell ya what. I’ll try and give ya a tow to Ceduna. We’d probably be there ‘bout same time as ya man. Could save ‘im comin’ out to look for ya an’ there’d be a bloke there what can fix ya van.’

  Katherine hesitated. Ever since a child she had been warned about taking rides with strangers and her instinct was to stay put. However, what Benjamin was saying made sense. She’d be in her own vehicle and if they could get to Ceduna sooner it would make it a lot easier for Carolyn, to say nothing of Alec and herself. The stranger seemed alright and in her own vehicle she would be safe enough. Certainly as safe as standing here chatting in the open in the middle of nowhere. ‘Okay. Let’s give it a try.’

  Benjamin’s trailer was filled with white wooden boxes. He unhitched it from the vehicle and set it in the sand. Then he attached the Kombi to a towing cable but it took several manoeuvres to pull the van from its awkward position and line the two vehicles up one behind the other in the track.

  ‘I’ll leave me trailer here an’ pick it up later,’ Benjamin explained when Katherine asked what he was doing about the trailer.

  ‘It really is very kind of you. You’re going to a lot of trouble for us.’

  ‘Just ya steer carefully in the track. If ya see me brake lights come on then jist brake, otherwise jist steer. Ya’ll be right.’

  The Land Rover took up the slack then Katherine heard the engine tone change as it strained to pull the Kombi. She gripped the steering wheel readying herself to steer the towed Kombi. Carolyn lay in her bassinette on the back seat happily making little chatty noises. Katherine found holding the Kombi on a straight course far more difficult than she expected. The effort of holding the wheel straight hurt her arms. No matter how hard she battled to hold the Kombi steady behind the Land Rover, with the wheels straddling the central ridge of the track, the van had an uncanny need to veer away from the tracks and into the ridge. The more she tried to correct the steering, the more it seemed to pull into the centre.

  Each time this happened the tow rope formed a sharp angle with the back of the Land Rover and Benjamin stopped, came back to the Kombi and turned the wheel hard in the opposite direction.

  ‘Now hold it there, jist hold it, until ya’re back in the tracks, then straighten up. Use both ya arms!’

  ‘But I am using both arms! I don’t have strong arms.’ Her smile belied her frustration that was equalling his.

  It was clear at this rate the journey was going to be unacceptably long. Each time Benjamin came back there was more frustration in his voice. Finally the Land Rover brake lights came on. Benjamin climbed out, slammed the door and walked back to the Kombi with a determined stride and a stern look. He tapped on the window. Katherine wound it down and looked out, knowing she had again failed to keep the two vehicles in line.

  ‘It’s no good. We can’t tow. Look, either I can leave ya both here with the Kombi or, if ya like, we’ll put ya van off the track and I can give ya a ride into Ceduna. We should be there soon after dark. I’ll go back and get me trailer. What d’ya say?’

  It seemed the logical thing to do and Katherine found herself nodding her head in agreement. ‘Yes, okay. I guess it makes sense to take up your offer and go on to Ceduna. If it’s not too much trouble, that is.’

  ‘Okay. Gimme a ‘and an’ we’ll get this thing orf the road.’ Benjamin straightened up the Kombi’s wheels so the van faced into the scrub and said to Katherine, ‘D’ya think ya can hold it on course until we’re into the scrub? I’ll leave it there an’ go back for me trailer.’

  ‘Yes, I think I could manage that. I’ll give it a try. Why into the bushes?’

  Benjamin gave no reply, walked away and resumed his seat in the Land Rover. With a grinding of the gears, he pulled the two vehicles over the ridge at the side of the track and into the scrubby bushes to the south. He towed the Kombi in about thirty metres while Katherine gamely struggled to keep the vehicles in line. When the brake lights came on she breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Thank goodness for that. I thought he’d never stop! I thought he might be trying a short cut to Ceduna!’ She shook her arms by her sides to take away the strain.

  It was dusk by the time Benjamin had undone the tow rope and driven his vehicle back to the track. By then Carolyn was crying continuously.

  ‘Time for a feed,’ Katherine said to herself. She called across to Benjamin, ‘I really need to feed Carolyn.’

  ‘No worries,’ Benjamin shouted back as he went about cutting down a few bushes and stacking them up against the Kombi.

  ‘Why are you doing that?’

  ‘Coupla good reasons. It’ll keep the van from getting too hot tomorrow an’ it hides it from the track jist in case a bunch of abos come this way. They don’t call ‘em ‘borrow-johns’ for nothin’, ya know! If they found this they’d help themselves to everythin’ in sight.’

  ‘Borrow Johns?’

  ‘Yeah, ya know, abos, boongs, Aborigines.’

  Katherine didn’t argue though she was surprised at his comments. After all, growing up in Adelaide, her experiences of Aborigines were mostly from a few documentary films she’s seen at school. Perhaps this derogatory view of them by Benjamin was fair comment. Somehow, they seemed to be an invisible group or just non-people in the Australian landscape and not even included in the census. She knew from her school days that the Australian Constitution treated them differently from other Australians. In spite of her limited knowledge she knew there was a strong movement to change this and there were some discussions that a referendum on the issue might be held in the near future.

  ‘I’m goin’ down the track to pick up me trailer,’ Benjamin called as he walked back to his vehicle. ‘I’ll be back pretty soon.

  If ya like ya can make a fire an’ cook up some tea. I’ll leave some stuff.’

  ‘Okay, but don’t worry about the food. There’s still some in the Kombi and we can use that.’

  Benjamin didn’t answer. He just dumped a box on the sand and pointed to it. He was about to say something when Carolyn’s crying increased to a crescendo and Katherine turned back to the Kombi. As she picked up the baby and soothed it over her shoulder, instinctively feeling to see how wet she was, she heard the diesel engine start and the increasing change of engine tempo as it drove away. Very soon the silence of the outback encompassed her once more. She sat on the edge of the Kombi’s open side doors, unbuttoned her shirt and fed her baby. In the peaceful quiet that always accompanied feeding time she suppressed any unbidden thoughts that she might be putting herself in a dangerous position.

  Light was fading fast so, as soon as she finished feeding, she hurriedly collected firewood for the second time that afternoon. By the time the last rays of the sun disappeared and the soft light of dusk heralded the end of the day she had enough to start a little fire.

  As the silence of the night fell Katherine’s fire burned brightly. A billy of boiling water was ready for tea or coffee, as was some cooked damper and stew. Confident she would be in Ceduna later
that night, Katherine extravagantly used the last of the tinned meat and added the last of the vegetables.

  The noise of the returning Land Rover broke the silence. The vehicle, once more towing its trailer, pulled up in the track. Benjamin turned off the engine and strode across to the fire.

  ‘Smells good. Bit of a cook, are we?’ he said amiably.

  ‘Probably smells better than it tastes. I’m actually not a great cook but manage with the tinned stuff. I prefer fresh. Anyway, there’s plenty here, so go for it.’

  ‘Thanks, I’ll get me plate.’

  After rummaging about behind the front seat of his vehicle Benjamin returned with a saucer-like plate and an enamel mug that revealed black chips around the edge. It was obviously an old friend. He took a generous serve and, using only a spoon, ate noisily while sitting on the edge of the box he’d previously thrown from the vehicle. Katherine sat cross-legged in the sand with her plate balanced between her knees and ate delicately with a knife and fork.

  ‘Bubs sleepin’?’ asked Benjamin pleasantly.

  ‘Yes. She’s really a very good baby. No troubles on the entire trip. She cries only when she’s hungry or needs changing.’

  ‘That’s good. Must like the bush.’

  Katherine tried to make conversation but non-committal answers made it difficult so they continued eating in virtual silence. When the meal was over Benjamin stood and said, ‘Time ta git back on the road.’

  It was very dark away from the campfire and Katherine depended on torchlight to clear up. She wiped the plates with paper then washed off the remains using the last of the boiling water from the billy. As she poured the waste on to the fire the embers hissed and released a small eruption of grey ash.

  Benjamin appeared relaxed during the meal but now he suddenly seemed to be in a hurry to get going and he chivvied Katherine along. ‘C’mon, woman. Git what ya need an’ let’s go.’

  ‘I’ll just collect a few things from the Kombi. I’ll lock it, so it should be safe to leave some stuff.’

  ‘I don’t think we can put the basket up front; too crowded.’ Benjamin indicated the limited space on the front seats of the Land Rover as Katherine hoisted the bassinette up towards the passenger door. It was clear that the middle seat was too small and the red and yellow knobs of the smaller gear levers near the driver’s side limited the way in which passengers could arrange themselves. ‘How ‘bouts ya shove it in the back, under the tarp. Keep a coupla blankets in the front an’ tuck bubs up in the middle, eh?’

  ‘Yes, that’s the best alternative.’ Katherine organised the blankets while Benjamin took a torch and, using a broken branch as a broom, swept over the towing tracks into the bush.

  Anyone passing that way would need to look fairly carefully to see where the vehicles had left the road. By the time Katherine had loaded the bassinette, sorted out the baby blankets and put Carolyn carefully in the Land Rover, Benjamin was impatiently insisting that they get going.

  ‘C’mon, woman. Let’s git movin’.’

  Hurriedly she grabbed two suitcases. She tucked them under the tarpaulin then hastily climbed into the Land Rover to continue their journey towards Ceduna. It was only after they had travelled some distance down the track that she realised in her haste she had forgotten her purse. Her small case held very little: a few items for Carolyn, a few of her summer shirts, skirts and shorts, underwear and toiletries. She left her larger case behind knowing the stay in Ceduna was likely to be a couple of days at most. The other bag had all of the spare nappies. She’d left all her money behind. If she needed to buy anything she’d have to rely on Alec.

  ‘I’ve just realised I left my purse behind.’

  ‘Well, ya won’t need it will ya?’

  ‘No, probably not. Alec and I will probably be back in the morning. There wasn’t much in it anyway. I’m sure Alec has enough for the hotel or whatever in Ceduna.’ She wasn’t troubled and, in any case, he would have his chequebook. ‘It will be good to get this part of our adventure over. I’m looking forward to a hot shower and a cosy, soft bed.’

  Outside the old, red brick police station the concrete footpath reflected the afternoon heat and the bitumen softened and crept, in tiny rivulets, toward the gutters. Inside the interview room a ceiling fan whirred monotonously, shifting hot air and doing little to bring the temperature down.

  Perspiration ran in uncomfortable trickles under Alec’s armpits and down his side. His pale and drawn face reflected increasing panic and fear. He had no idea where his family was.

  Since his arrival at the police station he had been frustrated by the slow response of the officers. He had stormed in at about midday, just when the heat of the day was beginning to peak and cause most in the town to succumb to lethargy.

  ‘I need help! Quick! My family is missing.’

  ‘Just hang on a moment, sir. I’ll need some details.’

  As Alec explained the circumstances he became increasingly agitated as the duty officer tried to put him at ease. Alec wondered if the officer suspected him of somehow being involved in their disappearance.

  Eventually the officer said, ‘I think I need to call my superior officer, sir. If you don’t mind, just hang on. You can wait in here.’ He guided Alec into the small office.

  Things seemed to move even more slowly. Where was the superior officer? Why didn’t he come? Alec’s emotions ran riot with a mixture of frustration, worry and guilt. He realised now that he should never have left his family alone. Should never have put them in danger. Even worse, he should never have gone into the desert in the first place without adequate preparations. All the confidence he felt when he left them on Friday morning had evaporated.

  Anxiously he waited for the interviewing officer. He stood then paced. Then sat. He went over the events of the past few days, trying to think of everything that might help, hoping he was worrying about nothing and suppressing fears that something was terribly wrong. He couldn’t comprehend that in such a short time his life had changed so dramatically. Only three days previously he and Katherine we confidently heading towards home after a very successful excursion.

  Alec’s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the interviewing policeman. He was followed by a young woman carrying a notebook and a large rolled sheet of paper.

  ‘G’day. I’m Sergeant John Murray and if you’d please take a seat we can go over your story.’ He did not introduce the accompanying woman who quietly made her way to a chair at the end of the small table.

  ‘At last. I’ve already explained it to the officer out the front,’ Alec responded impatiently, his voice tremulous. ‘You should be out there looking for my wife instead of sitting here going over my story again and again. They can’t just disappear into thin air. If they decided to walk across country they may be in danger and the sooner we find them the better. Can’t you —’

  ‘Well, we need to establish quite a few facts first,’ interrupted the sergeant.

  The deep tan Alec gained over the previous week in the sun made his eyes even more striking in their fiery flashing. This time the reflected emotion was one of frustration and concern.

  Alec stared at the embroidered number above the left breast pocket of the khaki open-neck shirt identifying the police officer opposite him as he pulled up a chair and sat. Sergeant John Murray’s protruding belly gave testimony to many after-work beers and was kept in check by a wide brown belt. He had a round, ruddy face and thinning hair. Every now and then he wiped beads of sweat from his brow and cheeks. He looked as if he really belonged in a comfortable, air-conditioned city office rather than doing police work in this remote part of South Australia.

  ‘All right,’ Alec almost whispered as he regained control of his voice, ‘but then please can we do something instead of just sitting here?’ His frustration remained palpable.

  The sergeant ignored the tone of the question, leaned forward and quietly said, ‘This time we’ll make a few notes. I’ve brought a map so you can explai
n exactly where you were. We’ll probably regard your wife and child as missing persons at this stage and make out a miss. per. report. Most missing persons turn up within twenty-four hours, so I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you. The young lady here will make a few notes for the record.’ He nodded towards the young woman seated at the end of the table. ‘We’ll type up a draft report based on what you tell us, and then, after you’ve read it, you can sign it. After we have it all down in writing we can do something about it.’

  Alec glanced at the young woman with the note book. She returned a half smile and picked up her pen, poised to write. Alec expected only police to be present during an interview but soon realised administrative work was done by civilians. Since it was only recently that women had been allowed to join the force as officers she was not in a uniform and wore no wedding ring. Marriage would mean that her resignation was required. Alec gave her a quick smile of greeting in return.

  After a moment’s silence and an impatient sigh, Alec began to repeat what he had told the duty officer half an hour previously. ‘We were driving along the track next to the dog-proof fence near the Yumbarra Conservation Area —’

  ‘Why were you there? That’s a long way off the main roads.’

  In spite of his growing frustration at the delays, it was clear that Alec was going to have to repeat every detail or be interrupted again and again. He wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve, swallowed his irritation and continued. ‘Well, I’m a post-graduate research student at Adelaide Uni, studying geology. As part of the research for my thesis, I’m collecting granite samples from the area between here and Yorke Peninsula. There are some outcrops in the Yumburra Conservation Area and we were returning from there —’

  ‘Outcrops?’

  ‘Yes, areas where the rocks are exposed at the surface.’

  ‘Okay. Show me on the map roughly where you went.’ Murray looked across at the secretary who, on cue, unrolled the large map of the region.