Page 49 of The Question of Us (Fisher & Church #2)

“Don’t. We haven’t got time for that,” I was practically shouting.

“Because this is Nick we’re talking about, Samuel.

Your fucking brother-in-law. If I wait for the police, they’ll only tell me I can’t go on the property without a warrant.

Just like you did. They might even arrest me to make sure that I don’t.

They’ll want to organise backup and a search warrant and everything that we don’t have any time for.

Just let me ask you one thing. If this was Jerry, what would you do? ”

The line fell silent just as Marty’s mansion came into view in the distance. I could almost hear the cogs turning in Samuel’s brain before he finally said, “That’s fucking low.”

I huffed. “Of course it bloody is. Now talk to me. I’m almost back at the fire road.”

“Pull in,” he said crisply. “If you’re going to do this, then you can’t just bowl up the driveway unannounced.

They’ll be on the lookout and you won’t get past the front door, if you even make it that far.

They could toss your sorry arse out onto the road and they’d be fully within their rights to do so. ”

I slowed and turned onto the fire road. “The stud has a separate service road that leads to the stables and business end of the operation.” I pulled into the same sheltered spot I’d left twenty to thirty minutes earlier.

“It’s a hundred and fifty metres or so this side of the house.

We drove up it yesterday while all the party deliveries were happening. ”

“You what?” Samuel growled before muttering, “Never mind. Go on.”

“The service road has a turnaround at the top of the hill with a path back down to the house. There’s not a lot of cover on the main road for me to reach it without being noticed, but there’s just enough moonlight for me to pick my way across the fields and get to it that way.

Once I’m on it, if I stick close to the post-and-rail fencing, I should hopefully make it up to the turnaround unseen. ”

Samuel sighed. “Hopefully, huh?”

“I’ll move like a cat, I promise.”

Another sigh. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but okay, do it your way. What’s your plan once you get to the house itself, cos I’m betting you don’t have a clue. And sweet Jesus, please tell me you’re not thinking of just waltzing on in there.”

“It’s not a terrible idea,” I tried. “You tell the police what I’m doing and that you couldn’t stop me, and all I really have to do is stall for time until they get here.”

Samuel groaned. “Give me strength. Getting caught is the best idea you can come up with? Have you lost your fucking mind?”

“Wait a sec.” I dimmed the screen on my phone to its lowest setting and set about hiding the key fob in a nearby bush.

If we needed to leave in a hurry, then losing the fob on the property or having it taken from me wasn’t an option.

“Okay, I’m back and heading for the neighbour’s field.

I can move along the shelter belt in this one, but the next is kind of exposed.

And if you can come up with a better plan, I’m all ears.

I’m banking on me turning up will throw a spanner in the works.

They can’t just disappear all three of us, not with the connection to what happened in Auckland. ”

Samuel muttered something I didn’t quite catch and figured that was for the best. I reached the other side of the road, scaled the wire fence, and stumbled my way along the line of eucalypts and wattles.

Dust erupted off the baked earth and clumps of dead grass and tree root caught on my boots and threatened to send me flying.

“Look, Samuel, I know you aren’t happy about it, but what else can we do?

The cops are ages away. When I appear from nowhere, it should at least slow down whatever is happening inside that house.

They’ll recognise me because I’ll fucking tell them if I have to, and then they’ll have to figure out what to do.

All of that takes time. Hopefully enough for the police to come knocking, right? ”

With the first field crossed, I picked my way over another wire fence into the second, leaving the only cover I had behind me.

Reaching the ground on the other side, I took one step, caught my foot on something, and face-planted on the dirt, my phone flying out of my hand.

A small flock of sheep grazing the paddock thundered their way to the far corner of the field, where they stood watching.

I froze in case Marty’s security had picked up on the commotion, but when all remained quiet I scrambled to my feet and retrieved my phone.

“What happened?” Samuel demanded.

“Nothing,” I snapped. “I just tripped. What is wrong with these people? Fucking barbed wire? Really? And I’ve ripped a hole in my jeans.”

“Move like a cat, huh?” Samuel mocked.

“Fuck you.” I set off again. “I’m gonna have to go soon. I’m getting too close to the service road.”

“Okay, I have an idea,” Samuel proposed.

“Shoot me a text just before you head down to the house. Say you’re being held against your will and where.

Give details. That should be enough to get the police inside to have a look around without needing a warrant.

And send a map with your real-time location running.

And maybe a photo. It’ll all help. Hide the phone before you get seen. ”

It was a great idea. “I knew we needed you for something.” I puffed to a stop at the post-and-rail fence of the service road and tried to catch my breath.

“And remind me to get back on the treadmill. My lungs are dead. I’m a book conservator, not Usain fucking Bolt.

” I gulped some air and continued. “But I’m here and the party is still going strong.

I’ll sign off, so watch for my texts in the next five minutes. ”

A phone rang in the background and Jerry called out, “It’s Angela.”

“Go,” I told him. “And make sure she doesn’t leave us hanging.”

“Madigan, wait.” Samuel’s voice softened. “Be careful, yeah? And for god’s sake, don’t do anything to aggravate them.”

Like I needed the reminder. “Hey, this is me you’re talking to. I’m the least aggravating person I know.”

He snorted. “Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that. Between you and Nick, I’ve lost ten years of my life in the last four weeks. Not sure which one of you is more of a pain in my arse.”

“Nick is.” I hung up without waiting for an answer, sent the live map link, and then scaled the post-and-rail fence and dropped to a crouch on the other side.

When the night remained quiet bar the clamour of the party, I figured I’d gotten away with Act One of my plan.

Having said that, Act Two was shaping up to be a doozy.

I blew out a long, slow breath and whispered, “Here I come, baby, ready or not.”

Keeping the house on my left, I crouched to maintain a low profile against the post-and-rail fence and began to make my way up the road toward the turnaround at the top.