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CHAPTER TEN
Rory had started to doze, when the downward movement of the plane awoke him. He glanced at Tania, noticed she was still asleep, then looked out the window. Lots of brown and a few patches of green, like a camouflage motif over the land. It was getting late in the day, and long shadows spread like fingers across the landscape. Then the town came into view. Walgett was a small town, but it was the hub for sheep and cattle in this area.
Rory didn't know the next step, as Tania had spoken little in the plane, mostly going through papers, and giving him little in the way of replies to his few questions. Then she snoozed off, and eventually so did he. A Piper Cherokee was parked on the airstrip, and Rory imagined they would use it to fly the 80 kilometres or so to the Ridge. But Tania just headed to the single brick and timber building that served as a terminal.
"Whilst I make a couple of calls," she said to him, "you find out where our four wheel drive is." He looked outside but saw nothing that lent credence to a hire vehicle. Then a squeal of brakes, and a newish Land Cruiser pulled up. Out came a young fellow, who made straight for Rory.
"Gooday. You from the mining company? Plane must be early."
Without waiting for a reply, he continued on. "Fix up the paperwork when you come back. Tank's full, and I wish I was. Long day.”
"You right for a lift or something?”
"Yep. See yar," and headed around the side of the building. Rory went back and grabbed the bags and then noticed Tania almost running towards him. She dived in the passenger's door. "Let's go. We have problems.”
"Where?" he asked.
"Hospital.”
"An accident?" asked Rory.
"Hardly," she replied. "Police found a body yesterday. Think it's Bedford's. Want me to ID it. I have a photo." She took out a file from her baggage, and extracted a photograph.
They headed into town, and following the blue signs, pulled up outside the single story hospital. A police vehicle was parked outside, also. At the back, a large freezer attached to the cool room, held the body. Rory stood his distance, but the few words he caught between the sergeant and Tania, indicated a positive identity. In the car, as they headed out of town towards
Lightning Ridge, she was quiet. Almost shaken. "Shot through the head," she said slowly. "Police have no clues as yet, as to why or by whom. Came from a rifle. Until the detectives from Sydney arrive, his home is now off limits. Still, we can check out the mine sites, while we can. And ask around.
"Did you know him?" asked Rory.
"No. Just an employee." There was a silence. "He looked horrible, Rory. No one, not even Bedford deserves to die like that.”
He didn't add anything to what she had said. The memory of his facing death, recently, was still painful. To know that you will die violently in the next second, is probably worse that the actual death. He wondered about his wife. Would she have faced that knowledge, before the tree finalised it? He hoped she never did, even for one second. He still missed her. Would always miss her. Even with another partner, there would be difficulty in letting her go. You would never let the memory die, but could one maintain a relationship, independent of the past? Thousands obviously did, and he would have to.
One of the biggest hazards on country roads for drivers, is the kangaroo. Especially at dawn and dusk, when it is most active in looking for food. Every few kilometres, would be the remains of one, who never made it across the thin strip of bitumen. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, but it always comes with a price.
They had braked hard, once so far, to avoid a collision. Tania had said nothing. Either she was still thinking about Adrian Bedford or the 'roos were of no consequence. Apart from some sheep, there was nothing else alive, if you didn't count the galahs and cockatoos. Even the creeks were dry.
Rory liked the outback, although this wasn't really that outback. The area around Mt. Isa was where he had lived a good part of his life, and the barren hills and rocky protrusions had a beauty he appreciated. Helen and he had spent a month touring, and the time they had in the Flinders Ranges, down in South Australia, was magic for both of them. The vivid yellow and orange colours of the rocks and the quartz outcrops soaked up their appreciation.
They had climbed up to the summit of St. Mary Peak, and sat for an hour, just taking in the view and the rolling landscape. The desert oaks and cypress pines looked like olive green smudges. Rory wondered at the rocky ramparts, the way they rose from the valley, and thought, for some obscure reason, how difficult it must have been for Hannibal, bringing his elephants over the Pyrenees.
Helen and he, had walked out to the distant Edeowie Gorge, and swam in the pool below the falls. Their only company were noisy corellas and a couple of blue tongue lizards. They made love on the sandy bank, and wondered why life was so good to them. If only she was here now.
A passing road transport, brought him back to the present. It wasjust over an hour since Walgett, and they now left the highway, and headed north, shortly arriving at the Big Opal, Lightning Ridge. In contrast to the ironbarks and broadleaf box they had been driving through, the area around the town had the appearance of hundreds of huge ant hills dotting the landscape. Already lights were twinkling, as the hot sun slid behind mullock heaps, and it's place was taken by a purple light. Soon it would be dark.
The town was larger than Rory had expected. The tourist dollar competing for the opal dollar. Tania directed him to the only obvious hotel. The Diggers Rest. She carried her own bag, and they pushed through a large and noisy crowd in the public bar to the counter.
"What'll it be?" An efficient looking bar tender raced by.
"You have rooms booked? Oceanic Mining," yelled Tania.
"Mavis," he yelled, then went off to serve customers.
The bar was full, as would be expected for any country hotel bar around this time of day. Many were covered in white dust, and obviously in from the thirsty work of looking for opals. Others had different looks about them, perhaps locals from neighbouring properties. A few, like himself, were cleanly dressed.
Shortly a stout woman appeared, from out the back.
"You from Oceanic?," she enquired, automatically wiping a section of bar as she spoke.
"Yes. You have a couple of rooms for us?" replied Tania.
"Only got one left, love. Got two single beds. OK?”
"No it's not OK, but I'll take it." Tania seemed annoyed. Turning to Rory, she said, "No doubt your an honourable man, Mr. Mason, but it won't be put to the test. Take the vehicle and go find a motel or room somewhere. Join me around seven for dinner, next door. If I don't see you, we leave at 8AM." Giving him a grin, she shouldered her bag, and went through the opening marked 'Guests'. Mavis looked at her disappearing back, and then Rory.
"I bet you did something you wished you hadn't. Better work on your technique, mister. Try the 'Pick and Shovel', second on the left, down the street. They got a bus load in tonight, but should be something there.”
Rory got the last room, in the timber and asbestos walled motel. The shower and toilet were outside at the back. He washed and put on a clean shirt, then went back to the bar. It was noisy, probably never quiet. He acquired a middy glass of beer, and stood at the back wall.
"You drinking alone?" It was an older person next to him, in grubby work clothes, and an unshaven face. "In the old days it was either you brought bad luck, and you know how miners are a superstitious lot, or your queer.”
Rory laughed. "Lot's of reasons why a man drinks alone, mate.
Name's Rory," and stuck out his hand. He felt a strong and calloused grip.
"Dusty Dan. Been in the Ridge long?”
"Long enough. Less than one hour. Just joking. Come to check out a couple of diggings with my boss. How come Dusty?" A darts game at the back was getting out of hand. One dart ended up vertical on a patron's boot. Then Rory saw two chairs, and motioned to his new offsider. He knew the fellow was after a free beer or two or three, but this was one sure way to find out what was happening.
Dan cleared his throat and took another swallow. "On account of the ways I drive me truck. Fast and one side on the gravel. Sure does send up a cloud. Been up here thirty years. Before even Diesel Bob came. We worked together a few years, but both being stubborn types, thought better we did our own thing. Hot night.”
Rory got the hint and headed to the bar. He pushed his way back to the chairs.
Dan took a long sip. "You into mining? Interested in buying?"
"I'm into mining all sorts of metals and stones. Was pulling out tin in Indonesia two weeks ago. Here to check on a couple of sites the boss has. Haven't a clue what or where, but they are owned by Oceanic Mining. Heard of them?”
"Nope. Tin eh? You need lots of water for that. Know anything about opals? I can show you around.”
"Thanks," said Rory, "just might take you up on that. I have to go and meet the boss, now, but if we come back around lunch tomorrow, where will I find you?" Then realised that was a silly question. The pub of course.
"I got a pretty busy day tomorrow, but I'm seeing a client about some sales around lunch. I'll pop in here and wait. One for the road?”
Rory smiled and accommodated his friend, then with a wave, pushed his way outside, into the cooler night air, and the relative quietness. Memories of Cloncurry and other towns, rang bells.
Then he thought of Pakanbaru, so recent yet so far away. Here it was dry and peaceful. There it was always humid, and the town never sleeping, a seething mass of humanity and sounds and smells. He entered the restaurant, next door, and looked around. He'd been in a lot worse, and as long as the food was good, who cares.
He couldn't see Tania, so he took a table and waited. Next to his table, was a woman on her own. She was eating a meal but her actions and facial expressions betrayed a more pressing concern than the food. She glanced at him and went back to her meal. He looked away but a few seconds later, heard a piece of cutlery fall, and he glanced back. She wasn't coping. Rory thought she was going to spit the dummy. He reached down and picked it up.
"I believe this is yours," and placed it on the table.
"Yes. Sorry. I mean thanks.”
"Name's Rory. Anything I can get you?" Able to take a closer look, he saw that she was distressed. She was also quite an attractive brunette in her forties. Wedding ring.
"No. I'm right." She stabbed at a pea, and it skidded off the plate. Then she cried.
"Take your time," he said, and offered her a serviette.
"Thank you. I'm sorry to be a nuisance. I left him, and he didn't care. Better I let you have your meal, and I go and cry myself to sleep.”
"I'm waiting for someone. Been through the crying game myself. It eases the pain but doesn't bring them back. Talking helps.”
Rory felt sad for her, whatever the reason might be. She didn't seem to have the pretension of many women, and despite her lack of any make up or jewellery, had appeal.
"Alcohol," she said, "became too much. Blotto most nights and no attempt to face the problem, even for me. Drank before we were married, and gave it up. For a while. Three happy years but then it crept in. I blame myself. I failed.”
"You're too hard on yourself. It's possible that no matter what you did, how hard you worked at it, nothing would have changed."
Rory sort to make some comforting generalisation. 'While she's talking she isn't crying', he said to himself.
"I'd like to believe that," she said, "but if there was a thing between him and me, why did it stop? I tried, but in the end...”
"When did you go?”
She succeeded this time in capturing a pea and dispatching it. "About a month ago. Told him one night, I had reached the end, and you know what the bastard said? 'Good riddance'. Three years and that was all he felt." Tears started to well up again.
Rory changed the direction of talk. "How come Lightning Ridge?”
"Oh. After a week of getting silence, I moved my personal stuff into storage and myself out of his storage." She smiled at what she had said. "Clever sentence.”
Rory smiled, and put out his hand. "Rory Mason. And Lightning Ridge?"
"Oh yes. A letter last week from him, the only one he ever wrote me, mind, to say I was finished and he was getting a divorce. So I wanted to get out of Melbourne a while. Booked in on an outback bus tour. This is the second night of three, here. Then to Emerald up in Queensland and then bush camping in some gorge.”
"You might find some where better than Melbourne.”
She pushed her plate away. "And you?”
"Widower. No kids. Here on business and no home. Not much for me, either.”
"May I join you, or would I be intruding?" The voice came from behind him, and he jumped slightly. He knew it was Tania. As he stood to introduce her, she beat him to it.
"Tania Darius," and sat down at Rory's table.
"Penny." The voice just a bit softer.
"Nice." replied Tania. "You a friend of Rory here?”
"No. We were just chatting. I must let you eat, and nice to meet you, Rory." She stuck out her hand, and he took it, looking into her eyes. There was a glint of happiness behind them, or did he imagine it? Then she smiled at Tania and turned, the closing the door of the restaurant, the only memory.
Rory wondered if Tania was showing authority or ownership of some sorts, or was it a female thing. He sat down and looked at her.
She was dressed in smart country clothes, that showed off her figure and her breeding. "I do carry a few essentials. Have you ordered?”
"No. I wouldn't presume to order for you. Besides there was no hurry." He wondered what sort of tongue lashing he might have received, whether he chose correctly or not.
"Good. One needs to be selective in these places. Mind, most are far better quality than some of those at home. Just lacks presentation usually. Try the beef, second from the top.”
"Thanks," said Rory, "but I might go for the grilled fish. Developed a liking for fish in the tropics. Rarely had a choice.”
What he didn't express aloud, was the thought of being told what to eat. He would have liked the beef. He had had enough fish to last ten lifetimes, but he wasn't going to buckle under. What was going to be more difficult to take, was the way the tight denim skirt with the top button undone, accentuated her trim body.
"Definitely not a yes man, I see." She smiled and signalled the proprietor.
Whilst the meals were coming, they chatted and little insights came out. It was not always a gilded life she had led. Rory softened a little, in fact became interested. He reciprocated and by coffee, had enjoyed himself. He would have liked a beer, but it appeared the place was not licensed.
"Spoke to my father, before I joined you.”
"Oh?" Rory was a little taken back that this only would surface now, and not an hour ago.
"Try to keep business separate." She finished her coffee before continuing. "He would have flown up straight away, when we found out about Adrian, but he's got a meeting in New York tomorrow.
We're on our own for a few days.”
"I'm sure we should make some progress. Mind you, we should keep clear of the police investigation....”
"It's our business, and the police can make all the noise they want." Her voice was raised and a few heads turned. Rory realised that she had a bit riding on the outcome of the opal business.
Whether it was family pride, or some ultimatum from Darius, was not yet clear. He changed tact.
"I'm anxious as you are to find out what has happened. I'll walk you to the hotel and see what tomorrow brings.”
"You think I need.....long time since I was walked home. As you say, big day ahead." She got up and fished out a credit card from her purse.
"Don't mean to be a pain," Rory chipped in, "but in a place like this, and the need to find out things, the locals prefer to maximise the income. Paperwork is for the city.”
"If you mean cash, just say the bloody word, not give me a thesis on it."
Rory winced inside, and stood at the door. Nothing was said in the short walk to the hotel.
"Eight tomorrow," and with a soft smile and just that little pause, she moved off inside.
Rory was deep in thought. Maybe a crack in the fortress wall. Maybe he would yet call the boss, Montgomery. Forget it. Then there was the woman tonight, Penny. Well gemstones come in many forms. He walked back to the motel. It was quiet. Saying there was a bus load in and no noise, suggested they were probably in one of the hotels.