Black Mountain (17 page)

As she sat turning this over in her mind, Jackson tentatively reached a hand across the table. ‘Please forgive me,' he pleaded. ‘I know I should never have deceived you in the first place, but I did, to impress you, and then I came to care for you so much I didn't have the courage to tell you. I knew you'd despise me.' He drew a deep breath. ‘As you do now, obviously. And I don't blame you.'

She ignored his hand and he drew it back.

‘I don't know whether to believe you or not,' she told him slowly. ‘And I could certainly never trust you again.'

She saw the hurt in his eyes.

His lips twisted. ‘I understand.'

They sat in silence for a moment, and then Jackson spoke again.

‘What made you think I came from New Zealand?'

‘You've been identified by the police over there.'

His brow lifted. ‘Identified? What do you mean? How?'

‘From a photo I'd taken of you.'

Elly thought she saw a flicker in his eyes, but it was gone in a second and she couldn't be sure.

‘A photo? I didn't know you had a photo of me. When did you take it?'

‘One day when we were out and about in Cairns.'

‘Was it a good likeness?'

‘Well, not really I suppose. It was only side on, when you were ordering coffee one day.'

He shook his head. ‘Well, there you are then. It must have been someone who looks like me. I told you, I'm from Canada. And now I've seen you again, and I know how hopeless it is for us, I'll probably go back there. As soon as I get the all clear for my back.'

‘That would probably be best for you.'

If a little voice niggled at Elly that she should report him to the local police, seeing he had been listed as a missing person, she chose to ignore it. After all, when a man has just told you he's desperately in love with you, it didn't seem quite right somehow.

‘Anyway, what brings you to Cooktown? Are you here for long?' Jackson asked.

‘I'm not sure for how long. I'm here to … to carry out some research.'

‘Really? What, here in Cooktown? On one of the health projects, I suppose?'

‘No, down at Black Mountain, actually.'

He looked surprised. ‘Oh? I believe that's a fascinating place. A bit dangerous though, so I hear. Are you doing it alone?'

‘No, I'm working with a colleague. Although he's been called away for a day or so.'

‘I see. This colleague, is he a boyfriend?'

‘No,' she said firmly. ‘Just a colleague.'

‘And he's away for a day or so?'

‘Yes.'

‘Do you expect him back soon?'

‘I don't know. His father's had a stroke.'

‘Oh, that's bad luck.'

‘Yes.'

He looked at her, his blue eyes wide. ‘I don't suppose … is there any chance … that is … would you have dinner with me tonight?'

Elly was surprised at Jackson's request, and opened her mouth to say ‘no', but something stopped her. She felt inclined to believe that Jackson was innocent of taking the journal, that he'd deceived her, but not the rest. She studied him carefully—he seemed so remorseful. Would it really do any harm just to have a meal with him? Mitchell would be appalled that she'd even consider it, but Mitchell wasn't here. And, after all, he wasn't her keeper.

‘Yes, all right. As long as we eat here. This is where I'm staying, and we can have a quick meal in the bistro.'

Jackson's face lit up. ‘Of course. Anywhere you say.'

Elly checked her watch and pushed back her chair. ‘Then let's say we meet up here again in an hour. Okay?'

‘Okay.'

Elly went to her room to shower and change into the fresh clothes she had bought.

Chapter 27

‘This is getting too dangerous for me,' Jackson told Greg when he phoned. ‘I'm going to pull the plug. I had no idea she'd taken a photo of me, and now they know who I am and where I'm from, although I think I've convinced her it's a mistake. For the moment. But I'm not hanging around here until Beaumont comes back. He's an ex-cop and he'll have them hauling me in for questioning, and then the shit will really hit the fan.'

‘But until he gets back you're in a great position,' Greg tried to reassure him. ‘Back in her confidence again. You can watch her easily, maybe even talk her into letting you go with her to look for the plant.'

‘What about when he comes back, and finds me here?'

‘You're smart enough to avoid him finding you there. She'll know when he's due back and you can disappear beforehand.'

‘If you want me to take this risk, you're going to have to make it worth my while. I want cash in my bank. Promises aren't good enough.'

‘I've already told you if we find this bloody plant I'll double the amount we agreed on.'

‘And if we don't find it? Then what?'

‘You'll still get the amount we agreed on.'

‘I want that amount now and the rest when we find the plant, or I'm out of here. Either you put that in my bank tomorrow, or I'm leaving. You can come up here yourself and do the watching.'

There was silence for a moment. ‘All right, but if I do, you'll stay and continue watching?'

‘Yes, I guarantee it.'

‘And if Beaumont comes back, what then?'

‘I'll find a way to continue watching. Without him seeing me.'

‘All right. I'll transfer the money into your bank tomorrow.'

‘Good. I'll check it tomorrow.'

‘It'll be there.'

With that he clicked off, and Jackson pocketed his phone with a smile of satisfaction. He spent the next half hour online researching out of the way accommodation near Cooktown. When he found an eco-lodge that seemed suitable he made a phone call. As he ended the call he felt pleased with himself. He had a bolt-hole. And tomorrow he would have a much bigger bank balance.

When he went to meet Elly there was a spring in his step.

***

Elly thought Jackson seemed diffident when they met for dinner, bending towards her as if to kiss her cheek, but then seeming to think better of it and drawing back hesitantly.

When he took her elbow to guide her to the table she didn't resist, and he pulled the chair out for her and waited for her to sit before asking if she'd like a drink before dinner.

‘Yes, a glass of white wine would be nice,' she told him, and then she sat back and watched him as he went to the bar for their drinks. She was still not sure if she believed his story, but was pleased she had given him the benefit of the doubt by agreeing to dinner. After all, she had to eat.

She would ask him some questions tonight. If he was lying, surely she would have some indication.

He came back with the drinks, wine for her and beer for himself, and set her glass in front of her. Seating himself opposite he raised his glass to her. ‘Thank you for coming, Elly. You've no idea how much it means to me.'

‘We're only having a quick meal,' she warned him. ‘I don't plan on having a late night.'

‘No, of course not, I understand.' He smiled. ‘But you can't prevent me from enjoying being here with you. I never really thought that I'd ever see you again, let alone sit with you like this.' He paused. ‘I wrote to my mother about you, you know. Back when I thought there might be a chance for me with you.' He gazed at her wistfully. ‘She wanted me to bring you over to meet her.'

Elly was startled. ‘What? To Canada?'

‘Yes. You'd like her, I'm sure.'

She remembered she was going to ask him some questions. ‘Where did you say you grew up?'

‘In Toronto. On the outskirts, actually. We had a small farm.'

‘Is that where you went to school?'

‘Yes. In Hudson.'

‘Tell me what it was like growing up in Canada.'

‘Probably not all that different to growing up in Australia, except for the cold.' He smiled. ‘We learned to ski as soon as we could walk. We had to, it was nothing to be snowed in.'

‘Tell me about it.'

‘How about we order something to eat first?' He handed her the menu. ‘What do you feel like?'

Elly perused the menu and decided on the barramundi, and Jackson left her to place their order. When he came back Elly picked up the conversation.

‘How do you cope with the cold in Canada?' she asked him.

‘Houses are built to cope. We have double glazing on the windows, and a furnace for heating. The car has to be kept inside the garage, out of the weather, and in winter we have to plug the battery into the power before we can start it.'

He certainly seems to know all about it, Elly thought.

During dinner she asked him again about his childhood, and he spent the rest of the evening regaling her with stories. About skiing in winter, and baseball and fishing in summer.

Jackson seemed to regain his confidence as the evening progressed. His stories had the ring of truth about them, either that or he was an exceptionally good actor, and by the end of the evening Elly was near enough to convinced that he was telling her the truth.

When she told him it was time to go he escorted her to her room. As they stopped outside the room he took the key from her and opened the door, then leant and gently kissed her goodnight on the cheek. She made no objection, and agreed to repeat their dinner date tomorrow night.

The next day Elly drove the rental car down to resume the search, her mind going back over the evening before, and Jackson's story.

Black Mountain looked dark and intimidating as she approached it, with clouds hanging menacingly above, and she drove further along the road than she and Mitchell had been going, further away from the spooky black outcrops, before parking by the side of the road.

When she left the relative cool of the air-conditioned car the humidity wrapped around her like a wet sheet, and the sweat began trickling down her back after the first few steps.

As she pushed through the undergrowth she felt very alone. Overhead the sun lanced through the canopy of leaves, but in here it was dim, and every now and again a moaning sound sighed through the air, coming from the mountain, and she shivered in spite of the heat. A sudden noise like a gunshot caused her to freeze, her pulses leaping, before swivelling around to check she was alone. Then realisation kicked in and she remembered that in hot weather the granite stones around the mountain sometimes cracked, giving off a loud report.

To Elly the forest seemed unnaturally quiet, even the calls of the many birds that called the forest home seemed more subdued than normal, probably due to the heat that always built up before the start of the wet, and she tried to keep her mind away from the myriad of animals that she knew inhabited the area. This forest, unlike the southern Daintree that she knew and loved, had a different feel to it. Instead of a peaceful, friendly place, this had an atmosphere that was dark and threatening, as if vibes from the lost souls of the Black Mountain infiltrated the place, seeking out those unwary enough to enter.

It was mid-morning when a lace monitor, at least a metre long, streaked across and raced up a tree trunk only a couple of metres in front of her, and she yelped and jumped back with the shock, her heart racing. She knew there were dozens of animals living here, as evidenced by the many tracks and trails amongst the plants, but many of them were nocturnal, and the rest were as wary of humans as she was of them, and kept out of sight.

The rest of the day passed without incident, but it seemed endless and as she trudged through the forest her mind returned again and again to Jackson's words. It had been a long time since a man had told her he loved her. Oh yes, there'd been plenty of men keen to gain her affection, but she'd kept them all at arm's length, until Jackson came along. She knew they would've ended up in bed together if he had come to Brisbane … but he hadn't.

Then she thought about Mitchell, and how she'd felt such a strong connection with him when he kissed her. She'd felt the stirring of physical passion, but it was more than that, it felt so right—a sort of knowing, a feeling of belonging. But it was no use thinking about that, he was in love with Fancy Pants, and the kiss had obviously been only to comfort her. She'd read more into it than he intended. As was shown by the fact he had never repeated the kiss, or shown her anything more than friendship.

So her mind switched back to Jackson. Should she believe him? She wanted to, but still she couldn't bring herself to completely accept that he had told her the truth.

And she doggedly kept on with her search, until mid-afternoon.

After a miserable day with no positive result she climbed back into the car, thinking longingly of the cool water of the lagoon by the camp. After carefully marking the area she had covered today on the map Mitchell had left with her, she drove back to Cooktown, to the hotel with air conditioning and a welcome cool shower.

Chapter 28

Elly had showered and was feeling refreshed when the phone rang a little later. It was Mitchell.

‘How's your father?' she asked him, after reassuring him she was managing quite well on her own, and told him, no, she hadn't had any luck.

‘He's not too good,' he answered, and she could hear the worry in his voice. ‘The doctors aren't making any predictions yet.'

‘Is he conscious?'

‘No. We've been taking it in turns to be with him day and night.' He paused. ‘I don't know when I'll be able to get back, it could be another few days yet, and I don't like you being up there on your own. I think you should come back.'

‘No, I'll stay at least a few more days. I don't want you to worry about me, I'm quite all right,' she told him firmly. ‘You concentrate on your parents. I can always come back down if I want to, and we'll keep in touch every day or so.'

His voice was troubled. ‘If you're sure—'