“You got a boat?” Dobby asked Brandon.
“There’s an old dinghy in the shed.”
Ed smiled. “Dot said if anyone goes near the island, she’ll arrest the lot of us.”
“Only if she finds out about it,” Heath said.
Ed was curious, too. “Lee also said the trunks we brought inside the other day might have answers as to why Stonefish want the Ridge.”
“But they didn’t,” Tess said.
“We haven’t had a good look in the cellar yet.” Something else occurred to him. “How long has the new track been there?”
Darcy frowned. “What new track?”
He gestured for Sam to speak.
“Lee took off on a track which ran almost parallel to the beach.”
Darcy glanced at Matt. “Do you know about it?”
Matt shook his head. “I’ll ask my folks, but they normally chat to you about that kind of thing.”
“When the police are finished, we can go for a drive,” Brandon said.
“Did Lee admit to any of the sabotage?” Amy asked tentatively.
“I asked about the sheep, but he didn’t answer,” Ed replied. “Georgie, how much do scenic flights cost?”
She blinked at him. “Huh?”
He’d been thinking about Lee’s words on the way home. “Lee said the island might hold answers, and there’s a new track to the gulf. They don’t want the Ridge for the sheep, so it has to be the location. We can’t cover all our land easily, but a plane can. Maybe Darcy and Matt should charter a flight, see if they can spot any anomalies from the air.”
Dobby nodded. “Great idea.”
“I’ll call them.” Georgie reached for her phone. “When do you want to go up?”
“As soon as possible,” Darcy answered.
“We should read the rest of those journals, and go through the trunks again,” Brandon added.
“And the cellar,” Tess said.
Dobby sighed. “I need to get us on the afternoon flight home,” he said. “Otherwise the Major is going to have a fit.”
“Thanks for your help, mate.” Brandon clapped him on the shoulder.
“Any time. Keep us in the loop. We’re all invested now.” He went outside to make the call.
Ed ate his lunch while Brandon told the others how they’d parked at a distance and sneaked up to the gulf to take out Tan. Tess was silent until the end. “Thank you for coming after me,” she said. “All of you. I didn’t expect you to risk your lives for me.”
“We’ve been through some stuff recently,” Brandon said. “We wouldn’t let anyone go through that alone—particularly not someone who is special to Ed.”
She ducked her head, cheeks red, but then straightened and looked Brandon in the eye. “Thank you.”
Ed grinned. Tess had come a long way since he’d met her as a bedraggled shell a week ago. He was so proud of her, and it made him love her all the more.
“I’ve got you a flight this afternoon,” Georgie announced, placing her phone on the table. “He can take you up in two hours.”
