“Yeah, I am.” He sighed. “Let’s deal with Salvatore first, then we can search for it.”
Ed nodded. Made sense. They would have to move furniture to pull up the lino and that would cause more obstacles to manoeuvre around.
Lara pouted. “Do we have to wait?”
Tess chuckled and whispered, “I’m with Lara.”
Ed pulled her closer and kissed her. “It won’t be long.”
***
After dinner, Tess continued to read Charlotte’s journal for clues as to where the entrance to the cellar was, though part of her listened for sounds coming from the lounge room. She still felt incredibly safe surrounded by the Stokes family—particularly Ed.
Almost an hour after Salvatore had walked into the house, the police arrived. Nhiari introduced the man she was with as Constable Colin Lipscombe.
“Where is he?” Nhiari asked.
“The lounge,” Darcy answered.
Nhiari scanned the kitchen, her gaze locking on Tess. “Did he see you?”
Tess nodded. “But I’m not sure he saw my face.”
“All right. I want you all to go into one of the bedrooms away from the lounge. Wait there until I get Salvatore into the police van. I’ll come and get you.”
They moved into Lara’s room and a few moments later, Salvatore’s yells of innocence could be heard from the lounge.
Tess tensed as the shouts moved down the corridor and then faded.
Brandon came to the door. “You can come out. He’s in the van.”
Tess sighed as Ed hugged her. One less person trying to kill her.
The kitchen table was crowded with Brandon’s army buddies, plus all the Stokes and Matt. Nhiari walked in and shut the door behind her. “We’ll take him straight to Carnarvon to question him,” she said. “Tess, you’ll need to formally identify him, but at this stage we’ve got enough to hold him. Someone will call you in the morning.”
“Thank you.”
“Good work, sis,” Matt said.
Nhiari rolled her eyes at him. “Just doing my job.” She left and Brandon locked the door behind her, while Sam closed the kitchen curtains.
Tess frowned. Wasn’t the danger past?
“Why are you locking the door?” Ed asked as he sat.
Sam answered. “Because Lee’s still out there.”
She’d forgotten about him. Was he really involved?
Sam clapped Matt on the shoulder. “Your sister’s a bad ass,” he said. “You should have heard her shut down Salvatore’s complaints.”
Dobby nodded. “He tried to get away when we went to put him in the van, and she stopped him in his tracks. Girl’s got moves.”
Matt grinned. “She practised them all on me.”
“She can practise on me any time,” Heath said.
Matt scowled at him. “Ew, that’s my sister you’re talking about.”
