Lee assessed the map. “We need to mark all the airstrips and roads to the coast.”
“There are many unmarked tracks and airstrips on the stations,” Nhiari said. “If Lucas has bribed a station owner, he could access tracks we don’t know about.”
“He wouldn’t even need to bribe them,” Brandon pointed out. “He could use them with no one being any wiser.”
“What’s the plane registration?” Dot asked.
Lee rattled off the details. “It needs a long runway. Anything under eight hundred metres would be too short.”
“That will rule out a lot of the station airstrips then,” Nhiari said. “Most are for small, single-engine planes.”
Nhiari and Dot got to work marking options on the map, including petrol stations where the van would stop to refuel. Before they got to Geraldton there were over two dozen. Way too many options for them to cover them all.
“I need to call Lucas,” Lee said. “He’ll need my help to steal it, so I’ll be able to tell you where he’ll be waiting.”
Nhiari nodded. “Lee needs to see the treasure as well in case Lucas asks questions about it. He may need some kind of proof to show Lucas.”
Brandon scowled. “Take him into the lounge and I’ll retrieve some.”
Fair enough. Nhiari led Lee out of the kitchen. In the hallway he paused at the wall of photos of the Stokes children at various ages from birth to their first day of school, to graduation and the latest one was of Brandon and Amy’s wedding.
“I always envied this wall,” he said to Nhiari as he followed her into the lounge room. It was a cosy room, with big, soft couches and an average sized television. Nothing like the designer rooms his mother had put together, but far more welcoming.
“Why?”
“Because it represents love,” he replied. “The photos aren’t professional but show a lifetime of family and support.”
“You didn’t have family photos in your house?”
“Only if they were professionally taken and matched the decor. Mother isn’t sentimental. It was more for appearances.”
Nhiari brushed his hand. “I’m sorry.”
He shook away her apology. “I was fine. I had a very privileged upbringing.”
“You can have all the wealth in the world and still be unhappy.”
“Dad made it up to me when he could.”
“When did you see the photos?” Nhiari asked suddenly.
He glanced at her. “What?”
“You said you always envied the wall, but the Stokes don’t invite guests down this way.”
He winced. “They never locked the house,” he said. “I’ve been in a few times looking for clues to the treasure when Amy went to town and the others were working.”
“Did you take anything?”
“Only photos of potential things.” He didn’t mention what he’d left behind.
She nodded as if satisfied. “Giving them the money was very generous.”
“It was the least I could do.” One photo he’d taken at Amy and Brandon’s wedding had been enlarged and framed, taking a prominent position on one wall. It contained the Stokes children, their partners, and Lara. Though Matt and Georgie hadn’t been together then, they stood next to each other and Tess had been a part of the photo too. Lee smiled. He’d done something they appreciated. He could hold on to that.
“Have you had that money with you the whole time?” Nhiari asked.
“Clark smuggled it in for me. He thought it was for bribes. I knew as soon as I met Amy and Beth that I was going to be hurting good people. Prior to that, all I thought of was revenge for my father. I didn’t consider what I might have to do to get it.”
