Ed glanced at her. “What are you thinking?”
She checked over her shoulder to make sure they were alone and spotted Lee on the verandah watching her. “There are three ways he can go; into town as planned, towards Coral Bay or towards your airstrip.”
Ed’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t thought of that. No one has used it in a while.”
The fewer people who knew about her plan the better, but she would have to trust Ed. “When they leave I’m going to need to borrow the motorbike in case he doesn’t choose option one. Can you make sure it’s fuelled?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks. Do you know what happened to my clothes, which were washed earlier?”
“I’d guess they’re in the laundry.”
“Great.” She nodded to the drone feed. “Keep an eye out and tell me when Rodney’s almost here.”
She walked back to the house. “Looks all clear,” she said to Lee as she climbed the steps.
“You think Rodney has something else planned,” Lee said.
“I don’t know what Rodney is doing,” she agreed. “So it’s best to have contingencies.”
“Are you going to tell me?”
“If you need to know.” She looked him in the eye, daring him to argue with her. He gave a small nod and followed her back inside. “Have you got what you need?”
Lee would leave his car and all his possessions at the Ridge.
“Yes.”
In the laundry she found her police uniform ironed and hung on a coat hanger. Bless the person who’d done it. Her police vest was in Lee’s car, as were all of her weapons. Brandon entered the room.
“Can you take Lee outside while we bring the treasure up?”
She nodded. That would give her a chance to get her things. She returned to the kitchen and gestured to Lee. “I need to get some things out of your car.”
They went outside into the cooling afternoon air. “What do you need?” Lee asked.
“I want to put my vest back together,” she said. “I might need it tomorrow, and I’m not sure where everything ended up.”
“You’re not going to be at the bust,” Lee said, his voice sharp.
“No,” she said. “But Stonefish has done the unexpected before, and I’ll need it for my day-to-day.”
He nodded, though he didn’t seem happy about it. “Lucas said he’d shoot any police.”
“I’ll warn Dot, but I dare say she’s expecting that.”
Lee opened the back of his car and got out the pack with her weapons in it. She fetched her vest and put it over the T-shirt she was wearing and loaded the pockets with the items Lee passed her. They worked in silence.
“Nhiari—”
She braced herself.
Lee sighed. “I wish you all the best for the future.”
A lump lodged in her throat and she fought back tears in her eyes. This was their last goodbye. His future was uncertain.
Her heart raced as he turned away. Panic gripped her, and she grabbed his arm before she could stop herself. They stared at each other but she couldn’t find any words. There was no future for them. Telling him she cared too would only cause them both more pain. Finally she said, “Be careful of Rodney. He might double-cross you the way he did Martin.”
