Wasn’t that a good question?“Maybe.Kind of.I hurt her pretty badly, but she’s giving me a second chance, and I can’t stuff it up.”
“Looks like you’re doing a pretty good job so far.Having us help has to earn you a few Brownie points.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Don’t sweat it.”
They hiked up the trail, which wound through the bush behind Lilydale.“Was this the farmland area?”Dobby asked.
“I don’t know where Aunt Maggie’s land goes,” Ethan admitted.“I’ve been meaning to look it up.Chelsea didn’t realise there were more than the sixteen acres of garden.”
“It’s less than eighty minutes from here to the CBD,” Dobby said.“Ninety to the barracks.”
“Yeah.”
“Bit of a long commute.”
Ethan understood what he was saying.“I’ve been thinking about it.Wanted to ask you how far along you were in your plans for a security firm.”
“Got a business plan.Scoping out some potential clients.”He gestured to the bush.“Thinking about training.”
“Would you be willing to employ a busted special ops soldier?”
“You know I would, but is that what you want?Don’t you want to be involved with this business Chelsea’s building?”
An excellent question.“I want to help her set it up, but the event planning, hospitality, publicity thing isn’t for me.I don’t like people enough and would miss the action.”
“I could do with a partner.I’ll email you the business plan.You can tell me if there are things I’ve missed.”
And just like that, he had a new option.Gratitude filled him.“Thanks, mate.”
The trail came out at Honeybrook Lake.About twenty metres from the edge of the bush was a car park where two cars were parked.An older woman was walking a fluffy white dog, and a father was pushing two kids on swings at the nearby playground.
“Your arsonist could have parked here and walked to the house.”Dobby checked his watch.“Would have taken about twenty minutes, maybe thirty, if he wasn’t very fit.”
Ethan nodded.“A long way to carry a couple of jerry cans.”He scanned the light poles, but none had security cameras mounted.
“Maybe he stashed them closer earlier in the day.”
It would be a big risk.Someone could have seen him.He pursed his lips.Maybe Josh could ask at the local petrol station whether anyone had filled up some jerry cans recently.
He pulled out his phone and called his friend.
Josh chuckled when Ethan had explained his thoughts.“Already done.”
“And?”Ethan asked.
“And it’s police business and we’re following some leads.”
Frustration filled him.“Come on, Josh.”
“Not a chance.You’ll want to take matters into your own hands.I’ve already had several calls about two four-wheel drives full of suspicious-looking men arriving at Lilydale Cottage.”
Ethan glanced at Dobby and grinned.“Just my teammates helping in the garden for the day.”
Josh snorted.“Right.Don’t do anything that will require me to arrest you.”
“I can promise you we’d leave no trace.”
