“He wants to know exactly when I last saw Kim.”
“Does he say why?”
“No.”
Falk kissed Gemma goodbye inside the main gates and watched her disappear down the path in the direction of the festival headquarters. When she was gone, he took out his phone and tried Raco, listening to the ringtone on the other end. No answer. Falk thought for a minute, then set off in the direction of the vineyard stall.
The Monday-night festival crowd was lighter and easier to navigate, and Falk could see farther ahead than he was used to. He spotted Raco’s family and friends gathered around the stall before any of them saw him. The casual workers were once again behind the table, smiling and pouring for customers, and Falk saw Charlie unloading a crate of bottles. Shane was there as well, leaning against a post, chatting to someone. As he laughed and shifted his weight, Falk saw a blond head appear. Naomi. She was laughing, too.
“Hey, you made it.”
Falk felt a hand on his arm and turned at the voice. Rita.
“How was your evening?” she asked, interested but not intrusive.
“It was really nice, thanks.”
“Well, it’s about to get even better because we’re heading over to tackle the kids’ rides in a minute.” She grinned. “If you want to join me for the walk? Please say yes.”
“I would, but—” Falk scanned the group. Across the track, Raco’s older brother, Ben, was shepherding his various children out of the way of passersby while managing to simultaneously hold a conversation with Rohan. Zoe was watching them from her stroller, looking bored. “Where’s Greg?”
“He’s with Eva and Zara. They’ve gone to see Joel at the first-aid station.”
“By the east exit? Did he say why?”
“No. Just to say hello, I think.” Rita had caught the note in his voice, though, and frowned. “They should be back soon.”
“Right.” Falk’s eyes met hers. She’d lived with a police officer long enough that some things could go unsaid. “Listen, has he mentioned anything to you?”
“About what? Kim?”
“Yeah.”
“Not to me. Not today, anyway.” Rita shifted her weight to glance beyond Falk, over to where the rest of the family was starting to move, gathering up children and belongings. She turned back. “Go and talk to him. You know where we’ll be.”
The east of the site was as empty as always, and Falk passed only a handful of people after he cleared the rides and stalls and drew closer to the exit.
He spotted Raco straightaway, standing alone, a few steps beyond the rope that hung across the break in the fence. He had his back turned and his arms folded across his chest as he stared out at the bushland. Joel and Zara were watching him in silence from the first-aid station, while Eva played with Joel’s blood pressure cuff. They all looked up as Falk came nearer, and he caught a flash of relief cross the teenagers’ faces. How long had Raco been standing there like that? Falk raised a hand to them, then ducked under the rope himself.
Raco turned at the sound. “Oh. G’day.” His voice was flat, and his eyes slid straight back to the reservoir track. He wasn’t smiling.
“Hi, mate,” Falk said, stepping onto the path beside him. They stood shoulder to shoulder, looking down to where the body of water lay hidden beyond the trees. Falk hesitated, but only for a moment. If he couldn’t trust Raco, he couldn’t trust anyone. “Gemma says the answer is around fifteen months before Kim disappeared.”
“Right.” Raco didn’t sound surprised. He looked over, caught Falk’s expression, and his voice changed. “Don’t worry. I’ve asked everyone.”
“Yeah? When they last saw Kim?” Falk felt a tiny thread of relief run through him. He hadn’t really been worried, but still. Ahead, the silvery shadows on the trail shifted as the breeze rustled the trees. “Why?”
“Just trying to get it clear in my head,” Raco said. “So around fifteen months, Gemma reckons, since she had significant contact with Kim?” He nodded. “Sounds about right.”
“Does it?” Falk frowned, trying to follow.
“Naomi says the same. Shane reckons a bit longer for him. Zara was in touch more often, as you’d expect, but even she found Kim hard to get hold of. Charlie says he hadn’t seen her in person for a full year. Rita and I hadn’t seen her in two.”
“Okay.” A fair while, then, Falk thought. For all of them. But he wasn’t sure what—
“Daddy?” They both turned to see Eva on the other side of the exit. “Can we go?”
Zara was following a few paces behind and shrugged an apology. “She says she’s had enough.”
