‘Not tonight.’ Sophie spoke decisively. ‘It’ll be dark in half an hour, and none of us got much sleep last night. So dinner’s on the agenda for us and bed, but we’ll be happy to assist you tomorrow.’

The following morning, Tilly woke to utter stillness; even Leary’s truly horrific snoring had ceased. All she could hear was the drip of moisture falling from the roof edges as she dressed swiftly and headed for the kitchen. A light mist hovered above the river and she lingered, staring, until the harsh cackle of a kookaburra shattered the silence. Des, who had rolled his swag out on the verandah, was already up. She saw the neat cyclinder of his rolled swag and his boot tracks in the sodden grass leading away to the river. Helen, lacking her own bedding, had slept on the sofa in the lounge. Tilly hoped it had been more comfortable than it looked.

Tilly herself had slept like the dead, untroubled by dreams – probably, she thought now, breathing in the fresh morning, because of Connor’s late night call. Everything had gone well. The good guys, he had told her, were back in charge and the villains behind bars. Due to the nature of their crimes, neither Mercer nor Wilmot would be granted bail. ‘Too big a flight risk,’ he’d said. Of course, the men in the vehicle slated to meet up with Matt were still at large, but the video camera on the fuel pumps at Alloway had a record of all vehicles that had passed by that day, and it was only a matter of time before the driver, at least, was located.

‘And Luke?’ Tilly had asked. ‘How is he?’

‘Doing well. They’re discharging him tomorrow. He remembers driving to the cave and then nothing until he woke up on the plane on his way to hospital. His main concern seems to be about missing his chance with the professor.’

‘Oh, he hasn’t. Thomas and I are heading out to the cave this morning with Des. He wants to try and recover Matt’s gun. We’ll ring Luke later and tell him so. When will you be back?’

‘Soon as I can manage, love.’ They had talked a little longer; she smiled now, remembering his words, then stretched, deliciously aware of a new energy and expectation in her heart. It was just as Sophie had promised her: life was good again. Humming a little tune, she went back inside to start breakfast.

They took two vehicles to the caves, the two police following Tilly and Leary out.

‘The road seems a lot better than it did the other night,’ the professor observed. He wore an air of expectancy this morning and had brought along a fine mesh net on a telescopic handle.