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Back Dead Horse Gap Save as PDF
Chapters (58)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  3. DEDICATION
  4. Prologue
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-one
  26. Twenty-two
  27. Twenty-three
  28. Twenty-four
  29. Twenty-five
  30. Twenty-six
  31. Twenty-seven
  32. Twenty-eight
  33. Twenty-nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-one
  36. Thirty-two
  37. Thirty-three
  38. Thirty-four
  39. Thirty-five
  40. Thirty-six
  41. Thirty-seven
  42. Thirty-eight
  43. Thirty-nine
  44. Forty
  45. Forty-one
  46. Forty-two
  47. Forty-three
  48. Forty-four
  49. Forty-five
  50. Forty-six
  51. Forty-seven
  52. Forty-eight
  53. Forty-nine
  54. Fifty
  55. Fifty-one
  56. Fifty-two
  57. Fifty-three
  58. Acknowledgements

Heidi stared at her before falling forward on the table. A torturous sob burst from her lips as though wrenched from the very depths of her soul. And then a series of violent sobs shook her body, her shoulders heaving, her forehead resting on the tabletop.

Ryder suspended the interview.

Forty-four

Sterling looked up as Flowers came into the viewing room carrying a cup of tea.

‘Oh, thanks, Mitch.’ Sterling gratefully took the takeaway cup from his hands. ‘Do you have any more of those painkillers?’

‘Yep, I do.’ Flowers reached into his pocket and pressed two capsules out of the tab for her. ‘Are you feeling any better? That was hard going in there, you did well.’

‘I’m okay.’ Sterling was able to swallow the painkillers because the tea wasn’t piping hot. The warm liquid felt good sliding down her sore throat. ‘What’s going on down there now?’

‘The same officer is in with Heidi. She’s getting her coffee and something to eat, and they’re putting more drops in her eyes. Hopefully, she’ll be okay to keep going when she’s more comfortable. I don’t know where Ryder went. Maybe he’s calling Vanessa, or Inspector Gray.’

‘Who would have thought she’d be forced to take her brother’s spot in a drug gang?’ said Sterling, shaking her head. ‘It’s a horrible story.’

‘I know, but aren’t they all?’ said Flowers.

They were quiet for a while. Sterling drank her tea, hoping the painkillers would kick in before she had to go in there again. ‘You know, I was a coffee drinker before I met you,’ she said.

He smiled, reached out, and gave her back a comforting rub between her shoulder blades. ‘Have I turned you?’

She nodded, and the sweetness in his eyes was enough to make her throat ache even more.

The door flew open and Ryder strode in. Flowers removed his arm, and if Ryder noticed, he didn’t say anything. ‘We’re not driving back to Thredbo tonight,’ he said, giving them each a room key. ‘I’ve booked us into the motel a few doors down. The clothes we have on are going to be pretty rank by tomorrow.’

‘I’ll be fine,’ said Sterling, trying not to sound too self-satisfied. ‘My suitcase is in the car.’

‘You’ll be right then, Daisy,’ Ryder said, ‘you can borrow some of Sterling’s clothes.’

‘Hilarious, Sarge.’

Ryder grinned. ‘Okay. I’m off to call Vanessa to tell her not to expect me tonight. It’s after ten already.’

When the door closed, Sterling looked at her key. ‘Room 11. Which one are you in?’

‘Room 13.’

‘Oh, that’s bad luck.’

Flowers frowned. ‘I don’t believe in all that superstitious stuff.’

‘That’s not what I meant,’ she said with a smile. ‘I was thinking Sarge is probably in the middle.’

Forty-five