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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

‘Because those tractors have a common key.’

Seven

Ryder paced back and forth in front of the window at the Golden Wattle Lodge, waiting for Benson to pick up from the station in Parramatta. Outside, snow was turning the trees white. It was a perfect day in Thredbo, with little wind and a fresh cover of snow blanketing the ground, but Ryder had no time for the view.

He looked up as Vanessa came into the room carrying a bowl of muesli and fruit. ‘Eva put this aside for you,’ she said, putting it down on the bedside table. ‘It’s ten-thirty and you haven’t eaten.’

‘I’ve been waiting for Benson. I was trying to prepare the report for the Coroner but then Flowers rang with a lead.’ He switched his phone to speaker and put it on the table beside the muesli. ‘You grew up on a property. How much do you know about tractors?’

Vanessa frowned. ‘A bit. What do you want to know?’

Ryder killed the call when it went through to voicemail. ‘Is it true that one key can operate different tractors manufactured by the same company?’

‘Yes.’ Vanessa shrugged on her ski-patrol jacket and began fiddling with the zipper. ‘Oh, wait, some of the newer models could have individual keys. How old is it?’

‘About twenty years.’

‘I’d say that one would likely work off a common key.’

‘That’s what Flowers said when he called.’

‘You tossed and turned all night,’ she said, fixing watchful eyes on him as she zipped up her jacket. ‘You’re not getting cold feet about moving to the farm, are you?’

‘No, of course not,’ he said, though he couldn’t deny the hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach every time he thought about it. ‘What makes you think I’m having second thoughts?’

‘I’m just asking.’

Ryder turned away from her to pick up the cereal she’d brought him, then turned back to face her again. ‘I’ve got a lot on, that’s all. I’m just trying to stay across everything. I want to wrap up as much as I can before we go.’

Vanessa nodded and moved towards him. ‘Sorry, but I have to get going. I have another eleven o’clock start.’

Ryder put his free hand in the centre of her back as she kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you for bringing me breakfast,’ he said. ‘Take care on the mountain today.’

‘I will. You too, Detective.’

section break

Ryder watched Vanessa leave, and when Benson still hadn’t returned his call by the time he’d finished his muesli, he pocketed his phone, car keys and wallet and left the suite.

Eva was in the kitchen rolling pastry. Despite being several years older, several centimetres shorter, and with blonde hair where Vanessa’s was dark, the family resemblance was unmistakable.