Before the Storm Read online

  She was walking away from the small group when a car door slammed and suddenly an engine roared to life, the vehicle speeding past dangerously close to her. She caught sight of a grim-faced Ronan behind the wheel. Ellie stopped and watched as the car disappeared down the forest track towards the entrance to the park. She instinctively put her hand up to her injured arm for protection, and shuddered.

  *

  Voices were subdued. No birds sang, no wind shifted the leaves. Night waited. Small fires were lit around the campsite and emergency lights from a chugging generator illuminated the sad scene. The next group of searchers were ready to go out with battery-powered lights. The sniffer dogs were still there and had apparently picked up a trail in the afternoon, but it had petered out among slimy rocks in a small spring.

  Ben had disappeared and Sally told Ellie she was planning to head back to town to do a piece on the evening news. The TV crews had also left to update viewers on the search with images of the anxious crowd, distressed parents, the local volunteers and no doubt stock footage of the rough terrain of the national park, where somewhere a small child was hopefully sheltering during this cold dark night, awaiting rescue.

  It was that thought that kept the remaining searchers scouring the bushland in the darkness.

  Cassie and Steve, Patrick, Roly and Ellie were sitting together, eating curries and keeping each other company.

  ‘If young Peter isn’t found by 10 pm, they’ll stop and go out again at dawn,’ Patrick said quietly.

  ‘We have to get back, I’m afraid,’ said Cassie. ‘Steve will come at daybreak unless there’s good news. You sure we can’t take you home, Roly?’

  ‘I’m with the newspaperman, but thanks.’ Roly looked around at the other groups sitting nearby. ‘I recognise so many people here. Seems the whole town has come to help,’ he said.

  ‘Says a lot about Storm Harbour, doesn’t it?’ said Patrick. ‘We pull together when needed.’

  ‘If you have room, I’ll get a lift with you, Cassie,’ said Ellie. ‘Our old dog Sam’s been home alone all day and will need feeding. Plus I drove here with my grandfather and he might need his car. Poppy, are you coming home tonight?’

  ‘I’m staying,’ said Patrick firmly. ‘Got to be here when they find the lad.’

  ‘You’re such a stubborn newsman,’ Ellie said fondly, but she wasn’t surprised he’d decided to stay.

  ‘It’s what we do, love. And it’s only by being at the

  scene that you get the depth and guts of a story. Observation. Listening. Soaking up the atmosphere. A casual comment overheard can be very revealing. But I’m glad you’re going home to Sammy. You can take over from me at breakfast, if need be. God forbid we should all still be here then.’

  ‘All right, but take care and try to stay warm. I’ll go into the office and see how Jon and Maggie are going on the way home. When I called Jon just before he said they were still there.’

  *

  ‘No news, huh?’ said Maggie as Ellie came in and shook her head in reply.

  ‘What’ve you done to your arm?’ asked Jon.

  She told them about her accident and gave them a rundown of the operation at the base camp and who she’d seen in the search groups.

  ‘It’s all really sad and upsetting. Those poor parents. But what’s heartening is that so many townsfolk have joined the search. Tommy from the bookshop was leading a group and there were some people from around town who I knew by sight, and a group from the Sikh community up north somewhere turned up and fed everyone a fantastic meal. As well as the volunteers, there were police, rangers, rural fire service and SES teams. As I was leaving, the guy from the hardware store arrived with ropes, tents and sleeping bags. It now looks like it’s going to be a night-long vigil,’ said Ellie.

  ‘So the parents have no friends or family with them,’ said Maggie.

  ‘No, although the local minister and the mayor are supporting them. Peter, the little boy, is an only child apparently,’ said Ellie.

  ‘What’s happening up there now?’ Jon asked.

  ‘Some of the searchers are still out but they’re stopping at 10 pm and will start again at daylight. Poppy will stay up there. Roly’s with him and Dave has offered for them to rest in his van if they want to. He brought up sleeping bags and pillows, which was thoughtful. Poppy has his old car, so he could sleep in that, but Dave’s van looked more comfy. I got a lift back with Cassie.’

  ‘Right, well, there’s still time for them to find him tonight. Let’s keep hoping,’ Jon said.

  Ellie smiled gently and nodded. ‘How’s the next edition coming along?’ she asked.

  ‘We’ve got the printers on standby; the layout is all done save the front page. Just hope it’s a good news story,’ said Maggie.

  ‘Patrick called me late afternoon – the reception up there was pretty bad, but I was able to confirm the plan with him. Good news or not, we’ll be ready to go as soon as he calls in with any news,’ Jon said to Ellie.

  ‘Hey, the early news bulletin is about to start.’ He rolled his wheelchair over to the little TV set in Patrick’s office.

  ‘I’ll be interested to hear Sally’s report on the radio, too. Which reminds me, Ben O’Neill was out there,’ said Ellie. Her memory of the argument between Ben and his brother reared up in her mind, but she pushed it firmly away.

  ‘They really seem to be an item,’ said Jon.

  ‘You don’t mind?’ Maggie asked him. ‘You and Sally got on so well.’

  Jon shrugged. ‘Nah. Sally can be a bit of a crazy chick, but we still get on. Friendly rivalry. Hey, did you get any photos, Ellie?’

  ‘Yes, but I doubt they’re as good as you’d take. Mainly background stuff, people setting up, the search parties getting ready, the food guys, local people . . .’

  ‘I’d like to be up there. I have such a sensitive zoom, I can get really clear close-ups that capture people’s emotions,’ said Jon.

  Ellie sat down in front of the TV and looked over at the kind and sensitive man next to her. ‘We could give it a try, Jon. Would your wheelchair cope with the rocky tracks?’ she asked.

  ‘I’d be fine at base camp, where it’s flat. But I’m needed here if we have to get something out quickly,’ he said.

  ‘You can borrow my camera, if you like. I’ll give you a quick lesson.’

  ‘If you’re sure, that’d be great, thanks. I’ll take good care of it.’ She smiled but it quickly faded. Ellie knew she should report what she’d seen, much as she didn’t want to talk about it. ‘By the way,’ she said tentatively, ‘I saw Ronan O’Neill up there in the bush. He and Ben were arguing. I couldn’t hear what it was about, but it certainly wasn’t friendly. Then Ronan sped off in his four-wheel drive, almost knocking me over on the way. Ben stayed on.’

  ‘Really? I wonder what’s going on there . . . Look,’ said Maggie, ‘here’s the news.’

  The bulletin led with the story of the missing boy.

  ‘Man, that does look rugged,’ Jon said, watching the helicopter shots of the gorges and hills, the police divers in the lake and the searchers struggling through the thick undergrowth.

  The reporter’s voiceover continued: ‘There was a moment of hope when a police sniffer dog picked up the boy’s early trail near the family’s tent, but once into the forest, wet from overnight rain, the dog lost the scent . . .’

  ‘If he’s not found tonight and is alone out there in the wilderness . . . well, the major networks will be crawling over the place tomorrow,’ said Maggie.

  ‘There’s lots of crews there already, Maggie. Look at that poor couple,’ Ellie said as the camera lingered on Peter’s parents. ‘They’re blaming themselves, Meredith told me. As if it was their fault. A curious little kid out in the real bush, perhaps for the first time; maybe he wanted to pee, or heard an animal and went to try to find it . . . to be an exp
lorer.’ Ellie stopped; it was too upsetting.

  ‘I’m going home to feed Sam,’ she said eventually, scrolling on her phone to find the number of the local taxi. ‘If you need me, call anytime during the night. I’m ready to go at a moment’s notice. Jon, if you decide to come, maybe give me a call to let me know. I’m planning to head back up there really early tomorrow morning if there’s no news before then – I can text you when I’m leaving.’

  Jon nodded and then took Ellie through the basics she needed to know about how to use his camera and its different lenses.

  ‘Take care, Ellie,’ Maggie said.

  *

  As Ellie walked into the house, Sam flung himself against her and she hugged him tightly.

  ‘Sorry for leaving you alone, Sammy. There’s a poor little boy lost out there somewhere,’ she told the dog. ‘And our devoted newspaper proprietor is hanging in there too.’

  Ellie fed Sam, jumped in a hot shower and carefully pulled on comfortable clothes around her sore elbow. Heading back down to the kitchen, she made a cup of tea. She wasn’t hungry after the wonderful meal the volunteers had provided.

  Her phone rang and Mike’s name flashed up on the screen.

  ‘Hi, Ell, are you okay? I’ve just seen the news on TV about the lost boy. Awful. Any update? I caught a glimpse of Roly on the telly.’

  ‘Oh, it’s terrible, Mike.’ Suddenly she wanted to pour out how she felt.

  Mike listened, letting her go on, only interrupting when she recounted her fall and injured arm.

  ‘How are you now? Were you scared?’

  ‘For a moment I felt myself going under . . .’ She paused. ‘I was alone, and I was about to panic. It’s very rugged out there. But then, strangely, it was like the forest reached out and embraced me. I felt . . . comforted. Does that sound weird?’ Without waiting for a reply she continued, ‘All I could think about was that I hoped that the little boy might feel the same way; feel that he was safe, I mean.’ Her voice wobbled on the last words.

  ‘Let’s hope so, Ell,’ said Mike soothingly. ‘Where’s Patrick?’

  ‘The old bugger is still up there! He’s determined to cover this story himself.’

  ‘Ever the journo, good on him. What do you think the odds are of the little kid turning up?’

  ‘Oh, Mike, I can’t imagine. The area is hilly, with gullies, rugged crevices and caves all over the place, and a big lake nearby. Dangerous. I just can’t help imagining that he must have had an accident . . .’ Her breath caught in her throat.

  ‘Ellie, wait. You need to hold on to hope. Be strong. I wish I was there to give you a hug.’

  ‘Thanks, Mike. I’ll keep you posted. I’d better ring my parents as they always listen to the national news.’

  ‘Call any time, Ellie, I’m always here for you.’

  ‘I know. Thank you.’

  Her mother answered the phone on the second ring. ‘Hi, honey. We saw the news. Those poor parents, how dreadful. Is there any update?’

  ‘No. They’ll be hunkering down for the night now, I guess. Do you think the little boy will survive out there? It’s getting very cold. And Poppy is staying up there too.’

  ‘What! The silly old thing. I get it, though.’

  Ellie told her mother about the search and everything that had happened that day. It felt so good to be able to share it all with her mum, she thought.

  ‘Poppy and his team are doing a special front page for the paper,’ Ellie said. ‘Poppy will write the story from the heart; the way the town has pulled together to try to help. In a way, it’s made us realise what’s truly important.’

  She looked at the bandages on her arm as she explained about her accident. ‘I was so strung out, I thought I might have another panic attack, but I didn’t. I was okay,’ she said.

  ‘That’s wonderful to hear, sweetie,’ her mother said softly. ‘You are more than okay. I can hear it in your voice. You’ll go from strength to strength now. You won’t know yourself when you come back to Melbourne. The world is your oyster again, Ell.’

  ‘I don’t know about that. But somehow I do feel I’ve reached a kind of turning point. For tonight, though, my only wish is that Peter comes through this safely.’

  ‘Get a good night’s sleep, honey. We love you. Give your pop a kiss for me when you see him.’

  At some point in the night Ellie stirred and reached for her phone. No messages. Sam continued snoring on the foot of her bed. Her face was cool from the air coming in from the partially open window, and she prayed that somehow some comfort would reach the small boy alone in the bush on this cold night.

  It was still dark when Ellie woke to find a text from Jon saying that he was already up and would go in early to the office rather than tackle the rugged national park. After quickly getting ready, she set off; she wanted to be back at the camping ground before daybreak. She’d packed the camera bag, Patrick’s Driza-Bone coat, a thermos of tea, some toasted sandwiches, and a bag of fruit.

  When she arrived and climbed out of the car, Ellie saw figures moving around a small fire, where a wisp of smoke joined the rising mist of the fading night.

  She spotted Patrick and Roly sitting in the quiet circle and joined them.

  ‘Hi, Poppy. No news?’ she asked her weary-looking grandfather.

  ‘Good to see you, love.’ Patrick shook his head and put his arm around her shoulders. ‘Sadly, no. As soon as they can see, the teams will start the search again,’ he said. ‘One or two local fellows who know this area very well told me they’re planning to go out soon.’

  ‘Where’re the parents?’ asked Ellie.

  ‘They’re still up there, staying in the tent. The social services mob are looking out for them. They won’t leave here, of course.’

  Ellie looked around and saw a few photographers and journalists huddled together in a group. Just then a TV outside broadcast van rolled up.

  ‘Are Sally and Ben here?’ she asked.

  ‘Ben is, but Sally left last night. She has to do the breakfast show. She’ll be on at 8 am with an update, then she said she’ll come back here.’

  ‘How did you sleep, Poppy?’

  ‘With some difficulty until someone produced a bit of a nightcap. Roly snores.’

  ‘Don’t you believe him, Ellie,’ Roly said, smiling at her.

  ‘Well, I brought some tea,’ said Ellie, handing over the thermos. ‘And some toasted sandwiches for you to share. They’re cold, but you could put them near the fire.’

  ‘We’re told the volunteers from yesterday are bringing more food today. Such generous, good people – those curries were delicious.’

  ‘We even have portaloos,’ added Roly. ‘Water is a bit scarce, but someone is bringing some more up later.’

  ‘I might just take a walk around and talk to a few people,’ Ellie said. ‘You been taking notes, Poppy?’

  He tapped his top shirt pocket where he kept his notebook. ‘Details are jotted down in here and the rest is in my head,’ he said, pulling down the brim of his old fedora.

  They drank the tea in silence and offered around the sandwiches and fruit.

  ‘Okay, I’m going to have a quiet chat with the commander,’ said Patrick. ‘Thanks for the breakfast, love.’

  Roly stood up too. ‘I told Ekam I’d help his mob dish out the food today,’ he said, ‘and I think that’s their truck now.’

  Ellie smiled to herself, wondering what his former colleagues at the bar would make of the imperious QC they knew standing at a trestle table with the group of smiling Sikhs dishing up hot food to weary searchers and a community committed to rescuing a small child.

  By 10 am, more news and media crews had arrived, along with volunteers from outside the area. Ellie learned that some relatives and friends of the parents had come from Horsham to offer their support and help in the search. Sh
e could see that the Jensens were still in a state of shock and deep pain. Mia sat clutching Peter’s favourite stuffed toy, which they’d found a few metres from the tent.

  The morning wore on and there was still no news by lunchtime, although the camping ground was filled with people – volunteers, service personnel and the media. An ex-court reporter recognised Roly and took him aside for what she probably hoped was an exclusive interview, Ellie thought.

  She and Patrick sat together finishing their lunch.

  ‘Roly is at home in the limelight,’ observed Patrick. ‘Yet he is essentially a loner, I think.’

  ‘I think you’re right. He seems content living in Storm Harbour, even though it’s not what anyone would expect of a retired QC. He doesn’t fit the mould,’ said Ellie.

  ‘I agree. It’s refreshing, I think,’ said Patrick. ‘The caravan park is unique; it has a sort of shared privacy. Each has his own little nest where he can step outside the door into a peaceful park.’

  ‘Which someone else looks after for you,’ Ellie smiled. ‘You can see why people retire and downsize. And here you are still slogging away, Poppy.’

  ‘Yep. And enjoying every day. I miss your nana, but the paper and this town keep me going. I know I’ve said it before, but that’s just because it has never been truer. Look at the cross-section of people who are here. Hard times as well as good bring us together. You hear of people dying in their bed and no one misses them for weeks. That wouldn’t happen here.’

  They watched as Cassie and Steve came over, his arm around her shoulder. They too had re-joined the search at daybreak.

  ‘Phew, I haven’t hiked like this in some time. We’re taking a break. Sadly, there’s still nothing to report.’ Cassie looked distressed.

  ‘It’s not over yet,’ Steve comforted her.

  Ellie exchanged a sympathetic look with Cassie, know­ing how she must be feeling; sadness for a woman whose only child was lost, as one who’d lost a child at birth.

  ‘It’s getting colder. Do you think the little guy might have found some water?’ asked Cassie. ‘There was that spring the sniffer dog handlers mentioned. I hope he got a drink there.’