The Word of God (11 page)

“I don't,” Charmaine said, a distinct tremble audible in her voice.

Dean nodded. “Nor do I,” he added.

Stephen came out and dropped his webbing on the veranda. “Oh come on! Don't be wimps!” he jibed.

“Don't call me names Stephen Bell!” Charmaine snapped.

Stephen curled his lip. “I don't know what you are getting heated about. You didn't even climb the bloody Pyramid!” he retorted.

“That will do!” Capt Conkey cut in. “If you want to go home we will arrange it. Anyway, the police may not allow you to continue the hike.”

That was another worrying thought. Once again the fears engendered by the Devil Worshipper's threat gripped at Peter's stomach. He looked up at the Pyramid, the top of which was clearly visible above the roofs of the houses behind the police station. Were the Devil Worshippers still up there? Or were they now down here, lurking in the town somewhere? And would they really try to carry out their threat?

At that moment Inspector Goldstein walked out onto the back veranda. Without even a good morning he snapped at Graham: “Kirk! Have you got that pistol?”

“Yes sir.” Graham reached into his basic pouch and extracted the pistol. The sight of it made Peter's blood chill again. He noticed Charmaine blanch visibly at the sight.

Graham stood up and carried the pistol over and handed it butt first to the Inspector: “Weapon is at action sir, safety catch on and eight rounds in the magazine.”

Inspector Goldstein gave a grunt of approval, took the gun and checked it, then beckoned to him. “You first. Let's get this interviewing over, if you are ready Captain?”

Capt Conkey had just begun to shave but he nodded and wiped his face and followed Graham and the Inspector into the building.

Stephen shook his head. “Arrogant bastard!” he muttered towards the Inspector's retreating back.

Joy came back from the shower and seated herself with them. She looked fresh and rested and gave them all a cheery hello. Peter smiled and was gratified when she smiled back, then peeved when she also favoured Stephen with a smile.
I must like her,
he decided. He wasn't a great one for the girls, not like Graham, who was a real ladies man. Normally he was very shy in their presence.

Gwen went over to Graham's stove. “His food will spoil. I will eat it.”

That at least made them laugh. Gwen blushed. “I will cook him some more when he comes out again,” she hurriedly insisted.

“Yes Goldilocks. Is it too hot, too cold, or just right?” Peter asked.

They laughed again and that helped to ease the tension even more. Gwen settled to eating beside Joy. Megan went to the shower. Breakfast and interviewing went on. Peter had time to eat, shave and polish his boots before Graham came back out of the interview room. He gestured to the now clean mess tin beside his stove.

Peter pointed to Gwen and said: “Sorry mate, but the fairies ate it while you were away.”

Gwen smiled. “You have your shower Graham. I will have something ready for you when you come out.”

Hmm!
Peter mused.
Is Gwen a bit sweet on Graham?

Stephen was the next to be interviewed but was only gone about twenty minutes. It was 7:30 by then and Dean suggested they see if there was shop open by then. Peter and Stephen went with him, leaving Graham sitting beside Gwen, eating a stew she had heated. They walked along the street beside the sugar mill. Peter had visited the mill several times on school trips but never ceased to be impressed by the whole vast enterprise; the huge machines, the smooth organization, the noise, steam and aromas.

“I love that smell,” he commented, breathing deeply the aroma of molasses and raw sugar.

Dean wrinkled his nose. “Makes me sick. I think it's awful.”

Stephen chuckled. “That's the smell of money,” he added.

A sugar train went clanking slowly by. Both Peter and Stephen were keen operators of a huge model railway and they stared keenly at the details. Their model railway had a sugar mill on it, of which they were very proud, but their tiny model cane trains somehow did not quite capture the atmosphere of the real ones. Graham and their friend Roger were also members of the team owning the model railway, which was located under Roger's house.

On the far side of the park they found a shop which sold hamburgers and hot chips. Laden with these and bottles of soft drink they made their way back across the park to the police station. It was a lovely day; cool but with a clear blue sky; real North Queensland winter weather, the sort the tourists came in millions to enjoy.

As they walked slowly along Peter looked keenly around. He had been to Gordonvale many times but never really looked at the place. The impression he always gained was of a quiet, stable, little community whose life was governed by the farming seasons and by the sugar mill, which dominated the town with its huge buildings and tall chimneys. Now he found his thoughts being driven along new channels.

Do sleepy little towns engender boredom; which leads to perverse or deviant behaviour? Is this place a secret nest of Devil Worshippers; or did they come from Cairns?
he wondered.

The only people visible were a few pedestrians on the footpath along the main street and an old Aborigine on the other side of the park. It was hard to imagine how such a pretty and peaceful little place could harbour such evil.

As they came out from under the large trees opposite the police station they were given a clear view of the Pyramid. Peter found his eyes drawn upwards and once again he shivered.

Back at the police station they found that all the girls had been interviewed. Gwen was quietly indignant. “Sexist pig!” she muttered, referring to Inspector Goldstein, “He hardly asked us any questions and just read out your statements and asked if we had anything to add.”

“Oh well, he's probably a bit sick of hearing the same story over and over,” Stephen replied.

“Don't you take his side Stephen!” Gwen snapped.

“Keep your shirt on!” Stephen replied, giving a disarming grin. “It has been a long night, that's all.”

At that moment Capt Conkey, Inspector Goldstein and another detective came out. Capt Conkey called to them: “OK troops, gather round.”

Inspector Goldstein took over: “We have interviewed you all now and I have decided you can go.”

“So we were prisoners?” Gwen put in.

Inspector Goldstein raised an eyebrow at the interruption, then went on. “I am going to insist you keep in touch with the police in case you are needed again but for the moment we do not require your presence anymore.”

“Can we go home?” Charmaine asked.

“Yes, if you wish. But remember what I said: you are not to mention any of this to anyone else until we say you may. It could jeopardize our investigations. That warning includes parents. Just tell them you helped rescue some inured bush walkers but because there is an on-going police investigation you are not allowed to say anything.”

“Can we go on with our hike?” Graham asked.

Inspector Goldstein smoothed his moustache. “Where are you going?”

Graham shrugged. “We don't know. Capt Conkey gives us clues along the way,” he replied.

Capt Conkey smiled. “The next leg is up the Mulgrave Valley to Little Mulgrave,” he said. Stephen met Graham's eye and he smirked an ‘I-told-youso' look.

Inspector Goldstein considered this. “Yes, that should be alright. Just stay in touch. Do you have mobile phones?”

At that they all looked at Charmaine who blushed. Capt Conkey nodded and answered, explaining the army policy. “I will give them back their phones for safety,” he said. Then he looked at each in turn. “And make sure they are fully charged and then turned off. Don't use them except for emergencies.”

Inspector Goldstein nodded. “Good. Now write down my number and also the number at Police HQ where we are co-ordinating this investigation.” he said. He waited until they all had their notebooks and pencils out and then gave them the numbers. “Telephone at the slightest hint of trouble and be certain where you are. And when you camp tonight let us know where you are.”

Capt Conkey dug in his briefcase and handed out their mobile phones and chargers. As these were plugged into a power board Dean put his hand up. “Can I go home please sir,” he asked.

“Yes. Who else would like to go home?” Capt Conkey asked.

The others looked at each other but all shook their heads. “We want to go on with the hike sir,” Peter said.

Capt Conkey nodded. “Fine. I will organize for Dean and Charmaine to be taken home today,” he said.

Gwen spoke up: “Inspector, how is the injured Devil Worshiper?”

“He will live.”

“Has he said anything?” Stephen asked.

“No.”

Stephen looked thoughtful and nodded. “He won't either,” he added. “He will be too scared.”

At that Peter was again gripped by a chill of fear. He asked the Inspector: “Sir, is it safe for us to go on? I mean, that man up on the mountain threatened a terrible fate for interrupting their sacrifice.”

“I should think they will be too busy trying to run for cover to be worried about you,” Inspector Goldstein replied.

“But they know who we are,” Stephen put in.

“Do they? Did you recognize any of them other than Rudd?” Inspector Goldstein asked.

Stephen shook his head. “No sir.”

“So you should have nothing to worry about.”

Megan frowned. “But they all saw we were cadets,” she cried. “They will be able to find out who we are. What if they come after us?”

Capt Conkey supported her: “Yes Inspector, is there really any danger of that?”

Inspector Goldstein smoothed his moustache again and shook his head: “I should think we will round most of them up fairly quickly from the information you captured.”

“I would like a guarantee,” Capt Conkey insisted. “I am responsible for their safety and welfare.”

“I can't give you one,” Inspector Goldstein replied. “But if I really thought there was any danger you would all be in protective custody now.”

The other detective now joined in: “Besides, if they were going to come after you they are more likely to do it when you are back at home than here.”

Inspector Goldstein supported him: “That's right. You are much safer as a group. If you don't know where you are going to be it is pretty hard for anyone else to know. I think the danger period might be down the track after the initial confusion has died down, not now.”

Stephen grinned: “Still want to go home Dean?”

“Stephen!” Joy gasped.

Inspector Goldstein said: “That is why it is important that you don't say anything to anyone, not even your parents. The fewer people know, the safer you are.”

A uniformed constable came through from the front and called the Inspector aside. From the way he spoke Peter could sense that there had been some important new development. This was confirmed almost at once. Inspector Goldstein turned back to them.

“A body has just been fished out of the river. We think it might be the man you saw yesterday afternoon at the bottom of the Pyramid. At any rate he is dressed in black. I would like you all to come with me.”

Charmaine let out a cry: “Oh! We won't have to see it will we?” she cried.

Inspector Goldstein frowned. “I may have to ask one of you to have a look, to confirm if it was the man or not. Come on, leave your gear here and get into the cars.”

“I don't want to!” Charmaine wailed.

“I don't care what you want. I gave an order. Get in the cars!” Inspector Goldstein grated, scowling at Capt Conkey to silence his protests as he did.

Peter felt sick. More death! He did not want to see a body but had a nauseating premonition that he was going to have to. They were ushered down the stairs and into three cars, including Capt Conkey's. This time Peter managed to sit beside Joy, but by accident. She looked quite pale and distressed.

“I hate this,” she whispered.

On an impulse Peter took her hand and squeezed it. She gave him a grateful smile but was still quite upset.

Within a couple of minutes they were on their way. A police car led, followed by the Inspector's car, then Capt Conkey's. They went back out to the highway and turned left. Half a kilometre to the south, where the highway crossed the river on a high level concrete bridge, they took a turn-off to the left and dipped down onto the lower bank of the river. This had been developed as a lush park. The dirt vehicle track they were on looped to the right around a toilet block and crossed under the bridge.

The vehicle track wound upstream along the river bank. Several overgrown tracks branched off. The river bank was a mixture of either mowed grass and parkland or patches of long grass and weeds. Several shady trees overhung the bank. The river, at this point about fifty metres wide, flowed slow and clear beside them on the left. To the right the edge of the flood plain was marked by a line of jungle. The near bank was lined alternately by sandy beaches where the locals picnicked and by belts of grass and reeds. The far bank was steep and covered by rainforest.

Two hundred metres upstream, near where a water pipeline crossed the river on concrete pylons, another police car was parked. A constable stood there with a middle aged man in old clothes. The vehicles were parked. Peter opened the door and got out.

Joy looked out. “Do we have to?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Capt Conkey shook his head: “No. Stay here if you want to.”

As Peter walked forward he saw Graham get out of the Inspector's car, followed by Stephen and Gwen. Megan, Charmaine and Dean remained seated in the cars. Inspector Goldstein bent and said something to them Peter didn't hear but Charmaine disagreed strongly. She cried back: “No! I don't want to! You can't make me!”

Inspector Goldstein's eyes narrowed. “That isn't what I said. However, I can make you if I choose; but I was asking, not ordering, so stay in the car.” He straightened up and looked at Peter, then at Graham and Stephen. “Bronsky, Kirk and Bell, you three should be used to this sort of thing. I checked up on you on the computer last night and that was a revelation. You seem to have been in the middle of things a lot. Also Inspector Sharpe speaks very highly of you. So, I am asking: will one of you look at the body to see if you can identify the person.”