Deep Wate - Sarah Epstein Page 0,50

could think about was how much I wanted Raf to answer it over and over again.

‘No, I’m not ashamed,’ I say to him now. Then, in a smaller voice, ‘Are you?’

‘Of course not.’

‘You didn’t tell anyone either.’

‘I didn’t want to get you in trouble,’ he says. ‘You’d already lied to Sergeant Doherty by the time he spoke to me, so I just said I’d been home all night in bed. I’ve never brought it up with anyone. I didn’t want to contradict your story.’

I sigh. ‘I never intended for you to be dragged into my lie. When Doherty started asking questions I panicked.’

‘Because of your mum’s curfew.’

‘She’d use it as a reason to stop me coming here. She’s looking for any excuse to put a more legal custody arrangement in place and take Dad to court.’

‘I get it,’ he says. ‘And honestly, it’s not like us lying about the bush hut made an ounce of difference to Henry’s whereabouts.’ He sits down on the picnic rug and gestures for me to join him. ‘So what are you doing out here?’

‘Searching for clues that might help me find Henry.’

‘I figured as much. That’s so you.’ Raf smiles. ‘Cool. I’m into it. Tell me what you have.’

I run through everything I know so far about Mason, the postcard, Henry’s possible Facebook account. Raf pulls out his phone and scrolls through all of the Henry Weaver profile pics. He tries entering some potential passwords, but to no avail. I pull Henry’s note from my pocket and unfold it, laying it flat on the sandy rock.

Raf cringes. ‘Sorry. I should have told you about that.’

‘Why didn’t you?’

‘I thought it would upset you,’ he says. ‘Just how it’s worded … I knew you’d blame yourself.’

‘Well, you’re not wrong,’ I concede.

I show him the postcard and note side by side, explaining how Sabeen spotted the discrepancies.

‘You’re building quite a case here, detective,’ he says. ‘This isn’t exactly sounding like a runaway kid anymore.’

‘I don’t know what it sounds like yet, but I’m going to keep digging.’

‘Okay,’ he says eagerly. ‘I think I have a contribution in the clues department. Check this out.’ He moves to his hiking pack and unzips a side pocket.

‘You have it on you?’

‘This bag is a vault,’ he says, stroking it with affection. ‘Everything of value to me is stored inside it. Camera lenses, external hard drive. Phone and wallet. M&Ms.’ He pulls out the latter and tears the packet open, offering it to me.

‘Why do you store it all in that?’ I say, cupping my palm and holding it out. He pours me a generous handful and does the same for himself.

‘In case there’s a fire, mostly. That bushfire last year has been playing on my mind. If we had to get out quickly, I’d want all my valuable stuff close at hand.’

‘What about your cats? Which pocket do they squeeze into?’

He grins. ‘Excuse me. I’ll be carrying them out in a baby sling like the precious cargo they are.’

I snort and Raf tosses one of his M&Ms at me.

‘Okay then,’ I say. ‘Where is it?’

He tips his whole handful of M&Ms into his mouth, then digs around in the side pocket of the backpack. His mouth is too full to speak, so he simply hands me a triangular object, no larger than a postage stamp.

Switching my phone on again, I shine the light on the palm of my hand. ‘It’s blue.’

I have to wait for him to swallow before he can answer. ‘Careful. It’s sharp.’

‘What is it?’ I ask.

‘I think I might know. You tell me what you think and see if we agree.’

It’s smooth on the flat outer surfaces and porous in the middle. ‘Porcelain or something,’ I say. ‘A piece of broken crockery.’

Raf waits, coaxing me with his eyes to come to a conclusion.

‘It’s stoneware. A shard of Wedgwood plate,’ I say, more to myself than to him. ‘Like the ones Ivy Weaver collects.’

‘Bingo.’

I pinch it between my fingers, avoiding the sharp point. ‘Where did it come from?’

‘The Weavers’ kitchen floor on the morning after the storm. Once Doherty finished asking us all questions and everybody left, Tom and I hung around for a bit, had a cup of tea.’

‘Lucky you. I’m not allowed past the front door.’

‘As I pulled out a kitchen chair to sit down, I spotted this on the floor. Here’s the weird thing,’ Raf says. ‘Apart from finding this, the kitchen was the cleanest I’d ever seen it. You could practically eat off the