Paydirt by Garry Disher

Author:Garry Disher
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ligature Pty Limited
Published: 2021-11-22T16:00:00+00:00

Twenty-one

Tobin was the last to arrive. They heard him before they saw him. The sky that Monday evening was vast, still and cloudless, carrying clearly the roar and snuffle of the truck as Tobin negotiated the bends and washaways and shifted gear. They stood on the verandah of the farmhouse to watch. Eventually headlights appeared in the distance.

Wyatt walked down the track to open the gate. Behind him, Snyder and Leah talked in low voices. Wyatt had been watching both of them in the hours since his arrival with Snyder. If anything, Snyder seemed to be a little amused by Leah’s presence. Wyatt supposed that was better than hostility. Apart from some eye-rolling about the basic food supplies and the house dirt, Snyder was acting pleasant and relaxed. Snyder had done jobs like this before. He knew about being stuck in other people’s company. For her part, Leah made an effort to talk to Snyder. She seemed to know that Wyatt had nothing to say to him. But in a snatched moment she’d revealed to Wyatt that she’d never leave her daughter alone with Snyder. If she had a daughter.

Wyatt reached the road gate and waited. When he was sure about the truck, he opened the gate and stepped out into the road, flashing a torch. The truck’s headlights flashed back at him.

When Tobin was through the gate, Wyatt closed it and climbed onto the running board below the driver’s door.

Tobin grinned at him. ‘The others all here?’

‘Yes.’

‘The woman?’

‘Forget about the woman. Tell me about the truck.’

‘Pinched it this afternoon. The plates are off a wreck.’

‘Tomorrow we paint it. When that’s done, we wipe off our prints. After that we wear gloves.’

Tobin shifted into second, muttering aggrievedly, ‘You make me feel like this’s my first time or something.’

‘Your feelings don’t interest me. We’ve each got a job to do. Part of mine is to make sure nothing gets overlooked.’

Tobin scowled. The headlights were picking up the sheds, tankstands and farmhouse by now. Leah and Snyder were on the verandah, shading their eyes.

‘Drive into the long shed there on your right,’ Wyatt said. ‘I’ll close the doors behind you.’

He got off the truck and watched. When it was done, he led Tobin across the yard to the house and introduced him to Snyder. Tobin also greeted Leah, throwing his arm around her and grinning. ‘We meet again.’

He held her for a beat too long and she grimaced. ‘So we do.’

‘Yep,’ Tobin agreed, still grinning.

The atmosphere got genial after that. They went into the main room of the house, where Wyatt and Leah had laid out the supplies and set up a two-ring camping stove. While Snyder toasted slices of bread on one burner, Leah heated a saucepan of tinned stew on the other. Wyatt got out plastic plates and cutlery and poured mineral water into enamel cups for each of them. Tobin, on the floor with his head on a football he’d taken from his overnight bag, said, ‘You giving us poofter drinks?’ He grinned at Leah and Snyder, looking for a reaction.

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