Black Mountain by Kate Loveday Page A

that might have changed over the weekend, we’ll never know.’
    â€˜I see. Hmm.’ He heard the doubt in his own voice and waited for more, but she added nothing as she watched the road ahead.
    â€˜And how about you?’ she finally asked. ‘You and Fancy Pants were still an item last time I heard. Are you still together?’
    Mitchell clenched the wheel tightly as he remembered the hurt of the last time he’d seen Tracy. He’d expected, or at least hoped for, support and care after he’d been wounded, but all he’d received were platitudes and excuses.
    â€˜Tracy?’ He heard the bitterness creep into his voice. ‘No. When I was injured there was a possibility I might be left crippled, and she decided she couldn’t cope with that.’
    â€˜But you only have a slight limp now,’ Elly exclaimed.
    â€˜Yes, physio and exercise can work wonders. But she didn’t hang around long enough to find that out.’
    There was silence for a moment while Elly seemed to be digesting this. God, he shouldn’t have let her see how he’d felt. He should’ve played it cool—the last thing he wanted was her pity.
    But when she spoke she changed the subject. ‘Did you enjoy being a policeman?’
    He relaxed and shot her a quick look. ‘I don’t know if enjoy is the right word, but, yes, it was interesting. And I enjoyed the companionship. I had some good mates. Still have most of them, although now while I’m back up here we don’t catch up much. But when you go through a lot together you kind of have a bond, and it stays.’
    â€˜Mum told me you were injured in a holdup. That must’ve been pretty scary.’
    â€˜Not at the time. You don’t have time to be scared when you’re in the middle of something like that.’ No, maybe not, but it sure left you traumatised afterwards, when you had time to think.
    â€˜I heard you were decorated for bravery,’ she continued
    He shrugged it off. ‘I was just doing my job. Any of the guys would’ve done the same.’
    â€˜Won’t you find life pretty dull now that you’re no longer in the police force?’
    â€˜I would have found it dull if I’d stayed, because I’d have been relegated to a desk job. But I have some plans for when I get the all clear from the medicos.’
    â€˜Oh!’ She turned and eyed him with lively attention. ‘Anything you want to talk about?’
    He was surprised that he didn’t mind telling her. She was easy to talk to, and seemed genuinely interested.
    â€˜Sure. One of my bosses retired recently, and he’s setting up an investigation and security firm, and he’s asked me to go in with him.’
    â€˜Oh. What exactly does that mean?’
    â€˜Well, there’s always a need for someone to do what we’ve been doing—looking for a missing person, or investigating corporate espionage—that sort of thing. And with so much alarm here in Australia as well as other parts of the world concerning the threat of terrorist activities, well, that’s opened up a whole new area.’
    â€˜I see. Well, that certainly sounds as if it won’t be dull.’
    He shot her a quick smile. ‘I don’t think so. I certainly hope not.’
    â€˜You must be finding what you’re doing now, helping Mum and me, pretty tame in comparison to all that.’
    â€˜Not at all.’ He could have kicked himself as he glanced across at her. There was no way he’d wanted to lessen the importance of their present search. ‘This is exactly the type of work we’ll be doing. All investigations include a great deal of just plain, hard slog.’
    She nodded her understanding. ‘Like we’ve been doing?’
    â€˜Exactly.’
    â€˜So where will you be working then?’
    â€˜Harry’s operation will be national, so I’ll go wherever I’m