Free Pay Dirt by Garry Disher Page A

after the copper mines
had closed down. It had started as a cluster of separate townships on low
hills, but they had amalgamated over time. The houses were built of local
stone. Huge gums grew along the creek. Two-storey pubs with wrought iron
verandahs and vines faced the town square, and the Cornish miners cottages in
the back streets had been tarted up for the tourists. There were two tourist
buses parked outside the tiny museum when Wyatt and Leah arrived. A short
distance away they found Tobin.

    He was leaning against his delivery
van, a bulky Ford painted iridescent blue, its doors and side panels decorated
with gold curlicues. He was smoking, watching the locals through his orange
lenses. Wyatt noted the way Tobin ignored the men. He was interested only in
the women. When a woman walked by, he took the cigarette from his mouth and
swivelled his head after her, his mouth hanging open. Leah saw it too, as they
got out of the ute and approached him. Lovely bloke.

    Were not interested in his
personality, Wyatt said.

    I am. The other day I could feel
his eyes all over me. Hes the sort who has sweaty hands.

    Tobin saw them approaching and
stopped lounging. He threw down his cigarette and grinned. All Wyatt could see
of Tobins face were the grin, the cricketers moustache and the reflection of
himself and Leah in the orange lenses.

    Its all psychology, Wyatt thought,
working with men like Tobin. Talk their language and youre halfway there. Good
run down? he asked.

    Tobin slapped the side of his van. Home
to here in just under two hours, he said. I already unloaded. He counted on
his fingers: Case of Scotch, latest release videos, souvenirs for the Tourist
Centre.

    Wyatt looked at the van. The windows
were smoky black; he couldnt see inside them.

    What time we getting back here?
Tobin asked. I got to deliver spare parts to a car place in Goyder this arvo.

    About twelve-thirty.

    Tobin rubbed his hands together. No
worries then. Lets hit the road.

    They squeezed together into the
Holden utility and left Burra heading north-west. It was ten-thirty. At eleven
oclock they picked up the Steelgard van in Vimy Ridge, Steelgards last stop
before Belcowie. They tailed it out of the town, staying well back. The traffic
was sparse, as it had been the previous week. The only road dust was coming
from the van ahead of them.

    What do you think? Wyatt asked.

    Tobin was sitting against the
passenger door on the other side of Leah his head inclined toward the
windscreen. Wyatt was aware of Tobins excitement. Hes getting a kick out of
this, he thought. The van, the money, Leahs leg against his.

    What do I think? I expected a
bigger van. This is going to be easy.

    You can shift it all right?

    No worries.

    What if it shuts downmotor,
brakes, locks, electrical system?

    Cut the brake lines and winch her
in, Tobin said.

    He turned to face Wyatt as he said
it. His back was against the door how, and hed extended his arm along the top
of the seat. His fingers were curled close to Leahs shoulder. Wyatt felt her
move away from him.

    The next problem is, Leah said to
both of them, will the short cut be too narrow to take a truck?

    Tobin was an uneducated man. Like
many men who work at practical jobs, he relied on physical gestures to
supplement speech. Wyatt glanced away from the road for a moment, to see how
Tobin would answer this question, and saw an elaborate play of shoulders, mouth
and hands, Tobins way of saying, You got me there.

    Ahead of them the dust cloud swirled
and changed direction. Goodthe van was using the short cut again. Wyatt waited
for ten minutes before he turned in after it. They followed the track to where
it met the main road again, four kilometres north of Belcowie. Wyatt stopped. Well?

    No worries, Tobin said.

    He said it again thirty minutes
later when they showed him the farm buildings. No worries. You could hide a
bloody ship in here.

    He grinned at them. He had the
orange shades on. Wyatt knew he was