Free Sunlit Shadow Dance by Graham Wilson Page B

nearly two years
before was fading, the pasty faced, heavily pregnant girl of the
old media photos was very much changed to his Janie.
    His first
telephone conversation had been with Buck. Vic identified himself
and told Buck they were together and all was fine, avoiding more
specific news.
    Buck himself
had two pieces of news, one that Susan’s parents had tested the DNA
from the handkerchief and had confirmed that David was indeed their
grandson, though Vic’s doubts of this were well gone without the
official confirmation. The second was about the rat in the ranks of
NT government who was feeding some information to the press,
fuelling the speculation which was now hotting up, as evidenced by
the Queensland sighting. So, as Buck said, this meant they had to
be really careful about any communications and particularly about
any locations and names.
    On the inside
of NT government Alan and Sandy were informally aware of DNA
result. Alan had been talking to people unofficially in legal
circles about how to proceed, whether to seek to reopen the court
case and seek a change to the conviction or alternatively to try
and have the sentencing concluded to a level where Susan was free
to lead her life, or perhaps to some find some other way of
removing the legal requirement for her to return to custody for
having broken her bail.
    There had been
some speculation about Vic having a role in her disappearance and
some calls for an arrest warrant to be issued for him, based on the
suspicion that he had in some way aided a convicted prisoner. But
the story Buck let slip of his going to Canada had been accepted;
after all he no longer flew his helicopter. And Alan had done a
good job of calming the horses from the inside and thus far no-one
had formally attempted to locate him for questioning or pursue more
serious matters.
    The second
conversation Vic had was with Anne. This happened when they were
staying in Yeppoon one night where they had checked into a motel.
They had just spent three glorious days on Great Keppel Island,
staying in a small and basic bunkhouse a short walk back from a
pristine white sandy beach, dotted with corral atolls spread
through the deeper water. Another couple with small children were
staying nearby and they all became instant friends, and sharing
meals and drinks while their children played together. They had
also taken turns to babysit their combined children while the other
couple went for a swim together, out amongst the corral.
    It was not
something Vic had done before but Janie knew all about it, even
knowing the names of many of the fish and pointing them out to Vic,
glowing with enthusiasm as they explored. She was delighted this
part of her knowledge carried over from a former life, later having
intensive discussions with the husband of the other couple, Eric,
who was a marine biologist. Vic loved seeing this part of Jane’s
adult personality and memory return.
    That night,
having returned from the island, with all the activity of the last
three days, Janie and the babies were exhausted and fell asleep
together in a tangle on the large bed. Vic had been reluctant to
use his own mobile too much, since he had talked to Buck, lest the
police try and trace him through it. It did have a new number but
still he was not sure he could not be traced.
    So he had eyed
off the room phone and decided to chance it. Buck did not pick up,
so he thought who else to try. Alan and Sandy were a bit risky and
he did not want them to have knowledge they might have to deny.
    That left Anne
or David, neither of whom he knew well, or perhaps Susan’s parents.
He was not yet ready to talk to them though he had taken a picture
of Janie and the children to send to them on his phone camera.
    He thought
about waiting for another day, but chances were not easy to come
by. In trying to understand this person he was with he really
needed to know more about her and, after all, Anne was Susan’s best
friend, had been so from