she managed a wry smile. ‘Yep, it’s just been a long time coming.’
‘Been looking for this guy a while now, have you?’
‘Sort of.’ She didn’t meet his eyes.
‘It’s an ex-boyfriend, isn’t it?’ he enquired. ‘The bastard owes you money, doesn’t he?’
‘No, no.’ She laughed evasively. ‘Nothing like that. I can’t wait to meet him though. Would he be on the wharf if I took the bus out?’
‘He would be,’ Chub began tentatively, as though he were about to deliver some bad news, ‘if he hadn’t resigned a few weeks ago.’
‘ What?! ’
‘I know,’ he shrugged. ‘Awful luck but that’s what it says on the list.’
‘May I look?’
‘Sure.’ He slid back.
She moved her chair closer so she could view his screen. Chub was right, the list provided no more information than he’d already told her. Name, occupation, site team, start date, end date.
‘How do I find out how old he is and where he’s from?’ she asked. ‘Do we have a copy of his resume or licence to practise?’
Maybe it had his birth date and/or contact details on it. After all, if he was in his thirties or something she could end the search there. But if his age seemed reasonable, at least she’d have a possible address or phone number.
‘Yes, actually we do. But it’s not in this file.’ He closed it and as he did so his computer froze. ‘Oh shoot, looks like the server’s down again.’
If it were socially acceptable to scream in frustration she would have done so. Instead she was forced to sit there, on the edge of her seat, in silence, as Chub tried a number of manoeuvres to unfreeze his computer, all without success.
‘I’m sorry, little mate, I’m going to have to get back to you later.’
Unfortunately, the server did not come back on before knock-off. It was the most frustrating hour of Wendy’s life. On the return drive to camp, she hit upon the idea to ask Ethel about it when she went to see her about the air conditioner. If Hector had lived in the camp he may have left a forwarding address with the camp administrator. Hadn’t she herself filled out her Perth address on those forms Ethel had given her to complete?
As luck would have it, when she reached the camp reception Ethel was away from her desk – a Back in fifteen minutes sign was taped to the counter. She stood outside reception, leaning on the wall by the door. She would see Ethel literally the second she returned.
It was a typical Pilbara evening for early October: warm and balmy. The camp smelled faintly of red earth and old leather. Insects clicked, keeping time as she waited. Just then she spied a blue-tongued lizard sitting right in the middle of the main road across from reception. The beast was fully grown, at least half a metre in length, and it looked like a mini dragon, its scaly pewter coat decorated with glossy black stripes.
Majestic little fellow , she thought, hoping he would move soon. It was knock-off time and ute traffic was pretty busy. She looked down to find a stick. Maybe she could poke him on his way.
Just then she heard the roar of an engine – probably someone eager to get back to camp after a hard day’s work. She stepped away from the reception building, fear for the blue-tongue propelling her forwards.
Sure enough, a Barnes Inc ute was tearing up the road. She put a hand over her mouth but just at the last second the vehicle screeched to a halt about a metre in front of the lizard.
She watched in amazement as the ute door opened and Gavin jumped out. The sight of his windswept hair made her falter and step back a little. Goosebumps broke out on her flesh even though it wasn’t the least bit cold.
He hadn’t noticed her though; his eyes were trained on the blue-tongue. With swift, purposeful movements, he walked over to the languid lizard and expertly picked it up.
Her eyes widened as she watched him speaking to it. She couldn’t hear what was being said because she was too far away, but
‘Been looking for this guy a while now, have you?’
‘Sort of.’ She didn’t meet his eyes.
‘It’s an ex-boyfriend, isn’t it?’ he enquired. ‘The bastard owes you money, doesn’t he?’
‘No, no.’ She laughed evasively. ‘Nothing like that. I can’t wait to meet him though. Would he be on the wharf if I took the bus out?’
‘He would be,’ Chub began tentatively, as though he were about to deliver some bad news, ‘if he hadn’t resigned a few weeks ago.’
‘ What?! ’
‘I know,’ he shrugged. ‘Awful luck but that’s what it says on the list.’
‘May I look?’
‘Sure.’ He slid back.
She moved her chair closer so she could view his screen. Chub was right, the list provided no more information than he’d already told her. Name, occupation, site team, start date, end date.
‘How do I find out how old he is and where he’s from?’ she asked. ‘Do we have a copy of his resume or licence to practise?’
Maybe it had his birth date and/or contact details on it. After all, if he was in his thirties or something she could end the search there. But if his age seemed reasonable, at least she’d have a possible address or phone number.
‘Yes, actually we do. But it’s not in this file.’ He closed it and as he did so his computer froze. ‘Oh shoot, looks like the server’s down again.’
If it were socially acceptable to scream in frustration she would have done so. Instead she was forced to sit there, on the edge of her seat, in silence, as Chub tried a number of manoeuvres to unfreeze his computer, all without success.
‘I’m sorry, little mate, I’m going to have to get back to you later.’
Unfortunately, the server did not come back on before knock-off. It was the most frustrating hour of Wendy’s life. On the return drive to camp, she hit upon the idea to ask Ethel about it when she went to see her about the air conditioner. If Hector had lived in the camp he may have left a forwarding address with the camp administrator. Hadn’t she herself filled out her Perth address on those forms Ethel had given her to complete?
As luck would have it, when she reached the camp reception Ethel was away from her desk – a Back in fifteen minutes sign was taped to the counter. She stood outside reception, leaning on the wall by the door. She would see Ethel literally the second she returned.
It was a typical Pilbara evening for early October: warm and balmy. The camp smelled faintly of red earth and old leather. Insects clicked, keeping time as she waited. Just then she spied a blue-tongued lizard sitting right in the middle of the main road across from reception. The beast was fully grown, at least half a metre in length, and it looked like a mini dragon, its scaly pewter coat decorated with glossy black stripes.
Majestic little fellow , she thought, hoping he would move soon. It was knock-off time and ute traffic was pretty busy. She looked down to find a stick. Maybe she could poke him on his way.
Just then she heard the roar of an engine – probably someone eager to get back to camp after a hard day’s work. She stepped away from the reception building, fear for the blue-tongue propelling her forwards.
Sure enough, a Barnes Inc ute was tearing up the road. She put a hand over her mouth but just at the last second the vehicle screeched to a halt about a metre in front of the lizard.
She watched in amazement as the ute door opened and Gavin jumped out. The sight of his windswept hair made her falter and step back a little. Goosebumps broke out on her flesh even though it wasn’t the least bit cold.
He hadn’t noticed her though; his eyes were trained on the blue-tongue. With swift, purposeful movements, he walked over to the languid lizard and expertly picked it up.
Her eyes widened as she watched him speaking to it. She couldn’t hear what was being said because she was too far away, but
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