argument and broke up. She was really upset and her parents said she mentioned going hiking for the day. When she hadn’t returned, her parents began to worry and went to search for her. They found her car in the parking area at the entrance to the America Bay Waterfall track. This was her favorite spot to go hiking when she was sad, her father said.”
“I assume you’ve searched the length of the track?” Rick asked.
“Yes, we have but bad weather and a landslide has prevented us searching the surrounding area. There are dozens of aboriginal caves in the area and to be honest, it will take us weeks to find them, let alone search them.” Janine said.
“I have the next two days off and I know the area well. Do you mind if I take a look?”
“No, we appreciate any help we can get. With the bad storms of the past few days we haven’t been able to utilize the Emergency Services because of all the damage to homes in the area. National Parks and Wildlife are short staffed but they have been helpful. They were the ones that told us there are dozens of caves that haven’t yet been found and documented.” Mark told him.
“What about the local Aboriginal Tribe?” Rick asked.
“The Garrigal people. We have spoken to some of their descendants but none of them are familiar with the complete cave system in the area.” Mark answered.
“Do you have a contact for them?”
“Adam Bertana,” Janine wrote the contact number on a sheet of paper and handed it to Rick. He folded it and placed it in the top pocket of his uniform shirt.
“Can I speak with Lyndsay’s parents?” Rick asked tentatively. He didn’t want to step on the Detective’s toes.
“Can’t see why not,” Mark wrote their numbers on another sheet of paper.
Rick folded it and placed it with the other one. “Anything else you can tell me?” he asked as he stood.
“That’s about all we know. We’ve checked with the boyfriend and her other friends but no-one knows anything. Calls to her mobile phone haven’t been answered but she probably wouldn’t have had any reception and the battery would be flat by now. We had tracker dogs in the area but they came up empty as well. We’re stumped. It’s like she’s vanished into thin air.” Mark stood and offered his hand. “I’ve written mine and Janine’s number on the sheet with Lyndsay’s parents’ numbers. Call us if you find anything.”
“Will do.” Rick again shook their hands, thanked them and left.
Chapter Two
Tears streamed down Lyndsay’s face. She was cold, wet, hungry and in pain. The sun was dipping beyond the horizon again. She’d lost track of how many days and nights she had spent in the cave. Thank heavens she had managed to crawl to this cave, without it she would have been exposed to the storms of the previous nights and would not have survived.
The food she had packed in her backpack had almost run out but she still had one and a half bottles of water. By careful rationing, and leaving empty bottles out in the rain, she had managed to keep going for this long. Was she only delaying the inevitable? A fresh batch of tears cascaded over her cheeks. Her ankle screamed in pain, the joint lay at a strange angle. Gut instinct told her, if she attempted to walk on it, she would be in danger of losing her foot. With this in mind she’d been holed up in the cave with her foot elevated on a rock. When she had needed to relieve herself, she crawled out of the cave to one side and then back again.
Surely her parents would have reported her missing and a search would have been instigated? If they were, how would they find her? She was so far from the original track.
***
Rick knocked on the door of the Narrabeen home. A middle aged man appeared, the minute he set eyes on the police uniform, he paled.
“Mr. Richards, please don’t be alarmed. I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions. I’m Senior Constable Rick Masters. I know your daughter from school.”
Alex
“I assume you’ve searched the length of the track?” Rick asked.
“Yes, we have but bad weather and a landslide has prevented us searching the surrounding area. There are dozens of aboriginal caves in the area and to be honest, it will take us weeks to find them, let alone search them.” Janine said.
“I have the next two days off and I know the area well. Do you mind if I take a look?”
“No, we appreciate any help we can get. With the bad storms of the past few days we haven’t been able to utilize the Emergency Services because of all the damage to homes in the area. National Parks and Wildlife are short staffed but they have been helpful. They were the ones that told us there are dozens of caves that haven’t yet been found and documented.” Mark told him.
“What about the local Aboriginal Tribe?” Rick asked.
“The Garrigal people. We have spoken to some of their descendants but none of them are familiar with the complete cave system in the area.” Mark answered.
“Do you have a contact for them?”
“Adam Bertana,” Janine wrote the contact number on a sheet of paper and handed it to Rick. He folded it and placed it in the top pocket of his uniform shirt.
“Can I speak with Lyndsay’s parents?” Rick asked tentatively. He didn’t want to step on the Detective’s toes.
“Can’t see why not,” Mark wrote their numbers on another sheet of paper.
Rick folded it and placed it with the other one. “Anything else you can tell me?” he asked as he stood.
“That’s about all we know. We’ve checked with the boyfriend and her other friends but no-one knows anything. Calls to her mobile phone haven’t been answered but she probably wouldn’t have had any reception and the battery would be flat by now. We had tracker dogs in the area but they came up empty as well. We’re stumped. It’s like she’s vanished into thin air.” Mark stood and offered his hand. “I’ve written mine and Janine’s number on the sheet with Lyndsay’s parents’ numbers. Call us if you find anything.”
“Will do.” Rick again shook their hands, thanked them and left.
Chapter Two
Tears streamed down Lyndsay’s face. She was cold, wet, hungry and in pain. The sun was dipping beyond the horizon again. She’d lost track of how many days and nights she had spent in the cave. Thank heavens she had managed to crawl to this cave, without it she would have been exposed to the storms of the previous nights and would not have survived.
The food she had packed in her backpack had almost run out but she still had one and a half bottles of water. By careful rationing, and leaving empty bottles out in the rain, she had managed to keep going for this long. Was she only delaying the inevitable? A fresh batch of tears cascaded over her cheeks. Her ankle screamed in pain, the joint lay at a strange angle. Gut instinct told her, if she attempted to walk on it, she would be in danger of losing her foot. With this in mind she’d been holed up in the cave with her foot elevated on a rock. When she had needed to relieve herself, she crawled out of the cave to one side and then back again.
Surely her parents would have reported her missing and a search would have been instigated? If they were, how would they find her? She was so far from the original track.
***
Rick knocked on the door of the Narrabeen home. A middle aged man appeared, the minute he set eyes on the police uniform, he paled.
“Mr. Richards, please don’t be alarmed. I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions. I’m Senior Constable Rick Masters. I know your daughter from school.”
Alex
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