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‘No. I can’t do it!’ The loud voice made her jump. ‘I know I agreed, but I can’t. It’s too risky. And the group’s too small. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.’

Cecily? Sandra hoped they hadn’t followed her. She’d had enough of Cecily’s attitude today. Maybe they’ll drop out? Sandra hoped, wondering how many dropped out of the treks.

‘Don’t be stupid.’

‘Don’t speak to me like that, Paul.’

‘Listen to me. You are not going to pull out.’

‘I’ll think about it, but I had no idea it was going to be this hard. I’m putting on a tough front but the whole thing is shit.’

‘You’re being too rude. You’re going over the top with that old biddy. Tone it down. You’re drawing attention to us.’

Sandra widened her eyes. Old biddy!

‘I don’t like any of them.’

‘Jesus Christ, Cecily. You don’t have to like any of them.’

‘Let go of me. You’re hurting me.’

Sandra froze; any hint of violence took her back to Peter’s death. She still couldn’t even watch television shows. Last time she’d picked a movie on Netflix, not knowing it was about a suicide, she’d had a panic attack. A sick feeling gripped her stomach and she put a hand to her mouth.

‘Okay, so the group is smaller than we expected. Not a problem.’

Sandra felt guilty eavesdropping and was terrified they’d come around and see her sitting here listening to them. There was a long silence, and for a while she thought they’d moved on.

Cecily moaned and Sandra closed her eyes. She couldn’t cope with this. Paul’s voice broke the silence. ‘You’re turning me on, babe.’

‘No, not here, Paul. Anyone could walk down the track.’

‘Better here than in the camp tonight when we’ve only got tent walls between us and the others.’

Sandra wasn’t game to move; holding her breath, she wondered if she could back out and leave without them seeing her. What an awful man he was.

‘Stop it. Do my shirt up. I can hear someone coming down the path.’ Cecily’s voice was low and angry.

‘Sandy?’ Graysen’s voice boomed around the clearing. ‘Andrew’s ready for us to head off.’

Sandra pushed herself against the rock, her eyes closed, trying to get her breathing under control. She knew she was overreacting. Since Peter’s murder, her imagination was unfettered, and she imagined the worst in every scenario. She should have stepped out as soon as she heard them speaking and made her presence known.

‘It’s only us here, mate. We were just down looking at the wallabies,’ Paul called out loudly. ‘Haven’t seen her.’

‘Okay, thanks. She must have taken the loop walk back to the campsite. I’ll go that way in case she’s gone further.’

‘We’ll head back this way. See you there.’

‘Okay, tell Andrew we won’t be long.’ Graysen’s voice came from close by.

Sandra strained to hear but there was only the receding footsteps and the low voices of the young couple. Not the sort of relationship of a couple on a honeymoon. She cursed herself for her over-the-top reaction, and wondered what to do. Maybe she could wait ten minutes and go back the same way and if she was asked, pretend she’d started on the loop track and then turned around.

She hadn’t even seen a sign to a loop track. Sandra pressed her palms flat on the rock, lowered her head and took another deep breath trying to calm herself. Suddenly the light was blocked as a shadow fell over her.

‘Sandy?’ Graysen squeezed into the narrow space beside her. His hand touched hers. ‘What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Are you feeling faint?’

She realised she was trembling as she tried to lift her hands. Her chin shook as she dragged in another deep breath.

Or tried to.