Read Online Vanishing Point by Alan Moore - Free Book Online

ya?’
    â€˜No, probably not. Alec and I will probably be back in the morning. There wasn’t much in it anyway. I’m sure Alec has enough for the hotel or whatever in Ceduna.’ She wasn’t troubled and, in any case, he would have his chequebook. ‘It will be good to get this part of our adventure over. I’m looking forward to a hot shower and a cosy, soft bed.’

O utside the old, red brick police station the concrete footpath reflected the afternoon heat and the bitumen softened and crept, in tiny rivulets, toward the gutters. Inside the interview room a ceiling fan whirred monotonously, shifting hot air and doing little to bring the temperature down.
    Perspiration ran in uncomfortable trickles under Alec’s armpits and down his side. His pale and drawn face reflected increasing panic and fear. He had no idea where his family was.
    Since his arrival at the police station he had been frustrated by the slow response of the officers. He had stormed in at about midday, just when the heat of the day was beginning to peak and cause most in the town to succumb to lethargy.
    â€˜I need help! Quick! My family is missing.’
    â€˜Just hang on a moment, sir. I’ll need some details.’
    As Alec explained the circumstances he became increasingly agitated as the duty officer tried to put him at ease. Alec wondered if the officer suspected him of somehow being involved in their disappearance.
    Eventually the officer said, ‘I think I need to call my superior officer, sir. If you don’t mind, just hang on. You can wait in here.’ He guided Alec into the small office.
    Things seemed to move even more slowly. Where was the superior officer? Why didn’t he come? Alec’s emotions ran riot with a mixture of frustration, worry and guilt. He realised now that he should never have left his family alone. Should never have put them in danger. Even worse, he should never have gone into the desert in the first place without adequate preparations. All the confidence he felt when he left them on Friday morning had evaporated.
    Anxiously he waited for the interviewing officer. He stood then paced. Then sat. He went over the events of the past few days, trying to think of everything that might help, hoping he was worrying about nothing and suppressing fears that something was terribly wrong. He couldn’t comprehend that in such a short time his life had changed so dramatically. Only three days previously he and Katherine we confidently heading towards home after a very successful excursion.
    Alec’s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the interviewing policeman. He was followed by a young woman carrying a notebook and a large rolled sheet of paper.
    â€˜G’day. I’m Sergeant John Murray and if you’d please take a seat we can go over your story.’ He did not introduce the accompanying woman who quietly made her way to a chair at the end of the small table.
    â€˜At last. I’ve already explained it to the officer out the front,’ Alec responded impatiently, his voice tremulous. ‘You should be out there looking for my wife instead of sitting here going over my story again and again. They can’t just disappear into thin air. If they decided to walk across country they may be in danger and the sooner we find them the better. Can’t you —’
    â€˜Well, we need to establish quite a few facts first,’ interrupted the sergeant.
    The deep tan Alec gained over the previous week in the sun made his eyes even more striking in their fiery flashing. This time the reflected emotion was one of frustration and concern.
    Alec stared at the embroidered number above the left breast pocket of the khaki open-neck shirt identifying the police officer opposite him as he pulled up a chair and sat. Sergeant John Murray’s protruding belly gave testimony to many after-work beers and was kept in check by a wide brown belt. He had