When fire devastates the Cleary's Creek gold mine near Bullfinch in Western Australia the operation is abandoned, along with a secret stash of gold illegally collected over the years by the mechanic Tom Bosich. Gold prices were low and the economics of keeping the mine running made no sense. Tom planned to collect the gold later, but life got in the way.
Forty years later, truck driver and bush artist, Carter De Freitas and his artist companion Elise Alquist, have taken a weeks leave to paint scenes of old mine workings. When De Freitas's dog, Carpenter, discovers human remains down an abandoned shaft, local interest in old Tom's rumoured cache resurfaces. A cold-case investigation of the body means De Freitas must stay in the district instead of returning to his driving job, to the annoyance of his boss Don Mooney.
Curiosity in the fabled gold has bubbled below the surface in the nearby town of Southern Cross over the years, but with an increase in gold prices, interest has heightened in the Cleary's Creek reserves - both known and hidden. City prospectors, disgruntled farmers and district identities are all interested in getting their hands on the fabled treasure.
More bodies are found and investigations reveal that a number of people have motives for their demise. De Freitas and Elise are involved in the police investigations.
An intriguing mesh of motives and methods provides the framework for this story in which colourful characters offer an insight into outback life, and the mystery surrounding the missing gold. Is it real or only scuttlebutt?
This is another of the author's stories involving Carter De Freitas, his dog Carpenter and the Swedish back-packer Elise Alquist, who spend their down time painting scenes of Australia's north-west.
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