The first chapter of Solstice at Flinders Cove begins...
New Year's Day
Under
moonlight and high tide waves washed the white body ashore. Stranded, the torso lay face down partly swathed
in a cloak of green sea weed. Gulls and
crows squawked noisily squabbling to peck at the torn flesh. Malcolm Thomas, a reclusive beachcomber saw
the unusual scene at daybreak while making his regular survey of the deserted
beach. Running at them he waved his arms
and shouted to scare them off.
Crabs and other
sea creatures had disfigured the naked body.
Instinctively he knew what to do.
Hurrying he left the body exposed and returned to his shack. The birds greedily returned as soon as he
hurried off. Minutes later he strode back
along the beach carrying a green canvas sheet and calico bags stuffed in his
pockets. The sun peaked over the cliffs
while opposite the Southern Ocean lapped the shore.
Their
feeding space invaded, the birds reluctantly took flight after hastily pecking
at the soft corpse. Thomas flung the
canvas across the smelly remains and then filled the small calico bags with
sand which he used to fasten down the covering sheet. Standing back to inspect his work he wondered
who it was and where they were from. At
first he rushed eagerly away wanting to notify the police, but then he settled
into an easy stride knowing the remains were protected. He knew that the farm house located above a
steep cliff was the nearest place with a telephone. His steps took him towards a set of stairs
hewn into the soft sandstone cliff.
