“And the last thing you need is to have any big name Melbourne reporters mistaken for yowies and gunned down!” suggested Mel.

Seeing Hettie McGillivray watching them, obviously listening in on their conversation, Bear deliberately raised his voice and said, “I’m hoping to make sure that no one does any shooting at all.   This is a search party, not a hunting party!”

*      *      *

As Bear got in behind the steering wheel of the lead vehicle, he was surprised to see the gorgeous Lisa Nowland climb into the passenger seat beside him.

“It’s all right for me to ride with you isn’t it, sergeant?” asked the silver-blonde beauty giving Bear her most sensual smile.

“Er well…” began Bear, like Ernie earlier excited by the beautiful reporter but also feeling a little guilty — wondering whether he was somehow being unfaithful to Gloria Ulverstone.   “Normally my constable sits there.”

“That’s all right,” said Terry Blewett grinning at Bear’s discomfort, “I’ll sit in the back.”

After Terry, Mel, and Andrew all climbed into the back of the Land-Rover, Bear started the car, half wondering whether he should shout, “Forward ho!” to start the procession off.

As they drove down Wentworth Street, Bear did his best to ignore the beautiful reporter seated beside him, unaware that Lisa had decided that if she was to get any inside scoop on any yowie stories, she would have to centre her attentions (both professional and unprofessional) on Bear for the rest of her stay in Glen Hartwell.

‘Yes, sergeant,’ she thought as they set out, ‘you’re mine for the next few days anyway!   I bet you’re one man who won’t be able to run away from me!’

When at last they reached the forest around the base of Mount Thompson, Bear had already decided that if he wasn’t going to get “raped” by Lisa Nowland, he would have to avoid her somehow during the search.   As he stepped out of the cabin of the Land-Rover, seeing the McGillivrays climbing out of the vehicle behind, he raced across to them and said, “If we want you to have same kind of official status during the search, it might be best if we three stayed fairly close together.”