“It doesn’t matter what you’re offering. The answer’s still no.”
Wakefield shrugged. “Take it or leave it. But this offer could be a way out of…a lot of things.”
“The answer is no.”
“It will always be no,” Phoebe said. “I’d rather burn down our house than sell it to you.”
Wakefield laughed. “Little girl, it’s not about the house. That tumbledown place will be demolished anyway.” He turned away. “Just remember what I’ve said today. You know where to find me when you need to accept my offer.” He sauntered away as if he was in no hurry whatsoever, gave a courteous nod to Ahmed, who was stacking hay bales at the other end of the barn, and disappeared out into the sunshine.
“What does he mean?” Phoebe’s voice wobbled, and she seemed on the edge of tears. “What does he mean when he said we might need to accept his offer?”
“I don’t know, Phoe. I wish I did. I guess he’s trying a bit of manipulation, making us think things are worse than they are. Maybe he thinks we’re holding out for more money, so by offering less, we might take the previous offer.”
“We won’t, will we?” Phoe leant her arms on the stable door, uncaring of the dirt that had put Wakefield off.
Nina sighed. “If I could promise you, I would. But it would be the very, very last resort.”
Phoe opened the door and came into the stable. She flung her arms around Mr Petey’s neck and buried her face in his mane. “I don’t want to live anywhere else.”
Nina stroked Phoebe’s tangled hair as she had when Phoe had been a little girl. “We won’t let it happen. Not if we can help it.” She closed her eyes as she stroked. Just make it all go away. She seemed to have a permanent rock in her stomach these days, and her early mornings waiting for the dawn were getting longer and longer. Soon it wouldn’t be worth going to bed.
“C’mon, Phoe. Mr Petey’s done. Let’s do Jellybean together, ready for the Barn Kids. They’ll be here soon.”
Phoe hugged Mr Petey harder for a second, then raised her head. Her eyes were red rimmed. “Okay. But, Mum, it sounded as if he knew about Billy. How could he know that?”
Exactly what Nina had wondered too. “I don’t know. I wish I did.”
Nina jerked awake at the raucous ringtone from her bedside table. Her mobile vibrated wildly, nearly at the point of falling to the floor. She snatched up the phone and glanced at the bedside clock. Nearly two in the morning. Her pulse rate accelerated. Night-time calls were never good. Thank God Phoe was tucked up safe in bed. Was her mother all right? “Hello.”
“Is this Nina Pellegrini?” an officious male voice asked.
“Yes, speaking.”
“Ms Pellegrini, this is the Penrith Police. We’ve had reports of a small, brown pony loose on the dual carriageway at Cherryhill. The animal has nearly caused multiple accidents, but we’re unable to catch it. Someone suggested it might belong to you.”
“I have a bay pony, yes, but she was in the paddock last night. There’s a padlock on the gate.” She breathed a little easier. Not her mother. And Jellybean should be safe and sound.
“Can you check, please? I’ll hold while you do.”
“Sure. I’ll be as quick as I can.” Nina threw on yesterday’s clothes and went out to the veranda, where her gumboots were. She put the phone down while she shook the boots upside down, then put them on.
“Mum, what’s happening?” Phoebe appeared in the kitchen. “The phone woke me up. Why are you going out?”
“I need to check if Jelly’s in the paddock. The police say there’s a pony like her on the dual carriageway. Go back to bed. I shouldn’t be long.”
“I’m coming with you. Even if it’s not Jelly, we may be able to catch the pony before it’s hurt.”
“Get dressed first. I’ll wait.”
When Phoebe reappeared in shorts and a T-shirt, Nina grabbed two torches and her keys and set off at a jog. The gate from the paddock to the driveway was closed, and her torchlight picked up the glint of the padlock still in place. She climbed over the gate and swept the high-power beam around the paddock. There was Sophia, lying by the water trough, and Mr Petey ambled over inquisitively, his grey shape showing up clearly in the torchlight. There was no sign of Jelly.
Nina cast the beam around the paddock once more. Maybe Jelly was under the trees or lying down somewhere where she was harder to spot. “Coop, coop. Jelly, Jelly, Jelly, where are you?” She remembered the phone, still blinking in her hand. “Are you still there?”
“Yes. I take it you haven’t found your animal yet?”
“Not yet. But it’s a large paddock. Give me a couple more minutes.” She tucked the phone, with the call light still active, into her breast pocket. “Phoe, you go around to the right. Stick by the fence and look for her. Shine your torch up in the air if you find her. I’ll go to the left and will do the same. You okay doing that?”
Phoe nodded.
“Don’t forget to watch for snakes. Sweep the light over the ground ahead of you.”
“Mum.” Phoebe drew the word out in an exasperated sigh. “I’m not totally stupid.”
Nina walked as fast as she dared, shining the torch along the fence line, the paddock, and the ground in front of her. No Jelly. She caught up to Phoe, who stood staring at the wire fence that separated the paddock from the road. All three strands had been cut, and one of the fence posts had been pulled out of the ground. The resultant gap was big enough for a herd of ponies to get through.
A cold pit of dread settled in her stomach. If Jelly was out on the main road, she could be hurt or killed. “Shit.” She shone her torch up and down the road, hoping against hope that Jelly was grazing on the verge.
“Ms Pellegrini.” The disembodied voice of the police officer came through her phone, muffled by her shirt pocket. “Have you found the animal?”
“No. We’ve found a fence that’s been deliberately cut, though. She must have escaped through that. It’s lucky the others didn’t follow her.”
“Ma’am, can you come down to the Cherryhill dual carriageway and see if you can catch her? She was last reported near the shopping centre at the intersection with Bent Street.”
That was five minutes’ drive away. “Yes. I need to secure the other animals first.”
“That’s fine. Come as quickly as possible.”
“I’ll do that. Thank you.” She ended the call.
“You’ll have to come, Phoe. I can’t leave you here alone.”
Phoe made a rude noise in her throat. “As if I’d stay when we have to get Jelly.”
“I’ll put Mr Petey and Sophia in the stables. Can you go over to the barn and gather together a halter, Jelly’s bridle, and a bucket of pony cubes? Oh, and the first aid kit. I’ll bring the car around.”
Phoe nodded and jogged off, her torch shining on the ground in front of her.
Mr Petey was easy enough to catch, but Sophia needed a slap on the rump before she stirred. Nina grabbed Mr Petey’s forelock and tugged him towards the stable. She cast a glance back at Sophia ambling along behind. Once they were both safely in the stables, Nina jogged back to get her car. She hadn’t had this much aerobic exercise in months. She was puffing as she reached the car and drove back to collect Phoe and the tack.
It was easy enough to find the pony. As they approached the shopping centre, flashing blue lights alerted her to the police, stopped on the side of the road. Nina pulled into the car park and over to where figures waved their arms and darted about.
“She must be so scared.” Phoe grabbed the halter and bucket of pony cubes and ducked out of the car as soon as it stopped.
Nina followed. A couple of people were obviously trying to corner a pony up against the railings that separated the car park from a second busy road. From the pony’s spooked movements and abrupt changes of direction, it was ob
viously terrified. She caught a glimpse as it cantered under the glow of yellow streetlight. It was Jellybean.
“Stop chasing her! You’re making it worse!” The scream was Phoebe, who pushed past the people into the light, where Jelly had now halted and stood with every muscle quivering.
Nina moved forward. “Phoe, let me catch her. She’s scared. She could knock you over.”
“No, Mum, please. It’s okay. Jelly knows me almost better than you. Let me try. I’m smaller. Maybe she won’t be as scared of me.”
Nina hesitated. Phoe’s eyes were huge in the yellow light. This was about more than Jelly; this was about Phoe’s self-confidence. “One try. If you don’t get her the first time, I’ll take over, okay?”
Phoe nodded and moved forward.
“Stand still, everyone. The pony knows my daughter. Let her try and calm it down.” Every muscle twitched with the need to follow Phoebe. What if Jelly pushed past her and knocked her to the ground? There wasn’t a bad bone in Jelly’s body, but when an animal was this scared, anything could happen.
Phoe rested the halter on her shoulder, held the bucket of pony cubes out in front of her, and shook it invitingly. “Here, Jellybellybean.” Her voice was soft and soothing. “Come here, pony. Come to me.” She kept up a stream of nonsense words in quiet tones. It was exactly what Nina would have done.
Nina kept her gaze fixed on Jelly. The pony was still poised for flight, her ears flicking back and forth.
Phoe approached slowly, still talking, and reached out to stroke Jelly’s neck.
“She’s got her!” The exuberant shout came from a bystander, and Jelly flung up her head and shied, taking off at a fast trot towards the fence between her and the main road.
Sweet baby Jesus. If Jelly tried to jump the fence, she’d be in the middle of traffic, even if she didn’t get her legs caught up in the wire. Oh God.
But at the last second, Jelly ducked and swerved around. Her nostrils flared as she halted again, and this time Phoe was able to put a halter on her.
Nina blew out a breath as her muscles relaxed. Her chest swelled with pride for Phoe. She’d done great. She started over towards them, but the cop intercepted her.
“This your horse, ma’am?” At Nina’s nod, he continued, “I’ll need to take some details from you. There may be a charge of public endangerment.”
“Our fence was deliberately cut. I’ll report that in the morning. Right now, I’d like to make sure my daughter and the pony are okay.”
“Okay.” The policeman was young and obviously trying hard to be officious. “If you’ll let me have your details, I can let you go.”
Nina provided them, keeping one eye on Phoe and Jelly. In a few minutes, the bystanders had dispersed, the cop shut off the car’s blue lights, and there was only Nina, Phoebe, and Jellybean in the circle of yellow streetlights.
Phoe held Jelly while Nina checked her over. “She’s lucky. There’s a small cut on a fetlock, but that’s all.”
Jelly pushed her nose under Phoebe’s shirt, as if seeking comfort.
“How are we going to get her home?” Phoe asked.
“We don’t have much choice. We’ll leave the car here and both walk home with her. I can collect the car in the morning.”
Phoe nodded, and Nina summoned a reassuring smile. It was late; Phoe must be exhausted. “Will you be okay?”
Phoe nodded again.
“There’s a twenty-four-hour McDonald’s on the way. We’ll treat ourselves to cheeseburgers.”
“Yeah.” Phoebe gripped Jelly’s halter rope, straightened her shoulders, and turned for home.
The phone rang, and Leigh’s number flashed on the screen. Nina snatched it up.
“Nina,” Leigh said. “I understand you want to talk with me.”
“Yes. Thanks for returning my call. I think you told me that Billy’s claim wouldn’t be public knowledge. Am I right?”
“There’s no restriction on the claimant telling anyone, but realistically, it’s such a small claim, it is unlikely to be of interest to anyone.” Leigh’s voice was calm and professional.
“It’s just that something strange happened yesterday. The developer I told you about returned and made me another offer. A lower offer with a short settlement date. He said it would get me out of all sorts of things. And he said something to Phoebe that implied strongly that he knew about Billy’s claim.”
“It’s possible he does. He has an interest in Banksia Farm, so he may have gone to greater lengths to keep tabs on it.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Business. If he turns up something that he thinks he can leverage against you, then it pays off.”
“That’s not all.” Nina rested her butt against the counter so she could see if Phoebe came in. “Last night, after Wakefield said that, someone let Jellybean out of the paddock. They cut the fence to do so. Jelly’s not hurt, but she could have been killed.”
“And you think Wakefield did it?”
“Who else could it have been?”
“It’s a stretch to assume it’s Wakefield. If I had to guess, I’d say it was kids on a lark.”
Nina took a deep breath. “Can I take a restraining order against Wakefield?”
“Based on that? No. You have no proof. It’s purely supposition. I realise you’re worried, but honestly, I can’t see anything to pin this on Wakefield based on what you’ve told me.”
“He’s stepping up the pressure on me to sell. I wouldn’t put it past him to try more heavy-handed tactics.”
“It’s possible, I suppose, but he’s taking a huge risk if it is him. Vandalising property would get him a fine if he’s caught, plus loss of reputation. Still, though, I think the police would be more inclined to blame hoons or drunks than Jon Wakefield.”
Nina sighed. “You’re making sense, of course. But last night, I was sure he was behind it. It felt personal, vindictive, not just a random act. I guess I’ll just have to be more vigilant.” She was silent for a moment. “Will I see you Thursday?”
“Yes, I’ll be there.” Leigh’s voice changed from the cool professional to a warmer tone. “I’m glad Jellybean’s all right.”
Nina put the phone down. Leigh could be right—it may have been vandals. And there was nothing she could do. She could hardly prevent it happening again, not unless she kept all the animals in the barn overnight, which would cost her a fortune in extra feed. She blew out a breath. Onwards. Keep on keeping on.
Chapter 17
“Coffee, boss.” Grizz entered Leigh’s office and put two mugs on Leigh’s desk. Liquid sloshed onto the polished surface.
Leigh looked up from her brief and frowned absently at the pool of coffee on her desk. Her gaze fell on Grizz, now seated in the chair opposite. Her left arm was in a sling. “Grizz, what on earth have you done now? Is it broken?”
“Nope.” Grizz picked up her coffee with her good hand. “Strained. It’s a bit sore, though.” She wriggled the fingers that poked out of the sling.
“What happened?”
“Remember how I told you about the weekend cricket match with Bryan’s family?”
Leigh nodded. “And I said it sounded like the safest weekend activity you’d done in months.”
“You shouldn’t have said anything.” Grizz adjusted the sling so it covered her elbow better. “I copped a cricket ball. Tried to catch it, but Bryan’s cousin could bat for Australia he hit the damn ball that hard. Bent my fingers back, strained a few tendons or something. Rest and ice for a week and I’ll be fine.”
“Next time take the hang-gliding option.”
“I will. I’ll either be safe or dead with that one.”
“Do you need to go home and rest?”
“No. I’ll send your typing out to the float secretary.”
Leigh grimaced. “Check it caref
ully when it comes back. The last letter she typed had ‘pubic liability claim’ throughout.”
“Gotcha.” Grizz sipped her coffee. “So that’s me. What’s new and exciting in your world?”
“Nothing much.” Leigh switched her gaze back to her screen. She wasn’t going to tell Grizz about her uninspiring third date with Meredith. How flat it had felt. Meredith was her perfect match—on paper at least. So why couldn’t she get Nina and that sizzling kiss out of her mind?
“You must have done something,” Grizz said. “I doubt even you worked all weekend. Did you volunteer at the farm?”
“Not this weekend. I was there Thursday.”
“Ah, yes, the ‘outside appointment’ in your diary. How’s Nina?”
“Stressed, I think. There’s a few problems at the farm in addition to the claim.”
“The two of you looked pretty friendly at Christmas.” Grizz pretended to study her nails, but her eyes, gimlet-sharp, flicked to Leigh. “So…”
Leigh gave up all pretence of work and leant back in her chair. “Just say what you so obviously want to.”
Grizz got up and closed the door. “You both obviously like each other, but my guess is you’ve told her you can only be friends, so you’ve both backed off. Am I right?”
Images flashed through Leigh’s mind: Nina’s face, disbelieving and shocked, as Leigh had slid the client agreement for Arbuthnot & Svenson across the desk. The naked hurt when Nina thought Leigh wanted nothing more to do with her.
“You’re right.” As much as she trusted Grizz, the conversation was becoming uncomfortable.
Grizz was silent. Then she said, “It’s a pity in a way. She’s the first woman who’s dragged you out of your comfort zone in a long time.”
Leigh arched an eyebrow. “My comfort zone being what exactly?”
“Swanky dinners, gallery openings, the latest boutique gin bar. Professional people like yourself. Like Meredith.”
“Meredith’s very pleasant.”
A Heart This Big Page 18
