Heartbreak Homestead (Hearts of the Outback Book 2)

by Susanne Bellamy

  “Alex, about those figures you sent through, they don’t tally with the last set sent by Campbell. Can you check them again?”

  “I did, Dad, three times. Those levels of bacteria in the herd won’t be acceptable to our importers in Indonesia. I’m trying to track the source. I’ve tested and eliminated their feed, and the special pellets. Look, I’ve just got in with a new set of water samples. I’m desperate to find the origin of the problem. Reckon it’s a new resistant strain of bacteria. I’ll call you when I’ve tested the samples.”

  His gut roiled and he longed to crawl into bed. Weary and dizzy, he closed his eyes.

  “Okay. I’ll wait to hear from you.”

  Alex signed off, and sat back and rubbed his forehead. Pain built behind his eyes and throbbed at the base of his skull like jackhammers going ten to the dozen.

  “Are you okay, Alex? You don’t look well.” Lizzy put her hand on his forehead. “You’re hot. I think you’re running a temperature.”

  “I’ve got the mother of all headaches.”

  “I’ll get you a couple of tablets to ease the pain and bring down your temperature.”

  “Thanks.” Alex pushed himself out of the chair and squatted on the floor to unpack the water samples from the small esky.

  As Lizzy returned with a glass of chilled water and a blister pack of medication, he stood and staggered into the chair.

  “Alex!”

  “My guts ache. I think I’m going to be sick.”

  She grabbed the rubbish bin, upended it on the floor and shoved it under his nose in one swift movement. When he finished throwing up, she put the glass in his hand. “Rinse out, then sip. Then I’m getting you to bed and calling the Flying Doctor.”

  “I need a shower first.” His words slurred together. “Fell in the waterhole when I was getting a sample.”

  “Did you swallow any?”

  “A bit. Jeez, it feels like my belly is on fire.”

  “Come on, put your arm around me. Can you stand? That’s it, come on.” They staggered down the hallway, bumping into the walls and the door as Lizzy guided, cajoled and threatened Alex until he collapsed on the bed.

  Dried mud fell off his trousers in chunks and flaked over the sheets. His shirt stuck to his skin. “My clothes are filthy. I should—”

  “Don’t worry about it. Just lie back.” She undid the buttons and eased the damp shirt down his arms, and then turned her attention to his trousers. His zipper was stiff and clogged with heavy mud. Wrestling with the recalcitrant metal teeth, she rested a hand on his stomach. Even her light touch was agony. “You really did dive into the waterhole, didn’t you?”

  “Slipped on something, went under.” The slurring in his speech was getting worse.

  “Do you think the water could be tainted?”

  Waves of nausea ebbed and he struggled to focus on her face. “Now there’s a thought.”

  Abandoning his trousers for the moment, Lizzy got the thermometer from the medical box and took a reading. “Sheesh, you’re on fire. I’m going to radio for help.”

  “Bucket.”

  The metal bin appeared under his nose. Alex gasped, gagged, and threw up again.

  Lizzy wiped his forehead as he lay back clutching the bucket. “Hang onto it. I’ll be back shortly.”

  She raced into the office and turned on the radio. Calling the base as a patient was a new experience. It felt odd, as though her world had tilted off its axis. Quickly, she was put through to Dan Middleton.

  “Hi, Lizzy. You just caught me. I was about to leave. What’s up?”

  “Dan, it’s Alex. He came in with water samples and said he’d fallen into the waterhole. He swallowed water, I don’t know how much, and now he’s got a high temperature and vomiting. Dan, I think he’s been poisoned.”

  ##

  “Come on, Alex, talk to me. Tell me about the bossy cow.”

  For the past hour, Lizzy had kept up what was mostly a monologue as she tried to cool his fever and force him to take more and more infrequent sips of water. She dunked the cloth in the basin of tepid water and wrung it out and applied it to Alex’s forehead. “That’s better, isn’t it?”

  Alex muttered something incomprehensible and turned his head away. His face had a grey tinge and his pulse had quickened until now, it beat like a heavy metal band.

  Fear coiled in her stomach and stole her breath. What if Alex had picked up some exotic virus from his cows that could be passed on to Dan? How would his tiny baby’s body handle whatever toxin had brought Alex so low?

  Sweat poured off him and, as she sponged his forehead and face, her hands shook. “Please, Alex, please be okay.” Strange how in a single week, she had grown accustomed to his presence, and each evening, looked forward to their quiet chats over dinner. And if something were to happen to him now, she would miss him.

  An alarm beeped and she dropped the damp cloth as she made a grab for her phone.

  Alex tossed his head on the sweat-damp pillow.

  “Alex? I’ve got to turn on the lights for the Flying Doctor. I won’t be long.”

  There was no response.

  Hating the thought of leaving him even for the short trip out to the strip, she brushed her knuckles over his stubbled cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Lizzy’s fingers were all thumbs as she opened the generator and switched on the emergency lights to mark the strip for the Flying Doctor’s plane. Dan had promised they would leave as soon as Amy arrived at the base and Lizzy cocked her head, listening for the hum of the plane’s engine over the sounds of the night. Scanning the sky to the south, she located the red lights on the wings, flashing that help was on its way.

  ##

  Alex was asleep in the hospital bed, sedated and with an intravenous drip pumping a cocktail of goodness into him. Beneath his olive skin, he was pale but his breathing was regular.

  Lizzy trailed a finger across his brow and watched the slow rise and fall of his chest. His temperature was down and the worst appeared to be over but she was unsettled. Come the morning, she would have to phone Alex’s parents and tell them. After their wedding, she’d overheard part of Alex’s call with his father. Her chest grew tight as though bound by an iron band.

  ‘When are you bringing your bride to meet us?’

  His father’s question ran around and around in her mind. Naturally Alex’s parents would expect he would bring his new wife to visit. Given his illness they might even suggest flying up. And she would have to meet them and then play out the lie of their marriage.

  In the haste of her rash proposal, why hadn’t she thought of that? People had families.

  At least other people did.

  Like Alex.

  And she would have to face them as a proper wife.

  As she contemplated the face of her husband the door opened. She turned her head and stood beside the bed. “Dr Fraser, do you have the results of the water sample?”

  “You’re right, Mrs. Carter. The water was poisoned. Some quite nasty bacteria that don’t belong in the area. Your husband will make a full recovery but it’s lucky you called in as quickly as you did.”

  Relief eased the constriction in her chest and her gaze settled on Alex again. “Thank you.”

  Dr Fraser checked Alex’s pulse and pupil reaction and made a note on the chart. As he pocketed his pen, he turned to Lizzy “Why don’t you head home and get some rest? He’ll sleep until morning.”

  “Thanks, I’ll do that.”

  Amy Alistair slipped into the room, leaving the door open as the doctor left. “How’s Alex? And how are you?”

  Lizzy slumped in the chair beside the bed. “I can’t believe someone would deliberately poison the water but that’s what it looks like. Oh, Amy, that place is cursed, I’m telling you.”

  “Two—incidents do not a curse make.”

  “That’s very Yoda of you. But I disagree.”

  “Why? What makes you think they’re linked?” Amy pressed her lips toget
her and glanced over her shoulder. She hunkered down in front of Lizzy and held her hands. “Caleb Richards is outside. He wants to ask you about what happened. And when you’re ready, I’ll drive you to your aunt’s.”

  “The police? But—” Lizzy turned to Alex. What if someone was trying to disrupt his research? What if the next time, Alex got hurt? She owed him—big time. Without Alex’s ring on her finger, Dan would end up with the Taits and she wouldn’t see her nephew grow up, or help him overcome the curse of the Campbells.

  “I’ll sit with Alex. Go and see what the detective wants.” Amy swapped places with Lizzy and leaned back in the uncomfortable chair.

  “Thanks. I’ll go and talk to him now.” Fighting to keep her heavy eyelids open, Lizzy stepped into the corridor.

  “Mrs. Carter.”

  The deep voice at her back made her jump and she banged into the doorframe. “Detective Richards? You startled me.”

  “Sorry. Can I ask you a few questions now?”

  “Sure. Only I don’t understand why you’re here. Who called you in?”

  “Dr. Middleton.”

  “Dan? But why?”

  “Can we walk and talk outside?” He glanced up and down the hallway, no more than a casual look in each direction but it played on Lizzy’s tightly strung nerves. Police involvement must mean they suspected something.

  But what? Was there more to Alex’s business deal than the agreement she’d signed? And if so, had her hasty marriage endangered her nephew?

  Without another word, she shoved her hands into her jeans pockets and led the way to the exit. She didn’t stop until they reached a bench beneath a tree. A slice of moon like lemon rind hung low in the sky but morning was a long way off.

  “Why did Dan call you about Alex?” Tired and scared of what marrying Alex might have got her and the baby into, she wasn’t going to play nice.

  “Mrs. Carter—”

  “My name is Elizabeth Wilmot.”

  “Ms. Wilmot, after the arson, a second incident committed on your property raises a flag. If you have answers to your questions, can I ask a few now?”

  “Of course. Sorry.” Hunching her shoulders, she pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes.

  “Hospital tests confirm contamination of the water samples your husband collected. Why was he sampling it? Did he suspect something?”

  “Alex has a research project linked with the cattle agisted by his company at ‘Craeborn’. He can tell you about it when he wakes. I know very little about that side of things.”

  “Why not?”

  Indeed, why not? Thinking fast, Lizzy grabbed the one fact sure to stop further personal probing. “You know we’re on our honeymoon, don’t you?”

  Richards nodded. “Your wedding was last week.”

  “That’s right. We’ve been—otherwise engaged, detective.”

  Caleb Richards’ mouth twitched but, to his credit, he gave no other reaction to her diversion tactic. “And yet, despite having signed a contract prior to your marriage, you don’t know details about your husband’s business. I find that hard to believe of an intelligent woman, Ms. Wilmot. You have a reputation for honesty and hard work.”

  Lizzy struggled to make her tired brain reconsider the unspoken comments. “Are you implying there’s something illegal about my husband’s business?”

  “It’s possible there’s a connection between the incidents on your property. Arson and contaminating water supplies are illegal and we’ll be looking carefully at all aspects of ‘Craeborn’ and the Carter company’s activities.”

  A shudder passed through Lizzy and goose bumps traipsed down her spine. Desperate to secure Dan’s future, she’d leapt into matrimony with a man she barely knew.

  “Surely the fire in the hayshed was directed against me. Poisoned water might be meant for my cattle as easily as his but only Alex’s herd have lost condition. Could Alex’s business be the target?”

  “I’ll keep an open mind about that. In the meantime, I’ll request help from the SRCI boys to take samples from other watering holes as they do their rounds.”

  “SRCI?”

  “Stock and Rural Crime Investigation Squad.”

  “That sounds like you know more than you’re telling me. Have there been other—incidents?”

  In the light from the street lamps, a stray breeze stirred the leaves. Patterns of dark and light played across his face and made his expression unreadable but his tone was sympathetic. “Would it put your mind at rest if there had been?”

  “Maybe. I don’t honestly know.”

  They shared a brief interval of quiet before the wail of a siren broke the stillness. Flashing emergency lights cut through the darkness and the detective rose to his feet. “I need you to keep our discussion to yourself for now. Don’t share anything with your friends, or even with your husband. I’ll be in touch.”

  “I’ll stay in town until Alex is fully recovered.”

  “Good night, Ms. Wilmot.” Detective Richards headed to his car but turned as he opened the door. His face was in shadow but his words sent another chill down her spine. “Be careful.”

  She walked slowly back to Alex’s room, weighing the detective’s words and, more importantly, what he’d implied. And he’d wanted her to be careful. Why? As she opened the door to Alex’s room, Amy stood and stretched.

  “Ready to go?”

  “Yes, thanks. I’m glad Aunt Trish insisted we stay with her.” Because there was no way Lizzy was taking Dan back to the homestead on her own. With the stockmen not due back for another week, she’d go stark raving mad if left alone with her memories.

  She stood beside the bed and looked at Alex. Detective Richards’ warning rang in her ears. Was the danger on the property? Or did it lie on a hospital bed in the pleasing form of her husband?

  Chapter Ten

  Alex gratefully lowered himself into the armchair and took a mug of coffee from the tray Trish offered him. She put a plate of cake within easy reach and set the tray on the coffee table.

  “I’ll just pop upstairs and check on Dan.” Tactfully, she left him alone with his wife.

  Lizzy perched on the sofa, tense and uncommunicative, and cast furtive glances at him when she thought he wasn’t looking. Maybe releasing himself from hospital hadn’t been such a clever idea but Amy’s visit had left him with no choice. Weak as his body was, he had to get out and discover what was going on with Lizzy.

  She clasped her white-knuckled hands in her lap. “You really shouldn’t have discharged yourself. Dr. Fraser recommended at least two more days in hospital to recuperate.”

  Poisoning himself by falling into the dam had been a stupid accident but he’d no idea of the consequences. As he lay staring at the ceiling from his hospital bed, Alex had found himself worrying about Lizzy. Test results had revealed the source of the problem with his cattle. Added to the fire in the hayshed, and the police visit, he knew he couldn’t leave her and the baby alone and isolated at the homestead.

  “You sound unhappy to have your husband back in the bosom of your family.” It shouldn’t have mattered but her reaction rankled. Marrying to secure a business deal didn’t make their marriage less real. Or that he didn’t care.

  “What do you think you can do here that you can’t do in hospital?”

  “Husbandly things for a start.” No matter how weak he was the craving to join with Lizzy was powerful. Flat on his back, there would still be a dozen ways he wanted to pleasure her.

  Awareness flared in her eyes, and the passion she’d brought to their marriage bed fuelled his desire. And just as quickly, she lowered her lashes and broke the connection. “I spoke to your parents and told them you were recovering well. I think I allayed their fears and convinced them they didn’t need to drop everything to rush to your bedside.”

  “Thank you. Mum shouldn’t be travelling for a while yet.”

  “Your father tried to hand the phone over to your mum but I made an excuse and ended the call.
I hope that was okay?”

  Guilt stabbed as he realised he hadn’t thought of them while he lay in his hospital bed. But Lizzy had.

  Dammit, why was he so attracted to this woman? He eased his burgeoning erection and watched her intently. “What did Caleb Richards want?”

  Lizzy’s eyes widened. “How did you know he visited?”

  “Amy told me this morning when she and Dan visited.” He refrained from mentioning that had been the reason for him discharging himself. According to Amy, whatever the detective had told Lizzy, she’d been shaken up when she’d finally returned to his hospital bedside. And he wanted to know why.

  “Apparently Dan let them know about the contamination.” Her mouth snapped shut.

  “And?”

  “And what? Poisoning water supplies is a crime. They investigate crimes, end of story.” Avoiding his gaze she pleated the hem of her skirt.

  “Lizzy, what else did he say? Does he think there’s a connection between the fire and the contamination?”

  “He—said he was keeping an open mind. Look, it was nothing, okay?” She stood quickly and moved to the window behind him. If she wouldn’t tell him perhaps the detective would. But her lack of trust in him nagged at his sense of self. Forthright and honest, Lizzy called a spade a shovel. So why not now?

  Unless—

  After Alex’s earlier interview with the detective, he trusted the policeman. He’d labelled Jeb’s suicide and the missing file and the fire ‘too much of a coincidence’ and Alex had agreed. What if Richards had intimated the same to Lizzy? Would she put two and two together and wonder if he was at the centre of it all?

  Alex placed his untouched mug on the side table and leaned back and closed his eyes. A slight headache still niggled at the base of his skull and the smell of coffee wasn’t helping.

  “Alex, are you okay? You’re pale again. Do you want to go back to bed?”

  He opened one eye and tilted his head back. Backlit by sunlight streaming through the window, Lizzy’s skin was golden and her hair, like a fiery halo. His short-term wife tempted him like no other woman. “Are you offering to tuck me in?”

  “I’m sure you can manage by yourself.” A hint of the old Lizzy tinged her tone. If he convinced her to take him to their room, maybe he could—