‘If that’s what it takes.’
‘Done. Leave it with me. You get me some more intel and I’ll work on it this end. I’ll get back to you tomorrow.’
Justin hung up the phone and let his breath out, leaning back in the chair. It was one of the longest days he’d had in a while. He wondered what had happened to his nice, quiet life. That’s why he’d moved to Nundrew; it was supposed to be quiet, safe and relaxed. Not now. One dead body, potentially a murder, no less, and cattle duffing. He felt as if he had landed in the middle of a Captain Starlight operation. A tremor of excitement ran through his stomach, surprising him. He was looking forward to the next few days.
‘Hey, Justin.’ Andy stuck his head through the door and waved a piece of paper. ‘Found something—Ashley Bennett owns a station in the Northern Territory.’ He came into the office and handed over the sheets he’d printed out.
‘Well, well, this just got even more interesting.’
‘Did you get a UCO?’
Justin shrugged. He couldn’t tell anyone there would be one coming. ‘Boss wasn’t sure he could spare anyone.’
‘You’re kidding me! We’ve got heaps of reason for it.’
‘He’ll let me know.’
Three people could keep a secret, Andy said earlier. If two of them are dead.
If Justin was the only one who knew, then the secret would be kept and no one would have to die.
Chapter 18
‘I’m going to go to Bunbury,’ Melinda told him.
Dave didn’t need to be a detective to know that’s what was going on. Her bags were packed and sitting by the front door, along with Bec’s pram and nappy bag.
He’d come in from work earlier than usual and the bags had been the first thing he’d seen. The familiar anxiety swirl had started in his stomach. Bec had walked in her unsteady gait towards him, her face split with joy. Dave had picked her up and buried his face in her neck. ‘Oh no,’ he’d whispered.
The white Ford Explorer, which had sat in the driveway, two days ago, was gone was replaced with Melinda’s small runabout. They’d only bought that to get around Barrabine, not to take the long journey back to Bunbury. Now it looked like it was about to make that trip.
‘It’s not forever, just until I get my head together. Have a bit of a break.’
He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Reaching out, Dave held his finger to Bec and she took it, laughing up at him.
‘I think it’s for the best,’ Melinda finished.
‘I do too,’ Dave answered. ‘You need to know what you’ve got here, rather than imagine what’s back there. You’ve got to remember that we’re a family, that I love you and together we’ve had a child. We do what’s best for us, not what others think is right.’
‘That’s not fair, Dave, and you know it.’
‘Do I? Do I, Melinda? I love you, more than you could ever realise, but I’m not playing second fiddle to your father all the time. He’s the one who insists that I’m not good enough for you and there are times I think you agree with him. Whenever things aren’t going well, you call them. Tell them that I’ve been working late or haven’t been home much. But you never tell about the good times we have, so they just think I’m a prick!’
‘That’s not true.’ She put her arms around herself and hugged her body, distress on her face.
‘But it is, Melinda. I’ve come home and heard you on the phone. I’ve heard what you’ve said before you’ve realised I’m there.’ He looked at her sadly. ‘As much as I love you, we both know that if we’re not happy it impacts on Bec and I’m not prepared to do that to her.’
‘So you’re telling me to go?’
‘I thought you were telling me you were going.’
‘Dammit, Dave, don’t turn my words around and do what you’d do to your criminals. Yes, I want to go. For a little while, not forever, but the way you’re talking it sounds like you mean forever.’
‘It’s got to be your choice. I still have a year or so left here. If you’re not happy, you can’t stay, can you? I can’t make you. I don’t want you to be unhappy, Melinda. It hurts me if you’re sad.’ He shrugged. ‘When you love someone, you want what’s best for them. If leaving me to go back to Bunbury is what’s best for you, then you need to go.’
They stared at each other for a long moment, then Dave reached out and brought her into a hug. ‘I can’t say don’t go, because that would mean I was thinking more about me than about you.’
Melinda burst into noisy sobs and he felt the heat of them soak through his shirt. He knew deep down, no matter what he said, that she was going to leave. He’d come to this conclusion at about two in the morning. He’d tossed and turned and finally got up and gone to sleep in his rocking chair in the lounge.
He knew Melinda hadn’t slept either. He’d heard her crying and his heart had clenched so tightly, he’d barely been able to breathe. What could he do to stop her from being so unhappy? How could he change things? Was there something he could buy? Spend more time at home? In the end he knew there was nothing. It wouldn’t matter how much time he spent with her or what material things he bought, it wouldn’t change that she was a long way from her family and she missed them.
‘We can work through this,’ he told her, his mouth on her head. Dave kissed her hair. ‘We can. You go and do what you need to, and I will too. But we’ll talk, okay? Maybe in a few weeks you might want to come home.’
Dave hoped with all his heart what he was saying would be true. His gut instinct told him otherwise. He didn’t want to listen to his gut today. ‘Come on,’ he finally said. ‘There’s no point in dragging this out. And it’s a long drive. I’ll pack the car for you.’
Melinda drew back, her cheeks blotchy from crying. She wheeled the pram out, with Bec in it, and started to strap her into the car seat, her breaths still coming in shaky gasps.
‘I can’t believe we’ve come to this,’ she said after Dave had put the last of the bags into the boot.
‘Me neither.
‘Dave,’ she reached out and grabbed his hand, ‘won’t you consider transferring to the Bunbury division? Please?’
‘I can’t do that until I’ve finished my posting here. You know that. There’s also got to be a position. I can apply for a transfer, but there’s no saying I’ll end up there. It might be in Perth or Geraldton or, worse, Kununurra! That’s even further away than here.’
‘What if I got Dad—’
‘You’re kidding me?’ Dave pulled away. ‘Get your dad to pull a few strings? I wouldn’t accept a posting he had anything to do with, so don’t even think about it.’
Melinda dropped her head.
Going to the back door, Dave kissed Bec and breathed in her baby bath smell. ‘I love you, little one,’ he told her. ‘Don’t ever forget that.’ As he kissed her for the last time, he thought his heart was going to break.
‘Drive safely,’ he told Melinda.
She nodded and seemed indecisive for a moment before swiftly kissing him again and getting in the car. She backed out and drove off without looking back.
Dave watched the car until it was out of sight before turning and walking back inside. He went to Bec’s room and looked around. Melinda had taken most of her clothes but left some of the lotions and toys behind.
He picked up the little red, white and black dog, which Bec had loved when she was in the pram, and held it to his face as he slid down the wall onto the floor. Staring at the empty cot, he couldn’t help but wonder whether the stock squad dream was worth losing his family.
‘Jeez, you look like shit,’ Spencer said as Dave came in and sat down at his desk. ‘Surely the in-laws can’t be so bad?’
‘Melinda left.’ Involuntarily his hand went to his chest to try to take the pain away.
Spencer stared at him. ‘What? Mate, I’m sorry.’ He got up and came straight over to Dave, putting his hand on his shoulder.
‘I punched her father the first night they were here. The
y left the next morning and Melinda has gone home to work out what she wants to do. She left last night.’
‘Woah. That doesn’t usually make for good family relations.’ Spencer grabbed a chair from another desk, swung it around and sat down in front of Dave. ‘Talk to me.’
Dave told him everything. How the fight had started, what Mark had said and how Melinda hadn’t stood up for him.
‘And this morning when we were talking, she never once told me she loved me. I think the writing is on the wall.’
‘Do you want some time to go over there with her? Spend some time in Bunbury and see how you go, work out whether you could cope with living there.’
‘You already know the answer to that. We’ve talked about it. I don’t want to live that close to her parents. And I have responsibilities here. But … I … I don’t know what I’m going to do without Bec.’
‘What about Melinda?’
‘I’m not sure yet.’
Spencer let out a heavy sigh. ‘The freaking lives of cops. Sometimes I think the pressure put on us is beyond what anyone should have to bear.’
Chapter 19
The stranger at the end of the bar was eyeing Bulldust, and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like strangers.
Tonight Bulldust was sitting, as he always did, at the end of the bar against the wall, watching everyone. He didn’t ever give anyone the opportunity to come up behind him unawares, so he never, ever let his back be open.
The stranger was talking to Chris; he could hear their conversation. It was about Nundrew, where there were jobs. Were there any station positions going?
There was something off about this bloke. He talked the talk. ‘Yeah, mate. Lookin’ for a ringer’s job. Driven a few bull buggies in my time. Used to work over at Undilla Station, outta Alice …
‘Yeah, brother, it’s a bastard when those bulls come right at yer. There’s nowhere to go and you have to head up a tree if there’s one close by. Did a muster once when we were still on horses. Had a mickey bull come at me from the side. Horns weren’t that long, but long enough to make a dent. Killed me horse. Miss that old girl. She woulda carried me from kingdom come to hell and back again. Sure-hooved, she was. I didn’t need to do anything, just sit on her back. She’d work the beast and move with it. Never any animal got by her. Until that bastard of a mickey.’
Chris was asking questions—how long had he been working on stations?
Bulldust nodded at Mac and he poured him another beer. ‘Who’s that?’ he asked, nodding towards the skinhead stranger.
‘Name’s Roper. Dunno if that’s his first or last name. Turned up here yesterday looking for you. Apparently he heard you were hiring for the next muster. You’ve just been out, haven’t you?’
‘Mustered at Myolah.’
That was a legit muster. He could talk about it. How did this Roper know he was a man down?
‘Haven’t seen him for a couple of days,’ Mac went on. ‘Tells me tonight he’s been out pounding the pavement looking for work, but he really doesn’t want to be in town. Wants to be on a station or out in the bush. Town doesn’t work for him. Too many people.’
Bulldust turned his steel blue eyes back to Roper. He was laughing with Chris now.
‘Gotta tell you, brother, ain’t nothing like when there’s a bad camp cook, hey? Hate it when you get the runs and you’re in the middle of the bush. Most of the time, I thought me stomach was stronger than it was. You’d shut your eyes and take a breath. Hope Cookie had added a bit more chilli to kill anything. I’ve had some gut aches out there.’
Roper was about six foot, Bulldust surmised. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, which showed his upper arms were strong and toned. So they should be if he did what he said he did. His stomach was a little podgy, though. Shouldn’t be any fat on him at all if he did mustering work. Bulldust noticed these things and could smell bullshit a mile off.
And why the fuck had he asked for Bulldust? He never advertised positions. He had plenty of other blokes he called on for legit musters if he needed some extra manpower. He chose his team carefully. Men who were hard and seasoned. Ones who were skilled and had done this hundreds of times over. Old bushies who rode like they were born in the saddle, walked like they lived there and could crack a stockwhip in their sleep. He didn’t put up with pretenders.
Roper’s eyes were wandering all over the bar as he talked to Chris and that was what had initially sent Bulldust’s antenna up. What was he looking for? Or was he watching for something? Bulldust glanced at the time. Shane was due any moment. Good. He wanted the expertise. He looked around the bar at the other people there. Not many he knew by names, but he knew all the faces.
‘Got any other info?’ Bulldust asked as Mac came back to put another beer in front of him.
‘Nah, mate. I reckon he might’ve tried out at Thorntinia. You know, for the Martins? But I don’t reckon they’re hiring. In fact, I heard they were going into caretaking mode. Wife is crook. Cancer.’
Bulldust stroked his beard and thought about that. ‘Interesting.’
‘Think they’re going to Brisbane around every two months, so she can have treatment.’
‘Why wouldn’t they hire Roper over there as a caretaker then?’
‘Remember Austin James? The son of the mayor? Used to work out there as a young bloke out of school. He’s gone back out there to help. Been there for six months or so. Keeping an eye on the place.’
‘Right.’
‘Shane’s here.’ Mac nodded towards the door.
‘Better get the preferred poison then,’ Bulldust said. He waited until Shane was close and then smiled. ‘G’day.’
‘Hey. How’re things?’
He watched as Shane glanced around the bar and took everything in. Bulldust liked that. Often Shane read people and the play better than he did. Not that he ever would have told anyone that.
‘See anything?’
Shane took a long draw from the Guinness Mac had put on the bar and asked, ‘Who’s the pretender?’
‘Good question.’
They sat together and watched. It wasn’t long before Roper noticed their gaze and raised his beer towards them.
Neither one reacted.
After a few words to Chris, Roper nodded to Mac and then towards Bulldust and Shane. He was buying them a drink.
Bulldust didn’t like that so he shook his head when Mac glanced towards them.
Roper frowned, then turned his back on them, continuing to talk to Chris.
‘He wants something,’ Shane said.
‘A job.’
‘Are you going to give him one?’
‘No.’
‘Think that’s a good idea?’
‘Mac said he asked for me last week. I don’t like his interest.’
‘Fair call. Want me to see what he wants?’
‘If you like.’
Shane ordered another drink, then walked over to where Chris and Roper were standing.
Bulldust watched the group for a minute, then turned his attention elsewhere.
Mac came with another beer—one he’d ordered, not from Roper.
‘What else is news?’ he asked the barman.
‘I hear Lawson George is getting married. You know, from Norfolk Downs? ’Bout three hundred k down the road, near the border of the Northern Territory.’
‘Jeez, how’d he find a woman out there?’
Mac laughed. ‘Who knows, maybe the personal ads in Queensland Country Life?’
Bulldust gave a tight-lipped smile.
‘Anyhoo, they’re off for five weeks. They’re going to Singapore for their honeymoon. I tell you, in my day we were lucky to be able to roll a swag and drive a hundred k down the road to the closest town.’
‘I wouldn’t know.’
Looking at him, Mac gave a large grin. ‘No, don’t suppose you would.’
‘When are they leaving?’
‘Couple of weeks’ time. Can’t work ’em out though. Lawson�
��s old man was in a few weeks ago. He’d come in to pick up the supplies. Said they were leaving the station unattended. Didn’t want to have to pay anyone to keep an eye on things.’
Bulldust shrugged. ‘Why would they? Cattle’ll be right. Plenty of surface water around.’
‘But what about the dogs and all the animals around the homestead?’
‘Maybe they’ll be taking ’em too.’ Bulldust cracked a real smile this time, showing a set of unusually white and straight teeth. ‘Can just see the nanny goat with a ribbon round its neck walking down the aisle.’
Mac burst out laughing. ‘The dog would be the best man and carry the rings.’
‘There you are. All sorted.’
Bulldust turned his attention back to the group of three and realised Shane was trying to catch his eye. He read the signal that Bulldust needed to talk to Roper. Giving a slight nod, he told Mac he needed another beer and to bugger off for a bit.
‘What can I do for you?’ he asked as Roper pulled up a barstool and sat down next to him. He cracked his knuckles then laid his meat-like hands on the bar, palms down. Anyone would be able to read the tatts on his knuckles. B U L L D U S T.
‘Looking for work.’
‘So I hear.’
‘You got a spot?’
‘I don’t do things like that.’
‘How do you do them?’ Roper mirrored Bulldust’s stance and looked at the bar.
‘I do ’em my way. I do the asking.’
‘I hear you’re short.’
‘But I didn’t ask you.’
‘Don’t you want to hear about my experience?’
‘No.’ Bulldust stared straight ahead, his eyes forward, but this time his fingers started to tap. He was getting annoyed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Chris and George put down their drinks and Mac start to collect the glasses from the bar.
‘Would you give me a try?’
‘How’re you going to prove your worth?’
‘Give me a go and see.’
Bulldust looked over at him. ‘You’re not getting the message.’
‘You’re not giving me a chance.’
Without a Doubt Page 13
