Matt hesitated.
“If it’s not urgent, why don’t I make you a cuppa and you can have a scone first?”
“Yeah, that would be great. Thanks, Ames.”
She filled the kettle and put two scones in the microwave to reheat. Matt lowered himself into a seat and kind of slumped over the table. This couldn’t be easy for him. He’d known Bill and Beth his entire life. Was as close to family as someone could be without being related. When she put the mug of tea in front of Matt she asked, “How are you coping?”
He glanced up at her, his eyes redder than normal. “I’m OK.” He sighed. “I told my parents and they’ll tell the rest of the mob. They’re worried about who’s going to inherit the station.”
Amy didn’t know the details of the agreement the local indigenous group had with Bill, but from what she understood it gave them permission to access their traditional lands whenever they wanted. Some of them still chose to live on the station land. “Brandon inherited the Ridge.”
“Really?”
She nodded.
Matt swore and his hands clenched around the mug.
“Do you think he’ll sell?”
Matt shook his head. “I don’t know him anymore. He might want to be rid of the place.”
If only she could allay Matt’s concerns. Instead she changed the subject. “Which fences did you check today?”
“The ones across the main road where the sheep are.” He slathered strawberry jam on top of his scone and then topped it with a healthy dose of cream. He looked up at her. “I’m worried. One of them has been cut.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Cut?”
“Yeah. Someone’s taken wire cutters to it and there were motorbike tracks nearby.”
Dread filled her as she remembered what the police had said. “You need to tell Darcy. The police found the brake line was cut on Beth and Bill’s four-wheel drive.”
He swore. “You’re kidding me!”
She shook her head. “They’re trying to figure out who might have a grudge against them.”
“Taylor was pretty angry when they fired him, but I can’t imagine him doing anything like that.”
Neither Taylor nor Bill had said why Taylor had been fired last month, and it had come as a shock to Amy. She liked the thirty-year-old stockman and had spent plenty of evenings chatting with him. He’d seen almost as much of Australia as she had, and they’d swapped tales of places they’d been and people they’d met.
Once she’d relented to play poker with him, but only after she set a limit of how much she’d bet. He didn’t understand she didn’t have money to waste. There’d been too many times when twenty dollars had been the difference between a meal and a bed, or sleeping hungry on the streets. After years of studying people, his tell had been easy to pick and she’d won money from him. “Do you know why he was fired?”
Matt shrugged. “Darce never said.” He stood. “I’d better tell him about the fence.”
He strode out. Amy gathered up the dishes and noticed a movement at the door. Lee stood there, his hand raised to knock. “What can I help you with, Lee?” She placed the dishes in the sink.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Amy, but there’s no toilet paper in the bathroom.” He screwed up his face in apology.
Shit. She’d forgotten to clean the bathrooms today. She hurried to the door. “I’ll get some for you right now.” The supplies were over by the shearers’ quarters. “I’m so sorry.”
Lee waved a hand. “You’ve got more important matters to attend to.”
She nodded then entered the end room in the shearers’ quarters and retrieved a roll of toilet paper. “Here you go. I’ll clean it after you’re finished in there.”
“Thanks.” He trotted away.
Amy brushed the loose hairs from her face and then stripped out the lackey band holding it back and redid her ponytail. She opened her own quarters and took a moment to freshen up. The hottest part of the day was always mid-afternoon but now with the sun sinking towards the horizon the temperature was dropping a little.
Maggie hopped onto the verandah and into Amy’s room. Amy scratched her head. “Hey, Maggie May. Are you after a snack?” She kept a bag of almonds in her room after she’d learnt the kangaroo had a weakness for them. She gave her a couple, being careful to avoid her sharp nails and led her back onto the porch, closing the door after herself.
