“Whose idea was it?” Ed asked.
“Mine,” Darcy said. “I’ve seen what other stations are doing, and I suspected the Ridge wasn’t doing so well. Dad wouldn’t spend any money on new equipment though we desperately need a new ute. Matt’s been babying the Ridge one along for at least six months.”
Matt nodded. “Bill’s been making noises about not needing full-time station hands as well,” he said. “When Taylor was fired, I wondered whether Bill grabbed any excuse to get rid of him.”
“No, there was an excuse,” Darcy said. “Dad caught Taylor in his office. Taylor said he was looking for a delivery invoice, but Dad said he had one of the old pearl hair combs which came from the Retribution in his hand.”
“Taylor was stealing it?” Brandon asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe he had money troubles, not that an old hair comb would have fetched much.”
“Where’s Taylor now?” He was definitely someone Brandon wanted to chat to.
“I’m not sure. He didn’t leave a forwarding address.”
“I’ll call Lindsay later,” Georgie said. “If anyone knows, it will be her. Pretty much everyone goes into her supermarket.”
“Do that,” Brandon said, his mind whirring. “Dad agreed to the campgrounds in what, February, March?”
“February,” Darcy said. “Took a few weeks to get the necessary permissions and clean the shearers’ quarters. Mum was adamant she didn’t want to clean toilets and have to hang around the house for guests to arrive, so we agreed to hire someone.”
“How many applicants did you get?” Could someone be disgruntled they hadn’t got the job?
“Just Amy,” Darcy said. “Georgie told her about the job and she was perfect, so we hired her on the spot.”
Unease tightened Brandon’s skin. He didn’t want to consider the possibility, but it was an option. He asked Georgie, “How did you meet her?”
“She was on one of my tours. We got to talking and she mentioned she was new to the area and looking for a job. She’d done all sorts of hospitality work so I called Darcy and arranged the interview.”
“That’s convenient.”
“What are you suggesting?” Ed asked.
Someone had to raise the possibility, if only to rule it out. “Amy knew to ask Georgie about work at the exact time the Ridge was looking for someone. Doesn’t that seem odd to you?”
“No,” Georgie said. “We get backpackers through all the time searching for work.”
“She’s a bit old for a backpacker.”
“Don’t be ageist. She’s only a few years older than I am,” Georgie retorted.
Brandon knew better than to argue with Georgie when she disagreed with him. She’d been stubborn as a mule since she was a baby, and he was pleased she was defending Amy. Still, he had to play devil’s advocate, was the only one with enough distance to look at all the possibilities. “Where did she come from?”
“Are you really suspecting Amy of cutting the brake line?” Darcy asked. “She loved Mum and Dad. Mum had practically adopted her.”
Great. He was going to put Darcy offside again. He leaned back, tried to appear less aggressive. “I’m investigating all the options,” he replied. “What do we know about her?”
“She’s great,” Matt said with a shrug. “Friendly and always ready to help with anything. She’s got a knack for fixing anything that’s broken, and I’ve been teaching her how to fix the ute. She’s picked it up quickly.”
Not what he wanted to hear. “She’s good with cars?” It wouldn’t take much to slide under the four-wheel drive and cut a line.
“No!” Georgie shook her head. “I won’t let you suggest that. Amy’s my friend.”
He kept his tone gentle. “What can you tell me about her then?”
“She was working in Karratha before she came to Retribution Bay. Spent six months working in a cafe there.”
“And before that?”
