She didn’t answer. She should have forwarded it to Brandon or Darcy.
He pressed buttons on her phone. Deleting the photo. She tried to grab it back from him but he pushed her away and she stumbled back, losing her balance on the slope that ran off the road and falling to the ground. Her palms stung and she brushed them together. “What did the man want?”
Taylor shook his head as he handed the phone back to her and helped her to her feet. “Nothing.”
“Bullshit.” Her mind whirled. The photo had to have been taken at least a month ago, way before the accident. But what could the intruder want of Taylor? “Did he ask you to tell him about the station?”
“No.”
What then? “Taylor, it’s important you tell the police. That man broke into the house and ransacked the place. Anything he said might be useful for getting a better conviction.” This photo proved the intruder had been around longer than just this week.
“It was nothing.” He glanced at his four-wheel drive which had a dinghy on the top. “I’ve got to go.”
“You’re not watching the gymkhana?”
He reached for the door handle, his hand shaking. “No, I have to leave.”
He was scared. But the only reason to be scared was if he had something to hide. The answer came to her with a bolt of lightning. “He asked you to sabotage things.”
Taylor flinched.
She stared at him. “You cut the windmill water pipe.”
“No, I didn’t.” He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.
Taylor’s poker tell. He did that when he was bluffing. “You did.”
His face screwed up in pain. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”
She was fairly certain she did. Horror and fury mixed to fuel her. “What did you get in return?”
He pressed his lips together.
“Money?” No, Taylor had never been interested in material possessions. As long as he had his swag and his car he was happy. But he did like to gamble. “Do you owe people money?”
Taylor’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t confirm it.
The son of a bitch. He’d damaged the windmill for his own gain. But that wasn’t the first bit of sabotage. She froze. “You cut the brake line on the four-wheel drive.”
At her shout Taylor stepped closer. “Shut up! You don’t understand.”
He was right. She didn’t. “You were in debt so you sabotaged the people who gave you a job and a home?”
“Bill fired me over nothing!”
“Bill and Beth are dead because of you!”
“No one was meant to get hurt,” he said. “It was just meant to put the car out of action for a while. A minor inconvenience, an extra cost.”
Dot would have a different opinion on it. Asshole. “Go to hell, Taylor.” She turned but Taylor grabbed her ponytail, yanking her back. Tears of pain stung her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her waist, trapping her arms.
“Wait. You can’t tell anyone. I’m not going to gaol.”
Fear struck her and she struggled, but his arms gripped her tighter, squeezing the air out of her lungs.
Across the road at the pony club the crowd cheered as someone did their turn at the barrel race. Even if she screamed, no one would hear her. “Let go of me, Taylor.”
Taylor kicked her legs out from under her and she fell to the ground, landing hard on the dirt. Before she could get up, his fist came flying towards her face.
