Darcy clipped the radio onto his belt and examined the next sheep. He should have moved them when he’d come to fix the water trough. His gaze lifted to its location, but he couldn’t see it from here. He’d been sure he’d fixed the trough when he’d first moved the sheep into this area. He no longer doubted his skills.
Someone had tampered with it.
Stonefish were back.
Chapter 4
At the bottom of the rise, Faith looked back. Darcy sat on his horse, shoulders slumped, staring down at the death scene before him. He’d gone from someone with an easy grin and bright smile to a person who appeared as if a gentle breeze would knock him down. As she watched, he straightened his shoulders and nudged his horse forward to face reality. Faith’s heart went out to him. A farmer’s life wasn’t easy. The devastation on his face when he’d seen all those dead sheep had ripped through her. She’d wanted to protect him, comfort him, and the intensity of her emotion scared her.
She sighed and continued towards the gate. Next to her, Lara was silent for the first time all day. “You OK, Lara?”
The girl pressed her lips together, then shook her head. “Something’s wrong.”
“Want to talk about it?”
Lara was silent.
“Seeing the dead sheep is upsetting, but dingoes have to eat too.”
The girl glanced at her. “Dingoes didn’t kill those sheep.”
The certainty with which she spoke made goosebumps rise on Faith’s skin. “What makes you say that?”
“Dad says dingoes kill the sheep so they can eat, but those sheep hadn’t been eaten.” Her eyes full of concern, she asked, “What else would kill sheep and not eat them?”
“Wild dogs?”
Lara shook her head. “They’d eat them too.”
The only predator which killed for sport was man. Suddenly the surrounding land seemed too still, too silent, too isolated. Faith hunched her shoulders and nudged her horse into a trot. “Come on. We need to get back to the gate to show Matt and Brandon the way.
Lara kept up, but her expression was dark.
Faith hoped Lara was wrong, that she hadn’t understood what Darcy had taught her, but she made sense. Dingoes and wild dogs didn’t kill for fun, but who would want to harm the sheep, hurt the Ridge’s livelihood?
She’d heard nothing but positive things about the Stokes family, and the entire town mourned when Bill and Beth had died. Her own interactions with the family had been positive, and she considered Georgie a friend. But if what Lara suggested was true, and someone was trying to hurt them, maybe she could help them.
Because they didn’t deserve this.
Less than half an hour later, both Matt and Brandon arrived in a white ute. Faith and Lara had found a patch of shade under a less straggly tree, but the day was hot. She only had a few mouthfuls of water left in her water bottle.
Faith stood and brushed the red dirt from her jodhpurs while Lara ran to hug both men. “Something’s wrong,” she said. “Dingoes don’t leave dead sheep.”
While Brandon hugged her, Matt handed Faith a cold bottle of water from the esky in the tray.
“Thanks,” she said.
“You both holding up all right?” he asked.
“Yeah. Darcy’s still over there.” She nodded in the direction and spotted Darcy riding back. He sat comfortably in his saddle, though his shoulders slumped as if he carried the weight of the world on them. The desire to help him was so strong it surprised her. It wasn’t as if she didn’t help people—she’d done pro bono work back in the city, but this was more than a need to help, more of a deep longing.
She pushed it aside and took a long drink of water. Lara had also been given a bottle and told to drink. When Darcy arrived, Brandon said, “I made the call. They’ll be here in an hour.”
“Who’d you call?” Lara asked.
“Someone who can help us with the sheep,” Darcy said. “You and Faith should head back to the house. I’m going to be here a while.” He smiled at Faith. “Sorry to ruin your trail ride. When you get back, tell Amy I said you should take our horse float. She’ll be able to help you with it.”
“Why don’t you go with them?” Matt suggested. “You’ll need to ride your horse back anyway.”
