She watched him walk away then returned to checking the seeder hoses. Smiling to herself as she imagined Adam by her side for the afternoon. She forgot all about Cam until she heard the truck. She jumped up to see what he was doing.
The truck was pulling up beside the diesel tank. The very tank she’d just had refilled. She hurried over. Her carefully selected sheep were penned in a corner of the tray.
“Why are you taking the truck?”
Cam lifted his head at the sound of her voice.
“The trailer had a flat tyre.” He grinned and flicked his eyes over her. “I’ll change it tomorrow.”
Mackenna clamped her lips shut. She’d been about to tell him he had plenty of time to change a tyre when she suddenly realised this might be their opportunity to see what else he got up to.
“Okay,” she said.
“I might stay in town again tonight.” He hooked the fuel hose back on the tank and stepped closer to her. “That’s if you think you’ll be okay on your own?”
“Of course I am,” she snapped.
He smirked and climbed into the truck.
As soon as he started moving she dashed back to the ute and followed him down the drive. She pulled in at the Gatehouse. Adam was already at the door with his helmet.
“I assume Cam’s going somewhere in the truck?” he said.
“The abattoirs. It’s quite a distance but he may have plans for afterwards. He doesn’t normally volunteer to do that run. He should be taking the trailer but he reckons a tyre’s flat. There’s no rush,” she said. “I’ll show you a different way to get there. You’ll be able to watch from a distance to see where he heads afterwards.”
Adam studied her rough map and asked a few questions then they walked out to where they’d stashed his bike out of sight yesterday.
She put a hand on his arm as he threw his leg over the bike. He smiled, leant over and kissed her. “I’ll be fine,” he said. “If I’m not back by dinnertime you’re the chef tonight.”
He pulled on his helmet and kicked the bike into life.
She waved as he rode away. Once again she listened as the bike slowed at the gate, revved and then roared out onto the road. Only when she could no longer hear him did she move.
“Not back by dinnertime,” she murmured. She hadn’t thought past Adam following Cam. What if Cam went somewhere a long way off? Adam could be gone late into the night. He didn’t know his way around the district. If he did see Cam doing jobs for other people, what then?
They hadn’t really thought this through properly.
She walked back to the sheds. The dogs met her, King keeping a discreet distance but Prince dancing in front of her, eager for attention. She patted them both and glanced towards the crumbling stone shed behind them. It was a leftover from the original days of the farm and full of relics from the past and drums of bits and pieces that often came in handy when something needed fixing. It was her dad’s Aladdin’s cave, but it also housed the trailer.
Mackenna stepped inside. The pup still played at her feet, stirring up the musty smell of the dirt floor. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the gloom. Sure enough, one tyre was flat as a tack. She poked it with the tip of her boot then bent down to take a good look. It probably had a nail or a bit of wire in it. She stepped back and the pup yelped as she caught his foot under her boot. She jerked away and banged her face into a bit of pipe jutting out from a drum of spare parts. Her teeth jarred together. She groaned and put her hand to her cheek. She shoved the pipe away with her free hand and glared back at the trailer. There was nothing strange about a flat tyre, it was just convenient for him if he had been planning to use the truck all along.
She pressed her hand to her throbbing cheek and went back to the seeder. Prince kept a mindful step away. Mackenna replayed the times Cam had driven the truck and come back late or the next day. None of it had seemed odd until now. If he did work for other people, she’d need proof. Hopefully Adam would get close enough to take a few pictures with his phone. She’d be happier to confront Cam if she had a bit more evidence that he was actually using Woolly Swamp’s truck to do cash jobs.
Garry had been sure Cam was the bloke he’d seen driving the truck. She should have thought to find out who that farmer was.
Mackenna snapped her fingers. “Garry! That’s it.”
King lifted his head to look at her and Prince began dancing in circles again. If she got the name of the bloke Garry had been working for, she could ask him outright. Pretend she was looking for someone to do a carting job for cash and see what he said.
She took her notebook from her pocket.
“Damn!” she muttered. She hadn’t made a note of the truck’s odometer. Still, it hadn’t been used since she jotted the last reading. That would still be a good indication. She took out her phone to ring Garry.
Adam pulled up on the side of the road and watched the trail of dust made by the truck as it turned off the bitumen. Now it would be tricky to follow. While they were on main roads he could have been anyone travelling the same direction but this road was dirt, which would make the bike much more obvious. The sign named it Shaggy Rise Road. The part he could see was straight with very little vegetation.
He wasn’t sure what to do. It had been easy to watch Cam as he delivered the sheep to the abattoirs. Another bloke had met him there and they’d gone on together in the truck. Adam had followed them to a town called Penola, where they’d taken a road towards Millicent and then turned off at this point. Where he was in relation to Woolly Swamp he had no idea.
He did have a phone, however. He unzipped his jacket. The new phone had more apps than he knew how to use. At least with a map he might be able to get a rough idea of the area he was in. He reached into his top pocket but his phone wasn’t there. He searched his jeans then sank back onto his bike. He remembered exactly where it was. He’d been sitting at Mackenna’s table about to call his mother when he’d heard the truck coming. In his hurry to grab his helmet he’d left the phone on the table.
On the side road the dust had cleared and there was no longer any sign of the truck. The sun was getting low on the horizon. It would be dark in a few hours. There was nothing for it but to keep going. He edged forward. With one last look around, he turned on to Shaggy Rise Road.
After a couple of kilometres, what had started out as a straight road changed into a sweeping bend around a rocky outcrop and low bushes, then it swung back the other way. It continued its winding course and every now and then Adam caught sight of some dust in the distance. He assumed he was still following Cam in the truck.
He came to a property entrance. He slowed and peered ahead. Trees blocked his view of the track. To his left the road continued on with its telltale dust cloud. He kept going. After a few more kilometres he came to another tree-lined entrance to a farm. A sign declaring it to be Shaggy Rise was nailed to the rails beside the open gate and underneath in smaller print was the name A. & A. Bennett.
Once again Adam slowed. He looked along the road but there was no dust. Perhaps Shaggy Rise was Cam’s destination. There was little vegetation around other than some clumps of trees and bushes along the driveway. Adam rode in, turned off his bike and rolled it behind the thickest of the bushes. It was exposed to the paddock behind but would be out of sight from anyone using the driveway.
He hooked his helmet over the handle and waited. He couldn’t see the house, but ahead there were bigger trees and he could see assorted roofs and a television tower poking through. If he walked up the driveway he would be visible for all to see. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to find out what Cam was doing.
The bleats of sheep and a dog’s bark pressed him into motion. If sheep were being loaded on the truck, he guessed there wouldn’t be anyone watching the driveway. He decided walking briskly was the best option. That way, if anyone saw him, he could say he was lost and looking for directions.
Before he reached the house, the driveway divided. He took the wider o
ption, edged with thicker bush. It led away from the house towards some sheds. The noise of the sheep was much louder. Adam slowed and peered around a bushy branch. The cab of the truck was ahead of him. He studied it a moment. There was no sign of anyone, only the sounds of sheep, a man’s call and occasional whistle as he worked the dogs. The back of the truck was out of sight behind the large shed. That’s where all the action was.
He hesitated. He had the property’s and its owners’ names. He only had to wait and he would see the load Cam was taking and where he went with it.
“Can I help you, mate?”
Adam spun around.
Walking towards him was a lean bloke in a green shirt and dirty red cap, carrying a couple of empty hessian bags. The guy Adam had seen join Cam at the abattoirs had been wearing a green shirt and a red cap.
“I’m visiting the Bennetts,” he said, remembering the name on the gate. He took a risk that this bloke didn’t know the people who lived here, apart from whoever was working the sheep.
“Is that so?” The man stopped right in front of him. He was about Adam’s height. His pointy nose had a bump in it as if it had been broken and he had a scar under his right eye.
“Just checking what was going on up here.” Adam nodded towards the shed, deciding honesty was the best policy.
“Come and take a look then.” The bloke’s beady eyes bored into him.
A prickle ran down Adam’s spine. He didn’t trust Cam as far as he could throw him and coming face to face with his mate didn’t do anything to change his mind. They were both bad news.
“I have.” Adam took a chance this bloke had been away from the truck for a few minutes. “I’m on my way back to the house.” He nodded and walked steadily back down the track. He could feel the guy’s eyes boring into him as he went. There was nothing for it but to take the path that led towards the house.
Through the trees he came to a fence, beyond which was a manicured bed of roses, a trim lawn and the house. There was no sign of anyone so he walked quickly around the outside of the yard and followed the house track to where it joined the main driveway back to the road. There was nowhere to hide along this stretch until he reached the bushes where he’d stashed his bike.
Adam risked a look back towards the sheds. Still no sign of anyone. He hoped the guy had believed his story but there was always the risk he might ask the farmer working the sheep if he had a visitor.
The sound of a vehicle moving slowly in his direction spurred him into action. He sprinted down the driveway to his bike and crouched down beside it as the vehicle approached. He held his breath as it slowed even more, drew level with his hiding place then continued on.
Adam peered out to see a farm ute driving away from him down the track. The arm that rested on the open window was wearing navy but he’d seen the backs of two heads through its rear window. He could only assume the bloke who’d seen him had gone back and asked questions and now they were looking for him. No doubt wondering what a guy on foot was doing hanging around the house saying he knew the Bennetts.
Adam’s story had been a risky one but it was the best he could do on the spot. He watched through the trees as the ute went left along the road then did a U-turn and came back, passed the driveway and headed in the opposite direction. He crouched down on the other side of his bike. If they went far enough and looked back, they would be able to see it.
Behind him he heard the rumble of the truck motor coming to life. Cam must have finished loading. Adam held his breath. He watched as the ute continued on to the top of a rise. When they turned they’d surely see him. He’d have to get away now. The sun was dropping fast and it would be dark soon.
He pushed his bike out onto the driveway just as the lights of the truck lit it up. The bike roared to life beneath him and he shot off. There was no way the truck could reach him. He left his own lights off. Visibility was still good enough. Good enough for him to see the ute approaching the gate just as he did. He opened the throttle. He would make the entrance before them and be away down the road. Just as he reached the gate they flicked their lights on high beam, blinding him. He swerved, felt his back tyre clip the solid gatepost and lost control. The bike roared across the road, hit the gravel bank on the other side and then was gone from under him. Adam had the strange sensation he was flying. He pictured Mackenna just as his helmet and shoulder connected with solid earth in a jarring crunch.
CHAPTER
44
Mackenna shut the door on the dog kennel and glanced up at the darkening sky. A thick bank of cloud hugged the western horizon, illuminated by the setting sun. Perhaps the weather forecast would be right this time and they would get some rain.
She walked past her family home and on down the driveway to the Gatehouse. Ever since Adam left she’d kept herself busy trying not to think about what he might be doing. She hadn’t tried to ring him but the urge to do so now was overpowering. She rang as she opened the door to the Gatehouse. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard the jingle of his new phone. He was back and she hadn’t heard the bike.
Her joy switched to worry again as she saw his phone on the kitchen table. He’d left the damn thing behind. She picked up the phone and turned it over and over in her hands. What could she do? If he was still following Cam he could be anywhere.
She needed to keep busy. She took meat from the fridge. Adam had cooked all sorts since his return so Mackenna hadn’t been able to test her lamb shank recipe. It would be a good opportunity to make it tonight. She browned the meat, added stock, carrots and onions then took the torch and went outside to her herb pots. By the time she returned the delicious smell of the shanks and vegetables had filled the kitchen. There was a bottle of Bunyip shiraz open from last night. She poured a good half bottle into the casserole, tossed in the herbs then the rest of the red for good measure. She put the dish in the oven and cleaned up.
Once again she was sitting at the table with Adam’s phone in one hand and her own in the other.
“Damn,” she muttered. “Now what do I do? Come home, Adam. Come home.”
Mackenna put the phones down and paced the floor, stopping in front of the oven to check the lamb shanks. It’d be at least another two hours till they were ready. She went into the bedroom and flicked on the television. The news was all doom and gloom and the bed reminded her of Adam.
She paused as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She leant closer and turned her head. There was a dark bruise on her cheek with a red graze beneath it. She touched the area gently with her fingers. It was tender. She’d probably end up with a black eye. Great. That would give the weekend’s dinner guests something to talk about.
Mackenna went back to the kitchen and stared at her phone again, willing Adam to find some way of calling her. Then she remembered her conversation with Garry. He’d given her the property owner’s phone number where he’d been crutching when he’d seen Cam driving the Woolly Swamp truck. She looked at the page in her notebook. Rob Watson was the farmer’s name. She’d never heard of him but that wasn’t surprising. He lived quite a distance from Woolly Swamp and Garry said he hadn’t owned the property long.
She hadn’t rung straight away, not sure what to do. A mobile number could easily be rung back. She wanted to sound the bloke out without him knowing who she was.
Mackenna paced the kitchen then clapped her hands together. Her parent’s landline! Her mother always kept it as a private number, which meant it didn’t leave caller ID. She swept both mobiles up from the table and ran out to her car. She would ring the bloke from her parents’ phone and he’d not be able to trace the call if the conversation got tricky.
It was very quiet and cold in the house. Mackenna switched on the verandah, passage and kitchen lights, flicked the reverse cycle air conditioning to warm and turned on the radio before she finally got up the courage to call.
Rob was a friendly chap who was quite happy to tell her about the cash deal he’d made to have his sheep transport
ed.
“There were two blokes. They were recommended to me by someone else but I can’t remember who,” Rob said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Mackenna replied. “Do you have a name and phone number for them? I’ve got a job needs doing and my truck’s out of action.”
“Sure. I have it written down. I only got the one bloke’s first name. I was flat out with the crutching. We didn’t waste time chatting. Very efficient, they were. Let’s see . . .”
Mackenna could hear rustling as Rob searched for the number.
“Here we are,” he said. “The name of the bloke I dealt with was Trev.”
Mackenna had to ask Rob to repeat the phone number twice before she hung up. She stared at the name and mobile number she’d written across her mother’s notepad. She was pretty sure if she rang that number she’d get Trevor bloody Dingle. Goodness knows how many times Dingo and Cam had used the Woolly Swamp truck to do jobs on the side.
She wondered about the stuff Cam was supposed to be selling at the pub. It would be hard to miss a few bags of grain but it made her wonder what else he might be taking.
She went to the pile of mail she’d stacked up waiting for her mother’s return and flicked through it looking for the account from the stock and station agent. There was nothing surprising on the itemised list, except possibly the amounts. If Cam went in to town to collect goods, he could ask for three rolls of wire instead of two or ten posts instead of eight. By the time the account came, small differences like that wouldn’t be noticed.
Mackenna tossed the bill beside the pile. She moved around the kitchen straightening chairs, wiping benches, doing anything to keep busy. She reread her holiday postcards on the fridge. It felt like a lifetime ago. Finally, she plucked her phone from her pocket and rang Hugh. If she couldn’t talk to Adam, at least Hugh would understand her anxiety.
Right As Rain Page 27