Farm Kill

by Robert W Fisk

  Bryce had an elderly client who wanted his flock to go to a worthy person who would look after them. He met Greg and was happy to sell his sheep to Greg on the sale of his farm. The South Suffolk sheep were withdrawn from the auction of plant. The farmer was in no hurry to be paid. It would help his tax situation if Greg paid him later, in a new tax year, when Greg had got on his feet. That meant Greg could keep his Drysdales and sell Drysdale and alpaca fleeces spun together in Christchurch. This fibre fetched an enormous price in the handicrafts market.

  The South Suffolk sheep were supplemented by alpacas, which he liked enormously. There was a strong market for alpaca fleeces, which enabled Greg to buy more stock. He also started buying MeatMaster, the Rolls Royce breed of the sheep meat world. He held these as stock until he could build a substantial herd.

  A water licence was granted so Greg could irrigate the river flats, the dairy pastures. This was essential if he was to get into dairy farming. However, the cost of borrowing more money was prohibitive so Greg used the irrigation to grow summer grass to feed other farmers' stock, which was a very lucrative venture, and to keep a small dairy herd from which to make cheese.

  Over the next two years, with Ashleigh's help, he set up a modest goats' cheese factory, which she ran. They both helped make cheese, a job that Lance enjoyed participating in. At the start of the milking season, they milked goats and made goats' cheese. Later, when the cows had calved, they milked both cows and goats. They made 'half and half' cheese, which proved to be very popular. As the goats dried off, they milked only cows and made specialised cheeses.

  Ashleigh and Greg sold their cheese in local markets and to local businesses, and also on the internet, soon developing a regular clientele among restaurants and hotels.

  The South Suffolk sheep were a jewel in the crown as mutton prices went through the roof. Money began to accumulate, and costs plummeted from where they had been before the farm conversant.

  Although it was hard work, it was fun. He and Ashleigh grew closer together and it wasn't long before they became a couple. Ashleigh moved clothes and toiletries into the spare bedroom in the main house to both Greg and Lance's delight, although she kept her cottage so that she could come and go as she pleased.

  Ashleigh loved to party and to dance, Greg lived to work. Both were aware that in the long term, their relationship would struggle. In the meantime, they worked hard together and were very happy. Although Greg knew that he was in love with Ashleigh and he felt sure she was falling in love with him, he never pressured her and she never showed how strongly she felt.

  Ashleigh realised that she had found a remarkable man, one she could easily fall in love with. She wanted a farm, she wanted to travel and she wanted to be successful. Romance would have to wait until after Sally and Greg sorted themselves out. Greg's lawyer drew up a business partnership for them to protect their endeavours when it came time to settle up the affairs of the previous marriage.

  Apart from having Ashleigh on hand to ensure he kept himself clean and developed personal skills, Lance seemed oblivious to the changes. He bonded with Ashleigh to a certain degree, but his main bond was with Tricksy. He and Tricksy were inseparable. Greg still had to communicate with Lance through the bitch, something that Mr Weatherall said would change one day. A big moment came after a year, when the Te Kouka School allowed Lance to come to afternoon sessions. Tricksy was allowed in the classroom, where she sat watching over Lance.

  Although quiet, Lance was able to speak to other children, who quickly adapted to saying things such as "Lance, Mr Tricksy says it's time to clean up." In return, Lance would say things like, "Mr Tricksy says he likes your picture." It didn't seem to matter to the other nine year olds that Mr Tricksy was a girl.

  The children called Lance Spaz, which was short for spastic. They were not being cruel, just calling a spade a spade. Lance was not aware of any nastiness and answered willingly to calls of "Hey, Spaz, Come and look at this."

  Lance adopted a different persona at school. As Spaz, Lance began to talk more freely. He was still very different from the other children, but he was accepted for what he was. Far from discouraging the children from calling Lance a derogatory name, Mrs Armstrong could see that the children had accepted Lance's differences and calling Lance Spaz was not being nasty but simply a recognition that lance was different.

  The teacher quickly realised that Lance was exceptionally bright, absorbing knowledge voraciously. Although Lance's problem with expressing that knowledge remained a challenge, the teacher, Mrs Armstrong, allowed him to come to morning classes.

  Everything seemed to be going well for Greg. The narrowly based living he had been making on his farm now showed diverse income streams. The goat herd produced a surprising profit, which was shared with Ashleigh. After a while, Ashleigh was able to employ two women in the goat dairy, making the cheeses under supervision and delivering them to Te Kouka and Grantville when they went home. The South Suffolk sheep produced a lovely meat and a heavier wool clip than had the Drysdales. The alpacas were a surprise. They required very little care and produced babies regularly. The alpaca fibre sold strongly through the internet, and the farm became a source for people wanting a pet or a small flock.

  Lance was at school and making progress. He had a partnership with a very knowledgeable woman who also shared his bed from time to time and the changes made to the farm were highly profitable. The Police returned his fire arms licence and his rifles now that Lance was under control. Lance was still annoying and frustrating. He had been much worse when he was younger. How Sally must have suffered. He forgot that Sally had been gone for almost two years. He still thought every day that she would be back. He wasn't prepared for the day of reckoning that was about to come.

  PART THREE: PRESENT DAY

  6.

  It was September, Spring time. Philip was standing beside the mailbox at the fork in the road where one way led to his farm, Gresham Hills, while the other branch led to Greg's farm, Te Kouka Flats.

  He held disaster in his hand. The letter he was holding said that Farm Finance Trust had gone belly up, owing over $140 million dollars. The firm had been placed into bankruptcy and the accounts had been handed over to an accounting firm that specialised in selling off assets and paying out anything left over to the investors. He would be lucky to get five cents in the dollar. Philip's plans to buy out Greg when Sally asked for a settlement were blown to the four winds. Both of his schemes for gaining control over Te Kouka Flats Farm were in ruins. He would have to think of another way, and quickly, because when Sally had been with him for two years, she could claim half of his assets if he forced her to leave.

  But all was not lost. Usually, banks made both partners take out wills in favour of each other so that if one spouse passed away the other would not have to sell up. That would have happened when Greg and Sally married. Philip had seen Sally's copy of the will in her bedside drawer. It was not with her usual solicitor, having been drawn up by the firm she worked for before marrying Greg Somerville. He doubted that Greg had changed his will as he still owed money to the bank. Philip thought for some time, standing in the sun, beside the mail box. Finally, he thought of a way to get Greg, Lance and Ashleigh together, where he could kill them.

  He would set fire to a corner of the cottage. While the adults were putting out the blaze, he could deal with the idiot kid then knock Greg and his housekeeper out with an injection of Etorphine he used to drop animals. He had the tranquiliser gun, and the drug left traces of morphine, evidence that the adults had been using drugs. Or he could simply inject them with Valium, as he had done to stroppy patients so many times while working in a mental hospital. Once they were unconscious, he could put them in the burning house, job done. Another farmhouse fire. The tragedy at Te Kouka Flats.

  Zinsli needed Sally to make a will. A will in his favour, dated some months previously.

  7.

  Sally received a letter from the family lawyer, whom she shared with G
reg. The cheque that was enclosed with the letter blew her mind away. Greg and Ashleigh had certainly turned the farm around. This was more money than she had ever seen in her whole life, and it was hers. The letter told her that her half share of Te Kouka Flats had increased remarkably in value. Mr Smythe added a cautionary note that her new partner Philip would have an entitlement to half of her half share if she left him after being together for two years. Sally knew about the Matrimonial Property Act. She knew that the government was going to lengthen the period together from two to three years. She had hoped that the three year clause came into being soon, but it had not. Now she saw how much the farm was earning, and with her growing suspicion that Philip was manipulating her, she felt that perhaps it was time to move on.

  But where could she go? She decided to see Charles Smythe. Sally knew that she would have to hide the money from Philip. On Friday, she went to Grantville to bank the cheque in a new bank account, and asked the bank to send no notifications.

  After seeing the bank, she kept her appointment with the lawyer to seek clarification. Mr Smythe was pleased to see her. He had been worried about the depression he had perceived each time she had called with Greg and wondered if her life had improved since moving out.

  "You are a partner in Te Kouka Flats Farm, regardless of whether you are with Greg or Philip. In fact, you are still legally married to Greg at this point in time."

  Mr Smythe paused while he gathered his thoughts. "As a partner, you are entitled to receive half of the income from the farm until such time as the partnership is dissolved. Greg has no intention of changing that. Were you still employed by him, you would also be receiving wages."

  Then he changed his tone from professional to caring: "In fact, last time I spoke with Greg he told me he missed you and has never lost hope that you will come back."

  "Did he really say that he wanted me back?" she asked.

  "Yes, Greg asked me how he could revoke the notice of separation that he had registered," said the lawyer. "It doesn't matter. Currently the law says two years. The government wants to make it three, but that hasn't happened yet. More important is the fact that Mr Zinsli will have an entitlement over your assets should you stay two years with him."

  Sally realised that Mr Smythe was telling her that she did not have to sell her half of the farm to Greg unless he or she dissolved the partnership. Then he would have to buy her out, or the reverse. As a family lawyer, Mr Smythe was looking out for her interests. He realised that she was unhappy in her present situation even though she tried not to show it. Mr Smythe seemed to be pushing for her return to Greg and Lance but she was not ready for that at this point in time, especially returning to Lance. How could you love and loathe someone at the same time?

  However, Mr Smythe was right; it was getting very close to the time when the State would consider Philip and her to be a couple, regardless of there being no marriage. Mr Smythe's words brought the issue into focus. Did Sally want to share everything with Philip? And in return have Philip share everything with her?

  The answer was an emphatic no. With their separation, both she and Greg now understood the pressures that had pulled them apart. The counselling had certainly done that. It seemed from what Mr Hopgood said that both were willing to have another try at making things work for Lance's sake. Neither wanted him in the care of Social Welfare.

  Her time with Philip was running out. The longer she stayed with him, the more she felt that he was using her. He obviously wanted Greg's farm. He was quite open about that. What would happen when he had got what he wanted? Would she disappear as Georgina had? How had she have been so stupid not to see the pattern in Philip's actions.

  "I'll have to leave everything," she thought. "Greg will never have me back after I've been living with Philip. I might be able to use the Family Court to get custody of Lance."

  Sally wasn't sure if she could cope with Lance, but at ten and going to school, he might be a lot easier to manage. If the money from the farm continued, she should be able to rent a small house for the two of them, in town where there were decent facilities. She wrote a note to the Family Court Registrar saying that she now wanted custody of her son.

  8.

  Sally met regularly with Ashleigh, although the men did not know that. They both agreed that to solve disagreements, men used war while women used words.

  Ashleigh was a good friend to Sally, and Sally reciprocated. When Philip was working at the back of the farm, Sally would ask Ashleigh over if she was free. Ashleigh always brought Lance with her. They also met occasionally when Sally went to town. She suspected that Ashleigh rescheduled things that had to be done so she and Sally could spend time doing girl things. For the first time since her marriage to Greg, Sally had regular hair appointments. Whenever Lance was not at school, he went along with Ashleigh to meet his mother. He still could not engage with Sally. On these visits, Lance sat with his eyes rolled up, staring into space. He could sit for hours like that, in a world of his own.

  This time Sally had an appointment with a Counsellor, as part of the Mediation Service provided by the Courts. The two women sat in a coffee shop in Grantville, with Lance sitting in the little children's playpen, even though he was nine years old, pushing a toy bulldozer backwards and forwards. It was a cosy 'girl time', when little secrets could be shared.

  "Sally, you know Greg and I are a couple, don't you?" said Ashleigh. "But it's only for just now. Companionship. Togetherness. We've turned the farm around and that has brought us close together. It is now highly profitable."

  Sally nodded, unsure of where this was leading.

  "I am not a partner in the business. I get wages, and bonuses, and I have my own flocks," Ashleigh continued. "Half of the goat enterprise is mine, plus some South Suffolks and MeatMasters. They are pure gold. We also fatten beef. Oh, and the alpacas give us a good income stream from both fleece and animal sales."

  "I am very pleased for you," said Sally. She genuinely meant it.

  "Sally, I am ready to move on. I want my own farm. Uncle Bryce has found one for me. I can move half of the alpacas and goats, and all of my South Suffolk sheep and MeatMasters to the new farm as soon as Uncle Bryce seals the deal. "

  "Does Greg know this?" asked Sally.

  "No. Tonight," said Ashleigh. "I'll tell him tonight. Mum and Dad are coming to look at my new place. They have put their house up as collateral for a bank loan and want to see what they are putting their money into. I'm meeting them at five o'clock. If Mum and Dad agree to put money into the new farm, I'll be home in time to talk to Greg."

  "Thanks for sharing that with me," said Sally, trying hard to mask her feelings. Greg let down a second time. Poor Greg..

  "I wanted you to know before Greg does," said Ashleigh. "I think you should go back to him. He still loves you. Talks about you all the time. Not very flattering for me!"

  "I'll have to give it some thought," said Sally. "Philip is getting on my nerves. He is pressuring me because the Matrimonial Property Act will allow me to claim half of his farm if I leave him."

  "Actually, that sounds quite reasonable," said Ashleigh. "It's designed to protect women from being thrown out without a dollar to their names. It's going to happen after two years, which must be almost up by now. At the same time, he will get half of your share in Te Kouka Flats if you leave him. So, if you are thinking about leaving Philip, do it now, girl."

  "Oh, Ashleigh!" said Sally. "Philip really worries me. When his wife disappeared she left her money in their joint account and hasn't been seen since. He got over two million. It was in the papers. Her family went to Court over the money, saying Philip had killed their daughter, but they didn't have a leg to stand on. They have had the police investigate but they got nowhere."

  "No sign of her at all?" asked Ashleigh. "That would worry me too. What are the police doing?"

  "They searched the farm, and ours too," said Sally. Ashleigh picked up on Sally's use of 'our'. "Now it's an open investigation, with
the theory that she went off with someone in a car and got killed."

  "And you own a half share in the neighbouring property," said Ashleigh. "Be very careful my friend. His wife's disappearance might be quite innocent but nobody walks away from millions. Greg still loves you. Come back to your home."

  They finished their coffees silently.

  "Well, till next time," said Ashley. "I hope I didn't go too far just then. I'd hate to lose you as a friend."

  With that, they parted. Sally had an appointment with her Mediator while Ashleigh went to buy supplies for the week ahead.

  WHEN A SEPARATION IS registered, couples are asked to participate in mediation so that the Court can be satisfied that every effort has been made to help couples resolve their issues. Philip Zinsli was pleased when Sally told him that her mediator was John Hopgood. Philip Zinsli was a friend of John Hopgood from the days when they played rugby together, at university in Auckland, before they went their separate ways. Philip had used Hopgood to cover his tracks when he got rid of Georgina. Now he was sure he could use their friendship to get rid of the boy.

  John Hopgood had met Greg and Sally separately on several occasions now. Usually, each partner had their own version of events so John was able to counsel them on how to deal with their issues. Then when he had a combined meeting, the issues could be resolved, new issues could emerge, or the partners could make a decision to move on to a new life. With two years of separation almost up, it was time Greg and Sally made their minds up about whether to reconcile or whether to part, and if they parted, what would become of their son, Lance..