Deadly Secrets

by Sarah Barrie

  She saw the twitch of his lips, the quick flick of appreciation in his eyes. ‘That’s quite the rap. I’m flattered.’

  ‘Don’t be. It was an observation, not a compliment.’

  ‘Either way, we need to spend some time together Miss —’

  ‘Ok — first, you can cut that out.’ She hefted her gear into her arms and headed across to the stables. ‘The name’s Jordan. I haven’t been called Miss Windcroft so many times since the inquisition after the accident. Look…Reid.’ She paused to face him. ‘I don’t do house calls — I’m flat out twenty-four seven. Barney just pops up here every now and again for a cuppa to check I’m behaving myself. My probation’s just about up and the system has always worked perfectly. No point changing it now, is there?’ She waited while his gaze slid over her face — she was uncomfortably aware she probably had mud-spatter all over it — and he considered her statement.

  ‘Mr Barrington’s on leave, Jordan. For the record, I do things by the book, and my book says you report to the office.’

  ‘Your “book”?’ she countered, biting back another grin at the flicker of annoyance that came over his features. ‘Your book deals in fairy tales, big guy. Barney always visits me.’ At least, he has since I missed my first two appointments.

  Something tightened in his jaw. ‘That’s not what’s recorded in your file. Have you done your drug and alcohol test?’

  Jordan just pulled a face. ‘Do I look particularly drug or alcohol affected to you?’ Obviously deciding to take her up on that ‘look’, his eyes roamed lazily over her, submitting her to much the same scrutiny she’d just held him under. When his gaze lifted from her very full bottom lip back to her eyes, a touch of colour came into her face and a small smirk touched his mouth. ‘I wouldn’t know. That’s why we have tests.’

  Jordan shifted the weight of the saddle onto her other arm and released a long, quiet breath in an attempt to uncoil some of the knots tightening in her stomach. Reid Tallon was a complication she really didn’t need. And to make things worse, he was obviously from the city. ‘Do you have the faintest idea what’s involved in running a farm?’

  His brow rose at the that. ‘Not a clue. Do you have the faintest idea what’s going to happen if you miss that appointment?’

  From the city, arrogant and immovable. With a dramatic sigh, she smiled sweetly. ‘Fine. I’ll go…tomorrow.’

  ‘Today.’

  With a probable past life as a Nazi dictator. The smile tightened, dropped. ‘Right, well. I’ll write you up a list of what needs to happen here this afternoon and you tell me when I’m likely to fit that in.’

  ‘How does now sound?’

  ‘Like a really, really bad joke.’

  Reid’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ‘If I said I was willing to make an exception, just this once, I’d need an assurance you’d be in my office at ten-thirty sharp tomorrow morning.’

  Jordan thought about that, decided with a bit of juggling it would probably be possible. ‘I can probably be there by ten-thirty.’

  ‘Probably isn’t good enough. You skip on me again, you’ll be arrested. Understand?’

  Jordan hid her surprise quickly and her smile was forced, but she gave herself points for pulling one off anyway. ‘Perfectly.’

  With a quick nod, Reid walked back to his car, turned. ‘You do what you’re told; we can take another look at your arrangement.’

  Do what I’m told? She huffed indignantly. ‘What am I, five? How does “screw you” sit for an arrangement?’

  He paused, his eyes dancing with amused mockery. ‘I thought you turned me down.’

  As he drove away, Jordan closed her mouth and slowly shook her head. She wanted to be pissed off — she should be. But wow.

  Reid strode into the police station, nodded at Martha, sat heavily in his seat and expelled a long breath. Then he laughed. Jordan Windcroft was going to be a handful. A rather spectacular handful, he admitted. Every bit of that body of hers had been taut length and subtle curves, her skin a sun-kissed bronze, her eyes a more intense blue than the photo had done justice to. Somehow the untidy ponytail and Akubra hat had only accentuated her lovely face. Then there was that attitude. He laughed again. And what an attitude.

  He pulled his thoughts up with a start, reminding himself he wasn’t here to admire the woman and that, in all probability, she was a drug dealer. The idea sat uncomfortably with him as he turned on his computer and got to work.

  Harry appeared in the doorway just as he opened his emails. ‘Rough morning?’

  ‘Jordan Windcroft,’ Reid muttered, earning a smirk that bordered on outright amusement.

  ‘Oh?’ Harry’s face was all innocence as he pulled up a chair across from Reid’s.

  ‘Save it, Harry. Why didn’t you warn me?’

  ‘Oh now…warn you about Jordy?’

  ‘She missed her appointment. I don’t know what her relationship is with Neil Barrington, but she said Barney — Barney, for heaven’s sake — occasionally just popped up for coffee, and that I was messing with a perfectly good system.’

  This time Harry did laugh. ‘Well, to be honest, it is a good system…kind of ensures she doesn’t miss her appointments. It’s not unusual to do home visits.’

  ‘I’m not a mind-reader. She’s supposed to come here.’

  Harry scratched his head and almost hid his grin. ‘I’m sure she meant to.’

  Reid’s eyes narrowed. ‘How often has she skipped her D and A testing?’

  ‘She visits the doc when she’s got time.’

  ‘Kind of a casual system you’re running here.’

  Harry didn’t appear the least offended. ‘Jordy’s got a lot on her plate just at the moment, that’s all.’

  Reid got to his feet and went to the filing cabinet, picked out his undercover partner’s folder. ‘I have to head out again or I’ll be late for another appointment.’

  Harry followed Reid out to the reception room where Martha was busy tidying up and watched him drive away. ‘A bit wound up, that boy,’ he commented, as much to himself as his wife.

  ‘He’s from the city, love. Did he bump up against Jordy?’

  ‘Sounds like.’

  Martha nodded, pondered. ‘I thought those two might rub each other the wrong way. Awfully attractive, don’t you think?’

  Harry scratched his head, perplexed. ‘There’s just no right way for me to answer that, Martha.’

  Laughing, she hooked his arm. ‘Come on, I’ll make you a cuppa.’

  Reid opened the door to Brett’s small rented unit fifteen minutes later, and was greeted by a nod of the head and the offer of coffee.

  ‘Thanks — hit it twice.’ He took a seat at the little round kitchen table and watched as, obliging, Brett added an extra spoonful of instant to the mug. ‘How’s country life treating you?’

  Brett sent him a bland stare. ‘Oh, I love it. Really. Just so you know, I want a pay rise. This hay we’re cutting and baling fills every available orifice and itches like a bitch. Only thing worse is the chaff cutter.’ He rolled his shoulders with a grimace. ‘If this takes more than another week I’m claiming my long-service leave.’

  Reid didn’t even attempt to hide his amusement. ‘All this bitching over a bit of hard work?’

  Brett looked from the mug to Reid’s face before dumping it on the table. ‘You’re lucky it’s hot.’

  Reid chuckled at the implied threat and stretched out. ‘Meet any interesting characters while you were enjoying the great outdoors?’

  ‘Depends. By “interesting” do you mean “can speak more than three words running and own more than two teeth”?’

  ‘You’re exaggerating,’ Reid replied. ‘Surely.’

  ‘Only marginally. I’ve let it get around quietly I’m finishing up some probation for dealing and that if anyone knew of any on-the-side jobs to keep me in mind. Don’t know that anyone was overly interested, but we’ll see. How’d you go?’

  ‘I had my first round wi
th Jordan Windcroft.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘I don’t know yet. She fits the profile.’

  Brett nodded slowly, considering. ‘How you gonna play it?’

  ‘Hard ass for now. She’s already suspicious.’ He sent Brett a sideways grin. ‘She called me on it.’

  Brett’s eyebrows rose. ‘Clever girl.’

  Reid’s grin spread. ‘Yeah. She said I was drop-dead gorgeous and probably the world’s next superhero.’

  In the process of taking a cautious sip of his coffee, Brett just about spewed it all over the table. ‘She did not!’

  Reid replied with a one-shoulder shrug. ‘I’m pretty sure a lot of less complimentary things ran through her head too, but that’s just speculation.’

  ‘No surprises there.’ Brett cleared his throat, recovering. ‘Pretty?’

  Reid’s thoughts went back to Jordan’s flushed face, the defiant tilt of her chin, the furious, sparkling blue eyes that held a touch of something wild and untamed that was pure temptation. As was that mouth. Pretty didn’t really seem to cover it. It was a shame she was his lead in the case, or he would have enjoyed…well, he would have enjoyed.

  Don’t forget what she is, he reminded himself, and shrugged at Brett. ‘My head’s on the job, not on a pretty face. She’s a person of interest.’

  Brett laughed. ‘So yes to pretty, and I have to say: of course she is.’

  ‘She’s got more than two teeth and the ability to string together a sentence, if that’s your control group.’ Reid automatically taunted. ‘Might not hurt for you to pal it up with her either.’

  ‘First available opportunity. In fact, I’ll make it a priority. Just… wrap this up quick,’ he pleaded, scratching absently at his neck. ‘I wasn’t kidding about the hay.’

  CHAPTER

  3

  Jordan climbed out of bed just as first light streaked pink and orange against the horizon. There was a full day ahead today — and it was going to be rudely interrupted by a visit with her new probation officer. In a hurry, she pulled on her work clothes and, snatching an apple from the kitchen counter, headed out into the coolness of the morning to get started.

  She almost fell over the pink roses wrapped in pretty gold foil that had been placed on her front doorstep. God, she didn’t need this today. It had been bad enough when she got one bunch each year on the day of the accident. This was the second bunch this month and there were still weeks to go before the anniversary. She considered tossing them in the ute and heading out to Hal’s; introducing them to his colon. He had to be behind it. Who else would it be? But he’d like that. Hal would get a kick out of knowing he’d finally gotten a rise out of her.

  He hadn’t questioned the accident, but he treated Jordan with the contempt she would have expected. She copped that, she understood that. The derisive comments, the in-your-face hatred was tolerable. But this? This gave her chills. It was six in the morning. He’d been here last night while she was sleeping. A card fell at her feet as she swiped them up. This is new… The message was typed on pink paper, anonymous.

  WON’T BE LONG NOW.

  ‘Good on you, you bastard.’ Undoubtedly, he was referring to her losing the farm. He was just dying to buy it out from under her. Without wasting another minute on Hal Carter, she tossed the flowers in the garbage. She had work to do.

  By the time she’d fed and watered all the animals, cleaned the stables and worked a couple of horses, it was nearly ten o’clock. There wouldn’t be time to train the cattle this morning. She wasn’t sure she’d figured out what to make of her new probation officer, but she decided she’d better get her butt down to see him on time if she was going to somehow convince him to cut her some slack.

  After a quick shower, she slipped into one of her few dresses and tidied up her mane of unruly hair. This was not to impress him, she told herself as she climbed into the car – she just needed some confidence. Slightly nervous about the impending meeting, she turned up the radio to lift her mood and started down the driveway.

  Barely half way to her front gate, she stopped the car with a curse. A cow was down. She could see the heaving sides, the straining muscles, the rigidity of its legs. It should have been having a calf. Nothing was happening. After watching for another few minutes, hoping to see some sign of progress, she climbed out in resignation. The universe, she figured, was conspiring against her.

  She leaped over the barbed-wire fence and swore again in frustration as she caught her dress on it, causing the pretty fabric to tear. Her sandals disappeared in the soft, muddy ground as she moved quietly towards the cow, but there was no point worrying about her dress or her sandals — she knew there was much worse in store for them in the next few minutes.

  Murmuring quietly, she approached the cow. ‘Hey, sweetie, what’s going on here?’ The cow simply grunted and dropped her head back down to the ground, her breathing heavy. Jordan moved to the tail end and got a closer look. The calf was just visible. She could see one leg, feel the nose…and after a quick examination, discovered the other front leg was turned.

  With a deep breath and using all her strength, Jordan dug her feet into the slippery ground and pushed at the calf, trying to get it back in far enough to reposition. She slid, sprawling into the bog the cow had created with her thrashing and pacing. Struggling against her dress, which was now filthy, wet and plastered around her legs, she found her feet again, only to have the cow also get up and move away. ‘Oh come on. Give me a break. I’m trying to help you!’

  She waited impatiently, knowing the vibes she was sending out weren’t going to endear her to the distressed animal, but eventually the cow went down again, allowing Jordan to begin the demanding task of manoeuvring the calf into position and pulling it out.

  Her arms hurt, her back ached, but eventually the calf was free. She checked it over and watched for a few minutes to reassure herself that all was well. She would have liked to have moved the pair up closer to the house to keep an eye on them, but there wasn’t time.

  Flicking mud and birth fluids from her hands, she looked down at her appearance. She was a wreck and, damn it, she hadn’t taken her watch off. She wiped it on her arm, and noted that at least it was still working. It told her this little deviation from plan had set her back almost an hour.

  In disgust, she pulled a face. There was no way she could turn up in town in her current state. She’d have to shower, then call Reid Tallon and explain. Looking to the sky, she sighed heavily. She had a feeling she knew exactly how that conversation was going to go.

  Reid wandered down the street in search of the little weatherboard café he’d spotted on his way into the station. The sun was attempting to warm the freezing spring morning in a cloudless blue sky and all was still quiet, his only disturbance a group of eager garden club members complete with badges and sunhats, discussing one of the neat little gardens on the main street.

  He reached his target and, stepping inside the café, he was greeted by a cute little red-and-white, sixties-themed establishment, with scattered tables and chairs, a long, red laminate bench with stools and, somewhat ridiculously, an enormous tropical fish tank on the far wall. Before he had time to ponder the oddity, he noticed the freeze-frame of curious faces turned in his direction.

  With a quick, polite nod, he sat at the closest table by the front window, where a petite forty-something waitress with a mop of curling blonde hair made her way across the room to greet him cheerfully. ‘Sorry about that.’ She smiled warmly. ‘We don’t get a lot of fresh faces around here. You’d be Harry’s new help?’

  Get used to it, he thought wryly, but smiled nicely. ‘Reid Tallon.’

  ‘I’m Mary. Nice to meet you. I own this place. The old guy over there —’ she waved in the direction of the grill to a lanky, aging man in a white apron ‘— that’s old Bert, my cook.’

  Bert gave Reid the once over then nodded in a brief greeting, which Reid returned.

  ‘First meal’s on the house. What can
I get you?’

  ‘I appreciate that, but I’m really just after coffee.’

  Mary shook her head as she poured him a cup. ‘Around here, men eat. You just enjoy your coffee, Mr Tallon, and I’ll be back shortly.’

  Mary scooted away and Reid turned his attention to the window. All was quiet, with the occasional car moving slowly along the main street. A couple of young kids came into view, unhappily being dragged along by a flustered mother. They were clutching paper lolly bags, but from the looks of things, whatever bribery had been at work had failed miserably. A small brown terrier trotted across the road in front of them, clearly intent on avoiding the trio, and a shop assistant three doors down turned a ‘Back in ten minutes’ sign over on the front door of her little boutique. Further away, the garden club were now admiring a Japanese maple tree in a perfectly hedged front yard.

  ‘You look like a man who could go for a Bulldust Brekkie burger.’ Mary drew his attention again as she cheerfully placed the largest burger he had ever seen, sided with not one but two hash browns, in front of him, then stood back to look him over appreciatively. ‘I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you’re going to send some single women in this town into a spin. And some married ones too, I’d say.’

  ‘Well Mary, let’s just see how well you can cook.’ He stared in anxiety at the plate in front of him. It was a monstrous tower of bacon, sausage, eggs, cheese and sauce. ‘Then let me know if you’re attached to anyone with a gun.’

  Her peal of girlish laughter was instantaneous. ‘If I wasn’t so in love with my James you’d be in trouble, that’s for sure. But that’s Burt’s work. He’s single, if you’re interested. Enjoy your meal.’ With a wink, she sauntered off, leaving Reid staring at the indescribable amount of grease on his plate.

  Just shy of ten-thirty, he dragged himself back outside. Hopefully Jordan would be waiting for him at the station and he could get on with what he was here for…before he put himself through too many more meals at the café.

  Jordan wasn’t waiting, so he sat at his desk and attempted to wait patiently. There was no way in hell she would miss another appointment — she couldn’t be that stupid. Stubborn, sure, but even stubborn only went so far before it passed into stupid.