by Sarah Barrie
Bitch.
‘No, not a bitch, an angel.’ He’d managed to salvage a few of the precious blooms, had torn the kitchen apart until he’d found a vase.
Kill the bitch.
‘No, no killing. She loves me.’
She thinks you’re pathetic.
‘She’s so beautiful. So sad. So alone. I’ll fix that. Fix…yes, need a fix. Now.’
Reverently, he replaced her hairbrush into the plastic bag with her t-shirt, toothbrush and photographs, and reburied them gently, replacing the rocks that hid their location.
Parts of her — parts of Jordan. His angel.
Jordan called Joel first thing. ‘It was probably just a stupid possum or feral cat or something. Nothing’s been taken that I can see and there’s food scattered everywhere. I was thinking of calling Harry but I thought…I didn’t know whether you might have heard if anyone in town might have had any trouble?’
‘No Jordy, haven’t heard — though it’s still early. I’ll come out now, take a look.’
‘No need. I’m probably being paranoid. It’s just a pain-in-the-butt mess really.’
‘All the same. I’ll see you soon.’
Jordan hung up and, heading outside, pulled on her boots. From down at the stables, Michael gave her a wave. She waved back — she’d forgotten she’d told him he could come today. He just kept turning up. Each afternoon he got a ride to her gate with a classmate from school, then Merv picked him up an hour or two after that. Then yesterday he’d asked if he could come out this morning so he’d have more time to ride her mare.
She didn’t have an objection. He worked fast and he worked hard. And the work he was doing gave her more time to do what she needed to do with the cattle. She just wished she could afford to pay him something; she was feeling a little guilty about it.
‘Hi Mike, what are you doing?’
‘Just mixing feeds. I was hoping you’d let me work the gelding.’
‘You know, we can’t keep calling him “the gelding” forever. Any ideas?’
Michael looked a bit sheepish. ‘I’ve kind of been calling him Buster.’
‘Buster it is. Go get him, I’ll feed the others, then we’ll play with him for a while.’
Jordan smiled as she gave instructions, as boy and horse learned together. ‘Okay, so just sit quietly, relax, that’s it. Give him a pat. Good. Now walk on.’ Jordan watched closely as the pair moved steadily around the yard. Of course she had a slight concern about putting Michael on Buster’s back first, but she was as sure as she could be that the horse was ready, and she had been positive it would mean a great deal to Michael. The look on his face said it all.
Under instruction, he used his voice and his body language to turn the gelding, send him back in the opposite direction. Good, she thought with satisfaction.
They were trotting steadily in circles when she heard the cars approaching. Joel, she realised, closely followed by Harry and… seriously? Reid.
‘Ok, let’s slow him down. Good. Now pull up. Great. Off you get. Give him another pat, yeah; he’s been a good boy.’
‘That was awesome! Thanks Jordy.’ Michael was buzzing and grinning from ear to ear.
‘You did good too. We’ll have another ride tomorrow.’
‘Cool. I’ll hose him down and put him away.’
‘Thanks mate.’
Michael glowed at that, and not for the first time Jordan felt a stab of sympathy for him. Losing his mother, being an only child and having a grieving father who was working more than he was home couldn’t be easy for a teenage boy. She’d been a few years older when she’d lost her parents. It had devastated her.
Shaking off the memory, she wandered towards the men waiting nearby and felt the immediate tingle as her eyes met Reid’s. ‘Hi, Joel. I don’t really think reinforcements are necessary.’
‘Reid and I ran into Joel in town, thought we’d take a look,’ Harry offered in explanation. ‘You know, Jordy, most people call the cops when they’re worried they’ve had a break-in.’
‘You gonna arrest the wildlife? I’ve got a hole in my screen and I left the pantry open. It’s happened before.’
‘But just in case, let’s take a look.’ Jordan caught the edge of concern in Reid’s voice; wondered at it. ‘There’s not much to see really. I’ve already cleared some of it.’
‘Hey Jordy, can I give Buster some hay?’ Michael called out.
‘Sure!’
Harry frowned. ‘That’s Merv’s boy.’
‘Mike, yeah. He’s helping me out. I’m teaching him a few things.’
‘Guess that explains why I haven’t had to give him a lecture in the last week or two.’
‘He’s a nice kid.’
‘Not saying otherwise. I always got the impression he just needed something to do.’
The men moved past her into the kitchen just as she heard the phone ring. ‘Excuse me a minute.’
‘Did quite the job on the place,’ Reid commented as she left the room. ‘Has she got any enemies? Could anyone be looking for anything in particular?’
Harry shook his head. ‘Jordy? No. What would anyone be looking for?’
‘She told me she had a drug lab in her feed shed.’
Joel grinned. ‘I’ll just bet she did — after you arrested her, right?’
Jordan appeared back in the doorway. ‘Carol’s looking for you. She’s still on the line,’ she informed Joel, who nodded and went into the lounge room. ‘Well?’ she directed at Harry.
‘Looks like you’ve got your work cut out with this mess.’
‘Hmmm, maybe I’ll just run a bulldozer through it.’
‘Probably the quickest option.’ He gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. ‘Want me to call Martha? She’d be more than happy to give you a hand.’
‘No thanks, I’ve got it.’
‘This wasn’t an animal.’ Reid looked around again. ‘Someone’s been in here.’
Jordan shifted on the spot, frowned. ‘It doesn’t make sense.’
Reid moved across the room and checked the door. ‘How’d they get in?’
‘I never lock the place. I don’t get a lot of unexpected visitors and there’s not much worth taking.’
‘No one tends to use locks around here,’ Harry backed her up. ‘A break-in’s a pretty rare occurrence in Whitewater Creek.’
His gaze moved to Jordan. ‘Yet you threw yourself in the doorway with a loaded weapon the day I arrived?’
‘Yeah well…like I said: I don’t get a lot of unexpected visitors.’
‘I might take a quick look outside,’ Harry decided.
Reid’s gaze fell on the buffet cupboard. Even though everything else on it had been swiped off and trashed, a delicate vase sat perfectly untouched.
‘Nice flowers.’
Flowers? Jordan’s eyes froze on his face before she turned quickly and noticed the bunch of roses in the vase. She hadn’t even seen them! They were the flowers she’d thrown out. Oh, God. She dropped down into a chair, her legs turning to jelly. Hal? Would Hal have seriously done this? He hadn’t been at the club. Her gaze moved back to Reid, her features pale.
He met her gaze levelly and held it. ‘Who was it, Jordan?’
‘What?’
‘You just figured it out. Who was it?’
‘No,’ she replied too quickly. ‘I mean…I don’t know.’ Maybe she should mention it. This was going too far.
He crossed the space between them. ‘Tell me. Let me help.’
Under the spell of that quiet tone and warm gaze she almost did tell him. She wanted to. Almost convinced herself he could help. He’d said he could get Hal off her back…Then Joel reappeared and she physically jolted. Guilt washed over her. If she said anything, he’d flip. He’d front Hal, say something stupid. It would all be for nothing. She wouldn’t let him end up in prison because she lost her nerve at this stage.
‘Small emergency. I’ve got to get back to the shop, love, but I’ll come over l
ater and see how you’re getting on.’
‘Thanks Joel.’ She gave him a grateful hug and walked him to the door. When she turned, Reid was still watching, waiting.
‘Tell me.’
‘I can’t.’
His face hardened. ‘Can’t or won’t?’ When she said nothing, he closed the distance between them in three strides. ‘Don’t bother lying to me, because I’ll know. Is it drug related?’
‘What?’ she hesitated just briefly, because she supposed that technically it was, but…‘No!’
He took her by the arms, his fingers uncomfortably tight while his face was close enough for her to see the little flecks of gold in his dark eyes. ‘I said I’d know. Who are you protecting?’
‘Why are you doing this?’
‘Because you can’t muck around with those sorts of people, Jordan. When they don’t get what they want —’
‘I’m not doing drugs!’
Harry entered the room and looked at the pair with interest. ‘Wow, you two have really hit it off, haven’t you?’ He picked his way through the mess to recover his hat. ‘Haven’t seen so many sparks fly since New Year’s fireworks.’ Both pairs of eyes turned on him and the looks they sent him had him holding up his hands in defence. ‘Just an innocent observation. Cut the air with a knife in here. Ready, Reid?’
‘Yeah.’ While Harry headed for the car, Reid gave Jordan one last long look. ‘Whatever this is, be careful.’
Harry pulled out onto the road from Jordan’s drive and caught a glance of Reid brooding out the window. ‘You don’t really think Jordy’s got anything to do with your drug investigation, do you?’ The tone in his voice betrayed just how ridiculous he thought that was.
‘Jordan has a history of drug possession and not a lot of respect for authority,’ he reminded himself as much as Harry.
Harry laughed. ‘Look somewhere else.’
‘I don’t understand how you could discount her so quickly after what she did — and what she had on her when she did.’
‘I told you: not everything’s black and white.’
‘Yeah — I’ve been thinking about that. I wouldn’t mind an explanation.’
‘The drugs weren’t hers.’
‘So she says or so you know?’
Harry seemed to consider his words for some time before answering. ‘You’ve done a lot of these sorts of investigations, haven’t you Reid?’
‘A lot. Your point?’
‘Sometimes good people get caught in bad situations.’
‘It happens. And I’d like to believe Jordan’s clean. So Harry, if you know something…’
‘I know there was a fair and thorough investigation into the accident and I know Jordan’s paid for it. Is she a drug dealer? Absolutely not. You can take my word or not, but you’re wasting your time.’
‘Is she seeing anyone that you know of?’
‘Romantically? I don’t think so. Why?’
‘She had a vase of roses on the mantelpiece. Just about went sheet-white when I mentioned them.’
‘Can’t help you there.’
‘Then I’m going to say she might not be a drug dealer, but something’s going on.’
CHAPTER
8
It might have been the weekend, but for Jordan it was just two more work days. The rest of Saturday flew by too quickly and after dealing with what she considered way more cattle than any one person should ever have to manage, she fell into bed in an exhausted heap. Sunday was simply a rerun of Saturday, with the added benefit of a suspected broken toe she received from a stomping steer. By late afternoon when she hobbled back into the cattle shed to untie the show stock, she was on the brink of a serious pity-fest.
Exhausted and overwhelmed with what still had to be done, Jordan sat on the floor and put her head in her hands. Nearby, the six heifers she’d tugged, prodded and begged into being tied up for training turned from her disinterestedly to chew on their hay. How the hell was she supposed to have twenty cattle prepared in time for the sale? If she had six pairs of hands and months, instead of weeks, she’d have a chance. She was kidding herself that she could do this. She’d kill herself trying, then the bank would stroll in and —
Madi and Matt appeared in the doorway and Madi’s eyes narrowed. ‘What the heck are you doing?’
She grinned self-piteously. ‘Having a moment.’
‘Problems with the methane machines?’ Matt offered a hand and pulled her to her feet.
‘Something like that. What are you guys doing here?’
‘We kind of arranged to pick you up on our way into town because you had a certain bander on order,’ Madi reminded her.
Jordan swore and nodded. ‘Yes. Completely forgot. And if I don’t get those castrations done I’ll be in trouble in the not-too-distant future. What’s one more job?’ She got to her feet wearily. ‘Help me drag this lot out?’ She indicated to the heifers.
‘They look great,’ Matt observed, untying the first in line. ‘I love this one.’ He pointed to a smaller, but very nicely put together heifer next to his charge.
‘Yeah she’s good. Let’s just hope that if I manage to get her and her friends to the sale, they behave themselves. They’re pretty rough at present.’
‘It’ll happen.’
They were just outside of town when the subject of the break-in came up.
‘So why didn’t you tell me?’ Madi wanted to know. ‘I had to hear off mum who heard off Martha that you’d had a break-in.’
‘Reid decided it was a break-in. I’m not convinced. It was mostly just the pantry that was attacked.’ She didn’t mention the flowers. Wasn’t going there. She intended on dealing with Hal herself just as soon as her probation was over — unless she could catch him red-handed in the meantime. And she had a plan of attack for that.
‘Hey, speaking of the hottie…’ Madi said as Matt pulled up outside the hardware.
‘The hottie?’ Matt and Jordan repeated in unison.
‘Lillian renamed him.’ Madi shrugged. ‘It’s catchy.’
‘Uh-huh.’ Matt narrowed his eyes.
Madi grinned wickedly. ‘Look.’
Across the road, the club’s owner, John Sedgeway, was beside himself, and he had Reid and Harry bailed up as he gestured madly to the alleyway behind the building. They watched as Harry exchanged glances with Reid, who gave a nod, and they went around the back.
Matt climbed out of the ute. ‘Let’s go take a look.’
Madi sent Jordan an enquiring glance.
‘Oh…right-oh.’
They found the three men at the back door, eyeballing a particularly filthy-looking dog the size of a small horse, surrounded by a mess of torn-up grocery bags and spilled food. Cornered, it had its head down, teeth bared.
‘Oh, the poor thing.’ The words slipped out of Jordan’s mouth, even as she grinned at the chaos it had obviously caused. The dog was enormous, almost completely black with a hint of gold around its eyes and muzzle. Its coat was matted into one thick carpet with the occasional dreadlock sticking out. Despite the heavy coat, it was obvious the animal was starving.
‘That “poor thing” has eaten its way through a couple of hundred dollars’ worth of supplies!’ John reluctantly took his eyes off it just long enough to look at the newcomers.
‘Looks like it needs ’em,’ Madi mumbled.
‘And now it won’t let me get through my own kitchen door. I tell you, it lunged at me and tried to take my arm off! Shoot it, Harry! It’s a filthy, vicious stray!’
Harry looked reluctant.
‘Isn’t there a ranger we can call?’ Reid asked hopefully. He’d just wanted a quiet drink, not to be dragged into this.
‘That would fall under Harry’s control.’ Matt sent Harry a wicked grin. ‘Go get him, Sergeant!’
As if in understanding, the dog growled deep and low. ‘Oh, now…’ Harry muttered, ‘Reid?’
‘Me?’
‘The big, bad probation officer’s scared of a l
ittle puppy dog,’ Jordan commented casually to Madi.
Reid sent her an unappreciative look. ‘Maybe I’m still recovering from a run in with someone’s crazed goose.’
Jordan couldn’t help the smirk. ‘She was minding eggs. It made her temperamental.’
‘Seems this place is just full of temperamental females.’
When she pulled a face he turned his attention back to the dog and reached out and took Harry’s gun. ‘Go around the front.’
Jordan dragged her eyes — and her mind — from how comfortable Reid looked with the .22 and took one last look at the obviously terrified and starving animal with sympathy. It chose that moment to turn its large brown eyes on her and the impact of that pitiful stare ate at her as Reid lifted the gun.
‘Wait,’ she groaned. ‘It’s not the damn dog’s fault you lot have domestic animal issues. Besides, they say dogs can tell, don’t they?’
Reid’s shoulders dropped in frustration. ‘Jordan, I’m not looking forward to doing this, so if you don’t mind?’
‘Just…back off him a bit. Don’t shoot.’
Matt grinned. ‘I’ll just go get you a rope, shall I?’
Madi shook her head firmly. ‘Matthew, don’t you move. Jordy, let this one go. This is a really bad time to risk getting injured. Matt, think about it for a second and back me up here.’
‘And risk the wrath of Jordan?’ he only half-joked, and with an apologetic glance, headed back to the car.
‘Madi, don’t be silly.’ Jordan’s no-nonsense tone told them she wasn’t backing down.
‘Silly? Silly is thinking that when you get your limbs ripped off and can’t go to the sale, the dog will bail you out with the bank.’
‘Oh, shush,’ she scolded, pretending she didn’t see the great amount of sense in what Madi was saying. Matt reappeared with a length of rope from his ute, which she took from him before turning her attention to Reid. ‘I don’t think you’re improving the dog’s mood by pointing a gun at it.’