Purple Roads

by Fleur McDonald

  Interesting, he thought. He considered trying again, then decided against it. His nerves were buzzing from Sam’s phone call.

  It was pretty rude of him to be fossicking around in Jimmy’s shed when he knew he shouldn’t have been here in the first place. Matt turned and walked out of the storeroom, but as he did he felt his boots crunch on something and he looked down. There was a trail of dried green leaves.They looked like tea leaves. He stooped down to get a closer look at them and Jasper nosed his way in underneath his armpit for a pat.

  ‘Get out of the way,’ Matt said quietly, still staring at the leaves on the floor. He squeezed one between his fingers then brought his hand to his nose and sniffed.

  His mobile phone rang and he jumped at the shrill tone reverberating around the silent shed.

  ‘Hello?’ he said, still staring at his fingers.

  ‘Matt, it’s Shane, mate. What are you up to?’

  ‘Not much, mate.’

  ‘Good. I’ve got tomorrow off and I need to get out of the house. Kids are driving me nuts! Want to go for a beer?’

  Matt looked around. That was just the thing to keep his mind off what he’d just found.

  ‘I’ve got a run tomorrow, but I can catch up for an hour or so. I’ll meet you at the front gate.’

  ‘See you in thirty.’

  Matt brushed his hands off and watched as Jasper sniffed the ground closely.

  ‘Yeah, I’m a bit curious too, my friend. Anyway, we’ve got plans now. Let’s go.’

  He walked to the stairs, his mind whirling. Finally, curiosity got the better of him. He ran back up to his loft and grabbed a torch and screwdriver, then went back to the storeroom. He looked at the floor and then over at the trapdoor. He grabbed the thick circle of steel and pulled. It didn’t budge. Levering the screwdriver in between the cracks he tried to loosen it. Finally the door cracked open and he found himself staring into a cellar. He flashed the torch around, and gasped at what the beam of light picked up. A motorbike. It looked like an old collector’s piece. He lay on his stomach and stuck his head all the way into the underground room.

  Jasper tried to squeeze in too and barked when Matt pushed him away. The woof thumped into the rammed earth walls and dirt floor and was muffled.

  Matt’s curiosity had just turned to fear because this room looked like it could easily be used as a cell.

  Unbidden, he thought of the scream he had heard in the hills near Spalding and the tail-gating vehicle. Then he shook himself.

  ‘Don’t be bloody ridiculous.’

  He flashed the torch around some more and picked up a dirt ramp that headed towards the surface. At the top of that were two iron doors big enough to get a forklift in and out of – and the room itself was definitely large enough for a forklift or ute to get into. Other than the motorbike the room was empty, but there were pallets leaning against the wall.

  Matt turned his attention back to the bike. He searched for some kind of identifying feature, but he didn’t really need to. He knew whose bike it was. What he didn’t know was what it was doing here.

  The air was like ice when Matt walked out of the shed. He zipped up his thick jacket and shoved his hands in his pockets. Glancing at the night sky, he looked for the stars even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to see them for the glow of the city lights.The hum of traffic in the background was ever present.

  Trying to investigate the thefts had lost all its appeal. None of what he’d seen or heard tonight made any sense. He could see it was all linked together but couldn’t work out how to join the dots. He hadn’t thought about the scream in ages and with the other finds tonight, it had well and truly unsettled him. Agitated, he ran his fingers through his hair and he wondered how he had reached this point. Anna had been right. He should have left it to the police. He was a farmer, not a truckie. A boring old farmer, who wanted to be working outdoors, not confined to a cab – and certainly not tangled up in investigating some sort of organised crime ring. He’d wanted to laugh when Gavin had used those words back in the pub at Spalding. Organised Crime in Spalding? Maybe it wasn’t so crazy.

  It wasn’t his job to solve crimes. If the police had done their job in the first place, none of this would be happening, he thought angrily.

  He stood at the gate waiting for Shane, thinking about what he had seen in the underground room. The warmth of Jasper against his leg was comforting. He had to be mistaken. There was no way Sam’s motorbike could have ended up in that shed – not unless someone he knew had taken it.

  That revelation more than frightened him. No, this couldn’t go on. He couldn’t wait for Dave any longer. He would have to make a phone call to the police. Matt nodded to himself and finally felt his inner turmoil settle. He was sure it was the right thing to do.

  A bitter wind lifted his hair at the back of his collar and as he turned it up against the cold he heard something behind him. He looked searchingly out into the dull night. He was on edge, but it probably wasn’t that surprising, considering what he’d just seen.

  Matt bent down to pat his friend and felt Jasper tense, looking keenly to the left, his ears cocked. Then a low, angry growl sounded.

  ‘What’s up?’ he asked, quickly standing up and looking around again. ‘It’s all right. It’s only you and me here. You’re probably feeling a bit nervous too. I certainly am. I can’t believe we’ve got mixed up in some sort of . . . Jasper!’ Matt screamed as pain burst through his legs, and he fell to the ground clutching at his calf.

  Simultaneously Jasper let out a ferocious snarl then lunged at an outline in the darkness. Matt heard a thump, a yelp and then silence. He tried to scramble to his feet, but his knees gave way.‘Jasper? Jasper?’ Matt’s voice broke. ‘Who the fuck are you?’ he yelled into the night.‘What do you want?’

  Silence.

  Matt swung his head from side to side, trying to see. He reached out his hands, feeling for Jasper, but he didn’t connect with the warm body. ‘What do you want?’ he asked again, quieter this time.

  Slowly, Matt stood up, keeping his weight on his good leg. He wobbled for a moment then tried to take a step when an arm snaked around his throat and held him in a chokehold. Matt’s hand flew to his attacker’s arms, trying frantically to break the grip, but the hold couldn’t be loosened.

  From the darkness there was another snarl – Jasper – but his attacker kicked out and, at the same time, threw Matt to the ground and kicked him in the stomach. Groaning, he rolled himself into a ball, trying to shield himself from any further blows.

  There was a flurry of movement then a cry of pain from the attacker and a heavy thump of a body falling to the ground. Matt tried to look up, thinking Jasper must have hurt the man, but he could make out Jasper lying still next to him.

  The last thing he remembered was a light shining in his face and a tattooed arm reaching down to pick up the steel bar that had fallen next to the dog. ‘Anna was right,’ he thought. ‘It is dangerous. Anna! Ella!’

  Matt felt his head explode with pain and then there was nothing.

  Chapter 40

  Anna sat on the swing, her feet touching the ground and her head thrown back. The stars were minute twinkles in the sky but she kept staring at them, trying to make them bigger.

  It was the first time in ages she’d been out to look at the sky, to see the stars and feel the night air, but tonight she’d been forced outside. The house too small, Ella too clingy and, a week later, Kate’s words kept repeating in her mind.

  I’ve changed my mind because of the facts.

  What facts could she have been talking about?

  Even so, why? And why, after so much time had passed, were they deciding to back Matt?

  She let out a frustrated groan and got up from the swing. The lawn was wet with dew as she walked to the front yard and looked across the empty street.

  Nothing ever happened on a Monday or Tuesday night in town. On Wednesday she would see the lights from the bowling green and hear the laugh
ter from older generations while they played bowls. Thursdays she’d hear the shouts and short, sharp blasts of the whistle as the boys from the district did their footy training, but tonight, being a Tuesday, things were well and truly dead.

  She looked up at the stars once again, wondering if they could tell her what had happened to change Sam and Kate’s minds. Maybe she should ask Kate.

  But she didn’t want to. She was still too bewildered by their change of heart, still feeling so betrayed by those who had promised to support her no matter what. Was she the only sensible one, the only one who could see the search was futile? She imagined Sam and Matt driving aimlessly around the countryside stopping random vehicles, trying to solve a mystery the police couldn’t solve.

  But they hadn’t tried, Anna suddenly remembered. The cops hadn’t ever tried to solve the mystery. The truth of the statement took her by surprise – she hadn’t ever thought about it like that before. It hadn’t been solved because they didn’t have all the information that Matt had, because he was watching and waiting for whoever was doing it to slip up. She shook her head and walked inside. ‘Oh no! Be careful, Anna,’ she told herself.

  She had a shower, letting the water wash over her, trying to forget her thoughts, then turned off all the lights and climbed into her cold bed.

  It had been a long and lonely week without Kate’s cheery morning phone calls. She would just have to swallow her pride and ring Kate in the morning. Yes, that’s what she’d do.

  ‘Oops, Mummy,’ Ella said as she smeared her spilled orange juice across the table with her bare hands.

  ‘Ella, don’t do that . . . Oh, look at the mess you’ve made. It’s yucky.’ Tired from a night spent tossing and turning, Anna sounded crankier than she had meant to and sighed as Ella’s bottom lip dropped.

  ‘Mummy’s angry.’

  ‘A little bit, yes,’ she responded as she reached for the sponge to wipe up the juice. Then she stopped and smiled, leaning over to drop a kiss on Ella’s head.‘I’m sorry, Miss Ella. Mummy is just a bit weary. Sorry to be grouchy.’

  She lifted Ella down from the table and wiped her hands with the sponge. ‘Can you go and play out in the sandpit? I want to ring Kate and see if we can visit her today.’

  ‘Yes! Let’s go farm,’ Ella said, clapping her hands.

  ‘Come on, I’ll take you out.’

  She settled Ella in the sandpit then came back inside to pour herself another coffee and ring Kate. Her friend would be getting her lambs in to take to the abattoirs today so she should really ring before she started the day’s work. Maybe she could offer to help mark another mob of lambs.

  Reaching for the milk, she groaned as she realised the carton was empty. She glanced out of the window to check that Ella was safe then towards the other direction to see if Maggie’s shop was open. It was, so she quickly ran across the road.

  She pushed open the door and was welcomed by the smell of pastry and wood fire.

  ‘Hello, Maggie,’ she called, walking quickly to the fridge.

  ‘Good mornin’, lassie,’ Maggie replied from the back room.

  ‘Just got a litre of milk, money’s on the counter.’

  Maggie popped her head out of the door, her hands covered with flour. ‘Thanks, pet. Doing anything today?’

  ‘Hopefully going to catch up with Kate.’

  ‘Lovely. Ah, here’s my freight truck,’ she said as they heard the noise of a diesel engine. ‘I’d best clean up.’ Maggie disappeared into the back room and Anna, her hand on the door knob, looked out.

  She drew a sharp breath.‘Oh,’ she said and backed away. ‘I’m just going out your back door, Maggie.’

  ‘Who’s at the front?’

  ‘Alec Harper. And he’s talking to one of the blokes who drives with Matt.’

  As she watched she saw Alec’s face darken and his fists clench. Shane mustn’t have the freight he needed. It would be just like him to get angry at something out of his control. She watched as Shane went to the cab of the truck and took out a small package in a brown box and handed it to Alec.

  Instantly his face cleared. Shane slapped him on the back, jumped up into the truck and started to move off, while Alec made for Maggie’s door.

  Anna quickly slipped out the back so she didn’t have to talk to him but as she rounded the corner she came face to face with Shane, who had driven the truck to the rear of the shop and was just getting out again.

  She knew she couldn’t walk past without him seeing her, so she smiled, said hello and kept walking.

  ‘Anna, good to see you. How are you?’

  Reluctantly she stopped. ‘Fine, Shane, just fine.

  And you?’

  ‘Yeah, really well. Belinda said she saw you last week at the producers’ market.’

  ‘Yeah, I was surprised to see her.’

  ‘Probably not as much as you surprised her. But she was pleased to see you. How’s Ella?’

  ‘Great, just as she always is. But I’m going to have to run, Shane. She’s home by herself. I just popped over to get some milk. I’m hoping to catch Belinda next time I’m in Adelaide. It would be great to have a coffee with her and see the boys.’

  ‘She would love that. I’d better keep moving myself. Take care, Anna.’ He turned back to shut the door of the truck and stumbled on one of his shoelaces.

  There was a tinkle as he walked away and Anna saw the flash of a silver chain hit the ground.

  ‘Oh, Shane, your chain just fell off.’ She leaned forward to pick it up and looked at it. The pendant was the same symbol that was engraved on Belinda’s bracelet: two letters entwined. She held it out to him.

  ‘Bugger,’ he said, looking at it. ‘Ah, the catch is broken.’ He tucked it into his pocket. ‘Thanks, Anna.’

  With a quick wave, Anna hurried back to the house.

  After checking on Ella, she poured herself a coffee and picked up the phone.

  After a few rings, Kate answered.

  ‘Hi, it’s me, ’Anna said.

  ‘Ah, I was wondering when I was going to hear from you. Have you got over yourself?’ Kate asked gently. ‘Look, Anna, I know it’s hard for you to understand, but we feel we need to do it.’

  ‘You’re right, I don’t understand it – but maybe if I came over for a cuppa you could explain it?’

  ‘I’d be happy to. It’s silly to fall out over something like this when we’ve been friends for so long.’

  ‘I’ll be there in an hour,’ Anna promised.

  Ella ran to Kate, her arms outstretched, the pink hood of her windbreaker bouncing behind her.

  ‘Helloooo, Miss Ella,’ Kate called and gave her a hug. Anna reached for her friend and hugged her too; Kate planted a kiss on her cheek.

  After settling Ella in the garden, the two women took their coffees out to the verandah and sat down.

  ‘So it’s like this,’ Kate said.‘Matt has been keeping notes on all the thefts he’s heard about – dates, locations, what was taken.’

  Anna nodded. ‘Yeah, I’ve seen his notebook.’

  ‘Sam had started making a list too after we talked to my cousin Dave about the robberies. Then Matt came for tea one night and we compared notes. Matt had been really methodical about it. In fact, I’m sure he could get a job as a detective if he never does farming again!’

  Anna grimaced.

  ‘So here’s the thing,’ Kate continued. ‘They decided to chat to the other farmers who’ve had things stolen. I spoke to Dave about it last week and he reckons we might be on to something. He said he was going to take it further, so now we’re just waiting to hear back from him.

  ‘But I think the best bit of evidence we’ve had that we’re upsetting someone is inside. Come and have a listen.’

  Anna checked on Ella quickly then followed Kate inside.

  ‘It was left on our machine two nights ago.’ Kate pushed the play button on the answering machine.

  There was a scratchy noise and a squeal of feedback, then a dis
torted voice said, ‘I know you’re asking questions. Stop it now. Or someone will get hurt.’The message ended.

  Anna looked at Kate in horror then back to the machine. ‘Play it again,’ she said.

  Kate hit the button and they both listened carefully, Anna with tingles running down her spine.

  ‘Bloody hell,’ she said as the message ended. ‘Matt was right. Oh hell, he was right.’

  Chapter 41

  Dave was sitting at his desk reading an information report from the Merredin police. Five lots of twenty prime lamb had been reported missing in the past three weeks. It was hardly surprising. Lamb prices were sky high and there was always someone willing to make a quick buck at someone else’s expense. What was astounding was that it wasn’t happening in more areas across the state.

  His phone rang and, absent-mindedly, he picked it up.‘Dave Burrows.’

  ‘Dave, it’s Geoff.’

  He put down his report.‘How are you, mate? Got anything for me?’

  ‘What I want to know is what have you put me on to?’

  Surprised at the question, Dave felt a sudden zing of adrenalin course through him. He had been sure there was something to the information he’d been given.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I had a phone call from the drug squad blokes today.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Yeah. Apparently when I went looking for a black sports car in the Spalding region I tripped a flag.’

  ‘Did you really? Hmm, that’s pretty interesting.’ Dave leaned back in his chair, feigning casual, when really his body was humming with excitement.

  ‘Yeah, they wanted to know why I was looking for it and did I have any information on it. I said I didn’t really know what they were looking into, but I was investigating reports of thefts from farms with a common pattern.’

  ‘You found something?’ Dave asked.

  ‘Yeah. I’ve put an information package together and I think your source was right. The problem was that all the Information Reports were made at different police stations. There were two IRs made to the Clare station, but they were twelve months apart and the officer who first took the information had been transferred by the time the second report was made. It’s the government and their cutbacks which have hampered this too – the way they keep shifting blokes around.’