Back to the Pilliga

by Tony Parsons

  ‘I’m going to sell out my share of Kamilaroi and buy a property somewhere else. We’ll draft the sheep and cattle three ways and I’ll have more than enough to stock a decent property. Finding that property will be my major priority,’ I said.

  ‘Half your luck,’ she said, looking at me for a while before opening the car door. ‘Take care, Lachie,’ she said, and kissed me on the cheek.

  ‘You too, Gaye,’ I said.

  ‘I’d certainly like to know where you find that property,’ she said, pulling a slip of paper from her bag and writing on it. ‘That’s my mobile number if you’d care to let me know.’

  I stood and watched her car pull away feeling a real sense of sadness. Heaven had just turned the corner and I’d allowed it to happen.

  CHAPTER 21

  Next morning when I sat down for breakfast, Flora took up from where she’d left off the previous morning.

  ‘You could have let on that you liked her,’ she said out of the blue.

  ‘Liked who?’ I asked.

  ‘Don’t be obtuse, Lachie. Gaye Walker, of course,’ she said.

  ‘Who wouldn’t like her? Gaye is a great person. Look at how the kids took to her straight off,’ I said.

  ‘Gaye is interested in you, Lachie,’ said Flora.

  ‘Drop it Flora,’ I said tersely. ‘I’m going up to the hospital to look in on Caroline Clemenger, after which I’m going to call and pay my respects to Senior Sergeant Morris, after which I’m going to head out to Mum’s.’

  ‘It’d be good if you told Mum you’re thinking of marrying again and moving back to the bush somewhere. It would really cheer her up. She’d love more grandchildren and it would get her out of that big old house now and again,’ Flora said.

  I pointed out that thinking of marrying again and actually having someone to marry were two quite different things but I supposed it wouldn’t do any harm to tell her I was hoping to meet someone special. I left it at that because it was very difficult to win an argument with Flora, who would have made a good police prosecutor. Instead I set off for the hospital.

  ‘Caroline’s been asking if you were coming,’ the charge sister said after I arrived and introduced myself. ‘Come along,’ she added, heading down the corridor.

  Caroline looked much better, though she was still prone to being teary. ‘I didn’t get a chance to thank you properly yesterday. It was all so hectic and I just felt in a daze. Gaye was lovely. She said it was you who worked out who was holding me and where I might be. I’ll never be able to thank you enough,’ she said.

  ‘You did very well to hold out there for as long as you did. It was extremely courageous of you,’ I said.

  ‘Gaye said you completely hoodwinked Brewster and Reid by pretending to be a wildlife photographer,’ said Caroline.

  ‘I didn’t really have to pretend much because wildlife photography is my hobby,’ I said. ‘And you can thank your mother for being so persistent. If it hadn’t been for her and her efforts you might never have been found. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a woman as relieved and as happy as when I rang to tell her we’d rescued you. I’m a big fan of your mother,’ I said.

  ‘She’s great, isn’t she? But I still don’t know how you managed to locate me,’ said Caroline.

  ‘A little bit of information, some following up of hunches and a lot of luck,’ I said.

  ‘I don’t think any luck was involved. You managed what nobody else was able to do,’ she said.

  ‘The police deserve a lot of credit. They bent the rules to back me from go to whoa. Your mother talking to the Police Commissioner helped but they didn’t have to back me up and they did. It was all pretty irregular and it was lucky I’d worked as a policeman and helped them after I left the force, otherwise they wouldn’t have considered doing all they did for me – even with your mum’s influence.

  It was inspired of you to come up with the amnesia act. Not many young women could have pulled that off. Was it a snap decision?’ I asked.

  ‘Actually, it was,’ she said, smiling.

  ‘It may have saved your life. But I’ll talk to you more when you’re back in Sydney because you’ve had enough stress for now. What matters is that you’re safe. Brewster, Reid and the Challis bunch are in custody and I reckon they’ll be locked up for a long time,’ I said.

  ‘Thank you again for all that you did,’ she said, putting her hand on my arm as I got up to leave. ‘Would you allow me to take you to dinner when I’ve recuperated in Sydney for a while?’

  ‘Sure,’ I said with a smile.

  ‘I’ll want to know just how you found me,’ she said.

  There was a knock on the door before I could say anything more and we both looked up to see Mrs Kendall, who ran over to the bed and took Caroline in her arms. They hugged each other for several minutes and there were tears on both of their faces, making it a very touching reunion and one that I’ve never been able to forget. I pushed a chair up for Mrs K as she got off the bed.

  ‘I would have been here earlier except that I went to see Senior Sergeant Morris to thank him for his help,’ Mrs Kendall told me and Caroline.

  It was a mark of the class of the woman that she’d gone to see Morris before she even came to the hospital to see her daughter. She was some woman.

  ‘You must have had a very early start, Mrs Kendall,’ I said.

  ‘I wanted to get here before the media pack arrives. Senior Sergeant Morris was full of praise for you, Mr Sinclair. He outlined how you managed Caroline’s rescue. You and that young policewoman. You’re a remarkable man, Mr Sinclair,’ she said.

  ‘Thank you, Mrs Kendall. I’ve just finished telling Caroline what a great mother you are. It was your persistence and determination to appeal to the top echelons of the police force that made the difference. Now you’ll want to talk to Caroline by herself and I need to go and see my poor neglected mother before I head back to Sydney,’ I said.

  ‘When I get back to Sydney I’ll be calling you,’ said Mrs Kendall. ‘We have some business to conclude. I hope the vehicle was satisfactory.’

  ‘It went like a bird,’ I said.

  ‘Then it’s all yours,’ she said before putting her arms around me and kissing my cheek. ‘Thank you again. From the moment I met you I felt as if a great weight had been lifted from me.’

  ‘No worries. Good luck with the media and keep my name out of it if you can. Give all the credit to the police here and in Sydney and to Gaye,’ I said before turning to leave. Restoring Caroline to her mother was probably the most satisfying bit of detective work I’d ever done.

  My next call was to Coonabarabran Police Station to say goodbye to Morris. ‘Everything tied up?’ I asked after I’d been ushered into his office.

  ‘There are still a few loose ends but it’s a very good outcome, Lachie. We’re yet to take a full statement from Miss Clemenger but we’ll leave that until later today. We found two big stashes of money at the Brewster place and a smaller amount at the Challis place. There could well be more and we’re still looking. Mind you, Brewster could have hidden money where we’ll never find it. Brewster and Reid deny they were involved in either bank robbery and claim that all the money we found came from their punting. Miss Clemenger’s evidence will be sure to blow that claim away. We haven’t let on that she was shamming loss of memory so they’re not aware that we can definitely tie them to the first bank job. We’ll hit them with that when we oppose bail,’ said Morris.

  ‘Did you do anything about the creek paddock?’ I asked.

  ‘Constable Walker is out there with one of my blokes and a fellow from the Stock Squad,’ said Morris.

  ‘Excellent. I’ll be interested to know if you find any stolen cattle,’ I said.

  ‘I’ll let you know,’ said Morris. ‘How was Miss Clemenger this morning?’

  ‘She looks one hundred per cent better than yesterday. She’d had her first hot bath in some weeks and her mother has brought up clothes and makeup for her. She wants to t
ake me to dinner when she’s feeling better. How about that?’ I asked.

  ‘I’d take her up on that offer, and go for oysters and lobster that night,’ said Morris, laughing.

  ‘I might just do that. Do you need me any longer?’ I asked.

  ‘No, feel free to leave whenever you want to. You can write a report and give it to Ballinger when you get back to Sydney and he can send me a copy,’ he said.

  ‘Okay. I’m going out to spend a night at my mother’s in case you need me,’ I said. ‘Thanks again for your help. I realised from the outset that I was placing you in a difficult position but the results have justified the means, thank God,’ I said.

  ‘We came out of it extremely well and head office couldn’t be more pleased, Lachie,’ said Morris.

  I could understand that. The police force was under constant pressure to perform and looked bad when they were unable to apprehend the perpetrators of big-time crime. They always liked it when they made quick and successful arrests.

  ‘That’s good,’ I said. ‘If you come down to Sydney before I leave there maybe we could do a spot of fishing together. I’ve got a boat. That is, Luke Stirling and I have got a boat.’

  ‘I suppose you’ve got plenty of gear,’ said Morris.

  ‘I sure have . . . heaps,’ I answered, smiling. ‘I don’t know where I’ll end up or if there’ll be any fish wherever that might be but I’ll let you know.’

  ‘So you’re definitely going back to the land?’ said Morris.

  ‘I definitely am but there’s going to be a lot of messing about before that happens. It will take time to sell up my third of Kamilaroi and then to find a suitable property. I’ll probably have to arrange a bridging loan if I find a decent place,’ I explained.

  ‘Sounds as if you’re going to be very busy,’ Morris said.

  ‘Very, but I’m looking forward to it. I’ve got a clear objective and that makes a difference,’ I said.

  ‘Well, if it happens that I don’t see you for a while, the very best of luck. I feel fortunate to have worked with you. There’s not many people the force would back like they backed you, Lachie,’ Morris said.

  ‘Don’t I know it. I hope they treat you right. I better hit the road, Ming,’ I said as we shook hands.

  I felt pretty good as I drove away from the police station. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to finish up in the crime business. I’d been trusted to the hilt by the police and I’d repaid their trust.

  CHAPTER 22

  I had mixed feelings as I drove out to see Mum. I expected her to be sad about me severing connections with Kamilaroi but in the final analysis I had to do what was best for my future.

  Contrary to my expectations, Mum was philosophical about my decision. ‘That’s fine, Lachie. I understand you wanting to buy your own property. I hope you find what you want and then perhaps you’ll get married and have some children. That would make me very happy,’ she said.

  ‘When I do manage to buy a place, you’d be very welcome to come and live with me,’ I said.

  ‘Thank you, but no, this is my home. No matter what happens with Stuart’s divorce settlement, I’d like to stay here while I’m still healthy. I’ve always loved this place and I love it even more now that I’m independent. I’ll get a few acres surveyed and put into a different title. Flora and the kids are nice and close and most of my friends live in the district. I’ll come and visit you but I won’t live with you,’ she said.

  I knew her reference to enjoying it more now she was independent referred to not having to put up with my father. I reckoned it was the dead right time to ask her what I’d wanted to ask her for years but had always shied away from doing.

  ‘Why did you marry him, Mum? Did you ever love him?’ I asked, half expecting her to tell me it was none of my business. Perhaps, strictly speaking, it wasn’t but I wasn’t a naïve little boy who accepted his parents for what they were. I was used to asking questions and getting answers and I regarded my mother as a very special person. I hadn’t always behaved in exemplary fashion where she was concerned but that didn’t alter the fact that I loved her.

  She looked at me and nodded. ‘I’ve been wondering how long it would be before you asked me that.’

  ‘You can tell me to mind my own business but then I’ll always wonder,’ I said.

  ‘Upper-class girls were expected to marry and have children when I was younger. They weren’t expected to go out and earn a living. I wasn’t trained for anything other than how to run a home. Why did I marry your father? No, I never loved him. He was a fine looking man from a good family and Kamilaroi was a noted property. There wasn’t anyone with as much to offer,’ she said.

  ‘But you . . .’ I stammered.

  ‘How did I feel about sleeping with him? My mother told me that it was something every girl had to do and you just had to put up with it. It was a necessary part of married life because that was how children were conceived. I thought that sleeping with your father would be less unpleasant than sleeping with any of the other prospective husbands in my circle of friends. So I married him and he gave me four children and all of you gave me a lot of pleasure. I was heartbroken after we lost Kenneth, and Stuart has always worried me because he has the weakest principles of you all. But Stuart is a fine manager and a tireless worker. And he is my son and that’s all there is to it. Are you happy now?’ she asked.

  ‘I had it pretty well worked out and what you’ve told me more or less confirms it. I couldn’t see that you ever loved Dad or, for that matter, that he loved you. But you ran the homestead well and, best of all, you were a great mum. Those early years before I went away to school would have been very hard if you hadn’t been here. But I still wonder how you were able to put up with Dad for so long. You and Dad were like chalk and cheese,’ I said.

  ‘Perhaps we were but we had fairly clear lines of responsibility. I ran the house and he ran the property. The only times those lines became blurred was where you children were concerned. I thought he was too strict on you. He’d commanded soldiers and was very strong on discipline, often too strong. Yes, I think he contributed to Kenneth’s death but for the sake of the family I couldn’t come out and say what I really thought. I would have had to leave your father and it would have split the family. I needed to be there if only to be a moderating influence where Stuart was concerned. Now he’s gone and got himself involved with another woman and is going to have a hard time affording to buy Nicole out, he’s going to have to come down off his high horse and be just another grazier,’ she said.

  ‘But even if he gives Nicole half of what he owns Stuart will still be relatively well off,’ I said.

  ‘Granted. And don’t forget that Flora pays him a wage for looking after her share of Kamilaroi. No, he won’t be badly off but he won’t be a kingpin grazier like your father was,’ she said.

  ‘Maybe that will tone down his highhanded behaviour,’ I suggested.

  Mum steered away from talking any more about Stuart, focusing on her concerns for Nicole and Vickie instead. She pressed me to keep her up to date with their progress in Sydney, and I promised I would.

  After lunch Mum and I sat down in the lounge room to discuss the likely course of events from a financial viewpoint if, as now seemed likely, Nicole divorced Stuart and he married another woman.

  Up until Father willed me a third of Kamilaroi, Stuart and Flora had provided Mum with a modest income and they paid all her electricity, fuel and other costs. Stuart provided two thirds and Flora one third. After I was willed one third of the property and its livestock I’d kicked in one third. Mum didn’t really need our money as she had money of her own and what we gave her was more in the nature of a tax dodge: better that Mum had it than pay it away in taxation.

  ‘You needn’t worry about me,’ said Mum. ‘I’ve done well with the investments I’ve made with my own money and I could get by quite well without any support. I’m more concerned about you, Lachie. You need a wife, a proper wife, and
I’d like a couple more grandchildren. Is there any woman on the horizon for you?’ she asked.

  ‘I’d say more over the horizon than on it,’ I replied. ‘I’d really like to get out of Sydney now and I’d like to marry someone who’ll want to live on a property. Seeing the kids up here has confirmed how much I want to have children, too. But I’m going to be extremely busy for a while. Apart from looking out for Nicole and Vickie, I’ve got my agency to sell while I work out with Stuart what portion of Kamilaroi I can get surveyed so that I can offer it for sale. Apart from all that I want to find a property both to live on and graze my share of Kamilaroi’s livestock on. If I find a decent property I’ll probably have to get a bridging loan to tide me over until I can put my share of Kamilaroi on the market,’ I said.

  ‘You must let me know if you find the property you want. I could loan you the money until you sell your share of Kamilaroi,’ she said.

  ‘It would run to a lot of money, Mum,’ I said.

  ‘That’s all right. Both Dad and your uncle Ben left me quite a lot of money and all I’ve ever really spent was what I put into this house. And Laurie’s made some excellent investments for me over the years. I can’t see that I’ll have any need of it so you may as well use it. Better than paying interest on a bridging loan,’ she said, smiling.

  ‘You’re a wonder, Mum,’ I said.

  ‘Ideally, I’d prefer to see you back here and I know that you would too and if you could resolve your differences with Stuart you’d make me very happy. But I’m a realist so I know that’s unlikely. If the divorce proceeds and Stuart brings a new woman here that won’t help matters either. So, as much as I’d like you back here I think the best thing you can do is buy your property and live the kind of life that makes you happy. Flora rang and told me that there’s a policewoman she thinks is quite keen on you. Is she the one over the horizon?’ she asked.