there.'
Lindsey's mother took so long to say anything that Shelby thought she might have hung up accidentally. 'Hello?'
'Is . . . is he dead?' she whispered.
'No, he's fine!' Shelby assured her. 'At least, I could only see his face. He's upright, though. He's with horse people – in a stable. I don't think they stole him. I'm sure that they were going to ring, but their phone was cut off in the storm. They may not even have the phone connected yet.' Shelby chewed her fingernail. 'Maybe that's what happened, anyway. I left so I could ring you straightaway.'
'Thank you, Shelby.'
Mrs Edel sounded as though she was crying and Shelby was embarrassed so she got off the phone as soon as she could.
Shelby sat down again and her mother placed a plate of crackers with Vegemite on the table for them to share. Shelby squeezed the crackers together to make worms.
'I did the right thing.'
Her mother smiled. 'Yes, you did.'
13 The Barney
After her snack Shelby headed back into the Gully and across the causeway to take Blue home. At the riding school tack shed she stopped to unbuckle Blue's saddle and then she led him around to the wash-bay.
In the distance she could see that the Edels' float was out of the shed with the tailgate down. Several of the agisters were gathered at Diablo's yard. Over their heads Shelby could just make out the tall stallion in his stable. Shelby was keen to find out the latest news, but she had to get Blue settled first.
Erin spotted her and waved. Shelby was pleased to see her jogging towards the wash-bay, obviously bursting with news.
'There was a barney! I can't believe you missed the whole thing!' Erin puffed.
'What happened?' Shelby adjusted the temperature, spraying the water against her palm, and then hosed Blue's muddy legs.
'Well!' Erin's eyes were wide. 'After you rang, we hooked up the float and drove over there. And I was the one who called that police officer on the way – the boy one, not the girl one, because she's mean. I didn't get to ring triple O though. That would have been cool. Instead I rang his private line, which was on his business card. Anyway, we get there and there are all these foreign people.'
'Foreign people?' Shelby repeated, moving the spray to Blue's sweaty neck. She couldn't remember seeing any foreign people.
'You know, like, of Middle Eastern appearance. They stole Diablo! And your boyfriend was there – he's friends with them!'
'He's not my boyfriend.' Shelby concentrated on hosing around Blue's face and ears for a moment, hoping that Erin wouldn't notice her expression. She wished she'd hadn't brought up the whole hot chips business with Erin. She was never going to let it go, and every time she brought it up Shelby would feel like a goose. 'So you know for sure they stole Diablo?'
Erin put her hands on her hips. 'Of course they did! He was there, wasn't he? You saw! They didn't even try to deny it. Anyway, you haven't heard the whole story. We arrive and Mrs Edel is yelling at them and they are yelling back, but we couldn't understand them, because half of it was in, you know, like, Arabic or whatever. Lindsey's mum swore! She goes, "You stole my horse, you bleep"– insert swear word here – and then they yelled back that she couldn't prove it. And then the police arrived with sirens and everything. Then there was kind of a tussle. That little guy says that Lindsey's mum owes him for a new fence or vet bills or something! Can you believe it? I'm sure Mrs Edel would have punched him if the police weren't watching. Meanwhile, Lindsey is practically dragging Diablo out of the stable and this other girl tries to stop her. But we got Diablo on the float and he's fine. I can't believe you missed it! It was très dramatic.'
' Très ?' Shelby took the scraper from the fence and began sloughing the water from Blue's back.
'It's French. Here, check out the pics.' Erin pulled her mobile out of her pocket and started pressing buttons.
'You were taking photos?'
Lindsey's mother took so long to say anything that Shelby thought she might have hung up accidentally. 'Hello?'
'Is . . . is he dead?' she whispered.
'No, he's fine!' Shelby assured her. 'At least, I could only see his face. He's upright, though. He's with horse people – in a stable. I don't think they stole him. I'm sure that they were going to ring, but their phone was cut off in the storm. They may not even have the phone connected yet.' Shelby chewed her fingernail. 'Maybe that's what happened, anyway. I left so I could ring you straightaway.'
'Thank you, Shelby.'
Mrs Edel sounded as though she was crying and Shelby was embarrassed so she got off the phone as soon as she could.
Shelby sat down again and her mother placed a plate of crackers with Vegemite on the table for them to share. Shelby squeezed the crackers together to make worms.
'I did the right thing.'
Her mother smiled. 'Yes, you did.'
13 The Barney
After her snack Shelby headed back into the Gully and across the causeway to take Blue home. At the riding school tack shed she stopped to unbuckle Blue's saddle and then she led him around to the wash-bay.
In the distance she could see that the Edels' float was out of the shed with the tailgate down. Several of the agisters were gathered at Diablo's yard. Over their heads Shelby could just make out the tall stallion in his stable. Shelby was keen to find out the latest news, but she had to get Blue settled first.
Erin spotted her and waved. Shelby was pleased to see her jogging towards the wash-bay, obviously bursting with news.
'There was a barney! I can't believe you missed the whole thing!' Erin puffed.
'What happened?' Shelby adjusted the temperature, spraying the water against her palm, and then hosed Blue's muddy legs.
'Well!' Erin's eyes were wide. 'After you rang, we hooked up the float and drove over there. And I was the one who called that police officer on the way – the boy one, not the girl one, because she's mean. I didn't get to ring triple O though. That would have been cool. Instead I rang his private line, which was on his business card. Anyway, we get there and there are all these foreign people.'
'Foreign people?' Shelby repeated, moving the spray to Blue's sweaty neck. She couldn't remember seeing any foreign people.
'You know, like, of Middle Eastern appearance. They stole Diablo! And your boyfriend was there – he's friends with them!'
'He's not my boyfriend.' Shelby concentrated on hosing around Blue's face and ears for a moment, hoping that Erin wouldn't notice her expression. She wished she'd hadn't brought up the whole hot chips business with Erin. She was never going to let it go, and every time she brought it up Shelby would feel like a goose. 'So you know for sure they stole Diablo?'
Erin put her hands on her hips. 'Of course they did! He was there, wasn't he? You saw! They didn't even try to deny it. Anyway, you haven't heard the whole story. We arrive and Mrs Edel is yelling at them and they are yelling back, but we couldn't understand them, because half of it was in, you know, like, Arabic or whatever. Lindsey's mum swore! She goes, "You stole my horse, you bleep"– insert swear word here – and then they yelled back that she couldn't prove it. And then the police arrived with sirens and everything. Then there was kind of a tussle. That little guy says that Lindsey's mum owes him for a new fence or vet bills or something! Can you believe it? I'm sure Mrs Edel would have punched him if the police weren't watching. Meanwhile, Lindsey is practically dragging Diablo out of the stable and this other girl tries to stop her. But we got Diablo on the float and he's fine. I can't believe you missed it! It was très dramatic.'
' Très ?' Shelby took the scraper from the fence and began sloughing the water from Blue's back.
'It's French. Here, check out the pics.' Erin pulled her mobile out of her pocket and started pressing buttons.
'You were taking photos?'
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