the city for at least a month. She definitely needed sleep before facing the ramifications of that . . .
BANG, BANG, BANG! Gemma looked at her bedside clock. It was nearly four. She climbed out of bed and went to the door, squinting with bleary eyes at the police officers standing there.
'Hello?' said Gemma, puzzled. Then as her brain started to work, she said in a panic, 'It's not Dad, is it?'
'Mrs Sinclair?' asked one of the men.
'Yes, what is it, what's wrong?'
'I'm Geoff Hay and this is Ian Paver. We're from the police station in Port Pirie. Could we come in? We need to ask you some questions regarding some stolen sheep.'
'Oh, okay.' Gemma opened the door wider. 'Please, come in. My dad had a heart attack yesterday and I've only just got home from the hospital. I thought something must have happened to him,' she explained as she led the way through to the kitchen. 'Take a seat. I'll be back in a sec to put the kettle on.'
Taking refuge in the bathroom, Gemma splashed her face with icy water and tried to get her head together. Being woken up from a deep sleep, by two policemen wanting to talk about stolen sheep, was a bit overwhelming. Tears welled in her eyes but she impatiently blinked them away and returned to the kitchen.
'What can I get you both to drink?' she asked, filling the kettle.
'Coffee, thanks – white, no sugar,' said the officer who seemed to be in charge. Tall and slim, in his late forties, he had a stern look on his face, but his brown eyes seemed friendly.
'Tea, black, thanks,' said the other one, who looked remarkably similar to the first but about five years younger. It must be the uniform, Gemma decided.
Gemma busied herself getting the drinks and then sat at the table. 'How can I help?'
Geoff Hay spoke again. 'The police department had a phone call this morning from one of your neighbours, Jim Carter. It seems he's had about three hundred wether lambs stolen. He had them yarded ready for crutching and someone allegedly brought in a truck in the middle of the night and took them straight out of his yards. Same thing happened to Sam Smith and John Kettle.'
'You're joking? Who did it? Have you found the stock?' Gemma was horrified.
'Hello? Anyone home?' called a voice at the front door.
'Ned,' called Gemma with relief. 'In the kitchen.'
Ned and Ben walked through into the kitchen. 'G'day again,' said Ned to the two policemen. Ben nodded and leaned against the doorframe.
'G'day,' said Geoff. 'I'm afraid we've caught Mrs Sinclair on the hop a bit. Woke her up and now we're just explaining what has happened.'
'Ned, you knew about this?' asked Gemma incredulously. 'How come you didn't ring?'
'Come on, Gemma. As if I'd worry you about something like this while you were at the hospital with Jake. We only heard about it early this morning. Ben and I got out here as quick as we could to see if we could help. We've sort of been following them around from farm to farm. We went to Hayelle after not finding anyone here first thing, but no one was around either. Thought we might have caught Garry or Bulla doing a stock check and feeding the dogs.'
Gemma was back at the bench making more coffee. She sat the cups in front of Ned and Ben and motioned for them both to sit down.
'Okay,' Gemma said to the police officers when she resumed her seat. 'What did you need to ask me?'
'What time did you leave to go into Pirie?' asked Geoff.
'I think it was about twelve thirty or so. I remember looking at the clock when Mum rang and that was twenty past twelve, I think. I basically just ran out the door.'
'Did you see a truck or anything suspicious when you were driving to Pirie?'
'I was lucky to see the road! I was just hellbent on getting to the hospital to see Dad.'
'Have you ever heard anyone talking about having stock – sheep or cattle – stolen?'
'I haven't heard any rumours, but I haven't really gone anywhere since Adam died. I avoid town if I can and I usually just ask Ned to bring what I
BANG, BANG, BANG! Gemma looked at her bedside clock. It was nearly four. She climbed out of bed and went to the door, squinting with bleary eyes at the police officers standing there.
'Hello?' said Gemma, puzzled. Then as her brain started to work, she said in a panic, 'It's not Dad, is it?'
'Mrs Sinclair?' asked one of the men.
'Yes, what is it, what's wrong?'
'I'm Geoff Hay and this is Ian Paver. We're from the police station in Port Pirie. Could we come in? We need to ask you some questions regarding some stolen sheep.'
'Oh, okay.' Gemma opened the door wider. 'Please, come in. My dad had a heart attack yesterday and I've only just got home from the hospital. I thought something must have happened to him,' she explained as she led the way through to the kitchen. 'Take a seat. I'll be back in a sec to put the kettle on.'
Taking refuge in the bathroom, Gemma splashed her face with icy water and tried to get her head together. Being woken up from a deep sleep, by two policemen wanting to talk about stolen sheep, was a bit overwhelming. Tears welled in her eyes but she impatiently blinked them away and returned to the kitchen.
'What can I get you both to drink?' she asked, filling the kettle.
'Coffee, thanks – white, no sugar,' said the officer who seemed to be in charge. Tall and slim, in his late forties, he had a stern look on his face, but his brown eyes seemed friendly.
'Tea, black, thanks,' said the other one, who looked remarkably similar to the first but about five years younger. It must be the uniform, Gemma decided.
Gemma busied herself getting the drinks and then sat at the table. 'How can I help?'
Geoff Hay spoke again. 'The police department had a phone call this morning from one of your neighbours, Jim Carter. It seems he's had about three hundred wether lambs stolen. He had them yarded ready for crutching and someone allegedly brought in a truck in the middle of the night and took them straight out of his yards. Same thing happened to Sam Smith and John Kettle.'
'You're joking? Who did it? Have you found the stock?' Gemma was horrified.
'Hello? Anyone home?' called a voice at the front door.
'Ned,' called Gemma with relief. 'In the kitchen.'
Ned and Ben walked through into the kitchen. 'G'day again,' said Ned to the two policemen. Ben nodded and leaned against the doorframe.
'G'day,' said Geoff. 'I'm afraid we've caught Mrs Sinclair on the hop a bit. Woke her up and now we're just explaining what has happened.'
'Ned, you knew about this?' asked Gemma incredulously. 'How come you didn't ring?'
'Come on, Gemma. As if I'd worry you about something like this while you were at the hospital with Jake. We only heard about it early this morning. Ben and I got out here as quick as we could to see if we could help. We've sort of been following them around from farm to farm. We went to Hayelle after not finding anyone here first thing, but no one was around either. Thought we might have caught Garry or Bulla doing a stock check and feeding the dogs.'
Gemma was back at the bench making more coffee. She sat the cups in front of Ned and Ben and motioned for them both to sit down.
'Okay,' Gemma said to the police officers when she resumed her seat. 'What did you need to ask me?'
'What time did you leave to go into Pirie?' asked Geoff.
'I think it was about twelve thirty or so. I remember looking at the clock when Mum rang and that was twenty past twelve, I think. I basically just ran out the door.'
'Did you see a truck or anything suspicious when you were driving to Pirie?'
'I was lucky to see the road! I was just hellbent on getting to the hospital to see Dad.'
'Have you ever heard anyone talking about having stock – sheep or cattle – stolen?'
'I haven't heard any rumours, but I haven't really gone anywhere since Adam died. I avoid town if I can and I usually just ask Ned to bring what I
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