need from town or get things sent out on the mail run.'
'Why don't you go to town much?' the young officer asked curiously.
Gemma looked at Ian, who had stopped writing notes. 'People stare and talk about me,' she said frankly. 'They don't think I should be running this property. They think I should've sold when Adam was killed.' Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ned wince. She knew he'd tried to protect her from all these things, as had her family, but she wasn't blind or deaf.
'Do you think you've ever had any animals stolen from your property?'
'Well, I don't think so. Adam used to keep all the records and I never really had anything to do with the office until he died. But I know he'd have said something to me if he thought that we'd had stock stolen.'
'Yeah,' Ned agreed. 'He wasn't the type to take something like that lying down.'
'Do you think you have ever had stolen animals on your farm?'
'What? No way! What are you implying?' Gemma looked at Geoff angrily.
'I'm not implying anything. I'm sorry if I offended you,' Geoff assured her. 'We need to ask these questions to form a clear picture of what has happened.'
'I'm sure we haven't.'
'Okay, what do you do when your neighbours' sheep or cattle stray onto your property? Are your fences pretty good?'
'We put them in the yards, ring the neighbour and ask them to come and pick their stock up. The same way we have done it since time began. Our neighbours do the same if our stock goes through the fence onto their place. Mostly our fences are in pretty good nick, though.'
Geoff sighed. 'We're going to have to call in the stock squad from Western Australia since South Australia doesn't have one.'
'Well, I'm happy to help in any way I can.' Gemma was exhausted and it showed.
Ned spoke up. 'Do you reckon we could do this another time? Gemma looks a bit whacked and she's been through a fair bit in the last twenty-four hours.'
'Yeah, look, that's as much info as we need at the moment anyway. We have to get back and make some arrangements with the stock squad now, but if you think of anything further you can give us a call, Mrs Sinclair.' Geoff dug out his card and placed it on the table, Ian following suit. 'Thanks for your time; we'll probably be in touch.'
Ned stayed with Gemma, getting all the details of Jake and his illness, while the policemen prepared to leave, and Ben walked them to their car.
Ben pushed open the door into the corner pub. He'd been told this was where the best meals were, and he was looking forward to a big steak and a cold beer. After ordering a drink, he sat at the bar near a few other young guys standing around talking. Amongst the general chatter and warmth of the pub Ben was starting to relax when he heard Gemma's name mentioned. Tuning in to the conversation, Ben looked to see who was talking.
A tall, thick-set, good-looking man was saying: 'After all, it's been known that stock stealing has been going on around here for two or three years, but I guess a lot of us thought it would stop when Sinny died. Gemma must be pretty good at it to keep it going by herself.'
'On ya, mate,' snorted another one. 'She wouldn't know how. She has enough trouble running Billbinya. She couldn't manage that as well.'
'But what about if Bulla and Gaz were helping her?' asked another.
'Nah, no way,' said the tall man. 'One thing I do know about those two, they're as straight as the day is long. Nup, must be Gemma.'
'Well you'd know – aren't you making it with her best mate? What's her name, that red-headed piece?'
Ben casually shifted closer to the men to hear their conversation as the man holding court said, 'You guys know me, mate – I just take what's on offer. Jess is fun to hang out with but we're not joined at the hip or anything.' His mobile phone beeped suddenly. Ben watched as he grabbed the phone from his belt and looked at the text message. 'Better take this one, guys,' he said, and threw down a fifty-dollar note. 'Get yourselves
'Why don't you go to town much?' the young officer asked curiously.
Gemma looked at Ian, who had stopped writing notes. 'People stare and talk about me,' she said frankly. 'They don't think I should be running this property. They think I should've sold when Adam was killed.' Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ned wince. She knew he'd tried to protect her from all these things, as had her family, but she wasn't blind or deaf.
'Do you think you've ever had any animals stolen from your property?'
'Well, I don't think so. Adam used to keep all the records and I never really had anything to do with the office until he died. But I know he'd have said something to me if he thought that we'd had stock stolen.'
'Yeah,' Ned agreed. 'He wasn't the type to take something like that lying down.'
'Do you think you have ever had stolen animals on your farm?'
'What? No way! What are you implying?' Gemma looked at Geoff angrily.
'I'm not implying anything. I'm sorry if I offended you,' Geoff assured her. 'We need to ask these questions to form a clear picture of what has happened.'
'I'm sure we haven't.'
'Okay, what do you do when your neighbours' sheep or cattle stray onto your property? Are your fences pretty good?'
'We put them in the yards, ring the neighbour and ask them to come and pick their stock up. The same way we have done it since time began. Our neighbours do the same if our stock goes through the fence onto their place. Mostly our fences are in pretty good nick, though.'
Geoff sighed. 'We're going to have to call in the stock squad from Western Australia since South Australia doesn't have one.'
'Well, I'm happy to help in any way I can.' Gemma was exhausted and it showed.
Ned spoke up. 'Do you reckon we could do this another time? Gemma looks a bit whacked and she's been through a fair bit in the last twenty-four hours.'
'Yeah, look, that's as much info as we need at the moment anyway. We have to get back and make some arrangements with the stock squad now, but if you think of anything further you can give us a call, Mrs Sinclair.' Geoff dug out his card and placed it on the table, Ian following suit. 'Thanks for your time; we'll probably be in touch.'
Ned stayed with Gemma, getting all the details of Jake and his illness, while the policemen prepared to leave, and Ben walked them to their car.
Ben pushed open the door into the corner pub. He'd been told this was where the best meals were, and he was looking forward to a big steak and a cold beer. After ordering a drink, he sat at the bar near a few other young guys standing around talking. Amongst the general chatter and warmth of the pub Ben was starting to relax when he heard Gemma's name mentioned. Tuning in to the conversation, Ben looked to see who was talking.
A tall, thick-set, good-looking man was saying: 'After all, it's been known that stock stealing has been going on around here for two or three years, but I guess a lot of us thought it would stop when Sinny died. Gemma must be pretty good at it to keep it going by herself.'
'On ya, mate,' snorted another one. 'She wouldn't know how. She has enough trouble running Billbinya. She couldn't manage that as well.'
'But what about if Bulla and Gaz were helping her?' asked another.
'Nah, no way,' said the tall man. 'One thing I do know about those two, they're as straight as the day is long. Nup, must be Gemma.'
'Well you'd know – aren't you making it with her best mate? What's her name, that red-headed piece?'
Ben casually shifted closer to the men to hear their conversation as the man holding court said, 'You guys know me, mate – I just take what's on offer. Jess is fun to hang out with but we're not joined at the hip or anything.' His mobile phone beeped suddenly. Ben watched as he grabbed the phone from his belt and looked at the text message. 'Better take this one, guys,' he said, and threw down a fifty-dollar note. 'Get yourselves
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