another – I'll be back soon.' He disappeared towards the men's room.
Ben thought it was a shame that the conversation had been interrupted as he would have liked to have heard more of their thoughts.
He raised his hand to order another beer, then moved down the bar towards the other men. 'G'day, I'm Ben Daylee. I'm the new stock agent with Ned Jones and Bert Hawkins. How's it going?'
'Good, mate. I'm Scott Forrester – call me Frost, and these guys are Shadow, Pusher, Jonesy and Floro.'
'Good to meet you all,' said Ben, shaking hands all round. 'Can I get anyone a drink?'
'Nah, we're right at the moment, mate,' Frost said. 'Hey, if you're working with Ned then you should know all about what happened today with the stolen stock. I hear there were about two thousand ewes stolen from five different farms.'
Ben smiled and shook his head. It was amazing how information could get so distorted. 'I don't think it was that many, but yeah, there have been some go missing. You fellas farmers?'
'Nah, but we've got mates on the footy team that are and they're all talking about it. It's got round town real quick,' said Jonesy.
The tall man was making his way towards them, putting his phone back on his belt. 'G'day.' He nodded at Ben.
'Bradley, mate, this is Ben Daylee – I think we should call him Hills.' Pusher paused. 'You know, like Dales, Hills . . .' His voice trailed off as all the men looked at him blankly. 'Anyway, he's working for Ned and Bert, the stock agents down the road.'
The two men shook hands.
'Is that right?' said Brad. 'I'm the local agronomist, so I guess we'll be running into each other a bit on farms.'
'I guess so.' Ben took a swig of his beer. 'Well, I'm off to get a feed, anyone want to join me?'
The other men made their excuses, but Brad stayed. 'Yeah, I'll have a bite with you; I might be able to fill you in on the good farmers and the not so good, if you're interested.'
'Sounds great.'
They talked generally while they waited for their steaks, chips and salads to arrive, then suddenly Brad said, 'So you would've met Gemma Sinclair in your travels with Ned?'
Ben was cautious, while he formulated his response. 'Yeah, I've met her a couple of times.'
'I knock about with one of her mates a bit. Jess Rawlings. I haven't met Gemma yet, but she seems to be a bit of a legend around here.'
'Why's that?'
'Oh, well, you know with her husband dying in the plane crash like that and her taking on running the farm. She's obviously got some get-up-and-go about her.'
'Mmm,' responded Ben noncommittally. 'Had heard something.'
'Rumour has it that the Sinclairs are involved, but no one can prove it. Don't really know how much truth there is to it, but where there's smoke there's fire, hey?'
Ben sat back, pushing his empty plate away, and nodded for Brad to continue.
'Well, look.' Brad leaned across the table. 'I'm not one to speak ill of the dead, but it seemed that every time the Sinclairs had people over for dinner, stock would disappear from their guests' farm. It could be just coincidence but I think there might have been something in it. Sinny was a bit of a rogue.'
'Did you know him well?'
'I used to catch him in the pub occasionally and we had some common interests but that was about it.'
'All pretty interesting anyway,' said Ben. 'Well, I guess I'd better get going – another big day tomorrow. Good to meet you, I guess I'll catch you round.'
'Yeah, no worries, mate. Good to meet you too. Oh, by the way, don't suppose you play footy? We're looking for a full forward.'
'Well, I have kicked the footy a bit, but I'm a bit rusty. I haven't played this season.'
'If you want to have a kick, we're playing a home game on Saturday. Come down, put the boots on and I'll introduce you to the rest of the blokes. Training's on Tuesday and Thursday.'
'Okay,' said Ben. 'I'd be into that.'
Ben sauntered home reflecting on all that had happened throughout the day. The stock-stealing business was on everyone's
Ben thought it was a shame that the conversation had been interrupted as he would have liked to have heard more of their thoughts.
He raised his hand to order another beer, then moved down the bar towards the other men. 'G'day, I'm Ben Daylee. I'm the new stock agent with Ned Jones and Bert Hawkins. How's it going?'
'Good, mate. I'm Scott Forrester – call me Frost, and these guys are Shadow, Pusher, Jonesy and Floro.'
'Good to meet you all,' said Ben, shaking hands all round. 'Can I get anyone a drink?'
'Nah, we're right at the moment, mate,' Frost said. 'Hey, if you're working with Ned then you should know all about what happened today with the stolen stock. I hear there were about two thousand ewes stolen from five different farms.'
Ben smiled and shook his head. It was amazing how information could get so distorted. 'I don't think it was that many, but yeah, there have been some go missing. You fellas farmers?'
'Nah, but we've got mates on the footy team that are and they're all talking about it. It's got round town real quick,' said Jonesy.
The tall man was making his way towards them, putting his phone back on his belt. 'G'day.' He nodded at Ben.
'Bradley, mate, this is Ben Daylee – I think we should call him Hills.' Pusher paused. 'You know, like Dales, Hills . . .' His voice trailed off as all the men looked at him blankly. 'Anyway, he's working for Ned and Bert, the stock agents down the road.'
The two men shook hands.
'Is that right?' said Brad. 'I'm the local agronomist, so I guess we'll be running into each other a bit on farms.'
'I guess so.' Ben took a swig of his beer. 'Well, I'm off to get a feed, anyone want to join me?'
The other men made their excuses, but Brad stayed. 'Yeah, I'll have a bite with you; I might be able to fill you in on the good farmers and the not so good, if you're interested.'
'Sounds great.'
They talked generally while they waited for their steaks, chips and salads to arrive, then suddenly Brad said, 'So you would've met Gemma Sinclair in your travels with Ned?'
Ben was cautious, while he formulated his response. 'Yeah, I've met her a couple of times.'
'I knock about with one of her mates a bit. Jess Rawlings. I haven't met Gemma yet, but she seems to be a bit of a legend around here.'
'Why's that?'
'Oh, well, you know with her husband dying in the plane crash like that and her taking on running the farm. She's obviously got some get-up-and-go about her.'
'Mmm,' responded Ben noncommittally. 'Had heard something.'
'Rumour has it that the Sinclairs are involved, but no one can prove it. Don't really know how much truth there is to it, but where there's smoke there's fire, hey?'
Ben sat back, pushing his empty plate away, and nodded for Brad to continue.
'Well, look.' Brad leaned across the table. 'I'm not one to speak ill of the dead, but it seemed that every time the Sinclairs had people over for dinner, stock would disappear from their guests' farm. It could be just coincidence but I think there might have been something in it. Sinny was a bit of a rogue.'
'Did you know him well?'
'I used to catch him in the pub occasionally and we had some common interests but that was about it.'
'All pretty interesting anyway,' said Ben. 'Well, I guess I'd better get going – another big day tomorrow. Good to meet you, I guess I'll catch you round.'
'Yeah, no worries, mate. Good to meet you too. Oh, by the way, don't suppose you play footy? We're looking for a full forward.'
'Well, I have kicked the footy a bit, but I'm a bit rusty. I haven't played this season.'
'If you want to have a kick, we're playing a home game on Saturday. Come down, put the boots on and I'll introduce you to the rest of the blokes. Training's on Tuesday and Thursday.'
'Okay,' said Ben. 'I'd be into that.'
Ben sauntered home reflecting on all that had happened throughout the day. The stock-stealing business was on everyone's
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