Page 55 of Whispers of Sweetwater

Dunlop raised his hands in mock innocence. ‘Didn’t mean anything by it. Just heard she was here. And I thought, hey, about time Pierce got back in the game. Wanted to see for myself. Small towns, mate, you know how they talk.’

‘I’m not your mate.’ Hayden stepped forwards once, slow and deliberate. ‘And for the record, if you’re trying to stir something, you’d better go pick another fence line.’

Dunlop’s smile didn’t waver, but his shoulders stiffened. ‘Just being friendly.’

‘I’ve got enough friends.’ Hayden held his stare, unblinking. ‘So maybe go and be your friendly self elsewhere.’

Dunlop chuckled, but the sound lacked warmth. ‘Not very hospitable of you, Pierce.’ He took one last look around the property, his squinted gaze lingering on the stables, the sheds, the quiet horizon. ‘Town’s changing,’ he said as he stepped back to the ground, voice almost conversational. ‘New faces. Old grudges. And yet everyone wants to pretend they’re safe out here.’

Hayden didn’t flinch. ‘You should get going. Before I decide you’re trespassing.’

‘You never know, I might be the one to get the call.’ The sergeant gave a self-righteous, slow nod, like he’d been expecting the standoffishness. ‘See you around, Pierce. Stay safe and out of trouble, won’t you.’

Hayden didn’t reply. His jaw was clenched so tight he could feel the pressure in his molars. It took every ounce of self-control not to reach out, grab the conceited bastard by the collar and drag him back to his dusty four-wheel drive.

Craig strode away slowly, like he had all the time in the world, before finally disappearing around the corner. Hayden followed to make sure he wasn’t snooping, at a distance but guaranteeing the copper knew he had eyes on him.

With a final glance in Hayden’s direction, Craig climbed into the dusty silver Ranger with a dented tray and oversized tyres.

Hayden stepped out of the sunlight as his uninvited guest drove away, narrowing his eyes at the receding ute.

Plate: 2QLJ58.

He filed it away. Something told him he might be using it in the future.

CHAPTER 14

The following day, after collecting her Hilux from Ray, then spending a long morning on farm calls and a detour to pick up a delivery from the feed store, Brianna crouched beside a drowsy kelpie, one hand gently pressing the dog’s flank while she checked for the telltale bloat signs the farmer had described. The sheepdog licked her arm once before settling with a heavy sigh.

The farmer, a wiry man in his sixties named Murray, stood nearby with his thumbs hooked into his belt loops. ‘He was fine last night. Then this morning, just wouldn’t touch his food. Wouldn’t move much either.’

‘Looks to me like he just overdid it,’ Brianna said, straightening and brushing off her hands. ‘Give him a day or two. Small meals. Lots of rest. He’ll bounce back.’

Murray nodded gratefully and headed off to grab his wallet. Brianna began packing up her gear when movement caught her eye. Across the yard, near the equipment sheds, Trev stood partially obscured by a water tank. He wasn’t fixing anything, wasn’t loading gear; he was just watching her watching him. She froze a moment, heart ticking faster, then forced herself to give a small, polite wave. Trev nodded, too quickly, then ducked behind the shed like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t.

What in the hell?

Thanking Murray for his prompt payment, she then loaded her bag into the Hilux and climbed behind the wheel, her thoughts churning as she revved the engine to life. Sharon’s words to Hayden echoed. Trev. Joe. Bent police officer. Close to Jack. Always around. Always quiet. Her instincts pinged hard now. Something was off.

Leaving the engine idle, she sat behind the wheel for a moment longer than necessary, her fingers resting on the sun-warmed plastic, gaze unfocused. The night before, Hayden had filled her in about Sharon’s visit and the unexpected, unsettling arrival of Sergeant Craig Dunlop. His voice had been clipped, words measured, but underneath it all she could hear the flint of real concern. Real danger.

She exhaled slowly and reached for her water bottle, trying to shake off the image of Trev’s too-quick wave. The pieces were starting to edge closer together, and she didn’t like the picture they were forming. Didn’t like the way it was all making her feel. As if she might be next. As if she might be a target if she didn’t back away from whoever was threatening Molly. Well, that wasn’t going to happen, because just like Hayden, she felt compelled to protect her beautiful friend.

The kelpie gave a short sharp bark from where it now sat on the verandah of the ramshackle workers cottage. She leant out the window and offered it a soft smile. ‘You’ll be all right, mate, as long as you take it easy.’

It’s the rest of us I’m not so sure about.

Putting the Hilux into first gear, she pulled away, dust curling in the rear-view mirror like a warning whisper. On the way home, she rang and invited Molly over for dinner.

A couple of hours later, showered and with her portable speaker serenading her with Hank Williams’ honky-tonk voice, she cooked one of her go-to comfort meals – creamy garlic chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and a parmesan and rocket salad. The cosy kitchen filled with the rich smell of herbs and garlic, and by the time Molly arrived with a bottle of red and a half-laughed apology for not having arrived earlier to help – not that she should have felt the need to, being a guest – the tension of the last few days had started to ease. With the full moon to admire, they decided to sit out on the back verandah under the string of fairy lights, glasses of wine resting on the banister, their plates balanced on their knees. Sherlock lay sprawled at their feet, snoring lightly. Molly recounted her week between mouthfuls, the good, the frustrating, and the weirdly sweet old couple who argued every morning at the café about whose turn it was to feed their cat. Brianna listened, laughed, topped up their glasses. Then, with a comfortable lull settling, she chose her moment to tell Molly about Sharon’s visit to Hayden’s.

And Craig Dunlop’s unnerving comments.

Molly went still, her glass of wine halfway to her mouth. ‘He showed up at Hayden’s place? Just like that?’

‘He sure did.’ Brianna nodded. ‘He didn’t say much about anything in particular, but what he did say was odd. And the way he looked around, the way he mentioned Sharon being there, Hayden said it felt very much like a warning.’

Molly was quiet a long time. Then she said softly, ‘Jack used to say someone inside the system was playing both sides. I always thought it was just talk. The kind of thing people say when they’re scared. But now, I …’ She blinked faster, shook her head slowly.