Page 59 of Whispers of Sweetwater

The moment passed. But the weight of it didn’t.

His thoughts drifted again, this time to Molly. He hadn’t told her yet, but earlier that afternoon he’d spoken briefly with Walt again. The old stockman had remembered something strange, how Jack had gotten into a shouting match with Trev behind the pub. Said it was about ‘owing more than just money’. Walt hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but with everything that was surfacing now, it rang different. And when Hayden really thought about it, Trev was always around. Always listening. Always fixing things no one asked him to fix. Too helpful, in hindsight. Always seeming to be where he didn’t quite belong, tools in hand, ears open. And then there was Joe. Quiet, awkward, kept to himself, but always seemed to turn up at the café or around deliveries when Trev was nearby. The two shared a strange rhythm, like they knew each other better than they let on. Not mates, exactly. But aligned. Hayden had chalked it up to coincidence. He didn’t anymore.

His phone chimed in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the text from Brianna:

Hey, Tom Marks just dropped an envelope off at the cafe. Molly says it’s in Jack’s handwriting. She really wants you here when we open it … and so do I.

His stomach turned. He typed back quickly.

Just need to walk Maverick back to the paddock and then I’m on my way.

He pocketed the phone and gave the foal a final scratch behind the ears. The pieces were falling into place. And it felt like time was running out to do something about it.

A clatter of tools and a muttered curse floated across the fence line, and he glanced up to see Gavin half-buried in the guts of an old Fiat tractor, oil smeared across his forearm. He almost told him about the letter, about Walt, but thought better of it. Gavin was a husband, a father – he didn’t want to bury his mate any deeper than he already was in this mess.

‘Thought you said she was purring like a kitten,’ he called out.

Gavin shot him a dry look. ‘More like a three-legged cat with asthma. You want to trade jobs? I’ll wrangle your foal, and you rebuild this bloody thing.’

Hayden chuckled. ‘Pass. And besides, Maverick here has got more attitude than your kids.’

‘Yeah, well, he doesn’t throw Lego at your head at six in the morning.’ Gavin wiped his hand and leant on the tractor. ‘You going into town, or staying in tonight?’

‘I’m heading over to Molly’s, to see how she’s holding up.’

Gavin’s expression sobered immediately. ‘You need anything, let me know.’

Hayden gave a short nod, then turned back to Maverick, who had somehow tangled the lead rope around his front legs like a lanky acrobat.

‘Come on, trouble,’ Hayden muttered, crouching to untwist the rope. ‘Time to go.’

* * *

Later that evening, after the café had closed and the sun dipped below the hills, Molly locked up and walked with Brianna the short way to the cottage. It had been her idea to ask Hayden to come and Molly hadn’t hesitated in agreeing. Something about the envelope felt too big, too heavy to open alone.

They hadn’t been sitting long when a sudden shout echoed from out front. ‘Hey! Come back here!’

Brianna and Molly sprang from their seats and rushed outside, hearts thudding. Hayden stood near the driveway, breath sharp, his eyes fixed on the distant edge of the yard where the shadows thickened. Then, not noticing them watching him, he took a few urgent steps towards the fence line.

‘Hey! Come back here!’ he bellowed again into the growing dusk, but there was no reply, only the rustle of wind in the trees.

‘I saw someone,’ he said when they reached him, his jaw tight. ‘Right before I pulled up. Out front, near the fence. Tall. I thought they might’ve been watching the place.’

He glanced at the shadows again, breath still coming fast. ‘They were gone before I could get a good look.’

The three of them stood in uneasy silence a moment longer before Hayden gave a firm nod towards the cottage. ‘Come on. Let’s get inside. And lock the door.’

They turned as one and headed back to the safety of the house, tension trailing behind them like smoke. Molly bolted the door once they were inside, and the quiet that followed was heavy with unspoken questions. They moved around to the windows and doors, instinct taking over as they checked locks, closed blinds and turned off unnecessary lights. Hayden double-checked the back door while Brianna drew the curtains over the kitchen sink with a sharp tug, her nerves still prickling. And when they gathered back at the dining table, the envelope sat in the centre like a loaded gun.

Brianna gave Hayden a quick, grateful smile across the table. ‘Tilly was sitting with me when it got dropped off.’ She hesitated, then added, ‘And before that happened, Craig Dunlop came in. And when he’d ordered his coffee, he spotted us and came straight over, like he wanted to make his presence very known. Tilly tensed up immediately. Said she’s never liked him, not even when they were kids. Said he’s always been … off.’

Hayden’s jaw clenched. ‘That’s what worries me. If Tilly’s picking up on things, she’ll talk to Gavin. And if Gavin starts piecing it together too, they’re in it way too deep. I know he knows a bit of what’s going on, but I don’t want them caught up in this mess. Especially not with those kids of theirs to look after.’

Molly nodded while her gaze was distant. ‘I don’t either. I don’t want them anywhere near it.’

‘Right then.’ Hayden nodded towards the envelope, his voice low but steady. ‘Let’s see what Jack has to say.’

‘I’m dying to read it, but then again, I don’t know if I want to know.’ Molly reached forwards, her fingers trembling slightly as they closed around the envelope.