Page 92 of Stockman's Stormcloud

‘You did what?’ Marcus shook his head. ‘You know Bree helps the Stock Squad by identifying cattle brands and regularly updates the register.’

‘I’m sorry, Bree. It was—’

‘Stop.’ Bree held her hand out like a stop sign. ‘I’ll watch you grovel later. Right now, we have a chance of getting your cattle back.’

That made the Riggs brothers sit taller.

‘Do you know where they are?’ Dex asked.

‘We have our suspicions.’ Marcus nodded, as they took their seats while Ash poured out their coffee.

‘What has it got to do with you, Finn?’ Ryder’s tone was terse, as if he wasn’t too keen on the new guy on their property. ‘Charlie said you’re not to be trusted, mentioning a good behaviour bond.’

‘That old man calls me the devil.’ Finn shrugged his beefy shoulders, about the same size as Ryder’s. ‘Charlie doesn’t know that I work undercover for the Stock Squad.’

‘What the flip?’ Dex looked to Bree, married to the man. ‘He’s a cop?’

Finn gave a defiant look that saidTry me!

‘Bree?’ Dex turned to face her. Why hadn’t she told him? The woman, who kept an illegal still, and sold it at the black market carpark, could not be married to a policeman. ‘I don’t believe it.’

‘Hey, it’s not my secret to tell.’ Bree candidly shrugged. Not once did the witch give this secret away. How many more did she keep?

‘You can’t be a cop.’ Cap’s eyes were as big as saucers while looking at the heavy ink covering Finn’s arms

‘If you must know, my rank is detective sergeant.’ Finn pulled out a fancy badge unlike any Dex had seen before, but the ID clearly saidDetective Sergeant Finn Wilde.

Dex knew Wilde was Bree’s last name. He’d seen the Wilde family brand that Charlie had made for his grandson, Liam, that hung on the wall in the cottage next to the Elsie Creek Station and the Splint family branding irons. He’d just never put it together.

Sliding his badge back into his pocket, Finn glared at Ryder. ‘The reason I’m telling you this, is so you don’t accuse me of stealing your stock. Bree said you could be trusted enough to not share.’

Ryder gave a terse nod.

‘Marcus has a set of photos to show you.’

‘Here…’ From the folder, Marcus pulled out a set of coloured photos he placed on the table. ‘This is Hank Lawson, his partner Marla Mawton, and her younger brother Joe Mawton. The two men are stockmen, but also fighters who follow the illegal fight circuit.’

Dex sat back, rocking his chair, and didn’t say a word, but he could feel Bree watching him. Lifting his eyes to his partner in crime, he wondered what Bree had told them.

‘Relax, Stormcloud. It’s not what you think.’

‘We’re not here for you, Dex,’ said Finn, the undercover cop sitting next to the town’s top cop, ‘because we want your helpto get your cattle back.’

‘How?’ Ryder asked.

‘Hank, Marla, and Joe are wanted for cattle rustling in Queensland. We lost track of them for a bit. But then they showed up in WA, and now they’re here in the Top End because there’s a fight meet on next weekend. A big one. And they want in.’

Dex knew all about the meet, too, because normally he’d be training for it. But with his health, he’d been focusing on making money legitimately.

But it was a big meet with lots of stockmen in for the musters. Which meant the bigger the crowd, the bigger the cash prize. And on bouts like that, Bree would easily sell out of her gin in the car park, while he placed big bets on himself to cut a chunk off his part of the mortgage.

He sneakily side-glanced Bree. She had to be thinking the same. They were partners in crime—that he still couldn’t believe she was married to a cop!

‘Do you know why they’re here?’ Cap asked Finn.

Finn nodded. ‘They’re here because Hank wants to fight Dex again. Apparently, you gave him a complete makeover the last time you met?’

Dex said nothing. Just like Bree.

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