Page 41 of Stockman's Showdown

‘Is that the one who murdered this station’s head stockman over sixty years ago?’

‘You obviously know the story.’ It didn’t surprise him, because Monet knew all the gossip in this region. ‘We found his remains out near Rijidij Dugout.’

‘Oh, man, that’s rough. How is Charlie taking it?’

‘He’s pretty upset.’

Monet sighed. ‘Well, according to Mickey, the master of all things mechanical, his number one hobby is listening in on the airwaves at the town’s airstrip, and he told me he’d heard the cops had been called out to Elsie Creek Station.’

‘Which is why you’re here to find out what’s going on.’

‘No.’ But her cheesy grin saidyes. ‘Your mother said for me to keep an eye on you guys.’

‘Monet, I’m pretty sure we’re big enough and ugly enough to look after ourselves.’ He messed up her hair like the little girl he remembered.

‘Hey, I’m not six, you know.’ She straightened up her hair. ‘I honestly was on my way back from making deliveries, and ever since Jonathan told me how your neighbour was after your water, I make a point of doing a fly-by whenever I can. I guess this time I got a bit too close, eh?’

‘If I were you, I’d take photos of the damage before Dex repairs it.’

‘It’s just a scratch.’

He frowned at his petite cousin. ‘Monet, the prickshot at your plane. If you don’t make a report, I will.’ She was family.

‘Okay, okay. I usually only take photos of my plane for my social media accounts, not this. But hey, I’m sure this will generate some public interest, right? Not every day I get shot at.’ With camera in hand, she took selfies of her and her plane. Nothing like crime scene shots at all.

After scouring the police murder file all morning, he was learning fast how they liked to keep it all neatly compiled, so he took out his own phone, to take detailed photos that included the date and time for evidence. ‘Please tell Tim about the plane being shot atbeforeyou post those images to social media.’

‘Aw, yeah…’ Monet screwed up her button nose. ‘Tim got cranky at me last time. Hey, how did the muster go?’

‘How did you know about that?’Nice change of subject, cousin.

‘I spotted Charlie in the pub with Bree the other day when they were getting supplies. Charlie was excited. I like how you take Charlie with you. You know he’s got the best stories.’

‘I’ve noticed. Bree and my brothers finished the muster yesterday.’ While Ryder spent the day with Charlie and the police. He’d felt bad for Charlie, who’d been quiet all day at the cave, watching the coming and goings of the police, while standing guard over his brother’s skeleton.

‘So, you’ll be doing the drafting next, huh?’

Ryder nodded. ‘Do you know of any kid who wants a job as a station hand. We need someone to help in the drafting yards. You know the usual jobs of cleaning troughs, fencing, and looking after the stockhorses.’

‘You should ask Bree. She’s always getting applications for station workers emailed to the official Elsie Creek Station email address.’

‘The what?’ It’s the first he’d heard about this.

‘It’s the one Bree uses to get included in my wet season mail runs when the front creek gets flooded. Don’t you talk to Bree?’

Not as much as he’d like to. ‘I talk to Charlie, or should I say Charlie’s always talking to me?’

‘You should talk to Bree.’

‘And how do I keep Bree still long enough for a conversation, that doesn’t involve gin? Where Bree then says she’s off the clock and won’t talk about work.’

‘Cupcakes. Everyone knows Bree likes her cupcakes.’

He hated that word!

Dex roared towards them on the quad bike with assorted tools sitting in the crate strapped to the back. ‘Ready to give this plane a bit of a tickle?’

‘I’m so sorry, Gertrude.’ Monet tenderly stroked the wing of her plane as if it were an injured animal.

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