Page 39 of Rough Stock

‘Ugh.’

Even with Izzy trying not to laugh, Craig sighed heavily at Stone being a child, as he said, ‘Lydia, the stockyards clerk, would like you to say hello, Finn. She’s a lovely lady to have onside, with what you do.’

‘I was going there next…’ Finn rubbed his forehead as if fighting a migraine, like a father sick of controlling the siblings fighting in the back seat on a very long drive.

But then there was a pause as they stared at the images spread out in front of them.

‘So, from the silence, I’m guessing we have nothing?’ Stone asked.

The silence got heavier.

‘The ex-bull rider.’ Izzy tugged on Craig’s sleeve. ‘If it was my case, I’d check him out.’

‘Who?’ Amara held up her stylus, ready to take notes on her tablet.

‘Yeah, spill, mate.’ Stone nodded eagerly. ‘Tell him, Bossman.’

‘In this game, every bit of information matters, no matter how small,’ said Finn.

Craig exhaled heavily, sitting back in his chair. ‘Dane Carter, or DC as he was called on the rodeo circuit. A total tosser.’ He hesitated. Until Izzy gave him a nod of encouragement, and with the rest of the odd squad watching, he had to spill. ‘Dane’s an ex-bull rider who was banned for cheating. We just learned that Dane quit Grainger’s cattle station as a head stockman for the mustering season.’

‘You’re kidding?’ Finn frowned.

‘What?’ Amara asked, all bright eyed.

‘Head stockmen never quit, especially on a muster.’

‘Yet Izzy and I heard Dane quit, leaving the cattle station owner high and dry during a muster. In this town, Dane will never get another job as a head stockman again for doing that to a station owner.’

‘Got him.’ Amara read off her tablet’s screen. ‘Dane Carter, fifty-one, divorced.’

‘Any priors?’ asked Finn.

‘Drink driving, assault from public brawling, and…’ Amara paused, her eyes flicking to Stone with a hint of sympathy in them. ‘And a charge of animal cruelty.’

Stone leaned closer to the table, and spoke through gritted teeth, ‘What the hell for?’

‘Drugging one of the rodeo bulls he rode,’ explained Craig, siding with Stone’s reaction. ‘It’s why Dane got banned from the sport. Arsehole.’

‘Agreed.’ Stone gave a sharp nod. No smile either. It was rare to see the serious side to the cheeky crocodile wrangler.

‘So why did Dane quit his job?’ Finn sipped his coffee, his dark eyes on Craig.

‘Apparently he sold his property to a new developer.’

‘You could do a land title search easily enough.’ Izzy dropped her elbow on the table and pointed at Amara’s tablet.

Craig’s brow ruffled, because he knew Izzy was keen to find that developer to sell Dustfire. Their home.

‘I’m normally quicker than this, but I’m still learning their system.’ Amara gave an awkward shrug. ‘And sometimes the internet reception is slow.’

‘Coz the information highway has a long way to travel, Duchess.’

‘May I?’ Izzy held out her hand to Amara.

Finn nodded at Amara, who reluctantly handed the tablet over.

Izzy quickly tapped out a web address. ‘The federal system is slow. And it’s nothing to do with the connection, it’s the traffic. Public records are ten times quicker through this portal… There. Type in the lot number and you’ll have it in less than ten seconds. It’s enough for a basic name search.’

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