Page 74 of Rough Stock

Craig nodded.

‘Well, let’s hear them.’

‘What bothered me is that Dane would have never known where to find that stock on Ginny’s property. Not when Dane had been mustering out on Grainger’s station. Someone must have told Dane where to find them and what stock to take. We all saw how Renzo knew nothing about cattle in the shed, even admitting he wasn’t a cowboy. So, someone else helped Dane load the cattle onto the trailers the night they were stolen.’

‘I agree. And I believe it’s someone local who’d have that knowledge and skill level.’

‘So, it’s this stock agent, Izzy mentioned. Did Dane ever say who the stock agent is?’

Finn shook his head. ‘I was hoping to let Dane sweat it out in prison for a few weeks, then go back and see if he’d be willing to negotiate time off his sentence by telling me about this stock agent.’

‘What about the people who visited Ginny’s farm? Could any of them have done this?’

‘They all had alibis.’

With the sun blazing above them, they quietly took in the view of the local outback airport, gathering their thoughts.

‘Did Alistair ask Izzy’s boss who he was working for? He had to have some reason to send Izzy on those searches about Everlight in the first place.’

‘No. Her boss seems to have skipped the country, and a fire destroyed his office.’

‘Does that mean no one is going to prison for those crimes?’ Because they’d either skipped the country or were dead. ‘I know Izzy wanted justice for Meghan’s murder.’

‘Sorry, mate. At least Meghan’s family can have some peace knowing the killer is dead, and you don’t have to worry about Renzo ever coming back for Izzy.’

‘But is my wife safe, if we don’t know who was behind it?’ It’s what brought Izzy out here looking for somewhere to be safe, and why she’d tried so hard to keep her distance from him too. Craig did not want her running away from him again.

‘Izzy is safe. Trust me on that. I’ve even got the commissioner telling me the same.’ Finn pointed to the clear blue skies where the plane was long gone. ‘Everlight Energy is done.’

‘Why should the commissioner care?’

‘Because Drew wants this trial for the Stock Squad to work. Drew and I go way back, and he asked me to set up the squad, so this is his baby as well as mine. Because of the success from our first official bust, Drew is proud of what we’ve done. He’s assured me that Everlight Energy’s investigation is in the hands of the federal police and arrests are being made. In the meantime, our job,’ Finn said, plonking his hand on Craig’s shoulder, ‘is to watch over the stock within this region. So, until we get our next call, let’s go have some of Amara’s morning tea or we’ll never hear the end of it.’

But Craig was coming to understand Finn and how he operated. ‘There’s a bigger picture to this Everlight and stolen stock incident, isn’t there?’

Finn opened the back door to the Elsie Creek Police Station, the official office of the outback’s first Federal Stock Squad, and said, ‘As my old sergeant used to say at the end of every shift: let’s take it one day at a time, one crime at a time…’

Epilogue

A cattle truck ambled along Dustfire’s neatly pruned and re-gravelled driveway, followed by a large black ute. Craig recognised both vehicles.

‘Who is that?’ Izzy rushed from the house, sliding on her newest wide-brimmed hat.

‘It’s Bree.’ Craig stood in the main circular area waiting for the truck to park.

‘Why is Bree driving a truck?’

‘It’s Bree and Charlie’s livestock truck.’ Missing his mentor, he slid an arm around Izzy’s shoulders.

‘So who’s in that black ute? That’s got to be worth more than a house.’

‘Ryder Riggs.’ The stern billionaire with the trimmed beard who rarely smiled. ‘Bree’s new husband.’

‘Oooh.’ Izzy narrowed her eyes at Ryder, who was climbing out of his ute, adjusting his big black hat. Her head tilted as she took in all the details, which she’d turn over for the next six hours, as her mind fixated on Ryder. Craig never got jealous, because it’s what Izzy did. ‘He’s as big as Finn.’

And probably just as lethal—but man enough to handle someone like Bree.

Craig approached the couple. ‘What brings you out here?’

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