slab of Coca-Cola at the counter and carried it out ahead of the younger man.
‘See that?’ Bo said. ‘I knew they was up to something. Them two are planning to win that trip to Venice.’
The waitress came over and began clearing the men’s table. Bo asked her, ‘Can I get another cup of tea over here? And these two ladies are after a coffee.’
Susan said to Annabelle, ‘It would take months to survey a place like Ranna properly.’
Bo watched her, squinting through the smoke of his cigarette. ‘We could maybe do a preliminary survey. We might come up with enough to hold them off for a while. Spend a week down there, like we just did at Burranbah.’
Susan looked at him for a while without saying anything, considering. And he looked back at her, waiting for her to say what she was thinking of. ‘How long since you were down there?’ she asked him.
‘It’s more than twenty years since me and Dougald cleaned that place out for old Nellie Bigges.’
‘You’ve never been back?’
‘No. I don’t think anyone’s been down to the old Ranna Station since Nellie cleared out.’
Susan turned to Annabelle, ‘Bo’s grandmother grew up on Ranna with the Bigges family. Bo and Dougald did the last muster on the place when George Bigges’ widow moved to the coast.’ She looked at Bo. ‘There’s a lot of history down there for you, Bo.’
The waitress came and set fresh drinks in front of them. Bo thanked her and she said, ‘Not a problem.’ When she’d gone, Annabelle said, ‘My grandfather knew George Bigges. I believe they were friends.’
Susan said, ‘Why don’t you two do it?’
They looked at Annabelle to see what she’d say.
Susan said, ‘Give your dean a ring and tell him you’re doing important casework up here. You’ll never see a more beautiful place than the Ranna Valley so they tell me. I’ve never been there.’ She looked at Bo. ‘What about Arner and Trace? They’re not really interested, are they?’
‘They’ll get interested.’
‘They may not.’
‘Well they’ll get less interested if I leave them behind. Dougald don’t want to sit there staring at them two all day.’
‘It’s all very well for Dougald,’ she said. ‘He doesn’t actually have to do anything. He just sits down there brooding in that silence of his, then suddenly comes out with something like this that throws off everyone else’s plans.’
‘It’s been tough on them three since Moa died,’ Bo said. ‘Tougher on Arner, I believe, than on any of them. I don’t know if he’s ever going to quite get over it. Dougald’s sitting there watching it day by day. He don’t say much, but he sees what’s happening to his kids.’ He drew on his cigarette.
‘I know,’ Susan said.
‘Now he’s got this heart thing. You can’t blame Dougald.’
‘I know all that. I know,’ she said irritably. ‘It’s not easy for him. But it’s five years. We always talk as if Moa just died last week.
Bo smoked his cigarette. ‘You’d better let me drive the rest of the way. You’re tired.’
‘I’ll drive,’ she said firmly. ‘I feel like driving.’ She stood up. ‘I’m in the mood to drive. I’ll see you out there. I’m going to the toilet.’
When she had gone Bo said to Annabelle, ‘You ever get to Venice in your travels?’
‘I was there for ten days five years ago.’
‘Was you with your husband or on your own?’
‘I was with my husband.’
‘Well you’ve been there,’ he said. ‘That’s something. Them two tattooed fellers are only hoping to get there.’ He glanced at her cup. ‘You done with that?’
They got up and left the café. Susan was sitting in the passenger seat. Bo climbed into the driver’s seat beside her.
She looked at him. ‘Sorry,’ she said.
He started the motor and turned around and looked at Annabelle, ‘You all set back there, Miss Annabellebeck?’ He reached and changed the tape and backed out of the servo. He swung the wheel and drove out
‘See that?’ Bo said. ‘I knew they was up to something. Them two are planning to win that trip to Venice.’
The waitress came over and began clearing the men’s table. Bo asked her, ‘Can I get another cup of tea over here? And these two ladies are after a coffee.’
Susan said to Annabelle, ‘It would take months to survey a place like Ranna properly.’
Bo watched her, squinting through the smoke of his cigarette. ‘We could maybe do a preliminary survey. We might come up with enough to hold them off for a while. Spend a week down there, like we just did at Burranbah.’
Susan looked at him for a while without saying anything, considering. And he looked back at her, waiting for her to say what she was thinking of. ‘How long since you were down there?’ she asked him.
‘It’s more than twenty years since me and Dougald cleaned that place out for old Nellie Bigges.’
‘You’ve never been back?’
‘No. I don’t think anyone’s been down to the old Ranna Station since Nellie cleared out.’
Susan turned to Annabelle, ‘Bo’s grandmother grew up on Ranna with the Bigges family. Bo and Dougald did the last muster on the place when George Bigges’ widow moved to the coast.’ She looked at Bo. ‘There’s a lot of history down there for you, Bo.’
The waitress came and set fresh drinks in front of them. Bo thanked her and she said, ‘Not a problem.’ When she’d gone, Annabelle said, ‘My grandfather knew George Bigges. I believe they were friends.’
Susan said, ‘Why don’t you two do it?’
They looked at Annabelle to see what she’d say.
Susan said, ‘Give your dean a ring and tell him you’re doing important casework up here. You’ll never see a more beautiful place than the Ranna Valley so they tell me. I’ve never been there.’ She looked at Bo. ‘What about Arner and Trace? They’re not really interested, are they?’
‘They’ll get interested.’
‘They may not.’
‘Well they’ll get less interested if I leave them behind. Dougald don’t want to sit there staring at them two all day.’
‘It’s all very well for Dougald,’ she said. ‘He doesn’t actually have to do anything. He just sits down there brooding in that silence of his, then suddenly comes out with something like this that throws off everyone else’s plans.’
‘It’s been tough on them three since Moa died,’ Bo said. ‘Tougher on Arner, I believe, than on any of them. I don’t know if he’s ever going to quite get over it. Dougald’s sitting there watching it day by day. He don’t say much, but he sees what’s happening to his kids.’ He drew on his cigarette.
‘I know,’ Susan said.
‘Now he’s got this heart thing. You can’t blame Dougald.’
‘I know all that. I know,’ she said irritably. ‘It’s not easy for him. But it’s five years. We always talk as if Moa just died last week.
Bo smoked his cigarette. ‘You’d better let me drive the rest of the way. You’re tired.’
‘I’ll drive,’ she said firmly. ‘I feel like driving.’ She stood up. ‘I’m in the mood to drive. I’ll see you out there. I’m going to the toilet.’
When she had gone Bo said to Annabelle, ‘You ever get to Venice in your travels?’
‘I was there for ten days five years ago.’
‘Was you with your husband or on your own?’
‘I was with my husband.’
‘Well you’ve been there,’ he said. ‘That’s something. Them two tattooed fellers are only hoping to get there.’ He glanced at her cup. ‘You done with that?’
They got up and left the café. Susan was sitting in the passenger seat. Bo climbed into the driver’s seat beside her.
She looked at him. ‘Sorry,’ she said.
He started the motor and turned around and looked at Annabelle, ‘You all set back there, Miss Annabellebeck?’ He reached and changed the tape and backed out of the servo. He swung the wheel and drove out
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