shed, shearing them, selling the wool and returning the stock. Incredibly brazen, but it had happened once or twice.
Giving up on the fence, he returned to his wagon and looked at his speedometer. He'd been recording all the distances he'd travelled today for the time- lines he planned to construct when he returned to Pirie. He hoped he'd be able to use the mileage to work out where he was now and whose farm these sheep belonged to so he could ring the owners in the morning. He turned the key, let his foot off the clutch and turned back towards Pirie.
The phone was ringing as Gemma walked into the house. She let the answering machine pick it up and headed straight to the shower, desperate to wash the anxiety of the day away. About ten minutes later Pat banged on the door to announce his arrival. 'I'll be out in a minute,' she called.
'What's for tea? I'm starving!' Pat yelled.
'I have no earthly idea.'
Gemma walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, rubbing her hair with a towel. 'Jess!' she exclaimed on seeing her best friend sitting at the kitchen table talking intently to Pat. 'It's wonderful to see you, but what the hell are you doing here?'
Jess got up and moved around the table to hug her. 'What, can't I call in and say g'day to my best mate?'
'It's unusual, that's all. Well, since you're here, you can cook tea.'
Jess opened the fridge door and waved her hand towards its contents. 'I've already taken care of it. I made lasagne before I left town. I just need to heat it up and make a salad. So what's happening?'
'I was going to ask you the same thing,' said Gemma, looking from Jess to Pat. Neither one met her eye.
'I'm on holidays,' said Jess. 'I've taken a couple of weeks off and I intend to fill my lungs with country air.'
'I see,' said Gemma, not moving from where she stood at the end of the table with her arms crossed. 'Keep trying.'
Pat gave Jess a look.
'Okay, okay. I'll tell her,' said Jess miserably.
'Tell me what?' asked Gemma.
'Sit down, Gemma. I tried to tell you when I was out here last time but the time never seemed right and . . .' Jess's voice trailed off.
'Well you can tell me now.' Gemma's voice was steely but her face was pale and her eyes held a slight hint of fear. She threw the towel over her shoulders, pulled out a chair and sat.
'Gemma, there are rumours going around Pirie that Adam was part of a stock-stealing ring.' Jess took a deep breath then continued. 'They've been going around for a while and some people are even saying that the plane crash wasn't an accident – that someone had set it up because Adam wanted out of it and they wouldn't let him go.'
'I don't believe it!' Gemma cried. 'My husband's dead, not here to defend himself and everyone is telling stories about him. I know you didn't like him, Jess, but I didn't think that you would stoop so low as to pass on absolute bulldust about him.' Gemma rose from the table angrily and headed towards the door. Pat's voice stopped her.
'Sis, I know this isn't easy to hear, but you gotta listen – there's more. And you're in the poo because of those sheep being put on Billbinya.'
Gemma leaned against the doorframe, tears threatening. 'I have seen my husband die. My father has had a heart attack. I'm trying to run a huge expanse of land with no money and I'm trying to pay back Adam's parents because it's what we started together. If I let go of Billbinya, I let go of Adam. Now my best friend and my brother are telling me, for my own good apparently, that I have to listen to lies about my husband.'
Jess and Pat looked at her in silence. Finally Jess got up and went to Gemma and cupped her friend's face in her hands. 'Gemma, you're my best friend. I don't want to hurt you; I've tried to be with you as much as I could since Adam died, if only in phone calls. You're right: I didn't like him – but this has nothing to do with that, you must believe me. This stockstealing thing is something completely unrelated and something
Giving up on the fence, he returned to his wagon and looked at his speedometer. He'd been recording all the distances he'd travelled today for the time- lines he planned to construct when he returned to Pirie. He hoped he'd be able to use the mileage to work out where he was now and whose farm these sheep belonged to so he could ring the owners in the morning. He turned the key, let his foot off the clutch and turned back towards Pirie.
The phone was ringing as Gemma walked into the house. She let the answering machine pick it up and headed straight to the shower, desperate to wash the anxiety of the day away. About ten minutes later Pat banged on the door to announce his arrival. 'I'll be out in a minute,' she called.
'What's for tea? I'm starving!' Pat yelled.
'I have no earthly idea.'
Gemma walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, rubbing her hair with a towel. 'Jess!' she exclaimed on seeing her best friend sitting at the kitchen table talking intently to Pat. 'It's wonderful to see you, but what the hell are you doing here?'
Jess got up and moved around the table to hug her. 'What, can't I call in and say g'day to my best mate?'
'It's unusual, that's all. Well, since you're here, you can cook tea.'
Jess opened the fridge door and waved her hand towards its contents. 'I've already taken care of it. I made lasagne before I left town. I just need to heat it up and make a salad. So what's happening?'
'I was going to ask you the same thing,' said Gemma, looking from Jess to Pat. Neither one met her eye.
'I'm on holidays,' said Jess. 'I've taken a couple of weeks off and I intend to fill my lungs with country air.'
'I see,' said Gemma, not moving from where she stood at the end of the table with her arms crossed. 'Keep trying.'
Pat gave Jess a look.
'Okay, okay. I'll tell her,' said Jess miserably.
'Tell me what?' asked Gemma.
'Sit down, Gemma. I tried to tell you when I was out here last time but the time never seemed right and . . .' Jess's voice trailed off.
'Well you can tell me now.' Gemma's voice was steely but her face was pale and her eyes held a slight hint of fear. She threw the towel over her shoulders, pulled out a chair and sat.
'Gemma, there are rumours going around Pirie that Adam was part of a stock-stealing ring.' Jess took a deep breath then continued. 'They've been going around for a while and some people are even saying that the plane crash wasn't an accident – that someone had set it up because Adam wanted out of it and they wouldn't let him go.'
'I don't believe it!' Gemma cried. 'My husband's dead, not here to defend himself and everyone is telling stories about him. I know you didn't like him, Jess, but I didn't think that you would stoop so low as to pass on absolute bulldust about him.' Gemma rose from the table angrily and headed towards the door. Pat's voice stopped her.
'Sis, I know this isn't easy to hear, but you gotta listen – there's more. And you're in the poo because of those sheep being put on Billbinya.'
Gemma leaned against the doorframe, tears threatening. 'I have seen my husband die. My father has had a heart attack. I'm trying to run a huge expanse of land with no money and I'm trying to pay back Adam's parents because it's what we started together. If I let go of Billbinya, I let go of Adam. Now my best friend and my brother are telling me, for my own good apparently, that I have to listen to lies about my husband.'
Jess and Pat looked at her in silence. Finally Jess got up and went to Gemma and cupped her friend's face in her hands. 'Gemma, you're my best friend. I don't want to hurt you; I've tried to be with you as much as I could since Adam died, if only in phone calls. You're right: I didn't like him – but this has nothing to do with that, you must believe me. This stockstealing thing is something completely unrelated and something
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