Novels 02 Red Dust (15 page)

Chapter 21

Dave threw his swag up on the roof-rack next to Craig's. Roping them both down, he rechecked the oil and water while Craig loaded food supplies and investigative gear into the four-wheel drive.

Opening the stainless-steel chest full of equipment, Craig checked through it. 'Okay, we've got the video camera, sat phone, NLIS wand for scanning the tags if we need to, binocs, night-vision goggles . . . How long did you say we're goin' for?'

'Maybe two nights, depending on what we find.'

'Looks like we're goin' for bloody weeks.'

'I think our mobiles will work out there anyway; shouldn't really need the sat phone,' Dave conceded.

'Better to be prepared though, hey? Just in case we hit a black spot or something. Jeez, it's cold.' Craig rubbed his hands together and blew on them.

'Wait until we get out to Billbinya. You'll know

what cold is then. So, you right? Can I back into the trailer now?'

'Yep.' Craig directed Dave as he backed up to the trailer that held a quad bike in case they needed to muster any stock. After attaching it to the tow ball and hooking up the lights, he jumped in the passenger side. He adjusted the squelch on the CB radio and asked, 'Have you been listening to the CB as you've been driving?'

'Yeah, I haven't heard anything that indicates unusual stock movements. I've heard the truckies telling others that we're around, though, so it's common knowledge that we've arrived.'

As they drove towards Billbinya, Dave discussed the program he had in mind.

'I want to try and do a stocktake of all the animals that are on Billbinya. So we'll get Gemma's stock numbers and a map, work out what stock is in which paddock. We'll check out those animals. You can check the earmarks and I'll see if I can get a count of the mobs we come across. If we don't get it all done by tomorrow we'll stay another night. If we find anything untoward we'll ask to see the paperwork. Weigh bills, stock sale invoices. Gemma told me that Ned has done a full stock count for the 30 June figures, so they should be pretty up to date.'

'I reckon talking to Ned and Ben would be a good idea too,' Craig suggested. 'Theoretically, they should have copies of all the contracts to do with stock from the past few years, that way we can cross-reference it with Gemma's paperwork.'

'Yeah, that's true,' Dave said. 'That might be worth following up when we get back. You didn't find anything criminally interesting on any of the players, did you? Jess or Ned? I assume you would have said if you had.'

'Nah, nothing of interest; Ned's had a couple of DUIs, but that's about it. Do you think Gemma is involved?'

Dave thought for a while. 'You know, I'm not convinced she's guilty. I think there's enough information to indicate that Adam was somehow involved. Now whether he was the mastermind or just a participant, I'm not sure. There's no way he could have managed it all by himself. But having Gemma as the accomplice just doesn't sit right with me. I'm really not sure. I'm thinking we might have to go into their bank records and see if there is anything incriminating there, but we've not had any indication where – or even if – the animals have been sold, so that could be a dead end. I'd have thought that Ned would have told us if there had been stock sold through the Billbinya name that wasn't owned by Billbinya. Do you see where I'm going?'

Craig nodded. 'Absolutely, I agree. If they'd tried anything like that Ned would have spotted it. You know what I don't understand? In every other investigation I've been involved in, farmers aren't that happy about giving out too much information, yet this time it's been flowing very easily. I mean, let's start with the anonymous phone call. That gave us information on how the stock stealing is happening. Then you've gone to heaps of different farms, been welcomed with open arms and had information spewed at you. It's really weird.'

'Yeah, you're right. It's not the way it normally happens – but I think in this case, people are pissed off at having their stock nicked. Don't forget, this is their income you're talking about. Times are pretty tight so I guess no one wants to see their dollar notes walking out the front gate. It's pretty obvious that they are being taken and the alleged culprit is dead, so they don't think anyone will get hurt. Although,' Dave said as an afterthought, 'I'm not sure how they think Gemma is not being hurt somehow – innocent or otherwise.'

They drove in silence for a while, Craig thinking about Jess. She'd filled his head for the last few days and he was hoping to meet her again. She really was stunning . . .

'You dreaming?' Dave asked.

'What?' Craig's mind cleared.

'What are you dreaming about?'

'Nothing much. Just wondering about Jess Rawlings and how she might fit into it all.'

'Is that right?' Dave gave his partner a knowing look.

'What?' Craig asked again.

'A word of warning. You remember what happened last time you fell for someone who was involved in an investigation? Turned out she was guilty, didn't it? I know nothing happened between you, but, all the same, don't let your tool rule your head again, okay?'

Craig didn't answer. He hated to even think about that incident, let alone have it pointed out to him. He nodded slightly to let Dave know he'd heard, but turned to look out of the window, ending the conversation.

The dirt road kicked up a purplish-coloured dust and he looked at the low scrubby bushes that were the colour of kangaroos. The fences were old wire netting and looked like they had seen better times.

'Not surprising stock goes missing with these fences,' Craig said.

Dave nodded in agreement. 'I told you about coming back that night and the sheep being on the road, didn't I?' he asked.

Craig nodded, looked out the window again, and silence reigned.

Gemma's phone rang at 5.30 am, startling her from a deep sleep. Wondering who on earth could be ringing, she leapt from her bed, praying her dad was okay.

'Hello?'

'Morning, Gem.' It was Jess.

'Jess! What are you doing awake at this time of the morning?' Gemma asked, completely thrown.

'Needed to ask you a few questions and I knew that you'd be leaving early. How's the shearing going?'

'Yeah, really good,' said Gemma and proceeded to tell Jess all about the wool cut and her hope that there would even be some money left over after paying her debts.

Jess listened, toying with the pen and paper she had in front of her. 'Sounds great, Gem. Now listen, I have some questions about your financials – have you got time to answer them?'

'Yeah, go for it.'

'What time of the year do you make the payments to Adam's family?'

'Um, I think it's in September sometime, depending on when shearing is completed. We need to have time to sell the wool and work out what we've made before we can make the payments to them.'

'Okay. And was there a payment made last year?'

'Yeah, as far as I know. I'm sure they would have said something to us if they hadn't received it. Why?'

'Well, I've been looking through the bank statements and the monthly reports of expenditure and I can't see that there has been a payment of substance made. How do you make the payment? Cheque? Or do you give them some of the wool to sell in their own name? That would explain why I can't find a large payment.' Jess waited, hoping that was the case.

Gemma answered slowly. 'As far as I know the payment came directly out of the bank account. It was set up so that Adam would authorise the payment when we knew how much we had made. If prices were good, we would pay more than the agreed amount of fifty thousand a year, but if the wool was down, we were able to drop it to twenty thou.' Gemma played with the phone cord and waited for Jess to deliver what she assumed was going to be bad news.

'Okay.' Gemma could almost hear Jess thinking. 'Look, Gem, I'm certain that there hasn't been anything near those amounts coming out of the Billbinya account for at least two years . . .'

'Two years?' Gemma screeched. 'You're joking. Ian and Joan wouldn't have let Adam get away with not paying for two years.'

'No, the payments have been made. I've been through the financials that you gave me and the payments have definitely been made and the debt reduced. I'm wondering if there's another bank account, or shares, or some sort of investment that Adam could have been making the payments from?'

'Not that I know about,' Gemma stated firmly.

'Okay, well maybe that needs a bit more research. The payments have been around the sixty k mark over the past two years. That's a lot of money to be made just from wool. Gem, I know you're not going to like this, but he must have been getting the money from somewhere else. It just isn't coming out of the Billbinya bank account and there is insufficient money going through that account to make those kinds of payments. In fact, I'm not sure how the hell you're managing to survive. It's a lot worse than you've ever told me. And how you're going to be able to convince the bank to lend you more money next year, unless you have a great wool clip, I don't know.'

'Jess, don't take that banking tone of voice with me,' Gemma interrupted. 'I
know
how bad things are, okay? I live it every day. But the wool clip is going to be good. Didn't you listen to what I said at the beginning of the call?'

'Sorry, lovely, I'm used to being stern with the clients! But seriously, you're going to be in the shit if you don't make some changes. I've got some ideas about making extra income that I'd really like to talk to you about when I come out later in the week. Okay?'

'I'm always open to ideas, you know that.'

'Good. Now, going back to these payments. Steel yourself, because you ain't gonna like this one bit. I think that Adam must have been getting money through this stock-stealing business. We do know he was involved somehow. We found the phone to prove it.'

Gemma grimaced. To say yes now meant actually admitting that she thought her husband was guilty. She remembered the text messages and knew that really there wasn't any doubt, no matter how much she wanted there to be.

'Gem?' prompted Jess.

'Yeah, okay,' Gemma sighed. 'Yes, I think you're right.'

'I wish I could give you a hug, lovely,' Jess said, her voice full of compassion. 'I'm sorry to do this to you over the phone, but it has to get sorted. I need this info before I leave town.'

'Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll be so busy I won't have time to think after I get off the phone from you,' Gemma said weakly.

'Can you think of anywhere Adam would have hidden information? Would he have kept the documents to say he'd made the payments or would he have destroyed them?'

'Oh, he'd have kept everything,' Gemma said in a sure voice. 'I have never known anyone to keep things like he did. But, Jess, I've been through the house thoroughly looking for something – I just don't know what. I thought I knew everything about Adam. Then there were these discrepancies with stock numbers, followed by Ned telling me about this contract for cattle I don't know how to fill, and now the stock squad are involved and they're coming back out here today. Everything I thought I knew about my husband has turned out to be lies. I don't know anything anymore. I mean, the phone confirms Adam was involved, but I can't help wanting to defend him – I still love him. He was my husband for nine years!'

'I know, Gem, I know,' Jess's voice was quiet. 'But forget about Adam for the moment – what's concerning me is that the stock squad thinks you're involved somehow. Having those wethers on Billbinya has really put you in the spotlight. We need to clear your name. That's what you have to focus on, okay? So to do that, we need to find these papers. Think, Gem, where else could he have put them?'

'Well,' Gemma said slowly, 'the plane would have been the obvious place, I guess. He was the only one who ever flew in it. I don't like small planes. But there wasn't anything found that I know of. They gave me back some of his things that weren't destroyed, but there weren't papers among them. I really don't know where they could be, Jess. I'll have to think about it and have a look around.'

'Okay, sounds like a plan. Now, you said the stock squad are coming out today, that right?'

'Yep, Dave rang yesterday and said he wanted to have a look around, check out the lay of the land.'

'Don't give them the phone, Gem. We need to get more evidence against Adam before we talk to them. Every time you see them remember that they probably think you're a suspect. Don't tell them anything.'

'Jess, are you sure that's really necessary? You seem to forget I haven't done anything wrong. The facts will speak for themselves.'

'Gem, listen to me. The fact that those payments have been made to your in-laws implicates you. It's going to be obvious to anyone who looks at your books that Billbinya is under financial strain. Adam took steps to ensure he didn't lose the farm to the bank. There is nothing to say that you didn't know anything about this. There is heaps of circumstantial evidence implying that you knew exactly what was going on. I mean, I'm not trying to be cruel, Gem, but most farmers' wives would have known that the payments hadn't come out of the operating business's account. It's just that Adam liked to do all the books himself so you didn't see the discrepancies. You trusted him and signed anything he put in front of you. You could be in serious trouble.'

Gemma felt the floor reel under her. How could she be in so much trouble when she hadn't done anything wrong?

'Okay,' Gemma managed. 'I think I need to go now. It's nearly time for me to be over in the shed.'

'Gem, I'm only telling you so you understand.'

'I know, Jess. Thanks.'

'Where's Adam's phone now?' asked Jess quickly, before Gemma could hang up on her.

'In the suit that it was found in.'

'Keep it safe, okay? When we know which way the stock squad are going to go, we'll either give it to them or take it to a lawyer.'

'You've thought a lot about this, haven't you?'

'It's all I've thought about since I started looking at the books. Now listen, I think I should talk to your accountant, see if I can track down this money that Adam seems to have been paying his parents with. I need your authorisation to do that. Is that all right with you?'