“They obviously don’t know Dad then,” Ed said.
“Yeah, but they’ve been pretty insistent.”
“What happened, Dad?” Lara asked.
“The police want to know if we’ve seen any strangers around the farm lately.”
She frowned. “Only the camp guests. Why?”
“They’re being thorough in their investigation. You tell me if you see anyone you don’t know, all right?”
She nodded slowly, her eyes wide. “Did someone hurt Granny and Grandfather?”
Darcy sighed, and squeezed her. “We don’t know yet, pumpkin. The crash might have been an accident.”
Amy cleared her throat. “I know it’s not my place to ask, but have you read their wills yet? Do you know who they’ve left the station to? The company might approach them next.”
“Not yet,” Darcy said. “I haven’t checked the safe.”
“We should do that now,” Georgie said.
Brandon studied Amy. It was a bit of a leap to go straight to questions about the wills. Unease filled him as he followed his family and Amy into the office where Darcy tried a few keys from his father’s keyring in the safe lock.
“Maybe Amy should take Lara into the kitchen,” Brandon suggested.
The safe opened with a clunk and Brandon shifted to block Amy’s view. Inside was a wad of cash, a few small jewellery boxes and some documents.
“No. Amy can read the will as an objective bystander.” Darcy retrieved the documents and shuffled through them before he pulled out two sealed envelopes, slightly yellowed with age. He handed them to Amy and then sat in the office chair, pulling Lara onto his lap.
Brandon scowled. He hoped he was being paranoid, because if she was working with Stonefish, she’d have all the information she needed. Perhaps years in the army had taught him to be suspicious of everything.
Amy took the two envelopes and glanced at the siblings. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, we all trust you,” Georgie said.
Brandon pressed his lips together. Better he stay silent.
“Which one should I open first?”
“Mum’s,” Georgie said.
Amy picked up a letter opener from the desk and sliced open the envelope. The paper inside was thick and she unfolded it slowly. “‘This is the last will and testament of Elizabeth Jane Stokes’,” she said. “‘I nominate Jarred Palmier as the executor of this will’.” She glanced up.
“Jarred died of lung cancer five years ago,” Darcy said.
“So what does that mean?” Ed asked.
“I don’t know. We’ll get legal advice I guess.” Darcy gestured for Amy to continue.
“‘I leave all my worldly possessions to my husband, William Reginald Stokes. Should he predecease me, then I leave my estate to be divided equally between any children I have’.”
“Including the station?” Ed asked.
Darcy flicked through the papers he’d taken out of the safe and then read one. “The station lease is in Dad’s name only.” He nodded to Amy to open the other will.
Brandon had a sudden urge to stop her. He didn’t want to know what was in his father’s will. It would be the proof he didn’t want that his father had disowned him. He clenched his teeth together as Amy spoke.
“‘This is the last will and testament of William Reginald Stokes’,” she read. “‘I leave all my worldly possessions to my wife, Elizabeth Jane Stokes with the exception of the lease to Retribution Ridge station. The lease I leave to my son, Brandon Reginald Stokes, to be passed on to his heirs’.” She continued reading but Brandon tuned her out, the shock making his mouth drop open.
