‘You know?’Brodie’s fingers tightened on the brim of his hat, twisting it just enough to give him something to do with his hands.
‘I don’t,’ said Porter, patting Brodie’s shoulder like a friend.‘You know me, I wouldn’t know the difference between a cow, steer, and a whatchamacallit.As the guru of the stockyards, why don’t you explain it to me.’
Was Porter playing dumb on purpose?
It worked, because Brodie grinned at Porter, as if warming up to the officer.‘Midnight special is what we call the stock that comes in after dark.’
‘Deadset.’Porter’s eyebrows shot up.‘I always thought when the boom gates went down no stock could come through here, except for the odd stockman looking for a place to keep his stockhorse while they go to the pub.’
‘Yeah, they do that all the time.Over that side of the yards, closer to the pub.We leave those gates open—closer to the stockmen’s shed, where they’ll have a quick tub under them water tanks.’Brodie pointed a grubby finger at the windmill and the row of water tanks on the far side, closest to the two-storey pub that clearly commanded attention over the town.
‘Don’t you camp up there?’Porter pointed to the shed on the hill.‘It’d have the best view from there to see who’s coming and going.’
‘It does.And at night, you can hear the music from the pub, too.’
Amara stepped closer.‘Like the night my—’ She cleared her throat, squashing any emotions.‘That horse, Lot 728, was brought in?’
The boy exhaled sharply, boots scuffing at the dirt.‘Look, I swear, I know nothing… Lydia’s been real good to me, y’know?’
‘What’s this got to do with Lydia?’Amara asked.
Brodie looked positively torn.He glanced up at Porter.
‘It’s Red, isn’t it?’Porter answered.
Brodie’s brow crumpled between a frown and something else.‘She trusts Red.And if I start throwing accusations, what’s that gonna do to her?When I owe Lydia everything.’
‘You’re not betraying Lydia, mate.’Porter’s tone was gentle as he appealed to the lad.You’re helping her because the poor woman’s up in her office tearing through the paperwork, trying to find out if something dodgy is going on right under her nose.’
‘Her job is on the line too, her reputation,’ interjected Amara.‘Don’t you think she deserves to know the truth?’
Brodie chewed the inside of his cheek, then let out a resigned breath.‘Yeah… alright.’He swiped the back of his hand over his dirty forehead, leaving a streak of greenish water behind.‘It was Red.He met up with this fella and his big yank tank and put the horse in the yard.’
‘Can they do that?’
‘Most of ‘em stock agents have a key to the boom gate when making deliveries.And they’ll slide their paperwork into the overnight hatch for Lydia to process in the morning.But Red’s the only one who’s got a key to the office.’
‘Does he now…’ She glanced at Porter, who remained neutral.‘What does Red do in there?’
‘I dunno?But you should hear Lydia get up him, because Red mucks up her systems when he does.Says it puts her days behind.When Lydia doesn’t need that, she works hard enough as it is, you know.’
‘I know, mate.I do.’Again, Porter patted the kid’s skinny shoulder as a show of support.‘I tell Montrose here not to muck up the tucker in the fridge at home.I’ve got a system and I don’t want her wrecking my meal plan.’It was enough to make the kid ease up a little.
Amara struggled to stay calm, exchanging a glance with Porter as the excited rush coursed through her veins.Was Red the elusive Stock Agent the team had been chasing for almost nine months now?
But Porter wouldn’t know this, he was NT Police.And if she stepped in now, it might scare off Brodie, who was comfortable talking to Porter who was asking the right questions.
‘Have you ever heard of anything else being moved after hours?’Porter asked, with his tone light.‘Like is it common?’
‘All the time.’Brodie pointed at Amara.‘When you were here with Cowboy Craig, I told you that people bring in their livestock after hours.’
‘But what made that horse’s midnight special, so different?’Amara stepped closer, the eagerness for answers making her fingertips tingle.
‘Because Lydia tells me when they’re coming and to keep an eye out for them.And I do.’
‘To do what?’
‘Lydia tells me what yard to put them in, and I’ll fill their water troughs and set out some feed ready for their stock to arrive.The stockmen and owners like that— less for them to worry about—and as Lydia says, makes for happier customers.’
