Twenty-one
While Amara rushed through to the Stock Squad office—theBatcave, as Bree called it—Porter sauntered into the main muster room.
He aimed for the large table that dominated the space between Tanisha’s workstation, behind the receptionist’s front counter, and the small kitchenette.‘Any leftovers?’He nodded at the cake boxes Bree had brought in.
‘Nah, Stone and Craig cleaned out what was left over.’Tanisha spun around in her high chair, giving him the usual once-over inspection.Mostly it was a wellness check, like a mother, which could be annoying—and at times it was the best thing after a long hard day on the job.
He unclipped his utility belt, threw it over the back of the chair with a thud and sat just as heavily in the chair.He was starving and overtired.
‘You haven’t had a break, have you.’It wasn’t a question.
Porter shrugged, dragging over his laptop and booted it up.‘We’re looking for a red, dark red or maroon Ram.’
‘Ooh, that narrows it down.’Tanisha spun around on her high stool, her nails clacking across the keyboard.‘Where is your offsider?’
‘In the Batcave.’His sly grin mirrored Tanisha’s.The nickname was in.
‘You should go home.Get some shut-eye.’
‘Soon.’He wanted to find that vehicle.
‘How’s Lydia taking it?She’d be devastated that this has happened.’
‘She’s tearing her office apart for more clues.’But it put Lydia in a tricky position, if her husband was involved.‘How long has Lydia been married to Red?’
‘High-school sweethearts.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah.Red went away for a bit, but when he came back, it was just to marry Lydia.’Tanisha spun back around in her chair, her hand slapped over her heart, with her dangerously long nails catching the overhead lights.‘It was so romantic.At the time, she was seeing this station owner, while working at the stockyards.But Red won her over in the end.’
‘How long has Lydia been working there?’
‘Lydia started working as a clerk in the stockyards straight out of school.I remember she got her licence not long after and was one of the first girls to buy her own car.She’d be 51 now…’ Tanisha tapped a bright enamel fingernail on her chin.‘That’d make it 35 years on the job.’
‘A lifetime in the industry…’Meaning Lydia would know every trick in the book for any dodgy deal that’s ever passed through those yards.‘Always as a clerk?’
‘Don’t let the title fool you, sweetie.Lydia runs the place.Nothing moves through those yards without her knowing about it.’
‘But…’ He hated to ask, when he really liked Lydia.
‘Lydia just never changed the name from clerk.’Tanisha brushed off some lint from her uniform.Probably some cat hair from one of her many pampered felines.‘Trust me, Lydia is the one who keeps it all running.Some reckon she’s got more power than the stock agents themselves—which Red doesn’t like much.’
‘But Lydia said she had to contact the manager.’It had never bothered him before, but it did now, making a mental note to ask her.‘Who owns the Elsie Creek Stockyards?’
‘I dunno.’
It was rare for Tanisha to not know, as his resource for everything about this town.
‘Come on…’ He playfully nudged the back of her chair.
Tanisha gave a long-suffering but playful sigh, the eye roll just as dramatic.‘You know, for someone who acts laid-back, you ask an awful lot of questions when you’re curious.’
Porter gave her a crooked grin.‘Are you saying I’m nosy?’
‘Please.I’ve seen you do a full recon, just to find where someone hid the biscuits.’She took a sip from her cactus mug—Don’t Be a Prickflashing in faded script.‘But fine.You want gossip?’
He leaned an elbow on the table.‘Always.So, who is the manager?’
