‘That’s what I did.Kind of.’He didn’t make people coffee.‘Anyway, is there a reason you wanted to see me?Not that I’m complaining.I’m half tempted to help Brodie muck out the stalls than head back to the office—not with the Fed sitting in my seat.’
Brodie chuckled under his cap as Lydia handed Finn a clipboard.
‘What am I looking at?’Finn flipped through the notes that held columns with tag numbers, weights, breeds, and dates.
‘Red’s pattern.’Lydia’s voice wavered, as if strained.
‘We cracked the code.’Brodie grinned, brushing the dust off his dirty shirt.It was nowhere near the amount of dust Finn had seen on Taryn’s suit.
‘What code?’
‘Brodie’s been watching what’s coming off the trucks,’ explained Lydia.‘Then I’ve been comparing that with what Red logs into our stockyards.And it’s not matching up.Explain to Finn how.’She gave Brodie an encouraging nod.
‘The mob that gets loaded at the stations is all legit.I’ve had a few of the stockmen take a video that they’ll DM me, to get ready for their feed and water, and they’ll warn me if any of the beasts are cranky.Keeps the customers happy.’Brodie scrolled open his phone.‘That’s what I tell ‘em, anyway.But then I use that video as a comparison.See…’ Brodie played a video of white-coated Brahman being loaded onto a road train.‘This lot was being loaded in the rear trailer at Tinderflats Station.’
Finn nodded at the boy, who shouldn’t be working undercover, but he wanted to do the right thing.‘Go on.’
‘Well, this is that same trailer unloading in the yards a few hours later…’ Brodie played another video.‘It’s a different load.Older, mixed breed.Half of them shouldn’t even be in the saleyard.’
Finn frowned at the video.‘Can you forward this to me?’Pity none of this was useable in a court, but it was enough to have his team scan for brands and tags.
‘Done.’Brodie tapped away on his phone.He’d come a long way for a kid who could hardly read.The countless scars from cigarette burns were buried beneath the tan and dust, like old sins the sun couldn’t bleach out.
‘Any idea where the swapped cattle came from?’
Lydia leaned forward, her lips tight with worry.‘We think the good cattle are getting offloaded somewhere—a paddock, a holding yard, we don’t know yet.Then the dodgy ones are loaded up and delivered into this stockyard like nothing happened.There’s no change to the number of stock received, where Red signs off on the original paperwork that gets dropped into my in-tray like normal.’Lydia tapped on the paperwork to show a name.
Finn looked up, frowning.‘SW?’
‘We’ve noticed from the last few SW Rural Contracting shipments that the stock is below par.That’s why Brodie started getting the stockmen to film their loads.’
Finn frowned.SW Rural Contractingshould’ve been shut down when his team had successfully closed their smuggling way station at Dixby Downs.He wasn’t going to forget he’d almost lost one of his team on thatWild Stock Case.
‘Wasn’t that Sawyer Dixby’s business?’And he’d been buried, twice.Yet they still weren’t sure if the first time had been an accident.
‘I think they’ve just set up shop somewhere else,’ said Lydia, with Brodie nodding beside her.
‘At least we know where to start.’Finn flicked over the paperwork, making a list of cattle station names.From there, he could work out the stock routes and the truck drivers.
Finn glanced up.‘Are you still okay about doing this, Lydia?’The poor woman.While she’d been instrumental as his informant, she was in a tricky situation with Red.
‘It’s always been a pet hate of mine, ever since someone stole stock from my father’s farm, where we all felt that loss as kids.So, yeah, I’m still in.Just don’t ask me to watch Red get arrested.I can’t.And I won’t testify in court against my husband.But I’ll give you the paperwork and I’ll tell you what we see.’She slid her arm protectively around Brodie’s shoulders like a mother.‘We’ll help how we can, quietly.But I can’t and I won’t risk Brodie.’
‘But—’ Brodie butted in.
‘No.’Her grip tightened around Brodie’s shoulders.‘We’ve fought too hard to keep you safe from your parents.You’re doing well with your lessons.You’re about to get your driver’s licence and your first car.Once that happens, Cowboy Craig said he’ll give you a job at Dustfire, helping him out between Train Days.Or you can work anywhere you want.You’ve got a bright future ahead of you, Brodie.’
‘D’ya reckon Red knows?’Again, Brodie scuffed his boot in the dirt.
Finn didn’t waste words.And he wasn’t good with the soft ones either.
‘Yeah,’ he said, brutally blunt as always.‘Red’s smart enough to know someone’s watching.But he’s not spooked.’Which made Red cocky or more intelligent than they’d realised.Either way, it made him dangerous.
‘Is that because Red thinks he’s covered, huh?’Brodie squinted up at Finn.
‘Yeah.Because he thinks Lydia would never betray him.’
‘My husband is watching me.’Lydia clutched her hands together as if trying to contain the worry.‘Red now keeps all his paperwork locked in his ute, instead of leaving it on the kitchen table.And he’s asking me questions like he’s checking to see what I know.’
