Page 66 of Whispers of Sweetwater

‘Hey, bud,’ he answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

‘Hey, mate, you got a minute?’ Gavin’s voice was low, serious.

‘Yeah, course. What’s up?’

‘I, uh …’ There was a lengthy pause. ‘… might’ve seen that mud map in your office.’

Hayden straightened, tension creeping into his spine. Gavin could only mean the hand-drawn map that Jack had left for Molly. ‘You what?’

‘It was sticking out from under the ledger we keep track of the livestock feed in. I didn’t mean to go snooping, mate. But when Tilly told me about what happened at the café last week, with Craig and Tom being oddballs, well, there was something in me that fired alarm bells, and I felt compelled to look. That’s Jack’s writing, am I right?’

‘Righto.’ Hayden’s jaw tightened. ‘I was trying to keep you out of this,’ he admitted, voice low.

Gavin snorted. ‘Yeah, well, tough luck. If you’re in, I’m in. That’s what mates do.’

Hayden hesitated for a beat. ‘You sure?’

‘Damn straight I am,’ Gavin scoffed. ‘I appreciate you trying to keep me safe, but come on, mate. You really thought I wouldn’t notice something was off? We’ve known each other since we were running around in nappies, Pierce.’

‘True that.’ Hayden let out a dry laugh. ‘You always did have a nose for trouble. And a worse sense of self-preservation.’

‘Ha, fair play.’ Gavin chuckled, but only for a moment. ‘Tilly told me that Trev looked jumpy when he passed her in town yesterday. Didn’t even wave. Usually, he throws up a hand from the wheel every time.’

Hayden’s brow furrowed. ‘Interesting.’

‘Yup, it is. And he did the same to me this morning, on my way back from grabbing some fresh eggs down at old Jimbo’s place at sparrow’s fart, for me and the kids, before I came in for work. So, long story short, I seen that circle on the mud map, and put two and two together.’

‘I’ll need a bit more info to get the gist of what you’re saying.’ Hayden let out a short breath, his chest tightening with a mix of gratitude and concern. ‘I really didn’t want to drag you into something that might get ugly.’

‘Well, too late for that,’ Gavin said lightly. ‘Let’s just find out what the hell is going on in this little township of ours, and deal with it.’

‘I’m trying to, Gav. Just not sure which way to turn.’ Hayden’s gaze swept the horizon, the fields stretching wide and quiet as if they held the answers just beneath the soil. The weight of what he’d uncovered earlier still pressed hard against his chest, but Trev’s strange behaviour stuck in his mind too, like a thorn he couldn’t shake loose.

‘So,’ he said, voice low, ‘where exactly did you spot Trev this morning?’

‘Close to that boundary Jack circled on the map. Near the old cattle loading site.’

Hayden stilled, his shoulders tightening. That spot wasn’t just a mark on a page, it was the kind of place a man chose when he didn’t want to be seen. His stomach coiled, the unease settling heavier now.

Gavin let out a long, sharp breath. ‘You thinking what I’m thinking?’

Hayden’s jaw clenched. ‘That he’s either hiding something out there or checking to see if someone else already has.’

‘I can meet you there in a little under ten minutes,’ Gavin offered.

‘Yeah. Let’s move. See you there.’

Hayden quickly climbed into his LandCruiser, flicked the ignition and, pulling onto the road, sped towards the cane fields, where secrets, he suspected, were buried – but, hopefully, not deep enough. Ten minutes later, he pulled off with dust trailing in his wake. Gavin’s ute was already parked behind a screen of gum trees, half-hidden from view. Hayden slowed then rolled to a stop beside it.

The driver’s door flung open, and Gavin stepped out with a pair of binoculars slung around his neck. ‘I come prepared.’ He gave the binoculars a steady tap.

‘So I see.’ Hayden raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. ‘Anything untoward happening out yonder?’

‘Nothing yet.’ Gavin pointed to the ground. ‘But there’s tyre tracks just up there. Deep ones. Fresh too.’

Hayden took a few steps, then his eyes narrowed as he scanned the imprints. ‘You reckon this was from Trev’s ute?’

‘I reckon it’s definitely possible,’ Gavin said, his usual friendly expression now tense. ‘Let’s go see if we can find anything.’