“Sorry, Emily, I assumed it was yours from the flowery pattern on the tin. She knelt to retrieve the pages, “Bort Industries…” she read out loud.
“To do with his work, something to do with shares and bonds, I think. I don’t ask. Please can you put them all back, so he doesn’t know.”
“Of course.” Maggie quickly picked up the scattered papers, noting there was either Bort Industries Shares or Bort Industries Bonds printed on each one. “Have you nearly finished Emily? We’d better make a move soon.”
“Yes, just a couple more minutes.”
Mrs Heppler had told Maggie the previous night that she had been making discreet enquiries regarding Slimeball. She had connections in the city and via various Station hands and visiting shearers so she was well informed on what was occurring throughout the district. Apparently, he had been liberating large amounts of cash from greedy businessmen looking to invest in high lucrative business deals. She had heard on the grapevine that the commodity was diamonds, but she had her reservations until she had more facts.
It was also plainly obvious to Mrs Heppler from the way in which he and Emily lived that he was just a hired flunky to be used as a deterrent if folks didn’t pay up. And it was also apparent that the job was poorly paid because what other possible explanation could there be? Even an unmarried couple with money could afford a better place to live. The bottom line was that he had turned into a bully who controlled her daughter and she hated that Emily was exposed to this dangerous environment. She had to get Emily away from him if it was the last thing she ever did.
When Slimeball went to the bathroom, Mrs Heppler discreetly slipped a small amount of a knockout drug that they used for the livestock into his drink. It would cause him no harm, unfortunately, she thought, but it was enough to knock him out for a few hours… long enough for them to get far away.
Shortly afterwards, Slimeball appeared drunk and slurry then he passed out at the table. The barman thought it was odd, but he wasn’t paid to think too much. He had seen how the man conducted business and knew of his reputation, so to maintain a peaceful future he said to Mrs Heppler that he was happy for him to stay and sober up on the premises. Mrs Heppler thanked him and left the pub via a taxi where it dropped her off a short distance from the park. When it was out of sight she walked through to the other side of the park to the arranged meeting point.
As Mrs Heppler stepped up into the truck she embraced her daughter. “It’ll be alright, love,” she said. She then turned to Maggie. “Thank you for your help Maggie, I’m sorry I’ve had to involve you in this unpleasantness,” she said, as she wiped away Emily’s tears.
“It’s okay,” Maggie said gently but wishing that they could get away quickly.
Emily was slowly coming to terms with realising the consequences of what she had done. “I must go back,” she said in a panic as she clutched at the dashboard, “I have to be there when he returns. I must go back,” she pleaded with her mother.
“It’s done now love,” Mrs Heppler soothed, understanding her daughter’s turmoil as she started up the truck. “You’ll come to the Station as planned, it won’t be forever. I know how you feel about it out there, but things will work out you’ll see, eh Maggie?”
“Yes,” said Maggie, hoping to say the right thing. “We’ll start afresh together on the Station and we’ll become good friends and it will be great for you and your mother to be together for a while. Please, never take that for granted. I’ve only known you for a brief time, but I’d give my right arm to have what you two have.”
They both glanced at Maggie questionably.
“It’s a long story, I’ll explain another time,” she said, as they continued their drive out of the city.
It was plain to Maggie that the two women had a special connection, although physically they were as different as chalk and cheese. Perhaps Emily took after her father?
As if reading her mind, Emily said smiling, “It’s okay to say about us, Ma.”
“It isn’t common knowledge outside of the Station, Maggie,” began Mrs Heppler, “but we already consider you family and would appreciate your discretion. Emily is really my niece; sadly, my brother and his wife were tragically killed in a car accident when Emily was a toddler. I adopted Emily and altered my name from Miss to Mrs and we have been as close as any mother and daughter since then.”
“I am sorry to you both for your loss, but it is beautiful what you have together. I won’t tell a soul,” said Maggie. It was almost as if an invisible bond had formed between the three women as they sat in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they took in the picturesque surroundings.
“Alright, ladies,” said Mrs Heppler after a while, “I always start the journey back to the Station at first light to make the most of the daylight. But, because of recent events today and being early afternoon, there’s no way we could risk holding up overnight in town as he’d most likely have people out searching and I’m not prepared to take the chance.
“We are on schedule though as per our plan we made back at the picnic. He was out like a light when I left the pub, and this will buy us a few precious hours. He’ll wake thinking he passed out from the drink and will go home to sleep it off. You left the note on the kitchen table as instructed Emily, didn’t you?”
“Yes Ma. I wrote that you stopped by after the pub and invited me out to dinner as I wouldn’t see you for a few weeks and that I would be home by ten o’clock.”
“That’s good. Hopefully, he will still be docile and go straight to bed and won’t put two and two together until the morning giving us enough time to be a good distance away. But, we also have to plan that he’ll discover straight away. So, for this time only ladies, we are going off the usual track and will bypass Burston altogether. In order to do this we need to venture deeper into the bush, although it will add a few more hours to reach the Station, but it will avoid anyone taking the normal track.”
Puzzled, Maggie and Emily just looked at one another.
“You’ll understand the further we go,” Mrs Heppler assured them.
They had more than enough provisions and fuel and Mrs Heppler knew the terrain like the back of her hand and promised that they would be perfectly safe. It was a great opportunity for an adventure and fun on the way. If Slimeball did go after them, then chances were that he would arrive ahead of them. If he did, then everyone at the Station would know how to handle it because Mrs Heppler had radioed the Station prior to leaving and told Mr McKinnley senior the main details.
Initially, Mr McKinnley had not been overjoyed at this news. He was concerned for their safety and also with Maggie’s arrival. He felt total responsibility for her and, to top it all, there was a possible maniac after them. Mrs Heppler laid his concerns to rest and said she would explain more when they arrived, and that Maggie was absolutely fine with it all. In fact, omitting Emily’s distress, Maggie was having a blast. She hadn’t had this much excitement in ages.
Although, despite being in Mrs Heppler’s capable hands, Maggie’s reflexes were on high alert for anything nasty that dared to approach. She had felt silly and embarrassed when she had instinctively slapped the calf of her leg only to realise that the imaginery bug was just a loose strand of cotton from the hem of her dress.
Out of relief, Maggie had laughed with Mrs Heppler and Emily, but knew that she had to get her jitters under control otherwise she would end up a nervous wreck. If she was like this now, then what would she be like when it came to sleeping out under the stars?
Chapter Four
After nearly four hours of bumpy outback driving, Maggie had to ask, “Um, Mrs Heppler?” she said, “I need the bathroom.”
“I think we all do, love. Okay ladies...” Mrs Heppler took a deep breath. “Now, taking a pee in the outback,” she said, as she drove a