-1Claire angrily slammed down the phone after speaking with the police. She had given the details of the 100 head of cattle than had been stolen right from under her nose. She was infuriated, not only that someone had stolen from her, but that it had been right at a time she was counting on a sale. And it didn't sound like the police held much hope for finding the culprit.
"Don't let it get to you so much." Alex tried to calm her as he played with Charlotte in the kitchen.
"Don't let it get to me? Someone stole my cattle! Do you know how much they were worth!?" Claire asked him.
"Don't worry about the money Claire. You know I'll look after you and Charlotte."
"I'm not a charity case. And Charlotte and I can look after ourselves!" Claire insisted as she took the girl from Alex arms.
"I'm just trying to help. And since we're engaged now I think its ok for you to let me help. " Alex insisted
"I don't need your financial assistance Alex, I just need my cattle back. And for the thief to pay. "
"I sure wouldn't want to be in their shoes when you catch up with them." Alex mumbled under his breath.
Stevie spent the day in the far north paddock mustering the sheep in for shearing. It was a big job on her own, but she knew it was wise to stay our of Claire's way when she was in a mood like this. She'd rather muster a thousand sheep on her own than deal with the wrath of Claire McLeod. Halfway across the northern field she smiled as she noticed Dave's 4WD approaching. He drove towards her herd of sheep, and they scattered.
"Dave you've scared my sheep away, it took me all morning to get them moving." Stevie complained as the sheep wandered in all directions.
"Two's company. Who needs a hundred sheep anyway?" Dave asked her, grinning.
"Claire needs them. In the shearing sheds. By tomorrow." Stevie insisted, and did her best to sound annoyed. It was hard when he was smiling at her like that.
"I'll help you. Dave to the rescue. Always ready and willing to rescue a damsel in distress." Dave offered.
"You can't ride." She reminded him.
"I can ride!" He protested. "Just not so fast. And anyway, I'll learn. If it would please you." He offered, thinking he'd do anything if it would please her.
"I don't have time for you today, Claire is going to kill me. She's already in a foul mood about the cattle." Stevie told him.
"Yes I heard about that. Who would do such a thing?" Dave wondered aloud.
Stevie shrugged. "Who knows? Now please, I have to gather my sheep."
"Leave them alone, and they will come home. It worked for 'Little Bo Peep'."
"Well Little Bo Peep wasn't working for Claire McLeod."
"You worry too much." Dave declared.
"My job is important to me." She responded. Not my job, my home.
"Don't stress. It's not like Claire can fire you. Not now that Tess has taken off to Argentina with Nick." Dave reminded her. At the mention of Tess the conversation stopped.
Stevie wondered to herself if Dave was truly over Tess. They seemed to have broken up roughly the time Stevie showed up at Drovers Run. And two months later Tess had left to elope with Nick in South America.
"Come on, lets go for a drive, the sheep will still be here after lunch." Dave tried to convince her.
Finally he wore her down and she agreed to have lunch with him, returning hours later to collect the sheep. It was dark by the time Stevie finally arrived back at Drovers with the sheep.
"Where have you been? We were about to send out a search party!" Claire yelled. She was angry, but also concerned for her friend.
"Sorry, but it did take a little while on my own." Stevie tried to turn the tables and make Claire feel guilty for sending her alone to muster the sheep.
"Really?" Alex spoke up. " I saw Dave's ute driving away. I guess you were a little distracted Stevie?" Alex meant as a joke, but Claire hit him none the less.
Claire was growing tired of the constant arguing between Alex and Stevie. It seemed Alex and Stevie had always got on so well. Until recently. It reminded Claire of the early days with Stevie and Tess. Claire hated being put in the middle between two people she cared about who just couldn't seem to get along. She wondered if it had been a mistake offering Stevie a job here. It really didn't seem to be working out. Was Stevie deliberately trying to antagonise everyone, or were Alex and Tess just being ridiculous.
"The police are here, they want to talk to you." Claire told Stevie, changing the subject.
"I have no useful information." Stevie replied, looking down to the ground nervously.
"You were home alone on the night the cattle were stolen." Alex reminded her.
"Yes I was, that isn't a crime." She replied coldly.
"You didn't hear or see anything?" Alex asked.
"No." She replied.
"The cattle were yarded right next to the shearers quarters where you live, and you heard nothing?" Alex continued with his questioning.
"Are you deaf Alex? That's what she said." Claire cut in.
At that moment the conversation was interrupted as the police officer came outside.
"Stephanie Hall?" The officer asked.
"Stevie." She corrected him.
"Miss Hall, I have a witness who states a woman of your description renting a cattle truck last night, would you like to make a comment on that?" The police officer asked her.
"No." She answered.
"I'm afraid you'll have to come to the station to answer a few questions." The officer replied.
"Officer this is ridiculous. I need you to find my cattle not harass my staff!" Claire exclaimed
"Don't make this harder, Miss McLeod." The officer stated as he led Stevie to the police car and drove her to the station.
Alex and Claire followed behind in the Drovers ute.
"What are you trying to say Alex?" Claire asked him.
"Well it sounds a bit suspicious Claire, that's all I'm saying." Alex replied
"Alex, we're talking about Stevie! She wouldn't steal from me." Claire said firmly.
"No one else was home, and why didn't she come to the pub with us last night? She always comes to the pub. And she didn't hear anything? Anything at all? Whoever did it obviously knew we weren't home, knew where the cattle were….."
"Shut up now Alex or you'll be walking home." Claire told him.
"I'm just trying to be realistic." He told her.
"Stevie wouldn't do it. " Claire repeated.
"Claire, you don't know the kind of life she's been living before she came to Drovers. I've seen her steal before."
"Steal what?" Claire asked
"It doesn't matter what, point is, you don't know everything about her."
"Steal what?" Claire repeated her question.
"A packet of chips." Alex answered remembering that day as teenagers at the rodeo. They were starving, and had no money, and she stole some chips for them both. "But it was a real big packet of chips." He added quickly.
"100 head of cattle is a bit different from stealing a packet of chips. Once I stole a stamp. Does that make me a cattle thief? And Stevie wouldn't steal from me." Besides, I know who it was. Claire thought to herself.
"Claire, just think about it, she's been talking non stop about Rose, and saving money for her. What about the time that fuel went missing? That was suspicious remember?" Alex continued on with his reasoning.
"Yes Alex, that time the fuel went missing and Tess accused Stevie, and she was innocent!" Claire finished.
Claire protested Stevie's innocence all the way to the police station. She held unswervingly to her claim that Stevie was innocent, and demanded the police officers spend their time finding the real thief. Never for a moment did she entertain the possibility that Stevie was guilty. Not until that moment the police officer told her that Steve had confessed.
Alex gave her an "I told you so" look as Claire sat down to ponder the possibilities.
"But why?" Claire asked herself. "They made her confess. They bullied her into it. Let me talk to her."
"I'm afraid that's not possible." The police officer explained. "But Miss Hall has given us the location of the cattle. You should expect them returned by tomorrow night."
Suddenly the cattle seemed not to matter. The injustice of being betrayed by a friend outweighed any anxiety over stolen livestock.
"You'll need to sign some paperwork Miss McLeod." The police told her.
"No I need to speak to her." Claire insisted.
"Claire, sign the papers and lets all go home." Alex ordered her.
"Alex, she could go to jail." Claire reminded him.
"That's what happens when you break the law." Alex replied coldly.
"I want to drop the charges." Claire announced. Even if Stevie was guilty, which was hard to believe, Claire didn't want her to go to jail. There must be a reason behind all this madness.
"It's too late, the report has been filed." The officer replied. "Now please sign the paperwork."
"What will happen to Stevie?" Claire asked.
"We will take a formal statement, and then she will be released until a court hearing." He replied.
"We'll get a good lawyer Claire." Alex offered, beginning to realise that Claire would stick by her friend no matter if she is a cattle thief.
Claire signed the papers.
"Wanna wait for Stevie?" Alex asked.
"Yes of course I wanna wait." Claire replied abruptly. She was conflicted between waiting to find out the answers or waiting because she was concerned for her friend. None the less they waited.
Stevie was surprised to find Claire and Alex waiting for her at police station. She figured they would have left her for dead and threw her possessions out onto the street. Then she would have called Dave on the off chance that he hadn't heard the news of her guilt, and asked him to collect her. Instead, Claire and Alex stood there. Alex looked pretty angry, but also smug. Claire looked something else. Confused mostly. Claire grabbed her by the hand and led her to the car.
"Claire, I can explain." Stevie began nervously.
Claire looked over to Alex, then back to Stevie. "We'll talk at home" Claire silenced her friend. "Alone."
