A week later, Alex was talking on the phone as he was sitting at Jack's old desk. He smiled as he heard Nick's voice from the other side of the phone.

"What happened this time?" he said automatically.

"Alex, can you please come over?" Nick said. It was obvious that something was wrong.

"Yeah, ok. I'm coming," Alex answered just before he hung up the phone and ran outside. When he couldn't see his Ute, he panicked.

"Where is my God damn car?" he shouted.

Tess ran out from the house, panicked, when she heard Alex's hysterical scream. He wasn't one to get worked up so easily.

"What's wrong Alex?" she asked.

"Where is my car?" he asked again. This was another cue that something was wrong. Alex rarely had a one-track mind. He was usually levelheaded.

"Umm, Claire took it. She went into town to do some shopping," Tess explained. She justified her sister's actions. "She said she wouldn't be long. I'm sure she'll be back soon."

"Oh, ok. So I'm taking the Ute," Alex said walking over to where it was normally parked. Tess called out before he could get any further.

"Ah, Alex. Jodi and Becky went to Fisher! But you can..."

"DAMN!" Alex shouted, and whirled around to face her. He tried one last option. "The Mercedes?"

"Meg," Tess answered, "But you can take my VW."

"Oh yeah, thanks," Alex called as he was running towards her orange and very feminine car. Another sign there was something seriously wrong. Tess tried again,

"Alex, what's wrong?" Tess she asked as she walked behind him.

"Nothing," he said, "Nothing's wrong. I'll be helping Nick over at Wilgul, okay?"

"Okay..." Tess answered, worried. "I'll let Claire know where you are."

"You can trick Harry, but not me you fool!" Maude yelled.

"Stop shouting at me! I can't take it anymore" Liz yelled back, cringing and covering her ears.

"I don't care," Maude continued, her eyes were full of anger.

"We got married in spite of you!" Liz said, "You don't mean anything to me anymore!"

She was really mad at Maude this time. She was fed up with her interferences She should learn to keep her business her own and stay out of other people's business. Or something terrible would happen to her. It was bound too, Liz thought.

"I know everything, you poor pathetic girl" Maude muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Liz asked, placing her hand on her 6-month old pregnant belly. "What do you mean by everything? What do you know that I don't?"

"Everything means everything," Maude replied, calmly and measuredly.

"I don't understand" Liz said, puzzled.

"I know Liz," Maude started talking, "I know about the baby! I know that it's not Harry's!"

"WHAT?" Liz shouted, in aghast and then continued quietly. She started shaking but she hoped Maude wouldn't notice. "I don't know what you're talking about. Of course it's Harry's."

"I said 'I know' Liz," Maude said, with a small triumphant laugh in her voice. "I'm going to tell Harry everything."

With that she swept out of the room in a cloud of expensive French perfume and silk scarves. Liz balked and finally gave in.

"No, wait," she called running after her. She grabbed Maude's arm. "Wait!"

"What?" Maude asked as she turned around to face her.

"Please don't tell Harry," Liz begged, "Please!"

"You can't change my mind Liz. He has a right to know. And if you don't, I will tell him in two days, when he comes back from the city" Maude replied and left the room.

"You bloody bitch," Liz murmured. "But you're dealing with Liz Ryan. I know how to stop you!"

Alex was singing the song, which was playing on the radio as he was driving towards Wilgul:

"My loneliness is killing me (and I)

I must confess, I still believe (still believe)

When I'm not with you I loose my mind

Give me a sign, hit me baby one more time..."

As the chorus moved on into the verse he realized exactly what he was singing.

"OH GOD! What am I singing?" he asked himself and looked down at the radio to change the station to a classier, more suitable station.

When he noticed the brumby standing on the road, it was too late to stop the car. He began turning the steering wheel quickly and swerved off the road in a cloud of dust and gravel. He tried to put the brake on but it wouldn't work. The car was going towards the trees at full speed. He tried the brake again and again, but it wouldn't work.

In what seemed to be slow motion, the car hit the trees and another cloud of dust blew up and filled the air with an acrid, gritty smell.

"Did you solve the problem?" Liz whispered, looking at the man standing in front of her.

"Yeah, no worries" he answered, "No one saw me! There's no problem."

"Good. So you're sure of she is not alive anymore" she asked even quieter, though it hardly seemed possible.

"Yeah, trust me. She won't spoil your joy anymore," the man replied.

"Oh thanks, Ron! I think you're prices are unreasonable but it was worth it," Liz answered as a friend walked past. She waved at them and continued the conversation as if she was talking about a casserole dish she had bought or something of the like. "But I want to know exactly how did you do this?"

"Oh, it was easy. I just undid the brake lining," he laughed in a scoffing manner.

"But will anyone know what you did?" Liz asked, suddenly worried. "Won't they know someone tampered with the car?"

"No, don't worry," he said, the smile not leaving his face. "Trust me. I'm a pro."

Claire was driving back from town and was babbling to Charlotte when she spotted a flash of yellow, a cloud of dust and the green of some trees. She slowed down to get a closer look. The blood rushed to her head as she saw Tess's car near the road. She felt her heart stop and she sat in the car shaking for a minute before she could even slow the car down. She swerved back around to the scene of the accident and crying, she stopped the car, got off and leaving Charlotte in the car she ran towards her sister's car.

"TESS!" she shouted, in a bloodcurdling scream that would have woken the dead. "TESS!"

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