Grace was still thinking about Ingrid's threat, when she began to go down a slight hill. The old ute chugged away, and Grace automatically pushed on the brake pedal. Nothing happened. Grace pushed it again, slowly becoming aware that something was very wrong. The ute, instead of slowing down, began to increase in speed. She pushed the clutch and readied herself to use the handbrake, but then remembered that the cord had been damaged last week and Moira hadn't got around to fixing it.
The ute barrelled down the hill...
And smashed through a fence which slowed the ute down enough so that Grace could jump out. She sat on the ground and watched the ute roll away, coming to a stop about fifty metres away, just inches from hitting a tree. Grace let out an explosive breath and walked over to the ute, picked up her phone, and called Drover's Run.
Back home, Moira, after giving the ute a quick check, went to find Grace.
"Grace, remember when Paul was after Ingrid, and he bled out her brake fluid?" Grace nodded.
"Well, the same thing has happened here." Moira wiped her hands. "The bleeder screw is completely missing. No accident."
Grace went cold. Ingrid's earlier warning had gotten through, but this was too much. Without a word, Grace spun around and ran for the Drovers Run ute. Climbing in, she sped off down the driveway, and towards Gungellan. Moira watched in disbelief.
Grace arrived at the pub and ordered herself a beer. It was still early, and she was the only person there. She sat down and drank her beer, completely oblivious to the world around her.
"Hello, Marcus. Thanks for coming here so quickly."
"No worries, Regan." Marcus sat down at the kitchen table, making himself comfortable. He wondered why Regan had sounded so urgent on the phone, and guessed he was about to find out.
Quickly, Regan went through the story of Ingrid's threat and Grace's accident. Marcus went pale.
"That doesn't sound like Ingrid at all. Oh dear. Do you know where Grace is now?"
Regan shook her head. "She said she was going to the pub, but after her brakes failed, and we brought her ute back here, she took off in the Drovers ute. She could have gone to the pub, or anywhere."
"All right." Marcus picked himself up, and made to walk outside. "I'll find her."