‘Waste o’ bloody time. Knew it would be,’ Matt grunted, feeling the side of the kettle. ‘I reckon the driver was just wantin’ a shortcut through to the border. He’s long gone. I followed ’im to the river, then quit. Once he’s that far, there ain’t more than ten kay before he’s off the place. It was damn near midday before I got the machine serviced and movin’ as it was.’

‘That’s that mystery solved then. If Sophie rings tonight, I’ll let her know.’ Luke returned to his magazine.

‘I forgot to say’—Tilly hoped her words sounded natural, although to her they felt as stilted as if she were on a stage—‘that we left without the wood for the camp donkey this morning, Matt. But it’s okay. I asked Connor to cart some, so the hot water hasn’t been an issue.’

Matt grunted again. ‘He’s some use then. Anything to eat? It’s a bloody long way back to lunch.’

And further to the truth, Tilly silently thought. ‘They would need somebody on the ground,’ Connor had said, and it seemed horribly certain that his guess was correct and that somebody was Matt. Thinking back, she realised that he had been absent from the homestead every day save for his turns as cook since Luke had discovered the disturbed nests. Grading, he’d claimed, but how much time had he actually spent on the machine, and – apart from Binboona’s regular tracks – where else had that grading been done? She wished there had been more time to explore the topic with Connor. The shock of their discovery was so great that, her mind now prey to uncertainties, she hesitated to tell even Luke. Though nobody could suspect him – or could they? In that moment, she truly understood Connor’s remark about the curse of suspicion. Of course the young ranger would never be embroiled in anything that threatened his birds! But an hour ago, she would have been prepared to swear the same of Matt.

Groaning to herself, Tilly shelved the dilemma by deciding to say nothing until Sophie returned. Let her make the decision about whom to tell. At least Connor, she thought wryly, would approve her silence.

Sophie returned on Thursday, as expected, but not alone. Tilly, whose turn it was in the kitchen, was setting the table for the evening meal when the vehicle arrived, and a quick glance through the window showed both passenger and driver doors opening when the engine died.

‘Looks like you lost your wager,’ she observed as Luke came into the room.

‘What wager’s that?’

‘Something about the WPA not listening to Sophie’s plan? She’s brought someone back. Look at him, he’s wearing a tie. I’ll bet he’s the company’s money man come to see the project firsthand.’