Zara ordered a squash and a chicken schnitzel and sat at the bar waiting for the publican to finish serving the other customers. Taking a bite, she listened to the conversations going on around her, hoping to hear a snippet of news about Jantarna.

‘Another drink, love?’ the bartender asked.

‘No, thanks. Hey, did you hear the ambulance go through town yesterday? I hope something horrible hasn’t happened.’

He leaned in as he nodded. ‘Yeah, bloody awful.’

‘What happened?’

‘Young Max Carter who works at Jantarna got hurt out there. His mum works for me and got the call here. Pulled her apron off and threw it on the counter and said she had to go. Rang me a bit later to tell me what had happened.’ ‘Oh no! And what did happen?’

‘Bit of metal got embedded in his arm somehow. Cut right through the tendons and ligaments. Not sure whether he’ll ever be able to use his hand properly again. And he’s got shrapnel-type injuries to his right leg.’

Zara shook her head. ‘That’s just tragic,’ she said. ‘How on earth did that happen?’

A group of young men came in through the door and he walked away to serve them. As he did, he tossed over his shoulder, ‘Something about a mixer giving way.’

Zara ate half of her schnitzel and then left with a wave to the publican.

She picked up the phone as soon as she got into her car and called a source she had in the police force.

‘Hey, it’s me,’ she said when he answered.

‘To what do I owe this pleasure?’ he asked. ‘I’m pretty sure this is not a social call.’

‘Jantarna Feedlot.’

‘What about it?’

‘There was an accident there yesterday.’

‘Hmm.’

‘And someone was hurt. Got some metal embedded in his arm.’

‘Yes.’

‘Anything else you can tell me?’

‘It was a WorkSafe investigation, but now they’ve handed it to us.’

‘And why would they do that?’

‘Because we think it was sabotage. There is nothing to suggest a brand-new machine should disintegrate the way that one did.’

‘Disintegrate?’

‘There was a chunk of metal inside the mixer. It flew out the side when the victim started the machine. It’s not the sort of metal that could have been left behind after it had been manufactured. We’re alleging that someone deliberately put the metal in there.’

Zara was silent for a moment, taking in what he had said. ‘So … you’re telling me that someone set out to deliberately hurt the victim?’

‘We don’t know the reasoning behind it yet.’

‘Is there anything else that you can tell me?’

‘I’ve told you everything that I know.’

‘Thanks very much, I owe you a beer.’

‘You do. More than one.’

Zara hung up the phone and leaned back against her seat, sighing.

Zara tapped on Lachy’s office door before sticking her head around the corner.

‘You free?’