‘Yeah, I know about that.’

‘I read a couple of entries.’

‘What was so interesting about them?’

‘Will had been helping out old Terry Cook. He has land a couple of farms away from here. He was getting in a bit of a state because he couldn’t afford to buy any more hay and his cattle were too poor to take to market. Will helped him out as much as he could, took a few loads of our hay over to him, but he couldn’t get Terry to sell the animals.

‘This was what he wrote in his diary: Spoke to the Department about Terry today. They’re going to investigate him. I feel like a traitor but something has to be done.’

Zara didn’t say anything, but her mind was whirling. Department of Ag?

‘So he reported Terry for animal cruelty?’

‘Well, I guess that was what it was. He obviously felt terrible about it, but Terry wouldn’t listen to him. He would’ve felt he had to do something. Will hated any type of animal cruelty.’

‘I know, but …’ Zara stopped. ‘I wonder if that had something to do with the drone turning up at Barker. Do you think he would’ve reported Terry to Voices for Animals?’

‘No way, Zara! How could you even think that?’

‘What was the date of this entry?’

‘Eight weeks before he died.’

Zara nodded to herself. ‘Timing fits with the drone turning up.’

‘He wouldn’t dob in a fellow farmer,’ Lynda insisted. ‘Not to an animal activist group. To the Department of Ag … well, I guess as farmers we all believe that if someone is mistreating their animals they should be held accountable. They’re the people who give our industry a bad name.’

‘So the question would be how did Voices for Animals find out?’ Zara asked. ‘And I totally agree. If someone is doing the wrong thing, the authorities should be notified so something can be done. You can’t let people get away with mistreating their animals, Mum.’

‘Like I said, I’m not disagreeing with the fact they should be reported. I’d encourage that! But I know Will wouldn’t have said anything to an animal rights group.’

There was silence on the phone line. Zara changed the subject. ‘How’s Ray turning out? Is he as good as we thought he was going to be?’

‘Yeah, he’s great. Got a real knack with stock and he rides a motorbike! Actually, he looks like he was born on one. That’s very helpful through the rocky hills.’

‘Excellent. That’s good to hear. Now, Mum, I’ve got to go.’ The abattoirs had come into sight and she could see the protesters were there already. ‘I’m covering a rally today, but I’ll call you when I get home, okay?’

‘Sounds good, honey.’

‘Oh, by the way, how’s James?’

‘He’s as solid as a rock.’