Robbo snorted. ‘Except for all the massive cut stumps poking out of the ground. Ever heard of satellite photography? Greenies can look that stuff up on the internet and count the trees from the photos.’

‘We’re fucked then, aren’t we?’ groaned Shane.

Miki lifted the order from the fryer, drained it and tipped it out onto paper. She’d been so busy listening, it was a bit overdone and she hoped the men wouldn’t notice. Nervously, she doused the chips in salt, wrapped them, then carried the parcel over and put it on the table. She hadn’t added extras today because she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. A gift might be read as a peace offering and taken as proof of guilt.

‘Ta, love.’ Toby fired a wide grin at her and swiped a broad hand bashfully across his bald head. ‘Best chips in town.’

‘Only chips in town,’ she said.

Toby laughed as she slid back behind the counter, and Robbo continued as if she wasn’t there. That was good, Miki thought, because obviously they didn’t suspect anything.

‘I heard they might send us south down Cockle Creek way or back up north near Maydena,’ Robbo was saying.

‘Who’s paying to shift the equipment?’

‘Guess they’ll sort that out later.’

‘Wendy won’t be happy,’ Shane said. ‘That’s a lot of driving.’

‘I still reckon we should do something,’ Mooney put in. ‘I don’t like just sitting around.’

‘It’s not affecting you,’ Robbo pointed out. ‘You’ve got plenty to do at the mill. Just settle down, for once. It might all blow over.’

Mooney’s phone rang and he answered it, then cursed and hung up. ‘Liz wants me to pick up some stuff at the supermarket. Have to go.’

Robbo wagged a finger at him. ‘Don’t you go meddling with the nest, do you hear?’

Miki was worried about this too. Shooting the eagles or damaging the tree was something Mooney might do.

‘I’ve got a few ideas under my belt,’ Mooney said with a grin.

‘Don’t shoot the birds,’ Robbo reiterated, shaking his head. ‘Just you keep out of it.’

Saturday morning, Liz slunk into the shop to pick up sausage rolls for her girls on the way to netball. Leon was there too, waiting for a serve of hot chips. When Liz ordered, Miki caught the waft of her perfume: sweet and slightly stringent. Liz had a graze on her forehead and couldn’t look Miki in the eye. Leon must have noticed it too, something about the gentle way he looked at Liz and stepped aside to give her space at the counter.