Deadly Intent by Parv Valerie

Author:Parv, Valerie [Parv, Valerie]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Suspense
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2004-09-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Mountains of cumulus cloud banked up from the east and thunder rolled in the distance, but the rain didn’t return that evening, although the humidity was high enough for Judy to wish the heavens would open up. The grassed area in front of the homestead quickly dried out to allow them to dine outside. Under Tracey’s direction, the children pitched in and helped set up folding tables and chairs, while Judy made bowls of salad to accompany the barbecue Cade, having appointed himself chef, was getting ready.

Like all the Kimberley cattle stations, they relied on meat raised on their own land and stored in a commercial-sized freezer. Judy had been making sausages since she was old enough to operate the small machine that stuffed the bought skins with delicious mixtures of meat and herbs. Now she took strings of the homemade sausages out of the freezer ready for Cade to cook. The pantry held several weeks’ supply of groceries, so there was no shortage of food.

Ryan and little Sunny, who’d barely left his mentor’s side during the preparations, disappeared into the office together.

“Wonder what they’re up to,” Judy said as she placed a basket of bread on a serving table.

Tracey, her hands filled with jugs of ice water, smiled. “Secret men’s business, no doubt. They’ll let us in on the whatever it is when they’re ready.”

Judy unfolded an umbrella-like gauze cover and placed it over the bread to deter the flies who were already showing an interest. “Sunny follows him around like a puppy.”

“I knew Ryan was involved in the sponsorship scheme. But until we came here and Sunny spotted Ryan, I had no idea he was involved with your family. Most of the people who support these schemes are women. We’re grateful for their help, of course, but the program could use a lot more men like Ryan.”

“As role models, you mean?”

“Yes. The kids are surrounded by males at the cattle stations, of course, but so many are hard-drinking, tough-talking stockmen that they’re hardly a helpful influence.”

“Ryan is a stockman,” she said, mentally adding when he isn’t undercover on an assignment. No reason for Tracey to know that he was more than he seemed. She seemed happy enough with his cover persona, Judy noted.

“What he’s like among the men is his business,” Tracey said. “Around Sunny and the other kids, he’s a very good father figure.”

The thought mirrored Judy’s impression so closely that she was momentarily speechless. Then Sunny came running out of the office, his eyes shining. “Wait till you see what we made.”

A slightly sheepish-looking Ryan followed carrying a large poster made from several sheets of paper taped together. On it he had drawn and colored a large kangaroo. Judy had to look at it for a moment to realize that it was missing a tail. The oddly-shaped paper streamer Sunny carried suddenly made sense.

“Looks to me like Pin the Tail on the Kangaroo,” she said with a laugh. Why hadn’t she thought of party games?

He held the poster at arm’s length.

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