The Shearer's Wife Read online

  Jerry stepped forward, pushing past Dave and raising his fist to hammer quickly on the door.

  ‘Police!’

  The banging echoed through the stone home, but there was only silence from within.

  ‘Mrs Carter,’ Jerry shouted. ‘We know you’re inside. It’s the police!’

  Still no noise or movement from inside.

  ‘Last chance, Mrs Carter. Open up or we’ll smash the door in.’ He turned to Dave and Allan. ‘Get ready with the battering ram.’

  ‘Geez, Simms,’ Dave said. ‘Are you sure that’s necessary? What you’ve got here is a lady you’re scaring the shit out of. Let alone the neighbours watching from over the fence. The gossips will go mad. What is this all about? Let me try.’

  ‘You saw her behaviour. You know that she knows what she’s got. Narcotics. Mrs Carter!’ He raised his voice and banged on the door. ‘Right, on three. One …’

  ‘Narcotics?’ Dave said disbelievingly, just as there was a noise from inside.

  The latch clicked and the door opened slowly.

  Immediately Jerry put his hand on the door and foot over the jamb. He pushed hard and from the inside there was the sound of backwards steps.

  When the door stopped moving, they could all see Essie Carter standing in the passageway, her eyes wide, face pale and minus her green coat.

  Jerry walked forward and held up his identification, while Dave stepped back to let him take the lead. More and more he was feeling like he didn’t want to be here. But he had to. He was a copper, and at least he knew that Essie would trust him.

  Jack and Rob were behind Jerry, the video cameras rolling.

  ‘Are you Mrs Estelle Carter?’

  ‘What? Yes.’ Confusion mixed with defiance crossed her face.

  ‘I’m Jerry Simms of the Australian Federal Police. I have a search warrant for these premises. Will you step aside, please?’

  The men swarmed in around her, moving through the house, opening doors and exploring rooms.

  Dave caught Essie’s eye and raised his hands in a silent question. What’s going on?

  She looked at him and shrugged.

  Drugs? he mouthed, his incredulous look clear.

  Essie dropped her head but not before he saw a flash of fear cross her features.

  Around them drawers opened and closed. Dave could hear one of the men in the bathroom; pill bottles were rattling as he opened and then discarded them.

  Dave looked at Essie again, but she wouldn’t meet his eye.

  Shit.

  He watched the chaos for a moment longer, then went into the kitchen. Clean but tired benchtops looked like they had been wiped down more than a million times. Curtains that hung in the window were spotless but old, and there was a box of toys under the table. On top sat a cup with steam rising from inside, and a tea pot.

  Next to a yellow padded envelope.

  Which was open, and sitting on top was a plastic pouch full of white powder.

  It looked to Dave like about a kilo of heroin.

  No need to look further; the Feds had found what they were looking for. Dave’s heart hammered against his chest, but outwardly he remained his usual calm, professional self.

  Jerry stood at the table, looking down. ‘Bit of smack with your tea, Mrs Carter? Nice way to have smoko. Over here, boys. Make sure you get it on video.’

  He turned to Essie, who was standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. She had tears on her cheeks, and Dave wanted to go to her, tell it was going to be okay. But he couldn’t. He was a copper and there were clearly illegal substances in this house.

  From the moment Essie picked up the parcel, Dave had been hoping they would find it was an order from eBay or Etsy. Prove this jumped-up, arrogant dickhead from the plastic police wrong. But he hadn’t been wrong, and deep down Dave had known the AFP wouldn’t have arrived here without good cause.

  ‘Mrs Carter, I’m advising you, you are now under arrest for the importation of narcotics.’

  ‘Over here,’ Rob said, pointing inside a drawer near the telephone. ‘Another three envelopes, the same as the one on the table. Empty, but the same. Right down to the postmark. Make sure you get them on video. Take them as evidence too and get them swabbed.’

  ‘Mrs Carter, where did you buy these drugs?’

  Essie didn’t answer.

  ‘Check the rest of the house with the cameras,’ Jerry instructed Rob and Dave. He pulled out a chair and sat down, then said to Essie, ‘I can wait you out, Mrs Carter. But you’d make things so much easier for yourself if you answered my question.’

  ‘No comment.’ Her voice wavered, but she looked at him defiantly.

  ‘I beg your pardon?’

  Essie stepped into the kitchen. ‘I don’t have anything to say to you.’ Her hands were clasped tightly across her chest and Dave could see the whites of her knuckles.

  Dave clenched his jaw as movement from the other officers made him look away from Essie. Jack took his eyes from the camera for a second and exchanged a glance with Dave. His face was solemn.

  Jerry nodded and looked around. Dave saw his eyes land on the toys and a barely visible shake of his head. He could see Jerry thinking, Just another druggie with kids.

  Dave itched to say something, but he had to stay silent.

  ‘Hands behind your back please, Mrs Carter,’ Jerry said in a weary tone. He got out his handcuffs and moved towards her.

  ‘No.’ Dave wasn’t having that. He walked to Essie’s side, glaring at Simms. ‘We won’t need to take her down that way. Come on,’ he spoke to the elderly woman now. ‘We need to go to the station and ask you some questions.’ He turned and gently guided her to the door.

  In the station, Dave stood off to the side of the kitchenette and watched as Jerry made himself a coffee. Dave’s feet were planted firmly on the floor, his arms crossed as he tried to get Jerry to look at him.

  ‘Mate, you’ve got the wrong person,’ he said.

  Jerry ignored the statement.

  ‘Simms?’ Dave’s tone commanded a response.

  Jerry turned around and stared at Dave. ‘I know this is your town and your people and it’s hard to believe a little old lady like that could smuggle in drugs. A grandmother,of all people! But it happens. You wouldn’t believe the people I have to arrest for drugs. Young mums with kids in the back of cars; fit, healthy men who run businesses with million-dollar turnovers.’ He shook his head. ‘Drugs don’t discriminate. And you were there when she picked up the package. She’s probably on-selling it to the local kids and making a fortune.’

  ‘No, there’s history.’

  ‘What history? Burrows, I’ve heard good things about you, but I’m starting to think you’ve been in this town too long. You’re too close to the people here and you can’t see what’s under your nose.’ He stirred in a sugar and gave a mirthless laugh. ‘I’m sorry to say you’re wrong.’

  ‘I know what Essie did. I saw it and I’m not saying she’s not aware she’s acting illegally, but—’ he paused, before speaking slowly and carefully ‘—I think she might be a pawn in this matter. And I can categorically tell you she’s not a dealer.’

  ‘And what do you base that on?’

  The scorn in Jerry’s tone made anger flare through Dave’s stomach. He took a calming breath.

  ‘Melissa Carter left town five years ago, under a cloud. I had arrested her for possession of heroin while she was here visiting her mother. Her mother is Essie. After the arrest, Melissa was supposed to be drying out. Barker was a great place to do it because there are so few drugs here—I’m not naive enough to think there’re none, but I haven’t seen anything hard. About two weeks on, I found her with a tourniquet around her arm, a needle in it, unconscious in her car at the back of her mother’s house.

  ‘We saved her, but she moved on quickly, leaving her daughter, who is all of six, with Essie to raise.’

  ‘Moved on?’

  ‘Disappeared. Discharged hersel
f from the hospital and vanished.’

  ‘Unfortunate. But it still doesn’t make a case not to arrest Mrs Carter. Perhaps she needs the money to help raise the child.’ Jerry shrugged as if none of this were of any consequence.

  ‘I never said you shouldn’t arrest her,’ Dave answered flatly. ‘I’m giving you the background, so when you interview her, you’ve got information you otherwise wouldn’t have.’

  ‘Sure. Thanks. I’ll go and question her now. See what I can find out.’

  Dave watched him leave the room, a smirk on Simms’s face. Clearly he thought Dave was incompetent. ‘Tosser,’ he muttered, knowing Jerry wouldn’t give any thought to what he’d been told.

  Picking up the phone, Dave sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, before dialling Kim’s number.

  ‘Hey, honey, and to what do I owe the pleasure?’ Kim’s soft, flirty tone came down the line after two rings.

  ‘I need you …’ He stopped, realising he sounded like he was issuing orders to a constable. ‘Sorry. Hi, sweetie. How are you?’

  ‘In need of you too, but by your tone you’re not calling to organise a rendezvous.’

  Dave laughed. Just the sound of her voice made him feel lighter inside. ‘I wish I could. Got a bit on.’

  ‘What can I help with?’ Kim’s voice was concerned, and Dave felt a rush of love for his wife. She was always there, helping in the background. Never once asking questions she knew he wouldn’t be able to answer, just doing what he called on her to do. Her support for him and his job was something most men would envy.

  ‘Is your registration with the Department of Child Protection still valid? Can you still be a foster carer?’

  ‘Yes … ?’ Kim drew the word out into a question.

  ‘Can you ring the school and tell them you’re coming to pick up Paris Carter? I’ll send an email authorising it. She’ll be staying with us for a while.’

  ‘Paris?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Dave glanced at the door that Essie sat behind. ‘I …’

  ‘It’s okay,’ Kim interrupted. ‘I know you can’t say anything. I’ll do it now.’

  ‘Give me five minutes to email the school with the forms.’

  ‘Okay.’ Kim didn’t say any more although Dave could feel her questions pinging down the line.

  ‘I’ll tell you when I get home. But if anyone asks, Essie has gone to Adelaide on family business.’

  ‘Right-oh. I’ll go and make up the bed in the spare room.’

  ‘Kim?’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Honey, you don’t need to thank me.’

  He put down the phone, opened his computer and found the forms he needed to give to the Barker Area School, all the while wondering what Jerry was asking Essie. He wished Essie had taken legal representation, but when he’d offered the service, she’d declined. Simms had glared at him when he’d mentioned it, but Dave didn’t care. Still, if she had, they probably would have had to shift her to Port Augusta or Adelaide. Barker didn’t come at having a lawyer on tap.

  With the forms emailed to the school, Dave got up and went to the door of the interview room, hoping to hear something.

  ‘Can you confirm your name for me?’ Simms’s voice carried through the thin door.

  Silence.

  ‘Is your name Estelle Carter?’

  This time he heard a low murmur from Essie. ‘Yes.’

  ‘And could you confirm your address for me?’

  Essie answered that question too.

  The front door to the station slammed and Jack walked in. Through the open doorway into the reception area, he could see Joan hold her finger up to make sure Jack stayed quiet. Dave continued to listen, giving them both a grave smile and a thumbs up.

  ‘Did you receive this package today?’

  Dave imagined Jerry pushing the narcotics towards Essie and her recoiling from them. He knew she hated anything to do with drugs.

  Five years ago, Essie had stood there on the pavement and watched, helpless, as Dave and the paramedics worked to save Melissa, and she’d cursed every drug and dealer while Kim had comforted her. She’d cried at her daughter being so weak—not being able to stay away from the high and escape from the world of dealers—and cursed the year that Melissa had left Barker to study in Adelaide and been introduced to drugs.

  ‘You’ve got a baby!’ Essie had cried.

  There was no way Essie would import drugs willingly; of that, Dave was certain.

  ‘Mrs Carter, it’s in your best interest to cooperate, as I’ve mentioned before,’ Jerry’s voice filtered through the door again. ‘Please answer the question.’

  Silence.

  ‘Have you received packages like this before?’

  Silence.

  ‘How do you source the drugs?’

  Silence.

  ‘What do you do with them once you’ve received them?’

  Silence.

  ‘Interview terminated at 3.06 p.m.’ A chair scraped along the floor and Dave heard Jerry say, ‘I’ll be back, Mrs Carter, and I do hope you’ll feel like obliging me when I return.’

  Still nothing.

  Dave walked to his office before Jerry came out. He heard the door slam, then lock and a low, ‘Damn it!’ before Jerry appeared in his doorway.

  ‘Well, she’s had the opportunity to talk. I’m going to shift her to Adelaide, and she can deal with whatever comes her way.’

  Leaning back in his chair, Dave fought the anger rising in his chest. ‘Let me have a go,’ he said. He wasn’t about to let Essie be taken to Adelaide without trying to help her.

  ‘What do you think you’re going to get out of her?’ Jerry snapped, frowning.

  ‘I don’t know, but it won’t hurt to let me try.’ He spread his hands out beseechingly.

  ‘You don’t know enough about the case and I can’t tell you anything more about it at this stage.’

  ‘But I know what happened today.’

  Jerry blew out a breath and then shrugged. ‘Suit yourself. I’m going to get another coffee.’

  When Dave pushed the door open he saw Essie slumped at the table, her head resting on her arms, her shoulders shaking. He heard her swallow and try to control herself, before lifting her head up. Her face crumpled as she saw him.

  Quietly he pulled the chair out and sat down, resting his elbows on the desk. He pushed across a box of tissues he’d brought from his office.

  ‘It’s okay. Kim and I are going to care for Paris while this is going on. She’s going to be looked after. She’ll be safe.’

  This made her cry harder.

  ‘What’s going on, Essie?’ he asked in a low voice.

  Essie shook her head against her arms. ‘I can’t,’ she said.

  ‘Can’t what?’

  ‘Nothing.’ She sniffed and looked up to grab a tissue and blow her nose.

  Dave waited for her to speak again but she didn’t, just continued to shake her head.

  ‘Essie, I’m not going to be able to help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on. Now, I know this isn’t you. Don’t forget, I was there when Melissa was in a bad way. So, how about you start at the beginning and tell me what’s happened, because that’s what I’m here for. To help you.’

  Her voice was hiccupping as she spoke. ‘I can’t say anything. You don’t understand.’

  ‘Because you’re frightened?’

  Nodding, Essie twisted the tissue around her fingers.

  ‘Can you tell me who you’re frightened of?’

  ‘I don’t know who they are.’

  Dave watched her steadily for a few heartbeats. ‘Okay. But it has something to do with Melissa?’

  Essie nodded again.

  Dave felt his mobile phone vibrate in his pocket, but he ignored it. Carefully, he asked another question. ‘Has this been going on for long?’

  Dabbing at her face with the tissue, Essie stared back at him. He held her eyes, trying to convey support and strength
.

  The tissue was now shredded and soggy, torn apart just like Essie. Finally, she took a deep breath and the words rushed from her. ‘Three weeks.’

  Dave nodded. ‘Okay. How did it start?’

  ‘Dave, I can’t tell you. I would if I could.’ She stared at him, her eyes wide with fear. ‘I can’t. There’re consequences if I do.’

  ‘Okay, okay,’ Dave held his hands up calmly. ‘But we can help, Essie. No matter how big the problem is, we can help. I know that Federal Agent Simms is a bit highhanded, but he’s here to help too. It would be beneficial if you would speak to him.’

  Suddenly, Essie straightened up. When she spoke next, her voice was stronger. ‘No, Dave, I can’t tell you. There’s too much at stake. You do what you have to do with me.’

  Dave regarded her for a moment. ‘What about Paris? Surely you don’t want to be away from her?’

  Essie’s face collapsed again. ‘No, I don’t. I … don’t know,’ she said shakily.

  ‘Essie, unless you help, I think what will happen is the AFP will take you to Adelaide to be charged. You’ll have to go to court but the judge will probably grant you bail. Have you got anyone to post surety for you?’

  ‘No.’ She looked over at Dave, her eyes wide. ‘Will it be much?’

  ‘I can’t tell you. Maybe forty or fifty thousand. Can you mortgage the house?’

  ‘It’s not mine to mortgage.’

  Dave leaned back in his chair. ‘Is whoever you’re protecting worth all of this, Essie? Worth the time in jail, worth leaving Paris behind?’

  Dropping her eyes, Essie nodded. ‘Yes,’ she whispered.

  Chapter 4

  1980

  There were five other vehicles pulled up at the shearers’ quarters when Rose and Ian arrived. She recognised two of them and she closed her eyes, breathing out heavily in despair.

  ‘Look at that,’ Ian said, sounding pleased. ‘Muzza and Kiz are here. Better make sure that bottle of rum is close by.’

  Rose wondered if she could get to the bottle first and pour out the liquid. Maybe she could say it smashed as they drove over the rough corrugations. Except they hadn’t been especially rough. She knew how this evening would play out. After dinner, she would be expected to leave the men, banished to her small room alone while they set up their gear in the shed and then broke out the pannikins and rum and talked late into the night about other sheds they’d been in and women they’d managed to bed over the month since they’d seen each other.