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Carter stretched his neck from side to side before pulling a fresh T-shirt over his head.

All the training was starting to pay off.

The team had pushed through their morning laps up and down the peak of Windale Mountain in record time, so naturally, they’d had more reps added.

He felt good, though. Ready for breakfast and then a ball skills session on the field.

Or maybe he was still feeling on top of the world thanks to another evening spent with Indy, laughing, talking and more.

‘Ethan! Wait up.’

Halfway up the path between the rooms, his roommate slowed for Carter to catch up.

‘Things all good back home?’ Carter asked. When they’d gotten back from the showers, Ethan had had a handful of missed calls from his wife and he’d hurriedly changed and disappeared to call her back in privacy.

‘Yeah, she’s just had a rough night with Henry cutting molars. Her mum’s heading round to give her a break but she gets a bit emotional when she’s exhausted. I just had to talk her down so hopefully she can get some sleep.’ His face was tight with concern.

‘Must be really tough being away,’ Carter said.

‘I mean, am I glad I didn’t have to deal with a teething toddler? Hell, yeah. But I feel bad that Nicole’s had to deal with it on her own. We’re partners and I don’t always feel like I’m holding up my end of the deal.’

Not knowing what to say, Carter clapped Ethan on the shoulder. They neared the end of the building and Carter noticed an open door. Glancing in as they passed, he saw Ray, Jonathan and Nova standing in there with two men dressed in police uniforms, one holding a notebook.

‘What do you think that’s about?’ Ethan asked, as they walked on.

‘No clue.’ But it didn’t feel good. Had something happened? Maybe he should double back and ask? No! He needed to stay out of anything that remotely smelt of drama. And this reeked of it.

In the dining hall, Carter and Ethan lined up to collect breakfast then Carter followed Ethan to a table.

He wanted to kiss the guy when he chose one right near the staff table Indy was already sitting at.

Carter had come so close to telling her that he was in love with her yesterday but held off.

He had to be sure she was ready to hear it.

He scooped in a mouthful of scrambled eggs and risked a glance at her by pretending to scan the whole room.

She avoided his eye, but he didn’t miss her smirk.

He forced his eyes to keep moving, which meant he saw the policemen enter the hall.

One man remained in the doorway while the other cut between tables.

Silence fell over the room as the man drew closer to Carter’s table.

Carter’s eyes narrowed and his heart started beating faster. Dread iced his veins. Had something happened to Mum or Piper? A vision of two men in uniforms, not police but army, knocking on his door. It faded as the o?cer passed him.

‘Indigo Mills?’ The police o?cer stopped directly in front of the table Indy sat at. The ice in Carter’s veins started steaming.

She lowered her fork slowly, swallowed and leant back in her seat to make eye contact. ‘Who’s asking?’

‘Constable Edward Williams. Are you Indigo Mills?’

What the hell did this constable want with Indy? Had something happened to her mum?

Indy responded with a small dip of her head. ‘You know I am.’

Her stern gaze was unwavering, and Carter had to hand it to the o?cer when he didn’t budge. A weaker man would’ve crumbled.

‘I need to ask you to accompany me to the station for questioning in relation to a break and enter and theft.’

What. The. Fuck .

Indy remained stoic, the only change in her face the tightening of her lips.

Silence rang loudly in the dining room. What the hell was happening? Why would he want to speak to Indy about stealing? This was ridiculous and Carter had half a mind to tell him so. But he stayed glued in his seat.

Indy folded her arms across her chest and tilted her head. ‘No, thanks. I’ve got work to do here.’

Carter stifled his groan.

Constable Williams placed his hands on his gun belt. ‘You might want to reconsider. It really would be in your best interest to come quietly.’

‘And if I refuse?’

‘Give me a reason to cuff you, Indy.’ His long fingers tapped on the metal bracelets clipped onto his belt. ‘You know I will.’

Carter held his breath. Just do it. Just go with him. We’ll get this sorted out. He’d put a call through to a lawyer if he had to— anything she needed. There’s no way she was guilty of what they were accusing her of.

Indy’s shoulders squared and her head snapped high before she pushed her chair back from the table and strode outside, ahead of the cop.

Chatter burst across the room in her wake.

‘What the hell was that?’ Ethan asked, alarmed, but his words were lost on Carter, who was exchanging a look with an extremely concerned-looking Emery. She pushed her chair back and Carter followed suit, the two of them walking quickly to the door.

Carter blinked a few times in the sunlight, trying to figure out where Indy would be.

‘Carpark,’ Emery said, pushing in front of him.

He followed, catching a glimpse of Indy’s ponytail in the back seat of the police car before the door was shut and the two o?cers climbed into the front. They didn’t waste any time pulling out of the drive.

Nova, Ray and Jonathan stood nearby, watching as another car, a small white one, came down the driveway, passing the police car.

‘Perfect timing,’ Nova muttered, sarcastically.

‘Nova!’ Emery snapped as she and Carter met them. ‘What’s going on? Why is Indy being accused of stealing?’

Jonathan frowned at Carter as he cleared his throat. ‘I can answer that. Our assistance coach here, Ray, had his room broken into last night and his gold-plated Rolex stolen. Indy was seen hanging around the guest buildings after your staff meeting.’

Carter glared at Ray. This couldn’t be true. ‘Who saw her?’

‘I did,’ Ray answered. ‘I saw her hanging around as I went for a shower. I just figured she was doing a last-minute task to get ready for the auditor’s visit today.

’ He nodded towards the small-framed man who was climbing from the white car.

‘When I came back, the door of my room was unlocked and my watch was missing from its spot on my bedside table. I’ve been looking for it all night, hoping that it’d just been knocked to the ground or something. ’

‘And you’re saying Indy stole it?’ Carter asked.

‘I mean, that’s what the evidence is pointing to. I’m just as surprised as you are, Carter. After being at the expo with her and the small chats we’ve had since then, as well as that day down at the creek, I thought she was a genuinely good person.’

‘She is a good person.’

‘He saw her hanging around, Carter.’ Jonathan’s frown deepened. ‘It’s pretty clear what happened.’

‘ You saw her?’ Emery said. ‘Really? Because I walked with her to our cabins last night after the staff meeting and I watched her go inside. She made no mention of doing anything after that except going to sleep. Are you sure you saw her? Or are you blaming a lost watch on Indy because she turned you down when you asked her out?’

‘Emery!’ Nova snapped.

‘You asked her out?’ When did that happen? Why didn’t Indy tell him?

‘He asked her out for a drink on her next day off when she was moving the horses from the stables to the paddock yesterday. When she said no, he tried again and again. You don’t like taking no for an answer, huh, Ray?’

‘Is that what she told you?’ Ray said. ‘Nova’s already confirmed that your meeting finished at eight thirty last night and I saw Indy on my way to the shower at ten past nine.’

‘Emery,’ Nova said more loudly. ‘I know you’re upset, but Sarge will get this sorted out. We have other things happening that need our attention.’ Nova gestured over Emery’s shoulder to where the auditor was standing at his car door, looking awkward juggling his clipboard and keys.

‘Wait a minute—’

‘Look,’ Jonathan cut in. ‘We’re not standing here debating this. This girl admitted that she has no alibi and the law will—’

‘She does have an alibi,’ Carter said, drawing the gaze of everyone around him, including the scrawny council nerd who’d joined them.

‘I was with Indy last night. I went down to her cabin after our evening session and waited for her to get back from the staff meeting. I didn’t leave until after midnight. She was with me the whole time.’

He let his words settle. Emery looked at the ground. A sneer rose on Ray’s lips. Nova’s mouth dropped open in shock and Jonathan’s cheeks grew red with anger.

Carter focused on Ray. ‘Sounds like you might be lying.’

‘Ahhh, sorry to interrupt,’ the auditor said. ‘I’m here to meet Nova and, ah …’

Nova recovered and put a smile on her face before turning to the man. ‘I’m Nova Thomas. It’s really nice to meet you. Would you like some breakfast?’ She placed a hand on the man’s elbow and steered him towards the hall.

Jonathan pointed at Carter. ‘We’re going to talk about this later,’ he promised, before turning to Ray. ‘It seems pretty clear to me that you have an agenda that differs from mine. Either you can show me where you’ve hidden that watch, or I’ll tear your room apart trying to find it myself.’

Ray made a sweeping motion with his arm towards his room. ‘Be my guest, Jon.’

A grip on Carter’s arm drew his gaze down to see Emery’s fingers curled around it.

‘We need to tell Sarge that you were with Indy. She’s not going to like it, but it’s out now and we need to tell him before that idiot Edward charges her because she pisses him off.’

‘I’m in, but how?’

‘We’ll take the work ute.’ She turned and sprinted for the sheds.

Carter followed, dread settling in his stomach at what would happen now that he’d spilt the beans.