* * *
“Mr Langley?”
“Yes,” replied the man standing on the verandah, his dark eyes looking up at him with an icy stare.
“I’m Constable Hopwood.”
“I heard that we were getting a new Constable,” he said in a dull voice, as if the very fact didn’t really interest him.
“I have a rather delicate matter to talk to you about, a family matter.” Hopwood saw the immediate raising of the eyebrows, the narrowing of the lips and the crease on Robert’s brow. He knew he had touched a nerve, and that pleased him, he didn’t like this man. Constable Hopwood didn’t wait for the invitation to get down from his horse. He dismounted, tied the reins to the railing, and climbed the stairs to stand in front of Robert Langley.
“Is your mother in?”
“I’m afraid she is unavailable, she is in mourning and isn’t seeing anyone.”
“Pity, she would be glad to hear this. But I suppose you can tell her.”
“Tell her what, Mr Hopwood?”
“That her daughter and your sister, Lillian, is alive and well.”
“Is this some kind of joke, Mr Hopwood, my sister drowned years ago?”
“Yes, so everyone thought.” He watched Robert’s reactions as he began waving his hands in the air, his eyes avoiding him. He was beginning to show his anger, or was he just hiding his fear.
“Whoever she is, she is an imposter. Can she prove who she is?”
“I’m sure that if you and your mother were to meet her it would be confirmed.”
“Impossible, Constable Hopwood, unless she has means of proving her identity I want nothing to do with her. You know the law, Constable.”
“That is your final word then.”
“Yes,” said Robert sharply.
“Then how would I know that you and Frank O’Connor were involved in the incident that drove Lillian Langley over the cliff.”
“That is absurd. The woman is making it up.”
“Mr Langley, I have enough evidence to convict you and Frank O’Connor on several charges and the only reason that I’m not arresting you right now is because Lillian refuses to make a complaint.” Constable Hopwood could see the fury in Robert Langley’s eyes as he stared back at him. “A word of warning, Mr Langley, keep away from the Hawkins family.”
“You are barking up the wrong tree, Constable.”
“I don’t think so,” said Constable Hopwood as he turned and walked back down the stairs and climbed back onto his horse. “One more thing before I go, Mr Langley. I was at your father’s funeral yesterday and all your workers were there, except your foreman, Frank O’Connor.”
“I don’t keep tabs on all the men that work here.”
“There was a robbery over at the Hawkins house yesterday. Frank O’Connor was seen in the area.”
“Like I said, Constable, I don’t keep tabs on my men.”
“When you see him, tell him I want to talk to him.”
“I will pass the message on, Mr Hopwood.”
Anthony Hopwood was surprised at how Robert Langley managed to keep his cool, despite his prodding. Riding away from the ranch he conceded that Robert Langley was a man to be wary of.
Frank O’Connor stepped out of the house and stood beside Robert Langley as they both watched the Constable disappear into the trees along the trail.
“Did you hear all that?”
“Yes, what are we going to do?” asked Frank, who was becoming worried at the worsening situation.
“The Constable said that someone saw you yesterday?”
“He is bluffing,” growled Frank. “No one saw me.”
“There is still a bushranger loose in the district, I believe,” said Robert. His evil mind began hatching a plot. The farm and the business was his, nothing was going to stand in his way, not even the return of his sister Lillian.
“Yes, they are still looking for him.”
“Take a ride into town, have a talk with the stagecoach driver who was robbed the other day and get a good description of the bushranger. Mind that the Constable doesn’t see you. Our bushranger is going to become famous, for all the wrong reasons,” said Robert with a sinister smirk on his face.
Emily Langley had seen the Constable come and go from the window of the cottage where she was tending to Matilda Langley. She sensed that something was going on. Maybe the law was finally catching up with her husband. She knew he had dealings with the rum trade and several other dubious businesses that she knew were illegal. Her concern was for herself and her children, she couldn’t care less what happened to Robert, her love for him had died a long time ago.
“Emily, are you there?” asked Matilda Langley as she tried to sit up in her bed.
“Yes,” replied Emily, letting the curtain drop at the window.
“Did you see her?”
“See who, Mrs Langley?”
“Lillian, it was Lillian standing at the graveside. The wind blew her hat off and I saw her.”
“I’m afraid I didn’t see her, Mrs Langley, I was too busy trying to stop my own hat from being blown away.” Matilda Langley had been like this since the funeral, she seemed to think that her daughter had come back from the dead. To Emily, it seemed as if the old dear was losing her mind as she continued to ramble on.