The Princess and the Cop Read online

  I reassured everyone once again and departed.

  At the office, I contacted all the cab companies in Brisbane, seeking information about any who might have picked up a young woman at Bardon in the early hours or night of Tessa’s disappearance. I left it with their despatchers and one soon rang back.

  One of their number had picked up a young girl near the academy, early morn, and had taken her to the Transport Centre in the city. He’d helped her buy a ticket to Charleville and had seen her safely on the coach. She was very new to Australia. The cabbie had thought it all unusual enough to report.

  You’re a good man, sir, I thought.

  Now I had to go to Charleville. I knew all these towns and areas from my days on the Stock Squad. It would be nice to get back into the bush again and away from murders and, yes, from our Commissioner.

  I wonder if he’d allow me back.

  But I didn’t want to be away from glorious Gloria. I was a bit smitten there. Was she the one?

  ****

  It was a long drive and I took my time, calling in at properties that I knew from days of yore and occasionally staying the night with the station-owner and a bottle of rum and telling lots of lies about the old days. I asked about jillaroo schools but nobody had heard of any. They knew what they were, and applauded the concept. Jackaroos and stockmen were in short supply. The mines were attracting station staff.

  I kept going and finally got to Charleville. I pulled into the first pub, leant on the bar, Police ID in one hand and photo of the Princess in the other. The publican came to look and shook his head.

  ‘Wife?’ I asked.

  He called her and she didn’t know the girl but said there’d been a girl staying at the Western Queensland Hotel, talking of jillaroo training.

  ‘Ask Mrs. Martin. I only got a glimpse of the girl but I’d say that’s her. She didn’t look up to station life to me. Too flabby.’

  Mrs. Martin hesitated for a long time. Her expression said that she knew the girl but she didn’t want to admit it.

  ‘Why are the Police looking for her? I’d swear she’s never done anything wrong in her life. She’s a great kid. Anyway, she’s gone.’

  I said, ‘No, she hasn’t done anything wrong. She disappeared from her school in Brisbane and there are people concerned for her. I’m just trying to ensure that she’s ok and hasn’t been harmed. But I must see her for myself and talk to her to be sure of that. Her brother’s made it a Police matter so, I’m sorry, Mrs. Martin, I must know where she is. Do you understand? It’s a Police matter.’

  The lady was pretty tough but caved eventually.

  The Princess had gone north-west with Jim and Linda Ellis who were opening a jillaroo school at their cattle property, The Gums, a long way out in the bush from Charleville.

  Mrs. Martin said the girl was obsessed with horses and talked of nothing else in the days she was at the pub.

  Yep! This was my girl ok.

  ****

  I stayed at the pub for a couple of days, talking to people, in the street and in the cafes and pubs. This was what I did… the eternal investigator. But this time I was more relaxed. I was taking my time and racking up expenses to annoy Bertram.

  I called in to the Police Station just to let them know I was around and sought directions to The Gums, but I knew that, when I got well out, it had to be instinct or pulling up passing vehicles and asking. Signposts out there were either knocked from the ground and used for firewood or shot out of existence.

  I trundled along, sleeping on the ground once and that was great. It had been a long time. They’d had good rain all along the route and I was pleased for them.

  And then I was pulling up at the Leslie place, my Land Cruiser covered in mud. I wasn’t looking forward to the return journey. It started to rain again as I stepped from the truck and a bloke came from a shed wiping oil from his hands on a big piece of rag. I appreciated that when we shook hands. He was the owner, Jim Ellis.

  I introduced myself to him, keeping it brief. I asked if there was somewhere to talk and he hastily offered me a cup of tea in the homestead. As I walked around the back of the house I looked down to the yards and saw a girl and a horse. The Princess?

  I shed my muddy boots and was met at the door by a very pretty young woman, Linda Leslie. Long dark hair falling over her shoulders, lovely hazel eyes and a nice face. She shook hands and took me into the kitchen. The rain was still falling lightly.

  We talked weather and then I said, ‘I’m a Policeman and I’m here because of Tessa Pramberg. She hasn’t done anything wrong. Far from it. But I have to ask you to maintain my confidence here. Tessa is a Princess from a small country in Europe. She’s Australia-mad and horse-mad and persuaded her family to let her come to Australia to attend a Ladies’ Academy, but she fled a couple of weeks ago. She wants to become a jillaroo as you must know by now.’

  ‘I was assigned to find her, on behalf of the family and that’s all, although the implication was that I was to return her to her brother, who’s in Australia. He’ll take her back to her home. It’s obvious that Tessa won’t want to return to her home and I’m on her side. I don’t know about you.’

  Linda said, ‘Oh, yes! Let her stay until she finishes the jillaroo training at least? Please Jim? She loves this life and she’s trying so hard. It would be cruel.’

  I said, ‘Ok, if you both agree on that. The other part of my brief is to keep watch on her until it’s time for her to go home. She must do that sometime. I’ve been thinking about this on the drive out. How about I stay on here and take over the jillaroo training? I was brought up on a cattle station and part of my Police career was on the Stock Squad. I think I’d be a good teacher, and that would free you up for all the work that I know you’ll have, Jim. It won’t cost you anything. The Police are paying me. I’ll even pay for my keep. And she shouldn’t know that I’m a cop and, if she hasn’t told you, she probably wants the princess part private to her.’

  Jim stood and walked to the door, thinking. He turned back and said, ‘I agree, but all the girls will have to agree. They’ve been signed up for Linda and me. Or will be. If they refuse, then it’s no go. I guess you’ll then have to take Tessa back with you.’

  Linda cried, ‘Oh no, Jim. Don’t do that to her! Bart’s obviously competent. He found us in the rain, didn’t he? He found Tessa, didn’t he?’

  ‘Ok,’ he said. ‘You start tomorrow. We have to drive into Charleville to pick up four more girls. Sorry about that, after your long trip out here, but you’d understand that. We leave before dawn. Fill your truck at our pump tonight. You’ll eat with us tonight, won’t you?’

  I said, ‘Where does Tessa eat?’

  ‘She insists on eating in their quarters, alone. She wants to cook for herself. She’s quite adamant.’

  ‘Then I’ll go down and meet her now. She mightn’t be the right girl. Perhaps she’ll give me a steak.’

  I left and noted that Linda didn’t look pleased. Banged a few pots.

  As I walked down to the horse yard I could see that Tess, assuming it was Tess, was still working with the horse---working against the horse, more like it.

  She was trying to mount it but the animal was far too big for her and the stirrups too high. She was trying to leap up to catch a foot in a stirrup and then pull herself up by its mane. It didn’t like it and shook her off just as she reached the crucial point. Her muddy boot kept slipping out of the stirrup.

  Princess, I thought, lengthen the stirrup leathers or walk him to the fence and climb aboard from a rail. I was guessing that, being a Princess, all this sort of thing was done for her at the Palace stables.

  I climbed over the fence and walked up to behind her and said, ‘Let me give you a boost up. He’s a big horse isn’t he?’

  She’d almost made it but was startled by my voice and let go of everything. She fell back on top of me and we both fell into the mud. She landed on my mid-section and I was winded.

  So there we were. Sh
e was on top trying to twist to see who I was and I was lying, sucking air and laughing, with the mud soaking the back of my clothes.

  And that’s how Her Royal Highness the Princess Tessadonna von Pramberg du Mont and Senior Sergeant Barton Corrigan met. The Princess and the Cop.

  7.

  We sorted ourselves out with Tessa apologising furiously and me shushing her gently.

  She was hugely embarrassed but I told her she had no need to be. It had been my fault for startling her.

  At last I got a good look at her.

  She was a very pretty girl, lovely soft honey-blonde hair, a bit muddy now, and lots of it, beautiful greenblue eyes and a wonderfully-shaped face. Beautiful complexion—perfect. She was about mid-height for a woman, with small hands. We’d have to toughen them up if she wanted to be a jillaroo. She was somewhat overweight but that was ok.

  It’s hard to describe her individual beauty points because they all came together to make her a very attractive young lady.

  She had a habit of slightly covering her mouth with her hand as she talked and when I made her laugh.

  I was making a joke of the whole falling down thing and she was responding, laughing, and I knew what the girls at the academy meant. She had a joyous laugh.

  It was getting dark but I’d be away for two days and I wanted to start her off.

  ‘I’m Bart, your new instructor, and you’re Tessa, my first pupil. Good, we’ve got that out of the way. That horse is far too big for you, Tessa. Did you pick it out yourself?’

  ‘Yes. I made a mistake, didn’t I?’

  Lovely calm, rich voice with just a hint of accent.

  ‘If you’re game to hop up behind me, mud and all, we’ll have a quick look among the others and select you a nice one. Smaller, so you can mount him and ride him tomorrow. I’ll be away.’

  ‘Oh, yes, please!’

  I made room on the saddle and took her over to the fence, got her to climb it and then jump on behind me, holding me.

  She said, ‘Oh! I’m pretty dumb aren’t I?’

  I could see Jim and Linda watching us from the house.

  We rode into the horse yard and moved among them.

  ‘There! That bay one,’ she said pointing. Her breath on my ear was nice.

  I roped him. Tessa, without being told, slid off the saddle, led her new horse to the fence and began to stroke and pat him and talk to him, getting to know him. She knew horses alright. And her face had a special expression while she was with him. She loved horses.

  I liked this girl. She’d be a pleasure to teach.

  She was so engrossed that I didn’t suggest our having a steak together. I was going to unsaddle her horse but she called, ‘My job, Bart. I’ll do it all. Thanks for your help. And if you’re going to be away tomorrow, would you like me to wash your muddy clothes?’

  ‘My job, Tessa. Thanks all the same.’ So unlike a princess!

  I walked to the house.

  Linda said, ‘So, you’ve chosen us after all, Bart. Don’t tell me you’ve been stood up and on a first date.’ But she was smiling.

  Jim patted me on the shoulder. ‘Come and have a beer, mate. But you’ll have to sit on the veranda floor. What happened to you?’

  I said, ‘I gave Tessa a fright as she was just about to climb up on that big chestnut and she fell off, muddy foot slipped in the stirrup and she flattened me into the mud.’

  Linda said, ‘And that would be flattened alright. She’s pretty fat, isn’t she?’

  Okaaay… I thought? It looks as if Tessa needs a friend already and she’s got one right here.

  ****

  What I knew was going to happen, happened. Jim Leslie and I made Charleville in fairly good time, found the new girls waiting at Mrs. Martin’s, and we booked in for the night.

  We had to interview them, testing their real desire to be a jillaroo and assessing whether they were up to it. That was very hard to tell, until we got them out on a horse or down on the ground with a calf, trying to work it to the ground. One had to like dirt and dust to exist on a cattle station.

  Generally, we thought, they might fit the bill, at least enough to take them out to The Gums and give them a go.

  We told them we’d have a dawn start tomorrow so they went to bed. It was still drinking time so Jim suggested a beer and what I knew was coming was suddenly here.

  ‘Will there be any trouble with you and Linda, Bart? Between you and me, I mean. She set her eyes on you when you arrived and hasn’t taken them off since. When you went off to Tessa, Linda didn’t move, watching you both.’

  ‘Not as far as I’m concerned, Jim. But I can’t control Linda. I’m conscious of it but I won’t do anything to let you down. I could talk to her but it might just stir things up. It’s happened before. I can’t leave because I’m under Police orders and that means that you and Linda are too. What I can do is shift out of her sight, away from her. If you’ll sell me some rations, or let me buy some here tomorrow, I’ll move into one of the empty stockmen’s quarters, away from everyone, and fend for myself. I checked all that out last night. I’m conscious of her glances too, mate. I’m going to have my hands full teaching the girls so Linda will see little of me. And that’s the best solution I can offer.’

  Jim stood and shook hands. ‘Best solution for me too. Don’t buy rations. We’ll supply them. Linda misses company I think, but there’s no trouble in our marriage. She’ll settle down, I suppose, once she’s got used to you. Has it been any trouble---this good looks thing?’

  ‘Not as much as you’d think, Jim. I can fight. Good night, mate.’

  ****

  I transported my few belongings to the best of the stockmen’s quarters, which would be empty until the Jillaroo School concluded. Linda was out of the picture so I guess Jim was keeping her occupied in the homestead.

  I wondered how the girls were going on their first night, so knocked on the door of their quarters. Tess let me in. The girls were busy unpacking and there was a lot of talk--- girl talk I supposed, so I got out pretty quickly.

  ‘Up at five am, girls, and a long day tomorrow selecting horses and gear and then riding them, in the yard for the first go and then out down the track. I hope you’ve been riding or you’re going to have sore bums tomorrow. Goodnight.’

  I liked the chorus of cheery responses.

  As I walked over to my quarters, the moon was rising, so I stopped at the stockyard rail and watched it climb.

  It was my favourite thing of the West.

  When I was a kid and doing a man’s work on the family property, I was set night watch on a muster, just like the men. It was lonely and, at first, a bit scary, until the moon rose, especially when it was a full one. It was a constant, always there for me and it became my friend, and it had always been my friend, even in the city. When my parents were killed in a bushfire, the last thing at night was to look at the moon if he was around. He was a friend for me, whatever might have been done to me.

  As I watched tonight’s moon, a figure moved in beside me.

  It was Tessa, looking up also.

  ‘It’s the same moon as at home, Bart, and it helps me be at home here too. It’s nice to haff something to share with someone, so far from my home. Goodnight.’

  She was a nice little girl.

  ****

  None of the girls had had any jillarooing experience. They could all ride, and a couple were familiar with cows, but riding skills were the thing so, after a bit of riding around the yards, I took them for a long ride out into the bush, only pulling up at lunchtime.

  I asked for a volunteer to start a fire for the billy and Marion Parker built a nice fire, using rocks to support the billy and we sat around with our corned beef sandwiches and the black tea that can only be brewed properly in the bush, in old billies. Marion did the lot and I thought that she might be the find of the group. The others paid close attention to her.

  When the tea was brewed Marion served Tessa and herself and then put the bi
lly back on the fireplace, leaving the rest of us to help ourselves. Tessa and the others looked surprised. Tessa jumped to her feet and served the others.

  I watched for jealousy or bitchiness out of that little episode but it seemed that these were all nice girls, willing to help each other.

  I asked about tender rears and a few confessed.

  As we rode back, very slowly, I tried to talk to each one in turn or in pairs.

  Marion Parker was a big square girl and seemed to know her way around a horse and a cow. She might have had some aboriginal blood in her. But she said that all she knew was from growing up with her family on a cattle station where her father was a stockman. She’d never been taught anything, which was why she was here.

  Later, when I dropped back, Tessa ranged up beside Marion and rode close beside her until we reached home. Tessa had a lot of questions from what I could see.

  It was late afternoon and I wandered among them, watching them work on their horses, correcting where necessary. Marion and Tessa worked together and turned their horses out together. Then they walked to the quarters together and I head Marion say, ‘Let’s have tea together, Tessa? I’m sure you’re a better cook than I am.’

  I watched. Tessa agreed. Not enthusiastically, I thought.

  I went to my place and thought about all that for a while, then went to the big fridge and took a piece of steak from it, got some bread and butter and knocked on the door of their quarters.

  Tessa opened the door and gave me a big smile, hand flying near to her mouth.

  I said, ‘I’m a lonely stockman looking for some company. Is there room for one more steak on your stove?’

  Tessa said, ‘Of course, Bart. You’re welcome any time. Let me cook it for you and you can share my onions and potatoes. Did you bring a beer for yourself? We don’t have any.’

  I looked across at Marion, who was not pleased. Tessa chattered away as she cooked but Marion was silent and I caught a bad look once or twice.

  Tessa was a good cook so, as payment, I insisted on doing the washing up.

  As I made ready to depart, Tessa came to me and said quietly, ‘The moon again tonight, Bart? May I share it?’