Now they were searching through what remained, which wasn't much. Just like the other shed, all that remained was twisted and buckled sheets of tin, part of the charred wall frame and burned beams lying on the ground. Apart from that, there was only a pile of ash that still smouldered.

'Can't believe this's happened again... Wally was over here every friggin' hour and saw no one around! He said that Towser was so quiet the dog never so much as farted. I can't understand how someone was able to do this without being noticed!' Digger was furious.

'We're bein' watched, Dig! It's the only explanation,' Nat stated.

'I know, Nat. It still doesn't explain how the f.u.c.k he's got the time to get in, set the friggin' fires an' get himself away without bein' seen. We've been walkin' 'round the place every flamin' b.l.o.o.d.y hour! Surely we'd see the mongrel!'

'Well, this one woulda been an easy one for him, all the boxes we had in here would've been great fuel for him. Still, he's b.l.o.o.d.y cunnin'. Wally could've come back at any time so he was quick to set it, that's for sure. An' that one over at your place, mate.' He looked at Rex. 'He woulda known that we all thought he was just targetin' us Masons so he woulda known you woulda been snorin' ya head off. He had an easy target there. We're gonna have ta up our patrols. Can't let the mongrel keep burnin' our stuff. We'll have nothin left.' Karl spat angrily on the ground as detectives Bennett and Simpson arrived.

As predicted, they took the report and had a look around, but found no clues and hadn't really expected to.

'Look, fellas, we can't do much. I know we keep saying that but there's just nothin' for us to work with. We're frustrated about it as well, believe me. We would love to catch the bloke, don't worry about that. What we'll do is increase the police presence in the valley. You won't know when they'll show up. It will be both day and night and at random hours. That's about all we can do until this maniac trips up. He'll make a mistake, it's inevitable!' Bennett said them, trying to give them some hope.

The men weren't convinced, but what else could be done? They felt frustrated, p.i.s.sed off and utterly helpless.

'We'll take a look around your place now, mate,' the detectives told Rex.

'Don't think ya's gonna find anythin',' Rex said dejectedly. 'We've been over an' over it early this mornin' an' there's nothin' there.'

'We still have to look, mate. We'll meet you there, okay,' Bennett said.

Rex and Nat hung back for a few minutes after the detectives left.

'We have ta come up with a plan; got any ideas?' Nat asked.

'Yeah,' Rex added. 'The b.a.s.t.a.r.d's put me in a rotten position. All that fruit we'd graded and packed was ready to sell to go out. We had two hundred cases all ready for the stores. Now it's all gone. The b.l.o.o.d.y shed's insured but not the fruit. I've lost thousands!'

There were murmurs of sympathy from the men. All the hard work they did had all gone up in smoke.

'Well, we might set ourselves up in a good hidin' place down here near the machinery shed for a few hours a night, eh Dig? We can't risk it goin' up next,' Karl suggested.

'Good idea. Grab a bite ta eat, then come down and hide out till say, oneish? The time frame the mongrel's been strikin' is around midnight, so that gives us an hour on the other side in case he decides to make a move a bit later. Reckon it's the only way, mate,' Digger agreed.

'You'se are gonna be stuffed, workin' all day, then up half the flamin' night,' Dave said.

'Well Dad, we have'ta do somethin' an' right now that's all I can think of.'

'Look mate, we'll help ya's in the orchard as much as we can,' Rex told them. 'It looks like the cunnin' b.a.s.t.a.r.d's gonna hound us all so it makes sense ta join forces an' help each other. We'll be patrollin' our places too.'

'Reckon we can split the load between us all. Des an' Eric, an' what about Rob, Arthur?' Sam looked at his brother. 'He can lend a hand while all this's goin' on.'

Arthur nodded his agreement, and so the plan was set in motion. Karl and Digger would grab a quick dinner then head down to the machinery shed and camp there until around 1am. If they dozed off, anyone moving around would certainly wake them.

Usually the fires started around midnight. They wanted to wait out the extra hour to be sure.

'Righto then, it's settled. Tomorrow I'll go in and get some decent locks for the machinery shed. We can't risk anythin' now,' Digger told them.

'Des can go with ya, mate. I'll get him to pick some up for me as well,' Sam said.

Up until now, the locals felt uneasy about the fires the Masons had suffered and were worried whether they would be next. As the news spread about the fire at Rex's place, the locals realised without a doubt they were all at risk. The uneasiness they felt grew into major concern and they all began to take precautions to try and keep their properties safe from the arsonist.

'Revenge proves its own executioner'.

John Ford

CHAPTER EIGHT.

The next day, Des and Digger returned from Albury by lunchtime. Digger had picked up the new locks for the machinery shed and he and Karl were fitting them.

'If the b.a.s.t.a.r.d wants to burn this down, he'll have to do it from outside!' Karl declared. 'There's no way he'll get in here now!' he added, tugging on the padlock securing the shed door tightly.

'Yeah, and with us hidin' nearby we just might spring the b.a.s.t.a.r.d!' Digger bent to pat Towser on his head.

'If only that dog could talk!' Dave said as he came across to them. 'He'd tell us what we wanna know. Anyway, Hazel's made some corn beef sandwiches. She sent me down to get you two.'

'Don't worry, Dad. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d'll slip up,' Karl said.

'No one can keep doin' somethin' like this and get away with it, Dave. He'll slip up somewhere and we'll get im'. C'mon Karl let's go, those sangers sound b.l.o.o.d.y good!' Digger put his screwdriver down and looked over at the rubble where the packing shed once stood. 'By h.e.l.l,' he thought. 'One way or another we'll get ya, ya friggin crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d!'

Dinner that night was a quiet affair. Dig and Karl were worn out after their long day's work and they still had to face another seven hours hiding out, keeping watch down at the machinery shed.

'This isn't good for either of you, this lack of sleep.' Win was worried about them; they worked hard enough without this.

'Well, it's all we can do for the time being. It won't be for long. The mongrel will make a move for sure, and we'll have him!' Digger replied, tiredness lining his face.

'Well I can't help but worry. What if he's armed?'

Karl couldn't help grinning. 'I fought in the war remember, Win? I reckon I can handle a gutless b.l.o.o.d.y idiot running around settin' fires!'

Digger also had a bit of a chuckle. 'Don't worry, love, we can handle ourselves. It's the firebug who should be worried! You get yourself to bed nice and early. You've got a big day Christmas shopping tomorrow and I want you to enjoy it.'

Emmie, Win and Ellie were going into town the next day. They were leaving early and making a day of it. It was only a couple of days until Christmas and they still had a few gifts to pick up. Emmie wanted material from Pearl's Fabric and Haberdashery. Win and Ellie were heading for the makeup counter at Mates to stock up on Mary Quant makeup, then on to Canns Boutique to look at the latest in fashion and purchase a couple of outfits for summer. Next would be Hunters shoe store for shoes to go with them. Daniel Hunter knew the Mason ladies and always gave them special attention; he knew there would be a sale in it for him, maybe several! Emmie would probably splurge on a new outfit or two and delighted in watching her daughters do the same. All three women loved to shop and were good at it. Then it would be off to enjoy lunch at The Albion Hotel. Once done there, they would get a taxi home. They usually had days out like this every year close to Christmas and looked forward to it. Going for a day out was the break they needed from the tense atmosphere the valley now harboured.

'I'm goin' to spray the grapevines tomorrow,' Dave announced.

'Dad, I don't think ...'

'No, Karl,' Dave interrupted him. 'Stop worryin' so much. I'll wear a mask and I'll be fine. A man has to make himself useful somehow!'

'Dad, you've done more than your fair share over the years. We wouldn't have a b.l.o.o.d.y orchard if it wasn't for you.' Karl wished he could make his father realise it was time he took it easy, but Dave was a stubborn and intensely proud man. Once he'd made up his mind, it was almost impossible to change it.

Eileen picked up the basket of food she'd prepared for Harry. She was going to check on him, then head off to meet Kathy and Tammi. They were spending the day at the Lavington swimming pool. Pa.s.sing the refrigerator on the back veranda where Jeff stored his beer, she opened it and grabbed a few cans for Harry.

Grinning, she set off. 'Harry will enjoy a nice cold beer on Jeff,' she thought, feeling rather sneaky and finding it amusing.

'Come in, lovey. You're a good girl to old Harry, aren't ya?' Harry liked Eileen and looked forward to her visits.

'Ah... cold beer... Looks mighty good. 'Ere, let me 'ave one'a those.'

'I can't stay long today, Harry. I'm going swimming,' Eileen said. 'How've you been anyway?'

'Ah, I'm okay, girlie. Din sleep good last night. Somethin' woke me a few times. Can't put me finger on what though!'

'You've got your shotgun, haven't you?' asked Eileen. 'Might be animals you're hearing.'

'Nah, love, I know what a bloomin' animal sounds like. Ain't no animal! Can't say what it was, I just knows somethin' woke me an' I'm a bit darn weary t'day.'

'Well, don't go taking any risks, stay inside with the door locked. Maybe you should think about staying with us over at the house until they catch the firebug.'

Eileen was concerned about him. Harry was as old, if not older, than her grandfather Dave, and she didn't like the fact he was all alone up here with some nutter on the loose.

Harry shook his head. 'Nah, no need for that, girlie; me dog's here with me an' I got me rifle. I'll be right as rain! Now, how you bin?'

They chatted about anything and everything. She listened to things she had heard many times but remained patient with the old man. Who else was he going to share his stories with? She often thought his dog would have a wealth of knowledge about the valley if only he could talk. Finally, Eileen said she better get going and gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze. Harry thanked her for the beer and food. He watched her leave and the fondness for the lanky young woman was evident in his eyes. 'She's a good'n that one, mate... A real good'n,' he remarked softly to his sleeping dog.

On the way to the pool, she thought about Harry and what he'd told her. It looked very much like someone was wandering around in the hills. 'h.e.l.l, it's rotten being suspicious of everyone and every sound you hear,' she thought sadly.

The valley had been so happy and peaceful. People always waved and called g'day when they saw you. These days the locals wore a look of worry and suspicion etched on their faces. Everyone had taken to locking doors. Never would they have bothered with that before. The Valley of Fear was fast becoming a more apt name for the once tranquil place.

'Thinking will not overcome fear but action will.'

W.Clement Stone.

CHAPTER NINE.

Christmas Eve had arrived!

'Isn't the tree beautiful?' Ellie exclaimed.

Karl and Digger had gone to Jindera and chopped down the biggest pine they could find. It reached right to the high ceiling of the lounge room.

Everyone had helped decorate it and it looked magnificent. Tomorrow was Christmas Day and the whole family was looking forward to it.

'I know I say it every year, but that's the most beautiful Christmas tree I've ever seen,' said Emmie.

Francis sat on the floor, wrapping Christmas paper around the drum the tree stood in. 'When I've done this, how about a few carols?'

They all agreed and Ellie went to sit at her piano. Francis finished wrapping around the drum and joined the rest of the family around the piano.

They all joined in singing O Come All Ye Faithful, oblivious to the fact that outside someone else was listening.

Silent Night followed. Win's voice rose above the others. This was her favourite carol.

The family stopped to listen to her as she sang all three verses for them.

At that moment, Hazel popped her head around the door.

'Pardon me, everyone, but we have visitors coming up the drive. Shall I hold supper?'

'I wonder who it is. We're not expecting anyone. Yes, hold supper, Hazel. And we may need extra for our visitors,' Emmie said as she pulled herself out of the armchair. 'Stay there, Dave. I'll see who it is.'

The car came to a stop outside and a smartly dressed couple alighted. The man was tall, his dark hair sprinkled with a light spattering of grey at the temples. A pale blue short-sleeved shirt accentuated his broad shoulders. Immaculately pressed dark blue sports trousers hugged his hips.

The woman was tall and slender. Her blond hair styled in a French roll and was as neat as a pin, her makeup applied to perfection. She had a striking face, beautiful in an exotic way. Her pale pink knitted cotton suit clung in exactly the right places. Together, they made a very glamorous couple.

'Well I'll be! Harv and Mary Winters!' Emmie exclaimed from the front door. 'You haven't been to these parts for years. How wonderful to see you! Come here and let me have a good look at you both.'

'Em, you never change!' Harvey complimented her as he bent and hugged the older woman. 'You're still as lovely as ever.'

Mary came up and embraced her as well and the three went inside to greet the rest of the family.

Harvey and Mary Winters were old friends of the family.

Many years before, Harvey and Ellie were involved in an intimate relationship and everyone thought they would marry. Harvey had joined the army with Karl. Although he came back to see Ellie as often as he could, army life had come between them.

Ellie had eventually called things off. Not long after, she married Francis' father, Denby, who had since died after a long illness.

Breaking up with Ellie had hurt Harvey deeply. He married Mary soon after he met her. He cared for Mary but he had never recovered from losing Ellie. This he kept to himself. Mary had never suspected him, or so he thought. This was their first visit to the Masons' household in many years.

'The rest of the family will be thrilled to see you! Come in, come in!' Emmie was fussing as she showed them to the lounge room. 'Everyone... everyone... You'll never guess who's here!'

They all looked up as the three entered the room. For a split second, the room was quiet and then excitement broke loose. Dave, Digger and Karl shook Harvey's hand. Win kissed and hugged them both. They were all pleased to see them. All except Ellie. She remained seated on the piano stool. Her face had gone pale and her eyes stared directly at Harvey.

Harvey was laughing and talking animatedly with the men, while the women were speaking with Mary. Then Harvey looked up and his eyes met Ellie's. He excused himself and walked over to her.

'h.e.l.lo Ellie,' he said softly, his gaze intent on her eyes.

'Harvey,' she replied, equally as soft.

He took both her hands in his and she stood up in front of him. She was almost the same height. Her eyes looked into his.

'It's wonderful to see you after all these years.' It was an effort to make her voice sound normal. She could feel her hands tremble in his.