'I can't see why he'd mind,' Beth replied.

'Maybe he might; everyone's under the impression that you two are a couple.'

Beth was silent for a few minutes. 'I hadn't really thought of that. I do like him... a lot, but anything more serious than that... I just don't know.'

'I don't think he thinks that way. I'd say as far as Francis is concerned, you're his girl, Beth. It stands out a mile!' Kathy changed down gears and the mini minor slowed, ready for the turn into Kia-Ora's gravel drive.

Beth thought for a minute and then she asked, 'Kath, perhaps I should step back a bit. Why don't we go to the club this Wednesday night? Johnny is singing there and he told me Wednesdays are getting as popular as Friday and Sat.u.r.day nights.'

'That would be okay but Francis will want to come along as well, you know. Since when has he not wanted a night out dancing?'

'I'll say we've planned a girl's night out.'

'Don't be too hard on him, Beth. He really seems keen on you.'

'Kath, I really like him too, but I'm not sure I want things to move quite as fast as he does. I have a great time with him, but if he thinks we're serious, I'll have to slow things down somehow. I don't want to lead him on. I'm not ready for a serious relationship just yet. You do understand that, don't you?'

Kathy turned the engine off and flicked the headlights out. 'Yes I do. If that's how you feel then you would be doing the right thing by slowing it down before he gets too wrapped up in this whole thing. I think he was smitten with you from the minute he met you. Good old Francis, loves a pretty girl. He's a beaut bloke and he falls easily, silly b.u.g.g.e.r. C'mon, help me wake up b.u.g.g.e.r lugs... We'll have to get her up to bed.'

After several minutes of gentle shaking and prodding, they managed to wake Tammi and go up to the house.

The shadow of a tall dark figure went unnoticed within feet of the three girls. With a scowl on his face, he hissed his hatred into the black of night. 'Little upstart, just like the rest of em!' His face contorted with rage. 'b.l.o.o.d.y Masons all the friggin' same.' The backdoor clicked shut, the outside light went out. Gradually, silence enveloped the valley as one by one, each household settled for the night.

Still, the dark figure stood watching Kia-Ora.

He emerged from the seclusion of the huge mulberry tree.

'What's up, Win?' Digger rolled over as she got out of bed.

'It's okay, I'm just going to get a bex. I have a bit of a headache,' she answered.

Dig snored in reply. Win pulled on her robe and padded quietly from the room.

Downstairs, she got the bex powders from the drawer and decided to make a hot chocolate as well. She filled the jug and sat at the big kitchen table waiting for it to boil, deep in thought.

'I'm certain I saw that look in his cold eyes. Dear G.o.d, what now? What else can go wrong? she thought, her mind whirling. A terrible thought flashed into her mind. 'All these fires, oh my Lord!' She gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. The jug boiled and she filled her mug. 'It can't be. Like Ellie said, I must be mad,' she thought as a flicker of light caught her eye, causing her to glance at the window. She leaned forward and pulled the blind back to get a better look.

'No!' she cried out. 'No... No!' She dropped her mug in the sink. Hot chocolate spilled everywhere.

As she ran up the stairs to the bedroom, she clasped her hand over her mouth to stem the need to cry out, thinking of her mother sleeping in a nearby room.

'Digger wake up... Quick, wake up!' She shoved him as hard as she could.

'What... What'sa matter?' He was finding it hard to wake from his sound sleep.

'A fire out the back. Hurry, get up... quick!' Win stammered, her eyes growing wide.

's.h.i.t!' He leapt out of bed and stumbled to the stairs in his pyjamas.

'You wake Karl, love... Try not to wake Emmie.' He was immediately worried for the old woman as well.

Win was heading for Karl's room when Ellie opened her door.

'Win!' she whispered. 'What's going on?'

'Another d.a.m.n fire...' Win burst into Karl's room and shook him awake, telling him about the fire. He bolted out of bed and ran downstairs clad only in his pyjama bottoms. Ellie and Win followed close behind.

As they reached the mulberry tree, a furious Digger met them. 'It's Kath's mini! The f.u.c.kin' mongrel's burned her car!' The little car was a ma.s.s of flames. Black smoke belched into the air.

'Run and call the fire brigade, Ellie! Our hose can't cope with this... Come on, stand back, the petrol tank'll go any second.' The words had barely left Digger's mouth when a huge explosion rocked the ground under them. Flames leapt higher in the air followed by smaller explosions.

The noise brought Francis and the girls running out. 'Good grief!' was all Francis could utter.

Hazel and Ted stood huddled together. Hazel was shaking all over.

'Dad... Dad... My car!' Kathy screamed. She ran towards the burning vehicle. Ellie grabbed her, pulling her back. Kathy struggled, crying hysterically.

'My car... My little car... Why?'

'Ssh, sweetheart, come here.' Win pulled her sobbing daughter into her arms, stroking her hair. She couldn't stop her own tears from streaming down her face.

'I'll have to go and tell Mum. She'll have heard the commotion by now. I want to get to her before the sirens come screaming up the road!' Ellie said, turning and heading back to the house.

The sirens were already wailing in the distance.

Tammi and Beth came to stand with Kathy. Francis was helping to dampen the gra.s.s and sheds nearby.

'The b.l.o.o.d.y stinkin' a.r.s.ehole. What a dirty rotten thing to do.' Digger was ropeable. 'To burn the kid's new car. The f.u.c.kin' lousy b.a.s.t.a.r.d! If I could just get my hands on him, I'd rip his throat out!' Dig's face was dark with rage.

'Mongrel gets sick pleasure from doin' this. He'll burn anything!' Karl raised his arm to the fire brigade as it hurtled into the yard and the siren wailed to a stop.

Hoses were dragged from the truck and Frank Smith shouted questions at them.

Ten minutes later, Kathy's mini stood a blackened sh.e.l.l. The sirens had woken the residents of the valley. Several people arrived in the yard to see what the firebug's latest conquest had been.

'Kathy?'

Kathy turned as she heard the deep voice behind her. 'Eddie!' she said, sniffing and wiping tears from her eyes. 'I thought you were in Wagga?'

'I came back yesterday. Kath... I'm so sorry!'

Tears kept running down her face. 'Oh Eddie, my car. I only just bought it. Why?' She sniffed and wiped at the tears again.

Eddie moved closer and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. 'Here.' He dabbed at her face. As fast as he dried her eyes, the tears would flow again.

Win looked at him. She wasn't quite sure what to make of him. She knew that Kathy had said it was over between them, but watching them together now, she wasn't so sure.

'What a terrible thing to happen, Mrs Miles.'

'Yes Eddie, Kathy's distraught. She loved her car. It's not fair at all. Whoever did this is a sick, sick coward.' Her own tears threatened again. Win had to turn her head. She was finding this, on top of everything else, just too much to handle.

The police arrived and searched the area for any clues but, as usual, there was nothing. All family members were questioned and Frank Smith could be of no help either.

Detective Bennett asked to see Kathy. Win pointed to where she stood with Eddie. Detective Bennet strode over to them, nodding curtly to Eddie. He spoke briefly to Kathy about what time she had arrived home and whether she, Tammi or Beth had seen or heard anything. She told them everything seemed normal when they had returned home. The detectives left saying they would be back in the morning when it was light.

'Fools!' muttered Nat Willis. 'Makes ya wonder. All they do is ask questions and more questions, meanwhile all we do is pay with our possessions and properties!'

'Can't blame them, mate,' Sam said. 'They're dealin' with a very cunnin' bloke. None of us have come up with anythin'!'

Frank wandered over to join them. 'Well, I've got no answers.' He scratched his bald head. 'I'm worried though, real b.l.o.o.d.y worried. Have any of you blokes looked around the valley lately? I mean really looked?'

The men all stared at him. 'I'm serious fellas... The whole place is tinder dry! It's ripe for a huge fire! G.o.d help us if this b.a.s.t.a.r.d has that in mind. I have a gut feelin' he's just bidin' his time! We were lucky to get the Gap fire under control!'

Frank walked away to help wind the hoses back on the truck. Karl and the men were left to mull over his statement.

'I'm so sorry, love.' Digger put his arm around Kathy. He glanced at Eddie. 'G'day.'

Eddie was staring at the burnt out remains of the car. 'Yeah, g'day Digger.'

'Last I heard you'd left town!' Digger continued.

'Yeah, for a while, but with Mum here and everyone, I kinda missed the place.'

'This is a h.e.l.l of a blow to Kath, seein' her car go up like that,' Dig went on. 'Poor kid. She just got it, too!'

'I s'pose the cops haven't any clues as usual,' Eddie said.

'Nope... nothin'. They'll be back in the daylight. Might find something then.'

'Bet they don't,' Eddie replied quietly.

Digger gave him a long thoughtful look. 'You seem pretty sure of that!'

'No, not sure, but h.e.l.l... They never find anything, do they? These fires have been goin' on for years and no one's found a single clue to who he is... Has anyone ever thought it could be a woman?'

Karl walked up behind them and overheard the last part of the conversation.

'One day the rotten b.a.s.t.a.r.d'll slip up, Chancellor, and we'll have him... or her!'

Kathy had wandered over to her mother and sister, eyes red and swollen from crying. She trembled all over.

'Kath, what can I say? What can I do to help you?' Tammi put her arms around her sister and hugged her tightly. 'I'm so sorry.'

Kathy burst into tears once more. Beth patted her arm and said softly, 'Chin up, Kath. We're all here for you.'

Ellie called from the veranda, 'Come inside everyone. Hazel's made cocoa and coffee.'

Eddie walked over to where Kathy stood with her mother. He took both her hands. 'I'm goin' now, sweetheart. You give me a call if you need anythin', okay?'

Kathy looked into his eyes. 'I'll walk you to your car.'

Win sighed and followed the others inside.

'I meant what I said, Kath. You let me know if you need anythin'.'

'I will Eddie, thanks. I will,' she said softly. Eddie leant against the side of his car. Kathy stood in front of him.

He reached out and caressed her cheek. 'Sweet Kathy Miles, where did we go wrong?'

'I'm not sure, Eddie. I just felt I needed some freedom. I want to see what it's like out there, that's why I bought my car.' Kathy smiled at him. 'We're still friends though.'

'Yeah babe, it was good while it lasted though. I s'pose I'll see you 'round then.' He moved to open the door of the car, turning to look at her. 'Kath.' He reached for her.

She hesitated and then stepped closer to him. Eddie's arms went around her. He bent his head and their lips met.

'Oh babe,' he groaned. 'I've missed you so much.'

'I'd better go inside,' she said softly.

'Babe, you still mean a lot to me, you know.' He pulled her closer and kissed her again.

Kathy wriggled free. 'Eddie, just go. Please take care of yourself... I do care about you, I do, but I also wasn't prepared to share you.' She squeezed his hand, looking him straight in the eye, then went back into the house.

Eddie got into his old car, thinking, 'She knows... She b.l.o.o.d.y knows.' Feeling quite stunned and foolish, he drove away.

Kathy stood on the steps leading to the veranda. 'If only you had resisted Dot, maybe we might have still been together!'

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.

'Cops should be here soon,' Karl said between mouthfuls of bacon and scrambled eggs. 'I'd give my right arm for them to find something!'

'There's a b.l.o.o.d.y slim chance of that happenin',' Digger said angrily. 'Beats me how the b.a.s.t.a.r.d keeps gettin' away with it. How's Kath, Win?' he asked as she came into the dining room.

'She's still very upset and she looks terrible. I've told her not to worry about going to the salon today. I'm going to phone Barbara and tell her what happened. She'll understand, she's a good boss. She's often said she doesn't know how all of us up here in the valley cope with all this.'

'Yeah, she's a good egg. She'll be upset for Kath. Poor kid must be heartbroken; she was so proud of her car. I was too when we picked it out together. She was so happy. I just don't understand why... Why would the b.a.s.t.a.r.d do that to her? She hasn't done anythin' to anyone... None of us have, for that matter.' Digger looked extremely upset. His frustration and anger was evident in his voice.

'Well, we've still got plenty of work to do. C'mon Dig.' Karl was not up to physical labour but he refused to sit around the house now that he was no longer confined to his bed. He insisted on going down to the orchard to try to help. He was more of a nuisance than anything, getting in the way and giving orders, but the men good naturedly tolerated him.

'Yeah, I'd better get goin'. Win, when the cops come, tell them to come down the orchard to us. We'll be there 'til dark.' Dig gave her a quick kiss and he and Karl grabbed the lunch Hazel dutifully had ready for them and left.