"No, nothing. It was just a feeling, you know? Cobber was sniffing around but there was nothing for him to find." He stood with his hands in the pockets of his old jeans and shook his head. "Before these mines brought in their city folk I felt safe here on my own. Now I don't know if I should stay."
"Oh Sid, no. Don't talk like that yet. You can't blame the workers until you have proof. Let me have a look around. Which hidey hole did you have the nugget in last time?"
"Out the back under the old milk can."
Stacey walked down the path to the house and up the steps to the veranda. She took her time looking around before walking into the house. There was a lingering smell foreign to the room and it took her a while to work it out. Cigarette smoke. Someone had been smoking in the house and she knew it wasn't Sid.
Going from room to room, she looked for anything out of the ordinary. Satisfied all was in order Stacey walked out of the back door. She stood at the bottom of the steps and looked around the collection of antiques and mining equipment. Her gaze found the milk can in question.
It was lying on its side, and even from the veranda you could see the hole beneath it gaping and empty. Her heart sank. Poor Sid, his nest egg stolen. Step by step she made her way to the spot and dropped down to run her fingers over the edge of the empty hole.
"Told you someone had taken it." Sid was beside her, the anguish clear in his voice.
"I'm so sorry Sid." He reached down and clasped a hand on her shoulder.
"Not your fault girl. You told me plenty of times to put it somewhere safe. Should have listened to you."
Taking his hand, Stacey pulled herself up to her feet.
"Sid, what is that?" She pointed to a cigarette butt behind him just underneath the wheel of a gold cart. Reaching down she picked it up. Holding it to her nose she sniffed.
"Yuk, that is what I could smell in the house. Someone has been here alright. Stay here Sid. I'm taking this to Morgan. It might be one of his guys. There are so many new faces in town, I'm starting there first."
Hurrying to her car, she pulled her mobile out of her pocket and scrolled down for Morgan's number.
She hit the message button before getting into the car and quickly typed out a text before hitting send. "Morgan, Stacey. I have to see you, I'm on my way."
Sid was standing watching her leave looking forlorn and lost in her rear vision mirror. His whole life had just been turned upside down and it broke her heart to see the sadness creeping into his eyes.
Concentrating on where she was going, she noticed a new sign was at the road leading into the mine site. Stacey drove steadily, looking around at the changed landscape and fought back tears. Her beautiful countryside was being changed for the minerals it would spew forth to make Morgan and his family even richer.
But this was about Sid, she could deal with what Morgan and his team was doing to her favorite places later.
Finding her way to the temporary shed/office Stacey pulled up and parked her car. The loud rumbling of drilling rigs rolled over the barren landscape and she stood transfixed at the sheer size of the machinery in the distance.
"Stacey, what are you doing here?" Morgan walked down the steps toward her.
"There is something I need to speak to you about. Can we walk and talk where nobody can overhear us please?"
"Sure." He stepped into line with her and followed.
"I got a visit from Sid this morning. He is devastated. Somebody has been to his place and stolen his nugget."
* * *
Morgan grabbed her arm and turned her to face him.
"You think I did this?" For some reason the thought cut deep and hurt.
"Don't be so damned ridiculous. I'm letting you know because I think it may have been one of your workers. And before you have a hissy fit over that, think. Sid has kept that nugget secret for years. There are only a handful of people know it exists and I seriously doubt any one of them would have stooped so low as to take the old man's retirement away from him."
He let go of her and put his hands on his hips. "So you think it was one of my guys?"
"Look it stands to reason word could get out and I think it is worth checking out. There are suddenly a heap of new faces in town ever since that mine and now this one started. I just want you to look into it before we bring in the police." Stacey dug into the pocket of her shirt and pulled out a squashed butt dropping it into his hand. "I found this near the hiding place."
Morgan swallowed. An unusual brand but one he knew.
"I'll deal with it and get back to you. Tell Sid not to worry, I'll get his gold for him."
"Thanks, I appreciate it. Well, I'd better get back or they will wonder what is happening."
Morgan walked her to the car and held the door while she got in and put on her seatbelt. Stacey started the car and he stepped back, giving her a wave as she drove away.
He walked up the stairs and opened the door, going back inside the air conditioned office.
"I need to go over to the other mine to sort something out Ted," he told his off-sider. "You had better come with me as a witness. It seems as though one of our guys is a petty thief." Morgan filled him in on Sid's gold nugget and the evidence Stacey had brought
