Dang Near Dead (An Aggie Mundeen Mystery Book 2) (8 page)

Sixteen

Reluctantly, I went to the kitchen and slowly pried up the freezer lid. Maria, washing dishes, turned around and followed my progress with wide eyes. I scoured the recesses of the freezer box. The snake was gone. I picked up a bag of cubes and held them up for her.

“Mira? Recogí una bolsa de cubos. Son buenos para Zumaque.” I told her I’d retrieved a bag of cubes that were good for treating poison ivy. She raised her eyebrows, surprised and delighted I spoke Spanish, and dried her hands on a towel.

“Señora Bertha told me to get the ice cubes,” I continued in Spanish. “The snake is gone.” I made a slithering motion with my hands and gestured that the reptile was far away.

“Gracias a Dios.” She crossed herself.

“Yes, gracias a Dios.” I wondered what Maria remembered about the Vernons’ deaths. She appeared to be in her sixties and had probably worked for the Vernon family for many years. I put the bag of cubes back in the freezer and sat at the kitchen table. “I heard Bertha was the one who found her aunt and uncle when they died here on the ranch,” I said in Spanish.

“That’s right,” she said. “Poor woman.”

“I heard they were going on some kind of treasure hunt.”

“I don’t know anything about that. They said they were going to check the site where they’d drilled the old well. They’d drive part way and then walk. Mrs. Vernon liked to exercise to stay thin.”

“Did they take water?”

“Oh, yes. Señor Max drank a lot of water. They took thermoses. I made them sandwiches, too.” She frowned. “It was strange they had trouble. Two days earlier, they spent the whole day wandering all over the ranch without any problems. The day after that, they went into San Antonio to attend to business and returned to the ranch late in the afternoon. Their son Herb came here that evening, stayed overnight and left early the next morning. That was the day the Vernons decided to drive over the ranch again.” She blinked back tears. “They never came back.” She pulled up her apron to wipe her eyes.

“You’d known them a long time?”

“I came to the ranch before they married. We three helped Señor Vernon’s father build this ranch. When there was no rain, we worked together to save it. I helped raise Herb. When Ms. Bertha was orphaned and came here, she helped me cook while I taught her about the ranch.”

“I guess Bertha and Herb were devastated when the Vernons died?”

“Oh, yes. They shed many tears.”

“After Herb grew up, while the Vernons were still alive, did Herb come back to the ranch very often?”

“No. He never really liked the ranch. When he was twelve, his parents sent him to school in San Antonio. He was happy to go. He’d come home for holidays…vacations. After he grew up, I think he only came when he needed money.” She hung her head, embarrassed.

“Didn’t he have a job?”

“After he quit going to school, I think he had lots of jobs. But they didn’t seem to last long.”

“Do you know why he came here the night before the Vernons died? Did he need money?”

“I don’t know, Señora.”

I expressed my condolences for the Vernons’ deaths.

Maria had been part of the family. To cheer her up, I told her how much everybody enjoyed the good food she prepared and that I hoped to talk with her again later. Right now, I had to treat my poison ivy.

With Maria standing watch, I gingerly opened the freezer, peered inside and grabbed the bagged cubes. I scurried back through the dining room and walked fast to our cabin before the ice cubes could melt.

When I entered our abode, Meredith looked up from her reading.

“Bertha makes ice cubes from jewelweed,” I said. “She says they’re a good treatment for poison ivy.” I placed a towel in the chair in front of my computer, rubbed orange-colored cubes on the backs of my legs and put bagged cubes at the edge of the chair. Pressing my legs against the bag to hold it in place, I sat on my tailbone.

“That’s an old herbal remedy,” she said. “Native American Indians and herbalists used jewelweed to counter poison ivy, bruises, cuts and burns. Even now, people chop stems of the plant, boil them, strain the orange liquid and pour it into ice cube trays. I never knew if it worked.” She paused. “They say jewelweed grows on the east coast down to Florida and likes moist woods. I’d think Texas would be too dry for it to grow. Wonder where Bertha gets it?”

“She didn’t say.”

Meredith shrugged and returned to her reading. I turned on my laptop to check my email.

The letter came from someone who hated sun and bugs but liked cowboys.

Dear Aggie,

I’ve never been fond of the outdoors. At night, I can see plenty of stars just looking through my window. The only critter I care about is my dog. But I met this hunky cowboy. He and his friends want to go camping. The last time they went, a girl came home covered with a red poison ivy rash. Is there any way to prevent that? Short of giving up my cowboy?

Frenzied and fearful,

Fran

Having searched Ask Jeeves for poison ivy treatments after I sat in the stuff, I felt eminently qualified to give Fran advice.

Dear Frenzied Fran,

Poison ivy has three leaves on a reddish stem. Rashes from poison ivy, oak or sumac are caused by urushiol, a substance in their sap. If you spray deodorant containing aluminum chlorohydrate on your skin and clothes before heading outdoors, it helps prevent urushiol from irritating your skin.

If you misstep, you’re going to sting and itch like crazy, but you are not going to die. First, pour water on your skin. Second, pour rubbing alcohol over the area where you brushed the plant. Third, pour on, do not rub, calamine lotion on the area. Fourth, stick your clothes in the trash. Liquid made from jewelweed cuts down the allergic reaction, but it may be hard to find in the right concentration.

Are you more interested in prevention than remedies? Study photos of poison ivy, oak and sumac. Don’t sit on or walk through anything that looks like that. A sure-fire way to avoid the dangers of country living is to not go ape over a cowboy in tight jeans.

Itching but wiser,

Aggie

I decided not to mention that to keep clothes away from her itching skin, she might have to wear a ridiculously huge dress that would make her appear ninety years old.

I craved a nap. The cubes had almost melted, and my thighs were happily numb from dribbling on jewelweed and sitting on bagged ice. I lay on my bunk, covered my poison ivy patch with the bag of melting cubes and directed the fan on my legs and derriere. At least my medical condition temporarily removed me from the tensions between people and hazards of ranching. I’d changed my mind about leaving, though. I had too many new questions without answers.

To relax, I imagined the sound of air conditioning purring with Sunny Barlow crooning in the distance. I pictured Sam and me lounging on a cotton-ball-soft king-sized bed in a plush country cabin with a spotless oak floor.

I stopped myself from imagining what might occur on the bed. We had a pile of obstacles to overcome.

Seventeen

When squeals from the bathroom roused me, I knew the girls must be dressing for dinner. I heard the shower running and glanced over at Meredith’s empty bunk. Pushing up from my damp mattress, I let the fan blow me awake. The air was muggy. Through the front window, I saw the sun sitting low in the sky. I couldn’t believe I’d slept so long.

I heard the girls chattering about the prospect of arriving early for dinner in case River Rat showed up. They wanted to schedule a swimming lesson for the following morning.

When I carried my Clorox-and-water jug to the bathroom, Jangles was drifting around the breezeway in a gauzy creation. She’d swept her hair on top of her head and captured it with a rubber band. More blond curls than usual cascaded above her head like a fountain.

Millie came in wearing a blouse with billowy sleeves, a flared denim skirt and red boots. Stoney wore jeans, a soft shirt, less turquoise than usual and a bow in her hair. The Medina River had amazing restorative properties.

Meredith was trying to decide which of her clothes would be coolest. Itching like crazy, I jumped into the shower and rinsed with Clorox. When I got out, Meredith reported that my poison ivy patches were swelling. She dripped Calamine lotion on me and dried me with the fan.

I put on my billowy sundress. We were applying makeup when I noticed my cheeks and lips were beginning to swell. I had apparently touched my face with oil from the ivy.

Someone pounded on the front door. When I answered, Sam stood there alone.

“Aren’t Selma and George coming?” I asked.

“George has saddle burns. Monty told him to post. When the horse trotted, he had George straighten his legs to stand, then bend to sit back in the saddle. With every bounce, George’s thighs rubbed against saddle leather.”

Meredith walked up behind me. “People post on English saddles to make the horse’s trot more comfortable—use the horse’s motion to move forward and out of the saddle slightly. Sounds like Monty had George exaggerate the movement. What a mean thing to do.”

“Yeah.” Sam chuckled.

As we started down the path to the lodge, I noticed Sam was limping. “Did you post too?”

“No, but my legs haven’t gripped a horse in a long time. My muscles are pretty sore.”

Meredith and I exchanged glances.

“We had quite a ride.” He cringed with every step. “Remember when Monty told us he’d hit some guy? This time, Monty said he’d confessed to Ranger he was an ex-con. He’d gotten into a teen gang fight and injured some kid from another gang.”

“So that’s what happened,” I said. “I guess gang fights are pretty common.”

“Yes, but the police arrived just as Monty assaulted the other kid, so Monty was the one who did time. He thinks he owes Ranger a lot for giving him another chance. He said once Ranger finds a rich ranch guest to marry, Ranger will move up to assistant manager of the BVSBar and make Monty head wrangler.”

So that’s why Monty fumed when Ranger flirted with Vicki. Monty was afraid Vicki would preempt Ranger’s future “rich ranch guest.” If Ranger’s goal was to become assistant manager, what did he think Vicki would do? Disappear?

“I’m adding ex-con Monty Malone to my list of guys to watch,” Sam said.

We saw distant lightning, heard thunder and picked up our pace. Sam limped faster. With the sky overcast and thunder rumbling, I thought Bertha might cancel the barbeque. As we neared the patio, we saw tables set with red and white cloths and candles flickering inside hurricane lamps. I guessed Texans were used to the futility of predicting the weather, ignored it and carried on with their plans.

Sunny had started the fire. He plopped his boot on a table bench and cradled his guitar. The girls had claimed the table in front of him. We took a table off to one side of Sunny. I was becoming an expert at sitting on my tailbone to keep my thighs off the bench. Vicki sat a couple of tables away and watched Sunny as he began to croon.

As dusk grew deeper, George and Selma straggled to the patio and sat alone. George straddled the bench sideways and stretched out his legs. I didn’t see River Rat anywhere.

Wayne Rickoff and Monty Malone ambled in late and stood at the end of the patio farthest from the camp fire. I was surprised to see that Rickoff had shaved off his beard. I caught Vicki staring at him. Then she rose slowly and slipped into the darkness.

Not long after she left, Rickoff disappeared. He was so unpredictable—firing into the air when he saw a snake, aiming at people for no reason. I hoped he wasn’t following Vicki.

Everybody else lined up at the barbecue grill for spare ribs, potato salad and beans. Unease made me aware of everybody’s whereabouts. Once Bertha finished eating, she left. I hoped she was checking on Vicki. George Tensel lumbered off in the same general direction, and Selma followed.

Sunny played two more songs. Sam grabbed my hand under the table and made my arm tingle.

“I’m glad I came,” he said.

The candle lights looked brighter. I was foolish to be tense just because people left after dinner.

When Sunny stopped singing to make s’mores, Sam dropped my hand and made a beeline for dessert. I saw lightning crackle in the distance and felt a slight breeze. We should leave before it started pouring.

Monty announced he might as well go home and sauntered off. Ranger Travis and Jangles left together. I was glad Bertha wasn’t there to witness their departure. Jangles might soon acquire a wire sculpture.

Jangles’ friends rose and headed for their cabin. When lightning cracked the sky, Millie started loping. Stoney yelled at her not to be a wimp while she galloped to catch up. Sam, still chewing a s’more, caught up with Meredith and me and grabbed our elbows. “Let’s head for the cabins.”

“May and June are Texas’s rainiest months,” Meredith said. “Lots of thunderstorms.”

We were halfway to our cabin when we heard screams coming from the direction of the river.