Stripped Bare (16 page)

The situation was running amok, and I thought I ought to pull it back onto the Ted track. I raised my voice. “We're all concerned about who killed Eldon and why. Let me go on record to say that Ted will get to the bottom of the crime. And if he isn't fully recovered and able to move around, I guarantee to help him, and we will find Eldon's killer.”

That might all be a load of horsefeathers, but weren't all campaign promises? It sounded impressive, anyway.

Clete raised both his arms, Moses ready to shatter the tablets. “That's enough. Time's run out for this debate. We're gonna move right on to the county commissioners. Everyone, just stay in your seats while we play musical chairs up here. Thanks to Kate and Rich.”

Polite but unenthusiastic applause filled the room as we pushed back from the table. At the same time, the scraping of chairs and volume of voices increased, showing how much control Clete wielded. Tyler Krug and Bill Hardy met in the aisle between the folding chairs. Their argument devolved to shouts and fingers pointing into chests, while May complained to people sitting around her. Other knots of people formed to cuss and discuss. Jack Carson plodded purposefully to Aileen and put an arm around her shoulders.

The Webers, still with sour expressions, hurried out the door. The subdued tone of earlier shifted to a higher decibel as Grand County voters struggled to convince their neighbors one way or the other about the buffalo common issue.

Whether you were for pulling up the fences and letting buffalo roam freely over the hills, as they'd done two hundred years ago, or were against relocating families and closing down already dwindling communities, it didn't seem to me to be a practical plan.

White settlers came late to the Sandhills. It is an inhospitable place with unique geographical features. The massive area is like a grass-covered Sahara. Except, before the fences and caretakers had shown up, the hills had been scarred with sandy blowouts. Responsible grazing had allowed the empty patches to heal and grow back. That knowledge put me on the side against the common. Free-ranging buffalo might be the natural way, but those beasts were hard on the delicate land out here.

My main concern right now was zeroing in on a suspect to hand to Milo so he'd leave Carly alone.

I spotted Rope with a group close to the bar, so I booked it for the door, hoping to find Nat. Milo hadn't put in an appearance, and that gave me time to pick any nits Nat might have about Eldon's enemies. A hand grabbed mine and started shaking. May Keller's cracked face beamed at me. “Fine speechifying. I see where you'd have to walk that line about setting policy and enforcing the law. You got my vote.”

I gave her hand a squeeze and tried to extricate it from her grip. “Thanks, but I'm not running.”

May reluctantly let go of my hand. “Well, honey, you ought to be.”

I ducked out the front in pursuit of Nat.

 

13

A cold blast met me when I rocketed from the Legion. The leather jacket didn't offer much protection. I spotted Rope's pickup parked in an angled space halfway down the block, under one of the streetlights. Nat's silhouette stayed motionless as I approached and knocked lightly on the passenger window.

She jerked and coiled into herself. She acted reluctant to roll down the window.

I felt bad for giving her a scare. She didn't seem like a barracuda, as Twyla accused. “Can I talk to you about Eldon?”

Her eyes shifted from me to the street behind, giving off a whiff of nerves. “Not now. I really—”

“You probably knew him better than most people.”

She started to wring her hands. “We're put on this earth to endure trial and hardship. Eldon's heartbreak is over.”

That was a whole pile of nothing. “Do you have any idea who might have wanted to hurt him?”

She dropped her hands into her lap and turned red-rimmed eyes to me. “How is sweet Carly?”

If I answered her question, maybe she'd get back to mine. “She's in Lincoln with my sister.”

Nat seemed surprised. “That's odd.”

“She and Susan are close. Susan will help her.”

Nat shook her head. “Your family.” She clucked her tongue. “You know, I wanted children like your folks. Nine—imagine. But I had trouble. I lost so many before Mick. I took care of him. Watched over him.”

I tried for another angle. “Mick grew up on the Bar J. Eldon was probably pretty good to him, huh?”

Nat didn't seem to hear me. “And Hank and Marguerite kept having children and letting them grow like weeds, no tending.”

She had a point. It's not that I ever felt neglected, as Louise obviously did, but I often wondered why Mom had a flock of children when she seemed so detached. That was a mystery for another day.

Nat stared out the front of the truck. “And yet they all grew up, except Glenda, who was the best of the lot.”

I might have been shocked or hurt if this were the first time I'd heard this opinion. People idolize those who die young. I also thought it might be true. Wind bit through my jacket, and I drew it closer around me.

Nat jerked back to the moment. “I'm sorry, Kate. It's all too much for me. Eldon's passing, and today is the tenth anniversary of Mick's trial. I'm not myself.”

Since I didn't know Nat well, I couldn't vouch for her state. “I suppose Milo talked to you already, but I wondered if you'd seen anyone at the Bar J the day Eldon died.”

Her hands worked in her lap again. “Yes. I did tell Milo. Carly was there.”

I couldn't hide my surprise. Carly was at the Bar J? “What was—”

“Nat.” Rope's low rumble cut her off.

A squeak of distress escaped from Nat's lips.

I turned to Rope. “I was asking Nat if she remembered anyone out at the Bar J—”

He cut me off. “Me, Danny, and Nat were in the calving shed. Didn't see nothing.”

Pick any old-time stoic cowboy character, from Clint Eastwood to John Wayne, add a dollop of restrained wrath, and you have Rope Hayward.

“Did you ever hear him argue with anyone on the phone?” I asked. “Or see someone at his house?”

Rope retreated to the driver's side of the pickup. “You did a fine job,” he said through tight lips. “We've got to get back to our cows. You know how it is.”

I placed a hand on Nat's open window frame, as if trying to reach in and grab more words. It didn't take a psychiatrist to see that Nat was afraid of Rope. The last thing I wanted was to cause Nat any trouble. I strove for a casual tone. “Sure. Glad you could make it in for the debate.”

“You'll let us know about Eldon's services?” Rope said.

Eldon's next of kin was Carly. As her guardian, did that mean that planning the funeral fell to me? I'd have to talk to Dad; he'd know what to do. “Absolutely.”

The sound of Rope's door opening masked Nat's voice. “I have the morning shift at Hardee's. I can talk then.”

Hardee's? In Broken Butte. Another long drive. I nodded.

I backed up and watched as Rope eased the pickup from the parking space and rode the brakes down the hill to the highway.

With my mind on finding Dad to ask about Eldon's funeral, I hurried back toward the Legion. Milo still hadn't appeared, and that was eating at me too. Before I got to the door, a figure stepped from the shadows at the side of the building, right at the spot where Michael and Douglas had dropped me before the debate.

“Kate.”

Despite the cold spring night, flames leaped into my eyes. I stood paralyzed between rational behavior and emotional reaction. One said be calm, the other said kill.

Roxy stepped closer. The outline of her coiffed hair caught light from the streetlamp. She probably used waterproof mascara, but dark smudges still showed under her eyes. Her tight jeans puddled over high-heel cowboy boots, and she stuffed her hands into a puffy down coat. “I came to apologize.” She swayed slightly.

Perfect. “Okay, then.” I reached for the door handle.

“Please, just listen to what I have to say.”

“Thing is, I'm really not interested.” An empty branch banged on the roof of the Legion hall in applause for my response.

She planted her feet as if readying for a shootout. “If you go in there, I'll follow you. I'll make a scene so loud and big you'll never live it down.”

Although I didn't think any more public humiliation would faze me, I wasn't the only one to consider. Dad stood in the Legion, surrounded by his family and friends, and he cared what they thought. The sibs were in there on account of me. I wouldn't subject them to a Roxy performance. “What do you want?”

She flexed her finger for me to join her at the side of the building. “I'm sorry you got caught up in this and got hurt.”

She and Ted with their trite lines. I had to listen, but I hadn't agreed to talk.

Her whiskey-stained breath came at me. “But I love Ted. I've always loved him.” She started to cry. “He may never walk again. And I don't know if I can be the kind of woman to care for a cripple. I keep thinking of that song ‘Ruby.' Will I be the kind that takes my love to town?”

“You have been so far,” I said, but she didn't seem to hear.

“It's easy for you. You grew up with this big, loving family, always helping you and supporting you and on your side. I never had that. I got the shaft all along. I married two losers. They both promised to love me and provide for me and they both lied. Then I fell in love with Brian.”

“Fell in love or found a mark?”

“It was all perfect. Except Carly, she always hated me.” She swiped at tears. “And Eldon, he hated me even more.”

Headlights illuminated the lawn. The outline of a light bar on top of the car showed in the streetlamp.

She slumped against the side of the building and gave into sobs.

The car slid into a parking place, and Milo climbed out.

Roxy pushed herself upright. “But I'm done with all of that now.”

Milo lumbered up the hill toward the Legion.

“This time, it's coming my way. Before he died, Brian made me secretary of the Bar J Corporation. That means I'm a signatory on the Bar J checks. Eldon wouldn't allow me near the checkbook, but he's not around anymore.”

She'd slept with my husband, and I'd have to figure out how to deal with that, but she better not screw with Carly or she'd be in real trouble. “Nice try. I'm pretty sure Carly inherits the ranch.”

Roxy must have been saturated with whiskey to utter her next line. “I don't need her permission to write checks.”

“I can see you're grieved.”

She didn't pay any attention. “If that place was mine I'd sell to Baxter and be out of there so fast fire would fly from my heels. But I'll be doing the next best thing. I'm going to have the biggest horse barn, with a giant indoor arena, and I'll breed the finest cutting horses this country has ever seen. It'll make Eldon turn in his grave to see how I spend that money he hoarded.”

She broke down into sobs again, and I figured she'd told me about all she was fixing to say. I thought about rolling her for the down jacket, but in light of the Choker County sheriff making his way toward me, I decided against it. I walked away from her to meet Milo.

Milo spotted me and found a dually pickup, parked near the front walk, to lean his bulk against. “Howdy, Kate.”

I wanted to shake off my brush with Roxy like a dog shakes off water, so I plunged into my conversation with Milo. “You don't still suspect Carly?”

He shook his head and went down another path. “Carly's got a birthday coming up, doesn't she?”

Would it change the way they handled the investigation if she were no longer a minor? “She turns eighteen in two weeks.”

Milo fished a toothpick from his breast pocket. “Eldon's lawyer told me that if Eldon dies after she turns eighteen, Carly inherits the ranch.”

If you're a sheriff, it pays to have well-placed relatives. My kin had assisted Ted—well, me—in some of his investigations. “Doesn't she inherit the ranch no matter how old she is?”

Milo nodded. “Yep. But according to the will, until she's eighteen, she's not named manager, so she doesn't get to make decisions.”

Milo poked the toothpick between two teeth and prodded a bit. “I wonder. I figured Eldon held ownership of the whole ranch until he passed. Then Roxy would get a parcel of the Bar J but the bulk of the ranch would go to Carly. If Eldon sold out to Glenn Baxter, would he be willing to split that big pile of cash with Roxy?”

I snorted. “Not likely. He didn't care much for Roxy, and besides that, he was tightfisted.”

Milo nodded. “That's kind of what I thought.”

I followed Milo down that track. If Eldon sold to Baxter, Roxy wasn't apt to get much for her few years of living at the Bar J. If Eldon didn't sell and Carly inherited the Bar J, Roxy was due to get even less. But if Eldon died before Carly grasped the Bar J's reins, Roxy could sell to Baxter and walk away with a bundle of cash, free and clear.

Carly would get a much bigger pile of dough from the sale, but as a shareholder in the Bar J, Roxy would probably have enough to set her up in style. With her share, Carly would never have to worry about money. But she'd lose the ranch forever.

I leaned forward. “You think Roxy killed Eldon?” Maybe she wasn't even drunk, and all that talk just now was a sham to cover her tracks.

If so, that meant she'd shot Ted, too. Maybe Ted tried to stop Roxy from killing Eldon and she fought him. Maybe they weren't having an affair.

Right. And maybe I can fly.

Milo pulled the toothpick out and sucked his teeth. “She's got a tight alibi.”

Balls.

He ran his tongue across his teeth, apparently satisfied with his grooming. “Given the time of death and of Ted's injury, Roxy's whereabouts are accounted for by five ladies, at least. I couldn't get ahold of Tina Barnes, probably because her cat ate her hearing aids and she was sleeping. But the others said Roxy was at the schoolhouse for the extension club meeting, for about three hours. She even brought the dessert they all claim was a store-bought cake.”