High Desert Detective, A Fiona Marlowe Mystery (Fiona Marlowe Mysteries) (18 page)

Opal finished her drink and went to bed. While Fiona finished her
drink, she thought over their conversation. Maybe she did have a future here.
Maybe she could be a settling down kind of woman like Opal.

* * * * *

Jake was up at first light which at that time of the year in Harney
Valley was before four in the morning. He made coffee and took a mug to the
office to start his computer work. He had a good idea who had worked for them,
but he wanted to look at the list he had kept on who they employed and when. He
set up a spreadsheet, a column for relatives and a column for outsiders
..
He had a hunch that it was Walt and Ralph back to their
old tricks. He hoped Hoover would find something on them. He had a feeling they
might be in cahoots with one of the family. Walt and Ralph had gotten to Cody.
They could have done the same with another of Opal’s relations.

He had had his own problems with the family. Some had the old
prejudice against Native Americans. He was part Native and looked it. That
brought it out in them. He guessed they didn’t think an old half breed could
run a ranch.

The other complicating factor was that Opal had a reputation for
taking in wayward cowhands and making something of them. He was one. There were
probably at least half a dozen in the list that may have reverted back to their
old ways. You could never tell what was going to turn a man one way or another.

He sighed, looked at his empty coffee mug, got up and went to the
kitchen for a refill.
 
The stuff was
going to hit the fan, but Opal and he had agreed that the paperwork would all
be finished on his buying the ranch before anyone knew. It was sneaky, but they
couldn’t figure any other way.

The sun peeked over the eastern ridge as he poured another mug. The
breeze coming in the open windows was cool, but he could tell by the dry feel
to the air that it was going to be hot, hot,
hot
. And
they needed rain, rain,
rain
. He turned at the sound
of footsteps. Fiona stood in the doorway to the kitchen in her
Beavers
sweat suit. Did the woman ever
not look good? It was probably his eyesight. He should have his eyes checked.
Maybe he needed glasses.

“Good morning,” she said.

He smiled. “Isn’t this the middle of the night for you?”

“Yes, but I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been awake since two. I heard
someone in the kitchen and thought maybe I could get a cup of coffee.”

He smiled, poured her a mug, and handed it over. He went about
making a fresh pot. Her presence put a brighter shine on his day.
 
He hoped he wasn’t too obvious. He couldn’t
help he liked everything about her.

She sat at the kitchen table. He leaned against the counter while
the pot of coffee brewed. He was afraid to get any closer. He wanted to touch
her so bad.

“Opal and I had a good talk last night,” she said.

He felt his heart seize up. Fiona was going to leave. He watched
as she played with her coffee cup, drawing slow circles on the old worn table
top with it. He couldn’t stand the tension but he waited, fearing the worse.

“She’s going to give me a formal deed to the place on the knoll.
I’m going to rebuild. “

Jake couldn’t help the big grin that spread across his face. He
felt like a boiler about to explode he was so happy to hear that. Letting out a
big sigh to take off some of the steam, he said, “I’m glad.”

Fiona smiled. “I’m glad you’re glad. I like it here. I don’t know
if I’ll stay all year round, but at least I can have my little getaway place up
there on the knoll overlooking your ranch.”

If that was all he could have, he was happy for now. “Please keep
the thing about my ranch to yourself until we settle, and I have the title.”

“I will. Opal said that things will get touchy with the relatives
when they find out.”

Jake shrugged.
“Maybe.
We can hope for
the best. She’s trying to work out some kind of a trust. The difficulty is
where she draws the line of who is included. It’s like trying to decide who gets
the wedding invitation. There are probably forty or so relations, and the cash
divided that many ways won’t be as much.”

“Why does Opal want to accommodate them?”

“I guess she loves them, bickering lot that they are, and it has
to do with the way she wants her will drawn up. I’m not sure she’ll be able to
anticipate everything. A few want the ranch. Her niece, Tillie, comes to mind.
But most will be happy with the cash. It would all go to Henry’s relations.
Nothing goes to her side because the ranch was Henry’s. His relations would
have a fit if they had to share it with even more people.”

 
Fiona rose and poured
another cup of coffee. She was so close, Jake could smell her sleepy self but
he restrained himself from pulling her against him.

He said, “I better get back to the computer. Then I have to get
to the impossible task of inventorying cows.”

“I could help.”

He smiled. “You sure could. I’d like that. Go get your buckaroo
outfit on while I finish up with my paperwork. Are you ready to get back up on
a horse?”

Fiona smiled. “I’ll give it a try.”

Jake couldn’t stop smiling as he bent over the computer. He
hurried to finish the list and email it to Hoover, who was supposed to go up in
a plane today to get a better lay of the land and see where the road went that
the rustlers used. Hoover had been at his job for a long time, but he told Jake
that nothing much changed. He had started out in the early days chasing cattle
rustlers, and he was still at it.

Jake hustled out to the corral to find Sweet and have him saddle
up Harriet. He caught Blitzen and saddled him. Both horses were standing ready
at the corral gate when Fiona came out. She sure filled out clothes nicely.

Sweet went with them, and they rode back and forth across the 160
acre fenced pasture where they had moved the cows and calves, checking ear tags
as they went. They needed an accurate count on which cows and calves were
missing.

“Stay close to me,” Jake told her. “I’ll call out the ear tag numbers,
and you check off the number on the list.”

“I think I can do that.” She took the clip board he handed over.

The job went faster with the three of them, and they were done in
time to ride back to the house for lunch. Jake was impressed with Fiona’s
calmness around the animals for a woman from the city. Maybe she could fit into
life here.
With him.

Nine

Opal replaced the phone on the receiver and stared out the window.
It was the call from her doctor she had not wanted. The tests had come back.
She had leukemia. That was why she had felt so tired and so exhausted these
last few months. She had thought it was only from having to deal with Albert’s
death and his estate. No, it was because weird little cells in her blood weren’t
working right. The doctor wanted her to come to see him that afternoon. She was
not to drive by herself.

She could call Tillie or one of the nieces to take her in, but
then they would know, and she didn’t want that yet. Jake and Fiona were busy
with the cows. Olympia was still in bed. She could call Rosemary or Esme, but
they were probably busy. She didn’t know what time Fiona would return. She
would be the best. It amazed her how much she was coming to rely on the girl.
There was something steady about her.

She sank into a chair at the kitchen table and covered her face
with her hands. It was hard coming to terms with the fact that her days were numbered.
There was so much she wanted to do. She was running out of time. Well, she
wouldn’t worry about that right now. She would do what she could. She picked up
the phone and called her lawyer, Wade Stewart.

“Wade, it’s Opal,” she said when they connected. “How are we
coming on the settlement papers for the ranch and that deed? Good. I’ll be in
this afternoon to pick them up.”

No sense mooning around here with so much to be done. She busied
herself at the stove fixing the noonday meal for Jake and the buckaroos. She
didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to do this. They said chemotherapy
would sap her strength and make her sick. She was an old woman. She wondered if
she really wanted to go through all this.

Dear Heaven, what next?

* * * * *

By the time they rode in for lunch, Fiona was glad to dismount.
She had enjoyed the work, surprisingly enough, but her legs were wobbly. She
almost buckled when she finally slid off Harriet. Jake caught her around the
waist.

She righted her hat and said with a smile, “Thanks. I’m about
done in.”

“You did great, but horse riding does take getting used to. I
really appreciate your helping. The work went faster with three of us,
especially since you can read and follow a chart better than Sweet can.”

Sweet heard the remark. “Paperwork is not on my job description,”
he said, grinning at them. “Give me a horse and rope any day.” He led the
horses away to unsaddle them.

“Let’s see what Opal made for lunch,” Jake said. “I could eat a
bull, hide and all.”

As they walked to the house, Fiona said, “I like being outside in
the sun with the big sky over head, and I like being around the horses and the
cows and watching the horses work the cows. It kind of grows on you.”

“I know what you mean,” he said.

They washed up in the mud room and left their hats on pegs on the
wall. Opal was in the kitchen. The overhead fan created a breeze to take away
some of the heat.

“Hello, you two. You’re just in time for roast beef and
vegetables. Sit down. I’m taking biscuits out of the oven now. I guess the boys
will be in soon.”

Fiona thought the meal was pretty heavy for a hot day, but Jake, Sweet,
Glory and Tommie dug in like it had been several days since they’d eaten. Opal
tended to make meals with a load of spice. The meat had some kind of spicy
marinade. Even the ranch beans had a bite to them. She had made a couple dozen
biscuits, and they disappeared fast. Opal didn’t eat much herself, and Fiona
wondered if she weren’t feeling well.

As they lingered over coffee, Opal said, “Fiona, I need to go to
town this afternoon and wondered if you could drive me.”

Fiona smiled. “Of course, I’ll drive. Are we going shopping? I
could use a few things.”

“I have an appointment. But we can shop, too.”

“I’d like to look for a contractor who could help me rebuild.”

Jake said, “Harley Davies is good. I’d stay away from Bob Wills.
He’s spendy.”

“My uncle is pretty good,” said Sweet. “He’s slow but meticulous.
You might call him. He is name is Sanchez. I’ll get you a number.”

Fiona smiled. “Why, thank you. That is very kind. I’d like to
talk to Lauren Brooks again. Maybe we could stop by her store, if we have time.
She has names of people to recommend for some of the work.”

“We can do that,” Opal said. “We’ll go by the lawyer and get that
deed for you. He’s got it ready.”

Olympia came in as they were finishing. “My-oh-my, I can’t seem
to get enough sleep.”

“It might have to do with what time you go to bed,” said Fiona,
smiling at her.

“That, too,” she said with a yawn. “Something smells good.” She
helped herself to a plate and sat beside Fiona. “What’s up for today?”

“We’re going to town. Can we use your car?” She smiled. “Old
Faithful isn’t quite as reliable as the Red Bomb.”

“You are welcome to it, but you have an expired license.”

“I called the Virginia DMV and found out I could go on line and
renew, and I did, and the new license is on the way.

“Okay,” said Olympia. “I don’t think I’ll go along. I thought I
might watch some of the cowboys and get a feel for ranch life. I’m working out
the story for my next blockbuster novel.”

Jake said, “Sweet will be working horses in the corral this
afternoon. He wouldn’t mind an audience, would you Sweet?”

Sweet grinned and said, “You come out, and I’ll show you how it’s
done.”

“Great,” said Olympia, giving him a sexy wink. “You might end up
a character in my new book.”

“Thanks for the loan of the Red Bomb,” Fiona said to Olympia.
“Try to stay out of trouble. I know you’ll have a good time.”

Opal and Fiona were on their way half an hour later, leaving the
chore of dishwashing to the automatic dishwasher. Fiona was getting the hang of
driving rural roads and kept her speed to the posted limit. She couldn’t afford
another ticket.

Opal said, “This rig is pretty luxurious, but I like Old Faithful
better because you feel like you’re in a real vehicle on solid ground and not
in a cloud.”

“I guess both vehicles have their merits. What’s our first stop?”
asked Fiona.

“The doctor.
I have to see the doctor
today.”

Fiona kept her eyes on the deserted road. Other vehicles were rare
on this stretch of the road but there were enormous ditches to be wary of. “Are
you feeling okay? You were awfully quiet at lunch today.”

Opal didn’t answer, and Fiona wondered if she heard the question.

Then Opal said in a small voice, “I’ve been feeling pretty
exhausted. The doctor ran some tests, and I got the results back this morning.”

Fiona waited, but Opal was not forthcoming with any more
information so she ventured to ask, “What were the results?”

“I have leukemia. The doctor is going to tell me my options this
afternoon.”

Fiona gripped the steering wheel hard. She wanted to close her eyes
and scream no, no, no, I haven’t known this woman very long. She can’t be sick
now. But instead she said, “I’m so sorry, Opal. What are you going to do?”

“I’ll find out first what my options are and then decide. If I
have to have treatments, I guess I’ll go through with it. Depending on the
frequency, I might have to stay in town for a while, I don’t know. Driving back
and forth to the ranch everyday may be too much. I have friends with cancer.
Chemotherapy can be intense.”