by Ciana Stone
“Yes.”
Naomie nodded and sat. “Did you feel that the reason he wanted to help those people in Vegas was out of complete selflessness?”
“Meaning what?”
“That he did it for them and not for himself, or to impress you.”
Cici had never considered that. “I–I don’t think so. Honestly, he seemed to sincerely just be happy to help people.”
“Okay, maybe he was. Or maybe he knew that would touch you and it seems like he’s working pretty hard to win you.”
“Does it?”
“That’s how it sounds, yes.”
“Oh god, what if he’s playing me, Naomie?”
“Do you think he is?”
“I don’t know. Damn it all, I don’t know. I don’t think–no I don’t want to think so, but– “
“But nothing. Listen to me, Cici. You’re smart, and you know how to read a situation and people. Do you think Kalvin was disingenuous with you?”
“No, but what if I just want to believe that he’s not trying to play me?”
Naomie sipped from her glass and for a few moments looked off, as if in deep thought. “What would he have to gain from playing you? I mean if he truly wants to build a green city then it would be suicidal to poison the water, so for the sake of arguments, let’s say he’s innocent. Now, what would he gain by playing you?”
“Like Edward said. Revenge on my father.”
“Do you seriously believe that he’s held a grudge like that for over a decade? Hasn’t he accomplished everything he wanted despite that one setback?”
“I don’t know. I suppose.”
“And if he is as smart as everyone seems to think, the first thing he’d have done is his homework on you. Which means, he would have figured out that you don’t run home to Daddy with every problem or hurt in your life. So, it stands to reason he’d come to the conclusion that making you like him and then dumping you wouldn’t be revenge on Russell because you’d never tell him. Am I off base?”
Cici was suddenly happy she’d asked Naomie to come. It’d taken her questions to strip away the extraneous. “You’re right. Edward had to be wrong. I would’ve never gone to Dad with something like that. And an act that hurts his own project as much as it hurts us isn’t revenge at all.”
“Well, there you go. But it does leave unanswered questions.”
“Such as?”
“If it wasn’t Kalvin, then who?”
“No clue. Every investigator we have came back with the same conclusions.”
“And that's odd, don’t you think? Don’t get me wrong, I want the person responsible found and prosecuted or punished, but why do all the roads lead to Kalvin? What evidence is there? That he owns the property?”
“Essentially, yes.”
“That’s pretty flimsy. Anyone could have driven out there and dumped the pesticides. Even someone from–oh my god, Cici, what if it was someone who works for Heritage?”
“No. It couldn’t be. We’re good to our people, Naomie. No one who works for us would do that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Let me put it this way. Since you’ve been with us, has there ever been a time when Dad was unreasonable about providing anything you needed to do your job?”
“No.”
“Have you ever known him to be that way with anyone on Heritage?”
“No.”
“And neither have I. Heritage is his life, Naomie. He loves that place like it’s a living entity and to him it is. He’ll do anything and everything he can to make sure it doesn’t just continue, but it flourishes. And the same goes for all the people who work so hard toward that goal. They’re all his family, and he’ll go to war for any of them.”
“I believe that. So, that takes us right back to where we started. Who would do this and, why would he or she try and make it look like Kal is the guilty party? Is there someone who doesn’t want you and him to be together? A jealous ex-lover?”
“Not on my end. On his? Who the hell knows?”
“Well, maybe you should ask him. Supposing, of course, that you’re going to continue speaking with him.”
Cici smiled. “I think I might.”
“I think that might be a good idea.”
“Oh? Why?”
“Because you’re obviously crazy about him.”
“I never said that.”
“Honey, you didn’t have to. No woman gets that upset about a man she doesn’t care about. We only fall apart over the men we love.”
“Are you speaking from experience?”
“Probably.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Is Dad the first man you’ve loved?”
“No. I’ve had a few, but none that were destined to last and I knew that going into the relationships. Still, I loved them– in a fashion. But there’s never been one like him. There probably won’t be another. He’s kind of in a class all his own.”
“I told him he was crazy if he let you get away.”
“Well, that’s kind of you, but you don’t have to plead my case. Either the day will come when Russell will realize the love he’s been looking for is standing right in front of him, or it won’t.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“Then it wasn’t meant to be.”
“So, you’ll just wait around indefinitely to see if he’ll wake up?”
“I didn’t say that. There’ll come a day when we have this breeding program down pat, and when that time comes, it’ll be time for me to take on something new. Maybe that something will be on Heritage, or maybe it’ll be a something in Dubai or New Delhi or New Zealand or a hundred other places. But when the time comes, I’ll know.”
“But what if the time comes and you leave?”
“Then I leave.”
“Just like that? No regrets or tears?”
“Oh, I didn’t say that. Sure, there will be tears. I love him, Cici and would love him for the rest of my life if he’d allow it, but if friends are all we can ever be, then we can be that from a distance. And I’ll treasure that. But I’ll also look to see if there’s someone who wants to share some love with me. Maybe it won’t be that all-consuming thing I feel for him, but every love has its own unique flavor, and I’ll cherish it.”
“God, Naomie are you an alien or something?”
“Not that I’m aware. I’m just a realist, Cici. We can’t go through life expecting everyone and everything to put us first. And we can’t let what others can’t give make or break us. Life is precious and can be taken from us in a blink.
“But hey, enough of that. This is about you. So, what are you going to do about Kalvin Burton?”
“I think maybe it’s time he and I had a frank conversation.”
“I think that’s very wise. And I also think I’m very buzzed and sleepy, so would you be offended if I crashed?”
“Not at all. The guestroom is the first on the right down the hall. There’s a private bath that’s stocked.”
“Thanks,” Naomie got up and started out of the room, then paused and looked back at Cici. “I really hope things work out for you and Kalvin, whether it’s as a couple or as friends. And I’m really glad to have you as a friend.”
“It’s me who should thank you.”
“No thanks needed. Friends are there for friends.”
“I agree.”
“Then goodnight my friend. See you in the morning.”
“Sleep well, Naomie.”
“You too.”
Cici watched Naomie leave the room then got up to put the wine glasses in the dishwasher and throw away the empty bottle. She saw her cell phone lying on the kitchen counter and on impulse, picked it up and called Kal.
He answered after only one ring. “Hey, gorgeous. I didn’t know if I’d hear from you or not. I was going to try and get up with you tomorrow.”
“It’s been a long day.”
“Tell me about it.”
“One evening next week I think.”
“What about the weekend?”
“I could be persuaded. What do you have in mind?”
“Just want to see you. Can we get together tomorrow evening?”
“Absolutely. What time and where?”
“My place? I’ll order dinner. And you can cook breakfast.”
“I take it that means you want me to stay the night?”
“I do. If you want, that is. I need to talk to you about something.”
“This sounds serious.”
“It is to me.”
“You’re starting to make me nervous. Care to give me a hint?”
“Let’s just say I need to put my cards on the table.”
“Okay. Will seven be okay?”
“Perfect.”
“See you then. Sleep well, Cici.”
“See you tomorrow.”
She put the phone on the cordless charger, turned out the lights and headed for bed. This had been a stressful and eventful day and an emotional one for her. She was exhausted and needed to rest because tomorrow night she expected the course of her relationship with Kal would be revealed.
Chapter Sixteen – April 4th, 2019
Naomie knew something terrible had happened the moment Russell walked into her office. If ever the phrase expression like a thundercloud fit, it was now. “What?” she stood.
“It’s happened again.”
“It’s–” For a split second she was confused, then it hit her. “More pesticide?”
“I’m assuming. We have fifty head of sick cattle.”
“What are the symptoms?”
“Salivation is pretty excessive, they don’t want to eat, and are lying stretched out on the ground and refusing to get up.”
Naomie grabbed her vet kit and hooked it over her shoulder via the heavy-duty strap. “Take me to them.”
“Should I call the regular vet?”
“If you want, but I need to see them now and the area where they're pastured, along with what they’re being fed.”
“Come on, we’ll take my truck.”
“Lead the way, boss.”
Once in the truck, Russell called Jordan, the ranch foreman and the vet who regularly tended to Heritage’s cattle. She remained quiet until he finished, then asked. “How long have the cows been in this particular pasture and is there anything different about it than any other land on Heritage?”
“According to Jordan, they were moved three days ago and to the best of my knowledge, there’s no difference.”
“Okay.” Naomie spent the rest of the drive searching her mind for information based on what Russell had said. She had one idea by the time they arrived but decided to keep it to herself until she could investigate.
Sure enough, once they spotted the herd, she could see cattle scattered across the pasture, prostrate on the ground. Russell parked the truck, and they got out. Naomie headed straight for the first downed cow.
Over the next hour, she moved from one animal to the next. Her suspicion was growing with each animal she examined. Finally, Russell, who was following her, spoke up. “Talk to me, Naomie. What are you seeing?”
“It’s just as you described, but they all have dilated pupils and slow heart rates.”
“So, what do we do?”
“Talk to Jordan, examine their food.”
“What are you looking for?”
“Let’s wait for Jordan. I want to walk around and have a look at the pasture while we’re waiting. Just be patient a little longer, okay?”
“Whatever you say. Can I walk with you?”
“You’re the boss.”
Naomie started across the pasture toward the fence line. If what she suspected were true, she’d either find evidence of it along or on the other side of the fence where a cow could stick his head through the wires and munch on vegetation on the other side.
“What are you looking for?”
Naomie looked at Russell. “I wanted to wait for Jordan, and I can’t know for sure until I get one of the cows back and do some tests.”
“But you suspect something, right?”
“Yes. Their symptoms lead me to suspect solanine or nitrate poisoning.”
“How can they be poisoned with that? What’s the delivery method?”
“They eat it. It’s found in the family of plants called Solanaceae or nightshade. There are many food crops in that family, like tomatoes, Irish potatoes, eggplant, capsicum and bell pepper, and they all contain solanine which is in the group of natural poisons known as steroidal glycoalkaloids.”
“Will it kill them?”
“It depends on how much they ingested. In large enough quantities, yes, but I can’t imagine they’d eat much. The plants have a bitter taste that’s not all that palatable so they wouldn’t eat it unless food was scarce and I know that’s not the case, so the only possible explanation is– “
“It’s in the food we give them.”
“Bingo, give the man a gold star.”
Just then Jordan joined them. Naomie quickly filled him in on the situation and asked that he have one of the cows loaded into a truck and taken back to the main compound so she could run tests. He yelled to the men waiting at the trucks to find one of the weaker animals and see about getting it loaded and for them to go back for whatever equipment they needed but to get it done fast.
“They’ve been here for three days, but we’ve checked on them each day, and until now there’s been no sign of anything out of the ordinary. They’re pasture feeding right now, so there’s no supplemental food involved for testing.”
“Then I need the stomach contents from one of the affected animals,” Naomie said to Russell.
Russell looked at Jordan. “Find the sickest and make it fast and painless then get it loaded.”
“Yes, sir.”
Russell then looked at Naomie. “Is there a treatment?”
She shook her head. “Right now, all we can do is wait. You’ll want someone watching over them since they’re vulnerable and easy prey.”
“We’ll have men posted round the clock. What else can we do?”
“Look for something the poison could be mixed with.”
“Like what?”
“Well, what do cows like as treats?”
“Treats?”
“Yes, what appeals to them that’s out of the ordinary from their typical diet?”
“Apples, carrots, turnips–let me think. Fireweed and birch leaves, all kinds of clover, cabbage, and molasses and dandelion leaves. That’s all I can think of offhand.”
“Okay, that’s a start. Since we aren’t finding anything growing of that nature, we need to take a look at the entire pasture and see if something has been dumped. If so, there will be some evidence remaining. At least I hope there will.”
A gunshot made her start, and without thinking, she reached out for Russell. He pulled her into his arms. “It’s okay.”
She nodded, loathe to leave the circle of his arms and hesitant to let his men see him holding her. “Thanks.” She backed away. “I need to examine that cow as soon as possible. The sooner I know for sure what it ate, the sooner we know what we’re looking for.”
“Then let’s go.”
They returned to his truck and headed back to the compound. “This wasn’t an accident,” Russell said.
“I agree.”
“Who would want to do this? Kalvin Burton?”
Naomie shook her head. “That makes no sense.”
“What makes you say that?”
She realized her mistake. Naomie hadn’t told Russell about the night she spent with Cici or their conversation about Kalvin. She also hadn’t mentioned to anyone the information she’d gathered on her own.
Naomie knew a lot of people and many of them associated with the government. Some were people with the ability and clearance to dig into a person’s life and uncover even the most carefully bu
ried secrets.
Thus far, Kalvin Burton was appearing to be precisely what Cici hoped, an ambitious but generally honorable man. But then, as someone who’d worked for the government and had secrets in her own past, knew, there were ways to hide things so that finding them was next to impossible.
But thus far, she was siding with Cici, and maybe it was time to say as much. “It makes no sense for him to be behind any of this.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because of his goals.”
“To build a resort city and entice gamblers to the first casino in Texas?”
“Those aren’t his goals.”
“Oh, says who?”
“The building contractors, material suppliers, manufacturers and engineers he’s been consulting with. He wants to build a green city. Green. Natural. Organic from the ground up. Use nothing but recycled materials for construction– even the roads, and he intends to set up farms and factories to manufacture everything people need and make it all earth friendly. There will be stores and schools, and it can, in time, become a self-sustaining city. Frankly, I think it’s inspired. Ambitious as hell but inspired. Heck, I’d be willing to invest.
“But what’s important for you and your family is this. Burton needs to position himself in an area like this where there’s already a large-scale organic operation that’s well established. If he wants to succeed, he has to be as particular about his organic status as Heritage, and he can’t do that with pesticides showing up in his streams or groundwater.”
“You make a good point.”
“I make the only point that should concern you. The discovery of this pesticide poses as great a risk to him as to you, so why would he do it? He wouldn’t, sir. That’d be tantamount to shooting himself in the leg before a foot race.”
“The foot.”
“Pardon?”
“I think the saying is shooting yourself in the foot.”
“Leg, foot, whatever, you know what I’m saying.”
“I do, but what I’m not hearing is where this information comes from.”
“You know I have connections.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then you know I wouldn’t betray a source and, in some instances, can’t.”
