by Ciana Stone
He waited as she went into the kitchen. He could hear her moving around, and the sounds were comforting somehow. She returned, with two cups of tea and handed him one. Mace took a sip, and his eyebrows rose in surprise. “It’s good.”
“And it will help you relax.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“The mere fact that you’re here at eleven o’clock looking like you want to start pacing makes it clear that you’re upset, so tell me.”
“Have you spoken with Naomie today?”
“Has something happened to her?” Bailey’s hand landed on his knee and dug in.
“Hey, easy talons,” he chided and then quickly added. “No, she’s fine. But something’s happened, and there may be a shitstorm coming.”
“Tell me.”
Mace quickly told her about the poisoned cattle and Naomie’s necropsy results, finishing with his father’s orders for the entire workforce of Heritage to be part of the search, starting at daybreak.
“Do you think the man Cici is dating is responsible?”
Mace shrugged. “I don’t even know the man.”
“But?”
“But what?”
“Your face says there’s a but coming.”
“Damn you’re either psychic or observant as hell, and yes, there is a but. According to Dad, neither Cici nor Naomie believe the man, Kalvin Burton, is responsible.”
“Does he?”
“He’s more of the guilty until proven innocent way of thinking at times. I spent the better part of the drive here talking with Cici and Naomie, and I have to say that they make a good case for Burton.”
“Which is?”
“Apparently, he wants to build a green city on land he bought adjacent to Heritage. Green construction, power, everything. And organic. No chemicals, pesticides. A self-sustaining, organic green city.”
“Wow, that would be incredible.”
“Yeah, it would. And it appears he’s already invested a fortune into the project, so as Naomie pointed out, it would be suicide for him to do anything that would hamper the project – such as allow poison on the property. It also stands to reason that he wouldn’t try to sabotage Heritage because any contamination here, could potentially hurt his property.”
“That makes sense.”
“Yeah, but regardless of who did it, it was done, and we need to figure out who and why. Naomie and Dad both raised the question of whether it could be someone who works for us.”
“I can’t imagine that being the case. Speaking as an employee, I can’t imagine anyone ever being treated better than the people who work for Heritage. Just look at me. Not only am I paid well, but I’m given housing, daycare, great insurance, and I’m treated like I matter.”
“Because you do. Which reminds me, is Minnie asleep?”
“Probably. Want to go check?”
“Can I?”
“Sure.”
Mace got up and went into the bedroom, Minnie was in her crib. When he leaned over, she opened her eyes and smiled at him, then raised her arms.
“Hey pretty girl,” he picked her up.
She made soft little happy sounds as he carried her back to where Bailey waited. “I swear all I did was walk over and look at her.”
“She probably heard us talking.”
“Is it okay if I hold her for a while?”
“Of course, you know she loves it.”
So did Mace. In the few weeks that Minnie had been here with Bailey, he’d become a more frequent visitor. He and Bailey had a growing attraction, but neither of them was pushing it to move fast. They shared kisses and hugs, and twice he’d fallen asleep on top of the covers on her bed while they watched a movie and snuggled.
He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d fallen completely under Minnie’s spell. He loved the little girl and used every chance he got to visit. Sometimes, like now, it almost felt like they were a family and it made him realize how much he wanted that.
Maybe one day they would be, but until then he’d value what they had. He got comfortable on the couch, holding Minnie. “My biggest concern is what this might do to the family,” Mace admitted.
“You mean because Cici is involved with Mr. Burton?”
“Yes. If it turns out he is involved, Dad will stop at nothing to destroy him.”
“But what if it turns out he’s innocent?”
“According to Naomie, that’s another tangled knot.”
“How so?”
“Dad says Burton’s too old for Cici and she says he’s not.”
“Well, how old is he?”
“Forty-eight.”
“And she’s what – thirty?”
“Twenty-nine.”
“Okay, so he’s a good bit older, but whether the age difference is too much is up to them, isn’t it?”
“As far as I’m concerned, yes, but I think there’s more to that story than my father wants to admit.”
“Oooh, I get it. Naomie.”
Mace was surprised that she caught on so quickly, then remembered that Bailey and Naomie were good friends. “Exactly. If he admits that the age difference between Cici and Burton doesn’t matter, then how can he say the difference in age between him and Naomie does?”
“Oh, that is a sticky wicket, isn’t it?”
“To say the least.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why is he so resistant to being involved with Naomie. I mean, for crying out loud, they already are if you think about it. He spends more time with her than anyone else here and seems to seek her opinion on a lot of things. And the way they look at each other–well, it’s pretty clear how they feel. So, what’s holding him back?”
“Too many failed relationships, I think.”
“That’s kind of a lame excuse, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never tried to get into his head that way, and we all have our quirks.”
“True, but it just seems silly to let something like age keep them apart.”
“Yeah, but that’s their business, and I tend to stay out of it.”
“You’re probably smart to be that way. So, can I help with the search tomorrow?”
“It’s the weekend, so there’s no daycare. What about Minnie?”
“Is Jordan going?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Then maybe I can get Nancy to watch Minnie, and I’ll go with you. I can call her first thing in the morning. You know she’ll get up and have coffee with Jordan.”
“That’d be great. Oh, I think Minnie’s sacked out.”
“No doubt. She likes sleeping in your arms. I understand that.”
“I’ve got another arm available.”
“Then what do you say we go to the bedroom. There’s room enough for all of us on the bed, and I’d love to fall asleep next to you.”
“You don’t have to twist my arm.”
Ten minutes later, Mace had Bailey on one side of him with her head on his chest, and Minnie snuggled into the crook of his other arm. He smiled to himself, thinking this would be a real fine way to end every day.
Chapter Nineteen – April 5th, 2019
Once the entire crew was assembled at the search site, Russell and Naomie climbed up onto the bed of his pickup and he raised his hands. “Okay, listen up. We’re going to search this entire pasture, which means we have about two square miles to cover. Dr. Taylor’s going to tell you what to look for.”
Naomie held up a plant. “Most of you have seen this. It’s a regular tomato plant. I have a pile of stems and leaves here in the truck. Feel free to take one with you. What we’re looking for are piles of debris, or what looks like plant debris. It could be grain or grass, mixed with leaves like this. And it could be a sticky mess, because whoever did this might have had to lure the cows into eating it by using something they like, such as molasses. The point is if you find anything that looks like cows might have been feeding on it, call in and giv
e your location.”
She looked at Russell. “Mr. Walker?”
“That’s it, people. Nash has the maps, breaking the search area up into a grid. Pair up in teams and get assigned a section. Sharp eyes, folks. Let’s move.”
Nash’s son, Rusty ran up to the truck. “Can I walk with you, Ms. Naomie?”
“Absolutely. If it’s okay with your dad.”
“He says it’s fine.”
“Okay, then let’s go get our assignment.” She looked at Russell. “Will you be staying here to coordinate and get reports?”
“Yeah, Jordan and I will handle the home base.”
“Okay, hope this doesn’t take long.” She then turned to Rusty. “All right, partner, let’s do it.”
They got into the back of the line, and when it was their turn, Nash smiled at them. “So, you two are a team?”
“Looks like it. You want to throw in with us?” Naomie asked.
“Actually, yeah. We’ve got this sector,” he pointed to the map. “It’s in the northwestern corner which is more heavily wooded.”
“Lead the way.”
“Okay, this way.”
With Nash directing, they walked along in the early morning sun. “It’s really beautiful here, isn’t it?” Naomie commented.
“Not everyone finds a pasture beautiful.”
“It’s not just a pasture though, is it? I mean just look around. There are a few bees over there on that honeysuckle vine that’s growing up the fence post, and squirrels are barking in the trees ahead, annoyed to have their territory invaded. There’s evidence on the ground that deer have been feeding here, and a hawk has been circling for the last few minutes. It’s not just a place to pasture cows, it’s home to a lot of life.”
“You have a unique way of viewing the world, Naomie.”
“Is it? Seems to me that people like the Walkers have a pretty unique view as well. I’ve watched you and Mace – like when we went fishing that Saturday? You stood there in that stream, casting your line and the look on your face said this is my bliss.”
“I guess it is.”
“You love the land – all of you do, and I think that’s why it flourishes under your care. It’s why I took the offer to work with your father on this breeding program.”
“We were all kind of against that, you know.”
“No, I didn’t. Why?”
“One, the expense. It’s not cheap. And two, and don’t get mad but at first, we thought he was doing it to–” he cut a look at his son who was up ahead, sword fighting the tall stalks of grass with a stick. “We thought maybe he was just trying to –- you know, get in your pants.”
“Well, that would have been one expensive screw if he had.”
Nash laughed. “No kidding. But seriously, it wasn’t until we researched you that we realized you’re the real deal. Your thoroughbred program is amazing. In fact, Mace and I have toyed with the idea of maybe branching out into raising thoroughbreds.”
“There’s money to be made but think long and strong. Those animals aren’t like quarter horses. They cost a mint to buy and upkeep and unless you’re just dead into the racing scene, I can’t see a reason you’d want to dive into that pond.
“Besides,” she added. “The quarter horse program is going to put you at the top of the heap.”
“You sound pretty sure.”
“Because I am. Hey, what’s that? Over there behind that stand of trees? Is the fence down?”
Sure enough, the fence had been cut, and tire tracks led away from it. “Let’s follow the tracks,” Naomie suggested.
“Let me call it in first.” As Nash made the call, Naomie yelled out to Rusty, and he joined her. The moment she and Rusty reached the fence, she stopped and called to Nash. “Nash!”
He ran over and looked in the direction she pointed. There were three dead cows. One of them was on Heritage property and the other two, on the other side of the fence. “Follow the tracks,” Nash said.
The tracks followed a rutted old path that looked like it hadn’t been used in a very long time. They walked for nearly half a mile before they came upon an old hunting cabin, tucked into the trees.
“Hold up,” Nash said and stopped. He then cupped his hands around his mouth and called out. “Hey! In the cabin! Is anyone there?”
There was no response of any kind. “Just to be safe,” Nash said and pulled his handgun. “I’ll go first, so stay behind me. You hear me, Rusty?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Mind holding my hand?” Naomie said to Rusty.
“If it’ll make you feel better.”
“It will.” That wasn’t a lie. If anything happened, she fully intended to clamp onto Rusty’s hand like a vice grip and haul ass.
They approached the cabin cautiously, and when they reached the edge of the tree line, Nash stopped again. “Stay here while I check the cabin.”
Naomie didn’t argue, she just watched as Nash approached the door, knocked and after a few seconds, pushed it open. When he entered the cabin, she felt a rush of anxiety. The last time she’d been in the woods around an old structure, she and Reese had ended up in a cellar with a freaking snake.
She must have shuddered because Rusty squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, Ms. Naomie, I’ll take care of you.”
What a precious boy he was. Naomie felt like hugging him. “Thank you, Rusty.”
She breathed a little easier when Nash reappeared. In fact, she kind of did a double-take. For a moment it was like looking at a young version of Russell.
“It’s clear,” Nash called.
She and Rusty headed for the cabin and as they drew near, she noticed a wheelbarrow, old and rusted, but sporting a new tire. It was parked in front of what she assumed was the wood bin. “Come on, Rusty.”
No sooner had they reached the bin, she yelled for Nash. “Nash, come look!” Stacked in the wood bin were wheat feed and a wheelbarrow full of rotted tomato plants and dandelion greens. A discarded gallon container for molasses was mixed in with the rotted plants.
“Whoever did it, used this place as a staging area,” Naomie said. “Did the inside look like anyone has been here lately?”
“No. If anyone had been inside it would show. There’s an inch of dust everywhere.”
“Well, they were definitely here. Call it in. We should get someone out here to get impressions of the tire tracks and to see if any prints can be gained from the molasses container in the wheelbarrow.”
“On it.”
“One thing?”
He paused to look at her. “Whose property is this?”
“The guy who owns the land where the water was poisoned.”
“Kal Burton?”
“Yep.”
Naomie hated to hear that news. It just added fuel to a fire she hated to see grow. “Rusty, would you mind waiting with your dad while I make a phone call?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.” She waited until he was out of earshot and placed a call. Cici answered right away.
“Hey, Naomie, what’s up?”
“Trouble.”
“Shit. What kind?”
“Yesterday, fifty head of cattle were found. Poisoned with nightshade laced food. We’ll probably lose three-quarters of them. Today, we found the source of the poison, and as much as I hate saying it, it’s on Kal’s land.”
“You can’t be serious?”
“I wish I wasn’t.”
“You know what that means.”
“Yeah, your father’s going to be ready to go to war. Look, I’ll do what I can. I’m going to push as hard as I can to get the law involved even if I have to do it behind your father’s back. We need someone to make molds of tire tracks and try and lift fingerprints from a molasses container and a wheelbarrow, probably even some implements like a shovel or rake.
“The point is, until we have evidence to the contrary, fingers are going to point in Kal’s direction.”
“Naomie, he wouldn’t do this.”
“If everything I’ve heard about him is true, I agree with you, but you know I’m not going to be able to convince your father of that, so any help you can give, give it now, you get what I’m saying?”
“I hear you. Keep me posted?”
“I will. Bye.”
Nash walked over just then. “Dad’s fit to be tied and said he’s going to have it out with Burton.”
“You have to stop him, Nash.”
“I called Mace and filled him in. He’ll try and head Dad off at the pass. I’m taking your advice and calling in the authorities. We need to handle this by the book, don’t you think?”
“I do indeed. What can I do to help?”
“You can hightail it back home and try to stop Dad if Mace fails. I’m going to wait here for the law.”
“Okay. Thanks, Nash.”
“Good luck.”
Naomie took off at a run. Sure enough, when she reached the gathering point, Russell’s truck was gone. She ran over to Jordan. “I need to beat Mr. Walker home. Can you help?”
“Can you ride?”
“A horse? Honey, I grew up on a thoroughbred farm.”
“All righty then, we’re cooking with gas.” He led her over to a section of fence where a dozen or so horses were tied. “Hey, Jim!” He yelled. “Dr. Taylor is taking Smiley.”
“Hope she knows how to hang on,” Jim yelled.
Jordan and Naomie adjusted the stirrups, and she took the reins. The moment she kicked Smiley into action, she understood what Jim meant. This was a horse that liked to run, which was precisely what she needed.
With luck, she and Mace could keep Russell from doing something that might cost Heritage more than a few head of cattle.
When she reached the main house, Russell’s truck was in the driveway. She got off the horse and ran toward the house. She could hear shouts from inside and when she ran in found Russell and Mace squared off at one another.
“I mean it, son. Get out of my way, or I’ll move you.”
“No. You need to calm down, Dad.”
“What I need is a son who listens to what I have to say. Now, move boy!”
“No.”
Russell advanced on Mace with a murderous expression on his face. He shoved Mace, who, to his credit and Naomie’s amazement, stood fast. “Don’t make me hurt you, son.” Russell threatened.
