All the Lost Little Horses (A Desperation Creek Novel Book 2)

by Janice Kay Johnson

  “What possible grounds can you have to arrest me?” he snapped the minute Jed and Detective Frazier walked in.

  They both took their seats. Frazier said calmly, “As you know, Judge Linder approved the warrant we served this morning based on the brands observed on cattle that had wandered out through a break in your fence line.”

  “You mean, you cut the strands so you had an excuse to get closer to my herd!”

  “Oren,” his attorney murmured. “Let me handle this.”

  Either Oren didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut, or he wasn’t a man to allow anyone to speak for him. The attorney kept on with the remonstrations, Oren blasted responses to the detective’s every question or comment.

  He insisted he’d bought every single cow and calf on his land fair and square. How was he supposed to have known if they’d been stolen? If it was true they had been. His glare was meant to blister. “I’ve been a rancher in this damn county for going on forty years now, and to be accused of something like this now is outrageous!” He hammered a fist on the table.

  “Mr. Calderon,” Jed said, “Detective Frazier and other Crook County deputies will be searching your paper and computer files. It would help if you’d identify the individuals from whom you claim you bought these animals.”

  His face turned an even deeper shade of purple. “Claim? I bought the damn cattle! It’s not my fault if—”

  It continued in that vein until Jed lost patience. He’d left Linette reluctantly, and he could see this wasn’t going anywhere.

  He pushed back his chair and stood. “Mr. Calderon, you’re wasting our time. We all know you provided pasture and possibly transportation to a stockyard for the men who have not only stolen those animals, they murdered a rancher in my county. Do you want to take the rap for the others? Be the only individual who goes to trial and is convicted on those charges? That includes murder, since cattle with the WBB brand were among those identified today on your land. Those stolen from Gary Webb the night he was shot dead.” He stared at that choleric face, into eyes that showed fear and more defiance, but not regret, and shook his head. “Excuse me, Detective Frazier. I need to get back.”

  Frazier rose, too. “Mr. Marsh, I encourage you to help your client understand the gravity of these charges. We’ll talk again.”

  He followed Jed out of the room and down the hall, nodding at the jail sergeant to let him know the inmate was alone with his attorney. Outside, Frazier said, “He’ll break. Oren never thought it would come to this.”

  “I hear he’s a whiner who thinks he deserved breaks that didn’t come his way.”

  “That’s his reputation. Once he understands he faces real time in prison?” The detective shook his head. “He’ll crack. I see him as ultimately a coward.”

  “I hope you’re right. Won’t mind seeing Oren spend some time in prison, but I really want the SOB who gunned down a good man because he got in their way.”

  They parted with Frazier promising to keep the pressure on, Jed to share any other news from the investigation.

  During the drive from Prineville to Fort Halleck, Jed felt stress gripping his neck muscles. In his last job, the victims had all been strangers. It would only get worse if he stayed in this rural county where, sooner or later, he’d know every resident.

  And no, that wasn’t his real problem. Her name was Linette Broussard. Vulnerable, and under assault for unknown reasons.

  The woman he loved.

  *****

  Maybe she was foolish, but Linette said some silent words over the grave, raw ground smoothed level. Niall and Troy stood silently by. Knowing both were animal lovers, she suspected they might be doing the same. She hadn’t decided whether to place a marker.

  From there, they loaded a small trailer with materials to replace several sections of fencing while they were at it, and bumped in the tractor across the pasture to a stretch on the east end of her acreage.

  This was her first look at the now-closed gate. She clambered off the tractor and studied it. She’d always wondered why it was there. The posts supporting it showed signs of rot and had needed replacing anyway.

  “We need to look closer at the horses when we get back. See whether there’s any sign they were whipped to drive them out.” She couldn’t swear there weren’t marks even on the horses she’d led up from the road herself. They’d all been in such a hurry, distracted by the heartbreaking sight in the road.

  Both men nodded.

  Linette tried to help, but truthfully was grateful that Troy and Niall did most of the work. She still felt the effect from the assault that put her in the hospital. The headache was now duller, but her neck and shoulder hurt, too. The pain meds helped in one way, but also made her feel tired.

  With only a few words here and there, Niall dug the holes to replace the posts in the worst shape, and he and Troy hammered boards into place, then strung barbed wire tautly across the top. From there, they walked in opposite directions to verify that there weren’t any additional breaks.

  When they were done, Niall turned in a slow circle, his eyes narrowed as he scanned every direction. Linette knew what he was thinking; one of Jed’s suggestions was that they install surveillance cameras. She knew businesses often had them outdoors, but how would they work spread over her acreage?

  When she asked, his answer hadn’t helped a whole lot.

  “Let me see what I can find.”

  Niall suggested a circuitous route back, both to check fences and, she knew, to plot placements for other cameras. The idea seemed absurd, with her sprawling, open land and small herd of horses. None of this made any sense, yet she couldn’t deny that the cameras, if they proved possible, would make her feel a lot safer.

  The attacks so far were devastating enough, but what would happen next?

  And what would she have done without Jed and, now, Niall?

  *****

  Erin had listened to the call on the police radio regarding the loose horses at the LB Kiger Ranch, but Chris was covering that part of the county today so she continued on with a routine patrol. Eventually she heard him report that a gate had been open and, while the owner claimed – he added a distinct emphasis to the word – that it had been secured with a padlock, he’d found the chain that might have held the gate closed on the ground and no padlock in the vicinity. Since Detective Dawson was there, Chris had gotten back on the road.

  Did he have any idea how much of an ass he sounded? Erin wondered. Anybody listening – and you knew the sheriff was – could tell he didn’t like Ms. Broussard or Detective Dawson.

  A couple of hours later, she stopped by headquarters to have lunch, the salad she’d prepared at home this morning. She was heading back to her car when she saw Chris Jarman walking toward his own pickup truck. He tossed something into the bed of his truck that landed with a muffled clunk, then turned toward the back door she’d just come out of.

  Seeing her, he said with a curled lip, “What are you staring at?”

  “I was going to say hello.” She shrugged and walked past him. Once she’d unlocked her patrol car, she glanced back. The heavy steel door was just closing.

  Unable to resist the jab of curiosity, she hurried over to his pickup. What had he had acquired out patrolling that he needed to leave in his truck?

  A dirt bike lay on its side, and she saw a pickaxe and a shovel loose on the rubber-lined bed. Closest was a wad of cloth – a ratty old T-shirt, she thought. Sneaking another look to be sure no one was watching, she picked it up, immediately feeling the weight inside. What was—

  It was a padlock that had been cut open. Feeling sick, she stared at it. Why would he have taken it? There was no reason on earth for him to cut it in the first place and let those horses loose. Unless he was mad enough at Ms. Broussard for having complained about him?

  If he’d done it, he had taken a terrible risk. Why hadn’t he just wiped it to be sure there were no fingerprints and left it behind?

  Because somebody els
e had been near enough to see?

  An uncomfortable tingling up her spine pushed her to make up her mind what to do before Chris roared out that back door.

  Hating this terrible suspicion, Erin yanked the tail of her uniform shirt loose and dropped the padlock onto the sack she’d formed with it. She wadded up the old T-shirt again and placed it right where it had been. Then she hurried to her car, heaving a big breath of relief once she was behind the wheel and could dump the padlock on the passenger seat. She’d wait until she was a few blocks away, then stop and grab an evidence bag out of the trunk.

  Tomorrow, when nobody was paying any attention, she’d fingerprint the padlock and send in whatever she found. If she couldn’t get a good print or there was no match…well, so be it. But she’d have settled her mind.

  *****

  Jed’s shopping expedition took another chunk out of his day. He wanted to drive straight back to Linette’s ranch, but still had to do his job. He went into headquarters, checked messages and returned a few calls, then printed out the email from the Crook County detective, detailing the cows found with what brands. Every single one had a calf at her side.

  Then he called Austin Jackson even though it was midday and he knew Jackson worked at the lumberyard. He answered his phone on the fourth ring, though.

  “This is Detective Dawson.” Jed leaned back in his desk chair. “I have good news for you. We’ve recovered some of the stolen cattle, and your herd is among them.”

  The silence all but vibrated. “My whole herd?”

  “Looks like. We’re going to have to figure out the logistics of transporting them, but I’m guessing we’ll get them to you by the end of the week.”

  “I can’t believe it.” Jackson was crying. “I thought—”

  “I know. Unfortunately, we’ve found only a portion of the animals that were stolen. I’m glad yours were among them. Most of the larger ranches did carry insurance.”

  “Can you tell me where they are?”

  “I can’t give you details at this point. They’re not in this county. We’ve made one arrest, but we don’t believe this individual is among the rustlers. We think he agreed to hide some of the cattle. So far, he’s refusing to give names, but I think his stance will change once he really understands the charges we’re filing on him.”

  Austin expressed his thanks in a thickened voice.

  Jed said he’d keep him informed.

  He called another rancher who would be glad to get back his stolen cows and calves, although he’d had them insured. If sales prices stayed up, he’d be better off recovering the animals; if they dropped, he might be sorry. The third rancher, Blair Greenough, had a lot in common with Austin Jackson. Blair, too, held an outside job and dreamed of expanding his ranch. Given the news, he was as emotional as Jackson had been.

  “I’m sorry if we gave you a hard time that day. You know, at the feed store. I guess I never thought—”

  “Understood,” Jed said gently.

  Finally, he spoke to Hayden Webb, who had gone back to his job after arranging for a part-time caretaker for his father’s ranch. His subdued thanks was understandable. He admitted that he and his sister were talking about trying to sell the ranch, but didn’t expect to get much for it if they succeeded.

  Grant had strolled into Jed’s office while he was on the phone with Webb’s son. After ending the call, he gave his boss the latest news about the cattle rustling, then told him about that morning’s events at the LB Kiger ranch.

  “Son of a bitch,” Grant growled. “Somebody tasered a foal?”

  Jed picked up his phone and found one of the photos he’d taken of the colt’s rump and the trailing taser wires.

  Grant looked, swore some more, and scrolled forward and back through the other photos. His mouth was tight when he returned the phone.

  “Sounds like you need twenty-four hour a day surveillance.”

  “I bought cameras to supplement what Niall and I can do. We’ll install them this afternoon.”

  “Most wireless ones don’t have much range.”

  “I bought the best I could find.” He’d spent over three thousand dollars, but he wasn’t telling anyone that. “Eight cameras, some range extender antennas, and an app so we can monitor the cameras from our phones.”

  “You’re going all out.”

  Jed challenged his boss with a stare. “What’s the alternative? The attacks are going to escalate. I’m not leaving Linette to deal with them on her own.”

  Grant’s smile was faint but present. “She have anything to do with you taking the job here?”

  Was there any point in denying it? “Yeah. I, uh, came looking for her.”

  “An ex?”

  “We were together for about a year before my last deployment.” Jed moved his shoulders uncomfortably. “I broke up with her. Stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I don’t know that it’s fixable, but the least I can do is keep her safe. This ranch, it was her dream.”

  Grant nodded. “If there’s anything I can do, you let me know.”

  “I’m still working the rustling investigation, but unless I’m needed for something important, I may cut back on hours for a week or so until we nail this fucker’s hide to a wall.”

  Rising to his feet, Grant looked down at him. “That’s not cutting back on hours, it’s working two investigations. Like I said, if you need backup or anything else I can provide, it’s yours. I hope I get a chance to meet this woman.”

  Jed couldn’t keep himself from smiling. “Linette has a lot in common with Cassie.”

  “Stubborn and independent?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  Grant laughed and walked out.

  Jed stuck his phone in a pocket and decided to visit a couple of his suspects again, just to keep them nervous. He’d hope to find Rob Fullerton home, too, and see if he got any feel for how hard Fullerton had taken his rejection at Linette’s hands.

  Then back to the ranch to start installing the cameras.

  *****

  Apparently, a camera would be aimed at the aisle in the barn, which made sense. The horses had been turned out earlier once the work on the fence was done, which made it possible for the men to work in here. Linette saw Jed climbing a ladder while Niall handed up tools. For a second, she lingered, watching as he reached over his head to drive in screws to secure the camera in place. It was hard not to look, given a chance when he was unaware of her presence.

  He was such a beautiful man, powerful muscles bunched in his back and arms, sweat soaking his shirt in places and probably trickling down his spine beneath the waistband of his worn jeans. Having him here was bittersweet, with more of the sweet than she’d expected.

  When she realized Niall was grinning at her, she beat a retreat.

  Troy left at his usual five. He had stepped up in a way she wouldn’t have guessed he could. She’d have to tell him so.

  Tonight, Linette did the cooking, making a triple batch of spaghetti sauce that might even feed them a second night.

  When they all sat down to eat together, Niall detailed what they’d accomplished, supported by an occasional grunt or word from Jed.

  They had set up one DVR in a stall, where it was best situated to receive signals from the four cameras that had come with it. A second DVR was in a rain/sun-shelter in the far pasture. The cameras that had come with it were aimed at fence lines.

  “But what if something happens when it’s too dark?” she asked.

  Jed set down his fork, his blue eyes meeting hers. “The ones I bought have infrared night vision. Not military quality, but better than nothing. Motion detection, too. Good HD resolution.” He explained about being able to monitor the system from the cloud, using their phones.

  “I’ll pay you back for whatever this cost. How much was it?”

  He shook his head. “I took care of it.”

  “I can’t let you—”

  If he said he owed her, she might blow up.

  Jed being Jed, he
said, “This is a police operation. Not your responsibility.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “We’ll talk about this again.”

  He gazed blandly back at her.

  Ever the peacemaker, Niall jumped in. “The trick was to hide the cameras. Lucky you have some good-sized trees in key positions.”

  There was the military mindset at work.

  “Then you’ll both be able to sleep tonight?” she asked.

  Jed shook his head again. “We’ll still take shifts. We just have more eyes on the ground now.”

  Niall cleared the table tonight and poured the coffee, after which Jed told them more about Oren Calderon.

  “Wonder what they’re holding over him that makes him afraid to talk and cut a deal,” Niall commented.

  Obviously brooding, Jed shook his head. “I have a good idea who two or three of the local men involved are. None of them are the sharpest knives in the drawer. These guys tried to put together a militia awhile back to lash out at the feds on the land issues. It was all talk, no action. Originally, I believed the rustling ring was made up of outsiders. Professionals. It was all so smooth, until Gary Webb confronted them.”

  “You think there’s a…a ringleader,” Linette said.

  His laser-sharp eyes met hers. “I do. Can’t figure out who it could be, although…” He trailed off, his frown deepening.

  Linette set down her coffee mug with a clunk. “You have a suspicion.”

  “I do, but it’s not someone I can name.” He rolled his shoulders. “May be way off track.”

  Niall stirred. “You talked to Holcomb about it?”

  “No. I won’t until I have something more to go on.”

  He wouldn’t say any more, which left Linette speculating wildly. She hadn’t socialized much since moving here, but she did read the County Courier. With a relatively depressed economy, who in Hayes County would have even Jed leery?

  Niall told a few stories while Jed became preoccupied by his phone. When Linette went out near bedtime to check on the horses, he accompanied her. They didn’t talk, but she couldn’t deny how reassuring his presence was. Remembering the creepy feeling that had dogged her in past weeks, she wondered how long it would be before she felt safe again doing something as simple as walking alone from the barn to the house at night.