Ranch Life is Great

by Malone, Misty

  "That is odd. There were no large purchases?"

  "Nothing. That amount of money would be more than enough to buy a house and furnish it. I would think if he made a purchase that big I would know about it."

  "I would think. Let's get this information to these men, and we can talk about that more while they sharpen their pencils and do some arithmetic for us."

  An hour later they had enlisted Mr. Avalon's help. He agreed that with the information he now had as to interest rates and possible penalty, or late charges, he would be able to figure up how much had been repaid. They didn't tell him the total amount of the loan originally, but wanted to see what figure he came up with. Then they could see how much would be left still due and owing.

  They went next to Mr. Trenton's office. Sheriff Fitch asked him if he had this information, if he would be able to determine how much he had paid off so far. He assured them it would take some time, but he could indeed do it. The sheriff asked him to hold up on the papers for the transfer of the store long enough to figure this up first. He told Mr. Trenton not to mention it to Mr. Dempsey, but if he asked about it, to answer truthfully why the delay. If he was upset, he said to tell him to talk to the sheriff. Mr. Trenton agreed, and copied down the terms of the loan and dates and amounts of payment, and promised to get started on it right away.

  The sheriff knew it would take several days for the men to do all the arithmetic and check the accuracy of their figures. He had a thing or two he wanted to do in the meantime, and Theodore said he was going to think back through their move from Philadelphia and see if he couldn't think of something his father may have needed the additional money for.

  Sheriff Fitch found himself sitting at his kitchen table that night, thinking. He had a lot of things to think about, and while some things were starting to fit together for him, others weren't.

  The next morning, he stopped by the telegraph office and sent a telegram to the sheriff in Philadelphia. When he'd answered Sheriff Fitch's first telegram he sent a letter, saying he wasn't sure he completely trusted the local telegraph office, so this time he simply sent a telegram asking if he could give him some local information. He assumed the sheriff would return his telegram, either agreeing to answer questions, or suggesting mail correspondence or a telegraph office close by. He wasn't in a big hurry, so he could wait for a response. He had more thinking he had to do, trying to fit the last couple of pieces into place.

  * * *

  Elsie couldn't remember a time she'd ever been happier. She was working with her animals again, and she loved it. She loved how she felt as she watched the injured animals heal, and she loved the time she spent with them. It gave her a sense of purpose on the farm, and a sense of accomplishment when one would heal, especially if it had been injured rather badly.

  She was also feeding the chickens and gathering the eggs every day, and Cade had to smile every time he watched her with her chickens. As a rule, chickens are not a friendly, cuddly animal, but he would often watch as she would go in their pen and simply sit down off to the side, away from them, watching as they pecked the ground. She told him once that she'd never been around chickens, and she found them fascinating to watch as they strutted around, pecking the ground for bugs.

  But once she sat down to watch, several of the chickens made their way to her, and she'd actually pet them, or pat their head. He'd never seen chickens approach a person unless they were feeding them, until he saw his chickens with his wife. She seemed to have this magnetic personality with everyone, and apparently every animal she came into contact with. He'd walk away, shaking his head in disbelief, but reminding himself what a lucky man he is.

  She was also keeping the books for the ranch, which freed up time for him, but also turned out to be a very good thing. When she used to keep the books for their store, she incorporated an inventory of sorts. It was a system she invented, and her father was impressed. She often knew what they needed to order for the next week before he checked his supplies. He began to double check with her before sending his order in, to be sure he hadn't missed anything.

  She did a similar thing with the books for the ranch. During breakfast one morning when they were planning to go to town that day, she surprised him. "While we're in town today you may want to pick up a few more horseshoes."

  Everyone stopped eating and looked over at her. When she noticed all the eyes on her, she asked, "What did I say?"

  Cade smiled. "Why should I get more horseshoes?"

  "Well, didn't you say you were going to have to replace the shoes on a couple of the horses when you put shoes on the younger ones?"

  "Yes, but—"

  "I'm just saying, unless my inventory's wrong, you're running kind of low on them and may want to get some more. Once you start that I assume you'll want to finish it while the fire's hot."

  Cade looked at Wyatt. "Are we low on shoes?"

  Wyatt scratched his head. "I can't rightly say, but now that she mentioned it, I don't remember picking any up for a little while. We might be getting low. I think it'd be a good thing to check before you go to town."

  "All right, I will." He turned to his wife. "Thank you. But what's this inventory you mentioned?"

  "Oh, it's just something I always did with the store, and I started doing it here, too. It's not very accurate, but it gives you a good idea at just a glance as to what you have and don't have. If I see you're getting low on something, I figure it would be better to pick up a couple extras the next time you go to the store than to run out and have to send one of the men in on a special trip."

  "It's a really good idea, but I've never done it before. Sometime would you show me how you do it? I mean, how do you know when we use them?"

  "When I hear you guys talking, I make a note in my head, then mark it down the next time I'm working on the books. That's why I said it's not very accurate. I'm sure you don't mention everything, but if I mark down the things you do, it might help."

  After they finished breakfast, he went to check the shoes for the horses. "You're right; we're low. Thank you, Elsie." He bent down and gave her a kiss on her cheek, and she immediately turned red when she saw a couple of the hands working at the other end of the barn. He looked at what she was staring at and laughed. "They won't mind seeing a little kiss now and then," he chuckled, and kissed her other cheek. "Besides, you're so cute when you blush."

  "Oh, you," she said as she attempted to swat his arm.

  He caught her fist, however, and used it to pull her close enough to kiss her forehead, too. "I love you, Mrs. Collins," he whispered.

  "I love you, too, Mr. Collins."

  After a quick hug, he helped her up into the wagon and they started to town. She was excited, as always, to see Loretta.

  They made it to town and Cade dropped her off at the mercantile, along with the list of supplies they needed. He left to go do his errands and give the ladies time to visit while Harold filled the order as he had time between other customers.

  Cade's first stop was to see Sheriff Fitch. "Anything new, Dan?"

  "Boy, is there," the sheriff surprised him with. He poured two cups of coffee and they sat down. He told Cade he had told Mr. Trenton to hold off on the papers to transfer the store until he and Mr. Avalon had a chance to do the arithmetic on the loan. "I'm not sure, of course, and so I haven't said anything to Theodore, but I suspect the loan was paid off."

  "Then why are they taking the store?"

  "Well, I've been thinking about that. I don't think this man who lent Ralph the money was much of a trustworthy man to begin with. The terms on that loan were ridiculous. In my opinion, no man worth a grain of salt would want those terms and conditions. That being said, I got to thinking about the loan. Theodore insists he can't think of what his father could have used the money for, and that got me wondering just how much this loan was for. I asked to see the papers, and Mr. Dempsey showed them to me. It spelled out all the terms, but there was no final due date, but rather, extra fees to be adde
d in if a payment was late, which of course would extend the loan."

  "Is that legal to do?"

  "According to Mr. Trenton, it is if both sides agree to it."

  "Why would Ralph agree to that?"

  "I've wondered that same thing. I have a telegram in to the sheriff where this loan originated, asking a few questions about that."

  "So if Mr. Trenton and Mr. Avalon both say the loan's paid off, what happens?"

  "Theodore will keep his store."

  "Are you worried about this other attorney or the man who made the loan, if you tell them they're not getting the store back?"

  "I am a little concerned, sure. I don't want any trouble in town, but if it's been paid off there's not much they can do about it."

  "That's true. Oddly enough, Elsie will be happy to hear the news if it turns out Theodore gets to keep his store."

  "She will? I didn't think she cared much for him."

  "She doesn't. But you know her; she has a heart of gold. She feels sorry for him. She's concerned that he'll lose his store through no fault of his own, after putting all the time and work into it. She also questioned what else he’d do."

  The sheriff smiled. "You'd think after all that's happened she'd think it would serve him right to lose his store, after trying to steal hers from her."

  "Have you ever determined for sure who started the rumor? She's been double thinking that. Now she's saying maybe I was right in not letting her tell people she thought he was behind the rumor, because what if it was Ralph all along? Since it looks like Ralph is the one who canceled the order, trying to hurt the Stones as they were just getting started, she's wondering if maybe Ralph is the one who got the rumor going by saying something to just one or two people, but the right people."

  "That's definitely a possibility, and to be honest, I've wondered the same thing. Since I've been working with Theodore a bit lately, I've changed my opinion of him a little."

  "You have? I never knew him much, but he never did anything to impress me much. Maybe I misjudged him, as well."

  "I'm not saying he's a saint, but he hasn't done or said anything to give me pause, either. I always felt he had this aura about him that seemed a little shady, but nothing he's done or said since I've been working with him would back that up."

  "Hmm. I suppose, thinking back on it, I never cared much for the man, but if I'm honest with myself, I'd have to admit that's probably because he asked Elsie out a couple times before we were engaged. It was actually probably before he even knew I'd been seeing her, so I guess if that's all I have against the man, maybe I ought to rethink my feelings for the man, as well. You can't blame him for trying to court a good lady."

  "Not unless you're the man who's already courting that good lady," the sheriff agreed with a chuckle.

  "Good point," Cade said with another grin. After a few minutes, he continued. "I'm glad to hear then that he may be able to keep his store, but that doesn't help us any in trying to determine who shot Henry and Velma. We wondered if it could have been the Wilsons, but it's not looking like it was. If Ralph's been ill, it's not too likely he did, and if what you're saying is true about Theodore, he doesn't seem too likely, either. So we're back to square one, with no witnesses, aren't we?"

  "Probably. I haven't totally dismissed Ralph, but I don't think we'll be able to find any proof now, even if he did do it."

  "You seriously believe he may have?"

  "I don't know. I feel certain that he's the one who canceled the order, so I guess a part of me says if he'll do that, how can I say with certainly he wouldn't have killed them? I realize they're not the same thing, but they're both illegal and would lead to the same thing; Elsie's store failing. A part of me has to wonder."

  "I see your point," Cade said. "I wish we knew, for her sake. The fact that she doesn't know who did it or why bothers her more than she lets on, I can tell."

  "I wish I could give her that answer, too, but if it was Ralph, I'm not sure what else we'll be able to find to prove it. It would make sense, if you think about it, though. Whoever killed them either found a way to sneak up on them without them knowing anyone was around, which would be difficult with the doors locked, or it was someone they knew and let in. That's one reason I'm not ready to give up the thought that it could be him, but I don't know where to go from here. Without him you won't ever have a confession, and I don't know what proof I could find now."

  "Your theory does make sense, but you're right; how are you going to prove it now?"

  "Well, I never give up. I'll keep my eyes and ears open. You never know what you're going to hear. Sometimes you'll hear that one little tiny piece of the puzzle and it all fits together like a glove."

  Cade went to visit the blacksmith and bought some extra shoes for his horses, then retrieved his wife and paid Harold for all the supplies. Harold already had them loaded into their wagon. The two men visited a few minutes, and Harold pulled Cade off to the side for a quick conversation. "Hey, I know Elsie's probably not ready to think about this yet, and I understand and can be patient, but when she's ready to sell this building, I sure would appreciate having first chance at buying it."

  "Is it working out well for you?"

  "It is. The living quarters upstairs are sufficient for now. We may have to buy a bigger house down the road, but for now, this is working fine. And we're making a living here, and getting to know the people of town. There are a lot of nice people living in Sherman, and I haven't heard one negative thing about Elsie's family."

  "Henry and Velma were both well liked. That's why I wish I knew who shot them. I can't for the life of me think of anyone who would do such a thing. As far as Elsie, I'll keep that in mind. She's happy living out at the ranch now, and I feel real sure when she's ready, she'll ask you and Loretta first. She thinks the world of her."

  "And my wife feels the same way about her. I'm glad to see that friendship."

  "As am I," Cade agreed. "I think it's taking her a little longer to feel ready to part with this because of the mystery surrounding her parents' deaths. I think if Sheriff Fitch is ever able to prove who killed them she'll be ready to sell this building. But I'll make sure she gives you first chance."

  "Thank you, Cade. Like I said, don't push her. I understand, especially since there's still the mystery lurking out there. It would be hard for anyone."

  * * *

  Sheriff Fitch sat down after Cade left and wrote a letter and sent it off to the Sheriff in Philadelphia. He'd gotten a telegram back, suggesting he send his question through the telegraph office in a neighboring town, as he would be in that office in the near future. Sheriff Fitch knew that meant he still wasn't real sure he trusted the local telegraph office. He'd told him in a previous letter that word sometimes seemed to leak as to the contents of telegrams.

  The sheriff decided it would be easier to simply write his concerns and questions down in a letter, where he could explain it a little better. He knew it would take longer, but he'd rather take a little longer and be sure he had the right information.

  Mr. Trenton and Mr. Avalon went to visit the sheriff the next day. The two of them walked into his office together, with an unreadable expression on their faces. Once they were all seated, Mr. Trenton began the conversation. "Sheriff, do you know how much this loan was for?"

  "Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"

  "We came up with the same amount. We both did our figures twice and came up with the same thing both times. The amount paid was a round figure, and that made us wonder if that was the amount of the loan. Here's what we came up with." He laid a paper on the sheriff's desk.

  Sheriff Fitch looked at the paper and smiled. "That's exactly what I was hoping. That was the amount of the loan. So you both feel he paid it off completely?"

  "He certainly did," Mr. Trenton said, "even with the unscrupulously high interest rate. I have no idea why he would have agreed to that rate, but he paid off every cent of it, including the interest."

  "That explains
why the payments stopped a few months before he died," Mr. Avalon added. "It was paid off, and he knew it."

  "Good. Mr. Trenton, stop the paperwork on the store. The way I see it, he has no right to that store, or any part of it. If he thought he still had money coming to him, the lender and his attorney that wrote this loan agreement up had a few months to contact him when the payments stopped. If they never sent any kind of notice, it's too late to collect now."

  "It would seem so to me, as well," Mr. Trenton said. "I'm glad you found this when you did. I was only a day or so away from filing the paperwork. Should I contact Mr. Dempsey, or will you do that?"

  "Maybe you better let me. I'm not sure how he'll take the news, but in case he's upset, it'll be better that he's upset with the sheriff than with you."

  "Thank you, Sheriff Fitch. I appreciate that."

  After the two gentlemen left, the first stop the sheriff made was at Wilson's Mercantile to tell Theodore the good news. He was shocked, and thrilled. The sheriff smiled. "I wondered if that was why your father stopped sending the payments. I didn't want to say anything to you in case I was wrong, but it makes sense."

  "It does, but I'd never considered that. I guess I was still reeling from the shock that he had taken out a loan in the first place." He thought a couple minutes, before sighing. "It will sure be nice knowing the store's still mine, and this whole thing is over. At least I know I have a way to support myself again."

  "Without a two hundred dollar a month payment coming out of it, you should be able to support yourself easily."

  "That's right," Theodore said with a bit of a smile. "Have you told Mr. Dempsey? What did he say?"

  "I'm going over there next. I wanted to give you the good news first."

  "Thank you for that, Sheriff, and for all the help you've given me. Might I ask one more favor?"

  "What's that?"

  "Would you let me know what Mr. Dempsey's reaction is? What if he disagrees with the figures?"