by Sylvia Nobel
“Whoo-hoo! It was only like freakin’ awesome!”
“I’m so glad you’re having a good time,” I commented dryly.
Completely missing the nuance of my remark he crowed, “You shoulda been with me!” Giggling like a kid at a carnival, he grabbed me and twirled me in a circle, gushing, “I am lovin’ Arizona and…and…I love you too, Kenny! I mean it! You totally rock!”
If I hadn’t known he was high as a kite, I would have been flattered, but I wriggled out of his grasp and focused on his flushed face and dilated pupils. There was no logical reason he would be this effusive or affectionate, and I wondered what concoction of drugs he’d recently ingested. Whatever it was had transformed him from being withdrawn and angry into a happy, sociable guy.
“Man oh man somethin’ smells good!” He sniffed the air kind of like a dog would, his nostrils flaring in and out. “I am so starving!” He was chattering away like a girl about the wind, the stars, pine trees and some song he’d heard on his magical motorcycle trip when we stepped inside the crowded Crab Shack. Over the din, I introduced Sean to several of the locals waiting for tables and then looked around for our parents. I finally spotted Tally sitting at a corner table engaged in conversation with my dad and another man seated next to him with his back to us. Advancing closer, I was sure my eyes were deceiving me because the bald-headed guy looked an awful lot like Tugg. It couldn’t be. Nothing ever got in the way of his Saturday night poker game. Wait a minute. It was Tugg. “Well, this is a surprise! I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”
“Hey, Kendall! I wanted to have a little more time to visit with your old dad here,” he said, patting him on the shoulder affectionately. “You don’t mind me crashing your party, do you?”
“Of course not.”
I could hear Sean babbling excitedly about his ride to my mother, who sat eyeing him with a look of wary bemusement as I slid into the chair next to Tally. I momentarily forgot about my frustrations when he folded my hand in his. “Hey, cowboy.”
“Hey, yourself.”
I leaned close and whispered in his ear, “You’re still coming over after dinner, right?”
His tone low and intimate, he answered gruffly, “That is my plan.” His grin widened and he just kept on grinning. “You have a good time today?”
“I…it had a few challenges, but yes.” By now I was pretty good at reading Tally and the inscrutable expression in his deep brown eyes puzzled me. I searched his face closely. “What’s going on?”
He shrugged. “Nothing. Can’t I be glad to see you?”
“Sure. Everything okay with you?”
“Couldn’t be better.”
“Good.” I edged him a final glance of uncertainty before turning my attention back to Tugg. “Any more news about Walter?”
“Yeah, Lavelle called me a little while ago from the hospital.” He fished a piece of paper from his shirt pocket. “He’s suffering from a serious foodborne bacteria called…and I’m not sure I’m pronouncing it right…Campylobacter Jejuni.”
“I’ve never heard of that in my life.”
“Me neither. It’s a long word for serious food poisoning. The doctor told her it’s the second most common type after Salmonella. Apparently you can contract it from eating undercooked poultry or beef or even from unsafe food handling practices.”
“Like in a bowling alley kitchen perhaps?” Tally chimed in, arching one dark brow.
“Could be,” Tugg commented grimly. “Lavelle looked it up online and it can sometimes be fatal.”
“Shit,” I murmured, a little shockwave running through me.
“Don’t panic. She thinks maybe he’ll be released on Tuesday or Wednesday, but doubts he’ll be up to working until the following week.”
“Oh my,” I groaned. What was I to do? It seemed no matter which decision I reached, it would be the wrong one.
I must have looked pretty glum because Tally inquired, “You okay?” I waved away his concern. “I’m just under a lot of pressure right now.”
His gaze strayed from me to Tugg and then my dad. Was I mistaken or did they all exchange a conspiratorial look? “I think I can be of some help to you,” Tally stated, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
I stared at him. “How?”
“You want to tell her, Bill?” he asked, addressing my dad.
“Tell me what?” All three men wore the same secretive grin.
“We’ve talked it over and reached a consensus,” Tugg announced with a wink.
“Okay,” I demanded, “what are you guys up to?”
“Unpack your bags, honey,” my father announced. “We’re setting you free to do what you do best.”
I stared at him, shaking my head. “I…I’m not following you.”
He extended his palm towards Tally. “Meet our new tour guide.”
With a playful smile pasted on his lips, Tally inclined his head towards me. “As always, I am at your service, Ma’am.”
CHAPTER
16
I fired a stunned looked at my mother. Her benevolent smile conveyed knowing approval, and my dad admitted that he’d hatched the plan after I’d received Mary’s troubling call, phoning both Tugg and Tally while Mom and I were shopping.
While I appreciated his efforts and certainly didn’t want to appear ungrateful, I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about the unexpected proposal. Part of me was anxious to jump on the story, but it didn’t seem right to abandon my family. I protested to no avail and should have kicked up more of a fuss, but the arrangement solved a host of vexing problems, so it was hard to be upset with them. Before heading home, I hugged and thanked them all for their generosity and confirmed plans to meet for breakfast.
Hours later, as Tally and I lay cuddled together, tiny flashes of doubt still assailed me. Was I making a mistake accepting his offer? What if I was giving up this precious time with my family for nothing? Even though the initial investigation suggested accidental death, what if there was something to Marcelene’s suspicions? Didn’t I owe it to her to at least follow up? Tally, bless his heart, had done a superb job of convincing me the situation was a win-win. Not only did it present a unique opportunity for my family to get to know him, he’d explained, it also freed me to pursue the story. And, with gentle good humor, he reminded me that his intimate knowledge of Arizona and its history made him a far superior tour guide. Of that I had no doubt.
I propped myself up on one elbow and studied the outline of his lean, muscular body illuminated in the faint moonlight streaming in the window. I trailed my fingers lightly along his hip and thighs. He was a mighty fine specimen of a man. “So, did you volunteer for this gig or did my dad back you into a corner?”
He turned on his back and stretched his arms above his head. “Mmmm…I’d say a little of both.”
“I thought so.”
“He’s pretty persuasive. After he filled me in on everything going on, we both came to the conclusion that you needed to stay and take care of things here, especially with Tugg’s health situation and Walter being out of the picture for now.”
“Tell the truth. You don’t really want me investigating this story, do you?”
He turned towards me, his facial features unreadable in the low light. “No, not really.”
“Then why did you agree to it?”
His resigned sigh filled the room. “Because whether it’s now, next week or next month, you’re going get involved, especially if there’s an element of danger.”
“Wow. Am I that transparent?”
“You’re kidding, right? You’ve been dying to look into this ever since you heard about it. And before you get all defensive, I’ve come to terms with the fact that this is who you are. This is your passion and I can’t change you.” He chuckled softly. “And it’s also a waste of breath for me to try and talk you out of it.
”
“You continue to amaze me, Bradley James Talverson.” I leaned in and kissed his sensuous mouth tenderly. “I hope you know how much I love you for doing this.”
“Consider it another engagement gift.”
That earned him another kiss, but then he suddenly pulled back. “One favor.”
“What’s that?”
He reached out and caressed my cheek. “Try not to get yourself killed.”
“Deal.” I placed my hand over his and a companionable silence fell between us momentarily before he spoke up again. “So, what’s the plan? You heading out that way tomorrow?”
“Absolutely. Might as well get started.”
“I’m very familiar with that area.”
“Really? That’s pretty far from the Starfire Ranch, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but we’ve been doing business with the McCracken Ranch for a long time,” he informed me and then cautioned, “Just so you know, Raven Creek has a pretty bad reputation, so be extra careful.”
“Yeah, Marshall told me.”
“Take your phone and your gun.”
“I intend to,” I said, turning to pet Marmalade who had jumped onto the bed between us, vying for attention. “How long since you’ve been out there?”
“A while.” He told me that after Buster McCracken died, he’d continued doing business with Elizabeth McCracken until she married John Hinkle, who then split his time between running his own spread while making improvements on his new wife’s ranch prior to his death last year. Once again, my heart went out to her. Not only had she been left alone to deal with two ranch properties, she also had to contend with his two errant sons. “How does she manage to run both places?”
“Not too well. She’s got her hands full trying to run the Circle H, but she’s still running a couple of hundred head of cattle in the hills out there, mostly on BLM land. I heard she’s got a manager there now, but it’s still not being kept up like it should be.”
“Yeah, Marshall told me it’s the same guy who found Jenessa and Nathan.”
“Harvel Brickhouse?”
“You know him?”
“Met him a few times. He was in the process of applying for permits to try and re-open the old Thunderbolt mine when John decided to lease that section of land to a sand and gravel operation three or four years back.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Money. Elizabeth told me Harvel was pretty ticked off about it, but said they needed the extra revenue to help cover the taxes. Turns out it was a good thing or she would’ve lost that place by now, I’m sure.”
Marmalade bumped her head against me for attention, so I scratched her chin. “I was wondering why Elizabeth would hire an ex-con. Marshall said he’d done time about thirty years ago,” I murmured. “Maybe hiring him to work there was her way of smoothing ruffled feathers?”
“Maybe.” He yawned widely again, adding, “As you’re finding out, ranching isn’t as profitable as it used to be. Most of the mom and pop ranches are gone, turned into housing tracts and shopping centers, or the owner’s got to have additional sources of income to maintain it.”
“So that’s why you diversified into horse breeding?”
“Yep.” He thumped the pillow and pulled the covers higher. “I gotta get some shut-eye now. I’m fading.”
“Me too. Thirty minutes of sleep last night didn’t quite cut it.” I snuggled next to him. “Oh. Just one more question. What’s the best route to Raven Creek?”
“Pick up I-17, head north and get off at the Bumble Bee exit just past Black Canyon City. You’ll be on pavement for a little while before you hit the gravel road, which is pretty well-maintained. but some of the other back roads aren’t and can be pretty dicey depending on the weather.”
“Is that the only route?”
“Nope. You could take the old road just past Yarnell. It’s kind of a long way around and pretty rough in places.”
“I’ll check Google Earth to get my bearings before I leave.”
“You’ll be in your glory as soon as you’re knee-deep in another assignment and jacked up on adrenalin.”
“You think so?” I teased, delighting in the feel of his smooth skin against mine.
“I know so,” he countered lazily, adding, “So in the words of your dad, I’m setting you free to do what you do best.” He gathered me closer, murmuring, “Well, maybe second-best.”
Feeling content and full of optimism, I fell asleep in his arms and slept like I was in a coma until the alarm buzzed at seven. I smacked the button and collapsed back onto the pillow watching the grey dawn light filtering through the blinds. I knew I had to get up, but my body felt like it was super-glued to the sheets. I could have easily used another twelve hours of sleep. As always, Marmalade lay curled at my side waiting for my eyes to open. Her morning ritual began by bounding onto my chest, followed by furious kneading, accompanied by her musical purr. “Good morning, you little cutie pie,” I mumbled drowsily, stroking her soft orange fur until it crackled with static electricity. Tally, always an early riser, had left at some point, probably before daylight, and was no doubt already at the ranch making last minute preparations for his spur-of-the-moment journey. And thinking of that, I grabbed my phone from the night stand and tapped out a quick text to Brian informing him that he didn’t need to cat-sit as I wouldn’t be leaving town as planned. “That’s right,” I told Marmalade, staring into her luminous eyes, “Mom will be home tonight after all.”
Feeling wistful and maybe just a tad envious of missing all the fun, I almost regretted my decision. But when I remembered Ginger’s mournful face and Marcelene’s ardent plea for help, the determination to ferret out all the facts returned with a vengeance. If nothing more, I would confirm law enforcement’s assessment that Jenessa’s death was indeed accidental, granting them closure and perhaps a little bit of peace. I’d learned over my years of reporting that most people could eventually come to terms with a loved one’s death and move on if all parts of the ‘who, what, why, where, when and how’ equation were present. But if the vital questions of where or why remained unanswered, it tended to haunt the survivors for a lifetime. In this instance, I only had to concentrate on the why.
With that thought at the forefront of my mind, I threw off the bed covers. It took me a while to unpack the suitcases, setting aside the clothing that I would now need for travel to higher altitudes. I dressed in layers and checked the weather forecast and road conditions. I fed Marmalade and then loaded the Jeep with water, snacks and emergency supplies before heading out to meet everyone at the Iron Skillet. Wow. I couldn’t have ordered up a more gorgeous day. Accelerating along Lost Canyon Road, I reveled in the sight of cottony puffball clouds gliding swiftly across the robin’s-egg-blue sky while strong gusts of wind, no doubt a precursor to the weather change predicted for later today or tomorrow, buffeted the Jeep.
Seated with my family inside the Iron Skillet moments later, I watched Lucinda, wearing her ‘spray on jeans,’ flit about being her usual annoying self. Even though I tried mightily to ignore her blatant sexual advances directed at Tally, it irritated the shit out of me. She didn’t appear to be abandoning her quest just because we were getting married. Tally, Sean and my dad seemed greatly amused, while my mother and I traded looks of shared exasperation.
I was actually glad when breakfast ended. Outside, after an emotional farewell with promises to send photos and video back and forth, I stood in the mounting wind, hair whipping my face, fighting off a sudden sense of gloom as Tally’s big SUV disappeared into the distance. I was getting what I wanted, wasn’t I? So why should I feel sorry for myself? “Get over it,” I muttered aloud as the melodic peal of church bells galvanized me into action. If I were to get on the road by ten, I’d have to catch Marcelene before she left for church.
Tingling with nervous energy, I drove along mostly des
erted streets to the Desert Sky Motel, busily compiling a mental to-do list. Besides having additional questions for her regarding Jenessa’s recent activities, I also needed to talk to the girl’s friends and acquaintances. It was nothing short of amazing how some seemingly unimportant detail, obscure story or almost-forgotten event could deliver bountiful information that might prove to be significant. I hated to heap any more misery on the grief-stricken woman, but I would have to ask Marcelene about Jenessa’s possible drug use, grill her with more questions regarding her daughter’s relationship with Nathan Taylor and then ask if she would grant me permission to go through Jenessa’s things—a depressing job, but it had to be done. I parked near the cottage and jotted another reminder to myself. Since Walter had not been able to review the files on Friday regarding the two other deaths in that vicinity, I would have to research that as well. Oh, boy. I still hadn’t ordered flowers or picked up a card for Walter.
I composed a quick text to Ginger. SURPRISE! TALLY CHAUFFERING FAMILY ON SIGHTSEEING TRIP. MY BUTT’S OFFICIALLY IN GEAR AS U REQUESTED! ☺ NEED A FAVOR. PLS SEND FLOWERS & CARD 2 WALTER. THX! TALK SOON. I tapped the SEND button. That should get her attention.
I hurried to the front door, knocked and then stood listening to the soothing jingle of wind chimes and winter birds tweeting until the door swung open. Marcelene stared at me in surprise, and after I told her about the change of plans, she blinked back tears. “God bless you. Ginger and I are so grateful to you for doing this,” she said, her voice tremulous as she pulled on her coat and shouldered her purse. “And we’ll say a special prayer for both you and Tally today.”
“Thank you. Do you have a few minutes to talk?” I tensed. This wasn’t going to be pleasant.
