by M Elle Kelso
Annie was grinning as she drained a pot, not sure what was in it, just following Kaycee’s instructions.
“That’s what he said. He seemed to think that having the kids around would make it more casual, less of a date thing, or something like that. I’m just surprised he’s not here yet.”
As she finished speaking, they heard David’s truck pull into the yard, and both of them watched out the window as he got out, smoothed down his hair and carried his hat toward the big back porch. They smiled as they watched him check his reflection in the window before coming in through the back porch entrance.
“Talk about women doing themselves up, will you look at him!”
Kaycee was laughing as she watched him, knowing that behind the good looking facade was a very nervous man. She’d never known David nervous; this was a first.
“Well, he looks good to me, so C.J. should be fine with him. Is she here yet?”
“No, they’re on their way. Hooch said they’d be here in about another 15 minutes, so that will give David a little time to relax before she gets here. Come on, let’s go see how everyone is faring.”
As they turned from the window, David entered from the inside porch where he’d left his jacket and hat.
“Hey ladies, something sure smells good in here.”
“Thank you, kind sir.” Kaycee smiled up at him. “I hope it works out tonight, David. Good luck with everything.” She put her hand on his back and pushed him toward the family room.
The two women followed David to where everyone else was sitting around, watching the children play. Annie’s young dog, Jonathon, had somehow got into the act, and was keeping all of the children occupied so the adults could just sit and relax.
“I suppose we could rent Jonathon out as a baby-sitter, make some money off this talent he has.”
Annie was smiling at Jared as she spoke, knowing full well he would never let the dog out of his home.
“I don’t know about that. Maybe it’s my training we should be hiring out. I taught him how to do this, after all.”
“Well, whatever it is, he’s good at it.”
David was relaxing by the fire, although he kept checking the clock every minute or so, as if waiting for something, or someone.
“Take it easy, David, they won’t be here for another ten or so minutes. You have time to just sit and relax.” Kaycee teased from across the room.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to be so obvious. Who all is coming tonight that isn’t here yet?” David was curious; he wasn’t even sure who all had been invited.
“Well, Hooch and C.J., of course, and Mac Blade and Will Carter. They should be just a few minutes after the others; they were late leaving Portland today. Will’s plane was late landing.”
“So, Blake, are we making the offer tonight, or waiting for tomorrow as planned.” David smiled at his partner sitting across from him.
“I figure they might be suspicious by now, with all the phone calls, so if it looks like they’re on tenterhooks, waiting for something to happen or it’s affecting their appetites, we’ll have a little meeting tonight right after supper, before dessert. Otherwise, we’ll go with it after breakfast in the morning.”
Before anyone could speak, the sound of Hooch’s SUV pulling into the yard stopped conversation. David looked nervous again, unable to stay seated; Kaycee and Blake were headed for the back porch entrance.
By the time everyone was in and settled again, C.J. had been maneuvered to sit beside David, and the two of them were looking distinctly uneasy. Hoping to fix that, Kaycee asked C.J. for help in the kitchen. The next few minutes were a whirl of people coming in as Mac Blade and Will Carter arrived. By the time introductions were over, Kaycee was calling everyone to supper.
It was a huge spread, taking up almost the entire kitchen counter and the table. She was serving supper buffet style instead of putting all the dishes on the table; that way there’d be no time wasted passing dishes around and around until everyone was served. Kaycee and Annie smiled at each other as they watched David angle his way to C.J.’s side and take her plate. She dished up their food while he held the plates, their cutlery in the back pocket of his jeans; then he led her to chairs at the big table, making sure she was sitting beside him. Kaycee suddenly wondered if David was worried about Mac and Will. No one had stopped to consider that there would be four unattached males sitting down to supper, not including David. This could be an interesting evening, before it was done.
Watching Mac and Will, Blake was immediately aware that the two of them were on pins and needles, wondering why they’d been invited. He quickly moved to speak to Jared and David, planning a quick meeting as soon as supper was over so that the men could enjoy the rest of the weekend. They, too, were staying over until Sunday night.
Dinner was a boisterous affair, with everyone relaxing and getting to know the strangers in their midst. It was obvious to Will and Mac that David was interested in C.J., so both men made sure that they were friendly with her but nothing more. Certainly nothing she could take as interest from either of them. They themselves were somewhat uneasy, not altogether sure why they’d been included in what was obviously a gathering of friends and family.
When dinner was nearly over, Blake spoke, putting an end to their visitors’ trepidation.
“Mac, Will, before we get to dessert, the three of us want to have a little meeting with you. We have a proposition to make. So for now, enjoy the food, and stop worrying. I think you’ll like what we have to offer you.”
Both men watched Blake; two highly intelligent minds doing cartwheels. They looked at each other, wondering if they were thinking the same thing. They had begun a friendship on their way from Portland. A full day together in a car or an airplane had a tendency to take down any barriers.
Kaycee served coffee and dessert, then the men retired to Blake’s den, all with fresh coffee and David carrying a plate of his favorite oatmeal squares for the crew.
Once they were settled, Blake spoke.
“By now, you two must have figured out that we got you out here to make you an offer we think you’ll find too good to refuse. Actually, I don’t know how good you’ll find the offer, but we are very serious in our intent. We want both of you to come to work for us. You fit the most important criteria we have, as far as we know and could find out, which is that you are free to move to Wyoming, if you decide to accept our offer. We put it all together into a package so you’d have something to look at tonight, after you leave the party. But for now, let’s just say that we want you to work for us. I know neither of you is heavy into computers, but our company has expanded since we started out with that as our main area of expertise and when we hired Paul Sorne, we started taking on other types of investigations as well. That’s where your knowledge will fit. And you, Will, can keep us on the straight and narrow if you see us about to step over the line from a legal point of view. We’ll be based from the ranch here, and if you agree to come, we’ll have two big fifth-wheel trailers moved in here, installed on permanent foundations so they make it through the winter, and that will be where you’d live. We checked with the dealer, in Casper, and the trailers will take our winters without too much trouble. Only two things we’d do differently is to install a big propane tank out a piece in the trees, so that there isn’t any fuss with filling up 20, 30 or 40 pound tanks, and run water and sewer to the trailers so you don’t have to constantly fill or dump your tanks.” He paused to give the two men a chance to speak. Neither said a word.
“Take a look at the rest of the offer. If you have any questions, just come and find one of us, we’ll be happy to answer them for you. But for the rest of tonight, enjoy yourselves. We’re going back out to join the others. If you want time to read through the offer before you join us again, take it. You can stay here, or you can go upstairs to the rooms you have. Whichever you want is fine. For the rest of the evening, make yourselves at home.”
As the partners stood, the other two men sa
t in stunned silence. The three partners smiled as they left the room, David and Jared knowing how the others felt, remembering the time when they’d been asked to join Blake’s agency.
With the door once more closed, Mac Blade was the first to speak.
“Did you have any idea this was why we were asked tonight, Will?”
“Not really, although the thought did enter, then depart real quick, when Blake first asked me to come this weekend. I thought it was more a sort of celebration that everything had worked out for Jared and Annie.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. Wow! What do you say? This is the kind of a company I’ve always wanted to work for. Being a cop hasn’t been as fulfilling as I had hoped. There’s just too much wrong that I can’t fix and I don’t feel like I’m doing as good a job as I thought I could. There’s just too much bureaucracy in the way.” By now, Mac was up and pacing.
“I know. I’m part of that bureaucracy now, but I was a cop in Seattle before I moved to the DAs office. And I know exactly what you mean. This is the kind of thing I always wanted, too, but didn’t think I could have. I’ve known Blake since college, and I’ve watched him and this company through the years, when he was on his own and after David and Jared joined him. They do the kind of work we can’t do, because our hands are tied by too much red tape. Theirs aren’t, but they never take advantage of anyone, and never do anything outside the law. They have an absolutely outstanding reputation. I have a lot of respect for them.”
Will Carter shook his head in wonder; he wasn’t disagreeing with Mac and Mac knew it.
“Can’t you just see us as operatives in his agency? We’d be able to do some good for a change. Are you going to read through this now, or after the gathering?”
“I want to do a quick read now, just the highlights, then I’ll look at it closer when we go up to bed. I’d like to get to know these people better, and I’d say tonight is the time to do it.”
“I agree. I’ll go get us fresh coffee, then we can take a quick look through these and go back out.”
Will carried the two mugs out to the kitchen and refilled them, passing Kaycee, Annie, C.J. and Suzanah as they cleared the dinner away. The four women were obviously having a party of their own if the laughter and talk was any indication. These were people that he and Mac would get to know better if they agreed to take the positions being offered.
Back in Blake’s den, Mac had read through most of the offer made to him, astounded at how much more he would be earning, and that he would have a company vehicle. Those two incentives clinched his decision for him, but he didn’t speak when Will returned, not wanting to color the other man’s thinking. Sipping his coffee, he wondered how soon he could get away from Portland and start working here.
“Well, Mac, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Only if you’re wondering how soon you can start here,” he replied with a smile.
“Exactly. They sure do run a good business. If these figures mean what I think they do, they have an incredible bankroll behind them, and I know they’re not cheap to hire, yet they are always working to capacity. I guess there really isn’t any choice, is there? We’d be crazy not to accept. So, if you’re ready, how about we take these upstairs and stow them in our rooms and then let's rejoin the party as the newest employees. Want to tell them tonight?”
“I think so. I’ll feel more relaxed once I actually say it out loud, I think.”
The two men let themselves out of the den and went upstairs, not taking long to drop the folders in their rooms and return to the hall.
Blake watched the two men descend the stairs and smiled at David and Jared.
“Two new recruits about to arrive. I can tell by the look on Will’s face. And Mac’s looking mighty pleased with himself, too. Let’s go intercept them before they get all the way over here, then we can introduce them to everyone from there.”
The three started across the room, a formidable line up to anyone looking. To the two newcomers, it was nice to know that they would be part of that team.
After a few minutes of discussion, Blake turned to the rest of the guests and tried to get their attention. When they ignored him, David beckoned to C.J. She came across to him, a puzzled look on her face.
“Remember that whistle you used to call Mirage from the back of the pasture?”
“Sure, why?” She smiled. She thought she knew what was coming.
“Well, give it a try will you? We’ve got an announcement to make and nobody’s paying any attention to Blake.”
C.J.’s shrill whistle stopped all conversation, cold.
“Good enough, Blake?” she asked.
“Thanks, C.J. That did it. Hey, everybody, before this party goes any further, we, that is Jared, David and I, need to make an announcement. Tonight, we asked Will and Mac to join our firm, and they both said yes. So, now, there will be six of us. Will and Mac will do the same thing Paul is doing, we’ll continue to do the computer stuff from here but they’ll be doing most of the road work. That’s what’s so nice about owning the company.”
The others laughed, then started forward to welcome the two men to the group.
Patrick decided the time had come for him to interrupt.
“Blake, since you were the one that started talking business tonight, I’d like to bring up some business. Actually, it would be more accurate saying I want to bring some business to your agency. Can you all take a break from this great gathering and hear me out? I won’t take many minutes. David actually knows what it’s about, so it shouldn’t even take that long. Maybe while we are talking, the ladies, bless ‘em, could get out some more of that great dessert and make some fresh coffee.”
With that distinctly chauvinistic remark, Patrick grinned, trying to show that he wasn’t really that awful. But he was not so gently upbraided by several oinks coming from the assembled women. His own wife made the loudest noise, followed almost as loudly by his daughter. Annie and C.J. just laughed.
“All right, this time you can get away with it. I know you don’t mean it, but really Daddy, you better be careful. Not everyone would believe that you aren’t the world’s biggest chauvinist.” Kaycee had adopted the stern mantle of lecturer.
“That’s okay, Patrick. We can have the meeting right here, we don’t have to overflow the den that way. And if the women hear, is that a problem?” David looked questioningly at Patrick.
He knew C.J. would be included soon anyway and that Suzanah was already up to speed, leaving only Kaycee and Annie out of the picture.
“Okay. In fact, we would have been asking C.J. to get involved before the night was over. So, do you want to tell it or should I?”
He looked at David, waiting for a lead.
“I’ll tell them, since I know the kind of information that we’ll need, and then I can fill C.J. in on anything else she’ll need to know.”
Turning to the others, he began.
“This week, I flew Patrick to Cheyenne then on to Colorado, to talk to ranchers who are being hit by a new version of an old problem. Cattle rustling.”
C.J.’s eyebrows rose as she watched David. Just that bit of information alone helped her understand why she was to be included.
“Patrick is just one example, but he’s been hit three times, always just after either a fall round-up or a spring gathering for castrating and vaccinations. So far, his loss is around one hundred and fifty head, at an approximated price of eleven hundred dollars per cow. The true value is probably higher than that but for now we’ll use just one ranch. All together, there are twelve ranches that we know have been hit, over one thousand cattle missing. A few others have let it be known that they were affected, we just don’t know their numbers. That doesn’t sound so bad, but in reality that is over two thousand cattle missing, because they are taking only bred cows or cows with very young calves. So while the books only show one thousand cows missing, we have to count every one of those calves, as well, and the occasional twins. T
hat’s over a million and a half dollars worth of beef. Most of it is Angus beef too, which means they have a ready market for stolen cattle someplace or they’re altering the brands and selling them on to other cattlemen as new breeders to their herds.”
“When Patrick told me about this, I immediately said the agency would work for the ranchers. And, before you ask, it is a paying job. Mike Williams, who owns the helicopter we were flying this trip, is also going to be involved, as his father is another of the ranchers hit. What we’ve talked about so far is doing aerial surveillance, looking for tracks where there shouldn’t be any, for holding pens that the ranchers didn’t build. Anything that is out of the ordinary. As of yesterday, I’ve got my pilot’s license renewed and will be using my own helicopter to help Mike do the aerial stuff. Blake,” he turned toward his partner, “this is the kind of stuff I meant that I will bill back to the company.” He turned to the others and continued.
“Now, the other thing I suggested, and Patrick put it forward to the other ranchers, is having a spokesperson. A media specialist, if you will. Someone who can be in charge of releases, statements. Someone who knows how to write so that the stories will hit the papers with the information in a usable format and nothing will be lost as a result of someone trying to rewrite the story. If you would agree to do this, C.J., the ranchers have all agreed that you would be the best person for the job. You know the area, you know most of the ranchers, you know how to write a story that the other papers can use without a lot of editing. When the whole thing goes down, which it will eventually do, you will be given the story to release in your paper, one day before the other papers get the info. That will be part of your payment. There is a salary or honorarium to go with the job too. What do you say?”
C.J.’s look of surprise made the others laugh. She had such a totally disbelieving look on her face, it was hard not to want to laugh.
“You want me?” She was looking at Patrick when she said this. “Why?”
