by Abby Deuel
“Yes, nice to meet you. How many do we have today?”
“Eighteen.”
“And do we want to know yes or no or do we need to know approximate age as well?”
“Just yes or no will do. I know when they were bred. I have all of my records here,” he said, pulling out a very well-worn pocket notebook from the breast pocket of his overalls. “I have them listed by name but they also have numbers that correspond to their left ear tags. I can load up one at a time in the chute and we’ll just take it slow and easy. I don’t want any of them getting stressed.”
“Righty-o. Let’s get started.”
Jim moved a few cows into the race toward the chute with the head stanchion. He locked them in the race and coaxed the first one into the stanchion, closing the neck brace. He closed the gate so the others couldn’t move up while Mandy was checking the lead cow. Mandy climbed up on the platform, placing some lube in the cup she had attached with a belt at her hips. Her waterproof jacket helped keep her long glove up above her elbow so she could keep mostly clean through the morning.
She reached into the cow and felt for the uterus. She could feel a calf easily. “This one’s pregnant,” she said as she removed her arm.
“Excellent,” said Jim as he recorded it in his book. He sprayed pink tail paint on her back and released her into the pen to the right of the chute using the swing gate he had rigged up. It was quite clever really. Standing in one spot, he could pull a rope to let a cow go straight, left or right. He had obviously spent a lot of time working on the shed and races. She could tell he was used to working by himself, just him and his cows. He let the next one through, locking her neck in the stanchion. “This one is, too,” Mandy said as she got down from the platform.
“Wonderful.” The process continued for the remaining 16 cows. Jim didn’t really say much, obviously concentrating hard on the hope that all were pregnant. All but two were in calf. The two not in calf were marked with blue paint on their tails and they were released to the left paddock. Typically, farmers would cull the non-pregnant cows once they stopped lactating, but Mandy had a feeling Jim wasn’t the culling type.
“What will happen to the barren cows?”
“Well, they are both still young so they will wait for the next mating season, only a few months away.”
Mandy’s eyebrows rose. A few months wasn’t very long to wait to breed them again. Normally, cows are only bred to have calves in the Spring.
“Only a few months. Do you know something I don’t?”
“I have split calving here so we calve twice a year. I supply Crestview and a few neighboring towns with milk all year round.”
“Ah. Of course. That system is quite clever for this area. You have grass almost all year round so it works. I had a few farmers that did that over on the East coast.”
Mandy thought about the genius of this system for Jim. With one hundred percent devotion to his herd, he was the perfect farmer to have year round milking and twice a year calving. He was likely one of the only farmers in the area that had a split calving scheme. She wondered how many were in his Spring calving versus his Fall calving herd. Though it made the feeding a little trickier in harder years, it meant that any cow not in calf could have another chance with the other portion of the herd. Most people had enough trouble keeping track of calving once a year. Jim, on the other hand, had all the time in the world to watch over his girls. He had a herd of only 150 which made it a manageable number for one person.
All in all, Mandy could see that he was a very devoted farmer. The cows were in very good condition and they were very well-mannered, obviously being treated gently from birth. You can always tell a herd that has been subjected to rough handling. They tend to be a lot less trusting of being examined. Mandy had encountered all kinds of herds in her travels as a vet.
Jim was setting up the gates to release the tested cows into a larger paddock to graze. It makes a huge difference for cattle not to feel like they are locked up before, during, and after being handled. The next time they need to be yarded, they won’t associate it with long periods of waiting and stress which will keep them easy to handle.
When Jim returned, Mandy asked, “How long have you been farming?”
“Oh, I inherited the Moore and Sons farm from my father. My brothers didn’t want to carry on the torch and I have loved this land ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I have never known anything other than dairy farming.”
“It shows that this is in your blood. You are a very gentle handler.”
“I started the split calving system with this farm. I don’t have much else in the world. I put everything into making this farm the best that I can make it.”
“Who will take over when you retire? Do you have children?”
“No. My wife, may she rest in peace, couldn’t have children. We put all of our parental love into raising calves. We enjoyed it so much. I’m not sure what will happen to the farm when I retire, though I can’t imagine doing anything else. Retirement would be hard for me.”
“I can understand that.”
Jim stared off in the distance, looking as if he was worlds away. Mandy took off her gear and started cleaning up using the buckets of warm soapy water Jim had placed at the foothold of the shed. She didn’t have too much to clean since it was a small number of cows today. They were so calm that not one had pooped when they were being examined.
“Do you have a bathroom? All this running water…”
“Around the corner. We had set up this portion of the dairy shed to be for our kids,” Jim said and went silent. It was clear that he missed his wife and maybe wished that things had gone quite differently.
While Mandy was heading to the toilet, she noticed a very fancy dartboard cabinet, scoreboard, and supplies. She took the opportunity to be nosey. In the shelf next to the board were very high quality darts with steel tips and a scorpion on the flights at the other end. They were accompanied by a matching carry case. Obviously Jim was a pretty avid dart player so Mandy made a mental note to check into his whereabouts on the evening of the murder so she could rule him out.
After using the facilities, Mandy came around the corner to find Jim doing some paperwork at a desk. He was concentrating hard and she could see that he was updating his records after the results of today’s testing.
“That seems like a nice dart board in there,” Mandy said, pointing behind her.
“Yep, it’s my one vice. Since my days are pretty much devoid of people, I made myself start going to the dart club once a week for a little human interaction. I started getting really into it. It’s a nice stress relief. Shame about old Buck. Man could he throw a mean dart. I never have managed to beat him.”
“I have heard that he was the champion around here. I suppose now you might be next in line.”
“To me, it’s the thrill of the game, not really the results. I’m not very competitive.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I am trying to investigate the murder. I feel somehow like I owe it to Anna to clear this town of the bad vibe the murder has brought. Do you have any ideas as to who may have wanted him dead? You guys must have all gotten pretty close playing darts together.”
“I understand your question. I really liked Anna so in her honor I will answer. I can’t really say that I noticed any major strife, at least not about darts. We all played within the rules and respect for a good game. The one thing that I noticed about him was his interest in the ladies. There was always someone different waiting for him.”
“I see. Thanks. And just for the record, can anyone vouch for your whereabouts the night of the murder?”
“Nope, just the cows. I really don’t get out much at all. You’ll have to take my word for it that I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Ok, thanks. I apologize but I am just being thorough. I will see you next time.”
“Sure thing ma’am,” he said as he kept working on his records.
Chapter Twelve
Mandy returned back to the clinic to have some lunch with Lyle and Gillian. It looked like the afternoon appointments had filled up. Mandy found that whenever the seasons changed, she would be busier in the clinic no matter where she was in the country. She had a theory that changes in weather brought out issues with pets.
“Dr. Bell, the lawyer came by from Anna’s estate and said that we need to find the deed for the house. They have a copy of the clinic deed on file. The house deed must be somewhere in the house. I have looked everywhere here,” Gillian said.
“I see. I will go out there and have a look around to see what I can find. How soon did he say he needed it?”
“She, actually. She said it wasn’t urgent but she’s trying to get all the ducks in a row so you can choose to do whatever you would like with the properties.”
“I will have a look when I get a chance.”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
“Nah. I think I remember how to get there. I should be fine.”
“Let me know if you change your mind.”
“Ok. What do we have on this afternoon?”
“A little of this and a little of that. It should go by fairly quickly. Must be time for a cuppa tea.”
Mandy and Gillian settled in for a quick cup of tea and a few biscuits. Lyle took her spot on the floor under the table. She kept sighing as if she was losing her patience waiting for some biscuit samples. Mandy sneaked a piece to her.
“How did it go at Jim’s?” asked Gillian.
“Fine. Sad about his wife.”
“She died so young. The whole town rallied to help him through that. He has put all of his grief into those cows.”
“It shows because his cows are so well behaved. You know, they are his alibi for the night of the murder.”
“What? You don’t suspect him?”
“I noticed he had some darts and asked him about it. Apparently he competed with Buck at the competitions and never could beat him. I was just being thorough to make sure he wasn’t involved in the murder,” said Mandy.
“Fair enough. I didn’t know that he was a dart player. He keeps to himself so I don’t know that much about him,” said Gillian.
“Even though the cows can’t truly give him an alibi, I think I believe that he wasn’t involved. I need to keep looking.”
Lyle was bored by all of this talking. The bells tied to the front door rang to indicate someone had entered. Lyle was excited to have something else to check out. She raced up the front to find Sonya, the local librarian, coming in with her Boston terrier. The dogs sniffed each other’s bottoms. Both their tails were wagging so the greeting was non-threatening.
“What seems to be the issue with,” Mandy said as she looked down at the file Gillian had given her, “Bubba?”
“He just keeps scooting his bottom on the carpet. I think it’s those glands again,” said Sonya, rubbing Bubba’s little squashed face as he grunted in ecstasy.
“That’s an easy fix. Let’s put him up on the table and have a look,” Mandy said. “Lyle, go to your matt.”
Lyle left them as she was instructed to. As Sonya reached down to pick up her little black and white Boston, a loud click came from her knee.
“Oh my, what was that?” Mandy exclaimed.
“Aw, that’s just my peg leg. I was in a massive car accident a few years back and they weren’t that advanced with the prosthetics yet. This one works well enough for me so I haven’t replaced it. It does click when I bend it. It can be kind of noisy sometimes in the library. Luckily, all of my patrons are used to it.” Bubba gave her a big juicy kiss on her face as if to say she was perfect for him just the way she was.
“I see. Forgive me for not being more sensitive, I didn’t know. I am so trained to worry about joint issues in an animal when I hear clicking during a physical exam. I don’t often hear it coming from their owners.”
“No problem,” said Sonya.
“So, you operate the library. I have been meaning to come in and set up a membership. I mostly read on my Kindle. It’s so portable and convenient. Sometimes, though, I just need to read a good old fashioned book and feel the pages in my fingers as I turn them. Plus some of the books are not available as an ebook.”
“I completely understand. What type of books do you read? Can I help you find something?”
“I seem to be on a history kick at the moment. I have been trying to read one book about every president of the USA. I’ve been working on it on and off for a few years.”
As Mandy and Sonya conversed, Mandy made a quick task of emptying Bubba’s anal glands which were indeed full. Bubba received a few treats as a reward for being so good. He was standing proudly at Sonya’s feet.
“I, too, enjoy history. If you give me a list of which presidents you have read, I can start finding some books to fill in your gaps. What a noble effort. I have read tons of history. Focusing on presidents only is a smart way to get a sense of American history.”
“It’s been a fun way to fill in the gaps of knowledge I had of our nation’s past. Plus, the perspective of history can change if you are reading it with one main character in mind.”
Bubba let out a huge burp. It was so loud, he shocked himself into sitting down and letting out a little toot.
“Don’t you just love Bostons?” asked Sonya.
“They do have their charm,” giggled Mandy.
“Anna always thought Bubba was such a manly little guy,” she said as she petted Bubba’s head. He responded by puffing his chest out. “Such a shame about her. I will surely miss her at the library. She and I were in high school together and we’ve always had a special bond.”
“She was a special gal. I miss her, too. And it’s kind of weird to be living her life so to speak.”
“I can see that. Oh, the trouble we would get in to. She would be shocked to hear of Buck’s murder. He had a bit of a thing for her in high school, and I’m not sure he ever got over it. Though, she was the apple of a few boys’ eyes. She had kind of a raw beauty. Around the Midwest, you don’t just want a pretty-faced wife, you also want one who can throw a calf and drive a tractor. We always thought she would marry. Instead, she remained a spinster like me. That kind of made us peas in a pod. Of course, the closest person who came to getting her to settle was Dennis. I don’t know whatever came of him.”
“Dennis? I think he is in town visiting with Fred.”
“That could be. I don’t know. Neither one would be the type to come to the library nor do I get out much so…”
“If it’s the same Dennis, you’ll see him at the Hoedown. He is playing softball I believe.”
“Perhaps I will. You are doing a very good job learning the small town rule of knowing a little bit about everyone’s activities.” They looked down to see Bubba taking the opportunity to pee on the trashcan. “If only I could stop this little guy from marking,” said Sonya.
“When was he neutered?” asked Mandy.
“I don’t know. When I adopted him, he was already neutered and they weren’t sure how old he was.”
“Let me have a quick look under his hood.”
Mandy popped Bubba back up on the table for Sonya, so her knee wouldn’t pop again. She held Bubba up to look for a neuter incision and couldn’t quite find one. She felt around and thought she could feel a retained testicle in the groin area.
“I think this may be the problem. He may not have been neutered at all. Some dogs have what’s called cryptorchidism which is where the testicles do not descend to where they should but stay somewhere between where they develop embryologically and where they are supposed to end up. I think I can feel one right here. Most vets won’t remove the descended one if they can’t locate the other. So, he may have both nestled in his abdomen area somewhere. They would still produce enough testosterone to cause marking, but not enough to allow mating. And, if we leave them in there, they will certainly cause him trouble sooner or later, like cancer.”
“If my theory is correct, we can fix it with surgery. It would be handy to run an ultrasound on him but we don’t have one here. We can start with the suspicious lump I can feel, and if it is a testicle, then I will go searching for the other. I’ve seen this once before in an adopted animal so I always check now.”
“Sounds like a plan. Do you think it will help with his marking?”
“It may help some. He is old enough where the behavior may outlast the hormones, if you know what I mean. More importantly, we can prevent cancer.”
“Ok, I’ll coordinate with Gillian for an appointment. You know, you should be a sleuth. That was some pretty impressive intuition.”
“Well, I am sort of looking into this murder. Having a murderer on the loose wrecks the idyllic setting of this town.”
Sonya gave her a wink and said, “I will keep that a secret for your own protection. If I can help in anyway, let me know.”
“Thanks. I will.”
Chapter Thirteen
After finishing up the appointments for the afternoon, Mandy grabbed a quick snack and a cup of coffee at the RV. Lyle took the opportunity to point out that perhaps she should have an early supper. She lay down in front of her food bowl and placed her head on the rim, looking up with big brown eyes. Mandy placed a scoop of kibble in the dog bone-shaped bowl. Mandy sat at the dinette in the RV and looked over her list of suspects. Since learning of Jim’s passion for darts, she added him. He seemed like a very hard-working, honest man yet he had to be considered since he did not have an alibi. The competitive nature of humans could be unpredictable. She also wondered if the death of his wife in the automobile accident was important. She would look that up in the archives at the library with Sonya.
