Peril by Ponytail (A Bad Hair Day Mystery)

by Nancy J. Cohen

  “All right. You know what’s really on my mind?” He gave her a troubled glare. “We’re related to Raymond, too. That means we could be next.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  * * *

  Seated on the terrace overlooking the mountains, Marla wished for a state of tranquility. “It should be peaceful here. How could anything bad happen when we’re surrounded by such natural beauty?”

  “Ask the forest ranger who’s dead or Carol who’s lying in a hospital bed. This territory has been rife with battles between Indians and settlers, prospectors and thieves, gunmen and the law. It hasn’t progressed much in that regard.”

  “I wish Doc Harrigan had finished his story. We might have learned more from him. Janice hinted at something that might have occurred between Raymond and Hugh’s wife at one time. Is she still living?”

  Dalton’s shoulders rose and fell. “I have no idea, and I doubt my uncle would tell us.”

  “We need to find someone who will talk. Let’s review what we know so far.” She ticked off the points on her fingers. “Garrett Long, a forest ranger, is dead under mysterious circumstances. A worker is missing from the ghost town project. Accidents are being staged at Craggy Peak as well as here.”

  “It does seem as though there might be a connection between all these events.”

  “Plus Hugh Donovan is complaining that his water supply has dried up, and his livestock is suffering. He blames your uncle’s project for contaminating the environment. Yet I saw white smoke pouring from the water bottling plant up on the mountain. Is it really steam or something more toxic? Maybe we should accept Otto Lovelace’s offer to tour his facility.”

  “It’s a long shot if you think he’s involved. The man has no personal relationship to either family. What would he stand to gain?”

  “Who knows? Maybe he caught Garrett snooping near his operation,” Marla said. “The shopkeeper in town mentioned armed guards patrolling the place.”

  “Lovelace could be afraid of eco-terrorists in the area. Besides, the sheriff said he’s looking closer to home toward Garrett’s friends and family.”

  “That would include your Uncle Ray. We need to pay him another visit, unless he shows up for dinner tonight. Carol won’t be able to cook. Maybe we should offer to bring in some food. And who will pick up her kids from school?” Marla whipped out her cell phone. “I’ll call Annie. I can’t just sit around when people need our help.”

  “That’s my girl. You’re never happy being idle.”

  “Believe me, I’d rather get a massage or lounge by the pool.”

  He tickled his fingers along her thigh. “You know what I’d prefer to do?”

  “Save it for later. We should help Carol’s family. Let’s see what needs to be done.” A few minutes later, Marla packed her phone away. “Annie has it covered. She’ll pick up her niece and nephew from school and will fix them something to eat for dinner.”

  “Has she heard anything new about Carol?”

  “Carol is awake and coherent. She had a mild concussion from her nasty whack on the head. The doctors will keep her under observation until tomorrow. Wayne is still there with her, and Raymond came over to keep him company.”

  “So we’re free for the rest of the day?”

  “We could visit the sheriff again,” Marla suggested. “If someone did mess with Carol’s saddle or string a wire across her path, Sheriff Beresby might consider it a case of attempted murder in view of her injuries.”

  “I wonder if she actually hit her head on a rock or if someone bashed her while she lay stunned on the ground. Carol might not remember.”

  Marla pursed her lips. “The sheriff would be able to determine that possibility from the angle of her fall and the type of bruising, wouldn’t he?”

  “Most likely.” Dalton checked his watch. “Let’s wait until after lunch to decide what to do. I’d rather not bother Luke Beresby again. He hasn’t asked for our help, whereas my cousin has. Our obligation is to him.”

  Dalton called Wayne to be certain they weren’t needed elsewhere for the afternoon. He put the call on speaker phone so Marla could hear.

  “Thanks, but Carol is stable, and I’m okay. The safety of our guests is paramount. Whoever has it in for our family might decide to broaden their reach. It would be a way to stab at us financially if reservations started to drop off.”

  “They’re already hurting Uncle Ray’s wallet by delaying construction at his project. Did we tell you about the latest incidents there?”

  “Nope, but I’ll ask him. Hey, I would appreciate it if you could review the background info on my employees. Before this stuff started, I’d trust any one of them with my life. But now, I’m not so sure my judgment is clear. I’ll tell HR to make the personnel files available to you.”

  “No problem. We’ll stay on the ranch for dinner tonight. Let me know if you need our help for anything.”

  “Oh, joy,” Marla said when he signed off. “We get to spend the rest of the day doing paperwork.”

  “A lot of my job as detective is tracing paper trails. You don’t have to bother. Go get a body treatment at the spa.”

  “Good idea. I can always sound out the staff there. We haven’t met any of them yet.” She gathered her purse and rose. “It’s too early for lunch. What do you say we go back to our room to recoup our energy?”

  He gave her a lazy smile. “Is that what you’re calling it now? I’m all for that idea.”

  They descended the steps to ground level and started along the meandering path to their hacienda. Already the day was heating up. By noon, Marla could discard her sweater.

  A biker passed by, wheeling his vehicle back to the bike shop. She observed him with raised eyebrows. “We could rent bikes one day. Biking on these hills would be good exercise.”

  “I wouldn’t mind doing the nature hike one morning and learning more about the plant life. That’s more appealing to me than riding a bike. We’ll get enough of a workout each morning on a horse.”

  Dalton’s mention of a nature hike gave Marla a brilliant idea. After she ate a delicious buffet lunch in the guest dining room, she headed to the nature center instead of the spa. The naturalist might be a better source of information than the spa staff, especially if he’d been around a while.

  Inside the museum, a man with white hair and a beard stood to greet her. She smiled as though she’d struck gold, although in these parts, it was more likely to be a lode of copper. “Hi, I’m Marla Vail,” she said, extending her hand. “My husband and I are cousins of Wayne and Carol. We’re here on our honeymoon at Wayne’s invitation.”

  The older guy gave her hand a vigorous shake as though thrilled to have a visitor. He wore a button-down plaid shirt and a pair of jeans tucked into scuffed boots. His name tag said he was Bob Washburn. “Thanks for coming in, ma’am. We’re proud of our display here.”

  Marla stepped back to scan the interior of the adobe structure. Natural materials were used in its construction as evident from the flagstone floor to the ceiling made of wood beams and saguaro spines like in the dining room. This place, too, had copper light fixtures decorated with cutouts of Indian figures.

  Glass cases lined the perimeter. They displayed mineral rocks, live snakes, and animal skulls. A rare red bat, labeled as such, sat next to a stuffed black bird that might be a raven. A stone wall divider had a fake bobcat peeking out from behind, a bird’s nest, and an owl sitting on top gazing down at her. Behind it was the naturalist’s alcove and a shop with outdoor gear.

  Photos of mammals and insects decorated the walls, along with a framed display of dead butterflies, a poster of Gila monsters, and various stuffed animal heads. A tall bookshelf stood next to a stone fireplace in one corner, while a boulder in another nook featured a winged bird.

  “This place is a hidden treasure. How long have you been working here, Mr. Washburn?” she said to start the conversation.

  “Call me Bob. I’ve worked here for years. I’m a former park se
rvice ranger, and I also worked for the forest service later on. The other guy who rotates here with me is a history teacher. He covers Saturdays and Sundays.”

  “You used to be a ranger? Did you know Garrett Long?”

  “Sure, he was a good man. I was sorry to hear of his death.”

  “I’m not really sure what a forest ranger does, other than conduct tours and enforce the rules. Is it a dangerous job? Do you, like, fight fires and arrest criminals?”

  Bob chuckled. “Have a seat, and I’ll explain.” He motioned to a wood bench in front of the wall divider. As she complied, he folded his arms across his chest. “Garrett worked for the forest service, but you’re probably more familiar with park service rangers. Those are the uniformed personnel who conduct tours, give nature talks, and run visitor centers. The park service also has law enforcement officers whose duty is to enforce park regulations. To confuse the issue, other people with the park service may be scientists, scholars, geologists, or historians.”

  “So which one was Garrett?” Marla studied a stained glass window depicting a rabbit. Other windows showed a lizard, a bobcat, a mountain lion, and a rattlesnake.

  “He worked for the forest service. His job involved preventing forest fires, managing campgrounds, preserving natural resources, and protecting the environment. As a law enforcement officer, his duty also included things like chasing away poachers. It’s confusing because there’s a cross-over of roles between the two agencies.”

  “Wait, did you say poachers? You mean people illegally hunt animals on national land?” Maybe that accounted for the stuffed heads decorating the walls at the resort. But who had shot the creatures? She couldn’t see Raymond as the hunter, even though he condoned putting the heads on display. He must have bought them somewhere.

  “I mean fellows stealing saguaro. There’s a thriving black market for the cacti in Arizona. Harming a saguaro in any way is illegal in our state.”

  “Really? I had no idea.”

  “That’s not even half of it. Garrett may have had to deal with fugitives on the run, smugglers, pot farmers, domestic terrorists, and target shooters who start fires, among other things.”

  “How can I find out more about his involvement in this stuff?” Possibly one of these miscreants had held a grudge against him.

  “You could talk to his patrol captain.”

  Had Sheriff Beresby already interviewed Garrett’s superior? Maybe the ranger had discovered something among his own colleagues rather than outsiders. If policemen and politicians could become corrupt, so might a co-worker on the take or one who had a vulnerability to be exploited.

  “Where would I find this guy?”

  Bob stroked his white beard. “There’s a district office in Wendall, beyond Sedona. That’s likely to be the place where Officer Long reported for duty.”

  “Officer Long? Why not Ranger?”

  “Technically, the LEOs for the park service are called ranger. The forest service law enforcement personnel are officers.”

  So besides natural hazards like fires erupting from dry weather conditions, flash floods, and lethal wildlife, forest service rangers had to deal with smugglers from Mexico possibly dealing in human trafficking or drugs, poachers of valuable saguaro plants, pot growers, squatters, and the occasional wacko cultist or environmental activist who went to extremes to make his views known.

  It would be helpful if Marla could talk to his colleagues. Did Garrett work alone or with a team? She understood so little about the forest service, and this discussion had left her even more confused. Marla hadn’t realized a distinction existed between the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service.

  It wasn’t her place to follow through on this information, however. Sheriff Beresby was conducting the investigation into Garrett’s death. He should be the one to track all the possible leads. But was he doing so?

  And why should she care?

  Marla shifted in her seat, her doubts surfacing. Maybe Raymond was involved in more ways than they realized. That could be why his family was being targeted.

  She laced her fingers together and steered the conversation in another direction. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time, but I’ve been curious about Raymond’s relationship to Garrett Long.”

  Bob shrugged. “They often went riding together. Their families never socialized with each other, though. I don’t think Ray could abide Garrett’s wife.”

  “Why not?”

  “Beats me. Never met the lady myself.”

  “What about the woman Raymond married? Did you know her?”

  He nodded, his gaze distant. “Now she was a gem. Susan came out here for a stay at the ranch with her family one winter, and Ray was smitten as soon as he laid eyes on her.”

  “That sounds romantic.”

  “Ray can be persistent when he sets his mind to something. Susan agreed to marry him not six months later. They had a good life together until she died.”

  “I’ve heard about his problems with Hugh Donovan. I imagine Raymond’s wife knew about the tragedy with his younger brother. It’s too bad she couldn’t convince Raymond to let go of the past.”

  “Huh, Raymond can be a fool sometimes. He wouldn’t let go of the past in more ways than one.”

  “Can you elaborate? You know we’ve been having unexplained accidents on the ranch. Any information you share may be helpful in finding the person responsible. Wayne believes these aren’t random acts.”

  “Didn’t Raymond tell you? He’d known Hugh’s wife since high school. They’d been sweethearts until Hugh came between them. Flora chose him to marry. She was a devoted wife to Hugh, at least until their son left.”

  She sat up straight. “What happened?”

  “Their younger son, Jake, stormed out of the house one day and never came back.”

  “So Hugh blamed Raymond? I don’t get it.”

  “No, Ray wasn’t at fault for the kid leaving. But he was around to comfort Flora.”

  “Oh, I see.” Her forehead wrinkled. No, she didn’t, at least not clearly. She needed to discuss all this with Dalton.

  Rising, she brushed off her pants. “You’ve been very kind to speak to me. I’d better go check on my husband.” She wandered to a display case and pointed admiringly to a deep blue mineral rock labeled as azurite. “That’s beautiful.”

  “Azurite is one of two copper carbonate minerals, the other one being green malachite.” The naturalist moseyed over to join her. “When found, they’re often indicators of copper ore deposits. Although she’s pretty, she isn’t worth nearly as much as that crystalline structure next to her that contains a rare earth element, or that gemstone-quality chrysocolla.”

  “What’s a rare earth element?” Marla understood chemical hair solutions better than geology.

  “It’s a substance used in electronics such as cell phones, televisions, and even weapons systems. Most of our supply comes from China, but they limit their exports. Our old mines might prove to be a valuable resource. Like, there’s talk of reopening the old Lavender Pit down by Bisbee. You should take a tour of the Queen Mine if you’re in the area.”

  Marla poised to ask another question when her phone trilled with a text from Dalton. Where are you? She answered him, then turned to the older gent.

  “I appreciate your taking the time to talk to me, Bob.”

  “Sure, it’s been a pleasure. If you need to outfit yourselves for any of the hikes offered, our shop is in the back. Let me show you.”

  Marla ended up buying a couple of backpacks, flashlights, extra batteries, and nutrient bars. She left with a parting wave to go meet Dalton back in their room.

  They stretched out on comfy lounge chairs on their covered patio facing the trees and mountains. A tangle of branches and shrubbery, interspersed with tall saguaro, led to the foothills.

  “Did anything unusual about the resort employees stand out during your paper search?” Marla said.

  “I flagged a couple of
items. They didn’t do a proper background check in regards to criminal records or drug testing. Jesse has been here five years and has a recommendation from Ben Donovan.”

  “Ben? Who’s he?”

  “Hugh Donovan’s son.”

  “Is that so? I learned Hugh had a younger boy, Jake, who left home in a huff.”

  “So this Ben must be the older son. How does he know Jesse?” Dalton’s brow furrowed. “Maybe they went to school together. I’d have to know their ages.”

  “As I texted you back earlier, I stopped by the nature center. Bob, the naturalist, indicated your Uncle Ray was around to comfort Hugh’s wife after Jake ran away from home. She and Raymond had been high school sweethearts.”

  “Had Wayne’s mother still been alive then?”

  Marla spread her hands. “How should I know? Do you think this Jake kid could have it in for his father? We don’t know what led to his leaving home. Maybe he wants revenge on Hugh, and he’s the one at the heart of your uncle’s problems.”

  Dalton examined her as though she had a loose screw. “Where are you going with this?”

  “Hugh’s estranged son could have sent Jesse to your ranch with orders to cause trouble. He could have forged his brother’s signature on the job recommendation. Considering how Raymond and Hugh hate each other, they’d be quick to cast blame for any disturbances on their properties. Jake would know how to exploit their weaknesses.”

  “To what end? What could he hope to gain?”

  Marla gave a heavy sigh. “You’ve got me there. It wouldn’t explain the sabotage at the ghost town.”

  “I learned something else that’s interesting. Kevin Franks had a recommendation from Garrett Long.”

  Marla’s scalp prickled at the mention of the dead ranger’s name. “How did they know each other?” She supposed the wrangler might have saddled Garrett’s horse on occasion.

  “I’m hoping to find out. I’ve signed us up for a breakfast ride in the morning.” He noted her skeptical glance. “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine. It’s an easy walk to a campsite where they make blueberry flapjacks and scrambled eggs. It’ll be fun.”