Peril by Ponytail (A Bad Hair Day Mystery)

by Nancy J. Cohen

  “That’s horrible.” Reardon’s face paled.

  “I imagine the surface caved in. It makes you wonder what’s beneath the town my uncle is renovating,” Dalton said, raising his eyebrows.

  “People should steer clear of the mountains around these parts.” Lovelace’s mouth curved downward. “They’re full of hazards.”

  “Rescue personnel lifted the body out with the helicopter. I wonder what else they saw below. It appears the shaft connected to the old tunnel system,” Marla added.

  “Whatever existed of historical value would have been removed when the mines were closed, so I doubt anything worthwhile remains. The entrance was sealed off for a reason. Don’t think of going down there,” Lovelace warned in a blustery tone.

  “I understand the old stamp mill sat on what’s now your property. Did you tear it down before building your bottling facility?”

  “Naturally. What would I want with a dilapidated place like that?”

  “It must have been an immense, dirty old structure with lots of rusty machinery.” She stared into the distance at the barely visible white plume in the sky. “I wonder what color smoke it produced.”

  Lovelace glowered at her. “I wouldn’t know, Mrs. Vail. I haven’t studied the ore separation process.”

  “Oh, but I have. The miners would have had a changing room near the main staging area. Did you come across that place when you bought your property? Would you believe they only washed their work clothes once a week? Ugh, it must have stunk in there.”

  “I’m glad you find the region’s history so compelling. What did you say your blog was titled?”

  “That’s not the only reason we’re interested,” Dalton said, catching on. “My Uncle Ray has run into a few snags with his ghost town project, and he’s asked us to help straighten things out while we’re here.”

  “You’re related to Ray Campbell? Good luck to him. If he’s hired immigrants to do the work, he’ll have his hands full.”

  That’s a biased statement. Marla wanted to call him on it but didn’t.

  Lovelace gave a slight bow. “Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s nearly time for my nightly restorative. One mustn’t break with routine, or havoc will ensue.”

  “Of course.” Marla smiled at the men. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Reardon. I’ll look forward to a guided tour at the bottling plant. I imagine it’s close to the source? I heard you pay the city for a certain amount of natural spring water each month.”

  “That is so.” The guy hadn’t once cracked a smile. “I hope you folks have a good visit while you’re in town.” His scornful glance indicated he took Dalton for a harmless tourist, but then Dalton’s casual attire and silly grin would reinforce that belief. Her husband could play act when necessary.

  She loved that about him. Hooking her arm into his as they strolled along later, she told him so. “You were great. What did you gather from that meeting?”

  Her gaze lit on the landscape as they headed toward their car. She still couldn’t get used to the lack of grass, and yet that made for a quieter neighborhood. No lawn mowers, weed trimmers, or leaf blowers making a racket.

  “Those two are at odds about something. We should go tour that plant. It might be enlightening. I should have asked Love-lace why armed guards patrol his perimeter.”

  “He could be afraid of eco-terrorists as the sheriff suggested.”

  “Perhaps. Or he has something to hide. By the way, I’m not the only one interested in town records. Jesse Parker has been to city hall recently. I saw his name on the visitor list.”

  “Really? I wonder what he was researching?”

  “Me, too. Why would a wrangler be involved in these affairs?”

  Dalton’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller I.D. before answering. “Hey, how’s it going, cuz?” A pause. “Sure, we’d be delighted.” Covering the mouthpiece, he addressed Marla. “Is it okay if we go to dinner at Wayne’s house? He says Uncle Ray and Annie will be there. She’s cooking dinner to give Carol a rest. We can drive over directly from here.”

  Her musings about Jesse Parker evaporated. “That would be nice, if they won’t mind the way we’re dressed. We don’t have time to change.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it.” Dalton confirmed their invite and then hung up. “I got the impression Wayne wants us there for support. Uncle Ray is disheartened by today’s events.”

  “I don’t blame him. Another death in the area? It makes you want to believe the ghost stories. Maybe his project is cursed.”

  “Or maybe somebody wants it to seem that way to scare off his work force.”

  “The laborers might not have heard about the forest ranger.”

  “My experience is that news travels fast in these small communities. It is strange that both men experienced a fatal fall, though.”

  “No one else could have known a ventilation shaft was there. Eduardo’s death seems more likely to have been an accident.”

  “You could be right.” He took her hand in his large palm. “At any rate, let’s try to relax and enjoy the evening.”

  Raymond was in a sour mood when he greeted them inside Carol’s kitchen. “Come and join me for a beer. My project has another delay, so I might as well take advantage.”

  “By drinking yourself into a stupor?” Annie, bringing over a plate of cheese and crackers, clucked her tongue. “You’ve had two bottles already. What’s eating you, Dad? You’re not responsible for the guy’s death.”

  “Huh, that’s easy for you to say. As his employer, I could be held liable.”

  “So? You have insurance.”

  “I know what’s bothering you. It’s those mining tunnels, isn’t it?” Dalton leaned against a counter. “They bring back bad memories.”

  Raymond popped open a bottle top and took a long gulp. “The sheriff said they’d probably release the fellow’s body by Sunday. I notified his next of kin.”

  “That’s never an easy job. It’s one I’ve often had to do myself. But you didn’t answer my question. Tell us about your brother Harold and how he died in a mine.”

  A dish clattered, and Carol’s gasp echoed throughout the room.

  “Wayne, get in here,” Dalton called. “You’ll want to hear this. Carol, are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine,” she said as Wayne joined them.

  Marla was glad Carol didn’t seem any worse from her tumble off the horse. She looked a bit pale and moved more slowly but otherwise appeared well enough.

  Raymond’s gaze radiated pain as he regarded them all, standing and staring at him. Fortunately, the kids were playing in a back room so the adults had time alone. Marla agreed they had to clear the air. It was the only way to mend their broken fences.

  “We learned what happened to your younger brother,” she said in a kind tone. “It was an accident.”

  “Dad, what’s she talking about?” Wayne said, his voice rising. “I had an uncle? Is this why we don’t have any of your early family pictures, because you didn’t want me to know?”

  “I imagine the memories are too painful for him,” Dalton said in a wry tone. “Do you want to tell him, Uncle Ray, or should I?”

  “Come, let’s sit down.” Raymond’s shoulders slumped as he deflated like a balloon. “It’s a long story and not a happy one.”

  Annie turned off the oven and followed them into the family room, where they took seats on the couch and the barstools. Raymond hung his head and twisted his hands together as he repeated the story Dr. Harrigan had told Marla and Dalton.

  “You can’t blame Hugh Donovan, Dad.” Wayne put a hand on his father’s knee. “You were both kids at the time. Things like that are bound to happen.”

  Raymond’s eyes glistened. “I should have listened to Kate. She ran to get help, but by the time she returned, it was too late. I’d favored Hugh over my own brother. It’s my fault he died.”

  “You weren’t responsible then, and you are not responsible now for that workman’s death or the explosio
n at Craggy Peak.”

  “Kate still doesn’t talk about me, does she?”

  “No, but then you’ve never made any attempt to reconcile with her,” Dalton said. “Maybe after all this time, she’d offer forgiveness. But you need to forgive yourself first.”

  Silence fell heavily over them. Marla sought words of comfort. She’d been through a similar guilt trip but had survived and used the experience to better herself.

  “Why did Grandma leave and take Kate with her?” Wayne said in a choked tone.

  “She blamed her husband because he pushed Harry to be more like me. We couldn’t accept his quieter nature and love for books. Pop wanted him out among the horses, loving the outdoors and land same as I do.” Raymond gazed into the distance, his face crisscrossed with lines like the cracked, dry earth. “So Ma took Kate and moved back east to be near her parents. Being close to me reminded her of Harry’s death.”

  “You must have felt abandoned.”

  “I considered it my just punishment for what I’d done. I couldn’t be near Hugh after that. He’d told my folks he was sorry, but my father forbade me to associate with him anymore. Said he was a bad influence.”

  “So it was easy for you to project your guilt onto him.”

  “Man was a bastard when he grew up, too. After he chased his younger son away, I ran into Flora one day in town.”

  “Wait a minute,” Annie’s voice squeaked. “Who’s Flora?”

  “His late wife. They had two kids, Ben and Jake. Flora and I had known each other in high school.” His skin flushed beet red. “Heck, we’d been sweethearts in those days. But she chose Hugh over me. I guess after the accident, nobody saw me in a good light. I’d let my younger brother die.”

  “Dad, stop beating yourself up over it,” Annie said in a pleading tone. “You have to let go and put Harry to rest.”

  Marla exchanged a glance with Carol, feeling like an outsider during an intimate family moment. Maybe they should leave their men alone for privacy. But then, the guys needed support. This skeleton had hidden in their closet for too long.

  “You mentioned Hugh’s younger son,” she ventured, to get the older man talking again. “Why did he run away from home?”

  “Poor kid was like our Harry. Jake grew up on a ranch, but he loved computers and wanted to go to City College. Hugh wouldn’t hear of it. I don’t know what happened to break them apart. Jake hasn’t been heard from since then.”

  “He didn’t stay in contact with his mother?”

  “Flora died a year later from cancer, although I think heartbreak brought it on. Stress can do that to people, you know. I tried to comfort her, and we . . . well, the old flame rekindled.”

  “Oh, no, Dad. You didn’t!” Annie jumped up to pace the room.

  “Well, your mom was gone, and a man has needs. It’s a kindness that Flora died not so long after, or Hugh might have done the deed himself. He was furious when he found out.”

  Wayne shot his father a derisive glance. “No wonder he hates you.”

  “Look, I wish I could go back in time and undo all the bad things I did, but I can’t. I have to live with these memories, and that’s my retribution.”

  “It’s more than retribution if Hugh is trying to destroy you,” Wayne said. “You both have reasons to resent each other. He egged you on with your brother, and you seduced his wife. So now you’re left without a sister, and his son is gone.”

  “Maybe you two have more in common than you dare to admit,” Marla remarked. “You’d been best friends once. Have you ever thought about apologizing to Hugh?”

  “Who, me? If he hadn’t been so mean-hearted, Flora wouldn’t have needed comforting.”

  “But you took advantage of the situation. Maybe your subconscious saw it as a way to get back at Hugh and cause him the same pain he’d brought you.”

  “It doesn’t matter now, does it? He’s out to get me one way or another.”

  Marla lifted her exasperated gaze to meet her husband’s. This wasn’t like any kind of honeymoon they might have imagined. Oy, vey. Family issues could be so complicated.

  “It does matter to my mother,” Dalton said to his uncle. “She was very happy to meet Wayne and Carol at our wedding. I’d bet she would love to hear from you.”

  “Time can soothe a lot of injuries,” Marla said in a gentle tone. “She was only a child then, too. Maybe part of her silence is guilt mixed with regret.”

  “Or maybe she heard about me and Flora through the grapevine, and that compounded my sins in her mind.”

  “Speaking of sins, what other secrets are you keeping from us, Dad?” Wayne’s brows lifted in sharp angles like two pointed arrows. “Such as, where did you get the cash to buy Craggy Peak?”

  “That’s nobody’s business but mine.”

  “What affects you touches the rest of us. If you’re saddled with debts, we should know about it now. Carol is a financial wizard. She could help you.”

  “You needn’t worry. I don’t owe any money.”

  “You didn’t borrow from anyone? Or take out a loan?”

  “Nope.” Raymond shot to his feet. “Isn’t dinner ready? That roast must be overcooked by now.” Indeed, a fragrant aroma scented the air, but it had a tinge of burnt meat to it.

  Everyone scrambled to their posts to get the meal ready, while Dalton took Marla aside.

  “You know what I think? Uncle Ray has an investor, and he doesn’t want to give away the guy’s name.”

  “Like a silent partner?”

  He nodded, his face grim. “And I’m afraid this might be another bad choice my uncle made.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  * * *

  “I have a proposition for you,” Annie said to Marla after they’d cleared the dinner dishes.

  “That’s great, because I have one for you, too.” Marla had remembered that she’d stuck her shears in her purse before they’d set out that day. Maybe Annie would have time for a haircut now. “You go first.”

  “I have an appointment tomorrow at two o’clock with Eleanor Reardon to discuss her daughter’s progress. Would you like to take a drive with me? She lives in the Big Rocks section, and it’s a beautiful area. Tourists drive through just to see the homes wedged among the rocks.”

  “I wouldn’t want to intrude on your conversation.”

  “You could sit outside and admire the view. We’ll go to lunch first—my treat—and then ride over.”

  “Okay, that sounds great.” She felt a twinge of guilt for making plans that didn’t include Dalton, but he could manage alone for a few hours.

  “What did you want to ask me?” Annie picked up a couple of dessert plates to bring to the dining room table.

  “Do you still want me to style your hair? If so, I have my shears with me.”

  “Yes, I’d love it!” She put the plates down on the table and clapped her hands. “I am so ready for a makeover. Will you need to shampoo me first?”

  “I can wet your hair with a spray bottle if you have one handy.”

  Marla couldn’t wait to get started on Annie’s hair. Once they’d finished dessert, she set up shop inside one of the bathrooms. They left the men right as Dalton began telling Wayne and Raymond about their encounter with Lovelace and Tate Reardon. She’d miss what his relatives said about the pair, but he could fill her in later.

  She told Annie instead while snipping her damp strands of hair.

  “We ran into your client’s father in town today. Mr. Reardon was speaking to the owner of the bottling plant in front of an accountant’s office.”

  “Is that so?” Annie watched her movements in the mirror. She sat on a desk chair they’d appropriated from Carol’s home office. “That wouldn’t be anything unusual. Mr. Reardon works for Lovelace.”

  “They seemed to be arguing.”

  “That would go along with my theory about Christine’s father having problems at work.”

  “Have you heard anything else to make you suspect otherwis
e?” Marla’s fingers paused, but then she carried on, trimming Annie’s hair and adding layers.

  “Not really. I’m hoping to learn more at my interview tomorrow. What’s Lovelace like? I’ve never met him.”

  “He’s a big guy who speaks with a cultured accent and always acts pressed for time. At least he dresses decently.” She couldn’t imagine Lovelace in a cowboy’s plaid shirt or jeans.

  “I did hear he comes from Europe and likes expensive clothes.”

  “What about his water product? Is it popular?”

  “Heck, yes, you must have seen Arizona Mountain High in all the stores.”

  Marla gripped her shears tighter. “I wonder why he picked that particular location for his plant? I’d looked up water bottling facilities in Arizona on the Internet. Most of them appear to be located in big cities.”

  “They probably use purified municipal water. Lovelace may have wanted to be near the source of a natural spring. Imagine the competitive edge he’d have in his advertising campaign.”

  “I suppose you’re right. I’d rather buy bottled water that comes from a fresh mountain stream than from a city system.” She wrinkled her nose, thinking of processed sewer water. The cities must obtain drinking water from their underground aquifers which the processing plants ran through filtration systems. Still, she liked the idea better of a gurgling mountain stream as a source.

  “His brand is doing well.” Annie crossed her legs, making Marla halt a moment.

  “Is it publicly or privately owned? I mean, could I buy stock in the company?”

  “No, it’s private. I know that much.”

  Marla unclipped a top section of hair and cut it at an angle. The snipped pieces fell to the tile floor. She’d get a broom and sweep it up afterwards.

  “I’m wondering about the ranger who died. Could Lovelace’s compound be located anywhere near forestry land?

  “Lovelace built his facility on the foundation of the old stamp mill. I suppose it’s possible the location might be near federal-owned territory. You’d have to talk to the forest service people to see how far their boundaries extend.”

  “That might be a good idea. I’m curious about where Garett fell to his death and how that site relates to Lovelace’s facility.”