by R. C. Ryan
He trudged up to the house, where he kicked off his boots before bending to a sink in the mudroom to wash.
In the kitchen, a chorus of voices told him that most of the family had gathered around to meet their unexpected guest.
Yancy was pouring coffee while his grandfather and great-grandfather were chatting up Vanessa. Across the table, Luke and Reed, fresh off the range and looking like wild mountain men, were staring at the newcomer with obvious, wide-eyed approval, while Colin was leaning against the kitchen counter and, like the lone cowboy he was, watching from a discreet distance.
“…wind so strong last night it blew a section of fence onto the roof of the barn.” Frank chuckled. “I’m just glad I wasn’t out during the worst of it. I’d probably be up there, too.”
He glanced over as Matt paused in the doorway. “Hey, sonny boy. You look like you’ve been out playing with the hogs.”
“Yeah.” Matt grinned. “Making mudpies. Since I assume you’ve all introduced yourselves to Miss Kettering, I’ll leave you to visit. I’ll be downstairs in a while.”
When he was gone, the cook set out a plate of chocolate chip cookies still warm from the oven.
“My favorites.” Nelson jokingly snatched up the entire plate and held it to one side. “Glad you made these for me, Yancy, but you should have made enough to go around.”
“Talk about hogs…” Luke reached over his great-grandfather’s shoulder and grabbed the plate from his hand. “You could at least give our houseguest the first choice.”
With a laugh, Vanessa accepted one from the plate before Luke passed it around to the others.
“I’m getting mine while the getting’s good.” Burke helped himself to two, as did Colin.
Vanessa bit into one and gave a sigh of pleasure. “I can’t remember the last time I tasted homemade cookies.”
“Then you’re traveling in the wrong circles, little lady.” Yancy transferred another batch from the baking tin to a plate and handed it to Frank. “I bake something fresh every day.”
She looked over. “You’re kidding.”
The cook shrugged. “On a ranch this size, with a family like the Malloys, it’s as natural as breathing. I think every one of them has a sweet tooth.”
She gave a shake of her head. “You bake every day? I feel like I fell into a parallel universe. What happened to my world of coffee shops on every corner, and baked goods that were fresh last week and filled with preservatives?”
Burke and Yancy shared a smile as Yancy poured himself a cup of coffee. “I recall feeling that way when I first arrived here. I looked around at this big house, and this loud, crazy family—”
“Hey. Who’re you calling crazy?” Reed reached out and helped himself to a warm cookie.
Yancy continued as though he hadn’t been interrupted. “—and I realized that, no matter how isolated this place was from the rest of the world, I never wanted to leave.”
“How long ago was that?” Vanessa asked.
“Thirty-five years ago.”
“That long?” Vanessa helped herself to another cookie. “Have you ever regretted staying?”
“Just about every day,” Luke answered for him.
That had the others laughing.
Yancy merely grinned. “Oh, I may have thought once or twice about exchanging kitchen duties for some time spent up in the hills with the herds, especially in the middle of summer.” He looked down at himself—all five feet two inches—and rolled his eyes. “But then I see how hard those wranglers work, and I remind myself that I’ve got the best life of all.”
“Just remember, Yancy.” Nelson helped himself to another cookie. “This family’s got dozens of guys who can babysit cattle. But there’s only one guy on this ranch that could put Hollywood’s gourmet cooks to shame. So don’t even think about giving it up to ride herd on some ornery cows.”
They were still laughing when Matt descended the stairs. He’d shaved off his rough beard and was dressed in a clean pair of denims, a crisp shirt, and shiny boots.
“I see we’ve got almost the entire family here. All that’s missing—” He looked over as the back door burst open on a gust of wind and his grandmother kicked off mud-caked boots before hanging her parka on a hook. “I take that back. Now the entire gang is under one roof.”
Gracie rolled her sleeves and washed before stepping into the kitchen.
As she did, Matt said, “Vanessa Kettering, this is the woman you came here hoping to interview. Gracie, this is—”
“—the lawyer from the wildlife federation?” Gracie’s face creased into a wide smile. “I’ll be darned. Just when I was feeling bad about having a lawyer invade my grandson’s privacy, it turns out to be a beautiful young woman.”
“Yeah,” Reed exchanged a knowing look with Luke and their uncle Colin. “What’re the odds? If I’d been up in the hills, I’d probably have to share my range shack with a bobcat.”
“Or a toothless old wrangler looking for work,” Luke added.
While the others laughed, Gracie offered a handshake, giving Vanessa a long, considering appraisal. “Aren’t you kind of young to be worrying about the fate of wild things?”
Vanessa clasped Gracie’s hand. “I didn’t realize there was an age requirement for this sort of work.”
Gracie merely smiled. “You’re right, of course. But most of the requests I get about the mustangs come from folks my age, who have the time to worry about such things. Most young people are too busy trying to jump-start a career to give a thought to the plight of wild animals.”
“Here, Gracie Girl.” Frank held a chair. As she sat, he put his arms around her and brushed the back of her neck with a kiss. “I was worried about you up in those hills in that storm.”
She turned and touched a hand to his cheek. “I found shelter in a little cave beneath some rocky outcroppings. I’d have stayed in the truck, but the way it was rocking in that wind, I was afraid it might topple clean on its side. And by the time the storm blew over, the herd I’d been trailing was long gone. I was cold, wet, and I figured I’d better head home while the trails were still passable.”
“I’m glad you did, my girl.” Frank kissed her lips and kept his arms around her when she picked up the cup of coffee offered by Yancy.
His concern, and their obvious devotion to each other, wasn’t lost on the others.
Matt turned to Burke. “I guess we’d better get Vanessa to town. She has a plane to catch.”
Yancy offered his hand. “It was nice meeting you, Miss Kettering. If you’re ever in Montana again, I hope you’ll come back for a visit.”
“I’d love to, Yancy. And call me Nessa. Thanks for the coffee and cookies. These were the best ever.”
“My pleasure, Nessa.” The cook was beaming.
Vanessa turned to the others, but before she could say her good-byes, there was a loud knock on the door.
Burke opened it to admit the sheriff and his deputy, who hung their hats on a hook and cleaned their boots on a rough boot-scrubbing mat before stepping into the kitchen.
Eugene Graystoke was a plainspoken, take-charge man who came from a long line of ranchers. Smart, dependable, and tough, he’d been sheriff for over twenty-five years. From the beginning, he’d quickly earned the trust of the folks in Glacier Ridge, who called on him for everything from a drunken ranch hand driving on the wrong side of the road to a family squabble that ended up in a brawl. He even aided in trailing an errant bull or two, when they managed to break through a section of fence.
His deputy, Archer Stone, had grown up in Glacier Ridge with Patrick and Bernadette. Ruggedly handsome, he walked with a swagger that was always more pronounced when he was in uniform.
After greeting the family, Eugene turned to Vanessa. “You’d be Miss Kettering?”
She seemed surprised. “I am. And you are…?”
“Sheriff Eugene Graystoke, ma’am. My deputy, Archer Stone.” The sheriff cleared his throat. “I was contacted by a Cap
tain Dan McBride of the Cook County PD. You know him?”
She nodded. “I know of him.”
The two men accepted coffee from Yancy before Eugene took a seat at the table and his deputy remained standing behind him.
The sheriff fixed Vanessa with a piercing look. “As I understand it, you accepted a flight on a corporate jet headed to Helena.”
“That’s right. But—”
He held up a hand. “I’ll talk, ma’am. You’ll just do me the courtesy of listening.”
Seeing the grins on the faces of those around her, Vanessa felt heat stain her cheeks and fought to compose her features. It was obvious to her that this man was accustomed to taking charge.
“The jet made a quick stop at Glacier Ridge, then immediately after depositing a lone passenger—” he peered over the rims of his glasses “—it continued on to Helena. Anyone tracking that flight figured all its passengers were going directly to Helena.”
“Tracking the flight…?” At his upturned palm she compressed her lips together and made a quick nod of her head.
“Good.” He looked around at the others, aware that he had their complete attention. “Now, ma’am, this is where it gets tricky.”
Chapter Seven
The family stared at Sheriff Graystoke with matching looks of puzzlement.
At their frowns, he held up a cell phone. “This was delivered to me by the Montana State Police. I’m told it’s untraceable. Like they use on those spy thrillers on TV. When we’re ready for a conference call, I’m to dial the number of Elliott Kettering.”
“My father…?”
Without a word the sheriff entered the number in the speed dial, then turned on the speaker.
Seconds later an image came into focus on the phone’s screen.
“Nessa?”
“Dad…” Vanessa reached for the phone, but the sheriff shook his head and continued holding it facing her as the others gathered around to watch and listen.
“Vanessa, this is Captain McBride.”
Vanessa could make out the police officer’s face next to her father’s.
“Sorry, Elliott,” he said to the man beside him. “I think it best if I set the scene, so to speak.”
“I don’t understa—”
McBride cut off Vanessa’s protest. “As you know, your father’s office has been involved in a very high-profile case.”
Vanessa nodded. “DePietro.”
“Exactly. In the past few days, the accused saw his airtight alibi fall apart on the witness stand. If convicted, Diomedes DePietro will be going away for a very long time. At his age, he’ll likely die in prison. A very well-connected man like that, about to see his empire crumble, will often resort to anything to remain free. In this case, immediately after the trial ended yesterday, your father received a threat stating that if his office continued its prosecution of this case, he would lose his most precious possession.”
Vanessa looked at the image of her father in the phone.
“Nessa, he was telling me very plainly that his people would go after you.”
“But I—”
“These people don’t make idle threats. I have no doubt your life is in danger. The exact words were, ‘Unless a mistrial is declared, Kettering will pay with the life of the one he holds most dear.’ That can only be you, Nessa.”
“And then,” Captain McBride added, “when we got word that the plane parked in Helena, the same plane that would be bringing you home, had been damaged, we feared the worst.”
“Damaged? It was a storm—”
“And how do you know that?” the police captain asked. “The fact that it happened during a storm just makes the local authorities reluctant to consider that it might have been a criminal act. But taken with this threat, it’s far more likely that the damage to the landing gear was man-made and not the result of any storm. That’s why we have federal agents going over every inch of that plane right now.”
Her father ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve been trying to reach you ever since I got that threat. Then, when I heard about the damage to the plane, I was desperate to hear from you. But when you never answered—”
“What about Clayton Anderson and the crew? Were they injured? “
“No serious injuries,” Captain McBride’s voice rang out. “The hospital in Helena reported that all are doing fine. But they had no report of a female passenger.”
“Oh, Dad. I didn’t know. The storm made it impossible to communicate. And then when I tried to call you, I couldn’t get through. Not even at your office.” She studied his haggard appearance. “I can only imagine what you’ve been going through.”
He gave a weary shake of his head.
Captain McBride cleared his throat. “The fact that you couldn’t get through was no coincidence.”
Vanessa’s brow shot up.
“We insisted on taking all the phones that had any messages from DePietro to our lab to be tested for evidence. That included both your father’s cell phone and his office phones.”
Vanessa swallowed. “Then you think there’s a very real possibility that this man intends to make good on his threat.”
The police captain’s voice deepened with authority. “Until all the tests on the plane are completed, we will continue to believe that it was a first attempt. We aren’t foolish enough to believe it will be the last. DePietro’s network is vast. That’s why we’ve suggested that you be taken to a safe house until this trial is over.”
“A safe house?” Her voice rose with anger. “You must be kidding.”
Her father’s tone was abrupt. “This is serious, deadly business, Nessa. Until this trial ends, I need to know you’re safe from DePietro’s threats, if I’m to be free to do my job.”
“What about my job, Dad? What am I supposed to do for the weeks, maybe months, that this trial goes on?”
Captain McBride interrupted. “Are you saying your job is as critical as your father’s?”
Elliott Kettering held up a hand before Vanessa could say a word. “The captain doesn’t mean to insinuate that my job is more important than yours, honey. Right now, we’re all feeling a little shell-shocked, and we may be careless with our words.” He took a breath. “Nessa, when I couldn’t reach you, I went through hell and back.”
His daughter fought back a sudden sting of tears. “I can’t even imagine what you were thinking. I’m sorry, Dad. The Malloy Ranch is huge, and much of it is wilderness. Matthew Malloy explained that they often can’t get phone service in such remote areas. So I didn’t really think much about the fact that I couldn’t reach you.”
“Which was fortunate for all of us,” the captain remarked. “If we couldn’t track you, neither could DePietro’s people. That’s why I’ve asked Sheriff Graystoke to take your cell phone and replace it with one from our lab that can’t be tracked.”
“But all my contacts—”
“—will be transferred to your new phone. But I’ll ask you to keep your calls to a minimum while you are at a safe house.”
Though Matt had remained silent during this exchange, he looked at his family.
As if reading his mind, his grandmother gave a quick nod of her head.
He broke his silence, in an aside to Vanessa. “If you don’t like the idea of staying at a safe house, what would you think about spending time here?”
“And hide?” She looked horrified. “I have a job to do.”
Matt nodded. “And you were doing it in Montana. You could continue doing it.” Before she could protest, he added, “My family’s ranch is the perfect place to be able to see and study wild animals in their natural habitat, and nobody around here will even question your presence.”
“But you forget. Somebody knew I’d gone to Montana, if the captain’s theory about the damage to the plane is correct.”
The police captain shook his head. “Montana is a big place. The plane was damaged in Helena. That suggests that DePietro’s people assume you’re there. And no
w, since the place is crawling with feds, they’ve lost their only lead.”
“But the pilot had to file a flight plan.” Sheriff Graystoke spoke in staccato tones. “If these people look into it, they’ll know the plane made a brief stop in Glacier Ridge.”
Elliott Kettering’s voice sounded as weary as he looked. “Nessa, taking you to a safe house will put my mind at ease. I’m not comfortable allowing a family I’ve never met to take my daughter into their home and see to her safety—”
“I can see to my own safety”—her voice lowered with repressed annoyance—“thank you.”
At her outburst, Elliott gave his daughter a gentle smile. “Yes, you can. And always have. Don’t you see? I need to be assured of your safety if I’m to do my job. There hasn’t been time to investigate the Malloy family, as well as all its employees.”
She took in a deep breath, wishing she’d been given time to consider.
Sheriff Graystoke used the silence to speak his mind. “I know you’ll have to do a thorough investigation of anyone charged with the safety of your daughter. But until your authorities can do that, you have my word that the Malloy family gets high marks around here for honesty and integrity. I can’t think of a safer place for your daughter to stay, as long as they’re willing.”
Elliott’s weary voice held a note of optimism. “Nessa, maybe this Montana ranch could be a short-term solution. I’m told it’s vast and sparsely populated. If you don’t object, and the Malloys and Captain McBride agree, I suppose it could be your refuge, but only until the trial ends. And the way the trial is going, that could be within another week or so.”
“Or months.”
At his daughter’s words he nodded. “Or months. But I believe it’ll be more like weeks. Could you handle another week or two in the Montana wilderness?”
Hearing the plea in Elliott Kettering’s tone, Matt lifted a hand to halt Vanessa’s protest. “Since my grandmother was the one you’ve come to Montana to interview, it could be the perfect excuse to spend some time with her.” He winked at Gracie, who was listening as intently as the rest of the family. “If you’re lucky, you might even get invited along on one of her photo treks into the hills tracking her precious herds of mustangs.”
