Peggy Dulle - Liza Wilcox 04 - Saddle Up

by Peggy Dulle

  “Probably not until Friday.”

  “Is there a place to stay in the town?” Tom asked.

  “Yes.” I didn’t bother to tell him about the inn. I would wait until he saw it himself.

  “Okay, then I’ll be up on Friday, too. What time are you leaving San Ramon?”

  “In the morning. I want to check in and wander around the town a bit.”

  “That should take all of a minute or two.”

  “That’s what I keep hearing.”

  My phone beeped. Boy, this was my day to talk on the phone. The number showing was Jordan’s.

  “Jordan is calling, Tom. Can I talk to you later?”

  “Sure, say hello to your sister for me.”

  “I will. Goodbye.”

  “Bye.”

  Tom hung up and Jordan’s voice rang out, “Hi, Sis.”

  “Hi, Jordan, what’s new in New York?”

  “Not much. I heard we’ve got a city name.”

  “You must have talked to Dad.”

  “Yep, I’ve got some information for you, too.”

  Wow, I thought, with Jordan it makes four full time minions. I picked up the yellow pad ready to add more. “Great, what did you find out?”

  “There are two big lawsuits pending against someone named Priscilla Banner.”

  “She’s the mayor,” I told her, glancing at the woman’s name on my pad.

  “That makes sense.”

  “What kind of lawsuits?”

  “One is some kind of environmental suit, but the judge has a gag order so the files are all closed up tight, and I couldn’t get into them.”

  I circled the words ‘cancer cluster’ on my pad and added ‘lawsuit’, then I asked, “And the other one?”

  “Her daughter,” I heard Jordan shuffling papers, then continued, “Grace Banner, is suing her.”

  “Really? What for?”

  “She wants her trust funds released.”

  “How old is Grace?”

  “She’s twenty-two but there’s a loophole in the way her dad’s will was written. It says she’ll get the money when she’s twenty-five, or when she’s totally independent.”

  “So she thinks she’s independent now and her mom doesn’t?” I suggested and drew an arrow between Grace and Priscilla’s name, adding the word ‘lawsuit’.

  “Yep.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Not really. There was a sexual harassment case against someone named Earl Backston, but it was dropped.”

  “Who is he?”

  “Some kind of cop, but not anything official that I could find.”

  “Tom says their police and fire departments are all volunteers.”

  “Okay, that makes sense.”

  “Why was the case dropped?”

  “It doesn’t say. My guess would be that either the plaintiff,” more shuffling of papers, then, “Renee Cumberland, was paid off or she dropped the charges.”

  “I don’t know if it’s important, but it’s another angle to look into. Thanks, Jordan.” I wrote both names on my pad. Then because I had made myself a promise that Jordan and I would actually talk more, I asked, “How’s Sam?”

  “He’s doing great. Thanks for asking.”

  “You guys still planning on taking that trip to Fiji?”

  “Oh yeah, I can’t wait. In two weeks, I’ll be lying on a beach soaking up the sun, sucking up little drinks with pretty umbrellas in them, and watching sunsets with Sam.”

  “Actually, that sounds very nice.”

  “You and Tom could go with us. We’d have a blast together.”

  “I’m still teaching in two weeks, Jordan.”

  “So take a week off.”

  I laughed. “It doesn’t work that day. My sick days are for just that, being sick or for medical appointments.”

  “They should let you use them for anything you want,” Jordan said.

  “I agree. I have eighty-seven sick days accumulated since I’m rarely sick. They do give us two discretionary days to take each year. I usually end up rushing to take them at the end of May before I lose them.”

  Jordan laughed and said, “I remember the year you took them the last two days of school and then went to school anyway.”

  “It was nice to have another set of hands to help with all the stuff I pass out on the last few days.”

  My phone beeped again. I glanced at the ID. Tom again.

  “That’s Tom on my other line, Jordan.”

  “Okay, Sis. Talk to you later.”

  “Bye, Jordan.”

  I clicked over and the first words out of Tom’s mouth were. “You’re not going!”

  CHAPTER 7

  I reached to disconnect the call. Who the hell did he think he was?

  “Liza, wait!” I heard Tom’s voice. The man could backpedal with the best of them.

  “Would you like to start this conversation over?” I suggested.

  “Yes.”

  “Hello, Tom. It’s nice to talk to you again so soon,” I started.

  “It’s nice to talk to you, too.” I heard him exhale a loud breath.

  “You must have found out more about Ridgedale, care to share?”

  “I talked to Earl Backston, their Chief of Police.”

  I recognized the name immediately. “I thought it was an all volunteer police force?”

  “It is, except him. The city doesn’t actually pay him; he’s paid by some corporation as a security specialist.”

  “Which corporation?”

  “It’s called Blue Stripe Enterprises.”

  “I’ll get Justin to look into them,” I said, adding Earl’s occupation next to his name. Then adding the word ‘idiot???’ next to it because of what Jordan had said about the sexual harassment case. Could anything that this guy said be accurate? I wondered. Then I turned my attention back to Tom and asked, “So what did Earl have to say?”

  “Ridgedale has some major problems. They have two gangs – one Latino and the other a biker group fighting it out for control of the drugs, mostly meth, up there. According to Earl, they’ve had five deaths in the last year because of the gang war.”

  “You said earlier they might have a gang issue. Is that the reason you don’t want me to go?”

  “If it was just that, I’d have reservations, but there’s more. An ecology group is planning on picketing the power station and a lagoon recreation area during the rodeo weekend. Earl expects big problems since those two places account for ninety percent of the jobs for the town’s people.”

  Okay, now I had to make a choice. Did I tell Tom that my dad’s group would be up there? If I did, would he call the FBI? Did I want to have a relationship with a man I kept secrets from?

  As I argued with myself, Tom continued. “And if those two reasons aren’t enough, there’s more.”

  “Really, what?” I asked, startled back from my inner squabbling.

  “Earl told me in confidence that Blue Stripe Enterprises is trying to buy up everything in town and level it for an expansion of Highway 70. The local newspaper got wind of it and it’s creating havoc for the town’s people, they’re divided against each other.”

  “The ones who want to sell versus the ones who want to stay?”

  “Yes, they’ve had several fights between the locals in the last week. Liza, Ridgedale is a volcano ready to erupt and I don’t want you caught there when it does.”

  “There is still a family who may get murdered,” I reminded him.

  “You said it yourself – they may get killed. Every little town has its share of problems, but this town will be lucky to survive the weekend. I think it’s all going to come to a head during the rodeo, so I don’t want you anywhere near the place.”

  “I’ll have you with me,” I reminded him.

  “I have no jurisdiction there. I’m the Chief of Police in Gainsville and that’s it.”

  “You carry a gun?”

  “I’d need body armor and an Uzi to protect you
in Ridgedale,” Tom’s voice raised up in frustration.

  “Well, I hope they make that armor in my size because I’m going, Tom.”

  I heard him pound his fist on his desk.

  “That must have hurt,” I said.

  He blew out a long exasperated breath and said, “Call your dad and make sure he’s there with those ecology nuts.”

  “You want me to ask my dad to come?”

  “If I don’t see him, I don’t have to arrest him and I’d rather have someone else there looking out for you. You tend to get yourself into predicaments and I can use all the help I can get.”

  “I think I was just insulted.” I frowned at the phone.

  “I’m just stating the facts, Liza. You ask great questions that certainly can help solve a case, but they also can lead you into danger.”

  “Well, Dad plans on being there anyway,”

  “Oh great,” Tom said. “That means his crazy eco-terrorist group has orchestrated these rallies. Damn it, Liza, you can’t tell me that. Now I’m bound to call the Feds and let them know an eco-terrorist group is planning an incident in Ridgedale.”

  My stomach tightened and anger flashed in my mind. “You know what, Tom? I’m already tired of trying to figure out what I can and can’t say around you. Maybe if I had a scorecard it would help. I can ask my dad to come but I can’t tell you he is coming. I’ll write it down. Anything else?”

  “Damn it, Liza, I can’t help it. I’m a cop. He’s an eco-terrorist wanted by the federal government. What do you want me to do?”

  “I want you to stop swearing at me!”

  “I’m sorry.” I heard him sigh. “You’ve just put me between a rock and a hard spot. I love you but I can’t ignore who your dad is.”

  “Well, I love you too, but my dad is … my dad,” I blurted out. I didn’t know what else to say.

  “I know, honey.”

  I didn’t need to be standing next to Tom to know that he was running his hand through his hair – his typical reaction to stress.

  “Call the Feds, Tom. Do what you have to do. But I’m telling Dad about it so he’s prepared, too.”

  Tom laughed.

  “What’s funny?” I asked. How could he find humor in our situation?

  “You’re telling your dad on me.”

  My anger ebbed and I laughed, too. “Yes, I am.”

  “That’s fair,” Tom said. “Tom, your fiancé, wants him there. Tom, the cop, hopes he doesn’t see him.”

  I sighed. “Liza, the one stuck in the middle, hopes that someday this situation resolves itself.”

  “So let’s both make our calls. I love you, honey.”

  “I love you, too.”

  I ended the call and dialed the message center where my dad picked up messages. I put my feet up on the coffee table and waited. With the new phones, Dad would get the message immediately and should call me. The phone rang three minutes later.

  “Is everything okay, Liza?” Dad asked.

  I told him all the things that Tom, Justin, and Jordan had told me about Ridgedale.

  “So Tom wants me there,” Dad said.

  “Yes, but I accidentally told him you were already planning on being there, so now he’s calling the Feds.”

  “Oh. That’s okay, we’ll just play it safer than usual and maybe change a few plans. I’ll make some calls and let people know. Thanks for the call.”

  “No problem,” I told him. What else could I do? I wondered.

  “Yes, it is. I’m sorry that you’re stuck in the middle between me and Tom.”

  “My choice, Dad.”

  “I know it doesn’t make it easy for you, having separate holidays, and watching everything you say around the man you love.”

  “I’ll survive.”

  “I don’t want you to just survive. I want you to be happy.” Dad’s voice turned serious.

  “I am happy, Dad.”

  “Yeah, well, I better go and make those calls. When are you going to Ridgedale?”

  “Friday morning sometime.”

  “I should be close, so call me when you get into town,” Dad said.

  After all the calls of the day, I was tired of talking on the phone. I put in a movie, popped a bowl of popcorn and curled up on the couch. Focusing on the movie proved more difficult than usual. Normally, I’m thinking about all the things I’m going to be doing the next week at school. But today, I was thinking about all the things that could go wrong in Ridgedale. My dad’s group blowing up something and people getting hurt, Tom arresting my dad, the FBI putting my dad in handcuffs and driving him away from me, Tom’s and my relationship falling apart because of my dad, a war erupting between two rival gangs, and a mother and daughter battling over money.

  CHAPTER 8

  It’s amazing how each day can seem to take forever but a week can fly by so fast. Thursday afternoon and part of the evening, I spent making the fifteen-page lesson plan notes for my substitute on Friday. No wonder I have so many sick days still left. It just wasn’t worth it.

  Friday morning, I crawled into the attic to get the one item I knew I would need this weekend. In a huge chest buried behind many boxes, I found the boots I bought with babysitting money when I was sixteen. My dad hated the boots. Not because he thought red cowboy boots were too suggestive but because they were made from real alligator skin. I took them into my bedroom, retrieved a brush and shined them up. They still looked like new.

  I packed my bags into my Honda Civic. I bought the car with the insurance money from my VW that crashed into a ditch on my way to Clainsworth, Oregon to investigate the death of Danielle Slammers last summer. I don’t like the car, but it was all I could afford since I only got seven thousand for my old VW. Since then I’ve put on new tires, replaced the radiator, and had the engine tuned up. Something seemed to be always wrong with the vehicle. It was like a black hole – I kept throwing money into it and didn’t see any changes.

  Since I was packed and ready to go, I decided to call Tom to let him know I was on my way.

  Before I could pick up the phone it rang. Tom’s ID.

  “Hello, Tom,” I said.

  “Hey, Liza. Are you sure your dad is going to be up in Ridgedale today?”

  “Yes,” I lied. I had no idea when he was coming.

  “Good. I’ve got a problem here at the station and I’m not sure when I’ll get there today.”

  “What’s up?”

  “David got into a pushing match with his wife and she’s threatening to file charges for domestic abuse. I’m trying to keep everyone safe and defuse the situation.”

  David was one of Tom’s officers. He was tall and thin and the exact opposite of Tom. When I saw them together I immediately thought of Laurel and Hardy.

  “Has this happened before?” I asked.

  “Yes, both of them have quick tempers and they like to throw things. Last time, she beamed him on the head with a frying pan. He had to get five stitches.”

  “Have you suggested counseling?”

  “I’ve suggested everything from talking to their minister, going to a marriage therapist, and divorce, but they keep telling me they love each other.”

  “Sometimes love is not enough,” I said.

  “They may love each other, but they can’t live under the same roof. He complains about her habits, she complains about his and nobody wants to compromise.”

  “Call me when you’re on your way to Ridgedale.” A few hours without Tom might not be so bad. It would give me the opportunity to ask some questions without an obvious ‘cop’ standing next to me. Even not in uniform, Tom was an imposing figure and people tended to either clam up or go on the defensive when he was around.

  “Okay, make sure you hook up with your dad as soon as you get into town.”

  “I’ll give him a call.”

  “Thanks, I’ve got to go,” Tom said hurriedly. “Doreen just threw a stapler at David.”

  “Good luck.”

  I left a message
for my dad and when he hadn’t called back in ten minutes, I called Justin.

  “Hey, Teach.”

  “I’m on my way out, Justin. Did you find out anything on Blue Stripe Enterprises?”

  “That business has layers and layers of companies and corporations. It’s like peeling an onion. Every time I think I’ve gotten to the real owners, I find another layer.”

  “If anyone can find the core, you can, Justin.”

  “I did learn a few things,” he said defensively.

  “I have no doubts you did, Justin.” I reassured him. I would never question his ability to find data on a computer. He was a genius when it came to cyberspace. “Let me get my handy yellow pad so I can write it down.”

  I set the phone down and got the yellow pad out of my overnight bag.

  When I got back on the phone, I said, “Okay, give me the information.”

  “Priscilla and Grant Banner started the company over thirty years ago right after they were married. They each owned a huge section of land and they combined them into Blue Stripe Enterprises. Ten years ago they were in big financial trouble. I don’t know what happened but the bank started foreclosure procedures on all their land and holdings. That’s when they took on a partner. He’s the one I can’t find. But he must have bailed out the company since they stayed in business and were able to finance the building of the power plant six months later.”

  “Give me a call when you find their partner. It must be important if someone took the time to bury it.”

  “I will, and I’ll get Shelby in a little while. Mom’s bought her a bed.”

  “What?” I glanced around my house. Shelby didn’t even have her own bed here. She preferred to sleep on the floor or in my bed.

  “Yes, she was at Costco and saw these huge round dog beds and insisted that Shelby needed one so when she was at our house, she’d have a special place to sleep.”

  “She’ll still end up on your mom’s bed.”

  “I know that and you know that, but mom thinks that if Shelby has her own bed she won’t scratch and whine at the closed bedroom door.”

  “Fat chance of that. I’ve tried it several times but I couldn’t do it long enough to break her of sleeping in my bed. After a couple of nights, I was tired of listening to her, so she won. She’s back on the bed.”