She felt stronger now, more sure of herself in her recent days in Montana. Until today. Whatever new maturity she had attained, it was not worth risking her neck.
She climbed out of her bed and lit a dim light on her dressing table. No sense trying to sleep in a state like this. She wrote a quick letter to Herman, careful not to mention the recent occurrences at the ranch, but making it clear that she did not desire to stay here any longer.
Chapter 8
Robin had mailed her relatively urgent letter the very next morning, and then the days began to crawl by while she waited for Herman's reply. Always nagging at the back of her thoughts was the fear that Alex would find out prematurely of her undisclosed relationship to Herman, find out her references had been exaggerated and her training mostly in another field. She did not relish facing his anger again.
But life went on fairly smoothly. She was doing a good job of running the Ridley house, that she knew. Alex had not mentioned the episode in the jeep again, aside from a broad statement to her to take care of herself and not to allow another such incident. She knew what he meant. The questions that had begged to be asked about Laura Ridley's death had been smothered... Robin had no desire now to take any more risks. The thought that someone had once tried to murder her, coupled with her smarting pride, which had suffered so much at Alex's cool treatment after her emotional outburst on the prairie, made her yearn for escape from her present situation.
Each day Robin waited for the mail to arrive. Each day she was disappointed. No letter from Herman made its appearance. The days went by. Then one week, two weeks. In a moment of dismay one evening as she sat alone in her room, she picked up the phone and made a long-distance call to the Robinson Resort on the shore of Lake Michigan. A feminine voice answered the ring at the other end of the line.
"Hello, this is Robin North calling from Montana. I'm Mr. Robinson's cousin. May I speak with him please?"
If he had merely been delaying getting in touch with her until he had found her another position, she'd tell him she'd accept anything at all. She'd even come home and work at the resort while she tried to line something up. All that was on her mind was a desire to leave Montana and her raw feelings behind.
"I'm sorry. Miss North. But Mr. Robinson is out of town. I'll certainly leave him a message that you called."
"Thank you. But where has he gone? When do you expect him to return?"
"I really couldn't say, miss. But when he checks in with me..."
"Yes, yes, thank you," said Robin a little sharply to the young impersonal voice on the switchboard.
She hung up the phone with a bang. Herman out of town? And in the middle of the summer season? Apprehension began to creep slowly over her. It was so unlike him to leave his establishment, which was his pride and joy, at a time when it would be in full swing and in need of his expert administration.
She would talk to Alex Ridley tomorrow and make arrangements to be on a bus headed back to Chicago in the very near future. Robin couldn't help feeling something was not quite right.
But her plans to talk to Alex were waylaid the next day. She opened her eyes to blazing rays of sunshine; her room was alight with the beautiful glow of morning light. She emerged from her room dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a bright pink shirt, and arrived to find the usually bustling kitchen empty and quiet. She found a brief note from her boss, quickly scratched on a scrap of paper.
"Trouble with cattle down by the river. Will be gone all day. Cook phoned to say she's ill. Jacob took Greg to town."
Robin sighed and poured a hot cup of coffee. Even before eight in the morning, Ridley Ranch was in full swing for the day. And since Alex had gone out onto the prairie, she'd have to keep her thoughts to herself even longer.
When Sara arrived a few moments later, looking fresh and bright and happy, she found a frustrated Robin quietly stirring her now cold coffee.
"You look terrible today. Robin. Is something wrong?"
How could she explain the feelings that unsettled her so? Alex had told none of the children of his discovery of the sabotaged jeep, so the undefined fear Robin was feeling would not make sense. And she couldn't expose the guilt she was feeling about obtaining her job under false pretenses without confirming all the negative suspicions she'd first encountered here at the ranch. With her attraction to Alex, as unexplainable as it was, she could not even bring herself to think about him without developing an uncomfortable ache in her throat. No, Sara would not understand.
"I guess I just feel a little depressed today." Robin said.
"Then let's get out of here. Let's go for a ride."
Robin picked up her head and stared out at the expanse of land framed by the kitchen window, The early sun gave the prairie a warm, happy glow. She could almost feel the elation of riding a horse across the open range.
And why not? There was plenty of food in the larder; the rest of the family would be gone for the entire day. The house was running well. And she loved to ride. She might as well use the time she had left to soak in all that was Montana before she went back.
"Went back to what?" a small voice from somewhere deep within Robin nagged.
An empty house, an empty life, an empty heart? She pushed the thought aside.
"Sure, Sara," she said aloud, "that sounds like a great idea. Let's go."
They found the stable as deserted as the kitchen had been. The only sounds they could hear were the occasional whinnies from the two horses left in the long line of stalls.
Devil was already saddled.
"Well, what do you know?" exclaimed Sara with a pleased note in her voice. "I mentioned to Mac that I might be riding and he must have saddled him up for me."
There was no doubt that the girl was excited that he had done her a favor. "And they were so busy this morning, too. Part of the fence down by the river gave way last night, and Dad took the whole crew down there to repair it and round up some of the herd that may have roamed. Mac's so nice to me, don't you think. Robin?"
"Seems like it," she answered noncommittally.
"I'll get the western saddle for Ladyfingers if you'd like to have a lesson today," Sara offered good-naturedly, already picking up a saddle and carrying it to the quiet horse. She efficiently blanketed and saddled the mount, lightly fastening the girth, always gently stroking and talking to the mare.
Robin stood by feeling very impressed by the young girl before her. A daredevil she might be, and a silly schoolgirl in love, but when it came to handling horses, Sara had the gifted touch. She was a born natural.
Robin looked over to the impatiently waiting Devil across the stable, angrily pawing at the ground before him. Sara would have to be a miracle worker, Robin thought, to manage such a horse.
When the accident happened, it came about so quickly that Robin could scarcely believe it. When the horse was saddled, Sara had moved to step out of the stall, gently knocking against the wooden partition. She jarred it only slightly, Robin was sure, but immediately there was an ear-shattering crash that shook the whole stable. Without a slight hesitation, an enormous beam came plummeting from the high ceiling, right into the stall that held Ladyfingers and the unfortunate Sara.
"Oh," groaned Sara. "What happened?"
"Thank heaven you're all right," screamed Robin. "Can you move?"
The beam had fallen on an angle, and now was supported at one end by the pile of debris that had been the wall of the stall only minutes before. With a pained glance, Robin could see the horse laying motionless on her side. The mare had been killed, struck by the massive beam as it fell. The sight made her heart heavy.
Sara was wedged under the beam.
"My foot," she said quietly. "I think I've broken my foot." Her face was very pale, and her enormous eyes kept straying to the stilled beast who lay only a few feet from her.
Robin bent closer to her. She saw Sara's eyes were filled with tears.
"Why did this have to happen? Poor Ladyfingers!" said Sara.
Robin's throat felt very tight. In all the shock and pain she had just gone through, Sara was more concerned with the death of the horse than with her own predicament. Robin found she couldn't budge Sara from beneath the beam, but she bent and gave her a kiss on her forehead.
"You're a very remarkable person, Sara. Take it easy now . I'm going to have to go get your dad and some of the men. There's no way I could move this without endangering you any more. Promise me you won't try to move until I get back."
Sara numbly nodded her head.
Robin said a silent prayer and slipped lightly over to the stall where the wild horse. Devil, was still standing. The men were miles from the stable, and Sara needed medical attention quickly. Robin had no choice. She'd have to ride the fearful horse and hope she wouldn't end up being thrown to the ground. She gave Sara a smile and a wave that looked more assured than she felt, and lifted herself to the waiting saddle.
The pair started across the land at a quick pace, while Robin's mind did somersaults. What if the beam had not fallen on an angle but had come plummeting straight down from the ceiling? Not only the horse would have died, but Sara as well. And what if she had been saddling the horse herself? Robin remembered Alex's red face as he had given her the news about the jeep's tampered brakes. Was this, too, not an accident?
It had been a while since she had brought up the death of Laura Ridley, a while since she had been foolhardy enough to talk about the past where it was not wanted. Why would anyone plan such a thing?
And though Ladyfingers was not really her own horse, Robin was the only person that who had ridden her since her arrival at the ranch But who could have known she would ride today? She didn't even know herself until she had taken up Sara's offer. Sara? The thought dashed across her mind. But Sara couldn't engineer such a feat. Besides, she had been the one who had been trapped. No, the young girl she had left with tears running down her cheeks for a dead horse could not be involved with any of the violent acts that had happened on the ranch, lately or five years ago.
But there was only one motive, wasn't there? Whoever had planned this accident must have been the culprit who was responsible for the jeep crash and Laura Ridley's death on the prairie. Sara's boyfriend had been in the stable. He had supposedly saddled Devil earlier in the day. Or had someone else done that, sure that everyone would assume it had been Mac?
Robin was so preoccupied as she sped across the even ground, straining her thoughts to solve the mystery that seemed to draw her like a magnet, that she was surprised when the figures of men and horses appeared on the horizon ahead of her. She had ridden Devil without a problem; she had stayed easily in the saddle as he had carried her for miles. His speed' was great, his proud nostrils still flared, his eyes still gleamed with the light of a feisty champion. He was a fine horse. Maybe Sara and Devil were alike, Robin realized, arrogant on the outside, but with kindness and warmness inside. She gave the horse a gentle pat.
She had reached the group of working men now, and quickly spotted Alex's blond head in the middle of the group. Robin brought Devil to a quick halt and slid from his proud back, her stomach in a knot.
"Alex, there's been an accident. I need your help."
"What happened, Robin? Are you hurt?"
"It's Sara. A beam fell in the stable and she's trapped under it."
"Oh, no!" The color drained from his face. "Is she all right?"
"She may have a broken foot, but other than that, I think she's okay."
He snapped into action. Within seconds, several hands were pounding the ground on the backs of their horses, heading for the stable. Robin climbed back atop Devil and galloped alongside Alex as he drove his jeep to the ranch.
Sara had not moved. With so many strong backs to assist, the beam was quickly lifted and Sara freed. Alex carried her slim body to the jeep and they sped off into town.
A very relieved Robin walked back to the house alone, while the hands scrambled back and forth in the stable, repairing the damage so the horses could be housed for the night.
Robin cooked a simple supper that evening and fed the boys when they returned from their jaunt, informing them of the accident, and assuring them that Sara was getting good medical care.
When she and her father returned that evening, Sara's face was once again smiling. She wore a white cast on her right ankle and made her way around the house on a pair of crutches.
"It's only for a few weeks," she said good-naturedly as she ate her dinner with Alex at the kitchen table.
Robin sat quietly with them. She knew Sara had no idea that the occurrence had been more than an accident, but she had no wish to bring up the truth. For even without proof, Robin knew that someone had been behind the mishap. Alex met her eyes briefly across the table, and Robin knew his suspicions matched her own.
"Wasn't Robin magnificent?" Sara went on, her dark eyes shining with admiration. "She just hopped up onto Devil and took off. I was really impressed. Western saddle and all, she handled him like a charm."
"He's a beautiful horse. Sara," Robin said.
Sara's face clouded over. "I'm so sorry about Ladyfingers. Robin, she was really getting to be just like your own horse. But I'll tell you what. You can ride Devil anytime you want to while I'm grounded with this thing." She pointed to her cast. "He'll need to get some exercise, and you're the only person I'd trust to ride him."
"Thank you, Sara. That's really good of you. "The picture of the falling beam flashed in her mind, and a chill traveled up her spine.
Should she use this moment to announce her intentions to leave? To say she had no need of a horse, that she'd be taking a bus back to the bustle of Chicago?
Of course she couldn't. Robin could no more have walked out on Sara and the Ridleys at that moment than she could have walked out on her own father in his hour of pain.
It was later that evening, after the children had all retired for the night, that Alex tapped softly on Robin's door. With a gray face, he brought the news that she had known would come. The beam had been sawed through—the incident had been planned in a most meticulous way. Only a stroke of fate had prevented a cold-blooded murder.
"I think you should leave here, Robin," said Alex as he stood in the doorway, much more reserved than she had ever seen him. She longed to put her arms around his neck, to stroke his tousled hair. Instead, she stood calmly facing him.
"I'm not one to run away from trouble, I'm not going anywhere," she heard herself telling him, and her heart soared to see relief spread across his face. Leaving now would only point another accusing finger at the man beside her in the eyes of the town.
"There's a part of me that's glad to hear you say that, Robin. It's good to have you here. But I must admit I'm afraid it's too dangerous. I've called the police chief to report this and he's on his way. No matter what gets stirred up about the past, keeping you all safe has to come first. If you stay, we have to take precautions. I'm going to look into that. Meanwhile, please, stay close to the house and take care of yourself."
From the window, a flash of headlights coming down the drive announced the arrival of the police chief. She followed Alex to face him, and to face the Pandora's box that had been opened at Ridley Ranch.
Chief Douglas listened with concentration, his brow furrowed, writing occasionally into his notebook as they related the incidents that had occurred, from the barn, to the brake cable.
"Well, we'll check these things out," the older man said with a scowl. Can't be sure what's related to what, or what is accidental. One thing's for sure, this little lady's arrival in this town has sure stirred things up. And they most probably aren't going to settle down until we get the answers to the death of your late wife, Alex. You know there's some who are never going to accept the accident theory. But talk is just talk. So I'll take this information, and we'll keep our eyes open."
"The last thing I want to do is make the gossip worse for the kid unnecessarily. But I needed you to know. If there's a real danger..
" Alex said, face drawn.
"You did the right thing. And I'll keep it quiet as I can, as I check it out. But if this little lady is staying," he motioned to Robin, "You'd best keep a sharp eye out here."
And then he was gone.
Chapter 9
Robin had made the decision to remain at the ranch, at least for a while, but she couldn't shake the apprehension that had been nagging at her about her Cousin Herman and his unexplained absence from the Chicago resort. The young girl at the switchboard patiently gave Robin the same news each day when she placed her calls to Chicago. Herman was out of town, and for some terribly strange reason, no one seemed to know where he was.
Robin tried constantly to calm the knotted lump that had once been her stomach. And life went on at Ridley Ranch.
Sara hobbled around on her cast, initially white, but quickly becoming flamboyantly colorful as Jacob artistically decorated it each evening as they sat around the game room. The twins and young Gregory seemed totally unbothered by the tense atmosphere that Robin felt hovering over the house. But then Alex had not told them about the findings in the barn, and they had lived with shadows for quite some time.
Alex was not around much, in fact, almost not at all. He missed most of the family meals and rarely appeared at the house before it was time to retire each evening. His absence was a kind of relief to Robin, actually. The anxiety she felt when she was in his presence only emphasized the stress she was under with Herman's disappearance and her own involvement in the unexplained accidents at the ranch.
There was no one she could turn to, no one to whom she could pour out the pain and fear in her soul. The very thought of her aloneness reopened the wound in Robin's heart from her father's death. But she valiantly kept a smile on her face as she sat with the children and joined in their light-hearted conversation about horses, the ranch, and, of course, Sara's Mac.
Robin was no closer to the truth about the death of Laura Ridley. But at least there had been no further threats to her own life. Daily, though, she saw that two cowhands were stationed outside the house, one in the front, and one in the back. They were, she had no doubt, a precaution to keep things safe. And deep in her heart, she felt very grateful to Alex for that.
Season of Fear Page 6
