by Sylvia Nobel
The whole affair sounded as unbelievable as a B- movie script and I wished to hell I’d been there to witness it. “Arrest her? Why?”
“La Donna told him she’d just returned from her bank in Phoenix and claimed the safe deposit box, which supposedly held in the neighborhood of a quarter of a million dollars in gold coins was empty as a dry lake bed. Nothing left but a rubber band and a paper clip.”
“Whaa hoo!” Jim hooted. “So she thinks the girlfriend got there before she did?”
“Right as rain,” Walter concurred, nodding smugly. “It’s her contention that Marissa and the handyman had been in cahoots the whole time and says the missing coins provides a clear motive for the two to have murdered her husband. But Marissa denies it and claims she overheard La Donna and the judge having a whopping argument the night before he left for his hunting trip. She says La Donna threatened to kill him. He was scheduled to meet some friends at a designated spot outside Flagstaff but, of course, he never showed up. Another fascinating sidebar…his hunting rifle is nowhere to be found.”
I stared at him. “So…do the authorities suspect he was shot with his own gun?”
“Same caliber, but ballistics can’t say for certain without the weapon.”
As I processed all the data, I had to remind myself once again that I must remain on the sidelines. There was no way on earth that Tally was going to release me from my promise. I sighed inwardly, glad for once that he was absent from our staff meeting. Less than six months had elapsed since I’d uncovered the startling events surrounding his wife’s murder two years prior. And now with this new information rising to the surface like pond scum, Tally would hate the idea of his family being in the glare of the media spotlight once again.
“Okay, Walter, stay on top of it. Oh, and while you’re researching the judge’s cases, it might be interesting to pinpoint anything unusual that jumps out at you.”
“Whoa, Nelly. How many years back do you want me to check? Ten? Fifteen? Which cases? If I concentrate on that I won’t get much else done.”
“Good point.” I thought for a few seconds. “I’ll call Ginger’s brother, Brian, and see if we can enlist his help. He’s a whiz on the Internet and can probably compile a list for us in a couple of days. You can coordinate which years each of you will cover so you don’t overlap.”
Walter’s grateful smile reflected relief. “Thanks.”
I went over the assignment sheet and Jim reminded me again that he would be on vacation the following week. “While you guys are all here freezing your buns off, I’ll be on the beach in Cabo working on my tan,” he joked on the way out the door.
“Lucky bastard,” Walter griped, rising to his feet, rubbing his lower back. “I heard there’s more crappy weather heading this way. They’re predicting an additional foot of snow for the high country and we might get a couple of inches of rain here.”
The rest of the day was a blur of details and by four o’clock I was whipped. I leaned back in my chair and stretched, thinking that Tally had probably returned to the ranch by now with Ruth. If she were in what Tally described as the “right frame of mind” then we would break the news to her this evening.
As if on cue, the phone rang and it was Tally. “Hey there, I was just thinking about you.”
“I was thinking about you, too,” came his warm response.
“How did things go with your mother today?”
“A little better. She didn’t say much on the way back from Phoenix.”
“What’s different about that?” He didn’t respond to my little dig so I continued. “So, do you think she’s ready to hear our news without having a major cow or a minor stroke?” I asked tentatively.
Dead air for a few seconds. “She’s been on a new medication for about a week now and has been pretty mellow the past couple of days. Hard to tell, but I guess we’ll give it another shot.”
“Try not to sound too enthusiastic.”
He chuckled. “Believe me, I want to get it over with as much as you do. I’m just concerned that it might send her over the edge again.”
The edge was right. “I’m assuming that she’ll be expecting me to grovel before her with mega apologies for my unfortunate choice of words last week.”
“It’s your call, but I have a feeling it will earn you some Brownie points.”
I set my pride on the back burner. “What time shall I put in my appearance?”
“Why don’t you come right now?”
I glanced up at the wall clock. “Now? It’s a little early for dinner, isn’t it?”
“I have something to show you before it gets dark.”
“Oh? Are you going to give me a hint?”
“Nope. You’ll find out when you get here.”
Now I was thoroughly intrigued. I glanced at my cluttered desk, piled with work, and made an instant decision. There wasn’t anything that couldn’t wait until Monday. “Okay. I’m out of here.”
“Don’t come to the house. Meet me in the barn.”
“The barn? Why?”
“No more questions. See ya.”
Before I could say another word, he hung up.
4
Accustomed as I was to Tally being a man of few words, nonetheless the cryptic nature of his invitation was puzzling. That aside, my spirits perked up considerably. I cleared off my desk and when I stepped into the lobby to tell Ginger I was leaving early, she eyed me with curious appraisal. “You think Tally is goin’ to get off the dime tonight so we can get this ball rollin’?”
“That’s the plan. Oh, and that reminds me.” I dug in my purse and pulled out my engagement ring, polished the diamond on my sleeve and slipped it on my finger. “I’m not hiding this anymore. My hope is that when Ruth sees this, she’ll know we’re serious and it will force her to accept the reality of the situation.”
There was a twinkle of mocking challenge in her eyes. “You tell him for me, that if he don’t get with the program, I’m gonna kick his fine-looking hiney all the way to Prescott and back.”
I could not keep from laughing. “I’ll be sure to give him that message.”
She favored me with her endearing grin. “You do that. And good luck tonight. I got all necessary toes and fingers crossed.”
I gave her a thumbs-up as I headed towards the front door.
“You’d best bundle up. It’s supposed to get mighty cold tonight.”
“Will do. See you tomorrow at the fairgrounds.”
She called after me, “Let’s pray that big ol’ storm they’re predicting holds off ’til Monday or we’ll be up the creek.”
“Gotcha.” If a weather change was impending there was no evidence of it. The steady wind had done its job and there wasn’t a cloud in sight as I pulled out of the parking lot and drove towards the Starfire with the fervent hope that this evening would be more fruitful than my previous visit. By the time I turned the truck onto Quail Crossing the cobalt blue sky was fading to a dainty turquoise. The western horizon, blushed an eye-catching shade of watermelon red, tinted the desert foliage and surrounding mountains to a rich rosy gold. There was less than half an hour of daylight left, and having become accustomed to fifteen or sixteen hours of daylight during the endless, white-hot days of summer, I still hadn’t gotten used to dusk falling by five o’clock. I parked in front of the house and strolled towards the barn. I had just reached the side door when Tally’s longtime foreman swung it open and touched the brim of his dog-eared Stetson. “Evenin’, Miz O’Dell.”
“Hey, Jake, how are you?”
“Just dandy.” The sunny smile on his leathered face emphasized the deep laugh lines around his ever-squinting blue eyes. “In fact, I couldn’t be dandier.” Normally low-key, he seemed uncharacteristically animated.
“Well, that’s good.”
“Tally’s out in the back corral waiting for you.”
“Okay, thanks.” Why did I get the strange feeling he’d been on the lookout for me?
“You hav
e a nice evenin’.” Still grinning, he tapped the brim of his hat again and strode past me.
“You too.” I watched him amble towards the bunkhouse with that slight limp of his before I turned to enter the large horse barn. As always, it was ripe with the overpowering smell of hay and straw mixed with manure. Several of Tally’s prize-winning Appaloosa mares stretched their necks over the stall doors and I stopped to pet each of them, pausing a little longer to stroke the silky muzzle of Tally’s favorite stallion located at the far end, away from the mares. “Hey there Geronimo, what’s cookin’ with you today?” I murmured, before continuing towards the back door.
I walked outside into the rosy twilight, inhaling the crisp evening air, and spotted Tally standing with his back to me beside a gate that opened into one of the smaller corrals. “Hey, cowboy!” I shouted, hurrying across the clearing towards him. He glanced over his shoulder and greeted me with a grin and friendly wave. When I reached his side he said in a husky tone, “Come here, I missed seeing you today,” before enfolding me in a warm embrace and kissing me deeply. Savoring the sensation of his muscular body, I returned his ardent kiss with enthusiasm. As far as I was concerned, time could have stopped right there forever and I wouldn’t have cared. But, suddenly, he pulled his mouth from mine and whispered in my ear. “I have something to show you.”
A bit breathless, I purred seductively, “I’ll bet you do. So…you want to go into the barn and…relax in the loft for awhile before dinner?”
“That’s a difficult invitation to decline,” he replied, the twinkle in his eyes matching his teasing smile. “But, I’m afraid I can’t…for the moment anyway. Come into the corral with me for a minute,” he said, taking my hand and leading me towards the gate.
I stared up at him, feeling deflated and mystified by his odd behavior. “Tally, what’s going on?”
He put two fingers to his lips and blew out a sharp whistle. A ripple of surprise swept over me when one of the double barn doors flew open and Jake reappeared leading a stunning black Appaloosa with a perfect speckled white blanket on the hindquarters. Stepping with a lively gait, holding its tail aloft, the horse whinnied loudly. Jake grinned and exchanged a conspiratorial look with Tally who then turned to me. “So, what do you think of her?” he asked with a speculative glint in his eyes.
I watched the horse prance around the corral and marveled, “I think she’s the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
He nodded in agreement and said softly, “Good. She’s yours.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. “What?”
“My engagement gift to you. Say hello to Starlight Sky. Since you’re going to be living here soon, I thought it was high time you had a horse of your own. I picked her especially for you.”
Our eyes connected and even in the pale remnants of daylight I couldn’t miss the deep affection reflected in his intense gaze. I was so overcome with emotion, my heart so filled with joy I was speechless for long seconds. “Tally, you continue to amaze me. She is magnificent. I’m…I’m completely blown away,” I finally managed to articulate with a mild tremor in my voice. If Jake hadn’t been present, I would have thrown myself into his arms again, but instead I whispered in his ear, “If things go well this evening with your mother, perhaps you can get away after dinner and stay over at my place for a change.” I brushed my lips along his cheek. “I’ll see that you’re properly rewarded for your generosity.”
He drew back, his lips stretching into his crooked smile. “Now that is definitely too good of an offer to pass up.”
He held my gaze until I heard Jake approaching us with Starlight Sky at his side. “Well, you two are quite a pair,” I said turning to acknowledge the older man. “I had a feeling something was up by the way you were acting earlier. But I never expected anything like this.”
“I think you’re gonna like this little lady’s canter,” Jake replied with a cagey grin. “Smooth as melted butter.”
“Hey there, pretty girl,” I murmured, stroking the horse’s velvety muzzle and then running my hand along her smooth neck and withers. Apparently pleased, she snuffled softly and bumped her nose against my arm. I still couldn’t believe that she was mine. Prior to my move to Arizona, I’d only ridden a couple of times, but since meeting Tally, it was a foregone conclusion that I was going to have to learn to handle a horse. He’d worked with me endless hours, teaching me the finer points of western horsemanship. Now, there were few things I found more exhilarating than a flat-out gallop across the open desert, rejoicing in the sense of total freedom, relishing the rush of the wind in my face.
A full butterscotch moon was peeking over the top of Castle Rock by the time Jake lead the spirited mare back towards the barn. Aware of the sudden drop in temperature, I zipped my jacket higher and drew in a contented breath. Given a choice, I would have preferred to stay right there and smooch with Tally, but we couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer. “I guess we’d best get this over with,” I said with a sigh, once again experiencing the familiar knot of apprehension tighten my stomach.
We traded a long searching look before Tally announced, “Let’s do it.”
We marched towards the house hand in hand and I was more than cognizant that the outcome of the evening pretty much depended on how I handled myself in the next few minutes. The dogs met us at the kitchen door with their usual joyous yelps and as we stepped inside the warm room, I braced myself for a glimpse of Ruth’s usual dour expression. Instead, delighted relief tingled through me at the sight of Tally’s sister Ronda standing at the stove. My disposition improved appreciably along with my appetite. At least I wouldn’t have to endure Ruth’s censure and her wretched cooking. Congratulating myself on being granted a short reprieve, I called out with enthusiasm, “Whatever you’re cooking smells heavenly. I’m starving.”
Ronda turned and pinned me with a look of wry amusement. “When aren’t you starving?” She tucked a strand of dark auburn hair behind one ear and motioned with her chin towards the table. “Help yourself to chips and salsa. The enchilada casserole will be ready in about twenty minutes.” To Tally she said, “That rancher named Gabe Horton, you know the one from Colorado you talked to last week?”
“Yeah?”
“He phoned earlier. He’s going to drive four of his mares down.”
“Great.”
“Oh, and Ted wants to bring his mare over tomorrow morning around eight. You going to be around that early?”
“I can be.”
“He wants you to call him back tonight about another matter too, but he won’t be home until around nine.” She arched a triumphant brow. “I think he’s finally made the decision to go ahead and buy Saint.”
Tally’s eyes lit with interest. “All right.”
I knew Tally had a big weekend planned. He was expecting to entertain several other horse ranchers who were interested in purchasing some of his prize-winning Appaloosa stallions. I scooped a generous portion of thick salsa onto a tortilla chip and popped it in my mouth. Just right, tangy tomato sauce spiced with fresh scallions and cilantro. “Yum!”
Tally draped our jackets on the wall hook. “Where’s Ma? Don’t tell me she’s gone to bed already?”
“Nope. But she did say she wasn’t hungry and won’t be eating dinner with us.”
Instantly suspicious, I stopped in mid-chew. “Did she know I was coming?”
“She saw you drive up.”
A wave of irritation closed my throat. I put the chips down and dusted the crumbs from my hands. It was obvious she was planning to give me the cold shoulder once again. I leveled a challenging look at Tally. “There you have it. She’s up to her old tricks.”
Scowling, Tally slapped his hat against his thigh before jamming it onto the hook. “Damn it.” He appeared lost in thought for a moment, obviously agonizing about what to do next before his expression hardened to grim resolve. “Where is she?” he growled to Ronda.
She thumbed over her shoulder. “As f
ar as I know she’s still in Dad’s study. She’s been in there for hours moping over the old photograph albums again.” She shook her head sadly. “Like that’s going to bring him back.”
Tally’s sigh of exasperation accompanied an eye roll.
His sister cocked her head to one side, eyeing him shrewdly. “What’s going on? Why are you two so ticked off?”
He lifted my left hand and pointed to the ring, whispering, “Because, we planned to tell her about this.”
Ronda’s gaze turned sympathetic. “I see.”
“What happened? She seemed fine a couple of hours ago. What set her off?”
An elongated shrug. “You know her, up one minute, down the next.”
“Great.” Tally looked as glum as I felt, but I pushed away my frustration and steeled myself for battle. I’d had it with Ruth and her obstinate mood fluctuations. I was on a mission and the word retreat wasn’t in my game plan.
“You know what? I don’t give a crap if she is in a snit,” I announced firmly. “Let’s just do it.”
Tally and Ronda exchanged an anxious glance. “Kendall,” he began cautiously, “maybe we shouldn’t—”
My cheeks flamed. “Shouldn’t what? Shouldn’t tell her? Are you suggesting we put it off again? Let her continue to run the show? No way. Not this time. I’m done tiptoeing around her. Maybe you guys are intimidated because she’s your mother, but she sure as hell isn’t mine. So, Tally, you can relax. You’re off the hook.” I stomped towards the closed door of Joe Talverson’s former study. “I’ll tell her myself.”
“Kendall! Damn it, wait…” he caught up with me and grabbed my arm. “Simmer down. I’m coming with you. We’ll tell her together just as we planned.”
Heartened, I beamed him a grateful smile and gave him a quick kiss. “Okay.”
We approached the door and after only a moment’s hesitation, Tally pushed it open. Prepared to face her wrath, the words I’d waited so long to say remained locked in my throat at the sight of Ruth sitting in a chair weeping softly, an array of photo albums spread out around her feet. “Oh, my darling,” she sobbed, her eyes closed as she clutched one of the photos to her breast. “My love, my only love, why did you have to leave me?”
