Silver Wilderness Range

by Kieran York

  She folded her copy, and then made a note on Nick’s copy and on the copy for the D.A. She explained to them about it being Seth’s list. Perhaps from someone at Silver Wilderness. It needed to be confidential. She asked Wanda to see that Nick got his immediately, and that the other be delivered to Mike’s office.

  The sheriff and K-9 Deputy Chance left the office and strolled toward the Eagle Inn. Royce had the desk-clerk call up to his room. She was told that he would be down in a few minutes and would meet her in the coffee shop.

  When he arrived, Royce was amazed at the dapper cousin Rick. He had maintained his youthful appearance, and walked with vigor. Dark eyes, brown hair, a tanned face with nice features, and a smile. “I’m Erick Durant, and you’ve been looking for me?”

  “Yes. About your aunt. Daisy Barnaby.”

  “I was out of the country, and finally got word that she was missing.” His face was suddenly strained. “Whatever it takes, we’ve got to find her. I can hire some P.I.s to help.”

  His concern was heartfelt. Royce sensed out the difference, and immediately felt he was trustworthy. “Don’t worry. She’s fine.”

  “You’ve found her?”

  “Rick, we have located her. We were trying to get in touch with you. Our first search was for Richard, not Erick. I have some confidential information for you. We’re in the midst of an investigation, so I won’t go too deeply into it. I’m going to take you over to the D.A.s office and let him talk with you. For now, I can say that Daisy is secure, and well.”

  “The last time I saw her, I thought it might be the end.” His eyes watered. “Sheriff, I love that old gal.”

  “Timber County loves her, too. And you can call me Royce. I was her student.”

  “She taught me so much about this area.” His smile was affectionate. “I’m sorry it was difficult for you to get in touch with me. I’m a retired pilot, and now conduct bush tours and do a few private trips. I don’t need the money, but I love the flying. Can I see Daisy?”

  “Mike Parker is our D.A., and he can make that determination.”

  “It concerns her care at the Silver Wilderness Center, doesn’t it?” His frown deepened. “I had anxiety about her health. Her face, as she slept, made her look as though she was in agony.” He paused, looking away. “I know she loves Timber, and wouldn’t want to leave. But, I didn’t feel entirely comfortable with her there.”

  “I’ll confide in you about this much, she was in agony. But she’s better now. They said that you signed the agreement. Did they put any pressure on you to sign?”

  “Emotional. The said it would be best for her. If left alone she couldn’t manage and would be endangered. Although it was as if I had to sign everything over, so that they would continue to care for her. They assured me there would be some money left. But that meant nothing to me. Cousin Daisy wanted to have the rangeland left without development. And she wanted it to be a reserve for young people to study nature. Naturally, I insisted that only the deed to the house be transferred. They tried to get me to sign the range property deed as well. But I didn’t. I wanted that to be Daisy’s dream.”

  Royce leaned toward him. “Wait a minute. Daisy owned the range?”

  “Owns. She still does.”

  “I think we just got our case against Silver Wilderness strengthened. You didn’t sign for the land. But I saw the paperwork. The signature was the same on both the house deed, and a second deed I thought might be for the lot behind her house. It never occurred to me that she owes all the property. The range.”

  “Except for the small section that a man named Lawrence Austin owns. The land and its deed belong to Daisy.” Perplexed, he insisted, “I did not sign that deed. In fact, I mentioned to Mr. Zellner that I wasn’t signing her property away. It was not to be sold. If there were additional charges for Cousin Daisy’s care, after the funds from the house being sold, I would pay them.” His fist hit the table. “I didn’t care what costs I might have incurred. I’m wealthy. In addition to making money as a pilot, I’ve invested in the aerospace business, including the technologies, and it’s been very good to me. I would never have allowed Daisy’s dream to be taken from her. Never.” Anger flared as he hit the table again. He took a final sip of his coffee.

  “Let’s take a walk down to the D.A.’s office,” Royce encouraged. “You can tell them what you told me. Rick, for now we’ve got to place it in their hands. I promise, Miss Daisy is going to have a wilderness reserve.”

  ***

  Royce sat in on the conference call between Lyn, Mike, and Rick. While encouraged, both Lyn and Mike indicated that it would be tricky. Lyn instructed that it would be best if there was more evidence. Handwriting experts would be need. CBI had certified forensic graphologist. The case could use their assistance. She offered to fly to Crystal when her current court case was settled. She would be staying at her luxury Golden Nugget apartment complex when she arrived.

  When the phone conference ended, Royce called for an unmarked squad car to take Rick to Gwen and Nadine’s, so that he could see his mother’s cousin, Daisy. Gwen had graciously invited Rick to stay with them a night or two. They had spare bedrooms, and that way both Daisy and Rick could stay out of the public eye. As Lyn had stated, not showing the prosecution’s cards is best for the time being. Rick quickly agreed.

  Royce sat across from Mike. “You don’t seem to mind sharing the case with Lyn.”

  Mike’s face flushed. “I’ve got to tell you, I’m new at this. There are so many facets to trying this kind of case. I’m overwhelmed. And I’m very happy that Lyn has agreed to come aboard. She’s prosecuted this type of case. She knows what to look for. I’m grateful to her. In fact, before she left – when I took over as D.A., she worked mentoring me. She taught me a great deal. And she promised to be of help to me whenever I needed help. I have needed help. And she’s helped.”

  “She’s one powerhouse attorney,” Royce commented about her ex-lover.

  “A place at the Golden Nugget. She must make big bucks.” Mike commented. “I never knew that was where she stayed. But then I was only here a week or two before she left. Wish I had gotten more time with her.”

  Royce exhaled loudly. “She’s not paying for it out of her D.A. paycheck. She wouldn’t mind my telling you this. She’s a candy heiress. Evan Cholates. That’s her family’s company.”

  “Nice. And delicious. So, she’s got digs there, and here. And extremely luxurious. If you treat her right,” Royce laughed, then continued, “she’ll see that you get a box of chocolates very week for life.”

  “Chocolate is a great incentive. Actually, I’m just thrilled to have her assist. She’s got excellent credentials here in Timber. As I’ve been looking over her past cases, I’ve come to appreciate how excellent she is. I’m a little star struck.”

  “When it comes to the intricacies of law, she has that shimmer.”

  “She’s already been emailing me about replevin legal actions to get back personal property wrongfully held by another person. She’s going to have the entire process ready to put down as soon as we begin.” Mike’s usually calm demeanor was becoming enthusiastic. “We’ll have everything ready to be entered. All admissible evidence. When we move with our search warrants, that will include all that’s on their computers, their financials, and each person’s data.”

  “She likes detail,” Royce recalled. “She will wring out every little transgression. And from here it looks like it just might be a bucket full of crime.”

  “Defalcation,” Mike offered as he sat straight up, “we’re going to make them account for every dollar spent. How these blanket guardianships came to be. Signatures – see if they’re all fraudulent. Lyn Evan’s knows her lis pendens and fiduciary requirements for a place like the Silver Wilderness Center.”

  Royce laughed heartily. “And I’m here to keep you busy.”

  “You’re the one that put me onto this.” His face became starkly saddened. “So many would have simply taken Dai
sy Barnaby back to them. And walked away.” For a few moments, his words stalled. Then he said, “We walk away from the elderly. Times like these we all need to think about what they’ve done for us. And for the world. And how little we give back. It’s made me think about trying to bring my grandmother to Timber. I don’t want her to end up alone. My parents aren’t negligent people, but they’ve been raising and educating my brother, two sisters, and me. Maybe she can come visit me. She might like it here. Do you think your grandmother would introduce her around?”

  “Does she play canasta?”

  “Yes. And poker.”

  “My Gran would love showing her the senior circuit.”

  Royce stood, held out her hand and shook his.

  “Thanks, Sheriff.”

  “And thank you, Mike.”

  “Oh, and just for your information, we’re checking the names on that list you sent over. So far, every single one on there has had dealings with Seth Egan in the last twenty years. Never a good outcome. From the few we’ve gotten information on, it seems as though Egan ruined people. Families. People’s hope for a secure tomorrow. I’ll bet the prosecuting attorneys in his criminal case were overjoyed when he pulled time.”

  Royce thought about the victims. She thought about the perpetrator. She and her deputies were trying to save a much-hated man from freezing, from exposure to a brittle, ice cold death in an early snow storm.

  It was to be expected that Royce would suspect someone had killed him. He had his detractors. Justified hatred for the man, of course. And the ultimate ending of Seth Egan’s life was a mystery. Either way, he was dead, or destitute, and running from his life as a patient, or miserable in some way. Sometimes, Royce mulled, there was an automatic wisdom within justice.

  Chapter 13

  It had been an unusually busy morning. Royce had gone through the third shift, graveyard, and duty reports that the overnight crew of deputies had generated. Her glance snagged on a police report. After midnight one of the deputies in Crystal pulled over a slightly intoxicated Alec Zellner.

  Valiant Dude had been speeding. His white Dodge Viper ACR had been rolling at ten miles over the speed limit. He had been released because it was his first offense, and he told the deputy that he was a friend of Royce’s. The deputy had put Royce’s name in quotation marks, indicating Alec used her first name.

  Royce immediately called the deputy in and asked him about it. Right away, knowing the Sheriff’s policies, he reported that he didn’t let the guy off with just a warning because they were friends. He didn’t seem terribly impaired, and he had a clean license. Royce questioned him. Could it have been drugs, rather than alcohol, or with alcohol? The deputy shrugged. He didn’t think that was the case.

  As he left, Royce told the deputy that this man was not her friend. Then she said with a humorless, dry denial, “I have no friends when it comes to crime.” Then both deputy and sheriff laughed.

  She would, however, stop by and visit with her newly found friend. The drive to Silver Wilderness Center was needed. She could only stay tied to her desk for just so long, and then even a trip to see the obnoxious Alec Zellner was a good thing.

  Royce didn’t wait to be shown in. She assumed he was there, so she walked in. He looked up with a rapid jerk. His weary eyes focused in on her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You can’t just bust in here.”

  Shrugging, Royce smiled. “Hey, pal. Now that we’re friends, I thought you’d enjoy a visit.”

  “I don’t. I’m busy.”

  “Nursing a hangover. Or are you into something stronger?”

  “I don’t do drugs. In fact, we take drug tests every month. I’ve never failed one.”

  She sat down opposite him. His consultation jacket was a light blue. He began buttoning it, and his fingers were trembling. “Wrong button. Try starting from the top down or the bottom up. Easier.”

  “Look, I don’t know where those two crazy old bats are. They are not here. You’re supposed to be searching to find them.” Smug, yet with an air of insecurity, he added, “If you’d stop harassing the brass here at SWC, you might find them. You should be looking for them.”

  “And you were supposed to be looking after them.” Her hesitation was with purpose. He was getting more nervous. “Give me your best guess. Is Seth still alive?”

  “To be perfectly blunt, no one believes the rotten asshole is alive.”

  Royce realized there was little hope of finding Seth Egan alive. No tracks. None. No one had heard from him. “Maybe he is.”

  Alec’s eyes batted furiously. “He’s dead. Give it up. You’ve got no hint where he is. You’ve scoured the county.”

  “He hasn’t been found here. And there are no John Does found anywhere in Colorado.”

  “He couldn’t have got out of the county. But he’s not in great shape.”

  “If he isn’t alive, I think he was murdered.” She watched his response. Alec’s breathing became shallow when she said the word murdered. “Give me your best guess. Who would murder him?”

  “I wasn’t the last to see him alive. Larry Austin was there.” Alec removed his spectacles. He waited several moments before returning them to his face. “Check with Larry.”

  “Larry couldn’t stand him. You couldn’t stand him.” The sheriff watched his reshuffling of papers, and repositioning the items on his desk. “Am I correct? Larry hated him. Certainly, enough to pound him to the ground. And you hated him. So, which one of you killed him?”

  “If you’re wasting my time by stating the obvious hatred for Seth, I confess. I did hate him. Not as much as Larry hated him. Larry had more of a motive than I did. He ripped Larry off. Did you know that?”

  Royce smiled. “I did. How did you find out about it?”

  “The old man told me. Seth was out of his head on drugs. He said he was afraid of Larry because he’d done a little sting on Larry’s savings account. The stocks and bonds that Larry’s father had left him were converted to Seth’s funds. That left Larry with the ranch and a little patch of property where he plays farmer. He hated Seth enough to kill him. But I don’t think he did. We all think Seth is dead of natural causes. Out there alone, lost, and he keeled over. I told you, he wasn’t in good shape. Didn’t take care of himself.” Alec smirked, “And he wasn’t alert enough to take care of himself.”

  “Anyone getting away with financial fraud for twenty years has got to be a wily coot.”

  Alec was bright red. Royce gauged from his color that his hangover must be at a throbbing stage. She tipped her Stetson and walked away. She also saw an important glimmer of hatred. Alec did not like the assumption that Seth was smarter than his victims. There had to be a reason for that glimmer.

  ***

  Royce had just entered the Sheriff’s Department conference room. Terry diligently worked all day on finding the pod that held the property of Seth Egan. “I hate phone work,” she complained as she hung up the phone. “Have you ever noticed that Sunshine Sam even keeps that cheery crap going even though he’s on his hundredth call?” Leaning back, her chair suddenly tipped. She gave a squeal.

  Standing directly behind her was Sam. He had been walking past when he heard his name. He tugged at the back of her chair. “Calling me?” He asked with a melody in his voice.

  “You are a jackal,” Terry seethed.

  Sam laughed as began to leave. Royce interceded, “You two are like a couple of kids.”

  “Sorry,” Sam said. “I shouldn’t have touched her chair.”

  “What’s with you two?” Royce inquired. “One’s sniping, and the other is teasing.”

  “We can’t stand one another.” Terry scrunched her face up. As he left, she added, “I wonder how the guy gets dates.”

  Royce offered, “One time I went into the Quartz Club, and he was out on the town with a very adorable woman. She seemed to be very taken with him.”

  “Maybe she was a working girl.” Terry’s glare hadn’t left the door Sam had exited.r />
  “I don’t think he’d date someone he might have to arrest,” Royce bantered. “How about the university students during break. They were all over him. Some women love the comedic happy guys.”

  “I’m not one of them.” Terry huffed, “We’ve never gotten along. I know, you told me that you and Nick didn’t used to get along when you were young deputies.” Terry picked up the phone.

  “Why don’t you ask him out? Invite him over for your best cooked meal. At least try to become friends.”

  “I’m a deputy. I don’t have a best cooked meal. I don’t even have any eatable meals. And he wouldn’t come anyway.”

  “Why do you say that?” Royce playfully asked as she restacked the reports.

  “Look how he treats me. Pulled my chair back to scare me.” She slammed down the phone. She huffed. “He actually pulled back my chair. I might have fallen.”

  “While you were calling him a jackal, he tipped your chair. But he would have caught you if you would have fallen. You know that. We’re all here for one another.”

  “I do know that. And I do actually respect him. Okay, I shouldn’t call him names. I’ll try to be more civil. If I can stand all that joy to the world stuff.”

  “Just give one another a chance.” Royce paused. “He may become your permanent partner. You need to have one another’s back. Be protective of each other.”

  “In the morning I’ll praise Deputy Sunshine’s joyful demeanor.” Her face was broadcasting her displeasure. “I’ll tell him I like him.” She glowered.

  “There you go! He’ll appreciate that no end.” Royce teased.

  ***

  Definitely putting in extra hours was exhausting Royce. The last phone call of the evening was a frightened Amber Kerr. “Hold on,” Royce cautioned, “slow down. I can’t understand you.” Amber was obviously crying, overwrought and her voice quavered.

  “Sheriff, I had to go into work this afternoon and it was terrible. They were doing drug inventories. Zellner was being an ass. He screamed at me. I think he knows I talked with you. He threatened to take nightshift away from me. We get paid premium hours when we work nights. That’s going to cut into my paycheck.”