The more she thought about what the Brooks brothers had told her, the more she began to wonder if they were telling the truth, maybe her brother and sister had been the innocent ones. It occurred to her that she should start the car and drive to town and report this to the police, hadn’t they said that her brother and sister were killed, and that was a crime.
But she dismissed the idea almost immediately, she had no proof. All Daniel and Steven had to do was deny what they’d told her, and she’d look like a fool, in fact she didn’t even have any proof that her brother and sister had ever been there. It was then that she knew what she had to do, she’d conduct her own investigation, search for clues that she could take to the police.
No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t believe that Clarise and Gerome had done anything to provoke their murder, and that was exactly what it was murder. It was up to her to prove that, and no matter how scary it was, she’d stay here until she could prove that they were innocent, she owed them that and so much more.
***Steven***
Daniel caught up to him, a look of superiority on his face, “See, I told you we’d find something out, now we have a last name and a city. We need to call dad and tell him he’s looking in the wrong place.”
As much as he hated to admit it, his brother had been right, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still wary of Charlie. “I still say we can’t trust her, she’s up at the house alone, bet she’s looking for the amulet right now.”
“I don’t think so, I don’t think she knows about it. I keep feeling like there’s something off about her, I mean did you hear how she described the fights her parents had, she said they sounded like animals,” Daniel said, following Steven into the bran which was full of cows in the process of calving.
“So? What’s your point?”
“I’m not sure, it just sounded funny,” Daniel said.
Steven looked at him, thinking back to the conversation, realizing that his brother was right. “I see what you mean, but it’s probably because she’s lying,” he said, “She can’t be trusted and that’s all there is to it, the sooner we get rid of her the better. Call dad and tell him what’s going on, I just want her out of here and as far away from the amulet as we can get her.”
Daniel shook his head, “I still think it’s better to have her here where we can keep an eye on her. We’ll let dad make that decision,” Daniel said, pulling out his phone.
It was moments like this that reminded Steven how much he wanted his own ranch where he could make his own decisions, he was supposed to be in charge here, but it didn’t feel much like he was. He shrugged his shoulders and walked away, he’d do what ever his dad wanted as usual, but one of these days that was going to change.
“Fine, call him,” he said, over his shoulder.
When Daniel found him a few minutes later, he said, “She stays here for as long as we can keep her, but dad wanted to make sure that you’ve got that amulet hidden well.”
Steven sighed, he’d should have known that his father would side with Daniel, it had always been that way. He unzipped his jacket and pulled open his collar to show Daniel the amulet which was hanging from a string around his neck. “This was the best place I could think of.”
Daniel shook his head, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. That thing is dangerous,” he said.
“I put it in this little leather bag, I can’t feel anything through it. I won’t sleep with it but at least this way I know where it is all the time.”
Daniel looked at him skeptically, “I won’t tell you what to do, but that thing scares me.”
***Charlie***
Now that she’d decided what she was going to do, she had to come up with a plan. Getting back out of the car, she stood looking around her, trying to decide the best place to start. For the first time since she’d gotten there she looked around her only to discover that it was truly beautiful. The mountains were topped with clouds and the sun was shining off the snow at the peaks so brightly that she had to close her eyes.
Taking a deep breath, she smelled the pine of the forests and felt just a slight warmth to the air. She walked around the car and noticed the big barn behind the house as well as several other buildings whose purpose escaped her. Behind the barn was a pasture that must have been a couple of miles long, it was filled with milling cattle and when the wind changed, she got a whiff of them and wrinkled her nose.
That smell would take some getting used to, she thought as she walked back to the house. It was time to come up with a plan and she always planned better when she could make lists. She got a note pad out of her suitcase and took it back down to the kitchen, sat down at the table and opened it to a fresh page, but nothing came to her.
What she needed was some expert advice, but she didn’t know anyone who could help. Then she remembered her phone, Google was always the answer when she didn’t know something, and this was no different. After a quick search, she found that what she needed was proof, first that her brother and sister had been at the ranch, and second that something bad had happened to them here.
The next step would be finding out the who, but she was going to take this one step at a time, not rush into anything. Just because it seemed like Daniel and Steven were covering up something didn’t mean they were involved, but deep down she was sure that they were. She’d ask them more questions when they came back, but they weren’t the only people on the ranch.
There were plenty of people working on the ranch, including Margot the cook who probably saw everyone who came through here. Feeling like she’d finally gotten things under control now that she had a plan, she ripped the page out of the notebook, tucked it and a pen into her pocket and set out to find the bunkhouse kitchen.
It was time to thank Margot for her kindness that morning and if she was lucky get her first clue to what had really happened to Clarise and Gerome. The bunkhouse wasn’t hard to find, it looked exactly like she’d thought it would, a long building with big windows and bunks lined up along the outside walls. As she walked past, she realized that the building was really made up of smaller buildings attached by small passageways and it reminded her of some of the boarding schools she’d attended.
When she finally came to the end of the building she couldn’t miss the kitchen which like the bunk house had huge windows. She could see the dining room full of tables, a drink station along the back wall, and the door to the kitchen standing open.
Walking through the dark, quiet dining room, she wondered if Clarise and Gerome had ever eaten here, wondered if their last meal had been here. Then she thought about the kind of men and woman who spent their lives in places like this and realized that she really didn’t know her brother and sister at all if this was how they’d spent their lives.
But it would explain why Clarise always told her that they didn’t have a permanent address, that they moved from place to place. It also explained how they’d paid for her schools and books, and living expenses, they probably lived very simply just so she could have everything she needed.
Tears welled up in her eyes when she thought about how much they’d given up for her, and for a second she felt a bit faint when it occurred to her that it might be her fault. Brushing those thoughts away, she stepped through the kitchen doors relieved to find that it was bright and cheerful in the big room. The windows let in the bright sunlight and it smelled wonderful.
When Margot saw her she said, “Well hello there, I wondered if you’d stay. Sit down there at the table and I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”
When Margot set it down in front of her she said, “I just wanted to come by and thank you again for making me breakfast this morning.”
“Oh, it was no problem, nice to have a little break once in a while but the boys sure weren’t happy with cold cereal this morning,” she said, then went back to the stove. “But they’ll forgive me when they see today’s lunch.”
She lifted the lid of a huge pot, fragrant steam wafted out mak
ing Charlie’s stomach growl. “It smells wonderful, they’re lucky.”
“You’re welcome to join us for lunch, we’re having pot roast, potatoes and carrots,” Marot said, dumping a huge bowl of potatoes and carrots into the pot.
“I’d like that,” Charlie said, meaning it, then asked, “I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about my brother and sister?”
Margot turned away from the stove to look at Charlie, her heart going out to the girl who looked like an innocent bunny rabbit sitting at the big table. The poor thing was way out of her element, that had been clear the minutes she’d seen her this morning. But Steven had made it very clear that no one was supposed to talk to Charlie about what happened last year.
“I wish I had time for that, but I’ve only got an hour before lunch and way too much to do. Maybe we could talk later, I usually take a break in the afternoon, come by then,” Margot said, then turned back to the stove.
Charlie finished her coffee, called a thank you to Margot who only waved a spoon at her, then walked back through the empty dining room and outside. She’d definitely be back for lunch, it would be the perfect opportunity to meet the other employees and talk to them but that left her with an hour to kill.
It was a tempting idea to go back to the house and search it for any clue that Clarise and Gerome had been here, employment records or something like that, but she wasn’t quite that brave. Getting caught would be the end of her investigation and she’d just gotten started, instead she decided to explore the ranch, so she took the first path she came to and headed into the trees.
Chapter 6
***Steven***
It had already been a terrible day and it was just past lunch time, not that he’d had any lunch. On top of worrying about the amulet and Charlie Mathews unexpected arrival at the ranch, eight cows had begun having trouble calving overnight and the barn was full. He was doing all he could, but it was beginning to feel like it wasn’t enough and for the first time he wished that his dad was here.
Pushing that thought aside, he concentrated on what he was doing, hoping that this time the tiny leg would slip free. But it was wedged against a bone and his hand was too big to get a good grip on it. The cow was bawling and writhing on the stall floor, her distress difficult to watch, so he slid his hand out to give her a few minutes break.
Sitting back on his heels, he looked up at Daniel, “It’s no good, I can feel where it’s wedged, but I can’t get my hand in the right place to get it free.”
“The vet can’t be here for at least an hour, they’re doing road construction out on the highway,” Daniel said, bending down to stroke the cows head. “You’re going to have to try again.”
“Give us both a chance to rest,” Steven said.
***Charlie***
Charlie walked out of the dining room no wiser than when she’d gone in, no one had wanted to talk to her about her brother and sister. But that wasn’t entirely true she realized, now she knew that everyone here was hiding something, that had been clear when they’d all clammed up the second she spoke their names. Some had simply turned away from her, some had pretended that she hadn’t asked, and a few had just walked away.
So, it hadn’t been a total waste, and she’d gotten a fabulous lunch out of it too. Margot could cook that was for sure, now she’d have to see if she could get her to talk, she’d seemed like she wanted to, but Charlie wasn’t sure. Still she’d invited her back that afternoon and she wasn’t going to miss the chance to ask her a few questions.
Steven and Daniel hadn’t shown up for lunch and she wondered if they’d been avoiding her. But there had been lots of talk about all the calves being born this year, and she assumed they were busy with that, but she was tired of waiting for the answers to her questions.
Even if she had to stand next to them while they worked, she was determined to get some answers this afternoon, she couldn’t go on not knowing what had really happened. It was beginning to eat away at her, her imagination putting them in places all over the ranch, happy and smiling, then cut down, lying dead in the forest.
She knew that the barn was close when the smell hit her, but this smell was more pungent than what she’d smelled that morning. It was tinged with something metallic she couldn’t name, but instinctively knew she didn’t like and the sounds coming from the barn didn’t make her feel any better.
When she got to the big doors, she hesitated, not sure what she might find inside. Her imagination was working over time as she stepped inside the dark barn, the sounds coming from inside louder now that she was closer to the source. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust but once she could see, she headed for the group of people at the back of the barn.
As she got closer, she realized that the sound had been coming from there too, a horrible screaming that sounded inhuman. Determined to see what was going on, terrible images of animal sacrifice rushing through her head, she pushed her way to the front. What she saw when she finally pushed her way through the crowd made her suck in a deep breath, which nearly choked her as the intense smell of the barn was sucked deep into her lungs.
Choking and trying to get another breath into her lungs, she coughed and sputtered catching Daniel and Steven’s attention. Steven looked up from where he was crouched behind the cow and glared at her, Daniel only glanced at her then returned his attention to the cow.
“Try once more,” Daniel said.
Steven grunted, then began moving his arm around, making the cow scream in pain. “You’re hurting her. Stop,” Charlie ordered, unable to watch any longer.
To her astonishment, Steven did stop. Then he pulled his arm out of the cow, stripped off the plastic glove he was wearing and put his hands on his hips. Charlie was immediately sorry that she’d spoken up, the look on his face was enough to tell her that she’d over stepped and that she was about to hear about it.
***Steven***
“What do you know about calving?” Steven asked, his anger and frustration coming to a head.
“I don’t… I mean… you were hurting her,” Charlie tried to defend herself.
“No, I was trying to save both her and her calf,” Steven sneered at her. Then added, “Since you seem to want to give orders, maybe you have a better suggestion.”
Charlie tried to back away, but the men behind her had her pinned in. “I umm, I don’t know…” she said.
“That’s what I thought, maybe you should go back up to the house where you won’t be in the way, we have work to do,” Steven said, then knelt next to the cow.
Daniel who’d been silent through the entire exchange said, “Wait, Charlie might be able to help.”
Charlie and Steven looked at him in shock and asked, “What?” in unison.
Daniel crossed the stall and grabbed one of Charlie’s wrists and held her hand up in the air. “Look at her hands, they’re tiny, she could get in there and free the calf.”
Charlie looked even more shocked, “I couldn’t do that,” she said.
“No way, she doesn’t know what she’s doing,” Steven said, his face stormy.
“Do you have a better suggestion?” Daniel asked him. When Steven didn’t answer, he turned back to Charlie. “It’s not going to be that hard, you’ll just have to reach up inside and feel for the leg bones, one of them is wedged against the mother’s hip, you’ll be able to feel it.”
Charlie stared at Daniel, but the look of shock had left her face. She held up her hands and looked at them, then down at the cow who had begun to writhe on the stall floor again. “I guess I could try,” she said.
“Steven will stay right with you, talk you through it,” Daniel said, opening the door to that stall. “We’ll get you some coveralls, so you don’t get dirty.”
A few minutes later, Charlie was wearing a pair of coveralls, the legs and sleeves rolled up and a huge rubber glove on her hand. She looked scared but determined as she knelt by the cow, her free hand stroking its flanks. After several deep breaths, she no
dded to Steven and slowly slid her hand into the cow, trying to ignore the cow’s screams of pain.
“It’s okay, take your time,” Steven coached. “You should be able to feel the legs and when you do, see if you can push them back just a little, they should slip free.”
Charlie closed her eyes and felt around inside the cow, then her eyes flew open. “I feel them.”
“Good now try to get them free,” Steven said softly, his voice full of encouragement.
Charlie moved her hand around inside the cow, cringing when she cried out even louder. “I can feel them…...” she started to say when there was a huge whoosh of fluid that soaked her lap and made her pull her arm out quickly.
Her arm was followed by the calf which landed in her lap, its legs flailing as it took its first breath. She sat there stunned, the calf in her lap, as the men around her cheered. Steven pulled the calf off of her and began to clean it up, but it fought him, so he let it go to its mother who was already struggling to her feet.
Charlie scooted back against the wall of the stall, a look of wonder on her face. Steven sat down next to her and watched mother and calf for a few minutes. “You did great, I didn’t think we’d be able to save them. Thank you.”
Charlie looked over at him, “It was amazing, I had no idea,” she said, unable to say anything more.
Steven looked at Charlie then, the amazement in her voice reminded him of the first time he’d helped a calf being born. Then the strangest thing began to happen, his heart began to beat faster and for a moment he felt a stab of desire. Sure, that it was just a product of his relief, he quickly got to his feet and pulled Charlie to hers.
“We’ve got seven more cows in trouble, I don’t suppose you’d like to help out a little more?” he asked, not looking at her.
Fairplay Shifters Boxset Page 39