Jill rubbed her temples and grimaced. “I apologize for being irritable, Ms. Winslow, it’s a migraine day for me, I’m afraid.”
“No need to apologize, Mrs. Henson, please go on into the guest house, get comfortable, and let us know if there is anything we can do.”
Abby watched as they made their way to the guest house. She turned to Sandy, “What do you think?”
“Oh, I’m just waiting on a call to the kitchen at noon for breakfast, but I’ll hope for the best. And hey, that Foster guy, the business partner, and well Henson too, look like they live at the gym. I guess when you have money, you get the perks.”
“Yes, the gym comes to you when you are rich enough. But ugh, I hope they are not a pain. But if they are, we’ll just do our best,” Abby said.
“I’m off to check on dinner preparation. Do you want me to leave you a plate, we have plenty?”
“Thanks, Sandy, that would be great. I don’t feel like cooking just for myself.”
“What about Cami? I haven’t seen her since this morning,” Sandy said.
“I have no idea. She has been like a ghost. She is supposed to be taking some down time but basically, she seems to be traveling around the country. She got in late last night and seems to be avoiding her parents by staying here. I think she was pondering a return to work the last time I talked to her.”
Sandy gave her a backward wave and walked toward the house. “I’ll see if she wants dinner if I can find her.”
Now that the guests were there Abby wasn’t sure what to do next. It was a few hours until dinner, and the staff had everything under control. Bobby had gone back to work and she felt at loose ends.
Abby found Cami sitting in the kitchen staring into a glass of white wine. “Hey, there you are. Staying for dinner with me?”
“Sure, but I think I’ll get back to my parents’ house tomorrow, say my goodbyes and then back to work. I’ve had all the down time I can take. I think it’s making it worse, too much time to think.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I was hoping a change of scene and the riding would give you knew perspective.”
“It did help, Abby, but Sam is still sending me text messages and I don’t have the guts to block him. What is wrong with me?”
Abby felt a chill ride up her spine as a horrible thought occurred. “Love is a powerful thing, Cami. It can cloud our judgement.” She could hardly get the next words out. “Uh, Cami, you never said, what is this Sam’s last name?”
“It’s Henson, Sam Henson.”
Abby gasped. “Sam Henson, in his 40s, married to Jill, oh, of course. Why didn’t I connect the dots?”
Cami paused her glass in mid-air. “What are you talking about, connect what dots?”
“Oh no, Cami, I didn’t put it together because Sam is such a common name.”
“What are you talking about, Abby?”
“He’s here, Cami, here at the ranch. He’s the one who brought the group here. This Sam is your—your Sam.”
Cami choked on her sip of wine and turned red and then pale as she coughed. “He’s here?” she croaked.
“Yes, with his wife, two sisters, the whole group.”
“Does he know I’m here?”
“How would I know, Cami? You said he knew you were at your parent’s house before, so maybe he thinks you are still there. He’s bound to know this ranch is close to your parent’s ranch. He even mentioned being in this area before when he arrived. Oh my, I wonder if that’s why he wanted to come here?”
“Oh mercy, what do I do? What? I’ve got to get out of here, Abby.”
“Calm down. They are in the guest house now. They won’t be coming here for anything. Why don’t you pack up and go on back to your parents’ house tonight if you don’t want to run the risk of him seeing you tomorrow?”
“You know, Abby, I almost want him to see me. I’d like to see the look on his face as he stands there next to his wife and looks at me. How can someone do what he has done to me, lie about everything, lead me to believe that he and I had a real relationship, maybe a future? All the time he was just playing a game, having his fun. I was a distraction.”
“Look, Cami, at least you know the truth now. It’s up to you what the next move will be. I don’t think confronting him will make you feel better or give you the closure you want.”
“I hate that word, closure. Let me think about it. I promise I won’t cause a scene and mess up your week, Abby.”
“I didn’t think about that, but thanks. I don’t know if I could deal with my first guests leaving day one after some sort of verbal confrontation in the yard.”
“Okay, I see that, Abby. You don’t have to be worried. I’ll pack up and leave in the morning before everyone gets up and about. I just want to go to my room now and make plans to get back to work and leave all this behind.”
“You do what you think best, Cami, tonight or in the morning. They are going on a trail ride after breakfast tomorrow. Why don’t you leave then while everyone is gone?”
“Sounds reasonable. I can’t believe he is within walking distance of me. I want to go over and slap his face, Abby. I can’t help it.”
“And deep breaths, many deep breaths, Cami.”
“Yeah, yeah, okay.”
Abby watched Cami retreat to her room and felt a pang of guilt. Yes, she didn’t want her to confront Sam Henson because it would be a bad situation for her business. But she knew in the long run it was not something Cami would be proud of later if she did it. Abby felt sure of that and the thought eased her conscience a bit.
By dinner time Cami had not left her room and Abby was beginning to worry about her state of mind. She knocked on her door at six and was pleasantly surprised when Cami opened it with a smile on her face. “I’m good, Abby.”
“Well, you look better.”
“Yep, Abby, I’ve faced facts and I am ready to move on. I made a bad judgement call and I accept that. Maybe the signs were there, but he was so attractive, and I was so flattered that I didn’t want to see them, the signs, I mean.”
“Stop beating yourself up now, okay? We all make mistakes.”
“What’s for dinner?”
Abby laughed because this sounded more like the original Cami, moving on to the next thing. “Fried chicken and ice cream for dessert. Blame Sandy.”
“You had me at fried chicken.”
Abby and Cami stayed away from conversation about the ranch or Sam Henson, and instead talked about where Cami’s job would take her next, and Abby’s budding romance with Bobby. Abby tried to steer clear of relationship talk due to the circumstances, but Cami insisted on an update. Even with Cami, Abby found herself holding back. She just didn’t know how Bobby felt about things, if he was over his broken relationship, or what he wanted for his future. She was comfortable where they were and didn’t want to rock the boat.
After checking in with her staff, and letting Danny and Leon know she would not be going on the trail ride the next morning with him and the guests, Abby said goodnight to Cami and replied to the text Bobby had sent earlier asking how things went: So far so good, she had replied.
Bobby had wanted to go on the trail ride, but he had to work. Only ten of their 15 horses would be on the ride, counting staff, so she had invited Bobby to go riding later if he could work out the time. He sent her a text back: Will try my best.
Abby sent a reply: If you get here by 10, we can take a shortcut and meet the group at Riders Crossing.
Bobby promised he’d try to arrive at 10 and have lunch with her after. Abby smiled as she picked out her clothes for the next day. Things were looking up. Now if Cami just got away unseen, and on her way back to work, she’d feel calmer.
Abby picked up the book on her nightstand, a mystery, and settled in for a good read, but her phone had other ideas. It was Danny telling her that Sam Henson wanted to ride out earlier than the group to have some time on his own. After some discussion, Danny assuring her that he seemed to be a
n experienced rider, and that he could give him a trail map, Abby had agreed. Danny would see him off at eight and the rest of the group would leave at nine, right after breakfast. Then Abby sent Cami a text: Sam riding out alone at around eight, so stay clear of the area at that time.
After getting Cami’s assurance she would still be asleep at that time and would leave after having breakfast with Abby, she picked up her book again with a sigh.
Abby got up at six and was dressed and in the kitchen by seven. She walked around to the guest house with her cup of coffee in time to see the group saddling up for their ride. Sam must have left earlier as planned because he wasn’t in the group. Leon and Danny gave her a wave and they were off at a slow trot with the seven guests, all with different skill levels it seemed. She didn’t envy the guys their jobs today. She knew from experience that after an hour in the saddle, an inexperienced rider, or anyone who had been off a horse in a while, would have some body parts complaining. She looked at her watch and walked backed to her house to wake Cami and have their breakfast. She wanted to make sure Cami was gone before Sam Henson came riding back in. She did not want the two of them meeting up in view of everyone there.
Sandy came in to give her a report. “Abby, they all had good things to say about their restful sleep and loved their Texas-size breakfast. So, I’d say, so far, so good.”
“Thanks, Sandy, I was going to call you and let you know I plan to go riding with Bobby around 10 if he gets here in time if you can keep an eye on things. Everyone else will still be on the trail ride.”
“Sure, glad too. I have to be here anyway doing the lunch buffet. Cami still here I guess, isn’t that her car out on the side?”
“Oh, yes, and speaking of that, would you please go make sure she is up? She wanted to leave after breakfast.”
Abby set the table for herself and Cami, hoping that she was already up and dressed. She heard noise down the hall, but it was Sandy coming back. “She’s not in her room, Abby.”
“What? Not in the shower either?”
“No, the bathroom door was open. Her bed was made, and her suitcase was in the floor. She is packed but there was no sign of her.”
“Oh, good grief. Well, she’s around here somewhere if her car is still there. Maybe she wanted a walk before breakfast. If you see her, Sandy, send her my way.”
“Sure thing. Do you mind if I start the prep for lunch in here now?”
“No, you go ahead. I’m just going to have cereal and fruit and I’ll be out of your way. If Cami’s not back soon I’ll call her. She usually has that phone with her all the time. I don’t want to rush her if she is walking though.”
“Well, you know Cami, she does what she wants. She has her own drummer if you know what I mean?”
“Yes, Sandy, she does follow her own path, at least she tries to, but she’s been off it these past few months, and I’m a little worried about her.”
“I noticed she has been a bit down lately. Nothing serious I hope.”
“Nothing she can’t rise above.”
Abby watched as Sandy chopped and diced and started the prep for lunch. She tried to keep her mind off Cami, but every sound from outside made her look up. She cleared her dishes, put them in the dishwasher and went back to her bathroom to brush her teeth. On the way back she went into Cami’s room and looked around. It was as Sandy said, she was packed and ready to go, but, where was she? How like Cami to go off into her own head, her own world, and not be concerned about worrying others. Abby knew this was not entirely fair, but the stress of the week had worn her patience down. She returned to the kitchen hoping to find her there but found only her place setting and empty chair.
Sandy turned from the sink, knife in hand. “Abby, did you think maybe she went for a ride? There were horses left, and maybe she wanted a ride before she left.”
“I didn’t think of that, Sandy. I’ll go check the horses, but first let me call her.” Abby’s call went to voice mail, and Abby picked up her pace as she went to the stables. Why didn’t Cami leave her a note?
Abby was relieved on one hand and even more worried on the other when she found Della missing, one of her mares. Cami had taken Della, but when? And why had she not told her, left her a note? She kept coming back to that. Maybe it was early, and she thought she’d be back before she was missed—but why not answer the phone? Was she hurt somewhere on the trail? All these questions ran through her mind as she pondered whether to call Bobby. She looked at her watch. He would be here in less than half an hour, so she’d wait, she decided. Maybe Cami would show up, and if she did, she was going to hear a few choice words about being responsible.
Chapter Four
By the time Bobby arrived Abby had worn a path in the dirt outside the front porch. No sign of Cami, and the riding group was still out. Where could she be?
Abby barely waited until Bobby was out of his car before she started talking. “Cami is missing. She rode off this morning, somewhere, or at least I think she did. Her car is still here. She is not in her room. Della is gone.”
“Whoa, hold on, back up. Did you say Cami is missing? Where was she supposed to be?”
“Here, Bobby, here, at breakfast with me. She’s not answering her phone. What if she is out there hurt?”
“Where are the guys?”
“Everyone is on the trail ride except Sandy. They are due back by 11, but Cami would not have tried to connect with them because Sam Henson is on the ride, or at least out there somewhere. They said he started out alone—oh no.”
“Oh no, what?”
“I haven’t told you, Bobby, but Sam Henson is the married man Cami got involved with months ago. She didn’t know he was married, and she’s been trying to get rid of him ever since, but he is still pursuing here.”
“And they are here together?”
“Yes, no, well, he doesn’t know she is here. Or at least I don’t think so. She just found out he was one of the guests yesterday. She told me she would leave this morning and go back to her parents’ house to avoid seeing him.”
Bobby took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “Maybe she changed her mind and met up with him on the trail, and that’s what you are thinking, right?”
“Yes, oh no, if they met on the trail…"
“Now, Abby, don’t let your imagination run wild here, they are both adults.”
“Okay, yes, but people do strange things in the name of love. Now what should we do?”
“Let’s wait to see if Sam Henson comes back with the group.” Bobby looked at his watch. “They should be back in about forty-five minutes or less. If we ride out now, we might miss them.”
“No, I want to go now, Bobby. I have a bad feeling. I know which way the group will be coming back. Let’s go meet up with them and see if Sam is there, and if not, we can get a group search going for Cami.”
Abby ran to her room to put on her boots and grabbed her cell phone as she ran out the door. Bobby was already saddling the horses in the stable when she got there. She hoped the guys didn’t deviate from the trail ride plan and doubted they would. The territory was not very forgiving in the hills and the ride had been mapped with safety in mind.
They started out at a brisk gallop and went toward the valley that would lead them up into the hills north of the ranch. There were two trails, but one was rarely used and had been an old logging trail at one time. The other one was used by the ranchers as a shortcut to the pasture lands and a stream that ran for miles through the area. That was the one the group should be on now.
After about 10 minutes on the trail Bobby slowed his horse and looked to the right. “Abby, wait a second, I thought I heard something.” Abby slowed and then guided her horse alongside of Bobby’s.
“What do you think you heard?”
“I could have sworn I heard someone calling out but can’t be sure. It sounded human though, not like an animal noise.”
Abby’s horse snorted, impatient to be on her way, but Abby
calmed her down by patting her neck. She waited until the horse was still and then she held her breath as she listened for any sound but heard nothing. “Let’s ride on Bobby, but we can take it slower and see if we hear anything.”
Bobby turned his horse to follow behind Abby on the narrow trail. “We should be running into the group in about 10 more minutes, Abby. Maybe it was one of them I heard, someone who had rode ahead. You know how rowdy people can get when they are playing cowboy.”
Abby turned back to him and smiled. She knew he was trying to keep her from worrying but nothing would do that now. They rode on another five minutes more slowly now as they started up a hill on the narrowest part of the trail. Coming up on their right was a sharp drop-off to a gully below. It was the most dangerous part of the trail for an inexperienced rider or an inexperienced horse.
Abby slowed her horse almost to a stop as they rounded the curve and she looked over the edge into the gully. Bobby was looking too, and she heard the sharp intake of his breath and turned around. “What is it, what do you see?”
“I saw movement down there between that big rock and the trees. Maybe an animal, I don’t know.”
Abby got off her horse and walked to the edge. “I see something yellow, but the trees are blocking my view.”
Bobby was beside her now and holding onto her arm. “Abby, not so close, you could slide right down that hill on these loose rocks.” Bobby leaned in and shouted, “hello down there, anyone need help?” But there was no reply.
Abby sighed and stepped back a few feet. “Let’s wait for the group here and we can keep an eye on what might be down there. If someone ended up down there, they would have had to fall from here, and there is no sign of that, no rider-less horse or injured horse. Or, they would have had to come in from the old trail past the old logging camp. As far as I know that’s the only way to get to that spot, right?”
“You’re right. Wait, I think I hear the group coming. Let’s saddle up,” Bobby said.
Abby blessed his good hearing, because in two minutes the group came down the trail, Danny in the lead. He gave them a wave and looked surprised to see them.”
Murder at the Dude Ranch Page 5