by Rayna Morgan
The dog raced to the back yard. Lea followed and found the young man weeding a vegetable garden.
“Hi, Dalton,” Lea said. The boy swirled around, dropping a weed puller from his hand.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, wiping a dirty hand on the back of his jeans.
“We didn’t get a chance to talk yesterday. I stopped by to see if you and your sister need any help. I brought some brownies. If you’re anything like my son, you forget to eat.”
Dalton’s face relaxed. He pulled the bandanna from his neck to wipe sweat from his forehead. “The neighbors have been bringing food. We’ve got plenty.”
“How are you getting along?” Lea asked, setting the plastic container on a table.
“Lucy and I are doing fine.” His jaw jutted out. He raised himself to his full height.
The dog sniffed at the brownies. “Mind if I give your dog a treat?” Lea asked, reaching into her pocket. “Rascal, is that his name?”
The dog looked to the boy the way a child looks at a parent for permission.
“Go ahead,” Dalton said, tossing his hair away from his eyes, “but make him beg for the treat.”
Lea gave the command she used with her dogs. “Sit.”
The dog obeyed, waiting eagerly for more instructions. “Shake. C’mon, paw up. Good boy.”
Lea opened her hand and looked at Dalton. “You’ve trained him well.”
“Dad taught him. He never let the dog have anything without doing something for it. Before Rascal got fed in the morning, he had to round up the chickens so Lucy could fetch eggs. By the time he got fed at night, he’d spent the whole day running after the tractor, swimming in water troughs, and keeping the cows in line.
“Dad used to say the smart ones are better company and harder workers than a hired hand.” Dalton grinned, pulling off his gloves. “And they drink less alcohol, and tear up fewer trucks.”
Lea looked around. “Looks like you’re doing most of the work. Do you have hired help?”
“Nope, it’s just me and my sister now.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest trying to look bigger than he was.
“Is there—”
“Thanks for stopping.” He turned his back on her. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
Lea wanted to keep the conversation going. “Could I bother you for a glass of water?”
Dalton’s head jerked around. His eyes were wide like he’d been caught doing something wrong. “Sorry, I’m forgetting my manners. I should have asked.”
He grabbed the container of brownies and headed for the house.
“No problem, Lea said, following him. “I appreciate it.”
• • •
The house was small and dark. Lea was tempted to move from window to window throwing open the curtains to let in the sunshine. Plates encrusted with dried food sat on the coffee table. Sweaters were strewn on the couch and chairs. The charred remains of burned logs formed piles of soot in the fireplace. The room was in need of a thorough dusting and mopping.
Dalton saw her eyes sweeping over the living room as they walked through to the kitchen. “I take care of everything outside the house, the inside is Lucy’s job. She hasn’t been able to get her head around it the last few days.”
“Totally understandable. How is she doing?”
“She took a couple of sick days. She’s been spending time with the Millers.”
“She was upset with Scott Miller after what happened at the rodeo,” Lea recalled. “I heard her tell him she never wanted to see his family again.”
“She got over that in a hurry. She didn’t want to stay here Sunday night. Neither did I. We were glad to have somewhere else to go.
“Today was my sister’s first day back at school,” Dalton said, removing a pitcher of water from the refrigerator. “Katie and her dad picked Lucy up this morning to make sure she’d be all right about seeing the other kids at school.”
“And is she—”
“Okay about what happened?” Dalton responded in an acid tone. “How all right can a twelve-year-old be about her old man being shot?”
“I’m sorry, Dalton,” Lea said, “truly sorry, for you and your sister.”
“Yeah, well, stuff happens. Life goes on. Lucy will get over it.”
Lea noted the emotional shifts Dalton made between being a young boy and being mature beyond his years. She hoped his latest experience wouldn’t lead to his becoming a bitter man like his father.
She set the glass down and took a step toward him. He backed up against the sink.
Placing a hand gently on his shoulder, she lifted his chin with her other hand so she could look into his eyes. “Most people your age haven’t lost both their parents.”
Neither of them moved for several moments. Lea heard the wall clock ticking and water dripping from the faucet.
The boy’s eyes teared before his head dropped to his chin. His shoulders sagged as his body started to shake.
“How will Lucy ever get over it?” he moaned. “She’s all alone now.”
“She has you, Dalton, she loves you. She looks up to you like a parent. She knows you’ll take care of her.”
Dalton threw her hand from his shoulder. He turned toward the sink and gripped the basin.
He spoke so softly, Lea could barely hear him. “How will she feel when she finds out what happened?”
“What do you mean?”
He spun around, fire replacing the tears in his eyes. “Will she love me when she knows I killed her father?”
• • •
Lea would remember the moment forever; she and Dalton standing inches apart, staring at each other. There was smoldering emotion in Dalton’s eyes, but not the kind which made Lea feel threatened. It was more pain than anger.
She dropped into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and pointed to the other.
“Sit down, Dalton,” she said, with enough authority to make the boy obey. “Tell me what happened.”
The boy flung himself onto the chair, slamming his elbows on the table, and holding his head in his hands.
“We went to the fairgrounds early Sunday morning. Dad took care of the registration while I helped Lucy get her horse ready. When we finished, she went to the trailer and came back dressed in her riding gear.
“Dad had bought my sister a new pink-and-black shirt and a vest with white tassels. She looked real pretty.” Pride flickered in his eyes. “There was time before the contest. She went to find Katie to show off her new duds.”
“Did your father see her in her new outfit?”
“Nope, he’d already started his pre-contest ritual.”
“Ritual?”
“He’d fill a canteen with booze and throw back a couple of drinks before every competition. Nerves, I suppose. When Lucy won, he’d treat us to burgers at the concession stand. If she lost, he’d walk over to the beach, sit on a rock, and keep tipping that canteen back until it was empty. Then he’d stumble to the trailer, and I’d drive us home.”
“What happened Sunday before the competition?”
“When it neared time to get Lucy to the arena, I went to the Millers’ trailer looking for him.”
“Was Scott at the trailer?”
“Nobody was there.” He stared out the window. His voice took on an icy tone which sent a shiver up Lea’s spine. “I saw my chance.”
“Your chance for what?” Lea asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“To get a gun.”
“Why did you want a gun?”
“To make my dad listen to me. I’d tried talking to him before, but he never heard what I was telling him.”
“Did you get Scott’s gun?”
“Yeah, the one he uses in the shooting competition. He keeps it locked in a case, but I know where he hides the key because I clean his guns for him.”
“What did you want to discuss with your father?”
“We needed to talk about the ranch. He was being unreasonable.”
“We had an offer to sell. Dad wasn’t even willing to consider it.
“We’d argued before about money for tuition. Dad never gave me a cent, I earned every penny myself. Dad didn’t believe in a college education. He wanted me to get a full-time job or work the ranch with him, but I can’t take living on the farm anymore.”
“Your mother was famous for her landscapes. I would think love of the land comes naturally to you.”
“I grew up loving it as much as my parents did. My father loved the land for what it produced; my mother loved the land for its beauty.
“But things have changed since her passing. Trying to keep this run-down place going is killing me. I can’t help with the farm, earn tuition money working at the Miller ranch, and go to college, too.”
“I’ve been told you’re a great help to the Millers,” Lea said.
“I like working for them. They always tell me how smart I am and what a great job I do, words I never heard from my Dad.
“But I have no future in ranching. If I don’t break away, I can’t make a different life for myself. I figured if Dad sold the place, he’d give me the money I need for college. We could all move to town.”
“Does Lucy share your feelings?”
“Lucy doesn’t know what’s best for her. She feels okay about living out here because it’s all she’s ever known, but she’d be better off being closer to her friends at school. She’d have more opportunity to participate in sports and after-school activities. Besides, Dad hasn’t had much interest in the place since Mom died. I thought it would be good for him to get a fresh start, too.”
“So you thought waving a gun in his face would make him listen?”
“Stupid, huh?” Dalton said. Red color flooded his cheeks. “Everybody knows you can’t get my dad to listen, but I wasn’t willing to fight him like most guys. I didn’t want to hurt him.”
“And did your father listen?”
“The bonehead was too wasted to hear a word I was saying. He was weaving all over the place. I was wasting my breath.”
“Did you mean to shoot him, Dalton?”
“Heck, no. I was swinging my arms around, yelling at him to pull himself together before Lucy’s competition started. I didn’t want him embarrassing her like he’d done before, sitting in the stands drunk, yelling obscenities at the judges and other competitors.
“The next thing I knew, the gun went off. Dad staggered, then he fell.”
A knot formed in Lea’s chest as she felt the weight of that terrible moment. “Did you try to help him?”
“He was lying there curled up in a ball like a baby. I panicked. I dropped the gun and ran.”
“Where did you go?”
“I was out of my head. I went to the bike path beside the river and started running. I ran for miles until my lungs burned and my shirt was soaked. It felt like I’d run to the ends of the earth.
“When I leaned over to catch my breath, I looked around and saw I’d run all the way home. I went inside and sat on the couch in the dark until Scott Miller came to tell me my father was dead. He took me to his place to spend the night.”
The only sound was the swinging pendulum of the grandfather clock; ticktock, ticktock.
“Listen to me, Dalton.” She moved over to put an arm around the boy’s shoulder but spoke with a firm voice. “You need to tell Detective Elliot what you’ve told me.”
“I can’t,” he sobbed. “I’ll go to prison. What will happen to Lucy?”
“You didn’t shoot your father on purpose, you had no intent to kill him. The important thing is to turn yourself in. Tom and I will do everything we can to help you, I promise.”
She tapped a number on her phone. Dalton jumped up and ran out the door.
Lea leaped up to chase him. The screen door banged in her face.
She saw Dalton leap into his truck and heard the sound of a revving engine.
“Dalton, don’t run,” Lea screamed at the speeding vehicle. “Stop, please stop.”
She choked on a cloud of dust and felt the sting of flying pebbles on her cheek.
The watched the vehicle slow at the gate and then turn toward the Miller ranch.
• • •
The tires of Lea’s car screeched as she rounded the frontage road at full-speed. She heard a voice squawking and picked up her phone from the dashboard where she’d thrown it.
“I hear you, Tom. Dalton Benson just confessed to me that he shot his father.”
“What the blazes! Where are you?”
“I was at the Benson place, but Dalton bolted. I’m following him. It looks like he’s headed for the Miller ranch.”
“I’m on my way. Give me the description of the vehicle he’s driving. I’ll put out an all-points bulletin.”
“Please, don’t. He’s not running; he’s frightened. Cops chasing him with sirens blaring will put him in panic mode. I’ll let the Millers know to watch for him. I’m sure we’ll find him.”
“All right, but don’t do anything stupid before I get there. Scared people do crazy things.”
“I’ll be careful.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Lea ran into the Main Lodge as soon as she arrived at the Miller ranch.
“Is anybody here?” she called out, her eyes darting around the room.
The door to the kitchen swung open, and Ralph Miller walked in.
“Hello, Lea. What a pleasant surprise,” he said, before noting the worried look on her face. “What’s wrong? Has something happened to my grandson?”
“No, it’s Dalton Benson. I was just visiting him at their farm. He told me he took Scott’s gun and shot his father.”
The older man’s jaw slackened, his face paled, and he grabbed a chair for support. “I don’t believe it.”
“It’s true. Dalton was trying to talk to his father about selling the ranch. Albert was drunk. He wouldn’t listen. Dalton got upset and shot him.”
Ralph stood up straight. “Dalton couldn’t have fired the shot that killed his father. The boy can’t hit the broadside of a barn.”
“What are you saying?” Lea asked.
“He’s near-sighted but too vain to wear glasses. I took him hunting once to teach him to shoot. It was hopeless. He couldn’t have hit anything smaller than an elephant. We gave up after one trip.”
“He said he didn’t mean to shoot,” Lea said. “He was yelling and waving his arms around. The gun discharged. When he saw his dad fall, he panicked and ran.”
“Where is he now?”
“I don’t know. I wanted him to talk to Detective Elliot. I told him we’d help him. But when I dialed Tom’s number, Dalton ran out the door.
“He headed this way. We need to find out if anyone’s seen him.” Lea paced, wringing her hands. “What about his truck? Is it anywhere around?”
Ralph stepped onto the front porch and fired a flare. “That will bring all the hands running. If he’s anywhere on the property, we’ll find him.”
“Tell them to be careful,” Lea warned. “He’s desperate. We need to approach him with caution.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure no one gets hurt. Sit tight while I tell the men what to do,” he said, leaving her alone.
There must be something I can do, Lea thought. Where would he go? Where can he hide?
She raced to her car and sped back to the Benson place.
• • •
When Tom arrived at the Miller ranch, he saw men fanned out in every direction calling Dalton’s name. He headed for the lodge where he found Ralph Miller barking out instructions.
“Any sign of the boy?” Tom asked.
“Not so far, but we’ll find him.”
“Were you surprised to learn of his confession?”
“Shocked and disbelieving is more like it. The boy couldn’t have done it. I’ve known him his entire life, he’s not capable of such an act.”
“Lea told me what you
said about him being near-sighted.”
“Poor eyesight wasn’t the only reason the boy wouldn’t go hunting. He refused to kill any living thing, including rabbits or squirrels. He inherited the gentle nature of his mother, not his father’s survival skills. The notion the boy is a murderer is ludicrous.”
Scott approached, followed by two of his ranch hands.
“Anything?” his grandfather asked.
“Nothing.”
Tom faced Scott. “A couple of quick questions, if you don’t mind.”
“Really, Detective!” Ralph said. “Can’t you find a better time to harass my grandson?”
“I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t important.”
Tom’s questions had barely been asked and answered when he got a text from Lea.
Reading the message, he turned to Scott, urgency in his voice. “Lea’s found the boy. Where’s the sweat lodge?”
“I’ll take you,” Scott said.
Ralph grabbed Tom’s sleeve. “Are you going to arrest Dalton?”
“I agree the boy didn’t kill his father but not for the reasons you’ve given. I’ll explain later. Right now, I need to hear what he has to say.”
• • •
The two men jumped into Scott’s Jeep and sped up a back road along the river. Tom held tightly to the door frame. His teeth jarred as they drove over potholes. “So what’s a sweat lodge?”
“It’s a place where purification ceremonies are done.”
“Clue me in. What’s the purpose of this so-called purification?”
“The sweat is a religious ceremony intended for prayer and healing. The aim of the ritual is to purify one's mind, body, spirit, and heart. Because the sweat lodge is dark, hot, and moist, it represents returning to the womb and the innocence of childhood.”
“Who leads the ceremony?”
“It can only be led by elders who know the language and traditions. There’s a Chumash Indian chief living here. He conducts them.”
“What’s done during the ceremony?”
“Water is poured over heated rocks. It goes up in steam and fills the air. At that moment, the participants are connecting themselves to the basic elements of life which bring out the greatest good in people. It’s not only a way to cleanse but to release anger, guilt, and shame in a safe way.”