On impulse, Grace leaned over and took the older woman’s hand. “Lottie, as soon as I sell the house, I’ll make sure you, and all the others, have enough money to go somewhere else and start over…or whatever you want to do. I promise you that.”
“Thanks. You’re not as bad as I thought.” She brushed a tear from her eye.
Grace blushed. “And neither are you.” Morgan’s words came back to her. “Lottie, did Aunt Lily help…others? I mean, like financially?”
“Yeah. Anybody needed a loan, she’d help them out. And sometimes when they couldn’t pay it back, she’d just let it go. Lots of people took advantage of her.”
“That sounds like the Lily I knew.” Grace stood. “And now I’ve got to see J. Philip Randolph. It’ll be interesting to hear what he has to say.”
“You’re a lot like Lily, you know. Once she got an idea set in her head, come hell or high water, she’d see it through. I got a hunch you’re just like that.”
Grace grinned and set her cup in the sink. “I do like to tidy up loose ends. Could you tell me where to find Randolph?”
“His office is on Main Street. Go past the general store. It’s on the right.”
“Thank you. Oh, one more thing. The Sheriff, what is his interest in all this?”
“Johnson? I don’t know. He and Randolph are as thick as thieves. Whatever it is, it’s probably no good.”
“How long has he been the law here?”
“About a year.”
“And Randolph, how long has he been here?”
“Maybe three years.”
With a nod of thanks, Grace left the house and walked toward town. The sun beat down on her, and perspiration ran in rivulets between her breasts. As she passed the shops, several people came out and stared openly at her, some curiously, some hostile, especially the women, and now she understood why. She nodded cordially to them, but made no effort at conversation.
As she walked, she considered how best to approach this meeting. Her last encounter with her aunt’s attorney had ended on a hostile note and certainly didn’t pave the way to finding out any useful information. Perhaps today she should take a meeker approach.
When she neared the law office, she stopped, wiped her face and dusted off her skirt. Miss Peabody always said if you look confident, you’ll feel confident. Well, Grace was about to test that theory. She certainly hoped it was true because she felt anything but confident right now. She pasted a smile on her face and opened the door. Somewhere in the back, a bell tinkled.
The door opened, and the pompous J. Philip Randolph strutted into the room. Upon seeing Grace, his face broke into a smile, and he hurried over to her. “My dear Miss Wentworth, how good to see you. Please come and sit down.”
He ushered her over to a chair in front of an old desk. As he wiped the seat with his kerchief, Grace took the opportunity to glance around the room. Definitely not as luxurious as Aunt Lily’s office. Randolph’s desk was piled high with folders and papers. Old filing cabinets lined the wall. Dust littered everything. Grace’s mouth quirked down into a frown, but she quickly hid it and smiled at the lawyer. “Mr. Randolph.”
“We really haven’t had time to talk, my dear. I wanted to express my condolences for your loss.”
“Thank you. You’re most kind, and I really appreciate all you did for my aunt. As her attorney, I’m sure she depended on you a great deal. And I’m in debt to you,” Grace forced the words to her lips, “for that. I would be most happy to pay any outstanding legal fees you may have.”
“Oh, no need for that. Lily’s friendship was payment enough.” A self-satisfied smirk crossed his face. He bustled around to the other side of the desk, sat down and rustled through the stack of papers. “Ah, here it is. Your aunt’s will and other papers.” He spread one of the documents out in front of her.
As Grace picked it up, her hands trembled, but she forced herself to read the will and verify the signature. “Yes, that is Aunt Lily’s will. It looks to be an exact copy of the one she sent me.”
At those words, Randolph glanced at her. “She sent you a copy?” At Grace’s nod, he continued, “Did she send you anything else?”
Grace wrinkled her brow. What a curious question. “Like what?”
“Oh, I don’t know, but after her death, I, as her attorney, investigated her accounts at the bank, and her safe deposit box, and it appeared that not all of the documents were there.”
“What is missing? Do you know?”
“I’m not sure,” Randolph answered.
“Speaking of my aunt’s death, Mr. Randolph, why didn’t you tell me that Aunt Lily had been murdered?” It was still hard for Grace to grasp the fact that someone had killed her aunt, and her voice quavered.
“Well, well, I thought it would be too much of a shock.” He leaned over and patted her hand. “I knew you were of the delicate persuasion—”
Delicate persuasion? Grace wanted to jump across the desk and punch him in the jaw, but she merely smiled at him. “I appreciate your concern, but I wish someone had told me the truth.”
“Well, I had planned to tell you when you arrived, and I have tried to see you on several occasions, but I was unable to,” he fixed an accusing stare on her, “for various reasons.” He picked up the folder and extracted another document. “This is the deed to the boarding house and a bill of sale. If you’ll just sign it here at the bottom, I can sell it immediately for you and you can return to Philadelphia. I have several buyers who are interested.”
Grace wanted to ask why the hurry, but she bit back the words. She picked up the bill of sale and stuck it in her purse. “I’d like to read it in more detail.”
He jumped to his feet, sending his chair crashing backward. “I don’t understand. It’s very straightforward. Maggie said you were anxious to sell and go back east.”
Maggie? Why would she be talking to Randolph about Grace selling the house? Another question to ask her. “I am anxious to sell, but I don’t plan to leave Dry Springs until I know how—and why—Aunt Lily died.” She sweetened her voice, reached out and touched his arm. “You understand, don’t you?”
His face turned beet red, and he cleared his throat. “I don’t think we should wait too long. We may never know exactly what happened to Lily. I for one think it was an accident, or Jake Magee, the outlaw, might have caught her out on the trail.”
“I’m sure Sheriff Johnson is investigating and will turn up something very soon.” Grace rose to her feet and headed for the door. “Thank you for your time.”
****
From his seat by the restaurant window, Logan watched Grace leave Randolph’s office and make her way across the street. Several cowboys stopped and stared at her and tipped their hats in her direction. While he wanted to yell at them to stop leering at her, he could understand their attraction.
Because, God help him, he felt the same way.
Everything about her tickled his senses. He liked the way she looked, from her blond silken hair and the curve of her hip to those glorious rosy lips that he’d kissed and dreamed of kissing again, and he liked her determination and courage. Even though she’d been shot at and scared to death, she’d refused to turn tail and run back to Philadelphia.
When she saw him, a smile lit her face. A smile that curled his toes.
The door opened, and she threaded her way through the tables.
He stood and pulled out the chair for her, and she slipped into the seat.
Her scent wrapped around him.
“Good morning, Logan.”
“Hi, Grace. Did you sleep well?”
She nodded, but the droop of her shoulders said otherwise. Hopefully, she hadn’t been able to sleep because she was thinking about his kisses.
“I ordered us some coffee. Do you want something to eat?”
“No, coffee’s fine. Thanks.”
“Did you see Randolph?”
“Yes. He tried to get me to sign a bill of sale for the boarding house. He s
aid he had buyers lined up, and that Maggie told him I was anxious to settle Aunt Lily’s affairs and go back to Philadelphia as soon as possible. I told him I wasn’t leaving until I found out who killed my aunt and why. He wasn’t too happy with that.”
The waiter appeared with two cups of steaming coffee. Logan waited until he left, then drummed his fingertips on the table. “He wants you to sell it to him so he can find whatever is hidden in it.”
“Hidden? What? What are you talking about?”
“Last night, after you went inside, someone came to the back door and threw rocks at one of the windows on the second floor. Maggie came down and talked to him.”
As Logan continued the story, he watched confusion settle over Grace’s face.
“Who was it? Did you recognize the man?”
“I didn’t get close enough to see his face before he took off.”
“Things get more and more weird,” she said and rubbed her temples. “Do you think it might be the deed to your father’s ranch?”
“I don’t know, but Maggie sure sounded scared.”
“I have to talk to Maggie,” Grace said. “I can’t believe she’d have anything to do with all this. She said she loved Aunt Lily, and I believe her. I’ve got to get her to tell me what’s going on.”
“She might be too afraid to talk.” Logan took her hand in his. “Grace, I think you’re in danger. I want you to move out of that house. Come out to the ranch and stay. I can protect you there.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “Logan, I couldn’t do that. What would people think? It wouldn’t be right or proper.”
“I don’t give a damn about that. We’re talking about your life here. Well, if you won’t do that, at least move to the hotel. Please.”
She chewed on her bottom lip then shook her head. “No. That house belongs to me, and I’ll not be run off my own property. Whatever is hidden in that house, if anything, I’ll find it.”
“Honey, I admire your courage, but it’s too dangerous. Whoever threatened Maggie also threatened you.”
“You can give me a gun,” Grace said and thrust out her lower lip.
Logan barked out a laugh. “You can’t be serious. You’d probably shoot yourself before you hit something else.”
“Don’t laugh at me.”
“I’m not laughing at you. I’m worried about you.”
“I think I’ll be safe in the house. After all, Lottie and Kate and Su Ling are there, and Joe the guard is there most of the time.”
“Not for long, remember? You’re going to sell the house, and everybody will leave—and soon.”
“I know.” She swiped her hand across her forehead. “I’ve only been here three days, and everyone wants me to leave.”
She sipped her coffee.
“You’ve shaken everybody up.”
“Including you?”
“Especially me.”
Chapter 8
As Grace stared into Logan’s blue eyes, she considered his words. She’d shaken everyone up—including him. “What does that mean, Logan?”
“It means I’ve never known anyone like you. On one hand, you’re a real lady, all prim and proper like. On the other, you’re a tough customer. You get shot at, but you don’t turn tail and run, and I’m just a cowboy who’s never settled down.”
Was he telling her he could never live in one place? That they could have no future?
Grace bit down on her bottom lip. Should she tell Logan of her attraction to him, that he was the most exciting man she’d ever met and his touch set her on fire? But that wouldn’t be fair to Matthew. Yet she didn’t want to spoil her chances with the handsome cowboy. She stood and picked up her purse. “I’d best get back to the boarding house. I want to talk to Maggie.”
“Grace,” Logan rose to his feet and shoved his chair back, “I don’t think you should talk to her. We don’t want to alert them that we’re on to anything, if indeed we are, and we might be wrong. If you question her and she tells whoever is behind this, you could be in even more danger.”
“You’re right, but—”
“Maybe not in danger from Maggie, but from Magee or Randolph, whoever threatened her last night. I don’t think we can depend on the Sheriff.” He reached out to her then drew his hand back. “And I won’t be there to protect you. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I’ll be very careful, and if I find anything, I’ll send word to you.” She headed for the door. As she left the restaurant, she glanced back at him and saw him watching her. For a brief moment, she found herself comparing Matthew to him—and Matthew came up short.
As she walked back to the boarding house, she tried to recall Matthew’s features. His face was a blur in her memory, yet it’d only been a couple of weeks since she’d said goodbye to him.
His parting words still hurt.
I don’t see why you have to go. After all, your aunt is already dead, and you’re putting her ahead of me.
She’d cried for over an hour on the train. He hadn’t understood—or cared—that she had to come. She had to say goodbye to the woman who’d raised her and took care of her, the only family she ever known. Logan understood.
With a heavy heart, she climbed the steps and entered the boarding house through the back door. Silence greeted her. The kitchen was empty, as well as the other rooms. The house suddenly took on an ominous feeling, and she shuddered. As Grace climbed the steps to her room, she glanced over her shoulder, fully expecting someone to attack her.
Once in the room, she undressed and took a sponge bath to cool off, then lay down on the bed to rest—and think.
And as usual, her thoughts turned to Logan. She’d only known him for three days, and that wasn’t enough on which to base a lifetime together. A hundred questions floated around in her mind. But right now, those questions had no answers, and she turned her attention to the pressing problem of the missing deed.
If the deed to the Barnett Ranch had been hidden here, where would it be?
If Lily had the deed, where would she hide it?
Since Maggie had been unable to find it, it must not be in Lily’s bedroom or office. Those were the first places someone would look. So where could it be? She tried to put herself in her aunt’s shoes. It would have to be in a place no one would think to look. She rolled over on her side and glimpsed the picture of her parents. She reached out to grab it but in doing so knocked Bonnie off the table.
She leaned over, picked up the doll and looked at it fondly. She’d had a lot of fun playing with Bonnie. The doll looked like she remembered it with her yellow dress and white apron. Grace smoothed the dress and tugged the apron down. As she did so, she felt something underneath the fabric. She turned the doll upside down and saw a paper protruding from a slit in the body. With trembling fingers, she extracted the yellowed paper and gingerly opened it.
The deed to the Barnett ranch.
Her heart pounded crazily against her ribs, and she jumped to her feet. She had to tell Logan.
“So you found it?”
Grace whirled and saw Maggie standing in the doorway. She hid the paper in the folds of her petticoat and tried to keep her face unreadable. “Found what?”
“You know what I’m talking about.” Maggie walked into the room and stopped a few feet from Grace. “She wrote you and told you where it was.” Accusation hung heavy in the air. “That’s why you came, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The crazed look in Maggie’s eyes sent Grace stumbling backward.
“Give it to me,” Maggie ordered and held out her hand.
Grace dropped all pretense. “No.”
“You got no choice, Gracie,” Maggie’s tone softened. “I have no choice. I have to give it to them.”
“To who? Maggie, for God’s sake, tell me what’s going on.”
“I can’t. I don’t want them to hurt you. I tried to get you to go back east, but you just wouldn’t listen. Gracie, give it to me and leave
now, tonight.”
“What happened to Aunt Lily? Who killed her?”
“I did,” came a deep masculine voice from behind Maggie.
Grace whirled toward the speaker. Randolph walked into the room, followed by Magee. Magee grabbed Maggie from behind and put a knife to her throat.
Grace’s knees threatened to buckle under her, and she grabbed the bed rail to keep from falling. She tried to speak, but couldn’t find any words. She licked her lips and found her voice. “But, but, but why?”
“She wouldn’t tell me where the deed was.”
“But why did you have to kill her?” Grace pressed the heel of her hand to her heart. “She was an old woman.”
“We struggled and the gun went off. I didn’t mean to kill her. There was no other way. When Maggie told me Lily had the deed—”
“What?” Grace turned tear-filled eyes to Maggie.
“I didn’t know they’d hurt her, Gracie. I swear it. I loved Lily.”
“I gave Lily a choice,” Randolph said and stepped toward Grace, “just like I’m giving you now. Give me the deed, and I won’t hurt you.”
She shook the paper in his direction. “This belongs to Logan Barnett.”
“That land belongs to me,” Randolph said. “Old man Barnett was going to sell the ranch to me. He couldn’t pay the taxes.”
“So why didn’t he?” Grace inched closer to the window.
“He wanted to put a clause in there that I’d always let the ranchers water their stock in the Big Sandy—for free. Stupid old man. He was sitting on a gold mine and wouldn’t take advantage of it.”
“Believe it or not, there are some people who don’t let greed rule them.”
“Don’t preach to me, girlie.” Randolph wagged his finger at her. “You’d best be worrying about your own health. Now give me the deed.”
“No.”
“Gracie, don’t be a fool.” Maggie pleaded as she clawed at the hand that held the knife at her throat.
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