High Desert Detective, A Fiona Marlowe Mystery (Fiona Marlowe Mysteries)

by Thelen, Marjorie

  Jake had talked to her in the office after lunch and told her about the man from the wind farm coming with Tillie, about the right of way, and about his getting the loan for the ranch. Now she needed to make a decision, and she didn’t have the energy or even the heart. She suspected she was in the throes of something she had seldom experienced in life. Depression. She had always been too busy to feel sorry for herself.

  She sat down in front of the TV in the living room to watch a late afternoon talk show. Sammie brought her a glass of iced tea and sat with her. Opal was glad for Sammie’s company. She had a calming effect on most situations.

  Tillie drove up in her truck a few minutes later and parked in front. She didn’t bother knocking on the screen door, just gave a shout hello like everything was perfectly normal. But nothing, thought Opal, was perfectly normal. Nothing at all.

  Tillie stopped in the living room when she saw the two of them sitting in front of the TV.

  “I came to see how things are going,” said Tillie. “How are you feeling Aunt Opal?”

  Opal gazed at Tillie, feeling like she was in a dream world. Tillie was weaving back and forth, and Opal blinked her eyes to clear them. Now she was losing her sight, as well as everything else.

  “Have a seat, Tillie,” Opal said, “you’re making me dizzy.”

  “Sure,” Tillie said, “are you okay?” She took a seat on the hassock in front of Opal.

  “As good as an old lady with a terminal disease can be.”

  “Cheer up,” said Tillie, “those treatments might be unpleasant but you are going to get better and outlive us all.”

  “I wouldn’t count on it,” said Opal. She thought she might as well help Tillie get to her reason for coming. “What’s this about your coming this morning with a man from a wind farm company?”

  Tillie gave a forced laugh. “News travel fast. Well, I thought since you are sick and all that I’d look into this for you and tell you about it when I had more information. It’s a great opportunity to expand and grow the ranch. The wind power engineer that came is going to get back to me in a week or so. He said that the site looked good for a pretty big wind farm. But there was stuff that he had to check out first. It would bring in a nice revenue stream for you.”

  “Tillie . . . .” Opal stopped and sighed. She didn’t continue.

  Sammie, who was sitting beside her, said, “Aunt Opal, can I get you anything? You haven’t touched your tea. Would you like something stronger?”

  “No, child, I don’t think so. I really don’t have much appetite for anything.” A wave of nausea came over her, and she thought she was going to lose what little lunch she had eaten. “Maybe you could bring me a glass of Coca Cola. The doctor said that might help.”

  Sammie got up and hurried to the kitchen. So far she had kept her opinions to herself, for which Opal was grateful.

  “I’m sorry,” said Tillie. “I didn’t realize you’re feeling so bad.”

  Opal studied Tillie’s face. “Tillie, I sometimes wonder what planet you live on. Surely, not the same one I inhabit. I don’t understand why you went to all this trouble about a wind farm when I am not interested, and I’ve told you that. And you’ve known other people undergoing cancer treatments, namely your mother, and it involves extreme discomfort.” She paused and passed a hand over her eyes then said, “I’ve made a decision on your request for money and on the ranch.” She steadied her gaze on Tillie. “I’ll lend you the money that you asked for, but that is where it stops. There will be no more, no matter how much you beg and throw temper tantrums. Believe me, I’ve given this a lot of thought. You see, I’m selling the ranch to Jake. You’ll have to talk to him about the wind farm.”

  There. She had finally made a decision. She had said it. Maybe now she could die in peace.

  Tillie sat in silence with neither a whimper nor a cross look.

  Sammie came back with a glass of Coke without ice for Opal, who took a delicate sip which barely wet her lips. Her stomach felt awful, but her heart felt much lighter. She was happy with her decision. With a little luck Fiona would stay and marry Jake. Tillie would get another loan which she would never pay back. Jake had agreed although reluctantly. Unknown to Tillie, the money she was borrowing would come out of her chunk of the estate. Jake had said Opal could stay on here as long as she wanted.

  Sammie sat beside Opal and took her hand. “Maybe you should lie down for a little while.”

  Opal sighed. “I would like to.”

  Tillie was studying her hands and still hadn’t said anything. Finally she said, “I want to buy the ranch.”

  Opal studied her determined niece’s face. “With what money?”

  “I got someone who is interested. He said he’d back me. I think you are missing a good opportunity to put a wind farm in here, and he is interested in doing it. The cattle operation can still go on. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty good with cows. I’ll manage the cow/calf operation.”

  Sammie said nothing. Opal covered her forehead with one hand. Would this child never let it be?

  “Tillie even if you had Warren Buffet backing you, I wouldn’t sell to you. You never made much of the ranch you had, and this one is ten times bigger than yours. You don’t know cows, you never exhibited any talent for money management, and you don’t know the first thing about pivot irrigation. Jake knows this place inside and out, he’s a decent man, and he’ll keep the ranch in one piece. That’s what I want. As a matter of fact, if this ranch has any value at all, it is mostly because of his hard work. And the bank has approved his loan.”

  Tillie played her next card. “I heard Jake’s ex-wife is going to file a lawsuit against him for non-payment of child support. I doubt the bank will lend him money after that happens. My backer is free and clear. He can give you cash today. I know you’d like to be free of the responsibility of the ranch so this is my way of helping you out.”

  Opal shook her head. “Tillie, what trouble are you stirring up now? I don’t know where or how you got in contact with Jake’s ex, a woman he has tried for years to find. But it seems like you are determined to kill Jake’s chances of getting this ranch. Why is that?”

  “It’s not about Jake. It’s about what is fair to the family. We are family, Opal. You and me and Sammie. If I buy the ranch it will continue in the family.”

  “Not with an outside backer.”

  “He’s not outside. He’s family.”

  No one spoke. Opal studied Tillie’s face so long her niece turned away. Opal had heard Sammie’s breathing quicken and knew it was a matter of time before there was a Sammie eruption.

  Finally Opal said, “Who is it?”

  Tillie looked like she didn’t want to say.

  Opal’s own blood pressure was on the rise, and it did not help her feeling of malaise. She wondered if Tillie on top of everything was trying to give her a heart attack. Well, Opal was one determined woman, and she was determined to see Jake get the ranch, relatives be damned.

  “I said, who is it?”

  “Reese,” Tillie finally said.

  Opal thought that one over. “He hasn’t been around for years. We all thought him dead.”

  “He’s very much alive. He’s made himself a big fortune, and he’s looking for a place to invest. I told him what was going on here, and he’ll top any offer Jake makes you.”

  “As I remember Reese always had some scheme going. He must have made this big fortune dealing drugs, because he didn’t have a head for much else.”

  Tillie shrugged. “I don’t know or care where or how he got the money. I want this ranch.”

  “Why?” said Opal.

  “How can you ask me that? Why? Why? Because I want a nice life like you always had and not the life I was handed.”

  Opal shook her head. “You have now convinced me that you live on another planet. You don’t know what an honest day’s work is. It is not in your DNA. I don’t know how that happened because Henry’s people are a decent hardworking lot.
You missed out when the good Lord handed out common sense.”

  Tillie said nothing. But she had the audacity to return Opal’s stern look. She wasn’t going to back down.

  As far as Opal was concerned, Tillie had just gone around the bend. Opal knew what she had to do. She had spent years making tough ranch decisions. In her book the ranch came over family. She could make this decision for the ranch.

  She said, “Tillie, I’m nobody’s fool. I’m going to do something that I don’t want to do, but I probably should have done a long time ago.” She turned to Sammie. “Will you help me stand? I’m not sure I can on my own.”

  Sammie took Opal’s arm and helped her to her feet.

  “Come, Tillie, I’ll walk you to the door. This is the last time I’m going to do this.”

  Tillie stood with a puzzled look on her face. Opal leaned on Sammie’s arm, feeling the weight of her illness and the weight of her years upon her.

  “What are you talking about?” Tillie said.

  “Come with me, Tillie. Sammie, help me along, won’t you? I feel a little wobbly.”

  The threesome walked to the front door. Opal opened it herself. “Come, Tillie, follow me.”

  Tillie, still looking puzzled, followed Opal with Sammie supporting her to Tillie’s truck.

  “Get in now, Tillie,” Opal said.

  Tillie pulled her keys from her back jeans pocket but didn’t make a move to get in the truck. “What’s this all about? What about the ranch and my offer.” But it seemed to be dawning on Tillie what was in the works.

  “Get in, Tillie,” Opal said again.

  This time Tillie did as commanded, finally intimidated by the look on Opal’s face.

  After she had shut the door and started the truck, Opal said. “Don’t come back. Ever. You have no place here, and I’m finished with you. I’m cutting you out of the estate. You will get no loan. You are on your own. If Reese has so much money you can get it from him. You are no longer any niece of mine.”

  Tillie glared down at Opal. “You haven’t heard the last of me.” With that she put the truck in reverse, backed around and drove away.

  Opal and Sammie watched her go till even the dust trail had died away.

  Sammie said, “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Opal. But it was long overdue. I don’t think any of us should be left anything of your estate. You should give the money to charity. ”

  Opal smiled faintly. She felt oddly exhilarated. “I just may. Now, Samantha dear, would you please help me to my room? I must lie down before I fall down, and you might not be able to get me up again if that happens.”

  Seventeen

  Jake heard about the scene with Tillie from Samantha after dinner. The boys had left to finish up the chores, and he sat with Fiona and Sammie at the dining table over coffee. He had finished the machinery repair, keeping Fiona close by his side. He was uneasy about Tillie and what she would do. When he heard about the confrontation with Opal, he knew he had to take precautions. Tillie was one of the people, apparently along with Reese, behind trying to scare them from the ranch. He didn’t have the evidence to pin anything on her. But maybe he could catch her in the act. He wasn’t exactly sure what act that would be. As for his ex-wife reappearing and coming after him, he wished she would. Maybe then he could find his little girl, and he said as much to Fiona and Sammie.

  “Opal doesn’t need this,” he said. “Not now. Not ever.”

  “I agree,” said Sammie. “I’ll go over to Tillie’s tomorrow to talk some sense into her, though it has never worked before.”

  Jake shook his head. “Don’t go. Nothing you can do now is going to change her. It might be dangerous for you. I’m not sure what Tillie’s next move is, but I have a feeling it might involve fire again.”

  “What will she do this time?” asked Fiona.

  She sat beside Jake their elbows touching. That small connection comforted Jake.

  “I think she’ll set a range fire.”

  Sammie and Fiona looked at him wide-eyed.

  “She wouldn’t do that,” said Fiona.

  Sammie said, “I think she would. The Tillie I saw today was more desperate than she has ever been. Much more desperate. I saw Rosemary and Esme in town today while I was waiting for Opal. They said they’d been over to Tillie and Howie’s ranch, and it is more run down than ever. They aren’t taking care of it. Rosemary said there wasn’t a cow on the place.”

  Jake said, “It is unfortunate for them, but I am glad Opal said what she did.”

  “Where do you think she is going to set this range fire?” Sammie asked.

  Jake rubbed his chin. “The driest part of the ranch is up on that windy ridge. Set a fire up there and with a good westerly wind, it will sweep down the ridge toward the ranch buildings. I’ll clear a fire break around that side of the buildings. That should protect the house and out buildings. I’ll clear a break on the west side of the pivots also. If things get bad, I can turn on the irrigation pivots so the alfalfa doesn’t burn although that will ruin the alfalfa that is down. That’s a chance I’ll have to take if it comes to that. If the fire is too hot, it will burn everything. If the wind changes, and they set a fire on a different side, we are out of luck, dry as it is.”

  Fiona slid her hand through his arm. “Do you really think it will come to this?”

  Jake shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m going to be prepared.” He rose. “I’m going out and get the boys working on the fire break. They aren’t going to like working all night but I have this feeling that she’ll make her next move pretty soon. I’d like you ladies each to pack an emergency bag with things you might need if we have to leave in a hurry. Sammie, can you pack one for Opal? She’s going to need her medications. Where’s Olympia? Does anyone know?”

  “She’s writing in her room,” said Fiona. “She’s been at it all day. When she gets like this she doesn’t stop.”

  “Tell her to be ready. Park the rigs to the front of the house so they don’t get trapped in the back.” He looked around. “There’s a fire safe in the office. We’ll put important papers we don’t take with us in there. Opal can help with that.”

  He pulled Fiona into a one arm hug and kissed her. “Take this seriously,” he said. “People have been known to set fires around here. There might be more cattle stealing, although I have a theory about that.”

  “What?” said Fiona, pulling back to look at him.

  “I think the rustlers were using Lovejoy’s ranch to launder cows, so to speak. I think the new equipment in there was some they might have stolen. When we showed up and the old man put the house up for sale, they cleared out. So the question is where did they go? Maybe Reese could tell us.”

  Sammie said, “I’ll see what I can find out about Reese by making a few discreet inquiries with my relations. I thought he was long gone, so it was a surprise when his name came up. I’ll call Doc. He’s a good place to start. Jake, you don’t think the cattle rustling is over?”

  “Not over, just on hold till they find a new base of operation. But if I’m right that they were using Lovejoy’s place that was pretty clever operating right under everyone’s noses.” He turned to Fiona. “Keep in touch with me by phone. If either of you sees or hears anything that isn’t quite right, call me immediately, okay?”

  Both women nodded their heads, and he strode away into the dusk.

  * * * * *

  Fiona looked at Sammie.

  “I’m scared,” said Sammie. “Are you scared?”

  “I think I am, but let’s get busy and do what Jake asks. That will take our minds off our fears. If nothing comes of it all the better, but at least we will be ready in case of any emergency. I’ll talk to Olympia.”

  “I’ll see if Opal is awake. I’ll help her.”

  “Right. Let’s try not to sound too alarming.”

  Fiona hurried down the hall toward Olympia’s room. Was Jake being too hasty? She thought not. After the confrontation with Tillie up on the ridge
and then hearing about Tillie resurfacing again this afternoon, she was of the same opinion as Jake. Tillie was going to stop at nothing to get them off the ranch. She wondered about Reese. He was on the list of suspects. They might not have to look for him. He might show his hand now that Tillie had exposed him.

  Olympia’s door was closed. Fiona tapped lightly. When Olympia didn’t answer, she knocked louder and eased open the door. Olympia was frenetically typing away at her computer. It looked like she hadn’t moved from the spot since Fiona left her that morning. Her hair stood at odd angles from her head like she had been pulling on it. Her glasses were askew, and remnants of food, candy wrappers, and coffee cups littered the table top where she had parked her computer.

  She looked up. “What?”

  Fiona walked over to the table and leaned over to see what she was writing.

  Olympia covered the screen. “Don’t look. I never let anyone see my first draft. Now what is it?”

  “You’ve been holed up in here all day.”

  “No, I haven’t. I’ve left to find sustenance.”

  “I can see that. However, we have an emergency.” Fiona quickly ran through the day’s events before Olympia had a chance to shut her up.

  Olympia frowned. “I did say if it involved fire you could bother me.” She hurriedly typed in something then smiled up at Fiona. “I was just making a plot note to myself. This new development will make an excellent plot point for my story.”

  As gently as possible, Fiona said, “You need to be ready to leave in about five minutes, if Jake sounds the retreat. I don’t mean to alarm you, but that is the sad fact. We don’t know what will happen, but we need to be ready. This is a precaution, nothing may come of it.”

  Olympia cast a quick glance around the room. “I can throw all of my clothes in the suitcase in five minutes, grab my computer and be off.”