by Liz Adair
“That’s fine, but why?”
“Jack said since he gave her horse to Amy, he wanted her to have the Mustang.” Major pushed the paper aside and placed a many-paged, legal-looking document in front of Spider. “I hope you understand this bequest comes with the stipulation that Amy is to live with you, and you are to be responsible for her welfare. You will be her trustee.”
“I got that. Not a problem.”
“If you agree, you’ll need to sign each highlighted place on every page that has a red tab attached.”
Spider pushed the stack of papers back toward Major. “That’s something I have to talk to Laurie about.” He smiled inwardly, knowing he didn’t have to talk to her. She’d give up Lincoln County for Kane County in a heartbeat.
Major nodded. “Fair enough.”
“If we agree to do this, everything needs to be put in both our names.”
“Can do.” Major picked up his briefcase and stood. “I’ll leave these, so you can read through them and know what you’re going to be signing.”
Spider touched the papers. “By the way, who told you my given name is Quimby?”
“Jack did. Why?”
Spider shook his head. “He was a subtle son-of-a-gun, wasn’t he?”
“When he was doing good he was as subtle as they come.”
Spider stood and walked with Major to the doorway into the living room. The sun had set, and the room was in darkness. “I don’t even know where the light switch is,” Spider said.
Major swept his hand over the wall by the door molding, and the room brightened. “It’s on this side.”
“I guess I’ve got a lot of things to learn.” Spider led the way to the front door and opened it. Offering his hand, he said. “Glad to meet you, Major. If we decide to do this, we’ll need advice. I hope you’ll stay on.”
Major clasped Spider’s hand. “I’d be honored.” He turned and walked toward his car, a sporty SUV parked in front of the stuccoed wall.
Spider stepped back and was closing the door when he saw a flash of lights that indicated someone turning into the circular drive. He opened the door and watched Major pass Martin’s rugged SUV as it pulled up in front of the house.
“It’s like Grand Central Station,” Spider muttered, but he raised his hand in greeting and tried to look welcoming.
Martin got out of the driver’s door, a broad smile on his face. There was a spring in his step, and Spider couldn’t help but remember how he looked a week ago as the EMTs loaded him into the ambulance.
Neva got out on the other side. She waved and then turned to open the rear door, reaching out her hands for LaJean’s canvas bag, so she could hold it as the older woman climbed down. Isaac got out on Martin’s side, and they all converged on Spider at the front door.
“We heard you were here at Jack’s,” Isaac said.
They all turned and looked as a red pickup drove into the driveway and parked.
Matt emerged from the pickup, and a blithe-looking Linda got out on the other side. Matt waited for her, and they held hands as they approached. “We’ve come to say thanks,” the young man said.
Linda leaned towards Matt, and she nodded. “Thanks,” she repeated. She couldn’t stop smiling.
Spider swept his arm in an enter flourish. “Won’t you come in? Let’s see if we can find some more light switches and brighten up this room. Find a place to sit, everyone. Laurie should be in momentarily.” He turned on a wall switch and a lamp and then perched on the raised fireplace hearth.
“We can’t stay long,” Martin said. He sat on the couch and patted the place beside him for Neva. “We just wanted to come and tell you thank you for freeing Mattie.”
LaJean sat in one of the barrel chairs placed at right angles to the couch, and Isaac stood behind her. “What made you sure it wasn’t Mattie?” she asked.
Linda occupied the other barrel chair. Matt sat at her feet, and her hand rested on his shoulder. “Who actually did it?”
Spider looked at the floor, wondering how to answer Linda’s question. He didn’t want anyone celebrating Dorrie’s arrest. “The person who did it was the unlucky person who got to Austin Lee first. You’ll read about it in the papers, but I hope you’ll have compassion. If truth be told, it could have been any of a number of people.”
Matt reached up and covered Linda’s hand with his own. “Amen to that.”
Nobody spoke. The room was silent except for the whoosh of LaJean’s oxygen until the quiet was broken by Laurie opening the patio door. Turning away, she whistled. Then she called, “Come on. You can come in.”
She stepped inside and waited, and soon Trey hopped over the threshold. After closing the door, Laurie looked up and saw everyone staring. “I didn’t realize anyone was here. How nice to see you all.” She crossed the room and sat by Spider on the hearth. Trey followed and sat at her feet.
“We’ve just heard about Jack,” Isaac said. “We’re sorry about that. He’ll be sorely missed.”
LaJean reached back and poked him. “What you mean is, his contribution to the museum will be missed.”
“I think he made provisions for the museum before he died,” Spider said.
“He did?” Martin wiped his eyes and gave a small, quavering laugh. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be emotional. This has been a day of great and wonderful surprises.”
“Would you care for some refreshments?” Laurie glanced from one to the other. “I can make some lemonade, and I think there are some of Amy’s cookies in the freezer.”
Neva stood. “We can’t stay. We shouldn’t have come at all, except we had to say thank you for all you and Spider have done for us.”
“That’s right.” LaJean reached up a hand to her husband. “Help me up, Isaac.” When standing, she continued her train of thought. “We forgot Jack was your cousin. We didn’t mean to intrude, him just passing on and all.”
Isaac crossed to Laurie and offered his hand. “Accept our condolences.”
“Thank you, Isaac.” She stood and went to the entryway.
Spider joined her there, opening the door and trying not to appear anxious to hurry them on their way. “It was good of you to come by. I agree with Martin. It’s been a day of surprises. Oh, will you let Marshal Thayne know everything’s wrapped up? He played a big part in getting to the bottom of this.”
“I’ll do that,” Martin said as he and the older guests filed out. Laurie strolled out to the Taylor’s car with them as Matt and Linda paused in the doorway where Spider lingered.
Linda gave Spider a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. “Thank you so much. You saved Matt’s life, but you saved more than that. I hope you realize that.”
“Oh?” Brows raised, Spider looked from Linda to Matt.
Matt made an awkward gesture.
Linda leaned forward and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “He said I was like water to a thirsty man.” She glanced at Matt and smiled.
Matt stuck his hands in his pocket and looked at the floor.
Spider clapped him on the shoulder. “Good man.”
“Come on, Matt.” Linda went out the door and pulled him after her. They walked to the car, and just before getting in, she called out, “Thanks again.”
Laurie joined Spider in the doorway, and they watched the two cars drive around the paved circle and head back along the line of poplars. “It’s nice to finally be alone,” he said. “Did you get Goldie settled?”
“Yes. She looks a little poor. What’s that all about?”
Spider led her to the couch and she curled up beside him. Trey came over and sat at Spider’s feet, laying her head on his knee. Stroking her silky ears, he told Laurie the story of how he found Dorrie.
“We have to be her family,” Laurie said.
“Well, if we’ve got Amy living with us, we’ll certainly have plenty of cookies to take when we visit.”
Laurie sat up and stared at Spider. “You mean you’re willing to accept Jack’s legacy? I thought
you’d be too proud.”
“I was at first. Then I got to figuring that since I was the owner of an E-Type Jag, I’d better live near a mechanic. Besides, I knew it would please you.”
Laurie laughed and leaned back against his chest once again. “Isn’t it funny how it’s all turned out? I mean, we lose your mom, and then at the funeral Bobby says he wants the Lincoln County place, and then, boom, Jack gives us his ranch. It’s like— what was it Karam called it? Qadar?”
“You’re not saying it right.” Spider touched his Adam’s apple. “You’ve got to hear it way down here. Qadar.”
“Wait.” She sat up again. “What was that you said?”
“Qadar.”
“No, before that. You said you knew it would please me.”
“Well, sure. Here’s a ranch that’s got good feed, good water. It’s got good-looking Angus and a calving operation already set up. Wouldn’t that please you?”
“But you’d be giving up your great grandpappy’s homestead. Why would you do that?”
“Because—” He dropped a kiss on her lips and shamelessly stole Matt’s line. “—you’re like water to a thirsty man.”
Go to www.lizadairfreebooks.com
Shameless Review Request
If you enjoyed Trouble at the Red Pueblo, please consider posting a review or rating on Amazon or Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, or Kobo. Reviews will help spread the word.
Also, feel free to email me with any comments or questions at [email protected] . I would love to hear from you.
For regular updates, sign up for my newsletter at http://sezlizadair.blogspot.com/
Thank you for reading!
Liz Adair
Book Club Questions
Before we get to the book club questions, let me state that I’m glad to visit with any book clubs that invite me to do so. Where I live is pretty far from everywhere, but I’m glad to visit with your club via phone or Skype. Email me to set up a visit at [email protected] .
Here are the questions:
1. Laurie encourages Spider to get right to work on this new mystery after his mother's funeral. Have you found working or getting involved in a hobby has helped you deal with a loss?
2. Spider is frustrated with himself for being jealous of Jack. What factors (besides the ones he voices) do you think play into his dislike of Jack?
3. Did your own feelings about Jack change between Chapter Two and the end? Why?
4. Who is your favorite character? Why do you like him or her?
5. Karam, a Palestinian Muslim, teaches American history. Have you taken a class from an unlikely teacher?
6. Karam is detained by the police because of racial profiling. When do you think it’s acceptable, if ever, for law enforcement officials to engage in racial profiling?
7. What heroic qualities does Spider demonstrate? Does he demonstrate any unheroic qualities?
8. Is there any other character in the book that you consider a hero? Why?
9. Laurie has a special bond with Taffy. Have you ever experienced that kind of relationship with an animal? Have you ever lost a special pet? How did you deal with it?
10. Spider quickly accepts major changes in his life according to Jack's plan for Braces at the end of the book. What motivates him to sacrifice his own plans?
About Kane County
Though Trouble at the Red Pueblo is fiction, many of the places mentioned are real.
The Red Pueblo Museum is a hidden gem that sits on the northern edge of the tiny border town of Fredonia, Arizona. If you go there, go in the afternoon so you can hear Dixon Spendlove tell how he found many of the artifacts in the museum.
The Coral Pink Sand Dunes , just north of Kanab, is a state park that is easily accessed. It’s a great place to take kids to play.
The Western Legends Roundup, described in the book, takes place each year the week before Labor Day. It’s a time when Kanab pays homage not only to pioneer history, but also to the legacy of movie making that Kane County enjoys.
To read about more places to visit in Kane County, go to http://www.visitsouthernutah.com/
If you travel to Kane County, Utah
If you do visit Kane County, drop in at the Kanab Tourism Office. It’s on the corner of Highway 89 and 100 South. It’s painted with murals and has a statue of a buffalo out front. You can’t miss it. If you tell them you came in because you read one of Liz Adair’s books, they’ll have a gift for you. And if you ask them, they’ll give me a call, so I can pop down, and we can get a picture of me presenting you with the gift. I’d like that.
About the author
A native of New Mexico and mother of seven, Liz Adair bloomed late as a writer—her first Spider Latham Mystery was published about the time AARP added her to their mailing list. Though she lived in green, moist, northwest Washington State for forty years, most of her books are set in the southwest.
Liz returned to high plateau country in 2012 when she and her husband, Derrill, moved to Kanab, Utah. Liz had gone to high school in Kanab and neighboring Fredonia, Arizona, so moving there was like coming home. It was natural for her next book to be another Spider Latham mystery, even though ol’ Spider hadn’t inhabited one of her books for ten years. Writing about him again felt like coming home, too.
Look for more Spider Latham mysteries in the coming years. You can check out Liz’s blog at www.sezlizadair.blogspot.com and be sure to sign up for her newsletter.
Other books by Liz Adair
A Kane County Christmas, a Spider Latham Christmas novella
The McCarran Collection, (also in audiobook on Amazon) a romantic suspense set in Kane County, Utah
Interlude at Cottonwood Springs, (also in audiobook on Amazon) historical fiction based on Liz Adair’s family history. Set in the Great Depression, it’s about a cowboy who meets and falls in love with a socialite from New York City
Cold River, a romantic suspense set in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest
Hidden Spring, a novella set in Arizona Territory in 1890
The Lodger, a Spider Latham Mystery set in Lincoln County, Nevada
After Goliath, a Spider Latham Mystery set in Lincoln County, Nevada
Snakewater Affair, a Spider Latham Mystery set in Eastern Washington state
The Mist of Quarry Harbor, a romantic suspense set in Washington’s San Juan Islands
Lucy Shook’s Letters from Afghanistan
Look for a new Spider Latham mystery, Death on the Red Rocks, in the summer of 2016. Sign up for Liz Adair’s newsletter to find out news about when it is to be released.
Table of Contents
Copyright page
Dedication
Acknowledgements and Apologies
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Shameless request
Book Club Questions
About Kane County
About the author
Other books by Liz Adair
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