by Lori Wick
Trent’s hat came off for an instant, and he sighed as he wiped at the sweat on his brow. McKay was equally warm, but he’d been with this case so long that his interest and enthusiasm to solve it made the sun on their backs and the exertion of the climb seem insignificant.
“There she is.” Cawley stopped and pointed. McKay noticed that the old miner didn’t seem winded at all. “The William Tell.”
“That’s the William Tell mine?” McKay questioned; he had to be sure.
The smile Jed gave was gap-toothed. “I could have told you you fellas would be disappointed, but I knew you wouldn’t have believed me. Hasn’t been worked for ten years or better. The valuable mines are located in Brown Gulch. Why, you can practically hear the machinery from here!” The old man, who did in fact have time on his hands, stopped when he saw he’d lost the men. Their eyes were on the mine’s opening and then on each other.
McKay was the first to lead off, moving farther up the incline to the mouth of the mine. He stepped gingerly to the opening. It was dark, and Jed was certainly right: No one had been here, let alone worked the mine, for a long time. McKay was on the verge of stepping into the gloomy interior when he saw the sign. It was on the ground and half-covered by dirt and rock. McKay picked up the board. In faded letters, it read simply, “William Tell.”
“If you’re thinking of buying, I’m sure someone will sell to you,” Jed offered, his voice rather gleeful, “but you fellas look smarter than that. Now down in the gulch, that’s the place to invest.”
Trent had made the mistake of looking at the old man, so he rambled on for a time, but McKay wasn’t listening. His mind was going over the things he had seen in Richard Stuart’s bank—mining stocks in particular. Silver Plume was not what you’d call a stone’s throw from Longmont or Denver, but this was the first mine listed in anyone’s books to have been located within a reasonable traveling distance. The various mines and properties belonging to Duncan Phipps had been completely out of the area and sometimes out of the state. There were agents in those cities and states who could certainly check things out, but new assignments and the passing along of confidential information was not his job.
McKay looked back at Trent, who was listening to Jed with barely veiled tolerance. A few more checks in town, maybe with the old man himself, and they could head home and write up their report. McKay felt his heart swell with pleasure. Carlyle and even Nick were sure to be pleased.
Boulder
Wednesday did not begin well for Pup. She started, as she had the other mornings of the week, by beginning breakfast preparations and then reading in her borrowed Bible. This morning, however, she didn’t reckon with the strips of bacon she left too close to the flames. Before she knew what was happening, she had a grease fire on her hands—not overly large, but a grease fire nevertheless. In trying to control things she lit a drying cloth on fire. The cabin was uninhabitable by the time she was through.
She knew she would have to clear things up and make some attempt to clean the black mess from the stove, but for now she picked up the Bible and went to the front porch. She didn’t open the book but sat in the cool morning, the Bible on one side of her, her gun on the other.
She had read early that morning in the Psalms that God’s creation alone declared His glory and the labor of His hands. Pup had long been fascinated with the workings of the forest and wildlife, but never had she thought about God’s direct involvement and the way He ordained every leaf and twig. A tiny pinecone sat on the step near the toe of her boot. She picked it up and marveled anew at the miracle of it. The symmetry and smell of the cone intrigued her. She loved the smell of the pines, but never had she given God the credit and glory for their design and aroma.
I’ve been so blind, Lord, her heart now cried. I don’t want to be blind anymore. I want to see things as they are. I want You to be real to me. I know that my understanding has been childlike and I know You understand that things take time, but I want to know more. This limit inside of me feels stifling. Show me, Lord, please show more of Yourself and Your Word to me.
For a moment her mind shifted to the Bible study that would take place the next night. She didn’t know how she could work things to go down for that and be at church as well. Her head now tipped back and she looked at the woods around her.
Would You ask me to leave this cabin, Lord? Maybe take a place in town so I could be closer to others who believe in You?
She sighed, her mind running with questions. Was there any way to know if she should move? And if she did that, how would she come and go to work and still retain a low profile? Should she even continue her work for the treasury? McKay did it, but even he would be forced to admit that being sent on jobs broke up the continuity of one’s life.
In the rush of emotions assailing her, Pup forced herself to stay calm. She told herself that God would not want her to pack her things immediately. It would be great to be at Bible study, but for right now she might have to make a choice. Her choice, at least for this week, was to be in church on Sundays.
She knew a peace then, but she was so deep in thought that someone had come nearly around in front of the house before she heard him. Her hand landed on the barrel of her gun just before Percy stepped into view. Pup had to stop her brows from rising at the sight of him. He stood uncomfortably for so long that Pup finally greeted him.
“Hello, Percy.” Her voice was kind.
“Hello, Pup. I thought I smelled smoke.”
“Yeah,” she shrugged as she explained, “I burned some meat. It’s all over now, but the cabin is a mess.”
Percy just stared at her, and Pup thought she understood.
“The Bible is fine,” she assured him softly. “It wasn’t anywhere near the fire.”
To her surprise he shrugged as if he didn’t care. What Pup couldn’t have known about was the big fight he’d had with his brother the day before. Percy knew it was his fault, but at the time the loaning of their mother’s Bible was still eating at him. He told Mud he had expected to have it back by now and was headed down to demand it from their neighbor. Mud was so angry that Percy didn’t recognize him. He thought Mud was going to strike him—something he’d never done, not even as a child. Instead his brother had yelled.
“Don’t you see that she needs that Bible right now, Percy? What kind of inhuman fool are you? Her brother’s been dead only a few months. Leave her and the Bible alone!”
“Her brother’s dead?” Percy had questioned in surprise.
“I told you!” Mud had snapped at him, his patience gone.
“You did not. You said she had some shot-up man she was seeing to and might need your help. You never said anything about her brother dying.”
The fight raged on for Mud, who continued to yell at his sibling, but Percy had lost all spunk. He felt awful for not having told Pup of his sympathy. Mud had taken off for town; indeed, he wasn’t home yet.
“I’m not worried about the Bible,” he now admitted to Pup. “I just thought I’d better check into the smoke.”
“Thank you,” Pup said quietly, but her mouth nearly dropped with surprise. She changed the subject. “Mud in town?” she asked.
“Yes. He went down last night. I expect he’ll be back soon.”
“Do you want me to tell him you’re looking for him?”
“No,” he shook his head. “If you see him, though, and there’s any questions, you can tell him I said you should keep the Bible for as long as you need it.”
“All right. Thank you, Percy. I appreciate that.”
“I’ve got to get home.”
“I’m glad you stopped by.”
He raised a hand in a wave and turned from her, but he didn’t move off. With his back to Pup and the cabin, he said, “I’m sorry about your brother, Pup. I didn’t realize until yesterday.”
“Thank you, Percy,” she said again, and this time her visitor did walk away. He didn’t speak or wave again but ambled quietly off through the trees.
Pup pondered his visit for quite some time before she moved inside to clean up the kitchen. As she cleaned, the scene with Percy played over and over again in her mind.
I can keep the Bible for as long as I need. Imagine that, Lord. She was just finishing the work on the stove when she realized she desperately wanted to tell McKay about what had just happened. For a moment she missed him terribly. She shook off her mood, put some coffee on to boil, and found pencil and paper.
Denver
“It was abandoned,” Carlyle stated, trying to assimilate the facts.
“Yes,” McKay told him, “and not just last week. It’s been vacant for years.”
“And how many stocks have been sold?”
McKay stated a small amount, and he could tell that his superiors didn’t understand why he was so excited.
“Have you contacted any of these stockholders?” Carlyle asked next, his tone telling McKay that this did not sound relevant.
“No, I didn’t want to do that before I spoke with you.”
“But you do think it ties in?” This came from Nick, his voice skeptical.
“As a matter of fact, sir, I don’t. At least not directly.”
Both men looked surprised, so McKay went on.
“I do think, however, that this is going to be Phipps’ downfall.”
“But this is Richard Stuart’s mine,” Carlyle reminded him.
“Yes, sir, but I’ve noticed that all of Phipps’ mines are completely out of the area, yet he sells to investors in Denver. Enough of the mines are legitimate so he hasn’t gained a bad reputation, but the ones that aren’t let him collect money that goes straight into his pocket. Then a few months ago we turned up the heat, and that’s when I think he involved Stuart and Brinkman in Longmont. Their banks are just far enough out of Denver to be out of reach, and they seem too small to be a threat.”
“And how does this tie into the William Tell?”
“I think Stuart decided to try the scam on his own. I think he happily accepted the false stock certificates and money that went with them when Phipps offered them to him, but that was for the earlier mines. I think he recently decided to cut out the middle man.”
“So how does this deliver Phipps to us?” Nick went straight to the point.
McKay looked resigned as he admitted, “Probably a bargain, sir. I’ve lived in Longmont my whole life, and I know that Richard Stuart enjoys his place in the town. I would hate to see him walk for these crimes, but he’s the perfect man to sing like a bird about his business dealings with Duncan Phipps—especially if it means he can get off with a light sentence. I believe that Stuart’s testimony alone could put Phipps away.”
The older men exchanged a glance. McKay had no way of knowing exactly what they thought of his idea, but he’d certainly gotten their attention.
31
Boulder
On Saturday afternoon Pup arrived at the ranch certain she would hear the news of a new little Buchanan, but this was not the case. Rebecca smiled at her from the deep cushions of a living-room chair and invited her to sit down for a chat, but she was still obviously with child.
“How are you feeling?” Pup asked when she’d made herself comfortable.
“Like it’s time. Earlier in the week I had energy, but along about Wednesday evening I went dry. For the past three days I’ve done nothing but sleep and wander from one chair to the next.”
“Your color is good,” Pup commented honestly, “but you do look a little drained.”
Rebecca couldn’t help but agree. “It’s true, and the sad part is I just woke from a two-hour nap.”
“Sounds like your time might be soon.”
“The next hour would be fine with me.”
“Did you have hard labor with the boys?”
“About normal I would say. I’ll have to tell you after I’ve done this for the second time.” It was no surprise that she didn’t sound excited over the prospect.
Travis came into the room just then with a tall glass of water for his wife. She took it with a grateful if weary smile, and Travis turned to offer some to Pup.
“That sounds good, but I can get it myself.”
“No, I’ll get it for you,”Travis told her and was gone in the next moment.
Before he arrived back, the boys joined them.
“Hi, Miss Jennings,” they greeted her cheerfully and then went to hang on the arms of their mother’s chair. Rebecca had a soft touch for each of them, and they smiled at her in a relieved sort of way.
Pup sat quietly while they told their mother what they had done that day and what they’d seen. A bird’s nest was among their explorations, but a dead hawk was the most exciting topic.
“I think someone shot it,” Garrett proclaimed.
Rebecca didn’t argue with him, but her amused gaze met Pup’s just long enough to cause Pup to bite her lower lip to keep from laughing.
“Do you have animals at home?” Wyatt suddenly asked their guest.
“Oh, yes,” she assured them. “Mice and deer and everything in-between.”
“Do you have raccoons?” Garrett asked, moving closer to her chair.
“Yes. They can be pests.”
“Are they big?”
“Some of them are huge.”
“Have you ever been bit?”
“No, never, but I’ve shot a few.”
Both boys flanked her side now, their eyes huge as they listened. Pup glanced over to see that Rebecca’s eyes had closed. With a finger to her lips she silenced the boys and then rose. They followed her quietly from the room and nearly ran into Travis, who was returning with Pup’s water. The four of them settled into the kitchen, sitting comfortably around the table.
“I drew a picture of a raccoon,” Garrett informed Pup.
“I wish I could see it.”
She knew in a moment that she’d said just the right thing. Garrett jumped up and dashed over to the bookshelf, returning proudly with a drawing of the animal.
“This is very good,” she told him honestly. “Do you get to draw in school, or did you do this here?”
“At school.”
Pup whistled in appreciation. “It’s been years since I’ve drawn anything.”
“Do you want to draw with us?” Wyatt asked, enthusiasm lighting his little face.
“I’d like that.”
They were busy until dinner. Even Travis, with occasional checks on his wife, took up paper and pencil. The boys begged Pup for a picture of her cabin, and she did her best. Travis turned out a horse that looked just like Feather, and the boys nearly woke their mother in their excitement.
When Rebecca did join them, she was delighted with the work they’d done, as well as with the gentle camaraderie she witnessed between Pup and her sons. The three of them volunteered to ready the table for the meal, and dinner was eaten with even more fun. As Pup was coming to expect, Lavena turned out a perfect meal, everything cooked to a turn.
The boys were ushered off to bed soon after the meal. The adults spent some time talking in the living room. Rebecca told Pup about growing up in Pennsylvania, and Travis entertained her with a story that happened right after he’d met Rebecca. It was a time years earlier when he’d been put in jail and kept there for weeks, all over a mistaken identity. Pup started to laugh in amazement, but cut off when she saw that Rebecca had fallen asleep at Travis’ side.
“What did you do?” she asked softly.
“I waited it out.” His face was rueful, his voice hushed as well. “What else could I do?”
“Amazing,” Pup teased him. “You just don’t look like the criminal type.”
Travis grinned but then asked, “Can I ask you something serious, Pup?”
“Sure,” she agreed, but prayed that it wouldn’t be too personal.
“You said last week that you’d come to Christ. Can you tell me about it?”
Pup smiled with relief and did as he asked. His eyes were warm and slightly awed as she relayed the expe
rience from her childhood, as well as the way McKay’s words had brought it all back to her.
“That’s wonderful,” he told her. “I must admit that I’ve never heard the like.”
Pup nodded, her face quiet, her manner humble. “I have a lot to learn, but then you know that. You must have wanted to laugh when I said I don’t fall into sin and don’t need to fight against it.”
Travis’ expression told her he understood.
“What I battle with the most is the future,” she continued. “I worry about what’s to come and how I’ll handle it. Worry is a sin.”
“That’s a hard one for all of us,” Travis admitted. “We’re often tempted to try to do God’s job. All He expects of us is to seek to know our own job and be very good at it.”
Pup heard more of what Travis was saying, but her mind was still on the statement about God’s job.
Rebecca chose that moment to sit up and apologize about falling asleep, and Pup suddenly realized she was tired as well. Knowing Travis would be taking Rebecca up to bed any moment, she bid the Buchanans goodnight and headed to her own room, her mind still on the rancher’s words.
Pup had no idea what time it was, but the sky was still black. She lay in bed for a moment and tried to figure what had woken her. She heard the sound again and decided it was pans being moved in the kitchen. She let her head rock to one side of the pillow and saw a faint glow under the door. Someone was working in the kitchen, and with Rebecca nearly out on her feet by bedtime, it wasn’t hard to figure why.
Pup slipped out of bed and into her robe, her bare feet moving soundlessly on the floor. She opened the door just a little and saw Travis in a pair of jeans and stocking feet. He stood over the stove, his face serious and intent. He looked up as Pup opened the door and joined him.