by Dayle Gaetz
“Maybe.” Katie nodded. “But Megan thinks everything’s her fault. She says the fire, the wire in the field and the first escaped cows all happened because of her carelessness. Even Aunt Margaret’s accident with the rock picker is her fault, Megan says.”
“How could that be her fault? She wasn’t anywhere near the rock picker.”
“I know,” Katie agreed. “Besides, you worked on it yesterday. Remember? You were hammering on that bolt when I talked to you.”
“What are you talking about, Katie? Didn’t we go through that last night?”
“Well, but that bolt…You had a dark green bolt, the same color as the rock picker. Is that what broke and made the bucket come crashing down?”
Cliff studied her for a moment, his forehead creased. Then he shook his head and smiled indulgently. “Of course not. Katie, you’ve got to understand how little you know about farming and the way we run things here. That’s exactly the kind of thing I do. To save a few bucks and a trip into town, I took that bolt from an old piece of machinery. It was too long, so I had to adapt it to fit properly.” He stood up. “And now, if you don’t mind, I have work to finish before breakfast.”
Katie glanced over her notes. “Did you cut the fence last night?” Her words hung in the warm morning air like daggers.
Cliff frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“The fence where the cows escaped. You said it had been cut.”
“And you think I did it? Don’t be ridiculous!
Obviously Scott’s behind it, just like everything else.”
“When did he do it?”
“How would I know?”
“Well, it’s odd, because when we saw you the night before, you said you checked the fence. Remember?
And you had the wire cutters in your pocket.”
Cliff looked frustrated. “Katie, I’d love to stand here and talk to you, but I need to get back to work.”
He turned away, dismissing her.
“But, I just can’t figure it out.”
Cliff swung around. “It’s quite simple. He drove over in the morning, before you went to see him.”
“Hmmm.” Katie looked at her notes.
Cliff crouched beside the cutter bar and peered underneath it. He glanced up at Katie. “Are you finished yet?”
“Almost. I just wonder…”
“What?”
“Okay. Scott’s parents took the truck into town early yesterday morning. So, I wonder how he got all the way here and back again in time to answer the phone when Emily called him?”
Cliff rubbed a hand over his damp forehead. “How would I know? Rode his bike? What difference does it make?”
Katie shrugged.
“Listen, Katie, it’s been fun chatting with you and all, but I really have work to do now.”
“No problem. I’ll ask you the other stuff when you come in for breakfast.” She turned to go.
“What other stuff?”
“Nothing important,” she called over her shoulder.
“It’s only about the phone calls.”
“What about them?”
She stopped in the wide doorway, with the sun at her back. She knew she was taking a chance now. What if Megan was wrong and Aunt Margaret had told Cliff about the threatening calls? But things were not going well so far and it was a chance she needed to take. “Oh, you know, I just wondered how you knew about them when Aunt Margaret didn’t tell anyone?”
“She told me. She must have. Why wouldn’t she?”
He scratched his head. “No, wait. I was there a couple of times when a call came in. I told her it must be Scott.”
Katie made a point of reading through her notes.
“Hmm,” she said. “Interesting.” She looked up at Cliff.
“I have to go now, I need to talk to Aunt Margaret.”
She turned away.
“Wait! Katie!” Cliff moved swiftly toward her. “Maybe I can help. Have you got any more questions?”
Katie remained just inside the workshop door.
“Well, okay. Maybe just one more. Remember when you said we should check Megan’s cell phone because the last threatening call was made from it?”
Cliff looked wary. “Uh, did I say that?”
“Yeah, you did. So, I wondered how you knew?”
Before Katie could move he had covered the distance between them. He stood so close he was practically touching her, but not quite. The cow-smell of him filled her nostrils; she couldn’t breathe properly; she wanted to run, but didn’t dare move.
“Listen to me, Katie. These people trust me. Heck, they’re even grateful to me. Nothing you say is going to change that, understand? You’re just a kid, and it’s your word against mine.”
“But, why are you doing this? Can’t you wait until next year to get the farm?”
“Not if I can take over now and buy it for half the price when the crops are sold. Your aunt can’t sell the farm so long as there’s the question of illegally planted GM seed hanging over her head. And right now she can’t wait to get away from here.”
“So you made up the whole GMO thing just to scare her?”
He grinned. “Devious, huh? The threats will disappear once Scott’s out of the way.”
“What about Megan?”
“Poor Megan is confused. She needed my help to realize that Scott isn’t the right boy for her.”
“Is that why you picked on Scott? Because Megan likes him?”
Cliff shrugged. “I got kicked off his parents’ farm because of him. I couldn’t let it happen again. Next thing I know he’ll want a farm of his own.”
“So…you’re afraid Megan might marry Scott and take over this farm?”
“Not anymore.” He chuckled. “And to think, I once considered marrying that girl myself next year, but she turned out way too weird for my taste.”
“Even Megan has more sense than to marry you!
If she’s weird it’s because you made her think all the accidents were her fault!”
“Can I help it if accidents follow her around? She’s always running off to meet Scott, and every time she does, something bad happens. Now she’s not sure who she can trust.”
“Was she going to see Scott the day we arrived?”
Cliff shook his head. “No. She decided to run away after she let that fire get out of control—or thought she did. Megan figures her mom would be better off without her. I brought her back, though. Margaret will never leave without her daughter.”
Katie stared up at him in amazement. His plan was so clever she almost admired him. Blame Scott, make Megan feel so guilty she ruins her health, send her and Aunt Margaret away and get the farm for himself. “You’re a sick man,” she said.
He laughed. “And the best part of it is, no one knows but you and me.”
“Who says I won’t tell?”
“As I said, it’s your word against mine. And just to be on the safe side,” he glanced down at the wrench in his hand, “remember, accidents happen.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” she said.
“Maybe not.” He smiled. “But you wouldn’t want your aunt or, even worse, your mother to have an accident, would you?”
A chill spread over her skin. She had to get out of here. Now. Katie took a step backward. Outside, onto the dirt. She glanced to her left where Rusty stood waiting, out of Cliff’s sight. But Cliff was so close, what if he followed her? Could they run fast enough to escape him?
“I’m going now,” she said, hoping Rusty would take the hint and start moving away.
“And you’ll keep your mouth shut?”
She nodded. “Yes, I promise. If you promise not to hurt anyone.”
“Me?” he laughed. “I wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
She started to walk away, hoping Cliff would return to whatever he was doing.
Rusty hadn’t moved. He must be waiting for her, to be sure she was safe. When Katie started toward him he nodded and pushed a button on t
he tape recorder. It beeped.
“Hey! What was that?” Cliff charged out the door.
Katie broke into a run.
20
Katie rounded the corner of the work shed on Rusty’s heels. The thud-thud-thud of heavy feet followed close behind. “Run, Rusty!” she yelled.
“What do you think I’m doing?”
She caught up to him at the driveway. Which way to run? Could they make it to the house? Would anyone hear if they cried for help?
“Hey, kids!” Cliff’s long shadow stretched across the dry dirt in front of them, one arm upraised, still clutching the wrench. “Stop, will you? I only want to talk to you.”
If he caught them, Cliff would destroy the tape.
Everything would be lost. “Keep going, Rusty,” she gasped. “Run to the house, don’t let him get the tape.”
Rusty sprinted across the driveway. Katie made a quick sharp zigzag into Cliff’s shadow. She dropped into a crouch with her chin tucked in to her knees, hands over the back of her neck.
Cliff’s size and speed carried him smack into Katie’s crouched form and sent him sprawling to the ground over her. The force knocked Katie down too, but she was ready for it and scrambled to her feet. She skirted around Cliff, who lay face first in the dirt, and headed for the screen door. But she wasn’t quick enough. With lightning speed, Cliff’s hand flew out and grabbed Katie’s ankle, sending her flying.
Flat on her stomach on the dusty driveway, Katie tried to kick herself free. “You might as well give up,” she shouted. “We know what you did!”
Cliff laughed. “Katie-girl, do you really think you’re in a position to threaten me?”
“Rusty’ll wake everyone up. He’ll play the tape.
Then see if anyone believes you.”
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Cliff tightened his grip, his fingers pressed into the soft spot behind her ankle bone.
“Ow!” Katie couldn’t move. Dust filled her nostrils and made her eyes sting. “That hurts!”
“This isn’t a game, girl.”
Katie couldn’t believe what she heard next.
“Thanks for coming back, son. Now, if you’ll just hand over that tape recorder I’ll forget this ever happened.”
“Okay,” Rusty said, “let her go and I’ll give it to you.”
Katie twisted sideways to see Rusty standing over her. “What are you doing? I can take care of myself.”
“That’s not what I’m seeing,” Rusty said.
Cliff released her ankle and stood up. Rusty handed over the tape recorder. “Thanks so much, Rusty. I knew you were a reasonable young man.”
Katie sat up. “Did you at least call for help?”
“Of course I did!”
Cliff grinned as he removed the tape and slid it into his pocket. Then he handed the tape recorder back to Rusty. “It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”
“We’ll tell them what you did,” Katie threatened.
Cliff winked down at her. “As I said, it’s your word against mine. Who do you think they’ll believe? Kind and reliable Cliff, or a couple of light-fingered kids?”
He walked away, chuckling.
Still sitting in the dirt, Katie watched him return to his workshop. They had been so close! Hot tears stung the backs of her eyes.
“Katie? Rusty? What’s going on here?” Aunt Margaret ran up to them, panting slightly, her face tight with concern. “I heard Rusty call for help. Are you all right, Katie?”
“I think so.”
“Katie!” Cliff charged back from the workshop.
“What happened? Are you hurt?”
He sounded so concerned Katie almost believed him. “I fell,” she said and started to get up.
Rusty put out a hand to help. “It’s okay,” he whispered and tapped the tape recorder.
“But, why are you out here at this hour?” Aunt Margaret asked.
“I woke Rusty up early because I felt kind of sick in that hot stuffy bedroom. We came out to get some fresh air.” She put her hand to her forehead. “I don’t know what happened—all of a sudden I was lying on the driveway.”
“It was weird,” Rusty confirmed. “One minute she was walking along, then KABOOM, she crashed.”
“That accident yesterday must have affected you more than we thought.” Aunt Margaret wrapped a supportive arm around Katie’s shoulders. “Let’s get you inside.”
As soon as they entered the kitchen, Cliff glanced sharply at Rusty. “What have you got there, young man?”
“Uh,” Rusty stared down at his hands.
“Do you have a problem understanding what belongs to you?” Cliff reached for the tape recorder.
“First you take Megan’s cell phone and now her tape recorder?”
Rusty clutched the tape recorder and moved away.
“No…I…” His eyes flicked to Katie.
She said the first thing that came to mind. “Megan said we could borrow it to record some early morning bird songs because she never gets up in time.”
“And?” Aunt Margaret looked suspicious. “Did you get any?”
“Uh, I’m not sure. Want to listen and find out?”
“Sit down, Katie,”Aunt Margaret said. “I’ll get you a glass of orange juice. You aren’t looking so good.
And Rusty, I think you’d better wake up Megan and the others. We need to get to the bottom of this.”
“Leave the tape recorder with me,” Cliff said, but Rusty ignored him and ran for the stairs.
Cliff started after him and then seemed to change his mind. Instead, he walked to the coffee machine, poured himself a mug and sat down next to Katie.
Katie sipped her juice and tried to ignore Cliff, but he was so close his sweaty barn-smell made that difficult. It seemed like forever before the entire family, including Megan, gathered in the kitchen.
“Now,” Aunt Margaret said and turned to Megan, “it seems Katie and Rusty borrowed your tape recorder this morning. Is it true you asked them to record something for you?”
Megan yawned. She scowled first at Rusty and then at Katie. “Uh,” she said, “like what?”
“So, you didn’t say they could borrow it?” Cliff asked. He gave Aunt Sarah a sympathetic look. “I’m afraid your son is a kleptomaniac.”
“A who?” Rusty asked.
“A kleptomaniac,” Katie told him. “It means you steal stuff and you don’t even know why.”
“I never stole anything!”
“Son,” Cliff said, “we caught you with Megan’s cell phone two days ago, and now you have her tape recorder. How do you explain that?”
There was a long silence during which everyone looked at Rusty. His face quickly turned from pale white to bright red. “But, we recorded some interesting stuff,” he said.
“Not birds though,” Katie added. “I questioned Cliff this morning, and Rusty recorded it. You should hear what he said.”
“This is ridiculous!” Cliff reached toward Rusty.
“There isn’t even a tape in there. Hand it over, son.”
“How would you know that, Cliff?” Katie asked.
Cliff turned to her in surprise.
Megan’s eyes moved slowly from Rusty to Cliff to Katie. “Uh,” she rubbed her fingertips against her forehead,“I kinda forgot, maybe I did lend it to them. Why don’t we listen to what they got?” She took the tape recorder from Rusty.
Cliff flashed a smile at her and held out his hand.
“Give it to me.”
But Megan turned away and took a close look at the tape recorder. “There’s a tape in here, all right.”
Cliff’s smile faded. “It must be a blank.”
“I don’t think so.” Rusty grinned.
“There’s only one way to find out,” Katie said. Megan rewound the tape and pressed Play. There was a rustle of background noise and then Cliff’s voice burst into the room, “Ah! It’s you again. You’ve got to stop sneaking up on me, Katie-girl. People can
get hurt that way.”
“This is nuts!” Cliff shouted. “Are you really going to believe what these two kids say against me?” He appealed to Aunt Margaret, “After all I’ve done for you?”
“Shh,” she said, “let’s listen.”
Around the table, they all stared at the tape recorder in complete silence until the final words:
“I’m going now,” Katie’s voice said.
“And you’ll keep your mouth shut?” Cliff asked.
“Yes, I promise. If you promise not to hurt anyone.”
“Me?” Cliff laughed. “I wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Anger flashed in Aunt Margaret’s eyes. She glared across the table at Cliff. “I trusted you,” she said.
“And all the time you were out to destroy us?”
He tried a smile, but it didn’t flash as confidently as before. “No, I…”
“I thought it was me,” Megan interrupted, leaping to her feet. “You told me every time I did something stupid, Mom got hurt. You told me my friends were a bad influence, but you would take care of me. You even kept track of my phone calls!” She raised her fists as if she would pummel Cliff on the shoulders, but then she backed away. “And all the time you were playing with my mind!”
“Look,” Cliff stood up and moved toward Megan, “you don’t understand.”
Megan stood her ground. “You’re wrong. I finally do understand. You made me think there was something wrong with me! You destroyed my life!
And for what? To steal our farm from us!”
Aunt Margaret stood up then, and hurried to place herself between Megan and Cliff. “I’ll give you exactly fifteen minutes to clear out of here.”
Cliff glared at her in fury. “You can’t do this to me!” he shouted. “After all I’ve worked for!”
GJ got up abruptly. “Katie,” he said, “use your cell phone and call the police. Now.”
He strode angrily toward Cliff. “My daughter asked you to leave,” he said. “You have your chance to walk away. Take off now, and they may not pick you up, but if any of us ever see your face around here again, I think the police will be interested in hearing that tape, don’t you?”
Shaking with anger, Cliff pointed at Katie. “This is all your fault!”