Spivey shook his head. "Let's go. I got other things to do. Like salvage a campaign. I hope you work faster than you understand things."
Will frowned vacantly at the comment. "I don't get it."
"That figures. Follow me."
A low growl belonging to a brindle hound weighing eighty pounds, yellow eyes as venomous as his owner's, caught his attention. At their first step, the dog's growl intensified. Will squatted and tried to coax the animal to him.
"Best dog around for keeping a cow moving. But he doesn't take to strangers at all." Spivey's boasting turned to sputtering when the animal slunk towards Will. His thick tail brushed the ground as he allowed his head to be rubbed. Spivey kicked at the dog, but missed when it jerked out of range. His foot connected squarely with the truck's hubcap, making his knee buckle.
Will bent over, pretending to examine the scuffed chrome while peeking at the bumper. Farm trucks usually had more dents than a factory second golfball. But not with the same color paint as PJ's car. His heart beats threatened to rupture his ribcage. There was no way to take a picture now. On the way out, he had to make a chance. "No harm done."
Whistling the Seven Dwarf's work song, he moved toward the cattle pen. How could he maintain a good attitude the next several hours?
The cows huddled in the deep shade three massive oaks draped on a corner of the corral. Annoyed tails swatted at an army of flies pestering them. The stamping of feet, coughing, and an occasional bellow cluttered the humid air. A three-man work crew, including Jug, scrambled to their feet.
"They'll be easy. Most have been show cows. Could probably bleed them on a halter." Spivey stared at Will before finishing. "So even a city boy should do fine."
After bleeding a few cows without ruckus, Will looked over the fence at Spivey. The man's grousing was wearing thin with everyone. He caught his attention and grinned. "Did you hear the story about the guy with mean health food freaks for neighbors?"
"No."
"One day they threw Omega 3 capsules at him. He escaped with super fish oil injuries."
Spivey's glare silenced the hired hands' chuckles. "Sport, why don't we just work and skip the entertainment?"
Five hours later, when only a handful of cows remained to be tested, Will's sweat-darkened clothes stuck to him like puckered skin.
"We're all apt to die of heat stroke trying to obey some fool government law." Spivey watched the last cow step into the head catch.
"Look at the bright side. We got to share a day working together." Will smiled. Though the day had been hot and sticky, he had kept Spivey off balance with humorous responses to his every gripe. When he was around. Part of the time he was making phone calls or meeting with campaign people the sheriff brought. "I wouldn't have missed that for anything. How about you?"
"How long until we hear back?"
"A few days."
"Don't get mine mixed up with someone else's." He stood cross-armed, flanked by Sheriff Ledbetter.
Will winked atop a confident smile. "Don't worry. I've put yours in special pink tubes to tell them apart."
Perturbed eyes migrated together under furry brows. "Did you see to it that my neighbor get rid of her sick stock?"
Maintaining patience had become more difficult as the day progressed. More threats involving Liza drained the tank. "That isn't my place to do. But I do know that they went to sale Saturday. So you won't need to be scoping things out with your binoculars any more."
Ledbetter shifted uncomfortably. "It's been a long day for everybody. Let's leave things here and go home."
Will thought long moments before speaking, sensing it wouldn't take much more foolishness to push Spivey a fraction too far. "I had Miss Effie check what our vaccine inventory should be. It's way short of what I found in your fridge. And yours were the last bunch Uncle Bill vaccinated. Did you find any more in your fridge after I left?"
His voice grew harsher. "Sport, I don't know what you're up to, but it sounds like you're accusing me of something."
Will squinted and chewed a corner of his lip. "And what would that be?"
"Sounds like you're saying I'm hiding vaccine."
Only his chuckle broke the taut quiet. "There was this great line in Cool Hand Luke. What we have here is a failure to communicate. The exact question was this. Did you find any more in your fridge after I left? I did not ask if you were hiding vaccine." Will turned to the hired hands, who busied themselves looking invisible. "Is that an accurate recap?" Their heads bobbed in ambiguous nods as they avoided Spivey's hard stare. "With your excellent reputation, I know you wouldn't use it in an unapproved way. But not everybody has your high standards. Someone might have found it and used it in a criminal manner." He stopped, raised a palm up hand in front of him. "For instance, did you know that if you give it to pregnant cows, they can abort and test positive?"
Spivey crossed his arms and attempted a confident smile. "I'd have my facts straight before I'd go off half-cocked. You'd best be on your way."
Will nodded. "I think I'll be on my way."
Jug waved at him. "Can you call me about the boys later?"
Spivey turned and stared at Jug. "I don't want to hear any more of your yammer about the boys. Make bacon out of the lot and be done with it. Pigs. Bad as sheep."
"Sure. What's going on?"
"Same thing we talked about earlier. I'll be around." Shoulders straight, head high, he turned and walked away.
Nobody helped carry samples and equipment. He took two quick pictures of the bumper on Otis's truck and stuffed the camera under the seat.
***
Near Liza's driveway, Blue sprang out of the ditch, challenging his right to the road. He turned in. It was too late to mail the samples today, he had no other appointments, and he had promised her he would check in to see how she was feeling.
Delicate traces of lavender curled from her when she rose from the rocker. She reached out a hand as he mounted the stone steps. Though still frail, she appeared improved from last night. Better yet, she must have forgiven his not coming earlier. Her smile invited him to draw closer. She dropped his hand and took a step back at his hesitation. The smile remained. "Finished at Spivey's already?"
He nodded. "A top five kind of day."
Liza's lips pinched to a hard slit as she adjusted a shoulder strap on her striped overalls. "You'll have to pass a drug screen before I'll believe that. But you got them all done?"
He nodded again, wondering what she meant.
"Every last one of them?" Her eyelids narrowed while she waited for his response. Faint blushes of color stained her cheeks.
"I did. And thanks again for the cake. It made a great lunch."
"The least I could do." Liza rubbed her lower lip. "I believe he held out a few cows."
Will leaned away, fidgety at being so close he could distinguish the gold flecks in her eyes. The number he'd tested matched last year's test chart, give or take a few sales and additions. "How would you know that?"
"I was checking fence today. I heard cattle bawling in the woods where he's never run cows. I wanted to be sure they weren't some of mine in the wrong place. So I went exploring."
Will eyed her with suspicion. "I thought you counted yours every day. And you're supposed to take it easy until you get better. What are you doing, tramping all over the place?"
"I found two cows in a portable pen. And-"
"And what?" Her tone of voice was the one she had used to persuade him to check her for brucellosis.
"One has afterbirth hanging out but doesn't have a calf. I could tell she hasn't been nursed."
Scenarios spooled through his mind. Perhaps they had leptospirosis, another disease causing abortion, but Spivey was scared it was Bang's. But why? His cows had been vaccinated against it when calves. Maybe the ones Liza found were new additions that hadn't been. But where had they contracted Bang's. Had they somehow been in contact with Liza's two? When PETTA was cutting fences? Or? He grinned. If his conclusions
proved correct, it would be poetic justice? "Maybe she's just trying to have it."
"I watched her a while. She's all sunk in. She's not in labor." Liza paused. "Might be she aborted. Maybe the other one did, too. He's supposed to test them all, right? Just like I had to?" Will nodded reluctant agreement. She stepped closer, looked up into his face. "Well, are you going to bleed 'em or not? I can take you right to them."
Spivey's odd reaction when he'd asked the man if he had all his cows caught up to test came to mind. Had that meant anything? He averted his face, unable to look into her imploring eyes. "I'm not an agent for the state."
She leaned further in, her voice shrill as a whisper could be. Her hot breath scorched his cheek. "Doesn't pulling blood samples for the state make you an agent?"
He grimaced and edged away. Read Mary, Queen of Scots and you're an expert on chain of command. "In some way, maybe. Not like having a badge and the secret handshake."
Liza closed the distance between them, hands on hips, determination chiseled into clamped jaws. "I sold my cows that tested positive. If he keeps cows that have it, the ones I have left could get it from his. Right?"
"Well, yes, that would be-"
"Possible?" She stepped back, crossed her arms. "Then what's the problem with testing them? In case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to save this farm. What if what's left of my herd caught it from his because he hid them out?"
He attempted to avoid her eyes. Eye contact explained why men made such dumb decisions. She did have a point. "Let's back up. I'm not an enforcement agent for the state. I can bleed cows for the state when owners grant permission. But I'm not paid to spill blood. Especially mine."
"I see." Her tone indicated the opposite. She lifted her hands. "But he granted you permission, right?"
Eyes closed, Will's head dropped in exasperation. One day she didn't want his help. The next she wanted him to perform illegal acts. "The best thing to do is call the state vet's office. It's their responsibility."
From Liza's martyred expression, every request she'd ever made in life might have been refused. "I understand. I certainly wouldn't want to inconvenience you." She tapped her watch. "I bet they're closed by now. But I'm betting good old Spivey will be glad to haul feed and water back there until the wheels of bureaucracy move."
Will held his hands up, sorting through the options. It didn't take long, since there weren't any. And implicating Spivey with other misbehavior suited him.
"Are you going to do your civic duty or not?" Arms crossed, she threw one trim leg to the side. Fairness took wing, flapped into the encroaching evening.
"I'm thinking. But we can't trot onto his property in broad daylight. If he caught us there, he'd charge us with rustling. Neither of us are on his A list."
Liza jumped on what she apparently judged as an opening. "How about if we trot over there in broad dark instead? Bleed two cows. That's all I'm asking. Easy-peasy."
Though his opposition lessened, logic forced him to ask the obvious. "How do we prove they're even his cows?"
"Get real." Her cheeks puffed. "They'll be tattooed or have a freeze brand. Are you going to help or not? Where's your sense of adventure?"
"Great question. I never had one. I was always the kid playing Solitaire."
Liza tilted her head, widened her eyes slightly, moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. "I really need your help. I'll bake you another cake."
Will's dropped his head to cover his grin. Though she seemed too naïve to flirt, it was enchanting in a comedic way. Barbara's caustic words came to mind. Be like Bill. Save the world. Rescue the damsel. Do it the cowboy way. If the picture of Liza holding the puppy was the main reason he signed the papers, how could he refuse to help her? Only the details remained. "Will you bring it to me in prison, too? With a file in it?"
She hopped twice, then caught herself. She grabbed his arm. "It's a deal? You'll bleed them?"
He blew a sigh. "Okay, okay. One thing, though. I'm in charge."
Liza's eyebrows scurried to a peak. She tossed her head back in haughty surprise. Amused lips parted slightly in a mock smile. "Oh, really?"
"Yes, really. I'm the only one who's willing to risk his life and career to help you. Who else do you know who can run the samples for you?"
Liza put a hand on her neck, regarded Will cynically. "This is sneaking up on unarmed cattle, not counter-terrorism."
Will ignored her deprecating attitude. "I call the shots. Take it or leave it."
She frowned. Her defeated shrug didn't transfuse him with confidence. "I'll take it. When can we go?"
He paused, trying to devise a plan. "It won't be dark enough to sneak in for another couple hours. How about this? Let's go eat our last supper somewhere. Then we'll come back."
Liza shifted from foot to foot and briefly looked away. "I'm not sure about that." A saucy grin pouted her lips. "And who says it will be our last supper?"
He resolved to untangle her implication some other time. "I thought I was the commander of this expedition." She laughed at his attempted British accent. "Is this a mutiny?"
"Not exactly." She dropped her eyes. "I'm not real comfortable going out. I hope you understand."
Maybe she hadn't implied anything. "Same here. But we're not really going out."
She lifted questioning eyes. "So out doesn't mean out?"
A warm smile creased his face. He had wondered all day how to get her alone. "Now you've got it."
She looked into his eyes so long he feared she would refuse. "Okay, I'll go."
"Don't act so excited. I've got fresh clothes in the truck. I'll go change in the one-holer while you get ready." Into something he could leap tall buildings in. "Wear your prom overalls and I'll take you somewhere fancy."
Chapter 41
The transformation brought about by Liza trading work clothes for a muted green blouse, matching slacks and black flats was so dramatic that Will demanded she produce identification. Clearly embarrassed by the flattery, she barely talked during the short drive to town, so he had maintained a steady banter about his day, especially the time with job shadows.
She brought up the big news in town and he feared Kincaid had leaked his signing papers to remain in the Springs. But she meant the uproar surrounding Spivey. Though she didn't call for his head on a platter, it was obvious she didn't feel sorry for his situation.
The carousel sound of Freddy Cannon's Palisades Park, a gust of air-conditioned air, and fragments of animated conversations met them when they entered BW.
Darla waved, counted off three fingers, and shook her head before pointing at a booth in her territory. No telling what she thought of him showing up with a different woman very time he came. Liza allowed Will to guide her by the back of an arm that was stiff as a splint.
"This place is great, don't you think?" Will silently mouthed the words to Maybelline when Chuck Berry began his wail about his hard-hearted girl friend.
"It's nice." Liza discreetly surveyed the room. "You seem fidgety."
He grinned, but wasn't about to tell her why. The right moment would present itself. For now, he wanted to enjoy being in her presence as simply her. Not as a client or goodwill project. "Just getting nervous about getting arrested. Aren't you? I won't remember how to spay a dog by the time I get out."
One hand half waved as she continued to look around. "Not to worry. I've roamed around back there forever. Even if he sees us, we can outrun him."
"I'm not worried about outrunning him. I'm worried about outrunning his bullets."
"Pish-posh."
Will glanced at the senior portraits hanging by their booth. "Your folks went to school here, right?"
"They did."
Will pointed at the grainy pictures. One looked familiar. "That has to be your mom."
Liza nodded. "You've got a good eye." Her finger tapped the glass over another picture. "And that's my dad. There's your uncle." Her finger dropped several rows. "There's Otis Spivey."
&n
bsp; "He's changed. And PJ's sister." Will ran his eyes over the rest of the class. Carla slid tea and a plate of hot biscuits in front of them, then scribbled down their orders. As she flounced away, he tapped another face in the picture. "And there's PJ's sister." He nibbled on a biscuit, tilted his head. "Not bad, but hers are better. Though Pete and Miss Effie vote for yours."
She smiled in self-deprecation. "Nobody makes them as good as Momma."
"That's a real compliment coming from the biscuit champion. Did she teach you to cook?" Watching her face fall brought it back to him. "I'm sorry. I completely wasn't thinking."
A resolute smile possessed her face. "If you can get over being called Dr. Will Kill, I can get over that. I was talking about Momma. PJ's sister. She is the biscuit diva in these parts. I'm surprised you haven't stopped in their already, much as you roam around on calls."
He lifted his tea glass, took a swallow. "Barbara is Momma?"
She looked up at him, puzzled, as if the entire world knew. "Long as I remember. Always thought it odd, since she never married, had kids." She stopped. "Now it's my turn to be sorry. I forgot she was going to marry your uncle."
"No worries."
"Is something wrong?"
He rubbed his forehead, trying to erase whatever had alerted her. "Nothing's wrong. In fact, a lot of things are all right."
"I wish I could say the same." Index fingers raised the corners of her mouth. "But things are going to get better." She nestled her chin in hands, elbows propped on the table. "Are you and Skeets back together? Andy said you're seeing her. She seems nice."
"I've never seen her. I talked with her about my uncle."
"But Andy said he saw you-"
Will held up a hand. "Andy said y'all were sweethearts, too. He doesn't seem to a reliable witness." Will watched her color rise. "Or boy friend, for that matter. So I officially don't have a girlfriend."
Darla cleared her throat. The plates clattered as she set their hamburgers on the table. "Unofficially, he's up to three." She wore an amused smile as she waved Deputy Seth to a table, leaving them sharing an awkward silence. He reached for the pepper shaker, noticed Seth staring at them and saluted him. He gave a curt nod and picked up a menu.
X's and O's (Will Kilpatrick, DVM Mystery Series Book 1) Page 29