by Bo Drury
“Are these tears for me?”
“No,” she answered quickly. “This is a sad story,” she said, wiping at her tears as she gathered up the things he asked for. Noticing his limp, she asked, “What happened to you? You look awful.”
“He's lucky to be alive,” Scott told her. Ignoring the look Harry gave him, he went on, “He got shot, dumped in a hole in the ground, and had to walk for miles to get to his car when he finally got out of the cave.”
“Do what?” She turned to Harry, big eyed. “Can't I leave you for a day without you getting into more trouble?” Her voice was full of concern.
“Look at his head,” Josh said. “He needed stitches.” Scott was oblivious to Harry's dour look.
“Bend down and let me see, Harry.” Parting his hair, she gasped and shook her head. “Harryeeee...we need to go over and have this seen to.”
Handing him his loafers, she ushered him out the door. Turning to Scott, she said, “Come on, I'm sure they need to check your bandage too.”
Scott grinned as he climbed in her car and said, “Who is the boss when ya'll are in the office?” He snickered and looked away when Harry gave him a go-to-hell look.
Four stitches later they were back in the room. Doris brought fruit and cold drinks to snack on. While she busied herself picking up after Harry, he went through his phone book looking for the cell number of his cop friend in San Angelo. He needed a favor.
Picking up the motel phone, he dialed for an outside line and called his friend. “Mark. Harry. I need a favor. Look in your database and find me anything you can on a Rebecca Stockton ASAP. Yeah...like yesterday. I am in Sutton; the number will be on your caller ID. Give me a call as soon as you find anything. If I'm out, leave a message. I'll get back to you... Thanks, buddy.”
Scott was watching him with interest. “What makes you think they can find out anything on her?”
“It's just a shot in the dark, but we have to start someplace. So far we have just been going around in a circle. Hopefully they can give us some idea where she has been all this time and doing what.”
Doris, who had been listening, moved Harry's rumpled clothes, sat down on the bed and asked, “Would you like to fill me in on what is going on? Maybe a woman's viewpoint will help some way.”
She listened carefully to the events that led up to the present. When he finished she sat quietly absorbing the information. Reaching for a pen and paper, she began to make some notes.
Turning to Scott she asked, “What did your grandmother's will say?”
Surprised at the question, he had to think a minute before answering. “Everything was divided equally three ways between Uncle Jeb, my mother or her legal heirs, and me.” As he sat there, the enormity of what he just said dawned on him. That meant when she died, he had the lion's share of the property, more than Jeb. He appeared stunned.
This put a whole new spin on things. No wonder Jeb would want to get rid of Scott. How he must boil at the thought of Scott owning more of the ranch than he did. Harry watched Scott, wondering what he was thinking. But if Jeb was out of the picture, Scott would have it all. Harry knew that was a foolish thought, but you never wanted to rule out any possibilities. Jeb would benefit from Scott's death and Scott would come out winner-take-all if Jeb went to prison for life.
“I think I need some fresh air,” he said, getting up and going out the door, leaving Doris and Scott startled by the sudden move. Going out by the pool, he sat down and tried to gather his thoughts. Scott and Doris were a distraction.
From where he sat he could see the bashed-in fender of his car. He wondered who took the call the old man made to the ranch. There was no way of finding out...unless the cook might know. She was that one person who listened and watched and no one thought much of—at least he hoped no one did. She could be in grave danger.
Going back to the room in a rush, he grabbed the phone and called the sheriff's office. “Josh Turner, please... Josh, the cook at the ranch...it just occurred to me she may be in danger. She sees and hears everything. Because she speaks little English, the killer might not think of her as a threat, yet she would be. If he realizes this, her life won't be worth a plug nickel. You may need to put her in protective custody ASAP... Thanks, call me.”
“What made you think of Rosa? She's been with the family since I was a baby. Surely no one would hurt her.”
“Does she understand English?”
“Of course. Grandmother brought her up from Mexico before I was born. She speaks it too, she just doesn't want to. She's a cranky old woman,” he said, worrying about his old babysitter.
That was puzzling. If that's the case, then Jeb would know she knew what was going on, and if Jeb is not behind all this, who is?
“I think maybe I should go back to the house.” Scott was pacing the floor.
“You want to go back and let them finish the job on you? Josh is going out to the ranch to get Rosa. He will put her in protective custody until we figure out what is going on. She will be safe.”
“You don't know Rosa; she won't go willingly. They will have to hog-tie her and drag her away from there,” he said worriedly. “I can imagine what will happen when they try to get her to go. They will probably have to arrest her for assaulting an officer.”
Harry couldn't help but laugh, thinking of the plump little cook and her temper the morning Marie came up missing. Scott was most likely right; she would be a terror to be reckoned with, for sure.
Doris was still making her notes and puzzling out whatever it was she had down. What made her think she could solve anything with pen and paper? It would take brains and footwork to figure this mystery out. She'd been reading too many books.
Harry lay back and closed his eyes. There was nothing he could do right now. Tomorrow they would fly over the ranch. Josh was seeing to Rosa, and his feet still hurt too much to wear shoes.
He woke to the sound of the phone. Opening his eyes, he saw Doris reach across him to answer it. Had she been lying on the bed too? She handed him the phone and got up, smoothing her clothes. Harry was speechless for a minute.
“Yeah... Okay, Josh.” Hanging up, he swung his legs off the bed and gave Doris the once over. She avoided looking in his direction. Finally she looked at him. “What?” she demanded.
“Nothing.” He grinned and reached for his shoes. “Josh is dropping by.”
“I'll go pick us up some coffee,” she said, grabbing her keys and scooting out the door. Watching her, he knew he liked what he saw. He was glad she had come down.
Josh pulled in as she pulled out. He had a pleased expression on his face as he walked to the door. He announced as he came in, “That Stockton dame had a past and a record for being drunk and disorderly.” Pulling up a chair and warming up to his story, he went on, “She and the old woman fought like cats and dogs. Scott was illegitimate; the grandmother threw a shoe when it happened. When Scott was about three years old she took off with some soldier stationed at the base. She had another kid, a girl. The father shipped out; she gave the baby up for adoption and took off for parts unknown. No one heard from her after that; she just vanished. Probably went by a different name.” He sat quietly for a minute. “It don't matter if you're rich or poor, seems like there's a skeleton in every closet if you look for it.”
Mulling this new information over, Harry finally said, “So Scott has a sister. I wonder if the grandmother knew about it. Maybe this is what Rebecca told Jeb that night when she came to the house. This is probably what got her killed.”
Josh stood to leave. “It was all the talk around here twenty years ago—a real scandal. It happened before my time. I was just a pup then and couldn't care less.”
“How did you find this out?”
Josh looked a little shamefaced. “Gossip at the cafe. Then I started checking into it.”
“I'm not going to say anything to Scott just yet about the girl. I want to look into something first.”
“What are we looking into?”
Scott asked from the open doorway. “Where is that food Doris brought?” Coming in, he proceeded to rummage through the packages on the dresser, then turned back to face the two men watching him. “Has something else happened? Did you pick up Rosa?”
“That wasn't an easy task, but we got her moved to a safe house. She will be okay there. She was pretty mad at all of us. Mr. Stockton was the one who finally convinced her to come with us.”
“Uncle Jeb? I'm surprised he didn't pitch a fit himself. Now he will be all alone out there.”
An uneasy feeling came over Harry, hearing Scott's remark. He was having doubts about Jeb's guilt. If he is an innocent party then he may be in danger too.
Josh excused himself, leaving Harry and Scott alone. Harry wondered how much he should tell Scott about his mother. Did he have any idea who his father was?
Before he could say anything, Doris came in with coffee and sweet rolls. Scott dove in. He was a regular garbage disposal, devouring all the food in sight.
The phone rang. Both Doris and Harry reached for it. Doris picked it up and handed it to him.
“Yes.” He listened without saying a word, glancing a couple of times at Scott, then turned his back to him. “I see.” He nodded his head. “Thanks a million, pal.”
He sat there on the bed considering his next move. His friend, Mark, had just told him some more about Scott's mother. The man who fathered her baby was a Sgt. Delbert H. Longley, stationed at the air base in San Angelo. He was on the birth certificate. He shipped out before the baby was born. She went to California after giving up the little girl and eventually married. Her husband had passed away and left her a large estate. She had been reported missing. Now they were able to clear that up, but it opened up another question to deal with. Did she name Scott and his sister as heirs to her estate?
Scott would have to be told about the girl. Should he be the one to tell him? How did I get into all this? he wondered.
Turning to Scott, he found him waiting expectantly. “That was my friend with the San Angelo Police Department. He ran a check on your mother and tracked her down.” Scott leaned forward, all ears. “She had been living in California for a long time. She had married. Her husband died and left her a sizeable estate. She had been reported missing. They have notified the SF police department of her death. You will probably be hearing from her attorney before long.”
Scott leaned back. This was hard to fathom—a mother he had not heard from in twenty years suddenly coming into his life, and now he was to receive part of her estate.
“There's more, Scott. You have a sister.”
“A sister?” Scott, astonished and bewildered by this new bit of information stammered, “A sister...in California?”
“No, your mother put her up for adoption when she was born. We don't know who she is. You may never know. Until your mother's will is read, we don't know if she was mentioned. The only reason I am telling you this now is so you will know ahead of time if it comes up.” Harry let it sink in before he went on. “If she acknowledged her in her will, then she is heir to the ranch also.”
“Does Uncle Jeb know this?”
“Probably not, unless your mother told him that night she was at the ranch.”
“Boy...a sister,” he said, still awed by it. “That's cool.” After a minute he went on. “I always wished I had a brother, I never thought about a sister.” Then he laughed. “Jeb will throw a shit-fit if he has to share the ranch with a girl, especially a tenderfoot girl.” He fell back across the bed cracking up with laughter, enjoying the idea.
“Well, we're not sure about that yet, Scott.”
He sat up, suddenly sober. “Well, I am. I will find her if she's out there. You will help me, won't you, Harry?” he said with a plea in his voice.
“Of course he will,” Doris spoke up, then quickly looked at Harry for confirmation.
“I think we should call on your uncle and see where he stands on this. If he was aware of the fact you have a sister, he needs to know it is all out in the open. I don't know that this was the cause of the murder of your mother and Marie, but if it was, it was for naught. What a terrible waste of two lives...actually three.” And he explained about the old man in Crystoval.
“You still think Uncle Jeb killed my Mother and Marie and then killed the old man to keep him from talking? That would mean you think he tried to kill me too.”
“I really don't know what to think now, Scott. At first I thought for sure it was him. All the evidence points that way. But now...there have been a couple of things that make me have doubt. Now I'm not sure he might not be in danger himself.”
Harry walked to the window and looked across the highway and through the trees in the direction of the ranch. There was an unknown evil presence lurking beneath the placid landscape of green oaks and white rock. What secrets did the catacomb of caverns hold? Who would benefit from all this more than Jeb Stockton?
The hands on the ranch are close and loyal, but where do their loyalties lie—with Jeb or Scott? And what about Rosa? Does she know more about this than anyone? I must talk to her, he vowed. She probably knew about the little girl and who the father was when Rebecca left the ranch. Servants have a way of learning what is going on. Yes, she is the key. Tomorrow I need to see her. She will surely tell me when she hears Scott is in danger. If she won't tell me, she'll surely tell Scott.
Harry needed a smoke. The urge was strong. He would send Doris after some peanuts. That always calmed him—shelling nuts, crazy as it sounded. Thinking of the shells, he recalled the hulls by the pool and in Melody's room by the door. There had been shells in the cavern too. He had crawled through them. They were still clinging to his clothes when he got out in the sunshine. He remembered brushing them off. Who else on the ranch liked peanuts like he did? Suddenly excited, he turned to ask Scott. He wasn't in the room. “Where did Scott go?”
“He said he wanted to go out for a while.” Harry turned at the sound of a car motor, only to see Scott drive away in the jeep.
“Now where in hell is he going? He shouldn't even be driving yet.” In dismay he saw him stop and then turn toward the ranch.
“That dumb kid,” he said, grabbing his shoes. “Let's go,” he yelled at Doris, who, surprised, snatched up the car keys and ran out the door behind him. “Give me the keys,” he shouted, jumping in the car.
“What's wrong, Harry?”
“That boy's not out of danger. Whoever shot at him may try again. What is he thinking?” he said as he floored the pedal and shot out down the road. Doris held on, trying to fasten her seat belt as her hair whipped around her face.
“Slow down, Harry. We can't help him if we're dead,” she yelled against the wind.
Turning onto the caliche road, the car fishtailed, sending up a spray of gravel and white dust as Harry tried vainly to catch the jeep ahead of them.
A terrible dread came over him as they pulled up beside the empty jeep in front of the rambling house. Jumping out, forgetting his sore feet, Harry ran to the door and burst in, yelling for Scott.
Jeb walked hurriedly into the entry from the lounge. His face clouded when he saw Harry. Before he could react, Harry yelled at him, “Where is Scott?”
Surprised, Jeb just looked at him. “Scott?”
“Where is he? His jeep is out front.” Harry pushed past him into the lounge and looked out to the pool. Doris came in slowly.
Jeb turned to her. “What is going on?”
She shook her head, shrugging her shoulders.
Harry came back, and taking a fistful of Jeb's shirt-front, lifted him to his toes. “If anything happens to that boy, you will pay, I swear.” Dropping him, he rushed out the door and headed for the barn.
Orlando met him coming out of the corral. He was noticeably surprised to see him on the ranch.
“Did you see Scott?”
“Why? No. When was he here?”
“Just now, dammit!” Harry said in frustration and looked back toward the house. Do
ris and Jeb both stood there watching. He scanned the surrounding landscape, hoping to see some clue as to where Scott disappeared to.
“Someone had to see him,” he stated, his face grim. “He can't just drive up and disappear. We were right behind him.”
Jeb was walking toward him. “Now see here, Harry, what is this all about?”
Feeling defeated, Harry rubbed his hand across his face then looked Jeb in the eye. “Jeb, whoever shot Scott might try for him again. The crazy kid came out here to talk to you about his mother...”
“Not again.” Jeb was visibly upset.
“He learned today he has a sister someplace that his mother gave up for adoption. Did you know about this?”
Jeb paled and staggered back a step. Doris instinctively reached for him.
Orlando was quietly taking this all in. Jeb shook her hand from his shoulder and stood straight, spreading his feet apart as if to brace himself against another blow.
“Who told him this?”
“That's not what matters. Did you know?”
His shoulders suddenly sagged and he seemed to grow old as they watched. Shaking his head, he looked on the verge of collapse. Orlando rushed forward and grabbed him, holding him up. Doris rushed to his other side, and between them, they walked him back to the house and into the lounge.
Orlando went to the bar and poured him a shot of bourbon; handing it to him, he insisted he drink it. “Come on, Jeb, buck up.”
Harry was surprised to hear the vaquero talk to his boss in such a manner. Seeing Harry's reaction, Orlando explained, “We have been friends for many years. I was just a boy when I came here and went to work for his mother.”
Harry studied the dark-eyed man. It was hard to tell his age. If he had been here all that time, it meant he knew Rebecca when she was young. He wondered what stories he would have to tell about Rebecca as a young woman.
Jeb seemed to be recovering. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, hands clasped in front of him and head bowed. Raising his head, he looked at each one of them.