by Susan Harper
“So, it looks like more people than just Laurie has some motive,” Pauline said.
“For the fire, yes,” Jesse argued. “But not for killing Monica. Why would a land dispute cause Mr. Johnson, or any of the Johnsons, to want to hurt Monica, who is not even a rancher anymore?”
“That’s an excellent point,” Pauline said.
“So, you all agree that it was definitely Laurie?” Jesse said, crossing her arms. “I mean, she obviously killed Monica because she was jealous of Junior. Then, she jumped me out by the pigpen because he and I were talking. Then, she set the fire to cover her tracks.”
“I don’t know about that just yet, Jesse,” Kendell said. “We don’t have any proof. Not yet.”
“I think we should look more into this land dispute,” Pauline suggested.
“I agree,” Kendell said. “Monica might actually be involved somehow. For all we know, she was a part of it somehow.”
“Her family doesn’t own any land around here anymore,” Jesse argued. “So, why would she be involved in a land dispute?”
“She does know both families,” Pauline said. “She might have taken sides or something. Maybe helped the Carsons win the case somehow?”
“That’s possible,” Kendell said. “It might not even have anything to do with the land dispute at all. But we can’t just point fingers at Laurie so quick because we don’t like her. And not liking the victim doesn’t mean you’re the one who killed her.”
“Fine,” Jesse said. “Since when are you a detective, anyway?”
“I’d say London,” Pauline said.
Kendell shook her head, recalling the first time she and Pauline had helped authorities investigate a case during their travels. They had gone to see a performance of Macbeth at the Globe Theater in London. The play always ended with the character Macbeth having his head severed, something done by using a prop head. Except, it hadn’t been a prop head. Their next trip in Nairobi, Kenya, had not gone particularly well either after a man at Giraffe Manor had gotten bashed in the head by a coffee pot and Kendell’s friend Lil had been accused of the crime. Then, in their latest trip to the Hawaiian Islands, Kendell’s friend Brandon had been visiting his brother Nick when Nick’s girlfriend had gotten her head bashed in while surfing. All three cases they had managed to solve, but this one here on the ranch was a bit different. They were stuck. They were trapped on that ranch—trapped with the killer, who had apparently turned into an arsonist overnight as well. They had been locking their door at night, of course, but that didn’t stop Kendell from being anxious.
One by one, the Carsons and the Johnsons came in from the porch and retired to bed. Mrs. Carson was the last one to come inside, locking up behind her and then plopping down in front of the fire with a sigh. “Those men, I swear,” she said, shaking her head. “One of these days, I’m going to sock both of them in the jaw!”
Kendell laughed, as did Pauline and Jesse. Bo jumped up, scurrying up the stairs to probably try to weasel his way into sleeping in Junior’s room. Kendell thought about retiring to bed as well, but she made eye contact with each of her friends as well. If Mrs. Carson was up for some late-night chatter, then maybe they could learn something useful.
11
Mrs. Carson made each of them some hot cocoa. Kendell was fairly certain the woman was feeling a bit guilty about her husband and neighbor knocking Kendell flat on her back in the front yard. But Kendell wasn’t about to refuse some hot chocolate. Especially since Mrs. Carson had some mini marshmallows to go with it. She even broke up some peppermint sticks, placing one in each cup. “I normally do this around Christmastime,” she said as she handed Jesse her mug. “But with the storm, it’s been a bit chilly. And I had some peppermint leftover from last week. I use peppermint whenever I’ve got a migraine I can’t kick.”
“Peppermint? Really?” Kendell asked.
“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Carson said. “Works better than any over the counter medicine. It’s a great headache and migraine remedy.”
“I used to do the same thing,” Pauline said. “I kept a box of peppermint candies in the house juts for that. My husband used to get terrible migraines, and it was the only thing that would help him. After he turned sixty, our children convinced him to start wearing contacts instead of glasses. He loved them, but every once in a while, he’d go back to wearing glasses and the switch would give him the worst headaches.”
“Brenton is the same way,” Mrs. Carson said. “At least that’s what his momma tells me. He wears glasses, but they get in the way of him working, so he started wearing contacts. He will switch back to glasses on the weekends when his father keeps the workload light, and it’ll give him a headache because he’s not used to them. When I started recommending peppermint, he says it changed his life.”
Kendell took a sip of the hot cocoa, and a smile appeared on her face from the slight hint of peppermint. It felt like Christmastime even though it was mid-summer. “How’s your leg feeling, Jesse?” Pauline asked. Dot had jumped up next to Jesse and had curled up next to her injured leg. Dot had a way of sensing when someone was uncomfortable.
“A little better,” Jesse said. “It’s pretty sore.”
“I don’t think peppermint is going to help with that,” Mrs. Carson said. “Let me get you some more pain medication to help you get through the night.” She stood and headed over to the first aid kit still sitting on the kitchen table. She brought some pills over to Jesse, and Jesse thanked her again for stitching her up. “Sorry I didn’t have something to numb it with,” Mrs. Carson said. “You’re a pretty tough young lady, I’ve got to say.”
“I don’t think of myself as particularly tough,” Jesse admitted.
“Well, you sure impressed me,” Mrs. Carson said. “That hurts, and I know it.” She turned to Kendell. “How is your elbow?”
“Not too bad,” Kendell said.
“I am so sorry about my husband and Mr. Johnson,” she said, shaking her head. “That was completely uncalled for and childish, the way they acted. I thought we had put all that nonsense behind us, but apparently, my husband hasn’t let it go.”
“Do you mind telling us exactly what happened?” Kendell asked. “My curiosity is killing me, and I’d kind of like to know what wound up getting me shoved to the ground this evening.”
“Oh my goodness. It’s really quite ridiculous,” Mrs. Carson said, shaking her head again. “Let’s see… There was another storm about five years ago. Not quite as bad as this one, but it completely destroyed this little storage shed that Mr. Johnson owned. My husband had been thinking about having him move it for years because it was on our land, but he had decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. Well, Johnson started rebuilding, so my husband went to talk to him about building somewhere else.”
“I’m guessing that conversation didn’t go all that well?” Jesse asked.
“Not at all,” Mrs. Carson said. “My husband explained that his grandfather had let Johnson’s father build it there, and that Johnson’s father had paid a monthly rent. Johnson’s father continued paying the monthly rent for the land to my husband’s father up until Johnson’s father passed away. My father-in-law didn’t pester Mr. Johnson for the rent, assuming the man didn’t even know his father had been paying rent for it at all. So, when my husband approached Mr. Johnson about not building there, he assumed that my husband was crazy. Johnson had always thought it was his family’s land there. Things got very heated, and Johnson told us he was going to build a barn twice the size as the old one, which would block a backroad we used quite often. It was just to spite us, so my husband wound up contacting a lawyer who was able to prove definitively that the land did indeed belong to our family.”
“I’m surprised you are all still so friendly with one another after all of that,” Kendell said.
“Five years is plenty of time for old wounds to heal,” Mrs. Carson said. “At first, the families were not speaking to each other at all.”
“I’m guessing t
hat’s what really happened between Junior and Brenton, is it?” Kendell asked. “It’s been mentioned that the two of them had a falling out.”
“Of course that’s what really happened,” Mrs. Carson said wryly. “They didn’t just outgrow each other like my husband and Mr. Johnson like to pretend. Mine and Mrs. Johnson’s stupid husbands started a feud, and it affected the boys. Awfully hard to stay friends when your fathers won’t let each other on the property because of what family you belong to.”
“Well, that’s just ridiculous,” Kendell said. “Your husbands let their feud pull their sons’ friendship apart?”
“They certainly did,” Mrs. Carson said with a huff. “It was quite a shame. I was very embarrassed of my husband at the time. He would blow a gasket each time I called up Mrs. Johnson for advice on a recipe or to see how she was doing. All over half an acre of land.”
“What finally happened?” Jesse asked. “I mean, apart from their little spat tonight, everyone seems to get along just fine.”
“Oh, as obnoxious as those two men acted during all of that, they’re not really those stereotypical overly proud ranchers,” Mrs. Carson said. “It took a couple years and a serious dry season before they apologized. Our waters dried up one summer, so my husband had to go to the Johnsons for help so that we could save our cattle. The Johnsons knew that without the water, our ranch was done for. They weren’t about to let us be ruined over a dispute over a barn.”
“That’s very good of them,” Jesse said.
“Well, they knew that if the tables were turned, we would have done the same,” Mrs. Carson said. “I mean, they’re here now because of the flooding, aren’t they?”
“I’m glad the two families finally made up,” Pauline said. “How long did the feud last, you said?”
“About two or three years,” Mrs. Carson said. “Years I’d rather not go back to. It is a shame, really. Junior and Brenton used to be best friends. Even after their fathers’ little feud ended, the two of them weren’t really ever the same. I suspect that a few unforgivable words were exchanged between the two of them in defense of their stubborn fathers during that time. Poor Monica was caught in the middle of all the fire, too. She told me that at the time, she was relieved that her family had sold their ranch because it made it easier to avoid those two and avoid having to choose sides.”
“Did Monica manage to stay friends with them both during all of that?” Kendell asked.
“Oh, of course,” Mrs. Carson said, sighing heavily. “She was a good girl. She was always the great mediator between Junior and Brenton. Unlike Laurie.”
“What about Laurie?” Jesse asked curiously.
“Oh, she was good at pinning them against each other,” Mrs. Carson huffed. “Now, don’t get me wrong, Laurie could be a real sweetheart at times, but…drama just tends to follow that girl. I think she enjoys it. She would pick at Brenton until he would pop off at her and then get Junior to defend her, causing the two of them to fight. I was honestly relieved when Laurie showed up to get the box of things she had left behind. It meant it was finally over. She just caused my boy too much stress. And, the colleges! Oh my goodness, that looney-toon filled out financial aid paperwork for him and contacted schools on his behalf without even telling him. She even picked out pre-approved majors for him, and he laughed in her face and said he was going to be a rancher. Now, I would have loved to see my boy go to college, but I love seeing him be a rancher too. I don’t know why she ever dated him if she had such a long list of things she wanted to change about him. You should have seen this hat she bought him once…a fedora, I think she called it? Told him he needed to start dressing better.”
“A fedora?” Jesse asked and began laughing. “I bet that looked downright goofy on him.”
“It did, and he fed it to one of the Johnsons’ goats,” Mrs. Carson said with a laugh.
“I’m curious,” Kendell said. “Did Monica or her family have anything to do with the land dispute?”
“No,” Mrs. Carson said. “Her family sold their land a long time ago. She was only vaguely aware of what the dispute was even about.”
Kendell sighed. It was sounding like the Johnsons wouldn’t have any motivation either. It was starting to seem like they were going to have to find evidence against Laurie because no one else seemed to have any motive whatsoever. Mrs. Carson eventually retired to bed after helping Jesse change her bandages. Kendell then helped Jesse up the stairs; Jesse said there was no way she was sleeping out in the open like that with a killer loose in the house.
Jesse and Pauline took the bed together while Kendell took the cot that night, but she couldn’t sleep. She decided to pull out a notebook she kept in her bag along with a pen and write down everything she knew. She thought that maybe if she visualized everything, it would make it easier for her to figure this thing out. But even once she had filled a page of everything she had managed to learn about the two families, she was no further along than before.
She wrote down everything she could remember about the crime scene from both before and after the arson attempt. It was only then that she realized there was something she had not thought to look for just yet. When she had seen Monica’s body, she had noticed the girl had blood on her lips and under her nails. She had bitten the attacker! “Of course,” Kendell said under her breath. If Monica had bit someone hard enough to draw blood, then the culprit must have bite marks on them somewhere—that and scratch marks, too. Monica had even broken a nail trying to escape her assailant.
The killer had to be strong. Strong enough to sneak up on Monica without any of them noticing, grab her, hold her down, and end things very quickly. Laurie did not fit the bill despite her obvious motive, so that meant it had to be someone else.
“Let’s see…” Kendell said, looking at her suspect list. Obviously not Pauline—not enough strength or motive. Jesse liked Junior, sure, but Kendell wasn’t sure if the woman had even noticed Monica’s flirtation until after she was dead and everyone else was pointing it out. Plus, Monica was definitely stronger-looking than Jesse, and Jesse was Kendell’s friend. Laurie was out simply because of her small size. If Jesse could put up a fight against Laurie at the pigpen, then there was no way Laurie could take out Monica, who was still built like a rancher’s kid.
Mrs. Carson and Mrs. Johnson were both strong women, but probably not strong enough to take out Monica without everyone else noticing. Both Mr. Carson and Mr. Johnson could have probably done it, but at their age, it might have even a bit of a struggle. It seemed the two people most capable of pulling it off would be Junior or Brenton, but that made little sense considering their close friendship.
But, at the end of the day, Kendell knew there was a motive she was missing. That was what she needed to find. But she knew she needed to start with those most capable of pulling the kill off, and that would be the male ranchers and their sons.
12
Kendell awoke early the following morning. Jesse and Pauline were both still fast asleep, as was the rest of the household. This surprised her a bit as the Carsons and the Johnsons both tended to rise long before the sun. That way, they were able to eat breakfast and be out the door just as the sun was peeking up outside. Kendell was used to having unusual sleeping schedules based around flight plans, but she wasn’t sure if she would be able to make rising an hour before the sun a daily habit.
The ranchers were hard-working individuals. Truth be told, as a New Yorker, she always imagined the sort of farmer/rancher lifestyle through over-romanticized lenses. The truth was far different from what they showed on television. Rancher life was hard work. Especially after the sort of storm the property had just endured.
Kendell dipped into the upstairs bath, deciding to take advantage of it while the rest of the house was quiet. She combed her hair and pulled it back before washing her face. She smiled at herself in the mirror. It had been a busy night the night before, so she imagined that had a lot to do with why everyone was still asleep. She chan
ged, applied some deodorant (which was something she had never needed so badly in New York), and brushed her teeth. Just as she was getting ready to leave, she noticed a bunch of what appeared to be unused tissues laid across the top of the trash can. Almost like someone had thrown something away they didn’t want anyone else to see.
She couldn’t resist. She cleared away the unused tissue and found some bloodied bandages. Had Jesse come into the bathroom to change her bandages in the middle of the night? Kendell decided to ask, so after washing her hands, she dipped back into the shared bedroom. Already, as she made her way there, her nostrils tickled with the smell of bacon. It seemed that Mrs. Carson, and probably Mrs. Johnson, were already up and moving around.
Kendell entered the guest bedroom. Dot was running around in a circle. She probably smelled the bacon downstairs. She had gotten some pretty good scraps here at the Carson homestead. It was like a constant fest of artery-clogging goodness. Pauline was sitting up, rubbing her eyes, and Jesse had already changed into a t-shirt and some of her yoga pants. Kendell imagined the yoga pants were probably more comfortable than the jeans the Carsons had let her borrow, now that she had stitches in her leg.
“Morning,” Pauline said, yawning. “Wow, how long have you been up?”
“Earlier than usual,” Kendell said, catching Pauline’s yawn. “Hey, Jesse, have you changed your bandages since Mrs. Carson helped you last night?”
“No,” she said. “But I’m probably due for some clean ones. I think I finally stopped bleeding last night.”
“Interesting,” Kendell said.
“Why is that interesting?” Pauline asked, standing and grabbing her little bathroom bag from her suitcase.
“Because there are some bloodied bandages in the upstairs hall bath. It looks like someone tried to hide them,” Kendell said.
“That is awfully suspicious,” Pauline said.
“I agree,” Kendell said. “I’m going to go on downstairs. See if I can get anyone alone to talk this morning.”