-----------------------------------

Harry Mann In The Tangled Web

by Bo Drury

-----------------------------------

Mystery/Crime/Suspense/Thriller

Whiskey Creek Press

www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Copyright ©

First published in 2010

NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

CONTENTS

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For your reading pleasure, we invite you to visit our web bookstor

* * * *

* * * *

Harry Mann In The Tangled Web

* * * *

by

* * * *

Bo Drury

* * * *

WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

www.whiskeycreekpress.com

* * * *

Published by

WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

Whiskey Creek Press

PO Box 51052

Casper, WY 82605-1052

www.whiskeycreekpress.com

* * * *

Copyright (C) 2010 by Elizabeth Drury

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-60313-914-4

Credits

Cover Artist: Nancy Donahue

Editor: Sylvia Anglin

Printed in the United States of America

* * * *

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my family, who assured me nothing was impossible and so inspired and encouraged me to reach for my dreams.

* * * *

[Back to Table of Contents]

Prologue

Opening her eyes—at least she thought they were open—she squeezed them shut, then opening them again tried to see, to focus and clear her vision. It was pitch black!

“Where the heck am I?”

Feeling off balance, she sat up slowly. The darkness affected her equilibrium. Swinging her legs off what she thought was a cot, she found she wasn't on a cot at all; she was on the ground. Putting her hand out and touching the cold damp surface of solid rock, she felt something akin to panic. Pressing her hand to her mouth, she held in the scream that hung aching in her throat. Sitting very still, she strained to hear any sound other than the pounding of her heart. From out of the inky darkness she heard the continuous drip of water.

Reaching out in all directions, she felt nothing.

What was out there?

“I'm safe as long as I stay on the mat,” she whispered.

Safe? Why am I here? Who would do this to me?

“If I keep my eyes closed, maybe it won't be so bad.” Trying vainly to see in the dark was frustrating and pointless. Wherever she was, there was no light in any direction.

“I have to think...what to do?”

Crawling on her knees to the end of the mattress away from the sound of the water, and sliding her hand in front of her making sure there was no sudden drop, she moved slowly away from the mat.

The rough surface tore into the flesh of her knees as skin and bone met rock. Ignoring the stinging pain as the sharp surface gouged the palms of her hands, she inched forward. Going what she imagined to be about five feet and finding nothing, she turned back, making her way to the mat.

Where is it? It's not here!

Fighting hysteria, she talked to herself in an attempt to calm down. “Steady girl, it's there in front of you somewhere.”

Feeling frantically for the mat, wondering if she had misjudged her direction in the darkness, she jerked back when she touched the soft padding, thinking for an instant it was a furry animal. Trembling, she crawled onto it and pulling her knees to her chest, hugged them tight. Lowering her head, she rocked back and forth; she couldn't fight the flow of tears and the feeling of helplessness. Disbelief flooded her thoughts. How could this be happening?

The smothering darkness closed in; the urgent need to push it away was overwhelming.

“Keep your eyes closed,” she whispered. “Don't panic. You can do nothing if you panic. Harry...Harry,” she cried out in a broken sob. “Where are you?”

Suddenly blinded by a bright light, she threw up a protective arm.

“Who is it...”

The hot stabbing sting of a needle in her arm caused her to jerk back. A rough cloth saturated with the sickening odor of ether covered her face, smothering her scream. Vise-like arms held her fast. Struggling to get away from the smell as well as the powerful grip that held her, she could feel the swirling darkness overtaking her. She sank into a black pit of oblivion.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 1

Sleepy hazel eyes looked down the length of long legs encased in rumpled gray slacks, past scuffed size twelve loafers, out through the grimy plate glass window of 101 Main Street, and sized up the two men dressed in western garb approaching the office of Harry Mann, Private Investigator Extraordinaire.

As he realized they were coming in, his feet quickly left the cluttered desk. Landing heavily on the floor, they stirred up a cloud of dust and discarded peanut shells from the worn carpet.

The sandy-haired owner of the hazel eyes brushed away the smattering of shells decorating the desk top and, grabbing up a pencil and unopened envelope from the pile of scattered mail, attempted to appear busy as the men entered the office and called out, “Hal-lo!”

“In here,” he answered. “Sorry, my secretary is out for the afternoon.”

In truth, Doris, his secretary and girl Friday, only came in once a week during slow times to catch up on her e-mail. Fact was, Harry had not had a customer in some time. These guys looked like they might be good for some of the back rent.

It wasn't that Harry was no good at his job; there just wasn't much call for a man of his talents in the west Texas town of San Angelo.

Standing as the men entered, he offered his hand and his name, “Harry Mann.”

Seeing the raised eyebrows and amused smile on the older man's face as he took his hand, Harry grinned. “I think my folks had a sense of humor when they named me.”

The man chuckled and the younger one gave a polite smile, seeing little humor in it. Harry invited them to sit down, motioning toward the two chairs across from his desk, and then asked, “What can I do for you fellows?”

“I'm Jeb Stockton,” the older man said as though Harry should recognize the name. An important man no doubt, or at least the man thought so himself, Harry gathered. Then, indicating with a nod in the boy's direction, he added, “And this is my nephew, Scott.”

The young man, looking as though he could use a good night's sleep, blurted out, “My friend is missing.” Taking a deep breath he went on. “The sheriff has given up on finding her. She's been gone a week; we need some help. I'm hoping you can help us.”

“What do you think happened to her?”

Harry watched as the young man shook his head in despair, angrily glancing toward his uncle, then back at Harry. “If I knew what happened I wouldn't need your help, would I?” Scott retorted.

Friendly sort, Harry thought as he studied the troubled face for a minute before replying. “Sorry, just give me some background. But first...maybe I should tell you my fee.” He paused before he laid it on them. “Sixty dollars an hour plus fifty cents a mile with a ten hour minimum.” He hesitated, looking for a reaction, then went on, “So now, do you want to give me some particulars?”

In the way of an apology the uncle spoke up, saying, “He's a little overwrought. The young lady in question came out to the ranch as a house guest a week ago. Sometime during the night she vanished.” He glanced at his nephew. “All her things were left behind. I have to admit I checked out the valuables in the house to see if anything was missing...”

Harry looked at the boy; it was easy to see the remark made him angry. Before he could say anything the uncle went on. “It was a natural thing to do as we didn't know the young lady or her background,” he finished, giving Scott a stern look.

Clenching his fists, Scott lowered his eyes.

“Where did you meet the girl? How long had you known her?”

“Scott—” the uncle started to explain.

“I can answer that,” Scott spat out resentfully, “I met her a month ago at the Sutton Days celebration. She had driven over from Junction. Her adopted parents had been killed in an automobile accident and she was home to settle the estate.”

“Where is she from?”

“She's going to school in Austin.”

“What about her folks—what happened to them? Might it have anything to do with her disappearance?”

With a shake of his head, he answered, “Driving back from Del Rio, they ran into a herd of deer. One came through the windshield. They were both killed instantly.” He went on, thoughtfully, “No, this has nothing to do with her disappearing from the house. She seemed fine, lonely and a little sad but okay, considering. She was an only child.” He sighed and added, “She was in her own car. The sheriff thinks she just decided to leave.” As an afterthought he continued, “Her car is missing, too.”

“But you don't think that's the case?”

“No.” He slumped further into the chair. Harry thought he looked as though he were about to cry.

The uncle cleared his throat. “Will you take the case and see what you can find out for us?” Standing, he put a consoling hand on the boys shoulder.

Making notes on a legal pad, Harry told them, “I need a name and a physical description, the make of her car, and a check for six hundred dollars. I'll make up a contract and bring it to the ranch with me. I need to look around. It may be a couple of days; I want to make a run to Junction and find out what I can about the family.” Looking at the distraught young man, he added, “I'll do everything I can to find her, Scott, but you know—what we find might not be good. You need to be prepared for that.”

Jotting down the information as Scott gave him the address and an emotional description of the girl, Harry felt sorry for the boy. More than likely he wouldn't be able to give him anything but bad news.

The elder Stockton pulled a leather wallet from his breast pocket and extracted six one hundred dollar bills from it, handing them to Harry. Harry didn't miss the bulge of green left as the old man closed and replaced the wallet in the safety of his breast pocket.

With a crisp tone that ended the meeting, Jeb Stockton said, “Bring me a receipt when you come out to the ranch.” After a firm handshake to confirm the agreement, the two men left the office. Harry watched through the smoky glass as they climbed into the black Lexus across the street.

The uncle had made it clear he was not happy about the houseguest his nephew brought home. It appeared to Harry Scott was holding back a lot of pent-up anger toward his uncle. What's the story there? he wondered as he leaned back, propped his feet on the desk, and flipped through the six green bills in his hand.

“Nice,” he said aloud, thinking how happy his landlord was going to be.

He laid out three c-notes on the desk and folding the other three, placed them in the hidden recess of his billfold. Glancing at the scattered mail, which was mostly past-due notices, he smiled. As he popped a handful of shelled nuts in his mouth, he said aloud, “Let ‘em come! Looks like our boat just came in.”

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 2

Early the next morning Harry tossed his sports coat into the passenger seat and let the top down on his ‘65 Mustang. The shiny red car was the only thing he had in the world worth anything and was his pride and joy. Folding his lanky form into the white leather seat, he put it in gear and headed out Highway 87 toward Brady. It was a hundred miles more or less to Junction.

Donning his aviator glasses and turning up the radio loud enough to hear above the wind, he leaned back, relaxed and enjoyed being on the road. Stepping on the gas, he blew the soot out. As the speedometer climbed, he thrilled to the power of the souped-up car. Leveling out at seventy-five miles an hour, he put his mind to the task at hand. He had little to go on. Maybe he would find a clue to the girl's past in Junction; that would be some help. It was a long shot at best.

He pulled into the old town where the Llano Rivers converged. Old houses and big trees lined the sleepy streets. He knew it was a small town big on Friday night football games and picnics in the parks along the river. Though it was early fall it was warm and the foliage was still lush and green along the river. The whole place had a pleasant, relaxed air.

Pulling up to a local newspaper office, Harry parked and went inside. A perky young girl spied him coming in and met him at the counter. “Good morning.” She smiled expectantly. Turning on the charm, Harry smiled back and leaned on the well-worn bar between them.

“I'm hoping you can help me out.” He spoke confidentially. “A young woman who lived here at one time has disappeared; I'm trying to help the family find her.”

“Who is it?” she asked eagerly. Harry could see she was already writing the story in her mind; a real newspaper woman.

“Her name was Melody Whitman...”

“Melody...you don't mean it... Why...we went to school together. What happened to her? When did she go missing?”

Somewhat taken aback, Harry studied the girl. Looking past her, he noticed several people in the room were watching them, trying to hear the conversation.

When he didn't answer, the girl went on. “Her folks were killed in a car accident a few weeks ago.” She turned and looked at the man nearest her. He stepped forward.

“What's this about, Melody?”

“He says she's missing, Gus.” She turned back to Harry. “This is the editor of our paper.”

Gus stuck out his hand as he looked Harry over. “We haven't heard anything about Melody missing. Who are you?”

Straightening up and grasping the gnarled hand of the wiry editor, Harry got the usual raised brows and smile when he gave them his name. He was used to it. Then he explained his interest in the disappearance of the young woman.

“What can you tell me about her?”

He felt sure in a town with a population of less than three thousand, it would be certain they knew everything about everyone in town. He found out he was right. They told him Melody was an average pretty girl growing up in a small town, taking part in the sporting events, and cheering on the local high school football team. That was about all anyone at the paper could tell him.

Several of the folks at the paper had joined in the conversation and added their two cents worth. Harry thanked them for the information and was about to leave when Gus added, “You might talk to Tom Talbert; he was the attorney handling the Whitmans’ estate. He might tell you when he heard from her last. His office is just down the street.”

They stood in a group and watched him leave.

Tom Talbert was younger than Harry expected him to be. When he mentioned Melody, it was obvious he had more than a professional interest in her. He was upset she was missing. She had an appointment with him the week before and he had been trying to reach her after she failed to show up. The Whitmans had left her a tidy sum of money and a rambling old house in the better part of town. He offered to do anything he could to help in finding her and asked to be kept posted on the investigation.

Leaving the law office, Harry pulled a handful of peanuts from his jacket pocket. As he popped the nuts in his mouth, he thought of Doris and the fit she threw about his bad habit of dropping the shells on the floor; he dropped them into his pocket.

Stopping on the sidewalk, he studied what direction to take next. Obviously there was little more to find out here. Odd the sheriff of Sutton had not been over and inquired about her. That was something to think about, he decided as he climbed into the car and drove out Main Street.

Turning left where the highway sign indicated Highway 10, also called “The Old Spanish Trail,” he headed toward Sutton; it was time to take a trip to the Stockton ranch. After that, he would call on the sheriff. Harry had a feeling there was more to this than the Stocktons were telling.

Driving the fifty-odd miles to Sutton, he kept his eye peeled for deer on the road. The abundant white rock and dark green of the live oaks made for a pleasant view and a perfect hiding place for the plentiful deer population in that part of the country.

Following the directions he had been given, he drove through the picturesque town and turned right at the second light, drove past the golf course and hung a left at the first caliche road.

Leaving a trail of white dust behind, he drove down the winding trail to the rock gate posts where an ornate S was embedded in the center of the iron gate.

Pretty fancy place, he decided as he drove up the curved drive and spotted a rambling rock and stucco ranch house nestled in the hills among the heavy oaks. Everything about it said ‘old money.'

A slender man looking to be in his forties stopped his work in the yard to watch him approach the front door. Harry nodded; the man gave a brief nod and turned back to his work. If he was the gardener, he had a way with plants. The landscaping was outstanding for this arid part of the country.

Harry rang the bell and listened to the melodious chimes on the inside. The heavy plank door opened and Harry found himself looking into the big brown eyes of a Mexican woman who motioned for him to enter. Jeb Stockton met him in the foyer with a hearty handshake.

“Come on in, Harry.” Turning, he led him through a long hall to a large glassed-in room on the back of the house. He found young Scott mixing a drink at the bar.

It was quite a layout. Very masculine; he hadn't seen any signs of a woman's touch in the decor so far. It was strictly a man's house; heavy dark furniture with lots of leather, wood, and the smell of rich fragrant tobacco.

“Scott.” Harry offered his hand.

Taking it, Scott acknowledged Harry's presence but said nothing. It appeared this was not his first drink of the day. Jeb shook his head in disapproval but said nothing.

“I just drove in from Junction. There wasn't much I could find out there.” For the benefit of Scott's uncle, he added, “She was well thought of; came from a very nice family. From what I found out they left her fairly well off, financially.” He continued to tell them all he could. He could see Scott was pleased to have his uncle find out she wasn't some gold-digging tramp he picked up.

Though Scott had left the impression at their initial meeting he was on the wimpy side, he was young, and the uncle appeared controlling and too overbearing to suit Harry's taste. He was glad to help the boy out.

Getting right down to business, he went on, asking, “Who would have come in contact with the girl the night she was here? I need to talk to each of them.”

Offering Harry a drink from the bar, Jeb talked as he busied himself with the mixing.

“As far as I know, Marie would be the only one. Cook had shut down the kitchen for the day before Scott came in with Melody. Marie is the woman who let you in. She showed the young lady to her room and helped her get settled in. Other than that, I don't believe she saw anyone.”

“Who was around who might have seen anything—ranch-hands, gardener...”

“No... No one that I can think of.”

Taking a sip of his drink and walking to the window, Harry asked, “Who is the man working in the yard?”

“That would be Hub. He wouldn't know anything.”

“You won't mind if I nose around on my own?”

“No, not at all. Anything you need to do is fine.” Coming from behind the bar, Jeb started from the room. “If you will excuse me, I have some calls to make. Scott can show you around.”

“Scott, why don't you tell me again how you met Melody and how it was you invited her to come over for the weekend? Try to remember anything that was said that could give us an idea why she would leave or what her plans were.” Harry hung a hip on the bar stool and settled down to listen as Scott began to talk about her.

During the conversation, Harry noticed Jeb walk across the back yard to the poolside as he talked on the phone. When he finished he called to the gardener, who was working around the pool. He appeared to be giving him some instruction, as Hub nodded several times then shook his head and walked away. Jeb glanced at the window as if suddenly remembering his guest inside. He waved and left.

Harry turned his attention back to what Scott was saying about Melody. As he described her, he was looking at a photograph on a sideboard. The description he gave was of the woman in the picture. The photo was old, according to the dress and hairstyle, probably made in the sixties.

Scott grew silent and walked to the window looking out over the garden and pool. The gardener was still there repotting plants.

Getting up, Harry walked to the table and studied the photo. The hair was soft brown, long and straight surrounding an oval face. A flower had been put in her hair over her ear. Large soulful eyes looked out on at the photographer and a half smile turned up the corners of full lips. Her dress was floral of some soft fabric that hung loose in folds on her slim body. Strands of beads adorned her throat and wrists. A lacy shawl trailed from her arm to the ground. Typical ‘hippie’ dress, a flower-child, he thought, remembering phrases from the past.

“Who is this in the photograph, Scott?”

Turning, he looked at the figure in the silver frame. With a slight gesture of his hand he dismissed it with: “That's my mother, Rebecca.” Nursing his drink he turned back to absently watch the gardener.

“She's lovely. Melody looks a lot like her from your description,” Harry remarked, watching for Scott's reaction to what he said.

“Oh?” Puzzled, Scott came closer and studied the photo. With surprise, he answered as he reached for the silver frame, “I guess she does...I knew she reminded me of someone; I just never made the connection.”

“Where is your mother, Scott?”

“She left when I was young. My grandmother raised me. In fact, she adopted me.”

“Oh, is she still living?”

“My mother? I really don't know. I assumed she was dead; she didn't come for my grandmother's funeral.”

Scott set the frame down and headed for the bar to freshen his drink. Lifting the bottle, he looked at Harry and asked, “Need a refill?”

“No, I'll pass until I've had something to eat. Show me around the place, Scott. Where was her room? Who was the last person to see her?”

Taking his glass with him and staggering slightly as he left the bar, he led Harry to the bedroom wing.

“I walked her to her room that night,” he explained as they walked down the hall.

“Did you hang around?”

“It wasn't that kind of relationship,” he answered quickly.

“You mean it was a strictly platonic relationship?” Harry asked, eyebrows raised skeptically.

Scott's face reddened but he went on. “I can't explain it...but...she was different. It was like I had known her for a very long time. I couldn't wait to be with her but I had never done more than hold her hand.” After thinking about it for a minute, he added, “It seemed she avoided any physical contact.”

“How did your Uncle act toward her?”

“He was very cool; she didn't think he liked her and it made her nervous.”

They entered her room. Harry looked around and checked the French doors. They opened out onto the pool area. She had been in the wing across from the master suite. The house was U-shaped and appeared to wrap around the pool and patio. It reminded Harry of an upscale motel.

Opening the door, they walked out onto the patio. Stepping out, Harry noticed peanut hulls on the floor; feeling his pocket he satisfied himself he had not dropped them there.

The gardener looked up as they came out, then quickly looked away. On impulse, Harry walked to him. Scott wandered to a lounger and sat down.

“You have a green thumb.”

Surprised, the gardener looked up. “I'm sorry...”

“You seem to have a way with plants...it's very nice.” Harry made a sweeping gesture around the yard.

Appearing pleased, Hub thanked him and went back to his chore.

“Did you know the young woman who disappeared?”

For just a moment he stilled. It was only for a fraction of a second but Harry saw the hesitation.

“No.”

“Did you see her at all?”

“No.” He never looked up.

Instinct told Harry he was lying. Why would he lie about it?

“How long have you worked for the Stocktons?”

“Two years.”

“You knew the grandmother?”

“It was the grandmother hired me.” He picked up his tools and moved to a new bed, ending the conversation and glancing toward the house as he went. Harry looked up to see Jeb standing in the window watching them.

Looking around for Scott, he spied him lying back with his eyes closed. Looking again toward the glass wall, Harry strode in that direction. It appeared Scott was through for the day. It was getting late and Harry was hungry for more than peanuts and needed to get a room before it got any later. He wanted to stay over and talk to Marie and probably the gardener a bit more tomorrow. He had a feeling they both might know more than they were willing to tell.

Calling out as he entered the house, he found Jeb back at the bar and told him of his plan. Jeb insisted he stay there as their guest for the night. Dinner would be ready soon. He called for Marie to show Harry to a room so he could freshen up before dinner, then excused himself again on the pretext of a business call. Harry got the distinct feeling Jeb didn't really want to talk to him, finding the whole situation distasteful and unnecessary.

Following Marie to the guest wing, he decided now would be a good time to ask her some questions.

“Marie, do you speak English?”

Stopping at the door to his room, she looked up with those big dark eyes he found so appealing. She appeared nervous.

“Si.”

“Do you know why I am here?”

“Si, about the young senorita that disappeared?”

“That's right...can you tell me anything?”

“No.” She shook her head as she opened the door to the room. Walking quickly to the bath, she laid out towels then turned down the bed. She was younger than he had first thought and extremely attractive. She avoided his gaze. Pointing to a buzzer by the bed, she explained, “If you need anything, ring this bell. Someone will come.” She started from the room.

“Marie...”

She hesitated at the door.

“If you think of anything that may help us in finding the young woman, you will tell me?” She nodded and softly pulled the door to behind her.

He walked to the window and studied the gardener still at work. “They both know something. I feel it. The old man has put the fear in them about talking to me. Why? Why would he hire me and then not cooperate?”

After washing up, he lay across the bed to rest till dinner was ready. It was impossible to relax as questions kept bouncing around in his head. Deciding to go out and talk to Scott again, he found the lounge chair empty. Going back inside, he waited, reading titles in the vast library of books housed in massive bookcases along the wall of the den. He was impressed but wondered if anyone ever read them.

Impatient with waiting for someone to appear, he started in search of the kitchen when Marie entered the room to tell him he would be eating alone. Scott had retired for the night and Jeb had gone into town to a meeting of the Ranchers’ Association.

She had set up his dinner in a small dining alcove off the kitchen. Harry could hear her and the cook talking in low voices in the kitchen. Although he didn't speak Spanish, he caught a word now and then; they seemed to be arguing. He wished he had made more of an effort to learn the language.

Soon he realized the house had grown quiet. He was alone except for Scott, who evidently was sleeping off the booze he drank earlier. Harry wondered if this was a habit or if he was just mourning the loss of his friend.

He was out of peanuts and felt the need of a cigarette. Though he had kicked the habit, he still had the yearnings now and then and this was a strong yen. Deciding to go for a walk to work off the meal and the desire to smoke, Harry let himself out the front door, making sure it didn't lock behind him. He didn't know if Marie had rooms in the main house and he felt sure Scott would never hear a doorbell.

The light of the full moon shone bright. The shadows cast beneath the trees seemed even darker because of it. Thinking of the events of the day, he was absorbed in thought when he heard a swishing noise behind him.

“What the—” Before he could finish, he felt the blow to his head. His knees buckled and he sank to the ground.

Waking, he felt disoriented. His head ached. Opening his eyes, he froze. The shining green eyes of a big wolf were watching him with what Harry thought were hungry intentions.

There were three of them. Harry didn't know whether it was safe to move or even breathe. Were they friendly? The one nearest him stood up and wagged his tail. Okay, they were friendly. Moving slowly and with caution, he stood. He put his hand to his head; it came back wet. His hair was matted with blood. He brushed at the dirt on his clothes and discovered he had been ‘marked’ by the alpha male.

“Great.” He didn't have any extra clothes with him.

“Who the hell hit me?”

The dogs followed him to the house. “Some watchdogs you guys are,” he said aloud. They hadn't made a sound so far. Would they let him enter the house?

Keeping an eye on them, he pulled open the heavy door and stepped quickly inside, closing it behind him. Leaning on it briefly, he wondered what to do about his slacks. He still felt woozy and needed to lie down. First he had to shower and wash away the blood. “I suppose I can wash my pants in the shower, too.” He headed down the hall to his room.

The hot water pounding against his aching head and body was soothing. He wondered what time it was. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he hung up his wet clothes in the shower to drip dry and walked into his moonlit room. Through the window he saw two figures by the poolside. Peering into the dark shadows, he made out Marie as the moonlight filtered through the leaves. Further observation exposed the face of Hub, the gardener.

Were they responsible for Melody's disappearance? Was it one of them who hit him in the head earlier? Was he about to stumble onto something or someone? Why else would they knock him out? His head hurt. There was nothing he could do right then, with no clothes. He fell across the bed and closed his eyes.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 3

A soft but insistent knock at his door woke him. It was Scott, looking shamefaced.

“Man, I'm sorry about last night. I had a little too much to drink and it knocked me out.”

“I know what you mean, Scott. I was knocked out myself last night.” The hidden meaning in the words meant nothing to Scott.

“I'll meet you in the breakfast room for coffee and a bite to eat,” he said, looking at Harry's lean figure. “Looks like you could stand some fattening up.”

As Harry dressed, he recalled the couple he had seen at the poolside the night before. It could have been a romantic tryst; Hub looked too old to be Marie's lover, but then, who knew? He would ask Scott about Hub.

After a big breakfast of ham and eggs they moved into the den to drink their second cup of coffee.

There was Hub, working around the pool again.

“He stays busy,” Harry said, indicating Hub at the pool. “What do you know about him?”

“He showed up here a couple of years ago. Grandmother seemed to take a liking to him. Uncle Jeb felt it was a waste of money to hire a full time yard man, but Grandmother insisted. It was her money that paid him, so she could do as she pleased whether Jeb liked it or not.”

Harry caught the pleased smile on Scott's face as he said it. Things must not be too smooth between the two of them, he decided.

“He pretty much sticks to himself,” Scott went on as he watched Hub through the window.

“If Jeb didn't like him, I wonder why he still has him here?”

“I think he has changed his mind; Hub does a great job with the yard and the pool.”

“What about Marie? Are they friendly?”

Scott looked at him in surprise. “I don't know. I have never seen them together except to speak in passing. Why would you think they might be?”

“I'm just trying to cover all the bases, Scott.” He decided to leave that alone for now.

The front door opened and they heard a commotion in the entry and Jeb's angry voice.

“You tell Orlando to get rid of those damn dogs or keep them penned up. I'll not have them running loose and jumping on my car. I'll shoot the next son-of-a-bitch that growls at me. This is my house. Do you hear me?”

“Si...Si.” They heard Marie's frightened voice.

Scott hurried from the room and out the front door. Jeb had disappeared into the right wing of the house. Was he just coming in? Or had he gone out early? He must be talking about the three dogs Harry met last night. They growled at him. That was odd. Wonder who they belong to?

Scott came back noticeably upset. When Jeb came into the room saying, “Good morning,” as though nothing had taken place earlier, Scott seemed to have a difficult time restraining the resentment he felt toward his uncle.

“Hope you slept well, Harry. Have you had breakfast?” He pushed the buzzer by the bar and, speaking into the intercom, ordered fresh coffee.

“Uncle Jeb...” There was a tremor in Scott's voice.

“Not now, Scott,” he ordered.

“Those were Grandmother's dogs,” he said accusingly.

“Now is not the time, Scott,” he said threateningly.

“You have no right—”

Losing his temper, Jeb turned on Scott. “If they jump on me one more time, they will be buried alongside her!” he shouted and slapped the bar with his open hand, rattling the cups on the counter.

There was a strained silence and Scott left the room.

“I'm sorry you had to be privy to a family disagreement, Harry. My mother had vicious wolf dogs who loved only her and Scott. They are dangerous to have around. They need to be destroyed. Mother was always dragging up the dregs of humanity and animals no one else would have.”

As he struggled to compose himself, he poured a cup of coffee and added a jigger of bourbon. Turning to the fireplace, he lifted his cup in a toast to the woman in the portrait. Harry had not noticed it before.

“My mother, the grand old dame.” He turned away but not before Harry saw the tight line of bitterness his mouth had formed.

“Would you like me to come back another day?”

“No! No, let's get this over with. Get Scott settled back down. I am sure the young woman left of her own accord. She had a change of heart and decided to go. Why she left her things...no one knows. She was probably unstable to start with and her parents’ death added to it. Scott's just like my mother, always bringing home strays of one kind or another.”

“Scott tells me your mother adopted him.”

Jeb sat very still, seemed to be studying his coffee. He reached for the bottle of bourbon and added some more to the cold coffee before saying anything. Then looking straight at Harry, he said, “Yes, that is just an example of how her mind worked. My sister abandoned Scott when he was three years old; left him for Mother to raise. Why she thought she had to adopt him, I have never figured out. To make him a son...”

He had looked away but Harry detected bitter jealousy. So this is part of the problem. Scott is equal to Jeb as a son, receiving a son's share in the estate, more than likely.

“What happened to his mother?”

Startled at the question, he stammered, then finished by saying, “She just disappeared. We assumed she came to a bad end. We tried to find her when Mother died but it was a fruitless search.”

Changing the subject, he went on, “I think I'll go for a swim. Care to join me?” He finished his drink and started from the room, saying over his shoulder, “I'll have Marie get you some trunks.” And he was gone.

“It's hell getting anyone pinned down around here to carry on a conversation,” Harry said, looking at the matronly woman in the portrait. “Sorry I missed you; I'm sure you could tell me plenty.”

Turning around, he found Marie watching him with a smile. She handed him the suit and left. Feeling a little foolish, he couldn't help but smile himself. This bunch would drive a sane man nuts.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 4

The pool was nice. After a while, Scott wandered out and sat in one of the chairs. Harry climbed out and joined him.

“I'd like to look around the ranch, Scott. Think you could show me?”

“Yes, but what do you think you can find that has anything to do with Melody's disappearance?”

“Do we know she left the ranch?”

Scott's dark eyes grew wide. “You mean that she might still be here someplace?”

“She didn't go home, we know that. She missed her appointment with the attorney also, so we really have no idea where she went. Did the sheriff put out an APB for her car?”

“I have no idea what that poor excuse for a sheriff did. He just blew it off. I think my uncle had something to do with that,” he said in disgust. “Jeb thinks she just got in her car and took off. He was convinced she was a little gold-digger out to get what she could.”

Bitterness had crept into his voice. He looked across the pool at his uncle lying in the sun working on his tan. Harry had noted how vain the older man was.

Borrowing some jeans, though a little short, and a shirt from Scott, Harry dressed and met him outside.

They loaded into the four-wheel-drive and headed out through the corral gate to the north pasture. Driving down the dusty white road, to their surprise they ran into Hub coming in toward the house. Scott flagged him down.

“What are you doing out here, Hub?”

“Been fishing in the tank.”

“I didn't know you liked to fish. Catch anything?”

“No.” With a wave of his hand, he drove on. Scott sat silent for a few minutes before putting the jeep in gear and driving on.

“I've never known of him going fishing before.”

“Let's check it out for ourselves.” Harry decided it was time to tell Scott about someone hitting him on the head the night before, but he decided to wait on telling him about Marie and Hub by the pool in the middle of the night. Scott needed to know something ‘fishy’ was going on, and it wasn't all happening at the ‘fishing hole'.

After hearing Harry's story of the events of the night before, it was hard for Scott to imagine Harry being knocked cold by anyone on the ranch. He laughed gleefully about the incident with the dogs. Harry had to show him the cut on his head before he could make him believe it.

From what they could tell, Hub had not been at the ‘fishing hole’ at all. His tire tracks led to a rocky outbreak where he had parked and walked some distance on foot. They lost his tracks and could find nothing that would draw him to that area. Scott was determined to go back to the house and face Hub with their discovery.

“Wait, Scott; don't get in such a hurry to confront him with this. Let's watch him for a day or two and see if he comes back out here. We can follow him and see what he is up to.”

“That means you'll have to stay a few days longer, Harry.”

“Yeah, I guess I will, at that.” He smiled. “I needed a vacation and this seems like the perfect place to have one.” Free food and booze wouldn't be hard to take for a day or two. He would check in with Doris and have her keep an eye on things at the office. If he stayed gone a day or two, maybe she would miss him. It was a pleasant thought anyhow, though doubtful.

Bouncing back over the rocky road, he wondered how to explain his stay to Jeb. He wasn't sure he wanted to confide in him just yet.

“Let's keep this just between the two of us right now, Scott. We'll have to give Jeb some explanation.”

“He's going out of town for a week, so that's no problem.”

That solved that. Now all they had to do was figure out how to keep an eye on Hub and not let him be aware of it.

As they arrived at the barnyard, Harry saw a man playing with the three dogs.

“Who is that?”

“Orlando. He is one of our vaqueros. He's great with the horses.”

“And the dogs, I see. I thought they were supposed to be vicious.”

“You've been talking to Uncle,” he said with a laugh. “They hate him. He's mean to them. He would get mad at Grandmother and yell at her; they would want to kill him. If it hadn't been for her a couple of times, they probably would have.”

Scott got out of the truck and the dogs ran to his side, excited and expecting attention. Harry got out and stood quietly beside the truck. The dogs came over to check him out. The big male sniffed his feet then started to lift his leg.

“Wait a damn minute!” Harry yelled and jumped back. Looking up, he saw Scott and Orlando laughing.

“I think he likes you. He wants to put his brand on you.”

“He already did that,” he said, keeping his distance from the dogs that were determined to get acquainted.

Scott introduced Harry to Orlando. They walked to the horse walker. Harry climbed on the fence to watch, out of reach of the dogs. It was plain Orlando was proud of the horses. Though they belonged to the ranch, he seemed to feel they were his own. He went into detail explaining the good points of each one.

After a while Harry asked, “Orlando, did you ever see the girl that came out for the weekend?”

“Si, she came down to see my horses.”

Scott was surprised and said, “I didn't know that. It was late when we came out; I had no idea she had visited the corral. Must have been while I was arguing with Jeb about her being there.”

“Did she see anyone else that you know of?”

“Si, Senor Hub. He came down too. They walked back to the house together.”

It was Harry's turn to be surprised. Hub out and out lied. The point of this was Hub had something to hide. His gut feeling about that had been right.

Leaving the corral, Harry suggested they take another ride up to the north pasture. Something had to be out there; why else would Hub be there and lie about it, and about seeing Melody too? It didn't look good for Hub if they found anything had happened to her.

When they got back in the jeep, it wouldn't start. Scott got out and opened the hood. “What the hell happened here?”

Harry got out taking to take a look. All the wires had been pulled loose.

“How did that happen?” he asked as he looked around. They had seen no one; they had been too busy watching the horses. What was the point in disabling the jeep? There were other vehicles they could use. Was someone doing this as a warning? If so, it was the second one. It made no sense.

Harry looked toward the house. Marie was standing near the gate watching them. After a minute she turned and walked away. Harry felt she wanted to make sure he saw her. Scott and Orlando were messing with the jeep.

“I'm going up to the house for a minute,” he called out to Scott. Scott waved and stuck his head back under the hood.

Going through the service porch and into the kitchen, he found Marie with the cook.

“Think a guy could get a cup of coffee?”

Marie gave him a cup and motioned for him to follow her.

“Thanks,” he said to the cook and waited a minute before following through the swinging doors to the dining room and on into the lounge. She busied herself with a dust cloth, whispering in a low voice, “We need to talk, but not here.” She looked around to see if anyone could hear her. “Go out by the pool. I will bring you more coffee.”

Settling down in a chair at the far end of the pool, he waited. He could see Scott through the trees; no one else was in sight.

She came out with sandwiches and a fresh pot of coffee. As she started to say something, Hub appeared and she left abruptly without saying anything. She passed him without a word. Hub stopped and watched her as she went into the house, then nodded to Harry and went to work cleaning the pool.

Harry picked up the sandwiches and coffee and headed back to the jeep. He'd have to figure a way to talk to Marie privately, it seemed. Was she afraid of Hub?

He wrote a note and passed it to her when she served dinner. It was easy, as there were only he and Scott. He told her to meet him after everyone had retired for the night at the far end of the pool. Harry excused himself and went to his room early, leaving Scott watching a boxing match on TV. By eleven, the house seemed quiet, and he slipped out the patio door and walked to the end of the pool. She wasn't there, so he settled in a recliner and waited.

She approached the pool from behind him and he was unaware she was there until she touched his shoulder, which scared the hell out of him as he had been watching the house while waiting.

“You could get hurt sneaking up on someone like that.” His heart was pounding; he was sure it had stopped there for a minute. “What is it you want to talk to me about?”

“Are you, like...the police?”

“Police? No, I am a private investigator hired by The Stocktons to find out what happened to the girl that disappeared.” He studied her face, then asked, “Did you want me to be the police?”

Nodding her head, she spoke with an accent, “I am afraid.”

“Of Hub?”

“Oh no, not Hub,” she answered quickly. Looking around, she leaned closer and spoke in a low tone. “Six weeks ago, after La Madonna died, a woman came to the house late at night. She rang the bell. I started for the door, but Senor Stockton told me to go back to bed and he went to the door. I was curious who would come so late at night and I stood in the shadows and watched.”

“Who was it?” he prompted her when she hesitated.

“He was not happy to see her. He called her Rebecca. I know this name. It was the name of his sister, Senor Scott's mother. I knew it because the old grandmother cried for her many times.”

“What happened?”

“They went into the lounge and he closed the door. I could hear nothing so I went to bed. The next morning she was gone. He did not mention it to anyone.” Nervously she looked around again. “Then days later a woman died, alone in a motel. No one knew who she was. They put her picture in the paper...it was the same woman, the one he called Rebecca. Senor Stockton looked at the paper and put it in the trash. He never said a word about it.” She took a deep breath. “Then the young woman came to the house. And now she has vanished. I am very frightened.”

“Why didn't you tell the sheriff about this?”

“The sheriff is the Senor's friend. I don't want to lose my job and go back to Mexico.”

“Are you an illegal?”

Fearful of his reaction, she hesitated and studied his face before she answered. “Si.”

“Are you certain it was the same woman?”

She nodded.

“Have you told anyone else about this?”

She nodded again.

“Hub?”

“Si. He told me to tell you.” This put a different light on everything.

“Don't say anything to anyone about what you told me. You can tell Hub if you want to. I need to talk to him and see what he knows, see if he can shed any light on this.”

“He knows nothing. He does not want to get involved. He thinks you will see what happened and fix it.”

He hated to tell her he couldn't fix anything. Why was Hub afraid of getting involved?

“Why is he roaming around in the north pasture? What's up there?”

“I don't know.” Watching her, Harry felt certain she was telling the truth.

“Go back to your room and be careful. Remember, not a word to anyone.” Harry waited twenty minutes, giving her a chance to get to her quarters, then went to his own room. He was surprised that Hub had told her to confide in him. He still thought Hub knew a lot more about what had happened than he was letting on to Marie. He wondered how much he should tell Scott.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 5

Waking early, he showered and donned the clothes Scott offered him. Though they were high-water pants, he appreciated the loan. His dress slacks weren't appropriate for ranch wear and tear.

Looking forward to a good breakfast, he was disappointed when he arrived in the dining room and found no one and no sign of breakfast. Entering the kitchen in hopes of getting a cup of coffee, he found the cook in a foul mood. From what he could understand, Marie didn't show up for work and cook was upset. Going to the lounge, Harry got his second surprise when he found Jeb there, and no sign of Scott.

“Good morning...I see you're still with us.”

At a loss for words, Harry fumbled for an explanation. “Scott was showing me around the ranch, the day got away from us...”

“Yes, there is a lot to see; glad to see you still here. Have you discovered anything?” He seemed in a jovial mood.

“Not really, just that you have a beautiful place here.”

“I see you got some coffee. Hopefully we will get breakfast sometime this morning. I sent Scott to find Marie. You can never depend on these illegals. I'm not sure it's worth it, messing with them.”

Harry didn't say anything; he was concerned about her not showing up after what she told him. And why was Jeb back so soon when he had planned to be gone for several days? When did he come in? Had he seen the two of them by the pool, maybe overheard them? He had a bad feeling about Marie not showing up.

Scott walked in, shaking his head. “No one has seen her this morning. I couldn't find her.”

Cook came in with a pot of coffee, mumbling in Spanish, then motioned for them to come and eat. Harry had lost his appetite.

There was little conversation around the table. Jeb was reading papers he took from a briefcase and Scott seemed nervous. Harry was anxious to get out and see if he could discover what had happened to Marie.

He also wanted to ask Scott some more about his mother. Did the grandmother name her in the will? Harry was curious about that. Did the old woman think she was dead, or did she know she was still living? There were a lot of unanswered questions. He had a feeling it all tied together somehow.

Leaving Jeb to his paperwork, Harry and Scott walked to the corral on the pretext of looking over the horses. Climbing onto the fence out of earshot of any ranch hands, Harry asked Scott about his mother.

“In all these years did you ever know of your grandmother hearing from her?”

“No. Why the questions about my mother?”

Harry was reluctant to tell him about the conversation he had had with Marie, but he didn't see how he could avoid it if he was going to investigate her death and how it might relate to Melody's disappearance.

“I met with Marie by the pool last night. She had something to tell me. Seems a woman came to the house a while back, right after your grandmother died, and visited with your uncle. Marie heard him call her Rebecca.” He watched Scott's face to see how he was going to react. Scott sat very still then turned slowly to study Harry; it seemed he couldn't grasp what Harry said.

“You think it was my mother?” he asked incredulously.

“Marie seemed to think so.” He let that sink in before he went on. “The woman who came to the house that night was found dead in a room in town later that week. She was an unidentified Jane Doe. Her picture was in the paper. Your uncle saw it but made no comment. He threw the paper away.”

Scott's face drained of color before turning red as he absorbed the implications involving his uncle. Jumping down from the fence, he stomped around. “It couldn't be.” He shook his head in disbelief. “If she was alive, why would she never come back for me?” he asked with a stricken look. He leaned his head against the fence.

“If your grandmother never explained it to you, your uncle is the only one with the answers. Maybe you should ask him, but Scott, let's look into the death of the woman they found before we make accusations.”

“Let's go.” Scott headed for the jeep.

Scott drove off before Harry could get settled into his seat. “I want to hear what the sheriff has to say about it. If it was my mother, the sheriff should have known. He has been a friend of the family as long as I can remember,” Scott yelled against the wind as he sped down the winding road, kicking up a trail of dust behind them.

Screeching to a stop at the courthouse, Scott leaped from the jeep and strode quickly toward the sheriff's office.

“Scott, slow down. Think what you are going to say. Let me do the talking,” he added seeing how wrought up Scott was.

All heads turned in their direction when they entered. They appeared to have interrupted a serious confab. Stepping forward with outstretched hand, Harry introduced himself, which resulted in the usual smirks, smiles, and comments about his name. He laughed with them, then explained he was a PI from San Angelo looking into the disappearance of a woman and wanted to inquire about the Jane Doe they had a few weeks back. Had she ever been identified? He pulled out his identification and showed it around to confirm he was legit. They studied it, then looked at Scott.

“He's a friend of mine,” he explained. “I told him about the Jane doe when I heard he was looking for someone.” Quick thinking, Scott, Harry thought and nodded.

“No, she's still on ice at the morgue.”

“We'd like to take a look.”

The deputy called ahead and let the morgue know they were coming over.

“Is the sheriff around?”

“No, he's in San Antonio for a few days.”

“Thanks, boys,” Scott said as they left the building and headed for the morgue.

“I hope it's not her,” he said with emotion.

Pulling up in front of the squat medical building, Harry hoped for Scott's sake that it wasn't his mother. If it was...there was gonna be hell to pay by someone. What a mess this was turning into.

Harry hated the medicinal smell that met them as they entered the foyer. They were met by a young man in white scrubs with socked feet that led them to the back of the building and through swinging doors into a room cold enough to freeze your breath. Shivering, they waited for the attendant to pull Jane Doe into view.

It looked like the woman in the photograph, older but unmistakably the same features. Scott seemed numb with shock. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

The attendant cleared his throat. “Is this the woman you were looking for?”

“Yes,” Scott whispered.

“You will need to fill out some papers to claim the body,” the young man explained sympathetically.

“Scott...” Harry took him by the arm and led him from the room toward the front of the building. Once there, they were led into an office to take a seat and wait for the forms to fill out. Harry was at a loss for words. What a shock for Scott, to find the mother he thought was dead years ago, died only a few weeks ago, and had been to the house before she died. How was Jeb going to explain that?

That old saying, “What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive...” holds true in this case, he thought.

“I'll send a copy of this over to the sheriff's office,” the attendant said.

“How did she die?” Scott questioned.

“She was strangled. It's still under investigation, but so far they have few clues to go on.” Realizing he was talking out of turn, he clammed up, adding only, “You will have to ask the sheriff about the particulars. That's all I know. I will have to get it okayed by the sheriff's office before you can remove the body.”

“We'll be in touch,” Harry told him as he motioned for Scott to follow him out. Once outside he turned to him. “Scott, I can't tell you how sorry I am about this. I know what a shock it is for you. Let's get a cup of coffee and decide what to do next.”

If the sheriff was covering this up, they would have to contact the Rangers and get them involved...

If something has happened to Marie as well... How deep does this go?

They needed to go back to the deputy and tell him they had identified her, and see what he could tell them. This was going to have a far reaching impact on the Stockton family. The gossip mongers would be right on top of it—a murder in the big ranching family.

Scott was ready to go home and confront his uncle. Harry could think of no reason to stop him. He hoped Marie would be there when they arrived.

Picking up a cup of coffee at the local drive-in, they drove to the ranch, each one lost in deep thought. Harry wanted to be there when Scott faced Jeb for two reasons: to see his reaction and also be sure there was no violence. Jeb seemed to be pretty volatile when angered.

Jeb was at poolside on the phone when they went in. He motioned to them and went on with his conversation as they waited. Harry sat down; Scott paced back and forth. Jeb noticed finally that Scott was pretty strung out and got off the phone.

“What's up, boys?” he asked, reaching for his drink on the table. As he lifted it, Scott slapped it from his hand, splattering the drink all over him.

“What the hell are you doing? You stupid...” Scott dove for him as Jeb started up out of his seat. Before Harry could react, Scott had Jeb on the concrete. Harry pulled him off the older man, who was looking at the sobbing Scott in disbelief.

Getting to his feet, Jeb snarled, “What's got into you? Have you lost your damn mind?” Anger replaced the shock of the attack.

“Did you kill my mother?” Scott yelled, turning on him again. Harry grabbed him.

Jeb shrank back, wide-eyed. Struggling for composure, he sputtered, “Your mother...where did you get such an idea?” Then he looked accusingly at Harry, who shook his head.

“She's lying down there in the morgue, Uncle. I know she came here before she died. Why? Why didn't I see her? What did you do to her?” he asked through gritted teeth, clenching and unclenching his fists. He jerked away from Harry and slung himself down in a chair, dropping his head between his knees.

Jeb said nothing. He sat back down, staring at his nephew. Finally, he calmly asked, “Who told you this nonsense?”

“I saw her myself.”

“How would you know what your mother looked like? She's been gone for twenty years, for God's sake. You were a baby when she left. I don't know who you saw, but it wasn't your mother.” He bluffed, assuming he was in total control.

Harry saw the hesitation in Scott as he shot back, “It was the same as her photograph,” he insisted.

“Huh? There are probably hundreds of women out there who look like that photograph. She wasn't more than eighteen or nineteen in that picture, and you are accusing me—me, your uncle who raised you—of killing my own sister? I can't believe this.” He got up from his chair and stalked toward the house.

Scott looked to Harry for some support. Jeb had gotten his bluff in.

“Don't let him buffalo you, Scott. The facts are there and we have Marie to back us on this. They can do a DNA and prove the relationship. He won't get away with it.” At least he hoped they had Marie to back them up. He hadn't had an opportunity to check on her yet.

They could see Jeb through the window at the bar mixing a drink. Harry figured he probably was in dire need of one after what had just happened. He may think he has talked himself out of this situation but he is sadly mistaken.

“I think I will put in a call to my friend with the Texas Rangers. We may need a little backup.” As he sat there, he noticed a smattering of peanut hulls scattered on the concrete near the pool. Now where did those come from? Turning his attention back to the man who hired him for this job, he wondered if Jeb would ask him to leave. He was probably fired already, but he was seeing this through to the end, paycheck or not.

Marie was no place to be found; no one had seen her. Harry was really worried now. He put in a call to his friend Max Hilliard in Laredo and told him the situation. Max told him when he felt it was time to come, to give him a call—he would be there.

Next, he and Scott drove back to see the deputy, Josh Turner, at the sheriff's office. They went over what Marie had told Harry that night. The officer took notes and said he needed to talk to Marie. They told him they couldn't find her. He said there was nothing he could do until he talked to her. He couldn't charge anyone with anything without proof. And there would have to be more evidence than that to accuse Jeb Stockton of anything.

Scott asked about the DNA test and learned it could be done, but the sheriff would have to order it; he was still out of town and wouldn't be back for a couple of days, although Josh promised to contact him and see if there was anything he could do until then. They would have to wait.

Harry felt uneasy about the situation. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. Here they had a murder and two women missing and they could do nothing. They needed to contact the funeral home and move Rebecca from the morgue, but even that had to be ordered by the sheriff. All they could do was go home and wait.

Neither one of them wanted to see Jeb. Harry decided to pick up his car and get a room at the motel. Although it was only sixty miles to San Angelo, he wanted to be close by in case Scott needed him. They ate at the restaurant and got him a room before heading back to the ranch.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 6

When they got to the ranch, a sheriff's car was out front. Wondering what was up, they went inside to find Jeb talking to Josh and a plain clothes cop from San Angelo. Evidently, the deputy put some stock into what they had told him. But why the cop from San Angelo?

“What's going on?” Scott asked as they entered. Josh stood and introduced his companion. “This is Bob Keys from San Angelo.”

Harry shook his hand, saying, “Yes, Bob and I go way back. How are you, Bob?” The question in his voice asked what he was doing there.

“Josh and I are friends; I just happened by and rode out with him. What are you doing here?”

“Looking into something for Scott.”

“Mr. Stockton called us out; he is concerned the young woman who works for him is missing. Do either of you have any ideas on this?”

They both looked at Jeb. Wearing a satisfied smirk on his face, he rolled a fat cigar in his mouth as he leaned back and relaxed at the bar.

“When was the last time either of you remember seeing her?”

Scott said he would have to think about it, he didn't remember. All eyes turned to Harry, waiting for his reply.

“I saw her out by the pool last night.”

“Did you talk to her?”

“Yes.”

“What time was this?”

Harry hesitated. “Around eleven.”

“What were you doing out there? Were you together?”

“She told me she wanted to talk to me privately, so I met her out there.”

“You want to tell us what you talked about?”

“She had some concerns about something that happened a few weeks ago.” Although he had already told Josh this entire story in town, he went over it again as he walked across the room and sat down. “It had to do with a woman who called late one evening. She overheard Mr. Stockton call her Rebecca. That was the name of Scott's mother, Jeb's sister, who had been gone for many years. A few days later she saw a photograph of this same woman in the paper. She had been found dead in a motel with no identification. She saw Mr. Stockton looking at it before he threw the paper away. Then the young woman, Melody, came out to spend the weekend and disappeared. Marie was frightened and wanted to tell me about it.”

“Why didn't she go to the sheriff if she was scared?”

“She's an illegal and is afraid of being sent back to Mexico.”

Josh turned to Jeb. “Is that true, Mr. Stockton?”

“It's the first I've heard of it.”

“Did the woman come to your house?”

“No. He's making the whole thing up,” he replied indignantly. “I cannot think why he would make up such a preposterous story or what motive he could have to blacken the name of Stockton, but that is an out and out lie.”

“Wait a second here,” Harry said. “Do you deny Melody came out here and disappeared?” Harry leaned forward, upset that Jeb was accusing him of lying.

“The girl left of her own accord, in her own car. That has already been determined,” came the hot reply.

Standing and facing him squarely, Harry demanded, “Where is Marie? Did she leave of her own will and accord, too?” Spinning around to face Josh, he asked, “How many people have to disappear before you guys get off your butts and do something about it? You have a murdered woman and two missing girls, and the guilty party is sitting in this room!” he said, pointing at Jeb, who jumped from his seat.

“Get him out of my house!” Jeb shouted, doubling his fists and charging forward. “I'll not have a guest in my home accuse me of murder.”

Scott jumped between them. “He is my guest too, and I say he stays.”

Turning purple with rage, Jeb hissed, “Get out! Get out, both of you.” Glaring at Scott, he said, “This is my home, you little pip-squeak. My home! And you are out of here!” Turning, he stormed from the room.

Both Josh and Bob were dumbfounded by the turn of events. Getting up from their seats, they stood there for a minute. Josh cleared his throat. “I think we should all leave.”

“Hey, this is my home; everything here is just as much mine as his. He can't kick me out,” Scott protested.

“Maybe not, but he wants Harry to leave. We will wait while he gets his things and see him out.” He motioned for Harry to come with them. Harry didn't intend to argue the point. He hadn't meant to get into a screaming brawl with the old man, but he had an odd feeling the old guy was setting him up.

He gathered up his extra clothes and met them back at the entry. Scott was there with a small overnight bag. It was plain he didn't intend to hang around that big house alone with his uncle.

“You boys stay where I can find you. I may have some more questions. Harry...don't leave town.”

They each got into their own vehicle, Josh bringing up the rear. Harry and Scott pulled off the road at the motel; Bob and Josh waved and passed, secure in knowing where they could be found.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 7

Before Scott could get out of the jeep, Harry motioned for him to stay. Climbing in beside him, he asked, “Is there any way we can get to the north pasture without being seen?”

“Yeah, as long as the river's not up we can cross into our pasture about ten miles out.”

“Let's do it. There has to be something up there. We need to know what it is. Come to think of it, I didn't see any sign of Hub when we were out at the house, did you?”

There was little or no conversation as they headed out the highway toward San Angelo. Leaving the highway and crossing the railroad tracks, they found a wire gate almost hidden by grass and weeds. Going through it, they bounced along an abandoned road to the river's edge. They had to search for a crossing. The river was running but it was low. As long as they didn't hit a bed of quicksand they could get across.

Scott put the jeep in low gear, and they eased down the steep embankment and onto the sandy river bottom. He got out and studied the depth of the water; it looked shallow from a distance but sometimes that was deceiving. Getting into the jeep, he turned to Harry. With a grin he said, “Hang on,” and stepped on the gas.

Harry grabbed the door and the dash. The first onslaught of water drenched him. He thought sure they had gone under; gasping for breath, he got a mouthful of sand and then here came the water again as they plowed through the ‘Devil's River'. When the jeep stopped, Harry peeked through his sandy eyelids to see where they might be. Somehow Scott had managed to get them across. Now they had to find a way out.

Wiping the grit from their faces, they drove downstream to find a wash they could drive up and out onto the riverbank. In Harry's opinion, Scott treated the jeep like it was a mountain goat as they seemed to climb straight up the embankment. Once out on level ground they stopped to shake off the sand. After that wild ride they both had to get their bearings and decide where the north pasture was.

They seemed to have come out at the rockiest point along the river. Looking for smoother ground to travel on, they worked around the rock formation and headed south, looking for familiar territory. Picking their way through the craggy landscape, they were slow to react when the gunshot rang out.

Scott hit the brake about the time the second bullet hit the windshield, shattering it into a thousand pieces.

“Damn...duck!” Harry yelled as he rolled out the door onto the ground and hugged up to the jeep. A third shot rang out and he heard Scott grunt.

“Scott?”

He didn't answer.

Slithering across the rocky ground like a snake, Harry crawled to the other side of the jeep. Scott lay sprawled out on the ground, blood pooling beside him.

“Oh my God, Scott...” Harry looked around, not knowing for sure where the shooter was. He couldn't see anything. He had to take the chance. Rising slowly, he hesitated and then ran quickly to Scott's side. He felt for a pulse; it was there. He had to stop the flow of blood. Where was it coming from? Turning him over, he found the wound and applied pressure. Pulling off his shirt, he formed a makeshift pack and stripping off his belt, strapped it around Scott's shoulder and bound the wadded shirt to the wound.

He had to get him to a doctor, but how? He'd never be able to get back through that river bed. He would have to take him to the ranch...

Gathering Scott up in his arms, he carried him to the seat. But whoa... Who shot at them...was it Jeb? Was he out to kill Scott? Would he be safe at the ranch? There would be other people there... He would be safe. Looking at the unconscious boy, he vowed, “Hang on, Scott, I'll get you there.”

Placing him on the back seats, he fastened him in with the seat belts and headed out. He had to drive carefully but there was no time to waste. He prayed he was going in the right direction.

Once he found the fishing tank he was home free. Honking the horn before he got to the ranch, he got the attention of the ranch hands.

Orlando, hearing the horn, was standing by the corral watching for him as he drove into the yard.

“Scott's been shot. We have to get him to the hospital...now! Get in and help me with him.”

Orlando jumped in beside Scott and another ranch hand got in front with Harry. No one asked questions. Orlando put pressure on the wound. Harry stepped on the gas and drove like a bat out of hell to the small local hospital.

Whipping into the emergency entrance, Harry bore down on the horn. Orderlies rushed out with a stretcher and took Scott straight into a curtained room. The on-duty doc asked what happened.

“He's been shot,” was all Harry got out before they shooed him from the room. Going to the waiting room, an anxious Orlando looked Harry over. “Man, what happened to you guys? How did Scott get shot? Who shot him?”

“I wish I knew. It wasn't an accident, it was deliberate. Someone meant to kill one or both of us.”

“Where were you? You look like you've been rolled in the mud.” For the first time, Harry thought what he must look like. His clothes were stiff with mud and sand, as was his hair.

“We went through Devil's River in the jeep. Scott is one nervy kid.” Harry shook his head. “And a hell of a driver.”

The doctor came out; the three men stood up expectantly.

“He will be okay. He lost a lot of blood. Someone from the sheriff's department will be here soon to fill out a report on the gunshot wound. How did this happen?”

“Someone just started shooting at us as we were driving through the pasture. I never saw anyone, but they fired several times. The first shot hit the front of the jeep. I didn't realize what was happening until the windshield shattered. We piled out. The third shot hit Scott. The shooter quit then. I loaded him in the jeep and headed for the ranch.”

Hearing a commotion in the hall, Harry turned. It was Jeb.

“Where is he? Where is my nephew?” he demanded, scowling when he saw Harry.

Taking him by the arm and leading him down the hall, the doctor assured him, “He is okay, Mr. Stockton. He lost a lot of blood and he will be stove up for a while, but he will recover quickly. That's the advantage of being young. He is sedated now, but you can look in on him.”

Harry thought he was going to be sick. What a show Jeb was putting on as the concerned uncle. What a bunch of crap. Harry needed to go to his room and clean up. There was little he could do here. Scott would be safe in the hospital. He didn't want to talk to Jeb.

“Orlando, give me a lift to the motel?”

“What about the sheriff?”

“He can find me at the motel; I want to get this sand off me.” Harry needed to go regroup, lay things out and look at the broad picture. This had turned into a lot more than he had bargained for. He sure hadn't signed on to get shot. He was worried about Scott. And where was Marie? Bad as things were, he was determined to see what was going on in the north pasture. He would check back on Scott later.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 8

Washing away the grit and grime helped a lot, but he couldn't wash away the burning anger he felt in the pit of his stomach. As he wiped away the fog from the mirror, the face he saw looked haunted. If he hadn't insisted on going back to the ranch, Scott wouldn't be lying in the hospital. He was just a kid. The first impression he'd had of Scott was wrong. He wasn't a wimp; fact was, he had a lot of spunk.

Dropping the towel and reaching for his clothes, he remembered everything he had was ruined. His clothes were a mess. If he was going to be here a few more days—and right now it looked like he may be here for a while—he should run to San Angelo and pick up some things. It was only sixty miles; he could be over there and back before anyone missed him, three hours at the most.

Slipping on his wrinkled slacks, he headed for San Angelo. It felt good to be on the road and behind the wheel of his car; the thought crossed his mind to just keep driving and never come back. His business was on a downhill slide, he was in debt up to his... But then there was the boy, Scott, plus the fact Jeb had insinuated he lied about everything. If nothing else, he was honest. He would not tolerate anyone saying otherwise... No, he would have to hang around and finish what he had started, and right now that meant putting the high and mighty Jeb Stockton behind bars.

Parking behind his office on Main, he climbed the stairs two at a time to the apartment. Picking up his mail, he thumbed through it quickly and gathered up a few things to take back with him.

Pulling on a pair of Levis and soft boots, he was tucking in his shirt when someone banged on the office door. He started to ignore it then decided he might be looking for a new client soon. Bounding down the stairs, he was surprised when he looked into the face of Josh Turner.

Opening up, he asked, “What's up, Josh—is Scott okay?”

“You are under arrest, Harry. Anything you say—”

“Hey, I know the drill. What is the reason?”

“I told you not to leave town. Cuff him.” Harry turned to see two men behind him who had come through his apartment.

“I wasn't running, Josh, I needed some clothes. I was coming right back.”

“We found Marie, Harry...she's dead. She's been shot.”

“Oh, no... Where was she?”

Josh gave him a queer look before he answered, “Up in the north pasture.”

“Who found her?”

“One of the ranch hands stumbled across her this afternoon. He had gone up to check on the site where young Scott got hit. I think you have a lot of explaining to do. Let's go.”

“Josh, I don't have anything to do with any of this.”

“We'll see.”

This can't be happening, he thought as he watched them lock up his place. As they pulled away from the curb, he saw Doris standing on the corner. He wondered how much she saw. He hoped she had sense enough to call him an attorney.

The clang of that cell door was nothing he liked to hear, especially when he was on the wrong side of it. Unrolling the thin mattress onto the metal cot, he sat down. All he could do now was wait for his attorney to bail him out.

He felt Jeb was behind this. He was a threat to Jeb as long as he was loose and prowling around.

Scott in the hospital, Marie dead, Rebecca dead, Melody missing and him in jail. Who was next? Why Melody? He could understand the greed on Jeb's part and doing away with Rebecca, and why he would want to get rid of Scott too. He could have it all then, but why Melody? What did she have to do with all this?

Would they find her body in the north pasture? Did Hub fit in here any place? He couldn't see where. Was he a loyal employee to Jeb? If so, why did he tell Marie to confide in him about Rebecca? No, Hub was just a bystander who heard and saw too much. He better watch it—he might be next.

He felt tightness in his throat thinking of Marie. He could still see those big brown eyes as she asked for his help. She was a pretty girl. What a waste.

Closing his eyes, he lay back. How did Jeb know they were out there? He sat up; he had to get out of here. Scott wasn't out of danger as long as Jeb was free.

“What have you got yourself into, Harry?” came a jovial voice from down the walkway, followed by the round face and plump body of his lawyer friend, Charlie Flood. The deputy beside him pulled out keys and unlocked the cell door.

“Charlie...thanks for coming on over.”

“Yeah, I was in the neighborhood,” he joked. Then seriously, “What is going on, Harry?”

“Let's get out of here and I'll tell you all about it,” he said as Charlie led him out the front and into the sunshine.

Harry waited until they were in the Bus-Stop Cafe before he told Charlie the story of Melody and the following events.

“From what I can gather, you are under suspicion of murder in the case of Marie Espinosa.”

“That's crazy, Charlie.”

“Seems you were the last one to see her.”

“Except for the killer. Charlie, I need my car; it's still behind the office.”

“Harry, you gotta keep a low profile, stay away from the Stockton ranch and stay where the sheriff can contact you. You're in enough trouble right now. I'll get with Doris and we will bring your car over in the morning.” Picking up a menu, he said, “Right now let's eat.”

Harry hadn't realized how hungry he was until then.

Charlie dropped him off at the motel and headed north.

Sitting around the motel room is as bad as being in jail, he thought. Going to the front desk, he asked about a car rental.

“Only thing like that is the u-haul place down the road.”

“No, I need a car. My friend is in the hospital. I'd like to go see about him.”

“Well, I can give you a lift to the hospital in about twenty minutes. I'll be leaving when we change shifts for the night.”

“Great, honk when you're ready.”

He had been uncertain about the reception he would receive when he stepped out on the third floor and approached Scott's room. Thankfully, no one was around. Scott seemed to be sleeping, so he sat down in the chair and closed his eyes. He was tired, but the motel room was too confining.

“You okay?”

He opened his eyes to see Scott watching him. “I'm fine, Scott, but how about you?”

“I've been better,” he said with a grin. “Do you know who shot at us?”

“I have my suspicions.”

Scott turned his face away and looked at the ceiling. Harry had to lean in to hear what he was saying. “It's hard to believe Uncle Jeb would try to kill me. We've had our differences, but for him to do this...”

Seeing the moisture in his eyes, Harry said nothing. Scott closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Harry propped his feet on a stool, making himself as comfortable as possible. He was hanging around to make sure no one tried to finish the job on the kid. It was gonna be a long night.

He woke when the door to the room opened and Josh Turner walked in. “I've been looking for you. I should have known this was where you would be. We need to talk.” Stepping to the bed, he turned his attention to Scott. “Do you feel like talking about what happened?”

“Sure.”

“Do you have any idea who the shooter was?”

He looked in Harry's direction before he answered, “No.”

“What were you two doing up there?”

“I was showing Harry the ranch.”

“Who knew where you were going?”

Shaking his head, he answered, “No one knew where we were going.”

Studying him thoughtfully, Josh asked the question they were all thinking. “Why do you think someone would shoot at you?”

Scott closed his eyes and again shook his head. “I don't know,” he whispered.

But we do know, Harry thought.

Turning to Harry, Josh said, “Tell me exactly what happened as you remember it.”

Harry repeated the events, then asked, “Where exactly did they find Marie?”

Scott gasped, “Oh, no!”

“Boy, I'm sorry; I forgot you didn't know about that.”

The doctor walked in, frowning when he saw Josh and Harry there. It was obvious Scott was upset.

“How's my patient?” He checked him over, ignoring the two visitors. “You seem to be doing well. I can let you go home, but no bouncing around in that jeep. And I need to see you in a couple of days. I'll call your uncle and tell him he can pick you up.”

“No, I'll go with Harry. Thanks anyway.”

The young doctor looked Harry over, then said, “I have to notify him you left the hospital. The nurse will be in with your release papers.”

Waiting for the door to close, Josh asked, “Are you afraid of your uncle?”

“You were there when he ordered me out of the house.”

“He was very upset when he heard you had been shot. He came up here and stayed for quite a long time. I'm sure what he said was said in the heat of anger.”

“I'm not going back anyhow!”

Looking from Harry to Scott, he told him, “Harry was arrested on suspicion in Marie's death.”

Shocked, Scott reacted by jerking upright. Hurt, he moaned, “That's crazy.”

“You never did say where she was found.”

“She wasn't a hundred yards from where Scott was shot.”

Was it just a coincidence they happened by when the shooter was there? It had to be a coincidence; no one knew about them. It could be just a case of bad luck we drove up when we did, Harry decided. Maybe no one was out to kill Scott. But we can't take that chance yet.

“Scott will be at the motel with me until he feels well enough to go home.”

Josh started from the room. “Wait,” both Scott and Harry called to him. “We do need a ride,” Harry added.

Josh waved. “Call me when you're ready to go. I won't be far away.”

Settling Scott into his own room at the motel, Harry told him Charlie was bringing his car over and that he wanted to go back to the ranch and somehow get to the north pasture. He felt all the answers were up there.

Scott was upset he couldn't go but knew it was impossible. He tried to figure a way Harry could get there without going over the river again. Harry's car would never make it across the water.

Harry walked to the Quick Stop to buy some snacks and magazines to keep Scott occupied while he was gone. Walking back, he saw Jeb's Lexus parked in front of Scott's room.

“Damn.” He hurried to the door just as Jeb was leaving, red faced and angry.

“You've turned that boy against me with your lies. You'll never get a cent out of me. I'll see to it you lose your license.” Getting in the car, he peeled out, leaving tread marks behind. Harry saw the desk clerk rush to the window and watch as he fishtailed onto the highway, then look toward Harry and shrug his shoulders.

Harry tapped on the door and went inside. Scott was slumped down in the bed; his lips buttoned tight, arms crossed, and dark eyes flashing.

“I see you had company while I was gone.” He tossed the goody sack on the bed and spread the magazines on the night table.

“Until he tells me about my mother, I will never go back there,” he said defiantly.

“That reminds me...you need to call the funeral home and have her moved from the morgue.” Locating the phone book, he looked up the number and gave it to Scott.

Scott made the call and explained to them what he wanted; then as he sat there, a strange look came over his face. He listened to the person on the other end of the phone line and hung up. Without saying a word, he stared a Harry.

“Scott, what's wrong?”

“She's been cremated.”

Harry jumped up. “Do what?” he asked incredulously. “How the hell did that happen?”

“The sheriff ordered it.”

“When and why?”

“I don't know,” he said, covering his face for a minute. “Now we can't prove who she was, but I know it was my mother.”

“I want to talk to Josh.” Picking up the phone to dial, he was interrupted by a knock on the door. Opening it, he found Josh Turner standing there. Not giving him an opportunity to say a word, he lit in on him. Josh explained the order had been issued before the sheriff left town; he knew nothing about it until it had been done.

“I really feel rotten about this, Scott. They're holding her ashes for you at the funeral home. We did make a positive ID from her fingerprints.”

“Fingerprints?”

“From your birth certificate. We matched the prints from that. They always print the mother and baby at birth for identification purposes. That way there won't be a mix up with the babies. I remembered that after you talked about the DNA test.”

“Why did the sheriff order the cremation?”

“That I don't know.”

“Uncle Jeb was behind it, I know he was!” he cried out.

Opening the door to a soft tap, Harry discovered Charlie Flood's friendly face, with Doris standing behind him.

“We have a delivery for a ‘Hairy’ Mann,” he said, smiling broadly. Then seeing the tension, he grew serious. “Are we interrupting something?”

“No, I was just leaving. I'll let you know what I find out from the sheriff, Scott,” Josh said as he nodded to Doris and left the room.

Doris walked around Charlie and put her arms around Harry and hugged him tight. Looking up into his face, she said, “I have been so worried about you. When I saw them arrest you I couldn't believe it. Charlie explained what was going on here. Can I do anything to help?”

“You coming is enough. Doris, Charlie, this is Scott.” Placing his arm around her shoulders, he smiled and said, “My friend and sometime secretary, Doris. And this is my attorney and sometime friend, Charlie Flood.”

They stayed for a while, then after giving Harry his keys and the overnight bag he had packed before being rudely arrested, they went to the car. Doris gave him a thumbs up, avoiding physical contact, and Charlie cautioned him to stay out of trouble. Then they were gone.

Harry watched as they drove away. They were both good friends. Doris had let him know early on that was the only way it could be if she was going to work for him. Pity, he thought, thinking of the warm embrace he had received earlier.

Looking in on Scott, he found him sound asleep. Scribbling a quick note, he laid it by the magazines and left, pulling the door to behind him.

Giving scant thought to what he was doing, he headed for the ranch, determined to get through without being seen if he had to walk all the way.

Following the main road, he veered off before he reached the house and pulled into heavy brush. With the top down on the car, it wasn't noticeable from the road. Striking out on foot, he skirted around the corral and house. He felt like an Indian sneaking from tree to tree. Guess it was time he used some of the skills instilled in him by his ancestors. Surely he had some back there someplace who knew how to do all this stuff.

Once beyond the main quarters, he felt free to walk without hiding, although he remained cautious. Finding the tire tracks from Hub's trip to the area, he followed them. When he neared the fishing tank, he took to the brush again.

There didn't seem to be anyone out and about. It was close to noon; most of the hired help had probably gone in to eat. It was a goat ranch. He had seen some cattle but not near as many as goats. He had always heard goats and cattle couldn't graze the same range.

As he admired the landscape, it was too late when he realized the sound he heard was a rifle shot. It knocked him to his knees and the surrounding landscape faded out.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 9

Regaining consciousness slowly, he didn't remember what had happened until he felt the cool wet ground beneath him. Sitting up, he reached for his head; the movement gave him a tremendous pain. Once again he pulled back fingers sticky with blood.

“This is getting ridiculous,” he said, remembering the last blow he'd had.

It was pitch black. He didn't have a clue where he was. He was certain it wasn't hell ‘cause it was too blasted cold. He was shivering. He wasn't about to try and stand up yet. He wouldn't know which way to go if he did.

He wondered if he was in a hole or a cellar. “Hello!” His voice echoed. Wherever he was, it sounded big and hollow.

Still carrying a lighter out of habit, he pulled it out of his pocket and lit up the space around him with the tiny flame. There was nothing to see. The light flickered; there was a draft blowing through there anyway. That gave him some hope. He could follow the direction of the current of air. His light went out. How much fluid was left in the lighter? Would it be enough?

For the first time the seriousness of his predicament occurred to him. No one knew where he was. The note he left Scott only said “Be back shortly". He'd hidden his car so well it could be weeks before anyone would find it. What a hell of a mess he was in now!

Thinking back over what happened, he could see someone was keeping a close watch on this end of the ranch. Why? What is up here? He supposed he was still in the same area. He must be in a cave. He knew there were caves in the area. The Sonora Caverns were close by. There was probably a maze of them around this part of the country. He had to find a way out.

Flicking his lighter again, he stood up carefully, making sure he had his balance, and peered into the darkness beyond. Holding the flame down where he could see the ground, he took a step. This will never do. I need a torch. He hated to give up his shirt—he was still shivering from the damp cold—but he could do without his shorts.

Extinguishing the light, he stripped down, removing his underwear to use as a torch. He hoped they would make a flame and not just smolder. Dressing quickly, he tried to light the wadded up cloth. It wouldn't flame up. He had to have something that would flame up...his credit cards; he needed to get rid of them anyhow. Maybe they would burn.

Pulling out his billfold, he found more than credit cards. There were several pieces of paper folded and tucked away in it. He couldn't remember what it was. It didn't matter; making a torch was most important. He rolled the paper and placed it in the cloth, leaving some of the paper exposed. Using the lighter again, he lit the paper; it burned quickly till it reached the material and then it burned slowly, giving off some light.

Not waiting to see how well it would work, Harry moved quickly in the direction of the draft. Suddenly he stopped. A dark pit of blackness yawned before him. His light flickered and went out.

Harry took several steps backward. That was close. He couldn't tell how deep it might have been. Maybe he went the wrong way. Discouraged, he sat still, listening to the quietness in the dark.

He could hear the ripple of running water. An underground river? For a minute, panic gripped him when he recalled tales of torrential rains rushing through caverns, drowning adventuresome spelunkers who were never found. They were down here someplace; it was a natural tomb.

“Shake it off, Harry,” he told himself, “you're getting spooked...”

He didn't know how far he had come from where he started; it couldn't have been very far. Should he feel his way back away from the danger in front of him? Or was the danger behind him? A man could go mad like this. He flicked on his lighter, welcoming the comfort of the tiny flame.

He knew he was on his own; there was no one to help him. But what could he do? He lay back and closed his eyes. He thought of Doris. If he ever got out of here, things were going to be different. Thinking of the way she had held him this morning, he drifted off.

Waking with a start, he thought something was crawling on him but figured out it was water running in a small stream beside him. Wondering where it was coming from, he put out his hand; it ran in a steady stream. When he cupped his hand, the water gathered in a small pool. It was coming from behind him. If he followed the stream, maybe it would lead him out. At least it was something to do.

Putting more paper in his ‘torch,’ he lit the way for some distance before it pooped out on him again. He would have to feel his way. It would be slow. There was danger of a sudden drop off.

He was climbing up a gradual incline. He had to stop often. There was no sound other than his own labored breathing and the soft sound of the water rushing by. He felt he walked for hours, at times almost going straight up.

He must have been miles below ground. The stream of water became deeper, making a gurgling sound, moving fast.

How much further could he go? The tunnel was narrowing; at times he had to squeeze through. He could see shadows; light was coming from someplace. Where? His heart pounded with excitement. How long had he been in there? He saw a narrow crevice ahead. Light streamed through it, a way out.

He studied it with a sinking heart. It was too narrow for him to get through. To come so far to find a dead end—it couldn't be.

He looked around. Light reflected off the water that trickled through the opening and glistened on the wet surfaces. Reflections played patterns on the stone walls. Searching the cavern, he found another level beneath him and water pooling there. Light filtered in there too. If he lowered himself down, would he find a way out, or would he be condemning himself to death? Maybe there was no way out.

He sat down, exhausted. He had to make a decision. There was no way out on this level unless he went back and found another tunnel. Certainly there was one but he was too tired to go that distance and maybe find nothing. At least it was light here and there was water. How long could he survive on water alone?

Deciding to risk it, Harry dropped over the edge to the floor below. He was in a dome-shaped room. Water cascaded down a wall and formed a waterfall that fed the pool.

Harry studied the waterfall. What might be past it? Careful not to fall on the slippery surface, he worked his way to the cascading water and found a wide open area beyond. The light from the opening filtered through the water and into the room. It was beautiful. Through the gloom toward the far end he saw another tunnel branching off. The light seemed to follow him; he wondered if he was hallucinating. At some point, the stream of water had disappeared and he was walking on dry ground.

He could see an opening ahead.

Pushing aside a growth of underbrush, he walked out into the sunlight and looked on a crystal clear pond nestled in an outcropping of hills. All he could see in any direction were trees and white rock.

Where was the ranch? Climbing to higher ground, he made out a highway off to the east. It was a long way off. The river had to run somewhere between him and the road.

How far north of the ranch was he? Making his way back down to the water's edge, he drank thirstily. The water was cold. He leaned back to rest.

Remembering his head wound, he wet the material he had left from the torch and bathed his head. The bullet had only creased him but it had been enough to knock him cold.

He wondered where the other opening was to the cavern. Who put him in there? Had they left him to die, or were they coming back to kill him later? They would be in for a surprise.

How did they get him in there in the first place? The opening had to be close to where he was when he woke up. The person who put him there had to be strong to handle a man of his height and weight. Maybe there were two of them. That had never occurred to him.

Right now he needed to figure a way to get back to his car. Reluctantly, he stood and started in the general direction of the ranch. “Come on, feet, we got miles to go.”

It was dark as he approached the back side of the ranch house. Stopping to rest and deciding which way to go, he felt the presence of a warm body beside him. Turning very slowly, he looked into the wolf hound's glowing eyes.

“You would scare a guy to death, you ugly mutt.” Reaching out, he ruffled the hair on its shaggy head then glimpsed the green eyes of the other two behind him. “It's good to see some friendly faces,” he whispered. “How am I going to get to my car without being seen?” Without a sound the dogs walked away. Harry sat there a minute then followed them.

If anyone looked in his direction, they would see the dogs; they were good cover. He was so grateful at the moment, they could have lifted their leg and he wouldn't have said a word. They seemed to know where he wanted to go.

He was almost to his car when he heard Orlando call them in. He flattened out on the ground as they ran. The big male hesitated, looking back at Harry, then followed his companions.

Harry crawled into the brush and made his way to the little Mustang. Waiting for the ranch hands to settle in for the night before he started the motor, he thought back on all that had taken place since the Stocktons came into his office and hired him. It seemed like a long time ago, but it had only been a week.

Easing the car onto the road, he made his way back to the motel.

The light was on in Scott's room, but Harry needed to clean up and his head hurt like hell. He didn't feel like explaining anything tonight. He would wait till morning to check in.

The message light was blinking on his phone. It was Scott telling him Josh was looking for him. Josh would have to wait. It had been a long day and he was beat; the bath and bed were all he wanted now. The feel of clean sheets on a soft bed was like a little bit of heaven.

The ringing of the phone pulled him from a deep sleep. The abrupt voice on the other end said, “Harry, I'm on my way over.”

That was all he needed, to talk to Josh before he had a cup of coffee. Easing his aching body from the comfort of his bed was no easy task. Limping across the room, he pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt and sat down. His feet were swollen and wouldn't fit in his boots. He wasn't ready to share his experience with the law. The long sleeves of his shirt covered the scratches on his arms but nothing could hide the sunburned face and parched lips. The escapade of the day before had taken a toll on him. He pulled on some socks to cover his sore feet from the prying eyes of the nosy deputy pulling in the drive.

Harry watched as the deputy got out of his car and walked to the Mustang, going around it slowly, examining it thoroughly.

“Now what is he doing, checking out my car?”

Opening the door, Harry stepped out. “Morning, Josh.”

Josh walked to the door “Where were you yesterday, Harry?”

“Here and there, why?”

“You were seen driving out of town.”

“I went sightseeing.”

“Did you go to Crystoval?”

“No,” he said, stepping aside as Josh entered the room. Josh took off his hat and sat down in the only chair. Harry sat down on the bed.

“What's up, Josh, you asking me all these questions?”

“There was a man killed yesterday up by Crystoval. It was a hit and run. They described a car like yours as hitting the man. Your car has a dented-in front fender. Want to tell me how that happened?”

“Not my car.” Harry jumped up and headed for the door.”

“Wait...”

“I'm not going anywhere... My car didn't have a dent on it yesterday.”

“It does now.”

Harry went out to look. Josh followed close behind. Scott came out to see what was going on.

The right passenger side was caved in. Harry shook his head, unbelieving.

“I swear, Josh, I don't know how it happened.” He walked around the car looking for any other damage. “Who was the man?”

“An old timer in the area. Hung around the little store a lot. Nosy old guy. He was overheard calling the Stockton ranch the day Scott got shot, reporting a couple of guys trespassing on the property. That must have been you and Scott. From what I can figure, he must have told the shooter. That was how they knew you were there.”

He waited for Harry to say something. When he didn't, he went on. “The way I see it, your car was used to shut the old guy up. He must have known the shooter and could identify him if we had gotten that far in the investigation.”

He waited again for Harry's response. “Now do you want to tell me where you were yesterday?”

Scott looked on with interest.

Harry closed his eyes. He was in deep shit, he knew. He had been told not to go to the ranch, not to leave town, and stay in touch. So far he had done everything he'd been told not to do. He might as well tell the truth.

“I drove out to the ranch, hid my car, and walked to the north pasture. Someone took a pot shot at me. The bullet grazed my head and knocked me out. When I came to, I was in a dark hole—turned out to be a cave. I found my way out late in the day and walked back to the ranch. It was dark when I got there. I sneaked around the house, got in the car, came to the room, and went to bed. My feet are so swollen I can't get my shoes on. My arms are scratched from the brush I walked through, and I probably have a third-degree burn on my face. And now I am accused of killing someone else.”

He stopped, thinking about what he had said. “Someone knew my car was there. Who? Whoever it is—or they are—they keep a finger on the pulse of everything that goes on around there. It is unbelievable how they keep tabs on everything. Seems like they know every move we make.”

“You didn't know your car had been moved?”

“It was dark. I didn't think anyone could find it. They would have to see me park it to know it was there. To answer your question, no, I didn't know it had been moved.”

“How did you manage to get out of the cave?”

“Pure luck.”

Josh walked over to examine the cut on Harry's head.

“Looks to me that you could use a few stitches in that. You were lucky they didn't kill you. We would never have found your body.”

“I know that's true. I thought I was a goner for sure. It's a miracle I found my way out. I wouldn't bet on doing it again.”

“Could you find the place again?”

“Sure. It opened out by a spring fed lake, crystal clear water nestled down in the hills.”

Scott joined in, saying, “I know where that is...I never knew there was a cave. We went swimming there once but the water was too cold.”

“What is it you expect to find on that part of the ranch that you would risk your life to go there?”

“I don't know, Josh. It's just a feeling I have that something is there.”

“You're still looking into the disappearance of that girl from Junction?”

“Melody, yes. I think we will find her. I don't think she ever left the ranch.”

“What about her car?”

“It's a big ranch.”

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 10

Stepping into his room, Scott close on his heels, Harry picked up the phone and dialed Doris's number.

“Doris, if I remember correctly, you volunteered to help me out, right? Well I need some help. Can you come over and bring me some things—clothes, loafers, and my black phone book on the desk? I know it's a mess but you can do it. I'm counting on you.” Smiling, he hung up. She was always telling him he needed a good woman to clean up after him. Every time he offered her the job she laughed. One of these days...

Limping to the chair by the window, he looked out thoughtfully then turned to Scott, who had stretched out across the bed. “Scott, we need a plane. Do you know anyone who could fly us over the ranch and let us get a view of that north pasture?”

Scott sat up. “Ned Stump is a crop duster and he has a plane. He won't do it for free, but I bet he would be happy to make a couple of bucks.”

Harry tossed the phone book onto the bed. “Call him and see what you can set up.”

As Scott made the call, Orlando drove up in the jeep, climbed out and walked to the door.

“Come on in,” Harry called out.

Orlando stuck his head in the door. “We thought maybe you guys could use some transportation, so I brought Scott's Jeep in. Mr. Stockton had the windshield replaced yesterday. How you doing, Scott?” he asked with concern. “You sure had me scared when we brought you in.”

“I'm okay—stiff and sore. My shoulder gives me a little trouble, but the doc says it will work out after a while.”

Shifting from one foot to another, Orlando told Scott soberly, “I know you are at odds with your uncle, Scott, but he was really worried about you. When are you coming back to the ranch?” He hesitated. “The dogs miss ya,” he added cheerfully, then seeing a dusty pickup pull into the drive, he pushed away from the door. “Here's my ride. Gotta go. See ya later.” Tossing the keys to the bed, he ran out to the waiting truck, waving as they drove away.

“I was hoping he would stay long enough to get us something to eat,” Scott said mournfully. “I'm starved.”

“We got wheels. Get in the jeep and we'll go get breakfast,” Harry said as he hobbled to the door. They crippled out to the jeep and crawled in. “What a sorry sight we are,” Harry said, catching sight of their reflection in the window glass. “I'm glad Ned couldn't take us out until tomorrow. I'm not sure I could get in the plane.”

When they got back, Doris was waiting in her car, engrossed in a romance novel while the country music station belted out a sad song. She greeted Harry with tears in her eyes.

“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. Doris 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.

“Mother was always partial to Rebecca. They fought, but she loved her. When she left, it broke her heart. She always thought she would come back one day. I think she must have reminded her of Dad. Rebecca was just like him, headstrong and wild, determined to have her way. She was as beautiful as he was handsome. When Mother threw her out, Rebecca was too proud to come back. I told Mother that, but she wouldn't listen to me.” He sat quiet for a moment. “I was too much like Mother. The ranch came first with me. I worked while Rebecca played. She thought I was dull.

“Mother and I both knew she was pregnant when she left here. They had a terrible quarrel over the boy she was seeing. He was in the service and about to be shipped out. She was going with him. Mother told her if she left she could never come back. She left anyway. We never knew about the baby—what it was, if she even had it.”

Jeb got up and went to the bar, pouring another drink. Settling down on a stool, he continued talking, seeming to want to get it all out. “When she showed up here that night, it was a shock after all those years. She had heard about Mother. She was sad and upset. She cried. She said she was sorry for not coming sooner. She told me about the baby girl. She asked about Scott. I was angry with her. I told her she needed to leave and let the boy be. He thought she was dead; she needed to stay that way. She wanted to see him. I convinced her she needed to give me time to tell him first. She agreed and went back to town to get a room. I was to contact her when Scott was ready to see her. I couldn't bring myself to tell him. Then I saw the picture in the paper. I decided to just leave it alone. I never expected him to find out about her.” He looked up, tears running down his face. “I was wrong.”

“Did the sheriff know who she was?”

“No. He never knew Rebecca.”

Harry pressed. “But Marie guessed who she was.”

“I didn't know that.”

Harry didn't know whether to believe him or not. Why else would anyone kill Marie except to shut her up about what she knew?

“Scott will never forgive me.” He shook his head in remorse.

“That brings us back to where is Scott?”

Surprised out of his grieving, Jeb jumped up. “We must find him.”

Filing out to the jeep, they looked in all directions. Orlando stooped down by the jeep and studied the visible prints in the dirt. They were hard to read as so many more had been over them.

“Where is Hub? Maybe he has seen something. He was out here earlier.” Jeb looked around, searching the grounds.

Starting around toward the pool, they met him coming to the front of the house.

“Have you seen Scott?” Jeb asked.

“No,” he replied, glancing at each of them before proceeding to turn off the water and moving the hose to a different location. Turning around, he saw them all watching him.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, mopping the sweat from his face with a red bandana he took from his pocket.

“No. If you see Scott, tell him we are looking for him,” Orlando quickly said then turned back to Harry. “He has to be here someplace. Let's split up and look around for him. We will meet back here in thirty minutes.”

Harry and Doris went one way, searching the garden area; Jeb and Orlando went another, searching the corral and barn. Finding no sign of Scott, they started back. Harry was watching the ground when he noticed peanut hulls scattered on the ground. He stopped and waited for Jeb and Orlando to come up the incline to the house.

“I found some peanut shells here. Do you know where they would come from?”

Both Jeb and Orlando looked at him in surprise. “Peanut shells...that's not surprising. There's a big sack of peanuts in the barn. Everyone that works here eats them. What did you think?”

“I found peanut hulls by the door to Melody's room after she disappeared. Then there were peanut shells in the pasture where Marie was found. There were hulls in the cavern too; they were clinging to my clothes when I got out of there. I thought it might have some bearing on the murders.”

“Has Melody been murdered?”

“No, no, I'm sorry—I didn't mean that. As far as I know, she is still missing.”

“And now Scott,” Doris said, looking around, reaching out for Harry's arm. “Too many people seem to vanish from this place and end up...” Catching Harry's stern look before she finished her sentence, she stopped and looked sympathetically at Jeb.

Orlando faced Jeb. “I'll get the boys and saddle up. We will comb the area, the whole damn ranch if necessary, till we find him.” Reaching out, Orlando put his hand on Jeb's shoulder. “I'll find our boy, Jeb.”

Orlando's concern was genuine. It was obvious he thought a lot of young Scott.

“Why don't you take the jeep and see if you can find any sign of him?” Jeb suggested and then looked at Harry, nodding toward him. “They can ride with you.”

“I'll drive. We'll see if we can find another entrance to the cavern I was in. Whoever got him will probably take him there.” Harry walked quickly to the jeep, Doris and Jeb following. “We don't want to waste any time. His life depends on it.”

Astonished, Jeb asked, “You think someone took him?”

“How else do you think he vanished so quickly?” Harry replied as they piled into the jeep and took off in a swirl of powdery dust.

As they bounced along the rocky road toward the fishing hole, all eyes scanned the rough terrain, looking for any sign of movement or unusual activity. Reaching a high point, Harry stopped to get a view of the land around them.

“There's no way anyone could have gotten this far with him so soon. We need to backtrack,” Jeb argued. “He has to be around the house someplace.”

Harry knew he was right. “Let's go back and search again around the house and barn. Maybe we missed something.”

Turning back and going down the hill, they met Hub in his old station wagon. “Where are you going?” Jeb called out when they reached his side.

“Thought I'd catch a mess of fish for supper. The crappies are biting right now. What are you doing up here?”

“Looking to see if Scott might have come up here.”

“I'll keep an eye out for him,” he said, waving as he drove on.

“This is a new hobby Hub has taken up, according to Scott.” Harry, suspicious of what Hub was doing, watched him as he drove on and stopped by the little lake, then proceeded to get out his fishing gear. As they drove on Harry remarked, “I'll be interested to see if he brings home some fish,” remembering the time he and Scott ran into him up there.

Arriving back at the house, they split up once more and scoured the area. Still they found nothing that would give them a clue as to what happened to Scott.

Just as they were heading for the door, Hub drove in. As he removed a string of fish from an old ice chest he had in the back of his car, it seemed to Harry he made a big show of taking them out. Guess I have a suspicious mind, he decided. After all, the guy did go fishing.

“I don't know what to do,” Jeb said, obviously discouraged by their failure to uncover anything.

“Scott called someone he knew to fly us over the ranch tomorrow morning. A crop duster. Do you know who it was? Maybe he could come out now and make a run over the ranch.”

“I'll get hold of him now,” Jeb said as he hurried inside to make the call.

As Hub filled a tub with water and dropped the fish in it, Harry decided he would check out Hub's car; but as he walked toward the Station wagon, Hub called out, asking for help in placing the tub in the shade. “It may be a while till I get around to cleaning them,” he explained. Then getting in his wagon, he drove it toward the barn and the small travel trailer he called home.

Harry watched him thoughtfully. He needed to find out some background on Hub. Who was he and where did he fit in this picture?

Harry turned his attention back to Jeb, who was saying, “He can't come until tomorrow. He's working on the plane. We will be able to see a lot from the air. Maybe the entrance to the cavern will show up as well.”

“Maybe.” Harry worried about waiting until the next day. Could Scott hang on until then?

Seeming to have a change of heart, Jeb invited them to stay the night, but Doris voted to go back to the motel. Jeb stood out front, watching as they drove away.

“I feel sorry for him,” she said as she looked back at the lonely figure.

“Don't. He's not off the suspect list yet. It looks like someone is framing him, but it could be he is arranging it to appear that way. He is a ‘wily ol’ coyote,’ I think.”

Once back in the room, Doris got out her paper work and poured over it, creating a graph with all the people involved and ‘what ifs’ by each one. Harry watched, very much aware of her presence, the softness of her skin, the way the light caught on the curve of her throat, and the silkiness of her dark hair. She looked up and caught him studying her intently. Before he could look away he read the surprise on her face and caught a slight blush. Suddenly self conscious, he turned away, worried she might have seen the desire smoldering in his eyes.

“What?” she asked hesitantly.

“We have an early morning date with a plane. Guess we'd better turn in. You can take Scott's room.” He walked to the door and stepped out into the crisp air of the evening. He heard Doris behind him gathering up her paperwork. “I really wanted to go over these with you.” She sounded disappointed.

Was she completely unaware of the attraction she held for him? She needed to go back to San Angelo. He would send her packing in the morning.

She stopped and looked up at him as she walked to the door of the adjoining room. He caught the musky scent of her exotic perfume as she stood close; funny he had never noticed it before. He looked down at her uplifted face, her blue eyes questioning, her lips slightly parted...damn woman... He was tempted to wrap his arms around her... How would she react?

“Goodnight, Harry,” she said quickly and was gone, closing the door firmly behind her.

Whew...that was close. One more second and he would probably have lost a good Gal Friday. Closing the outer door and flopping across the bed, he turned on the TV, flipped through the channels, and tried not to think of her being so close next door.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 11

Six o'clock came early. Showered, shaved, and dressed for the day, Harry stepped out into the brisk morning air. There was little traffic. He wanted to get an early start. Sleep had been hard to come by. Wild dreams had filled what sleep he had managed to get. Dreams of caverns, and Scott, with Doris and Melody in danger and crying for his help, and his aching body unable to move to save them. He was glad to wake up and see the light of day outside his window.

Walking to the office to take advantage of the continental breakfast offered, he admired the distant landscape surrounding this little town set among low hills along Devil's River. How aptly named; it fit the moment, as there was surely a devil at work on the Stockton place.

Getting two coffees and sweet rolls for him and Doris, he went to her door and knocked softly. To his surprise she was up and dressed and met him with a cheerful smile.

It always made him feel good to see her.

Taking their coffee and food with them, they headed for the airport. Forgotten was the idea of sending her packing in the morning. Wrapping a scarf around her hair, Doris had little to say as they drove the short distance to the plane in Harry's open convertible. The wind was getting up and the pilot was checking the weather forecast before they took off.

“We might have a bumpy ride this morning. Have to watch for wind shears,” he told them matter-of-factly. He didn't seem worried, but Harry was.

Harry hated little planes, but this was the only way to cover the area in a short time. It would take forever on ground in the jeep. He kept thinking of his dream. Scott was out there someplace, waiting for someone to find him. He looked over at Doris. Was he putting her in danger?

Harry felt cramped as he folded his six-foot-four frame into the cab of the plane. His stomach quivered as the plane lifted off the ground. He had a thing about heights, always had, and avoided looking down from tall buildings and mountains. And here he was, going up in a vehicle as flimsy as a tin can, spending the morning looking down.

He hoped Scott appreciated what he was doing for him. He felt Doris's hand on his arm, and glancing at her, could see she was a little nervous too.

“This is my first plane ride,” she confided.

Great, I'm supposed to be the brave one and assure her we are perfectly safe. He smiled a reassuring smile and took her hand in his. The nose of the plane suddenly dipped down and they both squealed. As it leveled out they looked at one another and laughed. The pilot shook his head. “Tenderfeet!”

Once they got up off the ground, Doris was like a little kid admiring all she could see from this height. Harry was still tense and trying to relax. He made himself look down on the rolling landscape. It was pretty. They were over the ranch house in no time. It looked completely different from the air, not so big. The pilot flew low over the house and barn; the horses scattered. He laughed.

“Not funny, man.” Harry would have rather been up a little higher. It looked to him as if they were going to trim the tops off the trees. He spotted the fishing tank and could see the river and highway where he and Scott had crossed onto the ranch.

“Crisscross this area in here,” he suggested, scanning the ground, looking for any sign of an opening into the ground. They crossed over the Crystal Lake; there was no sign of an entrance and Harry knew it was there. It was well hidden by brush.

Trails made by goats led in all directions. The country was rocky and would conceal tire tracks. To move Scott up here someplace would take a vehicle and there was no sign of where one had been along here.

They covered the whole ranch and were headed back when Doris gasped. “Fly back over the fishing tank.”

The pilot banked the plane and turned back, buzzing the body of water.

“Look, there's something shiny on the bottom of the lake.” They made another run over it so Harry could get a better look.

“It's a car.”

As they flew back to the airport, each was lost in thought. It had to be Melody's car. Was she in it?

Once on the ground, the pilot told them to wait for him. He wanted to go with them out to the ranch.

“We need someone with diving equipment to go down and see what's in there,” Harry said quietly.

“I'll make some calls and follow ya'll out in a jiffy,” the pilot said, rushing into the hanger to make the call.

Afraid of what they were about to discover on the bottom of that lake, they were quiet as they rode out the highway and turned onto the dusty road. Pulling up to the house and stopping, they both just sat there.

Harry dreaded to think what they might find. Was Scott also in the watery grave?

Jeb, hearing the car, came out, a cup of coffee in his hand. Harry saw Orlando coming from the barn, carrying a rope. Hub walked around the corner from the back yard, tools in his hands.

At whose hands had these innocent people died? Who was the guilty party here? They were all suspect as far as Harry was concerned.

Reaching the car, they gathered round.

“I saw the plane. What did you see?” They all waited for an answer.

Harry glanced at Doris then looked at each face, trying to read their expressions. Was one of them anxious because of what they might have found?

“There's a car submerged in the fishing tank. The pilot is calling for a scuba diver to go down and see what is in there. They will be out directly.” He paused, watching the reaction of each one.

“A car?” Jeb seemed genuinely surprised, a shocked expression on his face.

“I'll be damned,” Orlando reacted.

Hub was quiet and thoughtful before he said, “The young girl's car?”

“That we don't know until we get up there.”

Orlando got in the mustang. Jeb hesitated, then climbed into the back seat. Hub waved them on, saying, “I'll follow in my car.”

Riding up the rocky road in the Mustang was different than riding in the jeep. Harry had to be careful not to drag high-center and tear his muffler off. They bounced along in an atmosphere of dread at what might lie on the murky bottom.

“Did you locate the entrance to the cavern or any sign of Scott?” Jeb asked.

“Nothing!” Harry answered shortly. He felt tense and angry.

They stopped as close to the tank as he could drive. They could see nothing from the edge of the water; evidently, the car could only be seen from the air.

“How deep do you think it is?” Harry asked, indicating the water.

“It's spring fed. No telling how deep it really is. At least twenty to twenty-five feet, I would guess—maybe deeper,” Orlando speculated.

Upon examination they could see the tire tracks that led to the water. Someone had been careful to brush them away as well as they could.

“I don't believe anyone could drive into it by accident. It had to be put in there on purpose.”

Hub drove up and got out of his car. Walking slowly to the water's edge, he peered into it. The blue of the sky and surrounding trees reflected on the still surface, making it impossible to see into its depths.

Harry asked him, “Did you never see the tire tracks that led into the water?”

“No. But I wasn't looking for anything. I usually fished from the other side,” he said, pointing to a rocky overhang jutting out over the lake's edge.

Hearing a motor, they turned to see a pickup bouncing up the road with several men in it, some riding in back. When it drew to a stop, they jumped out and unloaded their diving equipment.

The sheriff's car drove into view.

“Who called them?” Harry asked, thinking he should have.

Josh pulled up and got out.

“What have we got out here?”

The three divers donned their wet suits and walked to the water's edge. Hooking up their diving equipment, they slipped into the water, disappearing beneath the surface.

“We're not sure yet. Could be the Whitman girl. So far all we know is it's a car.”

“How did you spot it?”

“We went up this morning. Doris was the one spotted it. Here comes the winch truck now.”

Following it was another car. Several of the ranch hands had converged on the spot. Quite a crowd was gathering. The driver of the truck walked up the incline, two men following.

“That's Pete Smith from the newspaper. Hello, Pete.” Jeb reached out and shook hands. Turning to Harry, he introduced him. “Harry Mann, private investigator from San Angelo.” Turning to Doris, he said, “This is Miss—”

He was interrupted as one of the scuba divers surfaced and called out, “Nobody in there,” and dove back out of sight.

“Thank God.” Jeb's sigh of relief could be heard all around the pond.

“We will have to get the make and tags to see if it is her car.”

Pete was all ears. “Who are we talking about, Josh?”

Harry could tell Josh hated this. The paper had no idea that anyone was suspected as missing in the first place, or that there might be a connection between the other incidents and accidents that had happened in the last few weeks. It wouldn't do for a story to come out and jeopardize the investigation.

Harry stepped up. “I have been looking into the disappearance of a young woman's car. When we flew over the ranch this morning, we spotted an automobile under water. I'm fairly certain it won't be hers but it has to belong to someone. No telling how long it has been there. I am glad they didn't find a body in it.” He laughed as if that was completely out of the question and walked nonchalantly away.

The divers came up and were talking to the winch truck driver. Orlando and Jeb were consulting with them. The divers took the cables and pulled them into the water. Jeb walked over to Harry, who turned and motioned for Josh.

“They're about to hook on and pull it up. Sounds like it is her car, an ‘05 red Mazda Miata.” Jeb shook his head. “I can't believe it,” he mumbled, walking away.

The newspaper editor saw the dejected figure walking away and followed him.

“Uh-oh. Pete is looking for a story...” Doris, seeing the situation, intercepted the nosy editor of the paper and started a conversation. It was easy to see the editor wanted to talk to Jeb but couldn't shake Doris. What a gal, Harry thought admiringly.

The divers came up, removed their equipment and stood back, waiting for the winch to pull up the red car. The driver locked his brakes and the chore began. When the little Miata reached the surface, water poured out through open windows. The winch pulled it across the embankment before releasing the tension on the cable.

No one said a word as they all examined it with morbid fascination.

What happened to Melody? Was she still at the bottom of the pool? Had she been fish bait for the large catfish that wallowed on the bottom?

Josh checked the car over, then asked the divers to go back and look around on the bottom. The divers were concerned that the mud stirred up when the car was moved would hide any sign of the girl. They argued they should let the sediment settle before they searched further. Deciding to wait a few hours before going back in, they left their equipment and went into town to have lunch.

Melody's purse had been found in the front seat of the car.

Josh came to stand alongside Harry and Doris as the little automobile was winched onto a truck to be taken to town and placed in impound.

“We'll have forensics go over it to see if we can find anything. It's not likely we will after being in the water this long, but we will see.” Josh got in his car and followed the wrecker.

Orlando, with one of the deputies, stayed with the divers’ equipment, safeguarding it from curious onlookers who had wandered in to see what was happening. Harry, Doris and Jeb got into the Mustang and went to the ranch house to await their return.

Hub was there in the garden. Doris went out to admire the flowers and sat down. Harry watched as she visited with him, wondering what they were talking about. Jeb mixed a drink and offered Harry one. He didn't refuse.

Coming back in, Doris asked where the kitchen was after noticing the mixed drinks. “I'm going to make us something to eat.”

They were ready to go when the trucks came back through the yard, anxious to see if there was anything to be found, yet praying neither Scott nor Melody would be pulled from a watery grave.

The divers came up empty-handed. It was a relief. Now they would double their efforts in searching the surrounding grounds, in hopes of finding the two young people alive.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 12

“There has to be an entry to the cavern somewhere near the fishing hole. Whoever placed me in there couldn't have carried me very far. I feel sure I walked for miles to come out where I did.”

“But you could have been walking in circles too. Those caverns are a maze underground,” Jeb replied.

“True, but you have to admit that Crystal Lake is several miles from the fishing tank, and I was not far past it when I was hit. We need to concentrate on that area if we have to walk every inch of it.”

“All the hands can help but we need more. Maybe Josh can get some help for us,” Jeb added.

“Like an old-fashioned posse,” Doris said, a slight smile on her face.

“Exactly.” Jeb's smile was forced.

It had been a trying day. The long shadows across the yard soon disappeared as the sun dropped behind the western mountain. Streaks of red and gold spread across the sky then quickly changed to purple as the sun set and darkness stole across the landscape.

The three of them sat around the pool and watched the day fade into night. Then Harry and Doris made their way to the car and drove back to the motel. Harry told Doris goodnight as they separated and went to their own rooms; neither felt like talking.

Harry was exhausted. He was certain Melody was dead and afraid that Scott had met his end too. He felt sick and sad about the whole thing. Would this have happened if he had not come into their lives?

He showered and lay across the bed, mulling it over in his head. He needed someone to tell him none of it was his fault. He started for the door that connected the two rooms then stopped. She was probably asleep. He listened. Hearing no sound, he went back to his bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

He didn't hear the soft tapping on the door when Doris rapped gently, hoping to share with him her theory, and once more urge him to study the graph she had made that might help him see more clearly who might be the guilty party.

Had he been awake chances were he could have put some of his troubled thoughts to rest. It was all laid out for him to see. The clues that escaped him were in plain sight; he was too close to see them.

Next morning, after a quick breakfast, they headed for the ranch. Neither of them spoke of the night before.

Orlando had the ranch hands and neighboring ranchers ready to start the search when they arrived. Jeb was noticeably nervous, pacing the porch and waiting for them to arrive.

Dressed in high boots, jeans and a wide-brimmed hat, he was hard to tell from the vaqueros who worked the cattle. He was a striking figure, Harry had to admit, and appeared every inch the worried uncle.

Separating and breaking up into small groups, they drove to the fishing hole and began to comb the area heading north toward Crystal Lake. Doris, in boots and jeans, and a man called Pete began their search with a ten foot span between them. An hour into the search, they stopped to rest.

Examining the short stubby brush and rocky ground for any openings was tedious and slow. Suggesting that Doris sit in the shade and rest, Harry struck out. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw her tagging along behind him, working her way to the left. Pete had wandered to the right, scouring the rocky soil.

Harry worried about moving the brush, knowing on sunny days the rattlesnakes might be out sunning. He had been warned about the coral snakes by one of the ranchers. They gave no warning before they inflicted their poisonous bite.

Looking back to his left, he looked for Doris. Not seeing her, he turned slowly, scanning the trees and low growth. She was nowhere to be seen. He stopped and waited for her to appear. After a few seconds he felt a slow panic grip him. Backtracking in her direction, he called her name. He glanced toward Pete who was far ahead of them.

He didn't know how far she had come. Where was she? Frantic, he called her again. No answer. I don't believe this. He felt desperate. How can she just vanish like this?

He needed help. He looked around to spot someone, anyone; there was no one in sight. He walked back and forth, crisscrossing the ground, hunting for any sign of her, footprints, anything. There was nothing.

God, where did she go?

The ground crumbled beneath his feet.

He grabbed for a scrub oak branch, catching his fall. Rock and gravel clattered into the darkness below. Damn, that was close.

Pulling himself to safe ground, he peered into the dark hole. He could make out a still form below—Doris, lying lifelessly below him.

He had to get to her. He looked around for help. Seeing no one in shouting distance, he searched for a way to get down to her.

He calculated it to be about fifteen feet down. That was quite a fall.

Was she badly hurt? There could be snakes in there. He couldn't leave her.

Taking off his cap, he hung it on the brush alongside the opening for someone to see if he couldn't get back out. Taking off his belt, he looped it around the trunk. Holding on with both hands, he slid into the hole, swinging to one side as he dropped, just missing the unconscious Doris. Feeling for a pulse, he was relieved to find one.

Lifting her head, he called her name. “Doris...Doris, can you hear me?” Patting her cheek and rubbing her arm, he fought the impulse to yank her up, shaking her awake. He pulled her into his arms, cradling her. Looking into her face, he wondered how badly she was injured.

Peering into the gloom, he could see they were in one of the caverns that seemed to permeate the grounds of the ranch. They weren't the only thing that had dropped unsuspecting into the pit. Signs of injured animal remains were strewn about. He saw no sign of snakes, but that didn't mean they weren't there.

Doris began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she stared into Harry's face. Surprise registered as she recognized him and she sat up quickly. “What happened?”

“Seems you found an opening to the cavern. Not the one we were looking for, but this will probably lead us to the one we want. Are you okay?”

“I think I am okay. What a surprise! I remember the ground moving out from under me and that's all. How did you find me?”

“When I looked back and you were nowhere to be seen, I came looking for you. I almost fell in myself. If it hadn't been for that brush beside the hole, I would have probably ended up on top of you.”

Doris looked up at the opening. “How are we going to get out of here?”

Harry looked up. There was no way they could get out the way they came in, without help. He thought of his hat but it could be hours before anyone would find it.

“We can just sit tight and wait for someone to find us. Or we can move down the cavern and hope to find another opening, the one we were looking for.”

“We can't see anything down here. I'm not walking in the dark.” She looked around and spotted the bones of the unfortunate ones who had fallen in before them.

“Oh my gosh.” She stared in horror, realizing the predicament they might be in. “Harry, what if they can't find us?”

“We will find our way out, Doris. I've been in here before. There is a way out,” he reassured her, but worried about which way to go. Dropping into the dark like he did, his sense of direction was messed up. He had matches and his lighter but as before, he had nothing to make a torch of. Doris had a back pack of sorts, with some snacks in it, but did she have anything that would burn?

“What do you have in the pack?”

“Snacks! You're hungry? How can you think of eating at a time like this?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Do you have anything that will burn?”

Standing to get the pack where she could open it, she discovered her ankle was hurt. Wincing in pain, she abruptly sat down. “Oh...” she moaned.

“How bad is it hurt?”

This might be a problem after all. If she couldn't walk, they would have to wait for someone to find them. He couldn't leave her, and in the dark he wasn't about to carry her. If they fell, neither one of them would be able to get help. Damn.

If they had to wait there, he could at least clear the area and try to make her more comfortable. Moving the bones, he wondered if they would burn. They could have a fire! Maybe the smoke filtering out through the hole above would attract attention. Scrounging around, he found bits and pieces of debris that had fallen into the pit and would help in starting a fire.

It was cold and damp. A decided draft moved through the cavern, showing evidence of another opening close by.

Doris's ankle had swollen, and removing her boot was impossible. Picking her up and placing her next to the wall of the cavernous room near the small fire, Harry made her as comfortable as possible. He debated whether he should explore in the direction the flames leaned. When he mentioned it Doris pled, “Don't leave me, Harry.” It was the only time he had ever seen her frightened or worried. He understood her fears. He had a niggling of doubt himself.

How long could they hold out down here with little food and no heat? Fortunately they had dressed warmly. Surely when Pete discovered them missing, they would look for them. But the last Pete saw of them, Doris was going to rest. He may think Harry took her back to the house. It could be hours before anyone figured out they disappeared, just like Melody and Scott. Were they in here someplace?

“Doris, I'm going to holler real loud. You can join in if you feel like it. If Scott is in here someplace, maybe he can hear us.”

“Okay, I'm game.”

Harry could see that her heart was not in it, the way her ankle was hurting. Taking out his pocket knife, he squatted down next to her. “I'm going to cut your boot off and relieve the pressure on that ankle.”

“These are new boots. I just bought them.”

“You can get some more boots; I think a new foot would be harder to come by.” He smiled as he slit the side seam of the suede boots.

“Oh...” He didn't know if she was in pain, relief, or upset over her boots. She lay back and shut her eyes for a minute; then, sitting up, she said, “Okay, let's do it.”

Taking deep breaths, they funneled their hands around their mouths and yelled as loud as they could. They stopped and listened as their voices echoed along the walls of the vast cavern. Time and again they screamed, hoping for anyone to hear and respond. Stopping to rest, they waited. There was nothing, only the sound of their breathing.

Giving up, they sat back, stirring up the flames of the small fire, huddling close, soaking up what warmth they could.

Suddenly Doris's head jerked up. “Shh...” she whispered. “Listen.”

They strained to hear. Deciding it was nothing, they bent once again to the fire. But again Doris turned her ear toward the dark tunnel and listened intently.

“I hear something.”

They waited, hoping to hear it again. Harry got up and walked in that direction, straining to hear a sound emanating from the dark beyond. He heard it.

“Someone is calling out. They heard us!” The urge to run in that direction was overwhelming. Turning to Doris, he reassured her, “I won't go far. Hopefully I can understand them and find out who it is if I get a little closer.”

He saw the dread on her face. “Please, Harry, don't go far. If you couldn't come back...”

“I will be back.”

“Be careful... What if it is the killer luring you away?”

That had not occurred to him. “I think it will be Scott,” he replied firmly, convincing himself as well as her.

Taking one of the burning pieces of wood, he lifted it high to see if it would light the darkness before him and moved cautiously forward, securing each step before placing all his weight down. Knowing Doris was dependent on him made him nervous and extra cautious. If something happened to him, she would be helpless in finding her way out. He couldn't let that happen.

He looked back to see how far he had gone. He could still see the glow of the fire but Doris was a formless dark shape. He turned and continued farther, turning once more; the light had disappeared. Had it gone out or had the cavern curved?

He stopped and called out, then listened. Nothing. He called again. He heard a weak reply.

Calling out, he asked, “Are you hurt?”

“Yes.” The voice sounded stronger.

“Who is it?”

“Scott.”

“It's Harry, Scott. I'm coming after you. Hang on. Keep talking to me so I can find you.”

The torch he carried was burning down. He didn't know how much farther he could go before it fizzled out. He tried to move faster, inching along the wall.

There was a sudden clatter of pebbles as they slid downward into the darkness. Harry stood very still. The cavern floor dropped down. Had he not been hugging the wall, he would have stepped into space. Scott was quiet.

“Call out, Scott.”

“Here, Harry, keep coming. I think you are close.” The sound of Scott's voice came from the level below. How did he get down there?

“Scott, did you fall into a hole?”

“Yeah, that's how I got hurt.”

“How far did you fall? Where are you hurt?”

“It seemed like a long way down. It was a tumble rather than a drop. It knocked me cold. My shoulder and left leg are hurt. My leg may be broken.”

“I have Doris in here with me. She fell in, hurt her ankle and can't walk. I have to figure how to get you out of there. Can you see my light?”

“Yes, it's casting shadows down here.”

“Can you see how far down you are? Any way for me to get down to you and get back out?”

“It looks like an incline from here. You should be able to slide down but I can't tell about getting out again.”

Harry debated what to do. He couldn't leave Scott and he had to get back to Doris. This job didn't pay enough for all this, he thought as he prepared to slide down into God only knew what.

Holding his torch overhead, he scooted down the rough surface of the cavern floor. Scott lay there, raised on one elbow, a big grin on his face.

“Boy, am I ever glad to see your ugly mug.” Reaching out to clasp Harry's hand, he said, “I figured this was to be my final resting place. I couldn't believe it when I heard the voices. I thought it was the angels themselves come to get me.”

“Angels... Come on, Scott; I would figure it was Lucifer himself after you,” he joshed as he looked at the boy's leg. “Do you think you can stand for me to move you?”

“Just get me out of here.” Handing Scott the torch, he studied the incline wondering if he could get a toe-hold anyplace. He would have to chance it.

Going back to Scott, he said, “We need to move as quickly as possible before we lose our light. Are you ready? I know this is going to hurt like hell... Grit your teeth, kid.”

With that, he hoisted him onto his back. Scott couldn't hold back the moan, but he held on as Harry began the assent to the level above them. It was slow going as he would gain a few steps and slide back.

When they got to the top Harry stopped to rest. “You okay?”

Scott just nodded, his lips tight from pain and tears sliding down his face.

“The torch is about gone. Hold it high so I can see where we are going.”

Hoisting him up higher, he started back toward where he had left Doris. At last the faint glow of the firelight came into view. Doris must have seen them as she called out, “Harry, oh thank goodness.”

Reaching her side, he carefully lowered the injured boy to the ground. Doris scooted to his side.

“Scott, we have been so afraid for you. Where are you hurt?”

Fumbling into the backpack, she pulled out a thermos of hot coffee and poured him a cup.

“Here, this will help warm you.”

When he held the cup to his mouth, Scott's hands trembled as they covered hers. He drank thirstily and then lay back, eyes shut, tears still running down his face. “I never thought I would see any of you again.” He opened his eyes and looked gratefully at them both. “How did you find me?”

“Well, you can thank Doris for ‘dropping in'. We formed a search party, then she dropped out of sight and I came back to find her. Now I have to figure out how I am going to get the two of you out of here,” he said as he looked up at the darkening sky. “When they all get back to the ranch house, surely someone will figure out we are missing and send out another search party. Until then, we just have to wait.”

Harry scrounged around for more fuel for the fire. Doris placed the backpack under Scott's head. He was pale and cold. Taking off her jacket, she snuggled as close to him as she could and covered them both with her coat. Scott raised his eyebrows, looked at Harry and smiled.

“Don't get any ideas, buddy; this is a temporary fix here.” He smiled back as he stoked up the fire. Sharing their body warmth, they were soon both asleep. Harry took off his jacket and covered them, then leaned into the heat of the fire. He had to figure a way to get them out of this hole in the ground.

His belt still hung from the oak trunk and dangled into the opening above. Had Scott or Doris, either one, been uninjured, he could have held them up high enough to get hold of the belt and maybe climb out. They could make a rope of their clothes, but with both of them hurt, that couldn't happen. There had to be a way. He couldn't depend on the search party finding them soon enough, and Scott needed medical attention; he hadn't yet fully recovered from the gunshot.

Weary from the exertion of carrying Scott, Harry leaned back and fell asleep. He woke to the low rumble of thunder. Lightening streaks flashed across the sky showing through the opening overhead. The fire had burned dangerously low.

He didn't want it to go out. Looking for more kindling, he returned to find drops of rain coming down on the smoldering flames. Hurriedly pushing the remaining hot coals to the side, he worked at getting it to blaze up. The rain became heavier and a steady stream poured through the opening. Waking both Doris and Scott, he moved them nearer the wall of the cavern and away from the downspout of water. Soon a steady stream of water ran across the floor and in the direction where he had found Scott.

How much rain would it take to flood this tunnel? Thinking of the flash floods he had seen along dry arroyos, he knew this was a real concern. The water continued to rise, coming from the other direction and converging with the water from above. The three of them watched, wondering how high it would come.

“We're liable to get our feet wet before this stops.”

“Looks to me it might be more than our feet that's gonna get wet,” Scott said, watching the stream grow. “There's no place to go to get away from it.”

Soon they were standing in the chilly water swirling around their feet. Harry held them both up as well as he could. The water continued to inch up their bodies.

Harry made a decision. “We have to get out of here. This whole place may fill up at any time. Doris, I know this is going to hurt, but I am going to lift you up to the belt hanging down from up there. When you get hold of it, wrap it around your hand and climb. You will have me to get you most of the way, and then you will be on your own. Once you get out, I'll lift Scott. You can reach down and help him up. Be careful not to slide back in. You will be fighting that stream of water as well.”

Picking her up, he raised her above his head. “Put your feet on my shoulders. Don't be scared, I won't drop you... Now let go and reach for the belt.”

Fear must have made her forget her injured ankle. She grabbed the belt. It slipped from her grasp; she swayed, almost falling back. Regaining her balance, she reached up again, this time hanging on. Using both hands, she wrapped it around her wrist and pulled up, grabbing a root sticking out from the ground above. She hoisted herself from the hole, ducking her head down and away from the gushing water. She disappeared from sight, then reappeared when she stuck her head through the opening. She lowered the belt and called down for Scott to come up, she was ready for him.

The water continued to climb.

“Scott, you think you can handle it?” Harry asked.

“I never wanted to drown. I think this little ol’ broken leg ain't gonna hold me back from escaping this watery grave.”

“Okay, I'll bend over; you climb on my back. I'll lift you as best I can.” Bending down, he put his face in the water. Feeling Scott climb to his shoulders, he stood up slowly. Blinded by the water in his eyes, he staggered. Scott grabbed a handful of hair as Harry steadied himself.

“Sorry,” Scott said as he stood erect, placing most of his weight on Harry's left shoulder. He reached for Doris's hand and the belt loop she had made. Between the two of them, they pulled him up and out onto solid ground.

Scott and Doris both looked back in on Harry. The water had reached his chest and was running swiftly, making it almost impossible for him to keep his footing. There was nothing to grab hold of that would keep him from washing away—just his determination at this point.

Doris stripped her shirt off and strung it through the belt loop, dropping it quickly into the hole. “Grab it, Harry!” she yelled, just as Harry's feet lifted from the floor. Harry grabbed and hung on. The current was powerful and pulled mercilessly as he clung to the lifesaving material. Wallowing on the muddy surface, the two of them pulled him to the top and out onto the ground.

Doris fell back, her lacy bra muddy and clinging to her body. Unmindful of her appearance, she threw her arms around Harry and dragged him away from the yawning opening in the ground that grew as the water poured through it. The three of them scrambled beneath the shelter of a nearby heavy oak, and fell upon the grassy embankment, exhausted.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 13

No one spoke. They had lost their coats and Doris's shirt, but they were alive.

Harry took off his shirt and gave it to her. Wet as it was, it was better than nothing. The rain poured down. Already wet to the bone, they looked like drowned rats huddled together beneath the trees. Harry knew he had to go for help. His car would still be at the fishing hole. It wasn't that far back to it. He could get the jeep at the ranch house and come back for them. As much as he hated to leave, the sooner he got them to the house, the better.

Heading down the incline, he slipped and slid in the sticky clay mud. There was an eerie silence around the fishing hole where earlier they had gathered to watch Melody's car being pulled to the surface. He hadn't thought of Melody all afternoon. He couldn't help but wonder if she was still lying in the muddy bottom of the murky pond. Would they ever find her? He had his doubts now.

Climbing onto the wet seats of his Mustang, he put it in low gear, backed away from the embankment and drove slowly to the ranch house through the mud and high water. It rained so hard and fast that the water was running off the hard ground instead of soaking in.

Driving by the bunk house, he decided to stop there first and get Orlando to help him. They would have to take Scott on in to the hospital and get that leg set. They would be lucky if he didn't get pneumonia. Doris needed her ankle checked too.

Sloshing through the rain to the bunkhouse door, he rapped on it, then opened it and walked in. Heads turned when he entered.

“What the heck happened to you?” Orlando asked as Harry stood dripping in the doorway.

“I found Scott. He's hurt and I need to take him in to the doc. Doris is hurt too. I need help.”

Orlando was grabbing his coat before Harry could finish his sentence.

A couple of other men also jumped up, ready to help out. “Orlando is enough,” Harry said to them as Orlando pulled the keys to the jeep from his coat pocket.

Harry was surprised at the concern Orlando showed as he hurried to the driver-side door.

In a terse tone, as they climbed into the jeep, Orlando asked, “What happened to him? How bad is he hurt?”

Harry explained briefly what had happened through the afternoon and how he had found Scott.

They stopped by the ranch house to tell Jeb, and told him to meet them at the hospital in town. Gathering up blankets and a coat for Harry, they drove back past the tank and up the pasture to where Scott and Doris waited.

It only then dawned on Harry that he had never asked Scott how he got there. Orlando gave him an odd look when he told him he didn't know what had happened. How he got there or who put him in the cavern was a mystery to Harry. He wondered if Scott knew.

Harry picked Doris up and put her in the jeep, wrapping her in a blanket. He and Orlando clasped hands and made a seat for Scott to ride on as they carried him to the jeep. Once they got him situated, they bundled him up warmly and headed for town. Harry carried Doris on his lap in the front so Scott could stretch out his leg on the back seat.

Jeb was waiting when they got to the hospital, along with the surgeon.

Scott looked bad.

Doris looked a mess, but to Harry a beautiful one. He kept thinking about her ripping off her shirt to save him, and then dragging him away from the hole once he was out—all with a sprained ankle. He was standing there looking at her when she looked up. As if she could read his mind, she asked shortly, “What?” Her look dared him to say a word.

“Oh...nothing,” he said guiltily and looked away.

Jeb and Orlando were in with Scott. Jeb came in to see about Doris.

“I think they will keep Scott here for a few days. Lying in that cold cavern for two days didn't do him any good.” Turning to Doris, he said, “If there is anything I can do...”

She smiled and thanked him sweetly.

He went back to Scott.

Shaking her head, she whispered, “I don't know what to make of him.”

Harry agreed silently. Jeb was a mystery to him. Was this an act or was he the concerned uncle he let on to be? And Orlando...where did he fit in the picture?

The doctor told Doris she could leave. The nurse brought in a wheel chair. Harry pushed her by Scott's room to check on him; then they headed for the motel.

Harry carried her in, waited while she showered, gave her a pain pill that promptly knocked her out, unlocked the adjoining doors and went to his room, leaving the door ajar in case she needed him during the night.

After a hot shower, crawling between the clean sheets felt somewhat like heaven, he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

He didn't want to wake up but someone kept calling his name. “Harryeeee...” He sat up with a start, realizing Doris was calling from the other room. Grabbing for his jeans, he stumbled across the room as he pulled them on. “I'm coming.”

“It took you long enough.” She sat on the edge of the bed in a soft gray t-shirt, her tousled hair like a cloud around her face. “Help me to the bathroom, please.”

Picking her up, he deposited her next to the vanity and pulled the door to behind him.

Walking to the outer door, he looked out on the parking lot. His car was still at the ranch. He had driven the jeep to the motel. Feeling for his pocket and a cigarette, he remembered he had quit.

“Man... I need one now,” he said, glancing over his shoulder as the bathroom door opened to reveal a long-legged slender vision. The light behind her gave the illusion of a halo shining through her hair.

“How ‘bout a lift,” she asked with a grin.

Picking her up, he caught the clean fresh scent of toothpaste. She had no idea how she was messing with his life, he thought as he set her down on the bed and backed away. “I'll go get us some coffee soon as I get dressed,” he said and fled from her room.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, he shook his head. This will never do, I need to take her back to San Angelo. Pulling on his socks and loafers, he grabbed a shirt and started for the door.

“Harryeee...”

He stopped. “Yeah?”

“Bring us a doughnut to go with the coffee, okay?”

Entering the restaurant, he picked up a paper and ordered coffee and four doughnuts. Glancing at the front page, he was shocked to see his face glaring back. It was all there: Jeb, the story of Melody missing, pictures of the car coming out of the water, the search on the bottom of the pond for her body, everything except the fact that Scott had disappeared also. Somehow the nosy editor had missed that fact.

Harry looked up to see the young waitress staring at him, comparing him to the photo in the paper. He shook his head and grinned. “Not me,” he said and took up the paper, tray of coffee and doughnuts, and hurried back to the room to read the article and show Doris they had made the front page.

“Josh will have his hands full now. It will be a circus with the news reporters swarming the place.”

Doris sat up in the bed, pillows propped all around, supporting her back and ankle as she munched on a doughnut and read the story the imaginative reporter had written.

“This is probably the biggest thing to hit this town in years. It will be the talk at every breakfast table for weeks to come. If they only knew the half of it,” she said.

“Yes, if they ever connected Marie's and Rebecca's death to Melody's disappearance and Scott's accident, they would have a field day trying to figure that out.” Harry thought about what he had just said. “It has to be Jeb.”

He stood up and paced the floor, thinking out loud. “Jeb's mother dies. Rebecca, his sister, learns of the death and comes home to collect her share of the estate. Marie sees her. Jeb kills Rebecca and realizes he has to do away with Marie as she is the only witness who knows Rebecca came to the house that night.

“Then he gets really greedy. Besides being mad that Scott is equal in his inheritance, and with Rebecca's death, Scott will own more of the ranch than he does, he decides Scott has to go, too.” He paced some more. “But why Melody? Where did she fit into the puzzle?”

“Maybe Melody has nothing at all to do with it. It could be her disappearance is a separate event altogether.”

“You're right. I need to go at her disappearance with a totally different approach.”

“It could be one of the ranch hands took a yen to her and they ran away?”

“No, this was her first trip to the ranch. She didn't know anyone, and she disappeared that night. Orlando said Hub was talking to her when she left the corral and walked back to the house. That's where we need to start, with the gardener.”

Turning his attention to Doris, he asked, “Do you want me to take you back to San Angelo?”

She studied him thoughtfully. “Do you want me to leave?”

“I thought you might be more comfortable at your place. No... I don't want you to go,” he said as he looked into her eyes, trying to read her thoughts or how she felt. He reached out...

The sharp ring of the phone jarred his senses. He jerked back.

Doris reached for the phone. “Yes, he's here...just a moment,” she said and handed Harry the phone.

Damn the luck, he thought as he answered. “Yeah...okay, Josh.” Handing her the phone, he said, “Josh is on his way over. He's been at the hospital talking to Scott. He wants to go over all that has happened with us and see what we come up with.”

Reaching for the last doughnut, he took a drink of his coffee before saying, “Jeb invited us to stay at the ranch. What do you think about going back out there? We would be closer to the heart of the thing, I believe. Might be able to learn more if we were there.”

“It's scary... Everyone seems to vanish from there.”

“Only Melody and Marie; no one else has disappeared from there,” he teased. “Only pretty young girls, so that lets you out.” She slapped at him as he stood up and headed for his room to wait for Josh. He wanted to talk to Josh before he decided what to do next.

Going through his room and opening the door to the parking lot, he noticed peanut hulls outside his window. What's the deal with the peanut hulls? Someone had stood there for some time eating peanuts. He walked to the window and looked into his room. The curtain was parted just enough that a person standing there had a good view of the bed. Some peeping tom, no doubt. Guess he was disappointed nothing was happening in his room.

He thought of Doris and walked to her window. The curtain on it was closed tight. Was this just a coincidence? He would have to pay closer attention. Josh pulled in, and he dismissed the thought for now.

“I hear you guys had a close call yesterday,” he said, reaching out to clasp Harry's hand in a warm handshake. “I'd say you were damn lucky to get out of the hole like you did. Scott filled me in on what happened.” Coming in and sitting down, he went on, “That boy doesn't have a clue as to how he got there. He didn't see a thing. Just woke up in the dark, not knowing he was in an underground cavern. It's a pure miracle he didn't kill himself when he fell.” He scratched his head and rubbed his hand across his face, then looked at Harry and asked, “What do you make of all this?”

“Harryeee...come and get me. I want to be in on this,” Doris called from the other room. Josh looked surprised that they were not alone.

Harry jumped up and went after her, saying over his shoulder, “She has some good ideas, Josh, she knows as much about this as we do.”

He placed her on the bed and was starting to sit down when she said, “Get that paperwork and the graphs I made from my room. I want ya'll to study them.” Harry left and brought them in.

Doris spread them on the bed before her, arranging them in order. “You have three people here who are suspect.”

“Three?” Harry asked.

“Yes... Jeb, Hub, and Orlando.”

“Orlando? Why him?” Josh sounded incredulous.

“He was there, he saw Melody that night, he has free range over the property, and he knew Rebecca.”

“What would be his motive?” ventured Harry.

“I don't know. Do I have to figure out everything?” she asked, giving him a wicked look. Turning back to her chart, she said, “Then you have Hub. We don't know much about him except he was the last one to talk to Melody besides Scott. He knew Marie. There could have been more to that relationship than we know. He has the run of the ranch and he is always lurking in the background.” She looked to see how they were taking what she had said to this point. “Then you have Jeb. Everything points to him. He has the motive, the opportunity, and it's all to his advantage. It's too pat. Makes me think he is not the guilty one.”

“What is this, woman's intuition?” Josh chided.

“When it's all said and done, then tell me I'm wrong,” she tossed back.

Harry laughed. Fire and vinegar, fire and vinegar. If he were to compare her to a fruit, it would be an apple, tart and firm.

Josh studied all that she had written down, then looked at Harry. “It might pay you to pay attention to what she has to say,” he joked. “Seriously, she has some good points here. We haven't looked at anyone but Jeb. Time we spread out a little.”

Tapping her pencil against her cheek, Doris appeared to be lost in deep thought and paying little attention to what the guys were saying. Suddenly she asked, “You were telling me that Rebecca had a baby girl?” She looked up at them. They looked back, waiting for her to go on with her thought. “She was given up for adoption... Melody was an adopted child, according to Harry's information he got in Junction. How old is Melody?”

“That would be one strange coincidence. No way could she just happen in and discover that she was the long-lost granddaughter of the old woman...no way.” Harry paced the floor, then stopped. “Or could she?”

“It's too bizarre.” Josh took his turn around the floor, then stood in front of Harry. “Isn't it?”

“I guess stranger things have happened, but it could be that Rebecca had been in touch with her, or her parents. This would add more fuel to Jeb's being the guilty one if he knew about Melody.”

“I think you guys are getting carried away with your suppositions. All I was pointing out was she could be the daughter no one knows, if she is the right age.”

“I'll check with that attorney in Junction. He will have her birth date and maybe more on file.”

“Josh, get a copy of the original birth certificate. We will have her prints and blood type. When and if we find her we can identify her that way.”

“Right! I'll get right on it.”

When he was gone Harry turned to Doris. Giving her an admiring look, he said, “You might make a pretty good detective. I might have to give you a raise.”

“I'd settle for my back pay,” she said as she fell back on the pillows.

“You do know how to hurt a guy.” With a grimace he hung his head, then reached for a deck of cards he had bought for Scott earlier. “You want to cut the cards for your paycheck? Double or nothing, what do you say to that?”

“My man, you are a fool. Cut the cards.”

Harry shuffled and cut, had her cut for luck, then laid the deck in front of her. “Okay, high card wins.” He felt lucky. Doris picked up her card, looked at it, then looked at Harry before she turned the card for him to see.

“Damn.”

Harry went for a walk, leaving Doris with a smile on her face.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 14

Darn that girl anyhow. He kicked the dirt as he walked down the street; she had a way of getting under his skin. He had to remind himself she was not interested in a relationship with him. She had made that clear from the beginning, but somehow he had a hard time remembering the rules she laid down. Lord, he never would get her paid—if he wasn't careful she would own the business and he would be working for her. That would never do.

He thought about what she had said about Orlando. He had shown a keen interest in Scott. Harry had watched him fuss over the boy. 'Course I guess he had helped raise him, but still... He would like to spend a little time with him and see what he could find out about his background. It might be quite interesting.

Buying a bag of peanuts, a half-gallon of ice cream and chocolate syrup, he started back to the room, still thinking of the chart Doris had made. Hub did always seem to be lurking in the background. He probably knew everything that went on, like Rosa, the cook. They didn't make a noise and no one paid any attention to them, like they weren't there watching every move that was made. He intended to look into Hub's background now!

Entering the room, he went directly to the bed and picked up the graph. Doris watched him wide-eyed. He put his finger on Hub's name and picked up the phone, calling the desk.

“I need a computer in here; do you have one I can use? A laptop?” Looking at Doris for confirmation, he nodded. “That will work. I'll come and get it.” Turning to Doris, he said, “There's ice cream in that sack if you want some, and chocolate syrup. I'm going after the computer. We have work to do.”

“Work...I'm on sick leave, Harry.”

“All that money you just got...you're gonna have to earn it.”

“What money?” Doris moaned, then grinned when he left the room. This was right up her alley; she loved detective work.

Coming back with his arms full, her employer dumped several items in her lap, then plugged in the computer and handed it to her.

“What are we looking up, Boss?” She bore down on the last word.

“Find me everything you can on Hub Long; his first name is probably Hubert or Herbert. Where he came from, who he worked for, the whole nine yards. I want to know him well when we are through.”

Signing on to their search network, Doris put in his name and waited. One hundred and fifty names popped up. “I will have to weed them out one by one. How old do you think he is?”

“Late forties, early fifties, five foot ten or eleven, one seventy, one eighty pounds, brown hair, hazel eyes—that should narrow it down some.”

Getting comfortable, she settled down to eliminate those who didn't fit the description Harry had given her. It was going to be a long night.

Harry lay down on the bed alongside her, watching the screen as she went through the names. A soft fluttery snore got her attention, and she turned to see him sound asleep.

“That's about right—I work, he sleeps,” she said to the quiet room.

As she studied the man beside her, a smile came to her lips. Reaching out, she pushed a sandy lock from his forehead then went back to work. She was anxious to see what she could find out about Mr. Herbert Long.

Harry opened his eyes. Something was nagging at him, something he needed to remember. What was it? He looked at Doris, absorbed in her work. He watched her for a few minutes; his lids grew heavy and he drifted off again.

He was back in the cave. It wasn't Doris with him; it was the woman from the photograph, Rebecca. They were trying to find their way out. The water was deep and moving swiftly. He was trying to hang on to her. The water pulled, trying to sweep her from him. Her fingers clawed at him. She was pulling him down. He tried to loosen her grip and she slipped away. She screamed as the foaming water took over. He tried to grab her... He was screaming, “Mel-o-d-e-e-e..."

He jerked awake and sat up sweating, the terror of the dream still on him.

Doris was looking at him with concern. “You okay, Harry? That must have been one wild dream you were having. You were yelling for Melody.”

“She's in that cave somewhere. We have to go back and find her. She needs our help.” He sat on the side of the bed. “I think she is Rebecca's daughter.”

“Harry, you were dreaming.” She watched him as he wrestled with the remnants of the nightmare. “What makes you think that?”

“It looked just like her.”

“You've never seen Melody.”

He turned to stare at her, still feeling disoriented. After a minute he nodded. “You're right, it was all a dream.” But still he puzzled over it. “It was so real.”

Going in to take a shower, he came back a new man, refreshed and ready to continue the search on Hub. “What have you found so far?”

“Nothing that would make me think any of these are our man.”

“We need a fingerprint. If we had that, Mark could run his prints. In the morning we will move out to the ranch, since Jeb invited us. That will give us the opportunity to keep an eye on all of them and we can get prints. Let me help you back to your room; we need to get some shut-eye now.”

Taking the laptop and setting it aside, he picked her up and carried her to her room. Placing her on the bed, he asked, “You think you can manage?”

“Yes, Harry, thanks.” Then looking up she added, “And shut the door behind you.”

“You sure of that?” he questioned with a grin.

“I'm sure,” she said, waving him out the door.

“Well, you can't blame a guy for trying,” he said as he pulled the door to.

Too keyed up to go to sleep, Harry dressed and walked to the little all-nighter down the road. He couldn't get the dream off his mind. He had a strong feeling Melody was still alive and in that tunnel someplace. He had to go back and see if he could find her, but this time he would go prepared.

Ordering a late night breakfast from the tired looking waitress, he leaned back and mulled over all the events up to now. He couldn't shake the feeling he knew something he was forgetting. It nagged at him. Suddenly he realized the woman behind the counter was talking to him. “I'm sorry, I didn't catch what you said.”

“You that guy from out at the Stockton ranch?”

“Yes,” he answered hesitantly, wondering where this was leading.

“Rebecca and I went to school together. I sure was sorry to hear about her passing.”

Harry nodded.

“I felt sorry for her when her ma kicked her out. She brought that fella in here a few times. They was really in love.” Wiping at the counter, she went on, “Old lady Stockton was a real snob. Rebecca wasn't like that at all.” She went to pick up his order and set it in front of him. “He came back here looking for her; the old lady sent him packing. It was sad. I think he looked all over but couldn't find her.”

She handed him the salt and pepper and reached down the counter, picked up a packet of jelly and placed it by his plate. “I see him every once in a while.”

“What?” Harry jumped at that bit of information. “He's still around here?”

Surprised at his sudden interest, she warmed up to the information she had. “Yeah, he comes in about once a month and eats. I think he works around here someplace. He don't remember me, I'm sure, but I remember him. I always thought they was so sweet together. You know, he was in the service and they shipped him out was why they got separated.”

Reading the name tag on her shirt, he leaned on the bar, friendly-like. “What did he look like, Maggie?”

She smiled and leaned toward him. “He's slim, wears a cap all the time when he comes in. I think his hair is brown. I don't remember about his eyes, they may be brown too. He's real tan—must work outside a lot. He's not very friendly, doesn't take up with anyone, keeps to himself.”

“Maggie, I'm going to leave you my number. If he comes in again I want you to call me. I would like to meet him.” Writing his number on a card from his pocket, he handed it to her. As she scanned the print on it, her eyebrows rose and she looked up at him. “You're a detective?”

“Yes I am, Maggie, and I am looking for a young woman who has vanished. He may have a clue to where she is. You can help me out if you will just call me when he comes in next. I sure would be grateful.” He gave her his best smile and left a five dollar tip by his plate.

Going back to his room, he thought of the peanut shells by his window and approached cautiously, hoping to catch someone lurking nearby. Finding no one, he went in and, securing the door, crawled into bed. The clock showed three a.m. as he closed his eyes. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to go to sleep, but next thing he knew, he woke up and the clock was on seven a.m. He would have sworn he had just shut his eyes.

Eager to share what he had learned from the waitress at the diner, he dressed and rapped on the connecting door.

“Come on in,” Doris called out.

Going in, he found her propped up in bed, her hair wet from her shower and looking refreshed and perky. As he told her about his late-night outing, she was all ears. Grabbing up her pad, she made notes, filling in some more of the graph.

“I will get you some breakfast and coffee, and then I need to check on Scott at the hospital.”

“First hook up the laptop for me. There are some things I want to look up first thing this morning that I thought of last night.”

“When I come back, I'll load us up and we can go to the ranch.”

“I'm not in any hurry to go out there. That place puts off bad vibes. I think that place has seen a lot of unhappiness.”

“Bad vibes? I think that must be a woman thing.” Harry laughed as he went out the door. Had he looked back he would have seen Doris frowning as she muttered, “Woman thing! I'll make you think woman thing, you just wait and see, Harry Mann. There is an evil presence at that house.”

Scott still looked worn and haggard when Harry entered the room. He was a skeleton of the boy who came to his office looking for help in finding Melody. His face lit up when he saw Harry.

“How you doing, Scott?” he asked, tossing a sack full of goodies on the bed.

“Well, I'm alive. That's about all I can say.”

Perching on the edge of the bed, Harry questioned him. “Do you remember anything about how you got into the cavern or who might have put you there?”

“Not a thing, Harry. It's all a blank.”

“Relive it, Scott, from the time you left the motel till you fell into the pit in the cavern. Close your eyes and talk to me.”

Harry quietly waited as Scott closed his eyes and tried to remember.

“The wind was whipping the jeep around as I drove out. When I turned onto the caliche road to the house, the dust covered me; the wind was blowing just right for it to come back on me. It got in my eyes. When I stopped the car, I tried to wipe it from my eyes. I could hardly see; my eyes were burning and full of tears.

“I was mad at Jeb. I wanted to go in and beat the hell out of him. I couldn't believe all the things they had kept from me. I got out of the jeep and started for the door. I didn't see anyone...or maybe I did see something move toward me from the side.” He sat quiet for a minute, remembering. “Something dropped over my face, like a sack. There was a strong sweet smell. I felt like I was swirling down into a well...

“I woke up and it was blacker than pitch...I didn't have a clue where I was. I stood up and felt my way down a corridor, then the floor dropped out from under me. I knew my leg was broke—I heard it snap.” Scott opened his eyes and looked at Harry. “Whoever put me there figured I would never get out, didn't they? Who is doing this, Harry? Who wants me dead?”

“I wish I knew, Scott.” They sat in silence, each lost in thought.

Harry said, “When we got there, it was right after you did. I can't imagine that anyone had time to knock you out and hide you before we got there. That puzzles the heck out of me. We searched that whole place. Everyone on the ranch was looking for you. We were in pairs, no single person was alone. You were not to be found. We went back and searched the second time— still nothing. We went through the house with a fine-toothed comb; there is no hiding place there. I even looked for secret passages.” They both grinned at that. “But there has to be a secret place where someone hid you. Everyone was there taking part in the search. So whoever it is did not have time to take you to the cavern. They probably did that after dark, when we had all given up.”

“Who do you think it is, Harry? Do you think it is Uncle Jeb?”

Harry just shook his head and looked at the floor. He didn't know what to think. He felt sorry for Scott, wondering if the only family he had in the world was trying to kill him. Harry hoped that was not the case, but all the evidence pointed in that direction.

“How long do they plan on keeping you here?”

“Three more days, the doc said this morning. Then they will put a walking cast on my leg and turn me loose.”

“Doris and I are going out to stay at the ranch. I will come back in the morning and check on you. If you need anything, call me.”

“How is Doris?” Before Harry could answer, he added, “Harry, ya'll be careful out there.” Scott looked serious and scared. He didn't seem to want to lose the person he thought was his only friend.

Harry waved from the door. “See ya tomorrow, kid.”

Leaving the hospital, Harry thought of Rosa. He should find out where she was and talk to her. He had a feeling she held the key to the mystery surrounding them. She had been there the whole time, knew the history and everyone involved. He would get hold of Josh tomorrow after he moved Doris and make arrangements to see Rosa.

Going back to the motel, he packed up their small amount of gear and loaded it into the jeep, then carried Doris out.

“I need to get some crutches,” she said. “You can't keep carrying me around.”

Harry didn't mind. It kept her dependant on him.

Pulling up in front of the rambling house, Harry couldn't help but admire the beauty of it and the surrounding grounds. Orlando was walking up from the barn and Jeb came out the front door to greet them. He was pushing a wheel chair.

Surprised, Doris asked, “Is that for me?”

“It was my mother's. I figured it would come in handy for you, so I had Orlando dig it out of storage.”

Harry set her in it, noticing it was electric. “No hot-rodding around just ‘cause you got wheels, Miss.” They all laughed as Doris figured out how to work the controls and steered the vehicle toward the house.

Harry unloaded the jeep and carried the luggage in, turning toward the guest wing. Doris had Melody's old room; Harry thought better of telling her, knowing how she felt about the place. Getting her settled in, he went to his old room, laid his things down and checked it over. He would make sure Doris had her patio doors locked before he left her. Looking in on her, he found she had her laptop set up and was busy at it already.

“I will come back for you when lunch is ready. No reason you can't wander around and check it out for yourself, though.”

“I'll be fine, Harry. Go do whatever you guys do and let me do my work.”

“Fine, I'll be back.” She is one hard woman to be nice to, he decided as he stalked down the hall and out the door.

Jeb and Orlando were still standing by the jeep talking when he came out. They stopped and watched him approach. “You get her settled in?” Jeb asked.

“Yeah. I stopped and looked in on Scott before I came out. He looks some better. He didn't have anything new to add about what happened to him. Hasn't a clue who put him in the cavern.”

Jeb was visibly upset, as was Orlando. “We were just talking about that. It had to be someone on the ranch, but what motive would they have to do such a thing?”

“Jeb, did you know the boy your sister was going to run away with?”

Surprised by the turn of conversation, Jeb answered, “No, I was in the service at the time and stationed in Washington.”

“How did you know about the pregnancy?”

“Mother told me everything. She was very upset. I think she was mostly afraid Rebecca was going to take Scott away, and Mother had grown attached to him. She wasn't about to let her leave with him.”

“So you never knew Delbert Longley.”

“No.”

“Did your mother ever meet him?”

“Not that I know of.”

Harry debated whether or not he should divulge the information he had learned from Maggie. He wouldn't give out her name, but he was curious how they would react to the news that Delbert was still in the area. “I have learned that Delbert Longley lives and works around here someplace.”

Shock would be the word to describe the reaction from both of them. Harry was curious of Orlando's reaction. He wasn't surprised at Jeb, but Orlando gave him reason to wonder. There seemed to be more to Orlando's relationship to the family than he was aware of. How did he fit into the picture?

“How did you find this out? Who told you this? Have you seen him?” Jeb demanded to know.

“No, I don't know what he looks like, although I got a description of him. My source thinks he works on a ranch around here.”

“You mean it could be one of my hands?” Jeb was incredulous.

“I guess it could be, but not likely.”

“I think I know most of the men well enough to assure you it is not one of them,” Orlando spoke up thoughtfully. “What does he look like?”

“Slim, brown hair, suntanned like he works out in the sun, five foot eleven inches. Wears a cap most of the time.”

“That fits a lot of people.”

“True. He is not very sociable. Sounded like a loner.”

“That, too, fits many people I know,” Orlando said. “Is he Mexican or white?”

“That I don't know. I assumed he was white. I never thought about Rebecca taking up with a Mexican.” Seeing the expression on Orlando's face, he knew he had made a bad choice of words. “Sorry, Orlando, I didn't mean anything by that.”

“Si, I understand,” he tossed back as he headed for the corral.

“Damn! Jeb, I am sorry. I meant no disrespect by what I said.”

“Never mind, he is too sensitive about it. He has always lived white but knows he is a Mexican. Mother never let him forget. He was in love with Rebecca when they were young. She cared for him but Mother put a stop to that.”

That was interesting information. It gave him something to think about. That helped in understanding Orlando's affection for Rebecca's son. Harry watched Orlando's retreating back and wondered how close he and Rebecca became before Mama put her foot down. After all, she couldn't have the daughter of the big Stockton ranch taking up with a common vaquero. He would have to ask Scott about his father. Was he ever told anything about him?

Harry thought about the dream he had, about the beautiful Rebecca in the photograph and how she turned into Melody in the dream.

Melody. He had to find her.

Going back to the house, he looked in on Doris to find her fast asleep, the laptop still running and on her lap. He started to turn it off, then decided to leave it alone. He wanted to do some prowling and if he woke her now, he would feel bad about leaving her alone.

Tiptoeing from the room and down the hall, he got out his boots. They were stiff from having been wet but were dry now. They would limber up with use, he felt sure.

He started to get in the Mustang then changed his mind and got into the jeep. He saw Orlando watching him; he waved, Orlando turned away. Still in a huff, he supposed. He really did regret offending him; he liked Orlando.

Driving slow up through the pasture, he studied every rock and bush between the house and the fishing hole. Thinking about it, he decided there was probably an opening someplace closer to the house. Getting out of the jeep, he started backtracking, crisscrossing his path.

After a couple of hours of this he gave up. It should be time for dinner; he had missed lunch and was feeling pretty lank. Walking back toward the jeep, he was suddenly attacked by three big dogs who wanted to play.

The unexpected appearance of the dogs startled him. Where had they been, to suddenly appear like that?

Walking in the direction they had come from, he found an entrance to the cavern. They had been inside. Evidence of their hunting skills lay there. Bones of various small animals were strewn about.

This might not be the entrance he was looking for, but it was one to investigate. He would have to come back in the morning, prepared to enter. He looked about for landmarks to make it easy for him to find. How had they missed it before?

After marking it with a couple of broken branches stuck in the ground, he made his way to the jeep and went back to the ranch house. Jeb and Doris were at the table when he got back.

“Where have you been?”

“I found another entrance to the cavern between here and the fishing tank. In the morning I am going back with equipment and explore the thing. I want some help.”

“Well, you're sure not going alone. Let someone else go in there. Call Josh. Let him send one of his men down in that hole, Harry. You've done enough.” Doris was emphatic.

“You know I can't quit now, Doris. I still think Melody is in there someplace.”

“If she's in there, she's dead and you know it. How would she survive the flood that moved through there? Let it go, Harry; you cannot find her.” Doris was near hysteria. “I hate this place. Nothing but bad things have been happening here.”

“Doris, settle down. What has happened to upset you like this?” Tears were running down her face.

“I had a terrible dream, Harry; I want to go back to town.” She reached for his hand. “If you go back in there, you may not come out. Someone will die in there.” Tears filled her eyes and ran down her face.

Harry was at a loss. He looked at Jeb, who appeared dumbfounded by what was taking place.

Harry went around the table and put his arm around the sobbing girl. Whatever had brought this on?

“Doris, I think you are overwrought. Let me take you back to your room.” He picked her up and carried her down the hall. He knew he shouldn't have left her for so long.

Jeb followed them. “Do you want to give her a sedative?” he whispered. Harry decided that would be a good idea. He nodded. Jeb was back in a matter of minutes with a tablet and a glass of water.

“What is it?” she asked.

“You know I wouldn't give you anything that would hurt you.”

“Don't leave me.” She looked up through tears.

Harry could see the fear in her eyes. “I'll be right here,” he said. He couldn't believe what had happened. This was not the Doris he knew.

He turned out the light and sat on the edge of the bed. Light from the pool area filtered through the curtains, casting shadows on the wall. Harry sat there until he knew she was in a sound sleep. Leaving the room and carefully pulling the door to, he stood in the hall, wondering what he should do.

Going back to the dining room, he found his dinner plate still there. Jeb had gone to the lounge. He would join him later. He ate the lukewarm food and drank his tea. It was good; he had been hungry. He was glad Jeb had hired someone to fill in as cook while Rosa was away.

Leaning back in his chair, he realized he was very tired—too tired to socialize, although there were questions he wanted to ask Jeb. They would have to wait until morning. He needed to call Josh and tell him about the entrance he had found.

His thoughts seemed muddled. He was wearier than he thought.

Standing, his legs felt leaden. He started for his room; he needed to lie down for a while. It seemed a long way down the hall to his door. Once inside he fell across his bed, wondering what was wrong. He needed to take his boots off. As he watched, the light in his room faded away.

Outside, someone stood watching through the windows. The interior of each of the guest rooms was visible. “Ah, they are both asleep. Too bad. They will never know what happened.”

Peanut shells scattered onto the ground as the wait continued for the strong drug to take effect. “Doris was right; they should have stayed in town.”

Now her patio door was within reach. “She will be the easiest to carry; she will be first. Too bad, she is lovely. She has Harry to thank for this.”

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 15

Harry woke to someone slapping him in the face over and over. What the hell is going on? He threw up his arm to protect himself. Who was this nut beating on him? He opened his eyes.

It was Orlando. “What are you doing, man?”

“What happened to you, Harry? You were out cold. Josh wanted you on the phone, I came to find you. Stand up and let's walk around and try to get this stuff out of your system.”

“What kind of stuff are you talking about?”

“Knock out drops of some kind.”

The front of his shirt was wet; he looked down. “It's coffee. I've been pouring coffee down you, trying to get you to wake up.”

“Well, you missed my mouth.”

“It's good to see you getting back to normal,” he said with a wry smile.

“Where's Jeb?”

“He's not here; I don't know where he is. Josh called the house and when no one answered, he called me.”

“Why didn't Doris answer?”

“Doris? I forgot she was here.”

“I'm okay. See about Doris.”

Orlando let go of him and left the room. Harry could hear him knocking on a door down the hall but didn't hear Doris answer. Then Orlando returned and said, “No one there, Harry. She's not in her room.”

Harry tried to move forward. The pounding in his head was horrific.

“See if she is in the lounge.” He knew she wasn't; they had given her that sleeping pill.

“My god, what has happened? Doris was so afraid and I didn't listen.” He felt sick.

Orlando came back, “She's—”

“I know, not there.” He told Orlando about finding another entrance and how he planned to explore it in the morning. “Call Josh. Tell him what has happened and that we need help out here.”

“It's late.”

“I don't care how late it is. Get him on the phone,” he demanded.

Orlando dialed a number and handed the phone to Harry.

“Josh, this is Harry. We got big trouble out here. Doris and I came out to the ranch. Doris is gone and I was drugged. We need help now before something happens to Doris, if it hasn't already.” He felt the muscles of his stomach cramp up as he said it.

Hanging up, he prayed, Please, God, don't let my fears be true.

He closed his eyes, hoping when he opened them he would have a clearer head. “How long does it take for this stuff to wear off?”

“I don't know what you were given, so I don't have any idea.”

Staggering to his feet, he stumbled across the floor to the bathroom. A splash of cold water in his face helped, but he still felt logger-headed. His senses were dull, he couldn't think. Doris...poor frightened Doris. I set her up for him, put her to sleep so she wouldn't scream or struggle. My gosh what have I done? He shook himself. This will never do... Get a grip... It's up to you to save her. You can't waste time feeling regrets now... Get a move on... Think!

Turning to Orlando, he said, “Get me a lantern or a flashlight and some rope. Wake up a couple of the men to help us. I'm going in the cavern now.”

“What about Josh?”

“Have someone tell him where we are. Let's move. I don't know how long he has had her.” Fear washed over him, fear for the woman he cared for—his woman.

Orlando met him at the jeep, bringing along a couple of hands Harry had not met before. They nodded to him and climbed into the jeep. Each of them realized the seriousness of what was going on.

The crisp night air had helped to clear his head. They needed to work fast. Bouncing along in the jeep, he watched for the markers he had placed near the entrance to the cavern. It was difficult to see in the dark. He was afraid he would miss it.

He spotted it—the two branches he had stuck upright in the ground.

“Stop. This is it.” He piled out of the jeep, grabbing the rope as he went. Rushing toward the entrance, he stumbled and fell. Orlando grabbed him, pulling him back to his feet. His coordination was still off.

Each man had a flashlight. They entered the dark hole in the ground with some reluctance.

“Harry, you know this may not be the right place.”

“I am hoping this will lead back toward the house. There has to be another way in here.”

Moving forward at a frantic pace, he just missed dropping into space when Orlando grabbed him and yanked him back. They had come upon a sheer drop in the cavern floor. When Orlando shone his light downward, he could see nothing but black beyond the glow of the light.

“That's deep; I think this is as far as we can go.”

“No!” Harry couldn't accept that. “Lower me into it.” He began to tie the rope around his waist.

“Harry, you can't go down there. It won't lead back to the house, it's too deep.” He argued, “If anyone went off into this hole, it killed them. That opening needs to be sealed.”

Harry stared into the dark abyss before him, unbelieving. Where was she? How did he let this happen? He let out a mournful cry and fell to his knees.

Obviously uncomfortable with witnessing his agony, two of the men turned away. Only Orlando stayed by his side and showed understanding of the pain he was feeling. He put his hand on his shoulder. “We will start a search as soon as it is light, Harry. There is little we can do in the dark. Let's go back to the house.”

Like a man in a trance, he let Orlando lead him from the cavern to the jeep and drive back to the main house. All the time, Harry was beating himself up, thinking what he should have done. Clearly he heard Doris: "Should ‘a, could ‘a won't cut it, Harry. Study the graph."

As soon as they reached the house, he went to her room. There has to be a clue or something to point us in the right direction. Her papers were still spread out on the bed where she had been working before she went to dinner. She had seen something that scared her, made her want to get away from here. What was it?

Orlando had followed him to the door of her room. “You gonna be okay? I think I will try to get some sleep until daylight. Josh called back, said he would be here around five. I'll be in the lounge if you need me.”

Harry nodded absentmindedly; he was looking over the small notes on the chart. He felt there was something he was missing. Where was it?

A chill filled the room. He glanced toward the patio door. It was ajar. Getting up to close it, he saw Doris's shoe wedged in it. It must have fallen off as she was carried out. Harry picked it up and looked out on the pool.

Filled with dread, he walked toward it, afraid of what he might find.

It wasn't what he expected. It was the body of a man lying on the bottom, arms outstretched.

Letting out a yell, he dove in and pulled the lifeless form of Jeb Stockton to the surface.

Orlando, hearing him call out, was kneeling on the deck when he surfaced. Leaning down to help lift his old friend to the deck, he cried out, “Jeb, my compadre,” and started working to revive him.

Harry, squatting beside him, said, “It's too late, Orlando. He's been in there too long.” They sat there, looking at the wet heap of the man before them.

“Who else?” Harry whispered.

Covering the body with a discarded beach towel, they went back inside. Harry, dripping water as he went, headed for the bar. Finding the bourbon, he poured a glassful and drank half of it, then turned to Orlando and offered him one. Orlando took the bottle and put it to his lips, taking a long drink.

Harry studied him. “Who's left, Orlando? I thought Jeb was the guilty party, but now he is gone. Who do we look at now?”

Orlando looked up and then away, shaking his head, then took another swig from the bottle.

“Guess we better call Josh on out here. They will want to check the body and look for evidence around it.”

“It's a quarter till three now. We could wait.”

“No... Call him. I'm going to get out of these wet clothes.”

He needed to look at Doris's chart again... This changed everything—Jeb dying. All the evidence had pointed to him. Doris had been right; it had been a set-up making him look like the guilty one, while the killer ran loose killing at random. Had he killed Doris because she had it figured out and he knew it? Who had she talked to while he was gone?

He must not think of her as dead. He had to find her.

Stripping off his wet clothes, he quickly dressed in dry jeans and shirt and padded down the hall to her room to go over the graph again before Josh showed up.

His socked feet made no sound as he approached her door. It was open. Stepping to it, he was surprised to see Orlando standing there by her bed. He turned and jumped, seeing Harry there.

“What are you doing?”

Taken aback by the tone of Harry's question, Orlando stammered guiltily, “Looking to see if I could find any evidence of what happened to her.”

“Don't touch anything until Josh gets here.” Harry, sorry for his abruptness, tried to soothe it over by suggesting they go back to the lounge and have another drink while they waited for Josh.

On their way to the lounge, Harry stopped by his room and grabbed his loafers.

Settling down in the big leather chairs, Harry tried to break the silence by starting a conversation. “How well did you know Rebecca?” Remembering what Jeb had told him, he wondered what Orlando would say.

Walking to her photograph, Orlando studied it before he answered, “Very well”

Harry watched him, wondering what was going on in his mind.

“She was very beautiful and wild. Like one of my horses...hard to tame, impossible to hold.” He mixed a drink at the bar, seemingly familiar in the surroundings. He moved to the books lining the wall and ran his hand over their leather-bound backs, then looked up at the imposing portrait of the elderly woman and lifted his glass in a mock toast. “The old woman tried to hold her with a stern hand; it was the same as holding water in your fist—impossible. She drove her away with her rules she made.” Orlando turned back to Rebecca's picture. “Rebecca was a free spirit; the only way to keep her was to let her go. The old woman and Jeb could not understand this.”

“You loved her?”

Orlando turned as if trying to figure out his answer. “Everyone loved her.” Walking to the window, he looked out on the body of his old friend.

The doorbell rang.

“Does it never end?” Harry heard Josh's booming voice as Orlando let him in.

“It doesn't appear too.”

“Where is he?”

“Out by the pool. Harry pulled him out of the water but it was too late.”

“You think he fell in drunk or someone drowned him?”

“He would have to be unconscious to drown; he was a strong swimmer and I have never seen him that drunk. Either he had a heart attack or...”

Josh acknowledged Harry as he passed him on the way to the pool. Harry followed, anxious to hear his reaction.

“You guys stand away from the pool. Let these guys do their job.”

Harry stood aside as the forensic team got to work. Deciding he was going to learn nothing out there, he went back inside to wait.

He wanted to talk to Josh about Doris. It would be daylight soon and he wanted to start the search for her as soon as it was light. They could do nothing for Jeb but there was hope Doris was still alive. Just like he felt Melody was still out there someplace, waiting to be found.

Josh came back in.

Harry was ready for him and jumped right in, explaining what had taken place before Doris disappeared. “Doris was very upset during dinner, on the verge of hysteria. Something had really frightened her. I don't know what. We gave her a sedative, Jeb and I, and I put her to bed and waited until I was sure she was sound asleep. Then I went back to finish my dinner. I didn't notice anything unusual about the food, but when I started to get up I was tired, my legs were wooden. I thought I couldn't make it to my room. Once I did, I was out like a light.

“I woke up to Orlando shaking me. Doris was gone and so was Jeb. I thought the worst of Jeb; I thought he was the one who did something with her. I see now I was wrong about that.” He looked out at the still form lying on the cold deck.

“Let's look at her room.” Josh followed Harry and Orlando down the hall. Harry explained about the shoe in the door and how it led to him discovering Jeb.

Josh noticed the charts lying on the bed and stopped to look at them. “I guess I need to take these as evidence.”

“Of what?” Harry was reluctant to let the charts go. “These have nothing to do with her disappearance.” Josh hesitated, then walked out, leaving the papers strewn about the bed. Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

“I'll get the boys on her room next. In the meantime let's get organized and form a search party. I want this place turned inside out. It's time we got to the bottom of this.”

How right you are, Harry thought as he followed him back to the lounge to see if they had come up with any ideas yet as to what happened to Jeb.

As the sky lightened in the east, the bunkhouse crew formed out front with deputies from the sheriff's department. They all seemed subdued and shocked at the news that their boss was dead and it was questionable about what caused it. They were whispering among themselves about what the future held.

Hub drove up in his old station wagon and asked what was going on. One of the ranch hands was explaining everything to him when Harry walked out. He was obviously upset to hear about Jeb's death. He fell back in the seat of his car and the color drained from his face.

Where had he been? Something Doris had said about Hub nagged at Harry. What was it?

He didn't have time to figure it out now; they were ready to go. Josh lined the men up and told them to start with the yard, barn, and nearby grounds around the house. Anything out of ordinary was to be reported. Then they would fan out and move through the pasture inch by inch, leaving no stone unturned. She had to be here someplace.

They spread out and began the search.

Someone was going to have to tell Scott about his uncle. How was he going to take it on top of his grandmother's and mother's deaths so recent? What a terrible blow to the boy. To lose every living relative in a matter of months—that was tough. At least he had Orlando to help him with the ranch. Harry stole a look at Orlando as he thought how he made himself at home earlier.

Then he remembered the fact that Scott had a sister some place. Was she here? Was it Melody? Who would know that besides Jeb? And now he is gone, no one would know, would they? All these thoughts ran through his head as he tried to decipher the facts and solve the puzzle of who would benefit from what had happened.

“Here's a shoe,” someone called out. Harry hurried to take a look. It belonged to Doris; it matched the one he found in the doorway.

He looked around; he was halfway between the house and the barn. He took off at a run toward the corral and out buildings, several people following him.

“Harry,” someone called. The tone brought him up sharp. He turned. Josh was walking toward him. “Stay here,” he commanded and walked on through the barn doors.

Harry felt frozen to the spot.

Josh stepped back out, looking at Harry. “There is nothing in here.”

Harry's knees went weak with relief.

“Check around in back,” he ordered the searchers and walked to Harry's side, placing a big consoling hand on his shoulder. “We'll find her, Harry, I swear we will.”

Harry sat down on a wooden bench near the barn door. The aftereffects of the strong drug wouldn't seem to leave him. He was weary. It occurred to him that he needed to go back to Doris's room. There was something on the chart that puzzled him.

Getting up, he dragged himself back to the house and walked down the long hall to her room. He thought of the day before, when he had planned to go in and talk to Jeb. They must have drugged him too. Why did he keep thinking in the plural—they-them? Were there two of them? Was it two people doing this? Is that why it is so hard to pinpoint anything?

As he sat there trying to read the fine print, it all blurred together. He closed his eyes and rubbed them. It didn't help. He would keep them closed for a while. He laid his head on her pillow.

She was trying to tell him something. It was hard to hear her voice; it echoed in the large chamber. There were many rooms. She kept moving. It was really quite lovely down there—beautiful colors and crystals hanging from the ceiling. Where had he seen this room before? She was laughing at him, pointing to the chart on the wall. Why couldn't he understand her? Look at the name, Harry, look at the name... She ran away among the many chambers of the crystal cavern.

“Harry, are you okay?”

Opening his eyes, he looked at Josh. “It's here on this chart, Josh. She told me it was.”

“I think you've been dreaming, Harry.”

He looked around—it had been so real. Sitting up, he rubbed his hand across his face. “Yes, I guess I was. Whatever I was given knocked me for a loop. Did you find her?” he asked, though he'd already guessed the answer.

“We haven't stopped looking. I am going in to see Scott. Would you like to go with me?”

“Sure. I feel sorry for the boy. He is going to have a big load to handle on his own.”

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 16

When they entered the hospital room Scott's face lit up. “Boy, am I glad to see you guys. This is one boring place. I'm ready to get out of here.” Noticing how quiet they were, he stopped. “What's going on?”

“Scott, we have some bad news.” Josh stopped and looked at Harry. “We found Jeb in the pool this morning. He drowned.”

This was news to Harry as well. Drowned. How could that happen?

Scott looked from one to the other. He laughed a short laugh. “You're kidding, right?”

“It's no joke, Scott. I'm sorry to have to tell you.”

Scott fell back on his pillow and closed his eyes. “How could that happen? Uncle Jeb was a champion swimmer. He was a Navy Seal, he couldn't just drown.” He looked to be in disbelieving shock. He covered his face with his hands.

“I gotta get out of here,” he said, throwing back the covers. “Get me out of here,” he said in a strangled voice.

“Calm down, Scott, I'll get the nurse. I'm sure the doctor will write you a release due to the circumstances.”

Going out in the hall, Harry thought Scott was taking it better than he expected. He knew there had been some differences between them, but Jeb was his only living relative.

Getting the nurse's attention was a chore. After hearing what had happened, she hurried in to check on her favorite patient. Calling the doctor, she made arrangements for Scott to leave the hospital. She hovered over him like an old mother hen.

Once they received the release, they started for the ranch. Then Scott discovered Jeb had been moved to the morgue for an autopsy.

“There's no need for that, is there, if he drowned?” The remark caught both Josh and Harry by surprise.

“Well no, but we might find out if he had a heart attack or why he drowned if he was such a good swimmer.”

“I don't want them mutilating his body,” he said with a grim face.

“As his only living family, you have the right to stop the autopsy. You sure that's what you want?”

“Yes.”

Josh looked at Harry and shrugged his shoulders. He called the morgue from his car phone and stopped the procedure. They drove in silence to the ranch.

Orlando was there waiting when they drove up. “I'm sorry, muchacho,” he said softly. He helped him from the car and handed him his crutches, then took his bag to his room. Scott went to the lounge and stopped at the bar.

“I wouldn't think you need any alcohol on top of the meds you've had,” Harry warned.

Scott gave him a cold look and poured a jigger of his uncle's scotch and downed it.

Everyone handles their grief differently, Harry decided.

Orlando came back into the room. Seeing Scott behind the bar, he shook his head. Scott put the bottle down and went over to a chair by the fire place. Orlando built a fire to knock the chill off the big room and handed Scott a throw to put over his legs.

Josh had gone out to see how the search was coming along. Several of the men had come in, giving up for the day. Harry could see they were all discouraged.

He was curious about Scott and Orlando. It was obvious Scott had great respect for him. He had never noticed before that Scott was so dark-complexioned. The blue of his eyes drew the attention away from the olive skin. The golden streaks in his hair could be put there from a bottle. The roots of his hair were very dark. How friendly had Orlando been with Rebecca?

Scott looked up, suddenly aware of Harry's long gaze. “Do they have any news of Doris yet, Harry?” He was back to being the Scott Harry thought he knew.

“Not yet.” He looked into the fire and thought of the dream he had earlier. “I think I'll go to my room for a while.” As he got up, he thought he noticed a puzzled look pass between the two men. It must be my imagination, he decided. Now everyone is suspect. It must be paranoia as an aftereffect of the drug I was given.

He went directly to Doris's room rather than his own. Nothing had been moved that he could tell. He sat down on the bed and studied the notes she had written on the graph. There was a question mark by Hub's last name—Long. Why? He scanned the page until the name Longley caught his eye. Doris had circled it and put a question mark by it and had an arrow pointing to the initial H...Delbert H. Longley...Hub Long...H. Long?? Did it mean anything? In his dream she kept telling him to look at the name... How weird was that?

He continued to search the page. There was Orlando. Doris didn't know about him being in love with the wild Rebecca. What would she have made of that? he wondered. Orlando came as a boy to work on the ranch, growing up with Jeb and Rebecca. The old lady didn't like him being friends with her children, wanted him to remember his place. That wouldn't stop them from falling in love. Who was named on the birth certificate as the father when Scott was born? That would be something to look into. There was that word again...name... Look at the name, she said.

He continued to study the chart. Glancing up at a slight movement, he found Scott watching him from the doorway.

“Are you hungry? The cook has a meal ready for us. It smells good.”

Harry wondered how long he had been standing there. The crutches made no sound on the thick carpet of the hallway. He had the feeling he had been there for a while by the expression on his face. Harry was beginning to think there was a side to Scott he had never seen before.

“I'll be right in as soon as I put these things away.” He wasn't about to leave this out any longer. Someone else might have seen this and knew Doris was on to something. That would be reason enough to do away with her.

The thought was like a knife to his heart. Doris... He couldn't let those negative thoughts take over... He had to find her.

Taking the papers to his room, he put them in his suitcase and zipped it, attaching the lock. Making sure it was fastened, he slid it under the bed, secured the patio door, locked it from the inside, and pulled the door shut behind him.

Scott was slowly making his way down the hall, the heavy cast a hindrance to his walking. Harry caught up to him and together they moved toward the dining room. “I asked Orlando and Josh to eat with us,” he explained before they got there.

Harry was leery of eating the food. He watched as Scott and Orlando filled their plates and took their first mouthful. Only then did he take a bite. He was taking no chances, even if he had to drive into town and eat at the diner. It was probably his imagination, but the conversation seemed strained. Only Josh seemed to enjoy the meal.

“Josh, I would like to talk to Rosa. I think she may be able to answer some questions I have.”

“I'm sure I can tell you anything that Rosa would know,” Orlando was quick to say. “I have been here as long as she has.”

“You came at the same time?” he asked thoughtfully.

“Si.” He gazed long into Harry's face before he answered, “She is my madre.”

“Your mother?” Harry and Josh asked simultaneously.

Josh laid down his fork. “Why haven't you said anything before now?”

“It doesn't matter now, but Jeb didn't want anyone to know.”

“What difference did it make? Were they that biased?”

“When Mrs. Stockton took us in and sent me to school, she never again acknowledged the relationship between us. My mother lived in the main house in the servant's quarters and I was sent to the bunk house with the ranch hands.”

“How old were you?”

“Twelve, but I did a man's work after school each day. She paid me wages for my work. She treated me as a man,” he said proudly. “My mother would sneak things to me. She cried but she was grateful to La Madonna for giving us a home.”

Harry looked at Scott. His expression was passive; he continued to eat, seeming to ignore the conversation. What is he thinking and feeling right now? Harry wondered. It would be hard to tell from his demeanor.

Looking at Orlando, Harry said, “Earlier, when I asked if you were in love with Rebecca, you evaded the answer. I ask you again...” He glanced at Scott; his eyes blazed as he looked back. His dilated pupils obscured the blue of his eyes and his heritage was clear. There was no doubt in Harry's mind he was Orlando's son.

“Yes I loved her, but it was impossible.”

Scott pushed back from the table. “I've had enough of this dinner conversation. I need a drink.”

Orlando got up to help him, leaving Harry and Josh at the table.

“What was all that about?” Josh asked.

“I don't mean to upset anyone or to pry into private lives. I'm only trying to figure out what is going on in this house—this tangled web of lives and lies they are all living, how I got mixed up in it, and where Doris is. I think Rosa knows a lot more than any of us know, even Orlando.”

“Harry, to be honest, I don't have a clue where to look for Doris. Is she in one of those underground caverns that run all over this ranch? Or has she been moved somewhere else? If she is in one of those holes, we may never find her. I know that is not what you are hoping to hear, but it is a fact. Face it.”

Harry pushed his food away and leaned back. He felt ill. The thought of not finding Doris was more than he could stand. He would not accept it.

“I'm not saying we have given up, but it doesn't look good,” Josh went on, seeing the pained expression on Harry's face.

“There's one place we haven't looked. I need someone to go with me to Crystal Lake.”

“Where is that? What do you think you will find there? You know you will get all the help we can give.”

Harry studied Josh before he answered. Would he understand about the gut feeling he had?

“The first time I got lost in the cavern, I came out at Crystal Lake. It's up in the north pasture. It's a beautiful little spring-fed lake nestled down in a valley of hills. It was in my dream. I know this may sound foolish to you, but I have to go there. I have a strong feeling about it.”

“I do understand, Harry. When you feel so strong about something, you need to check it out. Otherwise, you will always wonder, what if...”

Standing up, he walked around to Harry. “If she can be found, Harry, we will find her. I'll get a crew together and we will head that way. Are you ready to go?”

“We will need rope and flashlights. I don't know how far I will have to go in, but I plan on searching it out.” Feeling better knowing he was going to get help from Josh, Harry went to his room. He wanted to leave a letter—in case he didn't come out of the cavern—that would tell Josh what he saw in the chart Doris left. It would be up to Josh to figure it out. All he wanted now was to find his sassy secretary.

Going by the lounge, he looked in on Scott sitting by the fire.

“We're going to Crystal Lake. I'm going in to see if I can find Doris. Maybe Melody too, if she is still alive. I wish you were coming along,” he added.

“Good luck,” Scott called after him as he walked away.

I'm going to need it, he thought.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 17

Josh and two other deputies went along with Harry in the jeep. A couple of the ranch hands trailed along behind them. They gathered around the entrance to the cavern by the shore of the picturesque lake. Moving the brush aside, they saw the opening was large, big enough for two men at a time to walk in. The boys from the ranch were surprised. They said they had no knowledge of the cave, even after all the years of working at the ranch. They knew about the lake but it was so far from the house, they never came up here except to check on the livestock.

It wasn't as dark inside as expected. Light filtered in from further down the cavern. All of them followed Harry in. Josh made sure the department knew where they were, as they would lose contact once underground.

It was eerie. The men talked in whispers once inside. They walked into the large dome room with the crystals hanging from the ceiling and light reflecting and shimmering on the walls. It was a room of many colors. They were behind the waterfall that poured into the lake. Now and then they could see through it to the surface beyond.

It was breathtakingly beautiful. The men with him were entranced, but Harry had only one thing on his mind. He pushed forward into the depths of the cavern below, on into the dark. They turned on their lights. The small stream of water ran past them on a gradual downhill slope.

“How far does this go?” someone asked.

“Who knows? They always told me if you dug deep enough you would come out in China.”

“Ching-chong...” one of the men said in a sing-song voice; they laughed and walked.

Growing tired, one of the men complained, “Why are we doing this? We've been walking for miles already and haven't found anything.”

Harry stopped for a break. “When I was in here, it seemed I walked forever to get out. Now you know, no one would carry me this far into this hole. There has to be another entrance they brought me through. That is what we are going to find.”

They walked on. It seemed the tunnel leveled out, but in the darkness it was hard to tell if you were going up or down or on a level. It really affected the senses of balance and direction.

“Whoops, what have we here? Which way do we go now? This is hairy, Harry—pardon the pun, but we could get lost like this. Who has the red marker we brought along? Mark this wall with an arrow back toward the way we came from,” Josh said, then asked, “Did you come this far?”

There were three openings for them to choose from.

“I don't know. Remember, I was in the dark a lot of the time; I could have come by here but there is no way I would know.”

“Shine your lights down on the floor of this place and see if there are any tracks or scuff marks.” Seeing none, Josh said, “Harry, think back to when you were in here. I know you hugged the wall. What side were you on?”

Harry closed his eyes, remembering. It was dark; there was no sound but his breathing. He was very tired and scared. He reached out with his hand—his left hand against the wall, his right out in front of him—and took a step. Opening his eyes, he looked to his left. “This way.”

Someone made a red mark on the wall. Harry prayed silently that he knew what he was doing and heard similar whispered prayers from the others.

They hadn't traveled much further when the smell of rotting flesh assailed them.

“Damn, do you smell that? There's something dead down here.”

Harry caught the scent and broke out in a sweat as he admitted the possibility of the outcome of his search. It couldn't be.

From out of the dark there came the padding of many feet and a rush of air as a great hairy body hurled itself against Harry. The men behind him yelled and clamored backward. Harry fell to the floor as three wolf dogs greeted him with slobbery kisses and wallowed him on the ground. Overcoming their fright and shock, the men laughed nervously and the deputies put their guns away, a little shamefaced that they had let the dogs scare them.

Harry just lay there. A great sense of relief came over him as he figured the odor was from something the dogs had dragged in. At least they had found the entrance somewhere ahead. He was eager to see where they came out. Hugging the dogs, grateful they had found them, he stood up, brushed himself off and walked forward, looking for the elusive entrance.

“There it is,” someone called out.

Light shown through the thick brush covering the opening. A well-worn path led in beneath the brush. “What a relief to be out of here,” Josh said as he welcomed the light shining before him.

“This isn't it.”

“What do you mean, this isn't it?”

“It's too overgrown. It would be hard for a person to get through, especially with a body. There has to be another place on further.”

“Well, let's take a look where we are now.” Crawling out, they found themselves behind the corral; discarded lumber, car parts and barrels hid the entrance. Fifty yards to the left was Hub's trailer.

“That's interesting,” Harry remarked as he turned to go back in.

“Where are you going?”

“To see where the next opening is.”

“There may not be one, Harry. This may be it. I think we need to talk to the gardener.”

“No, there has to be another way in. Come on.” Harry went back into the dark, careful to step over the carcass of an unrecognizable dead animal. He thought it might be a doe. He heard the grumbling of the men as they trailed along behind him. They were not a bit happy about going back into the cavern.

The long tunnel had a decided curve to it. They came to an area that branched off in a different direction. They had to make a decision about which direction to take. They marked their trail and continued on.

It ended abruptly at a wooden door. Harry's heart pounded; he felt certain he would find Doris beyond it. He pried the heavy door open slowly. They were in what appeared to be a storage room with tools and garden supplies.

There was another door. They opened it, walked through and came out in the greenhouse behind the garden.

Hub was working by the pool. He didn't hear them until they were right on him. Surprise that turned to fear crossed his face as he crouched there, looking at them. No one said a word. He looked past them toward the greenhouse and saw the deputy standing in the doorway. He started to get up, then sank to the ground and covered his face. A long moan escaped his lips as he rocked back and forth.

Harry couldn't believe it. He started for Hub.

Josh grabbed him. “Wait, Harry.”

“Where is she?” Harry yelled, straining against Josh. One of the deputies stepped forward to help restrain him.

Hub looked at him and shook his head. “I don't know where the other girl is.”

“What do you mean, the other girl?”

Not comprehending the question at first, it dawned on him at last. “I don't know anything about the girl, any girl,” he added.

Harry caught on quickly. “He thinks we found Melody. She's back there someplace in the cave.” He quit struggling. “Is that it, Hub? You have Melody in the cave someplace? Is she okay? Is she alive?”

Hub looked up at Harry. “I wouldn't hurt her. I would never hurt Melody. She's my daughter.”

Harry sat down, shocked.

Josh sat down too. “You want to tell us about it, Hub? How is it you know where Melody is? Did you kidnap her? What happened?”

The men all found a place to sit down and waited for Hub to give them an explanation.

“My name is Herbert Longley. I met Melody's mother when I was in the service and stationed in San Angelo. I didn't know who she was for the longest time; her mother didn't approve of her dating guys in the service. She had a little boy and they lived with her mother. We planned to be married, but she would never bring me to meet her parents. She disappeared, and during that time I got orders to ship out. I couldn't find her and I had to go. I knew she was expecting a baby but there was nothing I could do.

“I came back when I got the chance, but people who knew her told me she had gone to California. I found out who her family was, the Stockton family. Then I shipped overseas. When I was discharged I rejoined the navy and became a navy seal. I met Jeb. I recognized his name and learned he was from Texas. I found out he had a sister and didn't know where she was. His mother had kept her little boy and kicked her out. I felt really bad. I thought it was my fault.

“A few years ago I came here, hoping to find her. I looked Jeb up and told him I needed a job. His mother hired me. Jeb wasn't real happy about it as I knew a lot on him he wouldn't want known around here. I hoped I could find out what happened to the child Rebecca had. When she showed up a few weeks back I followed her to town hoping to talk to her. Someone was with her when I got there.”

“Did you see who it was?” Josh leaned forward.

“Yes—”

A shot rang out. Everyone hit the dirt and flattened out.

Scott came to the patio door. “What was that?” he called out, looking around at the men getting off the ground.

Everyone got up but Hub. His face was gone. The bullet had entered the back of his head.

The shot had come from the barn area. The deputies were on the run, crouched down, going in the direction of the corral.

Harry recovered from the shock and ran toward the house. “Where is Orlando?” he yelled.

Scott jumped back. “He's in the bathroom.”

Harry ran in and headed down the hall. “That's the wrong way. What is going on? Why are you looking for Orlando?”

Orlando walked in from the master suite wing, rubbing his head with a towel like he had just come from the shower. “Well, that felt good,” he said with a smile. The smile dropped from his face when he looked at Harry. “What's wrong?”

“Hub's been shot.”

Orlando dropped the towel and started forward.

“He's dead.”

“What happened? Who shot him?”

Josh came in and answered that question. “We don't know. No one saw anything.”

Sirens came blaring up the drive as Harry dropped into a big chair by the window, totally confused. Who did this? Who shot Hub? Where was Melody? How would they ever find her now that Hub was dead? She was alive somewhere in those dark caverns. They had to find her; they would have to double their efforts. She had to be in one of the offshoots of the cavern.

As soon as they finished with Hub they would get started. The question now was who had Doris? If it wasn't Hub, who? Harry turned his back on the gruesome scene out back. He couldn't believe what had happened out there. One more second and Hub would have given them the name. How ironic was that?

Going in to wash his face and hands, Harry wondered where Orlando had taken a shower. About to search further, he stopped when Scott called out to him.

“Harry, Josh said Melody is alive somewhere in the tunnel. All this time she has been right here. That's hard to believe. And Hub was her father? That's even harder to think of. He would have been my stepfather.” He shook his head.

“I'm going back in to look for her. I hope we find Doris too, but before he died Hub said he didn't know anything about her. We'll just have to see.”

Picking up his flashlight, he went out through the patio door and walked around the other side of the pool to get to the greenhouse. Anyone looking would never have suspected there was a tunnel behind the greenhouse tool shed. What a set up he had. Did no one know of the entry there? Not even Jeb and Orlando, who searched and played all over the ranch as children? That was hard to believe.

He remembered the dogs and wondered if they would be any help in finding Melody. They had nothing with her scent...or did they? Hadn't she left her things behind?

He turned abruptly, almost stepping on a young deputy who had trailed in behind him. Going quickly into the house, he asked Scott where Melody's things had been stored.

“In the hall closet of the guest wing.” He followed Harry down the hall. “What are you doing with her stuff?”

“I just want something with her scent. I intend to use it to see if the dogs can help us find her.”

“The dogs?” he asked, surprised. “Grandmother's dogs?”

“Yes. They were in the cavern. That's how we found our way out—they came in after me.” He couldn't help but smile, remembering how the deputies scattered when they showed up. “They always seem to turn up at the best of times.”

Choosing a soft sleeping shirt, Harry went out, asking Orlando to go with him.

“You know the dogs as much or more than anyone. Come in the cavern with us. See if you can get them to find her.”

Orlando held back. “I do not like the caverns; it is the Devil's playground. Bad things happen in there.”

“The girl will die in there if we don't find her. You have to help us.”

Reluctantly he agreed to go.

Entering the cavern through the greenhouse, Orlando crossed himself before stepping in. He really is afraid of this place, Harry realized.

They approached the first offshoot in the tunnel. The dogs sniffed the ground and showed no interest in exploring in that direction. Harry wasn't sure his idea was going to work. At the next opening, the dogs continued to wander into it, running from wall to wall sniffing the ground. Big Boy stopped to mark the trail; the females came over to check it out and followed suit. Harry decided they had been here before; this was not new to them. He felt they were on the right track. Big Boy ran ahead, disappearing into the dark.

Suddenly a sound so eerie that it literally made the hair stand out on his arms sounded through the cavern. Everyone stopped and listened. The powerful howl of the wolf dog joined in, and as the moaning scream echoed and reverberated through the bowels of the earth, the men stood frozen, peering into the darkness before them.

Orlando turned and started back down the tunnel; the others, uneasy, looked at Harry. He shook his head and moved forward. They inched onward as a tight group, glancing behind as well as ahead.

A white floating figure suddenly appeared before them, dancing along the wall. The wailing started again and the wolf dogs joined in.

“Hell, I don't get paid enough to do this,” one of the ranch hands said.

“Neither do I. Let's get the hell outta here,” his companion answered.

“Wait, we can't quit now. Someone is just trying to scare us.”

“Well, they're doing a damn good job of it, Harry.”

The soft sound of music drifted through the maze of tunnels and the ghostly figure danced along the walls. Then it disappeared and the scream of a tormented soul filled the air before fading away.

The sudden silence was almost as bad as the scream.

“I'm going back,” a nervous deputy stated.

“I'm with you, Tim.”

“How about it, Harry?”

“I'm going on. Someone is in here and I intend to find them.”

“You're nuts.”

“Maybe.”

Two of the deputies headed back. The one they called Marty stayed. “I'll hang with ya, Harry.”

“Let's move.”

As they walked on, the tunnel widened. There was a tiny flickering light in a small recessed area. It was the flame of a candle. On the floor a small figure lay on a pad. Harry scanned the room before approaching the light. Kneeling, he turned the small body to face the candlelight.

It was Doris.

“My God,” he gasped as he gathered her in his arms. Was she alive? She was cold and clammy. He felt for a pulse. It was there but weak. He looked around in the gloom.

He caught sight of a moving figure. “Look out!” he warned. The deputy beside him whirled around, pulling his pistol. But whoever or whatever it was vanished.

Picking Doris up, Harry moved quickly back the way they came. “Come on, let's get out of this place.”

As they walked away, a blood curdling scream bore down on them, causing them to tighten up and walk a little faster. They hurried toward the bright light of day and warm sunshine. What a welcome change from what had seemed to be the cold breath of death swirling around them.

Carrying Doris into the lounge, Harry told Orlando to get whiskey for her. He bundled her in a blanket and held her near the fire. She was unconscious. The whiskey rolled out of her mouth as he tried to give her a drink. He rubbed her hands and arms restoring circulation to the chilled skin.

Brushing her hair from her face, he studied her fine features. He ached to have her open her eyes and demand to know why he was holding her. Right now her sass would be a welcome thing.

Josh had followed him in. “Let's get her to the hospital, poor kid.”

“What about Melody?” Scott asked.

“There was no one there but Doris,” Harry told him as he picked her up and headed for the car outside. Working his way through the emergency vehicles that were still on hand investigating the shooting of Hub, he got in the back seat of Josh's patrol car. Holding her close to his heart, he whispered a prayer as Josh shut the door and drove into Sutton to the small private hospital.

The emergency room crew remarked that Harry was keeping them pretty busy bringing in so many patients. Their joke fell flat on Harry as he looked on Doris's pale face.

The doctor could find nothing wrong with her. She had been given a strong unknown sedative that had put her into a deep sleep. They would just have to wait for it to wear off. There was nothing they could do at the moment but make her comfortable and watch her. The doctor felt sure she would be fine when she woke up. “She may feel like she has a hangover, though.”

Harry left the hospital, asking Josh to take him back to the ranch.

To his surprise, Scott had written him a sizeable check and thanked him for all he had done in trying to find Melody. It was obvious he was being dismissed, but he wasn't through yet. There were a lot of unanswered questions floating around. He needed closure and it was far from closed where he was concerned.

Going to his room, he packed the few things he had and went in to gather up Doris's things. Tell-tale peanut shells were scattered around. Someone had been searching the room. For what?

The chart!

He went back to his room and pulled the bag from under the bed. The zipper had been moved. He opened it; the chart was still there along with the other papers he had put away. He scanned the chart before he put it back. Wait a minute... Somehow it looked different; it looked the same but it wasn't. It was a copy of the original. What was missing from it? Who had gone through his things? He tried to remember what he had seen before. The image escaped him. He couldn't bring it to focus.

He carried half the things to the Mustang and came back in for the rest, meeting Orlando in the entry. Orlando seemed to be at home there. Had he moved in with Scott? Seemed they were in a hurry to see him go. He followed him to the lounge where Scott sat by the fire. He seemed to be studying his grandmother's portrait.

“She was a handsome woman,” Harry said from the door.

Startled, Scott turned toward him. “Yes,” he said with a note of sadness in his voice.

“She loved you very much, adopting you and making you an heir equal to your uncle.”

“I suppose so.”

A quiet settled over the room as each man looked at the matriarch of the Stockton Ranch. What secrets were hidden there behind that proud bearing? What had those steel-gray eyes witnessed in this very room, this house, this ranch over the years? What evil presence lurked in the cavern beyond the house?

“Are you going to be all right here?”

“He's going to be just fine,” Orlando answered from the bar. “I will see to him.”

That's what I am afraid of, Harry thought.

Gathering up the rest of his and Doris's belongings, Harry went to his car. Scott came out on his crutches.

“You take care, kid. I will be at the motel for a few days until Doris is ready to go back home. If you ever need me, you know how to find me.” He grinned. “I'm in the book.”

“That's right. ‘The Harry Mann, extraordinaire.’ Be seeing ya, Harry.” He waved as he drove away. Was the look on his face regret or relief?

Harry felt as if he was leaving unfinished business behind. Something was still very wrong out there. Could he just leave, not knowing what it was? He didn't think so. He would wait until dark and go back. He had to know.

After checking in at the motel, he walked to the restaurant for a bite to eat. He had hoped to talk to the waitress, Maggie, who had fed him so much information before. But she was busy and didn't have time for him, although she waved.

Walking back to the room, he was at a loss as to what to do. Suddenly he felt left out. Scott had terminated him and he had no legal grounds to be involved any longer. It was Josh's investigation and he had no need of his help at the moment. He thought of the bogus chart; he should look it over and determine what had been removed. With that purpose in mind, he started for the motel at a brisk trot.

Out of the dark a truck flashed its lights in his eyes, blinding him momentarily. He heard the motor rev up and instantly knew it was coming at him. It was going to run him over. Diving for the cover of the parked cars, he heard the crunch and scrape as the vehicle sideswiped the protecting cars, twisting them sideways as it speed by. Pinned to the wall but saved by the parking post, he wondered how he had escaped being crushed. Several people ran out of the motel to see their automobiles in disarray and Harry climbing over the wreckage, weak-kneed and lucky.

“Does it never end?” he wondered as he dialed the phone and asked for Josh. Someone else was of the same mind as he—'It's not over ‘til it's over.’ And it wasn't over yet!

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 18

“My gosh, Mann, I wish you would go back to San Angelo and let me have some peace. Trouble seems to follow you around. This used to be a peaceful little town ‘til you showed up.” Josh scratched his head as he looked at the mass of wreckage in front of the motel. “All this just trying to run over one guy?”

A couple of deputies were taking down information from the irate motel guests.

“Let's go inside, Harry. I don't feel safe talking to you on the street,” he said, half joking but looking around all the same. “Do you have any idea who it was?”

Harry shook his head. He had been blind from the lights. “Did anyone see it?”

“We haven't found a witness yet. They all heard the noise but by the time they got outside, there was nothing but taillights going down the highway. I know you think it is connected to that business at the ranch. We will check on the vehicles out there.” He paused, looking Harry over. “Do you have anyone else mad at you?”

“Not that I know of, unless it's my landlord and I don't think he's this mad.” He laughed.

“Scott took you off the case looking for Melody?”

“Yep.”

“I have to go back out in the morning early. I will do some checking around and see if we come up with a bent front fender.”

“Thanks Josh. I think I will turn in. I've about had it for the day.”

“Lock up and stay put. I'd like to get a good night's sleep.” He grinned as he went out the door.

Harry waited for the motel to settle back down and then slipped out to his Mustang. Putting it in neutral, he stepped on the clutch and coasted down the incline of the parking lot and onto the highway, where he started the motor and drove out the road to the ranch.

Hiding his car where he had hidden it before, he walked cautiously around the end of the house toward the garden and greenhouse, past the pool.

Glancing toward the house, he was surprised to see a woman standing by the fireplace. Curious, he circled the patio shrubbery and peered inside.

She was slender with soft brown hair. Scott sat in the big chair looking into the fire, and Orlando sat on a stool at the bar. The woman appeared to be talking to Scott. He seemed to be listening intently and nodded occasionally. She turned toward Orlando. Her face was in full view...

The dogs spotted him and came romping across the patio.

Their movement caught the attention of those inside. Orlando came to the door and looked out. Harry hugged the wall behind the oleander bush.

Big Boy heisted his leg and let go on the oleander and anything nearby. Harry couldn't move. Damn dog.

They turned and scampered away across the patio and out of sight. Orlando went back to the bar. The woman sat down on the stool at Scott's feet and rested her hand on his arm. Harry looked down at his wet leg and shook off the excess. That's the third and last time, he thought.

Glancing back inside, prepared to make his escape, he did a double take as a younger, mirror-image of the woman on the stool came into the room. Mother and daughter, no doubt. The woman from the photograph, Scott's Mother. But...she was dead. I saw her in the morgue. And the girl...Melody? I must be getting old...I never would have guessed.

If they caught him out here he was a goner, he knew. There would be no reason to keep him alive. He would just disappear and never be found. They had the place and the means to do it. He had to get away quick. He had to get hold of Josh and tell him what was going on. It had all been a plan to get rid of Jeb one way or another. Plan A didn't work so they had to revert to plan B. He and Doris kept getting in the way. He could see it all now, but what about Scott getting shot and being in the cave? He wanted to hear the answers. And who was the woman in the morgue?

Harry coasted his car onto the highway and headed for town. Josh could forget about sleeping tonight. Pulling up in front of the sheriff's office, Harry rushed in and told them to get hold of Josh.

“He said not to call him tonight, that he was sleeping.”

“He'll wake up for this,” Harry said as the reluctant rookie made the call.

Hearing what Harry had seen at the ranch brought Josh to life. In a matter of minutes he was at the office. Harry told him his theory and Josh ordered a detail of men to surround the house, being sure no one could get to the caverns. They were to close in when he gave the signal.

The caravan of cars stole quietly onto the property and took up position. Josh knocked at the door. A light came on inside and Orlando came to the door.

“What's going on, Josh?” he asked.

“I have a warrant to search the place, Orlando.”

“In the middle of the night? Can't this wait until morning?”

“Afraid not. Step aside. Come on in, men.”

“Now wait a minute.”

“Stand aside, Orlando.” Orlando, in a state of confusion and fear, pushed at the officer.

“You're under arrest for impeding an officer of the law in the process of carrying out a search of the premises,” the young rookie cop said as he placed handcuffs on him. Josh bit back a smile.

“Search the house.”

Scott came down the hall in his pajamas. Behind him, a deputy had an angry young woman in tow. Hearing a commotion at the lounge door, Harry and Josh came face to face with the beautiful woman from the photograph. She studied them with cold gray eyes much like her mother's in the portrait. “What is the meaning of this intrusion?” she asked haughtily.

“Lady, you are under arrest for suspicion of murder and kidnapping. And anything else I might think of later.” Turning to Harry, he said, “Now can I get some sleep?”

They loaded the four of them into the cop cars and left for the sheriff's office. The ranch hands were standing in the yard by the bunk house, watching what was happening. “I will come out in the morning and explain it to you fellows,” Harry called out as they drove away.

Harry stopped by the restaurant as he drove back into town. They didn't need him any longer; his job was done. He got a cup of coffee and visited with Maggie a bit, then got up to leave. As he paid for his coffee, he picked up a bag of peanuts. He looked them over, then laid them down and picked up a pack of Camels and a book of matches.

Going out the door, he opened the pack and took out a cigarette. He thought about it for a second, then placed it between his lips, lit it and took a deep drag... Man! He dropped the pack in the trash as he went to his room, looking for a great night's sleep.

It had been a perfect day.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Chapter 19

Waking up the next morning, Harry felt like a million bucks. Knowing the mystery of the Stockton ranch was about wound up, he had a good feeling of accomplishment. He could never have left and let it rest, not knowing the conclusion of what was going on out there. It hadn't ended as he'd expected it too.

He was so grateful to have Doris back. At least he hoped he had her back when she woke up. She may quit after this.

He needed to go out and explain what had happened to the men at the ranch. But someone else may have done that already, he thought. First he had to go by the sheriff's office and see what they had found out. Then he needed to go check on Doris and fill her in on what had taken place and tell her how that dumb chart of hers has done the trick in figuring it out. The puzzle was falling into place.

They were still filling out claim forms when he went out to the parking lot. He was lucky he had parked his little Mustang to the side of the motel. The morning air was fresh and crisp, a new day.

When he walked into the sheriff's office, Josh waved him into a seat while he finished a phone call, then turned to him with a grin.

“What a night. Are you ready for this?” He leaned forward, eager to tell Harry the story he had gotten from the four suspects. “When the old woman died she left everything to Jeb, Scott and the unknown daughter of Rebecca. Although she knew Rebecca was still alive, she cut her out of the will. A search was to go on to find the child and the three were to share the ranch and anything else she had.”

Josh leaned back in his seat. “Jeb was hot. He was mad about sharing with Scott, and he didn't plan on sharing with an unknown niece. Rebecca showed up and they had a fight. Rebecca was mad now because her mother cut her out. She wanted Jeb to change the will and give her the girl's share. He told her he would think about it. She went to the motel.

“Orlando had seen her and followed her back to town. He is Scott's father; Scott knew this and hated the way his grandmother Stockton and Jeb had always put Orlando and his grandmother Rosa, down.”

He paused to explain. “Rosa has been more of a mother to Scott than a grandmother or servant.

“Orlando and Rebecca started drinking and formed a plan to do away with Jeb. She knew where Melody was; she had been in contact with her for some time. She could get her in on it and they would take it all.”

Josh got up and poured coffee and offered Harry some along with a fresh donut.

Taking a phone call, Josh motioned for Harry to wait. Hanging up, he asked, “Where was I? Oh yeah... They didn't know that Hub had also seen Rebecca come to the house. Orlando didn't know Hub was Melody's father. Rebecca didn't know Hub worked on the ranch. She pitted the men against one another once she found out. She didn't care for either of them.” Shaking his head, he continued, “She is a cold-blooded female. Like a black widow spinning her web and trapping both men in it along with her son and daughter.

“The girl is just like her, though. It was them in the cavern making the sounds and music.” He was thoughtful, then said, “Scott is innocent of any wrong doing. He was unaware of any of this going on. Rebecca just made her presence known to him last night and introduced Melody as his sister. She was trying to convince him her showing up now was just a coincidence. Orlando doesn't know it, but they are both victims. So was Hub.

“Rebecca arranged for Scott and Melody to meet and Scott to bring her home. Jeb saw the resemblance to Rebecca and put two and two together. She had it planned out that Melody was to disappear and Jeb would be blamed. Rebecca knew Marie had seen her, so she did away with her and made it look like Jeb had done it. But Jeb was too smart; he suspected Rebecca was behind all this but couldn't prove it.”

Thumping the newspaper on his desk, he went on, “He had seen the Jane Doe in the paper; he checked and knew it wasn't her. He didn't know you were going to tie her in to the picture. When you did, he needed to get rid of you. Shooting Scott was an accident on his part. He only meant to scare you off. He figured you didn't make enough money on the deal to hang in there, but you persisted.”

Getting up, Josh closed the blind, shutting out the bright sunshine. “Scott's fall in the cavern was no accident. Had you not found him he would have died. Rebecca and Melody put him in there, knowing he would never find his way out.”

“How could a woman do that to her own son?”

“Had he died, it would have meant a larger part for her. Orlando really searched for him. He loves his son but he is afraid of the caverns. It was Rebecca's playground as a child; she loved them. She scared Jeb and Orlando as children, pretending to be a demon—which, in reality, she is.”

“What about the old man?”

“Jeb ran over the old man in Crystoval. He was the one answered the phone that day and the old man knew it. He could have pinpointed Jeb as the shooter.”

“How did Hub fit in here?”

“He thought he was protecting Melody from Jeb. Rebecca convinced him Jeb was going to kill her for the inheritance. She thought Hub was a weak link; when she saw us come from the cavern she knew he would fold. She shot him at just the right moment.”

Standing and pacing the floor, he added, “Not knowing she was around, we couldn't figure out who the shooter was. Hub helped her put you in the cavern. Doris was coming too close with her chart, so she took her with Melody's help. Hub was upset about some of the things that were happening. He wouldn't go along with her schemes.”

“What happened to Jeb?”

“She sedated him just like she did you then held him under the water. If Orlando had not come to wake you, you would have disappeared too.”

“Who was the woman in the morgue?”

“She was actually a Jane Doe who just happened to resemble Rebecca. Rebecca paid the boy who worked there to take her fingerprints and use them to identify the body. She would show up later and claim it had been a mistake so she could claim her husband's inheritance.”

Giving Harry a thoughtful look, Josh went on. “Probably if we were to look into it, there would be something unnatural about his death. And the boy who worked in the morgue is missing. I have an idea the caverns have swallowed him up. Rebecca was a beautiful spoiled woman. As a girl she was wild and headstrong and gave her mother a bad time. Like I said, she has the cunning of a black widow, and everyone fell into her trap.”

“I can say truthfully it was a tangled web, “Harry added. Reaching for a cigarette, he remembered he had thrown them away. I'll have to buy me some peanuts, he thought.

Getting up to leave, he shook hands with Josh. “Call me when I need to come back over.”

“It won't be anytime soon.” Josh laughed. “This town needs a rest from the likes of you.”

Harry started out the door then turned around. “I just remembered the name of that song she played in the tunnel. It was the ‘Merry Widow Waltz'.”

With a wave of his hand he headed to the hospital and Doris.

Climbing the hospital steps, he turned and looked out on the sleepy little town. No one ever knows what goes on in places like this. If you were driving through, all you would see was a pleasant town nestled along the Devil's River and never know that his playground ran beneath it.

Going down the long hall to Doris's room, he thought of the things the doctor had said and wondered if she would really be okay when she woke up.

His pulse surged as he approached the door and heard the sound of her voice floating into the hall. Rounding the doorway, he was amazed when he saw her sitting up, laughing and talking to the young doctor.

She turned her gaze to him, taking him in, including him in her smile. He just stood there drinking in the sight of her, his heart filling with emotion.

“What?” she said in her usual curt way.

The doctor excused himself with something about seeing to other patients and left the room. Harry didn't hear what he said or care, he was so taken with her appearance.

“Are you about ready to blow this joint?” he asked.

“Anytime, fella. Where have you been?”

“You would not believe me if I told you. Anyhow, it's a long story. A scary story. I'll tell you about it sometime. Right now I have something else to tell you.” He walked to the side of the bed.

“Oh, did they catch the bad guy?”

“You mean the wicked witch?” He sat down on the edge of the bed.

“The wicked witch?”

“Witches, plural.” He leaned toward her.

“Plural?” she asked as his lips brushed hers.

He picked her up off the bed and cradled her in his arms, nuzzling her neck. He kissed the tip of her nose and teased the corner of her mouth with his lips. Then he looked into her eyes which were smoldering with the desire he had kindled.

“You were going to tell me something?” she asked breathlessly, waiting.

Putting his mouth to her ear, he nibbled, then whispered, “You're fired.”

“What!”

* * * *

[Back to Table of Contents]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bo Drury, born Elizabeth Paulann Lockhart and raised in the Texas Panhandle, had the advantage of growing up in the country and developing a great love for nature and the plains. She has story after story to tell from listening to her father's tall tales and the adventures of her ancestors, who braved the hardships of the new land and were themselves instrumental in taming of the Wild West—from her sixth great grandfather, Daniel Boone, to her paternal grandparents who made the run into the no-man's land called the Indian Territory of Oklahoma. With a ranching heritage on one side and a newspaper family on the other, her desire to write started at an early age. To date she has written several short stories of the West compiled in a book called Once Upon a Time Out West. She is presently living in Texas near her four sons, and you will find her busy ‘painting’ stories at her easel or on her computer. You may visit her at:

bodrury2@sbcglobal.net

[Back to Table of Contents]

For your reading pleasure, we invite you to visit our web bookstor

* * * *

* * * *

WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Visit www.whiskeycreekpress.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For your reading pleasure, we invite you to visit our web bookstor

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]

[Back to Table of Contents]