Marjorie Thelen - High Desert Detective

Sammie sat beside Opal and took her hand. “Maybe you should lie down for a little while.”

Opal sighed. “I would like to.”

Tillie was studying her hands and still hadn’t said anything. Finally she said, “I want to buy the ranch.”

Opal studied her determined niece’s face. “With what money?”

“I got someone who is interested. He said he’d back me. I think you are missing a good opportunity to put a wind farm in here, and he is interested in doing it. The cattle operation can still go on. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty good with cows. I’ll manage the cow/calf operation.”

Sammie said nothing. Opal covered her forehead with one hand. Would this child never let it be?

“Tillie even if you had Warren Buffet backing you, I wouldn’t sell to you. You never made much of the ranch you had, and this one is ten times bigger than yours. You don’t know cows, you never exhibited any talent for money management, and you don’t know the first thing about pivot irrigation. Jake knows this place inside and out, he’s a decent man, and he’ll keep the ranch in one piece. That’s what I want. As a matter of fact, if this ranch has any value at all, it is mostly because of his hard work. And the bank has approved his loan.”

Tillie played her next card. “I heard Jake’s ex-wife is going to file a lawsuit against him for non-payment of child support. I doubt the bank will lend him money after that happens. My backer is free and clear. He can give you cash today. I know you’d like to be free of the responsibility of the ranch so this is my way of helping you out.”

Opal shook her head. “Tillie, what trouble are you stirring up now? I don’t know where or how you got in contact with Jake’s ex, a woman he has tried for years to find. But it seems like you are determined to kill Jake’s chances of getting this ranch. Why is that?”

“It’s not about Jake. It’s about what is fair to the family. We are family, Opal. You and me and Sammie. If I buy the ranch it will continue in the family.”

“Not with an outside backer.”

“He’s not outside. He’s family.”

No one spoke. Opal studied Tillie’s face so long her niece turned away. Opal had heard Sammie’s breathing quicken and knew it was a matter of time before there was a Sammie eruption.

Finally Opal said, “Who is it?”

Tillie looked like she didn’t want to say.

Opal’s own blood pressure was on the rise, and it did not help her feeling of malaise. She wondered if Tillie on top of everything was trying to give her a heart attack. Well, Opal was one determined woman, and she was determined to see Jake get the ranch, relatives be damned.

“I said, who is it?”

“Reese,” Tillie finally said.

Opal thought that one over. “He hasn’t been around for years. We all thought him dead.”

“He’s very much alive. He’s made himself a big fortune, and he’s looking for a place to invest. I told him what was going on here, and he’ll top any offer Jake makes you.”

“As I remember Reese always had some scheme going. He must have made this big fortune dealing drugs, because he didn’t have a head for much else.”

Tillie shrugged. “I don’t know or care where or how he got the money. I want this ranch.”

“Why?” said Opal.

“How can you ask me that? Why? Why? Because I want a nice life like you always had and not the life I was handed.”

Opal shook her head. “You have now convinced me that you live on another planet. You don’t know what an honest day’s work is. It is not in your DNA. I don’t know how that happened because Henry’s people are a decent hardworking lot. You missed out when the good Lord handed out common sense.”

Tillie said nothing. But she had the audacity to return Opal’s stern look. She wasn’t going to back down.

As far as Opal was concerned, Tillie had just gone around the bend. Opal knew what she had to do. She had spent years making tough ranch decisions. In her book the ranch came over family. She could make this decision for the ranch.

She said, “Tillie, I’m nobody’s fool. I’m going to do something that I don’t want to do, but I probably should have done a long time ago.” She turned to Sammie. “Will you help me stand? I’m not sure I can on my own.”

Sammie took Opal’s arm and helped her to her feet.

“Come, Tillie, I’ll walk you to the door. This is the last time I’m going to do this.”

Tillie stood with a puzzled look on her face. Opal leaned on Sammie’s arm, feeling the weight of her illness and the weight of her years upon her.

“What are you talking about?” Tillie said.

“Come with me, Tillie. Sammie, help me along, won’t you? I feel a little wobbly.”

The threesome walked to the front door. Opal opened it herself. “Come, Tillie, follow me.”

Tillie, still looking puzzled, followed Opal with Sammie supporting her to Tillie’s truck.

“Get in now, Tillie,” Opal said.

Tillie pulled her keys from her back jeans pocket but didn’t make a move to get in the truck. “What’s this all about? What about the ranch and my offer.” But it seemed to be dawning on Tillie what was in the works.

“Get in, Tillie,” Opal said again.

This time Tillie did as commanded, finally intimidated by the look on Opal’s face.

After she had shut the door and started the truck, Opal said. “Don’t come back. Ever. You have no place here, and I’m finished with you. I’m cutting you out of the estate. You will get no loan. You are on your own. If Reese has so much money you can get it from him. You are no longer any niece of mine.”

Tillie glared down at Opal. “You haven’t heard the last of me.” With that she put the truck in reverse, backed around and drove away.

Opal and Sammie watched her go till even the dust trail had died away.

Sammie said, “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Opal. But it was long overdue. I don’t think any of us should be left anything of your estate. You should give the money to charity. ”

Opal smiled faintly. She felt oddly exhilarated. “I just may. Now, Samantha dear, would you please help me to my room? I must lie down before I fall down, and you might not be able to get me up again if that happens.”

Jake heard about the scene with Tillie from Samantha after dinner. The boys had left to finish up the chores, and he sat with Fiona and Sammie at the dining table over coffee. He had finished the machinery repair, keeping Fiona close by his side. He was uneasy about Tillie and what she would do. When he heard about the confrontation with Opal, he knew he had to take precautions. Tillie was one of the people, apparently along with Reese, behind trying to scare them from the ranch. He didn’t have the evidence to pin anything on her. But maybe he could catch her in the act. He wasn’t exactly sure what act that would be. As for his ex-wife reappearing and coming after him, he wished she would. Maybe then he could find his little girl, and he said as much to Fiona and Sammie.

“Opal doesn’t need this,” he said. “Not now. Not ever.”

“I agree,” said Sammie. “I’ll go over to Tillie’s tomorrow to talk some sense into her, though it has never worked before.”

Jake shook his head. “Don’t go. Nothing you can do now is going to change her. It might be dangerous for you. I’m not sure what Tillie’s next move is, but I have a feeling it might involve fire again.”

“What will she do this time?” asked Fiona.

She sat beside Jake their elbows touching. That small connection comforted Jake.

“I think she’ll set a range fire.”

Sammie and Fiona looked at him wide-eyed.

“She wouldn’t do that,” said Fiona.