Marjorie Thelen: High Desert Detective

Something startling occurred to her. Was Tillie one of the women who had made advances at Jake and been rejected? Jake was a sexy guy. His smile was the sort that had a come hither look. His eye had a twinkle. He laughed like you were sharing a private joke with him. Or at least that was how he was with her. Was that what fooled women? Was that what they took for his advances? Tillie wanted to make life so miserable for him, she could have been another woman scorned. She would ask Jake about that angle. It would explain Tillie’s fury which seemed unreasonable to Fiona. But she couldn’t think about that now. She had to secure Opal’s house.

She hurried down the hall to Opal’s master bedroom. Sammie was sitting on the bed with Opal, who was propped up against the pillows with a glass of Coca Cola in hand.

“Are you feeling any better?” asked Fiona.

“Hello, dear,” said Opal. “A little. I don’t know what came over me this afternoon.”

“Tillie,” said Sammie. “That’s what came over all of us.”

Opal gave a little laugh. “At least I can laugh about it now. It wasn’t so funny at the time. But I’m glad I did it. Now it seems we might have to pay the consequences. Sammie says we need to be prepared for Tillie’s next move.”

“Jake seems to think she’ll try setting a range fire. We can’t be sure. Maybe we’re being paranoid, but there is no harm in being prepared.”

“I’m with Jake. I’ve never seen Tillie this worked up.”

Fiona decided to ask Opal about her suspicion. “Did Tillie ever have eyes for Jake?”

Opal studied Fiona’s face. “Do you think a rejected Tillie could be behind some of this?”

“The thought crossed my mind.”

Sammie piped up. “Tillie’s tried to make every man in Harney Valley at one time or another. I could never figure why she thought she was so attractive with that long, skinny face of hers. It’s why Howie drinks. He won’t leave her though. He probably gets off on her doing other men.”

“Sammie, how you talk,” said Opal, looking scandalized. “That is more information than I need. Whatever is driving Tillie doesn’t matter at this point. The woman is possessed. Now help me out of bed, you two. We’ve got to get busy and secure the house as best we can. I’m sure Jake will see to the animals. The cats are loose so they’ll be able to run, but we’ll load Earl and Lester in the back of the truck.”

“Jake says to make sure the important papers are in the fireproof safe.”

“I’ll do better than that,” said Opal. “I’ll put the most important in my to-go bag.”

Fiona and Sammie helped her out of bed, and she headed for the bathroom.

Sammie said, “I’ll help her put a small bag together.”

“Don’t forget your things,” said Fiona. “Olympia will be ready, but her car isn’t here. I’ll take her in my truck. Do you think Opal’s truck will start?”

“I’ll know when I try to drive it around to the front.”

“I’ll drive Opal’s truck, Olympia can drive mine and take Opal, and you can drive your car. Jake and the others can drive their own. Let’s make sure they all have enough gas.”

Sammie looked at Fiona. “I truly hope it doesn’t come to another fire.”

“Me, too. But Jake’s right. We have to be ready.”

Jake watched the sun rise after working all night with the bulldozer on a fire break, sometimes digging a trench, sometimes clearing brush. Tommy helped him. Sweet had guarded the cows. They were all dead tired, and the other two had turned in for a few hours sleep. Jake walked toward the kitchen in search of chow and hot coffee.

The night had not turned out as he had wished. He had anticipated another fabulous night in bed with the incredible Ms. Marlowe. Working a back hoe in the dark did not come close. Such was life on a ranch. Maybe he was being paranoid about Tillie. Maybe not. But he felt better that he had done something to prevent what he most feared. Range fires could wipe a rancher out. Insurance would not cover the amount of losses a fire could incur. Loss of cattle alone could wipe you out. You could lose all the hay that you had to feed or sell. Your income might be gone for years.

Fiona stepped out the back door to greet him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. They had kept in contact by phone. He knew the women had done what they could to be ready to leave in a hurry. They had worked together and made head way. Now they would wait.

“You feel good,” she said. “I was worried about you working out there in the dark.”

He kissed her forehead. “I like being worried over. I may feel good, but I know I don’t smell good. I need a shower and some grub. Do you have anything for a hungry man?”

“Sammie’s frying bacon and pancakes on the griddle. Coffee’s made. Come on in.”

Sammie cooked, and Fiona served. Jake ate a mountain of hot cakes and a heap of bacon and scrambled eggs.

Fiona, sitting down by him, said, “I’ll take Opal to town today. Sammie will hold down the fort. I’ll see if the doctor will release Glory. Are Rosemary and Esme coming to help?”

Jake nodded. “They should be here any minute.”

“Don’t they have a ranch to take care of?” Fiona asked.

“They have a small spread they run some cows on. Mostly, they hire out to the neighboring ranches to help with cows and hay. Somehow they make it. They can do most anything. They’re amazing women and quite a team. They’ve been together for years.”

“Whatever works for them,” she said. “I’m glad you can depend on them.”

“If we have to leave,” said Jake, “you girls head over to their place. Sammie and Opal know how to get there.”

“Where will you be?”

“I stay with the ranch.”

Three days passed without incident. Fiona brought Glory came home from the hospital. Opal continued her treatments. Olympia rarely emerged from her room. Jake and Fiona spent the nights together, but he didn’t get catch up much on his sleep. Sweet, die-hard buckaroo that he was, spent nights guarding the cows. Tommie baled hay. Things seemed to be back to normal.

But Jake was suspicious and ever watchful.

Friday morning Hoover showed up.

“We found Walt Long,” he said when he found Jake in the workshop, repairing yet another piece of farm equipment.

Jake waited for Hoover to continue.

The man stood with his hands on his hips looking like he had something to say but didn’t know how to say it. He finally said, “He had an accident in his truck.”

When he didn’t continue, Jake said, “Dead or alive?”

“Dead. Authorities found him down in Nevada back in a canyon. Rig was smashed up pretty good.”

“What was he doing back there?”

“Nevada authorities have been having problems with cattle rustling, too. We’ve been cooperating with them and the folks over in Idaho. One of the Nevada men was following a lead from a rancher about seeing a strange rig every now and then traveling on an isolated road south of his property. The deputy found the rig overturned and busted up pretty bad. They identified the driver as Walt Long.”

“How’d he turn over and bust up a rig going five miles an hour?” said Jake

“Someone was chasing him. He was shot in the back of the head. There were several bullet holes in the rear window. He was trying to get away from someone. Anyway, that’s why he didn’t come back to finish off Glory. Someone else finished him off.”

“Sounds like the cattle rustlers are fighting among themselves. Maybe if we give them enough time, they’ll finish each other off.”

Hoover lifted a shoulder. “Maybe. You said you thought old man Lovejoy’s place was a holding pen. I stopped over there before I came here and didn’t see anything in the shed. You sure there was new equipment in the shed.”