Driving home, Roger thought over what Beth had told him. He reasoned that since the men looking for him and his ranch were the criminals she had witnessed; the connection had to be the crime committed. Beth had let slip that the victim had told her to trust no one before he died. Roger quickly put the details together and came up with the fact that Beth had seen his father murdered and didn’t trust him enough to tell him. The thought hurt. But, he could understand her following the instructions of his father, trusting no one until she had more of an idea who was behind the crime.
When he got home, he went to his computer and emailed contacts from his Army days. He inquired about Agent Sparks. Then he Googled “Beth Williams”. He came up with several women with that name. None looked like Beth and none was from the Northwest. With all that was going on, he reasoned that Beth had a different name. This brought him to a dead end for the night. He would see her on Saturday. He hoped she would give him more information.
*************
Bethany went to bed and lay thinking over the day and its unsettling events. She wanted to trust both Roger and Norman with her full story, but couldn’t bring herself to open up. Maybe she would get a chance to meet Uncle Phil at the Bazaar and see if he had any thoughts on the death of his brother-in-law. She set her alarm for five-thirty so that she could get up early to ride.
Thursday morning she awoke to a rude noise that she realized was the buzzer of her alarm clock. The music had not woken her. She really hated that buzzer. She wanted to throw something at it as she got out of bed.
She showered, put on her work clothes, a sweater, a windbreaker and headed out the door. She would change to her riding tights in the trailer.
It was just after six when she passed the road to the R-M on her way to the Guest Ranch. She didn’t notice the blue pickup at the end of the drive waiting to turn onto the highway. Nor did she see the look of surprise on Roger’s face when he recognized her.
*************
As Roger watched Beth head west toward Montrose, he wondered if she had business in town this morning. He turned toward Riverview. He would ask Norman what she was up to. Right now, he was hungry and wanted coffee. As he parked in front of the diner, he noticed the lot was full. Trucks and cars lined Main Street. Looking at his watch, he wondered what was going on.
Entering the diner, he waved to friends and fellow ranchers before he took the last open spot on the counter. “Hi. What’s happening, Betty? I haven’t seen this many people in here since O’Malley was competing in the State Steer Wrestling.”
“Didn’t you hear?” Betty asked in surprise. “Someone attacked old Henry at the library last night. Just at closing time. Knocked him out. Then hacked into the library computer. Looks like the burglar pulled up everyone’s card information. Who’d want that?” She poured coffee in the cup Roger turned over for her.
“I’ll be damned. That’s a strange place to burgle--hardly any money kept there.” Roger was surprised at the news.
“Who’d want what’s on your library card? That’s common and easy to find information,” Betty wondered aloud. “Henry’s daughter was worried when he didn’t make it home and had the sheriff go by to check on him. He found poor Henry knocked out on the floor.” Betty went on and on, but Roger was no longer listening.
Hadn’t Beth said she met Henry when she went to the library on Tuesday? Had she been traced there? “I’ll take two of those doughnuts and a to go cup.” He had to find out where Beth was headed, and he wanted to know what information was on her library card. He quickly paid Betty and walked out of the diner and over to the Co-Op.
Norman was just unlocking the door. “Hi Norman,” he called crossing the street. “Betty just told me about the attack on Henry. I’m worried about Beth. Do you think they were trying to find her address? I know she’s been to the library. She mentioned meeting Henry.” He stuck a doughnut in his mouth. “Where’s she this morning?”
“She’s out at the Guest Ranch, riding,” Norman said as he looked up from putting money into the cash register for the day. “She had planned to ride yesterday, but we got busy and she couldn’t break away. Matt and Marcia are boarding her horses.”
This was news to Roger; he hadn’t known that Beth had horses at the Guest Ranch.
“Let me call Henry real quick; Doc told him to take the day off.” Norman pulled out his cell phone and hit Henry’s speed dial number. “Henry, it’s Norman. How’s your head? How many stitches? That’ll be an interesting scar.” Norman listened as he put a new roll of tape into the cash register. “Hey, you remember that cute little redhead that was in the library the other day? What address did she put on her application? Was it in the computer?” Norman ended the call and turned to Roger. “Beth put the Guest Ranch as her address. She didn’t have the street number for the Baileys. You think I should send the Sheriff over?”
“Not yet Norman, I’ll go out and talk to Matt. It’s possible whoever did this wasn’t after Beth’s information. Matt’ll know if anyone’s been nosing about.” Roger turned as he spoke and walked out of the store.
In his truck he unlocked the glove box and pulled out his Smith and Wesson M&P45 pistol, checked the safety, and laid it on the seat for easy access. He stuck the extra clip in his pocket. He drove west, heading for the Gunnison Valley Guest Ranch. He pulled out his cell phone and called his foreman. “Hey Aaron, keep your eyes open and gun handy. We may be expecting visitors,” he told the man. “But try not to shoot the FBI agent who’s nosing around. He may be on our side. Two goons in a black SUV most likely aren’t. I have to run out to Matt’s place.”
He didn’t see Beth’s truck out front when he drove up. It was after seven-thirty and there were hunters heading out. The hands were starting chores, and the lobby was empty as he walked in. Everyone was busy. “Hey, Matt, Marcia are you around?” he yelled.
“Keep your shirt on, cowboy. Matt should be down at the main barn. Those dudes can’t saddle their own horses, you know.” Marcia was laughing as she came around the corner from their living quarters. “What’s got you riled up?”
“Listen, have you had a visit since last night from either an FBI agent or two men driving a black SUV?” Roger questioned her seriously.
“Well, the SUV was here yesterday afternoon. We shined them on. We’ve seen those yahoos before,” Marcia told him. “But this morning we do have an FBI agent here. I think he’s out with Matt at the main barn.” Marcia pointed that direction.
“Thanks.” He waved on his way out. “Don’t tell anyone--and I mean anyone--where Beth moved. She could be in danger,” he said over his shoulder. He found Matt saddling horses. Agent Sparks was standing watching.
“Good morning Agent. Morning Matt.” Roger slapped Matt on the back in greeting. “You’re out early today, Agent Sparks. How’s that investigation going?” He coldly turned his back on the agent, not waiting for an answer. Roger moved toward a large bay gelding. “Let me help you, Matt. Is this bay the last horse you need to saddle?”
“Yeah, his tack is stacked right there. What’re you doing out here so early?” He raised his eyebrows at Roger.
“I thought maybe I could hunt some deer on your property. Didn’t I hear that you had stocked some red deer?” Roger was hoping that Matt would understand he was looking for Beth without him saying so. Roger moved around the bay, smoothing out the saddle pad. “I felt like getting away this morning and the best way is to take off with a gun.” He wanted Matt to catch on to his code. He didn’t want the agent to join the search.
“I saw a nice red doe at the Black Canyon Trail junction yesterday; there should be a buck around that same area.” With his back to the agent, Matt winked, showing Roger that he understood the question. “There’s a pinto down at the far barn; you can take him for your hunt. We’ll settle on costs later. Maybe we can share the meat if you manage to bag one,” Matt suggested. “The pinto’s saddle is in the tack compartment close to his stall. Help yourself, but I hope you brought your own rifle.” Matt pointed to the barn at the end of his road.
“Thanks, Matt. I should be back well before dark.” Roger smiled, and then turned to the agent. “Have a good day. I hope you get the information you need.” With that, he went back to his pickup truck and took the pistol, which he hid under his shirt, and his Browning 30-06 BAR semi-automatic rifle he kept handy for ranch emergencies from his pickup truck. He carried the rifle openly as he walked to the far barn.
He found the pinto, kind of small for his taste, but nicely built, and found the saddle Matt had indicated. Damn thing has no horn, he said to himself. What was Matt thinking? It was the only saddle available, so Roger put it on the pinto. He was uncertain about the hackamore bit on the bridle, but it matched the saddle, so that went on as well. He led the pinto out and mounted. There was no scabbard on the saddle, so he carried the rifle across the front of his thighs.
The pinto stopped at the gate and sidestepped into it so that Roger could easily reach it. “Good boy, you’ve done this before, haven’t you?” The pinto twitched an ear to the voice, waited for Roger to close the gate, and then took off down the trail at a brisk long trot. Surprised, Roger was grabbing at the gelding’s mane to stay with the horse. “Easy boy, not so fast. This isn’t the Kentucky Derby, you know,” he laughed but managed to get in rhythm with the gelding’s gait.
Roger followed the trail until he got to the first junction. Out of sight of the ranch, he slowed his horse and came to a halt. Looking up the trail, he tried to decide which fork to take. If Beth had gone out on the left fork, she would return on the right fork and vice versa. “Easy boy, stand,” he growled as the pinto pawed the ground, impatient to be off. Then the pinto whinnied loudly. Roger heard a response coming from a distance. It sounded like it came from up the trail to the right.
The pinto began to jig and pull to go up that trail so Roger let him move out in that direction. They had gone down the first incline and started up the next hill when a rider came into view. The rider had topped the rise at a gallop and moved into a fast walk as she came down to meet him. Something stirred within Roger while he watched her ride. She moved with the horse, giving him his head to make the down slope carefully yet quickly. They made a good pair.
“Hi Roger. What are you doing on Harley? Was Matt out of dude horses, or did you just want to ride a good horse?” She had been surprised to see Harley -- even more surprised to see Roger, holding a rifle, riding him. “I’m not too certain how safe you are with that rifle. I’ve never fired a weapon from Harley. It could get exciting.” She laughed.
“Nice horses, I take it both are yours.” Roger smiled at her. “I came out to find you. There was a break-in last night. Henry got clobbered at the library. Then they hacked the user files. This is the address you put on your library card. I was worried about you. If those guys know where to find you, they might come after you.”
Surprise showed on Beth’s face. “You were worried about me? That’s kind of you; it’s been a while since anyone has worried about me.”
Roger was embarrassed but he continued. “Guess who I found out here before me? Agent Sparks. Don’t know what he’s after, but I warned Matt and Marcia not to mention you or your trailer. The question I have is how did he know to come out here looking for you? Also, why would he want or need to come out here to question them?” Roger turned the pinto to ride alongside Beth, laying the rifle so that it pointed away from her.
Both horses broke into a gallop when they started up the incline toward the junction, delaying her answer a few seconds until they made the top of the hill. “Unless Norman told him I was out here riding this morning, I don’t know either. Thanks for giving Harley some exercise, though. I’ve only been working Coup since we got here.”
“Do they always go uphill at that speed? Fun, but I would expect the rocks to be hazardous.” He looked windblown and kept one hand on the rifle to keep it from flying off his thighs.
“Well, they’re feeding off each other some; but fast up hills and slow down hills are how we maintain a good pace during a race. It’s easier on the legs and hooves than trotting downhill. You can cover a lot of miles in hilly country at a fast pace by being careful when and where you use speed.”
“I’ve never had the need to cover a lot of miles in a short time,” he said. “Chasing cows is slow business, with only a few quick turns and jump-starts from time to time.” He glanced at her, admiring again how she easily sat her horse. “I take it you ride endurance like Matt and Marcia? Is that where you met them?” She nodded. “Matt and I were Rangers, in the same unit until we mustered out,” Roger told her. “Then he and Marcia moved here and took over the Guest Ranch. I’ve known them for years.” He found himself rambling while they approached the junction that headed back toward the ranch.
“Marcia and I were first and second on the 25 miler last weekend. Harley and I took the Best Condition, but Marcia recovered faster and was first overall. They’re good people,” Bethany agreed. “I rented a room from them for a few nights before I found rooms in town. Theirs is a nice operation. Modern, all the amenities, yet rustic and peaceful.” She came to a stop at the junction. “What do you think we should do from here? Head back to the ranch or hide out in the canyon for a while? Norman’s expecting me to be at work in time to cover for his lunch. But he won’t starve to death if I’m late.” She was uncertain herself what they should do.
“Do you have your cell phone?” he asked. “Do you have a signal? If so, I’ll ride back and text you when it looks like the coast is clear.” Roger pulled out his cell to put her number into its memory.
She checked the signal then put his number into her phone when they exchanged information. “I might ride up and down the hill a few times to keep Coup from getting too bored. Waiting is not his strong suit. Harley should get you back to the ranch in no time.”
Roger rode off at a fast trot, looking uncomfortable with the rifle bouncing on his thighs. After he’d left, Bethany realized that they could have simply called the ranch to find out the current situation. Quickly she called Marcia’s phone. “Hi, Marcia. It’s Beth. Is Agent Sparks still nosing about?” Coup jigged as she waited for Marcia to answer. “Is anyone else asking about me or looking suspicious?” She waited for the answer. “Roger’s on his way back, but I thought it would be faster to call you.”
From Marcia Bethany found out that Agent Sparks had left. Marcia didn’t like his attitude or questions. She too felt he was creepy. Marcia felt the questions about Bethany and the Ride Camp couldn’t be related to the death of Roger’s father. She’d not seen anyone else. Once the hunters were out on trail, the ranch was as quiet as a church on Thursday.
Bethany breathed a sigh of relief to hear that. She finished her conversation, telling Marcia she’d follow Roger and be back soon. She put her cell back into her zippered pocket and turned Coup to follow Harley.
Coup saw this action as permission to race and took off like a jackrabbit after his stable mate. Bethany grabbed his mane and let him go, kicking him for more speed just for the fun of it. They caught up to Roger and Harley a quarter mile short of the gate. Roger had heard the thundering hooves of the running horse and stopped to watch the approach of Coup and Bethany. Her skill on the galloping horse amazed him.
“Hey, I thought that you were going to wait until I called or texted you,” he reminded her.
“Neither of us was thinking. I called Marcia and got the heads-up that Sparks had left and no one else was skulking about looking for me. Thought it would be more fun if we rode back together.” She patted Coup’s neck to calm him. He danced up to his stable mate, snorting.
Matt was waiting for them at the barn. “Beth, I hate to do this, but after what happened at the library, we don’t feel comfortable with having your trailer and horses here. We have to think of our guests and the property. There’s too much liability involved if those guys are going to get violent. We’re really sorry. There’s an equestrian park not that far from here. Those guys likely already looked there for you. I wish we could do more, but we just can’t.” Matt looked depressed as he gave Bethany the news that she would have to move her horses out.
“Oh Matt, don’t take it so hard. I appreciate everything you and Marcia have done.” Bethany wanted to ease his distress. “There’s no way I would want you to put yourselves in jeopardy for me. I’m sorry there might be even the remotest chance of any danger to you and Marcia. I would never have come here if I’d thought of that.” She felt bad about the things she should have thought of before.
It hadn’t occurred to her that the killers might find her here at the Guest Ranch, or anywhere else. She just hadn’t been thinking. The thought of them hurting people to find her opened her eyes to the reality of her situation. “I’ll pull out today,” she said. “I’m certain Norman won’t mind if I’m late. Which way did you say that camp was located? What’s the name of it?” She dismounted Coup and moved to his head.
“It’ll be better for all concerned if I move back into my trailer and camp out for a while.” Bethany didn’t want to bring trouble down on anyone, especially those who had helped her. “I just wish that they’d not found me so quickly. I wonder how they did it. I checked my email from the library computer, think that created a trail back to Riverview?” She was worried about the possibilities. “Being here was nice while it lasted. Thanks again, Matt. I’ll see you and Marcia on the Trail over the next months.” She began leading Coup toward her trailer. She missed the look exchanged between Roger and Matt.
Roger let her move ahead and dropped back to speak with Matt. “What did you find out from or tell Sparks? It bothers me that he was out here so early wanting to talk with you and Marcia. What was that about, anyway?”
Matt watched Roger dismount. “Sparks was fishing for information about the Ride last weekend. Wanting to know if we had seen a woman on a red horse with a blaze and travelling in an aluminum living quarters trailer pulled by a silver GMC 4x4.” He paused, looking after Bethany. “He named her as Bethany Wilcox and said she was a ‘person of interest’ in the death of your father. He described her as having a blonde ponytail, 5’4” and about 115 lbs.” Matt told Roger. “I told him that the camp was full of women, quite a few with silver trailers, all of them shorter than me. And my wife doesn’t appreciate it if I look at any of them too closely. Sparks laughed at that, but I feel that he wasn’t really buying it. I’m not certain how a woman can be involved, but Beth has been hiding from someone for as long as we’ve known her -- all of a week.”
“I’d appreciate it if you remain ignorant of this Bethany Wilcox or where she might be headed. I’m going to see if Beth will consider putting her horses and trailer at the R-M,” Roger told Matt. “The boys and I are well able to protect her and give her a place to stay.” He gave Matt a tight-lipped smile that showed determination and malice toward anyone who might want to harm a woman under his protection. “I dare those goons to try anything at my place.”
“Hey, Beth, wait up!” Roger called, leading the pinto out at a trot to catch up. “Listen, I think you should move your trailer and stock over to the R-M. Before you say anything, hear me out,” he asked. “I’m fully aware that you’re in hiding, possibly running from the people responsible for killing my father. If I can put that together, it won’t take Sparks long to do the same. I understand that you’re not quite ready to trust me with the whole story, and I accept that. The thing is this: I hate the idea of you being in danger because of my father.”
He put his hand on her shoulder. “I can help you. You’d be safe staying in the guest cabin; the horses’d have pasture and stalls. We can put the trailer into the hay barn, or behind the chicken coop.” Roger looked down into her eyes. “Most of my hands and I were Army Rangers,” he said. “You won’t be putting us in danger, simply because we’ll be prepared for any assaults on you or the ranch. The guest cabin is easily defended. What do you say? Are you willing to move out to the ranch?” He moved away from her and tied up the pinto as he finished stating his case to her.
“I don’t know.” Bethany faced him across Coup’s back while she loosened the cinch. “Maybe I should turn all my information over to Sparks and let the government take it from here,” she suggested. “I don’t like Sparks, but that doesn’t make him a bad person, just a jerk. I’d hoped to get some answers by being here. But it seems that all I’ve done is find more questions and cause problems for those who’ve helped me.” She felt tears behind her eyelids and blinked rapidly to clear her eyes as she turned away with Coup’s saddle. The thought that the killers might harm Norman or the Baileys and that someone had hurt Henry at the library because she had used the computer devastated her. It just wasn’t fair. Here she had found a lovely town with nice people and she had put them in danger just by staying around. “I wish it was only a question of trusting you. I trust you more than I do Agent Sparks.”
Roger had seen her face before she turned away. He wanted nothing more than to ease the sadness there. He could feel her desperation. He watched her put up the saddle and snagged her wrist to turn her back to him. He quietly pulled her into his arms and held her gently. “Look, I know you feel that you’ve put everyone in danger, but be honest with yourself. Life itself is dangerous. I’ll call Norman and the Baileys. I know each of those sisters is a crack shot, and they’ve got at least four guns in that house,” he soothed her. “Add to that the fact that the sheriff will be watching every stranger who happens to stop even five minutes in town, and you’ve more security than most people in major cities enjoy.”
He rested his chin on the top of her head. “Norman has a gun behind the counter. Did he ever show it to you? He once shot a passing thug that thought to take the day’s receipts. Norman didn’t hesitate.” Roger gave her a light squeeze with the story. He felt his body’s reaction to her closeness and quickly stepped back to end the close contact, keeping his hands on her shoulders. “You would be safe at the R-M and it’ll give you a chance to find those answers you seek,” he said. “I’ll even take your trailer back to the ranch with the horses while you go to work and collect your things from the Bailey’s house. Come on,” he said watching her indecision. “Where are you going to get another offer like this?” He continued to hold her at arms’ length and study her face.
“I appreciate the offer, Roger, I really do. However, what would everyone in town say when they find I’m staying at the R-M?” Bethany questioned. “I’m not certain either of our reputations are strong enough to withstand the gossip of Riverview.” She smiled. “Marge would have a grand time spreading the news. You know she would,” she argued.
If gossip was her only argument against the move, Roger knew he’d won. He knew he would be driving her trailer to his ranch. “Actually, after five years as a widower,” he smiled, “my reputation could use a bit of tarnish. The men will be jealous as all hell and the women will be heartbroken.” He laughed outright at the thought that he had said that to her. “Come on; let’s get these horses put up. Then you get to work, and I’ll take the trailer and the horses back to the R-M. By the time you’re off, everything will be set up in the guest cabin. I’ll even go to the Baileys and collect your things if you want.”
Bethany’s cheeks were burning to the color of sugar beets at the thought of Roger packing her underwear. “No, I’ll pack my things, thank you very much. If you’ll meet me at the Co-Op about five, I’ll let you take me to collect my things from them. I’m not afraid of the goons, but I don’t know if there are more of them and I don’t want the sisters put into danger.”
Roger admired the vivid color of her cheeks and thought he understood her reason for blushing. He wouldn’t want anyone packing his personal things either. “Okay, I’ll see you at the Co-Op just before closing and we’ll go to the Baileys together,” he said. “Meanwhile, I’ll get the horses settled and the cabin aired out for you.” When she turned back to stowing her gear, it was all he could do to keep from patting her ass; the stretched riding tights she wore seemed to invite his hand. Whoa, where did that urge come from? He caught himself thinking. Maybe he didn’t want to know. He felt the warmth of his cheeks when he turned back to the pinto.
Bethany brushed Coup and led him back into his stall. Roger would have to load the horses after he hitched his pickup truck to the trailer. She stepped into the living quarters and quickly changed back into the work clothes she had left there earlier. She stepped out of the trailer as Roger put Harley into his pen. “Do you think you can figure out the hitch, cowboy?” She smiled at him.
“A hitch is a hitch is a hitch, ma’am. Which horse loads first and is there anything special I need to know about how they haul? Either kick? Any stall vices or habits?” He ran through the common things needed to know when handling horses.
“Coup loads first,” she said. “Neither kicks or has any serious problems, unless you let Coup convince you that he’s in charge. He knows better, but like a little kid, he has to try sometimes. Hauling them is a breeze. Just undo their halters before opening the back of the trailer.” She finished answering his questions quickly. “Thanks for doing this, Roger. I hope you don’t regret it down the line. I can move on any time if you decide there is too much danger to you or your place.” She walked on down the drive to her truck, got in and headed to town.