Christie paced back and forth across the yard.
Why? Why? Why?
The question repeated in her mind.
“You’re gonna dig a trench with all your pacing back and forth, girlie.”
She sighed and joined her father on the porch. “Pop, I have a big decision to make. I don’t want to lose a friendship, but I can’t let this stand, either. I have to know the truth.”
“You’ll figure out the best way forward.” He stood as a white truck pulled up into the yard. Two people were inside. The Websters.
Geez. If this is how they were before I arrived no wonder Pop is acting as he has.
Tyler strolled up to the porch, and Emma followed. “Mr. Taylor?”
“That’s who you’re speaking to.”
“Emma has informed me that you don’t want to sell any of your property for an easement next to the Altgelt property.”
“Correct.”
Christie held back a smirk. Her Pop wasn’t one to mince words.
“Mr. Taylor, I can certainly understand your hesitation. As such, I’ve increased the offer for that area of land.” He held out a piece of paper, but Pop did not take it, so Tyler then turned and handed it to Christie, who gave it a cursory glance.
Whoa, that’s a lot of zeros.
She handed it back to Tyler. “I don’t think you understand, Mr. Webster. As my father has told Hector, Cole, Emma and now you, this place is not for sale, nor is any part of it.”
Tyler Webster handed the paperwork to Emma, who folded it up and stuffed it into her large purse. “We’ll be creating a wonderful development on the Altgelt property, and you can keep your property but have a nice nest egg for your retirement.”
Pop rocked back and forth in the chair but said nothing.
Tyler continued. “We’ll be closing on the Altgelt property soon.”
“Are ya now?” Pop stood and shook his head. “You know what I can’t abide? Liars.” He shooed the Websters off with a flick of his wrist. “You know you may think I fell off the turnip truck. But I’ll tell you this, it certainly wasn’t yesterday. Now, get off my property before I sic these dogs on you.” Mutt and Jeffrey raised their heads, tails thumping.
Tyler scoffed and said, “I’ll take my chances.”
“I bet you won’t take your chances if I grab my eight gauge.”
“Are you threatening us to shoot us?” Emma’s eyes widened.
“I don’t threaten. You are trespassing on my property. You’re threatening me by getting out of that there truck and coming up to my porch.”
The pair took a step back.
Pop rose and his voice was calm as he said, “Here’s how I see it. Curtis is no more selling his property than I am, so you can just tell those greedy kin of his to crawl back under the rock they came from. I’m not selling you one blade of grass. So, git—and don’t come back!”
Emma and Tyler moved toward the truck. “This isn’t the end of this.”
After they left, Christie spoke to her father. “Pop, do you know for a fact that Curtis isn’t selling? I mean, he’s hurt pretty badly, and at his age, the property would pass to those boys since they’re the only relatives.”
“Not to worry. Me and Curtis, we got it all figured out. We talked the other day when I visited him in the hospital. It’s all taken care of.”
Christie sat back in the rocker. “What did you do?”
“You needn’t worry your pretty head over it. Just know it’s safe from those buzzards. Now, back to what we were talking about. I feel like you’ve come to a decision about something, am I right?”
She nodded her head. “Yes, I have to do something, and while I’m not sure I want to, it’s the right thing to do.”
He nodded. “You know in your heart what you have to do. The best way to pull off a bandage is to yank it off. It hurts a lot, but it’s better that way.”
“Okay.” Christie picked up her phone and punched in a number she never wanted to call. “I need to speak to Sheriff Clauson, please.”
***
“I’m so glad you invited me out for another ride. I needed a break from the house.” Trish shifted in her saddle. They’d ridden across the property and were now back by the creek.
“Me, too. With dad’s accident, then the fire, it was just a lot to deal with.” She dismounted and led Champ over to the water to drink.
Trish followed suit with Scout walking behind her.
“You know, I talked with Kimberly the other day. She apologized for stealing Cole in high school.” Christie fed Champ part of an apple.
“Really? That’s a shocker.” Trish led her horse to the creek. “She always thought she could take whatever she wanted. Do whatever she wanted. She’s one of those people who the sun always seems to shine on, ya know?”
“Yes. Remember that time in school with her cat? How she got all that attention after it scratched her? Then, it died?”
“Do I? I hated that cat. It scratched me too, if you remember. I think Kimberly was pulling it away when it scratched her.” She sat on the grass. “But who got the attention? Not me! It was always Kimberly.”
CRACK. The sound came from the brush pile near them. Trish peered over that way. Christie motioned toward the creek. “Must be a momma deer. Been seeing quite a few lately with their fawns coming down to drink.”
Trish nodded, “Yep, lots of deer on the Altgelt place too.” She hesitated. “I mean, I’d think there were.”
“Makes sense.” Picking at a piece of tall grass, Christie quipped, “Back to what you were saying, Kimberly always did get the attention in our group. I would be surprised if she didn’t kill that cat, herself. I mean, who could blame her? That cat was mean. Besides, look at all the sympathy she received.”
“Yeah. I didn’t expect that.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” Trish leaned back on her elbows, closed her eyes, and lifted her face toward the sun. “Let’s not talk about Kimberly.”
“Okay.” Christie crossed her legs and said quietly, “You know, Cole made a pass at me the other day. I think he wants to leave Kimberly.”
Trish shot upright. “What did you say? He made a pass? At you?”
“I know, right? I’m so different from Kimberly. She’s petite, I’m substantial. She’s a blonde, and I’m a brunette. You’d think if he had a type, he would have made a pass at you.”
Trish bolted up, and Christie quickly followed, while she continued speaking. “In fact, you and Kimberly, and even Emma Webster, are all similar in looks. From a distance—”
Trish clenched her fists tightly as vitriol poured forth, “I’m not stupid. You can stop your innuendoes.”
Christie took a step back. “You were the one having the affair with Hector, not Kimberly, and not Emma. You tried to make it look like it was Kimberly by leaving things you knew she used at his house. You wanted her to look guilty.”
“You think you’re so smart. I didn’t want to kill Hector. I wanted to kill Kimberly!” Her hand flew to her mouth and then she laughed loudly. “Whoops. Didn’t mean to say that aloud. Oh, well. Too late now.” She laughed hysterically. “Christie, look at your face. I’m kidding, silly. Why would I want to kill anyone?”
Christie kept talking. “Kimberly stole Cole from you. You wanted her out of the picture. Who could blame you with Mike gone all the time and so much responsibility on your shoulders at home.”
Trish shook her hands and paced back and forth. “That’s right. I’ve had a hard time. How could anyone blame me? I’ve loved Cole my entire life. I wanted him. First, I had to stop you all from dating in high school. That was easy.”
This shocked Christie, but she didn’t want to stop Trish from continuing.
“Before I even had a chance, Kimberly swooped in and grabbed him. That was okay. I had found Mike at the time, but that soon fizzled. He’s worthless. So, I waited. I knew they were unhappy and that it would only be a matter of time. But then Kimberly had the girls. I tried to get Cole to think Kimberly was a bad mother, but even that didn’t work.” She stopped pacing and her eyes narrowed as she spoke.
“Hector was a diversion. That was all. One night Hector told me he and Cole were thinking of starting up their own firm. It was Kimberly’s idea. He said they’d found a great opportunity for them in the Austin area. She was going to take him away from me again!” Trish spat out, her fists clenching again. “I couldn’t let her take Cole. He was close to leaving her, then, we would be together. Mike’s gone all the time. He makes good money in the oil field, or I would have left him sooner. No, I had to stop her. I knew what to do.”
“You’ve always been clever.”
Be quiet. Let her talk.
Trish glanced at her like she’d just realized Christie was there. “Yes, I’m smart, all right. Kimberly drinks these stupid electrolyte drinks. She says they give her energy. I didn’t know she’d gotten Hector hooked on them.” She shrugged. “I mean, how was I to know, right?”
Christie nodded but said nothing.
“But that was even better. Now, I could really get rid of Kimberly. I started rumors, knowing they’d get back to Hector, by telling Marie about Cole possibly starting a business without Hector. That’s why he and Kimberly were fighting in the parking lot. Marie’s a huge gossip and I knew she’d confront Hector as soon as she could. Then, I planted things of Kimberly’s at his house and started the rumors about the affair. We look enough alike that people would easily believe she was the woman they’d seen with Hector.”
An idea formed in Christie’s mind. “Like the woman who lives across from Hector.”
“Lived. Past tense. Poor dear. But when you said she was the only witness, well, I couldn’t let her say something, now, could I? I told her when I went to her door that you loved that color pink but were too embarrassed to ask about the shade. Later, I took her a pie—from you, of course. But I had to get a pie pan from your house. You know, just in case someone decided she died of something other than old age.”
Christie felt her stomach clench. She’d sealed a woman’s death warrant. “So you started the fire in our kitchen?”
Trish jerked back. “What kind of a person do you think I am? Of course not.” She glared at Christie. “I thought we were friends.”
She’s insane.
“We are. I was just trying to figure out the fire. You know, loose ends.”
Trish took a step toward Christie. “Ahhh, Christie. I always thought we were BFF’s, but Cole making a pass at you? You shouldn’t have told me that.” She took another step.
“What are you, five-two? You think you’re going to fight me?” Christie asked.
“Oh, I have something that makes our height not an issue.” Trish reached down and pulled a knife from her boot. She switched it open.
“We are friends. We can work this out.” Christie held up her hands and tried to back away.
Trish advanced. “I wish we could, but unfortunately, you’re going to have a terrible freak accident.”
Christie took another step back. “Plus, that has your prints all over it, and I told Pop I was with you, so it’s going to point to you.”
“Don’t worry. As I said…a tragic accident.” Tears sprung to her eyes. “See, I’m already heartbroken.” A smile quickly replaced the tears. “Drama class, remember it? I took more classes in college, too. They came in so handy.”
“You’re crazy!” Christie yelled.
Trish lunged at Christie with the knife. Christie twisted to the right, and the knife hit her upper arm. In a quick movement, Christie grabbed the fleshy part of Trish’s hand and pressed down with all her might. Trish fell to her knees, screaming out in pain.
“Drop it!” Christie shouted.
The sound of voices and men running across the field kept Christie upright and pressing on Trish’s hand.
One of the men said, “You can let go now.” Someone removed her hand, and she heard the deputy’s voice on the radio.
“Need Ambulance. Taylor Ranch.”
Another voice answered and the deputy replied, “Suspect in custody.”
She looked down at her arm and the red that was spreading down her sleeve. She raised her hands and stared at them as they shook. Her body trembled.
I’m going into shock.
She dropped to the ground and bent her head to her knees. She began counting her breaths.
One… Two…
Her mind knew what to do but her body and emotions wouldn’t listen. She broke down sobbing. Her arm throbbed with pain, but her heart was broken.
A voice carried across the expanse of pain and sorrow. “Step back. That’s my girl.”
“Daddy,” she cried out.