Ginger was told of the plan to quietly have the cattle drive much earlier than usual and hopefully get the cattle to safety before the thieves knew of the plan. They agreed that Saunders and Jack would be in charge and not tell the hands until it would be too late to betray them.
Gimpy and Roark Stone, a new hand, were told to outfit a chuck wagon and drive it to the mountains. The two men assumed it was for a group to inspect the cattle in summer grazing. The night before they were to leave the ranch and ride to the mountains, six men were told to select two horses each for themselves and outfit themselves for a trail ride.
Ginger got up at five the next morning to see the men off and wish them well. Juanita didn’t know why, but she had been instructed to bake at least twelve pies and twenty loaves of bread. The chuck wagon would be fitted with a lot of beef, bacon, coffee, material to make cornbread, fruits, eggs, beans and utensils necessary for cooking.
The chuck wagon had left the day before as they would travel more slowly with mules than the riders. Gimpy and Roark were puzzled as to why they were to go to the summer grazing grounds, but they followed orders and proceeded to the mountain. Two riders had gone ahead to tell the four men in summer pasture to start rounding up the cattle.
Jack had his own rangy fifteen two hand Appaloosa. Spirit Dancer had been on cattle drives and was an excellent cutting horse. He danced with excitement knowing he was going to work. Jack doffed his Stetson to Ginger and rode out followed by the men with Saunders bringing up the drag (rear).
The men had been gone only one day when an unexpected visitor showed up at Ginger’s door. She was in the kitchen because Juanita was complaining about Sharpie’s flirting. Helen and Irene were amused but Juanita was annoyed. The front doorbell rang and then someone knocked.
Hurrying to the door Ginger was surprised to see a young woman grinning at her. The woman was slim, about five -four and not more than one hundred ten pounds. She had long black hair, black eyes and olive complexion. Her dress looked cheap as did her very high heels and plastic purse.
“Hi! Are you Ginger?”
“Why -- yes, I am. Why do you want to speak to me?”
“I’m your cousin.” She paused when Ginger said nothing and looked puzzled. “My name is Aretha Ferguson. I’m a niece of your mother’s and we’ve never met. May I come in?” she asked hesitantly due to Ginger’s silence.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Do come in. No, I wasn’t aware there was a relative. Mother never mentioned a sister or brother. You’ll have to fill me in on the relationship.”
“Well, the way I understand it, my mother was a half sister to your mother, but having different fathers they did not grow up together. I don’t think they were even aware of each other.”
Ginger was dumbfounded. “I’m sure mother would have loved to know of relatives. She thought she was an only child and was left alone after her parents died. She married my father after they both graduated from college. Why are you here, Aretha? Have you been doing genealogy research?”
“Oh, no. I’m ashamed to tell you, but I’ve been sick a lot and can’t work. I have no where to live and need help. Desperately.” She became silent when she realized how Ginger was staring at her.
Ginger took a long breath. “Of course I’ll feed you, but I need to talk to someone who knows you. Oh, not that I’m doubting your word, I just have a lot of responsibilities and need to have a record of everyone who is on this property.” She hesitated. “You see, we’ve had trouble with some bad eggs causing trouble for me and other ranchers. All of us are very careful of anyone who comes on our property.”
“Really?! I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe I can help you in some way. I’m a well-trained bookkeeper and a whiz with a computer. I can help you keep records or set up web sites for you. How many cattle do you have?”
“Well, I’m not sure. The cattle are all up in the mountains in summer pasture and there’s probably several new calves by now. I have men up there working them.”
“Oh, really. How many men do you have working? How many are here on the ranch?”
Ginger didn’t like the questions and began to be suspicious. “Uh, could you please give me the names of people and how I can contact them to see how they know you?”
“You don’t trust me! You should be ashamed treating a cousin this way.”
“That’s just it. How do I know you really are a cousin? If you check out okay, I’ll be the first to apologize and make amends. My two foremen would be very angry with me if I did not make a check.”
“Two foremen. Boy you must have a huge ranch and loads of animals to have two foremen.”
Ginger didn’t bother to explain. “May I have those names and phone numbers now? While I do the calling, you can go to the kitchen and get something to eat. I’ll take you in there and introduce you to my housekeeper and her assistants.”
“Boy, you must really be loaded to have so many workers.”
“No. If you think I have money, you’re terribly mistaken. I have very little money. If fact, I’m having trouble making ends meet.”
“Oh,” Aretha said with a disappointed expression. “I just assumed you’d have a lot of money with a ranch this size.”
Ginger gave a weak laugh. “That’s why I don’t have any money. It takes it all to provide necessities for the ranch. Now I’ll take that list of names and phone numbers.”
Aretha reluctantly wrote a few names and phone numbers on a card and gave it to Ginger. They went into the kitchen where Ginger introduced her to Juanita, Helen and Irene. Juanita looked astonished when Ginger said this woman was her mother’s niece. Behind Aretha’s back Juanita shook her head - no. “Ginger, I need to talk to you about supplies,” Juanita said.
“Okay. I’ll be happy to talk to you as soon as I make these calls.”
While Ginger was making the calls and Aretha was eating, Sharpie came in. Juanita introduced her and explained the situation to Sharpie. He caught on quickly that Juanita didn’t feel comfortable with this woman.
“Where’s the boss? I need to talk to her about some business.”
“She’s in the office making some calls. I’m sure she won’t mind you going on back.” He left looking solemn.
“Is that one of the foremen?” Aretha asked.
“No. He’s a hand.” Juanita answered sharply.
Ginger was relieved to see Sharpie slip into the office, look behind him and carefully close the door.
“I sense that Juanita doesn’t care to have that woman around. What’s the story?” Sharpie listened quietly as Ginger told him all she knew.
“Lady, I smell a spy,” Sharpie frowned.
“A spy! What do you mean? How could that woman be a spy and for whom?”
“The questions she asked you gave her away. Someone sent her here to find as much as she could about your business. As far as being a bookkeeper, she’s been instructed to gather information about your finances. Whoever sent her is hoping you tell her your worries and your plans. Don’t explain about the two foremen. Let her think two strong men are on the job; which they are.” He grinned.
“Stay with me while I make some phone calls.” She explained what she was doing to check on her so-called cousin.
“Let me make the phone calls. A man’s voice might cause them some consternation. If they’re legit, they’ll be more inclined to answer.”
“Gladly. Here’s the list.”
“You know, I’d bet these are people that are primed to be contacted and try to pull the wool over our eyes.” Sharpie took the list and sat down to make the call. Ginger left to go to the kitchen and get a cold lemonade for both of them.
Aretha looked up with a guilty expression when she saw Ginger. “Oh, have you made the calls?”
“No. My hand is making the calls.”
Aretha looked nervous but said nothing. She continued to nibble at the food. Finally looking up she complimented Juanita on the delicious food.
Sharpie walked into the kitchen and Aretha jerked around. “Well, did you make the calls and are you satisfied?”
Sharpie smiled. “No, I didn’t really make the calls. I called my cousin who is the sheriff in Atascasa County and my buddy who is chief of police in Jourdanton, and asked them to check for me. After all, they’re there and can talk to the people in person.” He sat down at the table.
Aretha started crying. “I told the simpletons it wouldn’t work.”
Sharpie looked at her as if he was sorry for her and wanted to help. “What do you mean, Aretha? What wouldn’t work?”
She whirled around to look at Ginger. “I’m so sorry. You’re really a very nice person and these ladies have been so kind to furnish good food even though none of you know me.”
Ginger placed an arm around Aretha’s shoulders. “What are you sorry for?”
“I was sent here to get as much information about you as I could. I was told that you would check on me so they gave me some names and they’re waiting to hear from you. They would give you false information.”
“Who are they?” Sharpie asked. “Who are they really?”
“I don’t know for sure. I was given a thousand dollars and told what to say to you. No one told me their own names.”
“Could you describe them?” Sharpie asked.
“Both men wore dark clothing and hats pulled low on their foreheads. They didn’t stand up so I can’t really judge size or give descriptions.”
Sharpie turned to Ginger. “Boss, I’m glad you were smart enough to question her story.” He winked when Ginger jerked at the name, boss.
“All that’s happened to me, I’m suspicious of everyone and everything.”
“Good for you,” he grinned.
“What’s going to happen to me now? Will I be arrested?” Aretha sniffled.
“I’m not sure. Maybe I should let Sheriff Mercer decide.” Ginger answered.
“No,” Sharpie interrupted, “keep Aretha off the phone and out of sight. Let the sheriff and chief in Texas do their investigation. If the scum don’t hear from her, they’ll assume she has you snowed and will expect to hear from her in the future.”
“You mean we set a trap for them?” Juanita finally spoke. “I’m ready to take a sharp knife and skin them alive.”
Sharpie laughed loud and long at her statement. “Juanita, I hope I never get on your bad side. I would hate to be skinned alive.”
“Don’t make fun of me or you’ll have that experience.”
“Juanita, I would never make fun of you. I admire you too much. Okay, Ginger,” he turned to her, “let’s decide what we’re going to do with this woman tonight. Do you have a room that can be locked from the outside?”
“No. Wait! There’s a small storage room at the very back of the house. It has a lot of junk in there, but I did have a cot in there once when a man got sick and we weren’t sure if he was contagious or not. He wasn’t, but I left the cot there. It’s not very nice, but it would do.” She turned to Aretha.
“Aretha, I’m sorry to do this to you, but I hope you understand how careful I have to be.”
Aretha was sobbing and wiping her nose with the napkin. “I do understand and I’m truly sorry. I never felt good about doing this, but I told the truth. I don’t have a job or anywhere to live and I needed the money they paid me. They promised another thousand when I returned if I had gotten information they could use.”
“I’m curious,” Juanita spoke with narrowed eyes. “Why did they choose you for the job? Did they have something bad on you that they forced you to take this task or what?”
“Oh, no. I haven’t done anything to be blackmailed over if that’s what you’re inferring. They suggested that I could pass for an Indian, but I’m half Mexican. I didn’t like the idea in the first place. I’d never heard of Ginger Proudfoot and had nothing against her. They wouldn’t tell me why they wanted to harm her in this manner.”
“Are you willing to work with us and help capture these people who have been trying to ruin Ginger, at least hurt her business reputation?” Sharpie questioned Aretha thoughtfully.
“Yes. I’ll gladly work with you, not just to keep you have prosecuting me, but because I truly never felt good about this. I sure wouldn’t want to have someone out to ruin me and not know why.”
“We’ll have to keep her hidden from anyone outside of this room or we might as well give up. Too, we don’t know whether the men will send someone else to take her out of the picture if they learn she’s been found out.” Sharpie advised them.
With big eyes, Irene breathlessly asked, “What do you mean - take her out of the picture?”
“Kill her. Keep quiet Irene and listen. You’d better keep your mouth shut or you might be the one being taken care of,” Helen warned her sister. “Yes, we’ll keep all of this quiet and won’t even talk about it. Won’t we, Irene?” Helen said strongly as she glared at her younger sister. ‘After all, we don’t know who to trust. There may be others planted here such as one of the new men who just hired on.”
Ginger jumped nervously. “Oh, do you think one of them could possible be a plant?”
“No,” Sharpie answered her. ‘We screened them too carefully, but it’s possible another person could be sent that would look and act innocent.”
Juanita huffed. “Well, if anyone can rest, I suggest we all retire for the night and try to get to sleep. Six o’clock seems awfully early when you haven’t had much sleep.”
Ginger turned to Aretha. “Do you have night clothes or do you need something to sleep in?”
“Thank you, but my suitcase is still in the car. I didn’t bring much because I thought I would only be here two or three days.”
Sharpie held out his hand and asked for her car keys. She quickly gave them to him and he left to get the suitcase. Ginger knew he wanted an opportunity to search the car. He came inside in a few minutes and carried the suitcase down the hall to the cramped storage room. Aretha obediently followed and quietly entered the room. She looked around and nodded.
“There’s a bathroom toward the front if you need to use it,” Sharpie explained to her.
Aretha quickly got a nightgown and slippers out of her suitcase with a toothbrush and toothpaste and hurried to the bathroom. Sharpie could hear water running and knew she was taking a shower. He waited until she had returned to the room and locked the door, keeping the key. He felt badly about locking her in but they didn’t know whether all this was part of an act.
Too, she needed to be protected in case someone was checking up on her.