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Chance and I talked until I was falling asleep. We were each ensconced in our hotels miles apart Neither of us wanted to end the call because we weren't sure when we'd get to talk again. I tried to convince myself the break would do us good. It wasn't working. I was a modern girl. I knew I didn't need a man, but life was more fun with Chance around.
I enjoyed a leisurely morning, reviewing my notes for the Cassie interview. It felt like this interview was a turning point. I was working very hard to visualize a positive outcome. After breakfast in my hotel, I packed up, checked out, and pointed the rental toward the Far Horizons Ranch.
On the drive, I replayed my plan. I kept reminding myself that for today I was Maggie Jarvis, freelance reporter. The ranch gate was impressive, but in the middle of nowhere. I pulled in and stopped. As promised, I sent a text message to Chance saying I was at the ranch and would text when the interview was over. Cassie's instructions said to follow the road and stop at the first house I came to. She warned me that it was a longer drive than I'd expect, and she was right. Worry was seeping into the cracks in my calmness, when I saw a small ranch house. I parked between an old pickup truck and an ATV. It wasn't our agreed protocol, but I sent another text to Chance. Now that I was here, this seemed like a crazy idea.
An older woman came out the front door and waved to me, putting an end to my reverie. I followed the walk to the front door. "Hello. I'm Maggie Jarvis. I have a meeting with Cassie Dickenson." This woman seemed harmless, but I reminded myself she could be associated with the people who tried to kill Chance, Tom, and me. It was hard to imagine she would knowingly be involved in anything illegal.
"Hi, Maggie. I'm Helen Dickenson, Cassie's mother-in-law. She told us you were coming. Come on in. She's on her way."
"Do Jared and Cassie live nearby?" I followed her into a comfortable living room with well-used furniture.
"Their house is here on the ranch, but as you probably already noticed, we're pretty spread out here. Have a seat. Cassie should be here any minute. Can I get you something to drink?"
"I'm fine, thanks." Appearing friendly but keeping my guard up was harder than I imagined.
Just as the silence was getting a little uncomfortable, the door opened, and a young woman walked in. She gave Helen a hug, before walking over to me. "Hi, Maggie. I'm Cassie Dickenson. Thanks for being my welcoming committee, Mom. Jared called just as I was about to head out."
"You're welcome to talk here if you like," Helen said.
"Thanks, Mom. I thought we'd go back to the house. I'm expecting some messages about our next assignment."
"When are you heading out again," the elder Mrs. Dickenson asked.
"Not sure yet. Jared and Greg are prioritizing. We'll see what ends up on top of the pile."
"If you want to follow me, we'll go to the house and get comfortable so we can talk. Don't be surprised at how far it is. It'll take almost half an hour," she said as we walked out of the house.
"It was nice to meet you Mrs. Dickenson. Cassie, I thought you lived on the ranch."
"We do. It's a big ranch. Just follow me."
I pulled out and followed Cassie's car. I was glad I still had cell service. I knew Jared would be heading into the woods with his clients by now, but I left him a voice message anyway. Cassie was probably a few years older than me and, so far, she seemed nice. I didn't get any bad vibes from her or Helen Dickenson. I was glad Cassie warned me how far it was. My paranoia would have been running wild by the time we got to her house.
I was surprised when she pulled up in front of very modern looking home. Cassie led the way up the stone path to a wooden front door. Inside the house was furnished in a modern comfortable style. It seemed out of place on the ranch.
"How long have you lived here?"
"Jared's lived on the ranch his whole life, but I moved in a few years ago. I think the house is maybe eight years old. It's built out of shipping containers."
I looked around. Now that I knew, I could see the containers. "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would never have guessed. You have a beautiful home."
"I'd like to take credit for that, but it looked pretty much just like this when I moved in. Jared gets all the credit."
"Let's get drinks and sit in the kitchen, if that's OK with you," she said.
I accepted the glass of sweet tea she offered, then wondered if I should worry about poison. It was hard to imagine the bright, bubbly woman being a threat, but then it was just as hard to think of her as a formidable cryptid hunter.