In Deep Trouble, page 9
“You mean, he could hide out like a sniper and pick off cattle like fish in a barrel?” Cecily said.
Derek’s mouth twisted. “Nice image, Sis.”
“They’d stampede at the first shot,” Bryce said. “Although if he was good enough, he could still snag a few. If he was a sniper type, then why start with a butcher job?”
“I’m concerned he could contaminate the water supply. Or spread poisoned feed,” Derek said.
“Doesn’t make sense,” Cecily said. “Why start with one steer? If it’s a warning, a warning about what? Wouldn’t he send a ransom note or list of demands, or something?”
“I agree. Since we have no clue who’s behind this, or why, all we can do is try to prevent it from happening again.” Derek faced Bryce. “We discussed rounding up all the cattle into a single pasture where we can do better surveillance. What do you think?”
“You mean ride herd on ’em all night?” Bryce said. “Take at least three of us.”
“Maybe that’s what this crackpot wants,” Cecily said.
“What do you mean?” Derek narrowed his eyes at his sister.
“If you’ve got all the cattle in one place—and I assume you’d bring them to the nearest pasture—then the guy would have access to any of the other land without being noticed. He could spread his poisoned feed or drop something into the stock tanks, so when you thought the threat was over, he’d have done his damage and be long gone.”
“She does have a point,” Bryce said.
Derek dragged his fingers through his hair. “We can’t patrol the entire ranch perimeter without calling in an army of hands.”
Cecily rose from the couch and rested her hand on Derek’s arm. “What about the other ranchers? We’ve always banded together. I don’t think there are enough cowboys in the county to patrol all the ranchland.”
Bryce shifted his gaze to Derek. Creases furrowed the man’s brow, deep enough to sow a field of hay.
“Anyone have any brilliant ideas? A motive for starters?” Derek said.
“Discrediting the ranch? Casting doubt on the condition of the cattle? That would drive the price down at the very least. At worst, nobody would buy the beef, effectively putting the Triple-D out of business,” Bryce said.
“Thanks for the thought,” Derek muttered.
Bryce shot him an apologetic glance. He’d asked, hadn’t he?
“What’s Randall doing?” Cecily strolled to the window and pulled the draperies aside.
“He says it’s only one steer, and he’s considering it a vicious prank at the moment. He’s already disposed of the carcass.” Derek picked up the phone. “I don’t like being reactive.”
Cecily listened as Derek went through his grapevine list, inviting the local ranchers to the Triple-D for a strategy meeting. From his side of the conversation, she knew some of the ranchers thought Derek was jumping the gun, but most agreed to come over to hash things out. He called Frank and Tim as well. His next call was to Sabrina.
“I know it’s an imposition, but would you be able to come throw some grub together? Nothing fancy. It’ll be after supper, so snack food’s fine.” He smiled, nodded. Was he blushing? “Seven o’clock. Great.”
“What about Grady?” Cecily asked.
“Not sure it’s smart to involve the kid,” Bryce said.
“He’d be another pair of eyes,” she said.
Derek scratched his head. “I’ll think about it. Bryce, if hanging around until seven is easier than going home and coming back, that’s fine.” He glanced toward the clock. “If you want to clean up, or crash until seven, there’s plenty of room upstairs. You can join us for supper.”
“I’ll bring the horses in first,” Bryce said.
“Need some help?” Cecily asked.
“Suit yourself.”
Cecily turned to Derek. “All right if I listen in? I might not be part of the Triple-D anymore, but it’s part of me.”
Derek grinned. “Suit yourself.”
Smartass.
Cecily hurried after Bryce. As they approached the barn, he stopped and held his arm out like a railroad crossing. “What?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”
He raised a forefinger to his lips. Cupped his other hand around his ear, listening. She held her breath. Her heart jumped to her throat. Was their killer inside?
Afraid even to breathe, she strained to hear whatever had alerted Bryce. A voice. Male.
Bryce crept forward, and she grabbed the waistband of his jeans. “Why are you going inside? Shouldn’t you get Derek? Do you have a gun?” she whispered.
Bryce turned to her and his mouth curved in a half-smile. “Listen.”
She paid closer attention to the voice. The cadence didn’t feel right. It wasn’t a conversation, she realized. More like someone giving a speech. They inched toward the doorway, and Bryce stopped her again. From here, she could make out a lone figure, seated with his back against the stall across from Ginger’s. Grady? It wasn’t a speech. He was reading. To Ginger?
Bryce’s brows winged upward. He started toward Grady.
Cecily held him back. “We shouldn’t sneak up on him. It would embarrass him, I’m sure.” She coughed. Raised her voice. “Bryce. Wait up. Let me get the ropes.”
Grady’s voice went silent. He jumped to his feet, brushing dirt and hay from the seat of his jeans. He held one hand behind him, hiding the book he’d been reading from.
“Hi, Grady.” Cecily gave him a wide grin. “I didn’t expect to see you here. We’re going to round up the horses, bring them in for the night.”
“Might as well tag along,” Bryce said. “See how it’s done.”
Grady gave his customary shrug.
Cecily got a coil of rope from a peg on the wall. “Grady, would you open the stall doors, please.”
He complied, then eyed the rope Cecily carried. “You going to rope them to get them inside?”
She hid a quiet laugh. “No, it’s to urge them along. They know the drill.”
Bryce gave a low whistle and a couple of clucks. Cecily opened the gate. She slapped the rope on her thigh. Zephyr whinnied, tossed his head, as if to say Time to go inside, everyone, and the horses walked calmly toward the barn.
Cecily kept an eye on Grady, who was keeping his distance, but seemed intrigued by the way the horses knew what to do. She called out their names as they moseyed along. “The black is Zephyr, Derek’s favorite. He thinks because Derek is the boss, that makes him the alpha horse. Shadow’s the gray, and Buck is the chestnut. The paint is Rio. Then there’s Ranger, Pumpkin, Elmer and Shiloh.”
Grady’s expression grew wary.
Cecily laughed. “Don’t worry. There’s not going to be a quiz. You’ll learn who’s who soon enough.”
Once in the barn, the horses made for their respective stalls. Bryce motioned to Grady. “Start at the back left and close the doors. Make sure they’re latched.”
If Grady could have done the work with a ten-foot pole, Cecily was positive he’d have been happier, but the horses were already munching away and paid him little mind. By the time he’d closed the fourth stall, Grady’s movements were almost confident.
“Good job,” she said. “If you don’t mind my asking, what were you reading before?”
Grady ducked his head, gave another shrug, and pulled a well-worn paperback out of his jeans pocket, holding it so she could see the cover. The Big Sleep. “When I came into the barn, Ginger was restless. Talking seemed to calm her down, but I didn’t have much to say, so I started reading. She seemed to like it. When I stopped, she got antsy again, so I kept going.”
“That shows excellent sense.” Cecily was going to ask why Grady had come to the barn in the first place, but decided it didn’t matter. He’d be too embarrassed to say he was taking a liking to Ginger.
“Good move, “Bryce said. “They like music, too. There’s a CD player in the tack room.”
Grady’s eyes lit up. “Do they like Iron Maiden?”
“Not on your life. Classical. CDs are with the player.” Bryce stepped into Ginger’s stall.
Cecily followed. “You think something spooked her? Or was she in pain?”
Bryce ran his hands along her neck, down her back and legs. “Nothing’s hot, and she’s not twitchy.” He lowered his voice. “Maybe she was letting Grady know she likes him.”
“Either way, it’s a step in the right direction.” Cecily turned as a shadow moved across the barn entrance.
“You seen Grady?” Derek strode into the barn. “He isn’t answering the phone.”
Grady spun to face Derek. “I’ve been in here. Is that all right? Or am I supposed to stay in my room?”
Was there more than typical teenage defiance in his tone? Was he truly angry?
Derek halted, seeming to ignore the boy’s attitude. “No, you’re not restricted to quarters when you’re off duty. I wanted to invite you to join us at the house for supper. Afterward, we’re having a ranchers’ meeting to talk about the dead cattle. You can sit in.”
Grady’s jaw dropped. “There were others?”
The boy’s expression held something beyond curiosity or concern. Fear?
“One so far,” Derek said. “Supper’s almost ready.” He nodded to Bryce, then Cecily. “See you at the house.”
Orange sneakers flashing, Grady took off at a rapid trot.
Bryce held Cecily back. Was he going to sneak another kiss? She smiled in anticipation.
“The kid’s hiding something,” he said.
Chapter 14
Grady tried not to break into a full blown run as he made his way to the house. He was wearing sneakers, not boots, but he’d been in the barn, so he toed them off and left them under the bench in the mudroom. Whatever happened, he needed to stay on the good side of Derek and Cecily. He vowed he’d try to be nicer. He’d had plenty of practice with his most recent stepfather.
Don’t ruffle feathers. Don’t make waves. Stay invisible.
He wanted to get to the bathroom, take a minute to think things through in private. When he went into the kitchen, a cute blue-eyed blonde put a pan filled with little brown squares into the oven, then turned and smiled at him. “You must be Grady. I’m Sabrina. I live next door.” She held out a hand. “If you can call three miles away next door.”
He composed his face into what he hoped was a civilized expression and returned the handshake. “Nice to meet you.” He gazed toward the doorway. “Um ... I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Sure.”
She probably thought he was having a bathroom emergency. It was, sort of, but not the normal kind. More of a privacy emergency. Once behind the locked door—at least they had locks on bathrooms around here—he leaned against the counter sucking air. He splashed some cold water on his face, wet a washcloth and held it against the back of his neck.
He stared at his wild-eyed reflection.
Lots of people use knives. Enrique and Xiang couldn’t possibly know you’re here. If they did, they’d have come after you, not cows.
Talk about jumping to conclusions. This was a world record long jump. As in a thirty-footer. Enrique and Xiang had been picked up by the cops a couple days before him. But they had priors, they were older, and the cops had taken them somewhere else. Grady assumed—which was stupid, he knew—they’d been dragged off to jail. They had to be locked up, didn’t they? Or were they out on bail?
Cecily worked for the Sheriff’s Department. Could she find out where Enrique and Xiang were? If he asked, she’d want to know why, and that would mean telling. Maybe even testifying in court. He shoved those thoughts away.
As long as he was here, he used the facilities, tried to make himself presentable, and padded down the hall, through the living room and into the dining room where Sabrina was setting the table.
Be friendly, remember. He tried to give her a nonchalant smile. “Can I help?”
“I’ve got it, but thanks.”
He took a minute to check her out. One thing about this Triple-D gig—it was filled with hot babes. But Sabrina was Derek’s girlfriend, and off limits.
She arranged silverware and napkins. “You can get the lemonade. If you want anything different, you can serve yourself.”
Grady fetched the pitcher of lemonade from the fridge, and a glass of milk for himself.
Derek strolled through the kitchen, followed by Cecily and Bryce. Grady caught something in the way Bryce and Cecily exchanged glances and he wrote Cecily off—not that he expected he’d have a chance with her. But a guy could look, right?
Supper was sandwiches, so whatever Sabrina had put into the oven had to be for the ranchers’ meeting Derek said he could come to. Not like there was anything to do in the guesthouse. He wasn’t sure if he should be pleased to be included, or insulted because Derek mentioned it because he wanted to keep an eye on him. He finished his sandwich and milk, nibbled on a few tortilla chips.
“How was your day, Grady?” Sabrina asked. “Are you liking the Triple-D?”
“It’s okay,” he said. What did she want? Him to jump up and down about shoveling shit?
“Where are you from?” she went on.
He answered her questions with the information everyone else already had. If she and Derek were so close, how come she didn’t already know this stuff? Was she supposed to be pumping him, too? He’d inspected all the places Tanya had touched, not seeing anything that looked like a camera or a microphone. With no locked doors, who’s to say someone else hadn’t done that before she’d shown up? Or while he’d been working. Maybe before he’d arrived, even.
You’re being paranoid. Sabrina’s friendly. And she’s cute. And she’s Derek’s girlfriend. You’re supposed to be nice, remember?
He tried for a few smiles and embellished his answers with what he figured she’d want to hear. So what if they were pulled out of his imagination? The way he wished things could have been.
“How are your rooms?” Cecily asked.
“Fine.” If you didn’t mind being all alone a mile from any humans, wondering if Enrique and Xiang or some of their henchmen might show up in the middle of the night.
When Derek suggested Grady stay in the main house in one of the spare bedrooms, he tried not to look too relieved.
“Until we figure out this cattle issue,” Derek explained. “Couple of days ought to do it. Then you can go back and have your privacy.”
“Okay. I’ll get my stuff.” He cleared his dishes and went across the yard for the Gator. Charlie, the ranch mutt, trotted at his heels. “You want to come along?” The dog leaped into the passenger seat and thumped his tail. “Guess so.”
Grady would have preferred a big, mean Rottweiler, but Charlie would do. It took Grady only minutes to pack his clothes and bathroom things. He thought about the strongbox, but figured it was safer here. Or did Derek have a safe at the ranch? He could ask, although if he did, then Derek might ask questions. Nope. He’d leave it here.
At the house, Cecily showed him to a guestroom. She left, but didn’t shut the door. He thought about closing it, but all he was doing was putting his gear away. He took in the room. Much nicer than the cramped one in the guesthouse. A queen-sized bed, topped with a green-and-red plaid spread. Easy chair upholstered in green. Night table with a lamp and a clock. Four drawer chest. Private bath. Towels on the rack, small bottles on the vanity. He lifted one and smiled. Holiday Inn. Another was from a Marriott. Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, mouthwash—a tour of chain hotels.
Rather than deal with people and their questions, he took his time unpacking, hanging up his spare pair of jeans, and folding the shirts he’d stuffed into the duffle in his initial haste to get out of the guesthouse. Like his room there, this one had no entertainment amenities. Grady wondered if Derek would let him watch television while the ranchers talked. Or, better yet, give him access to the Internet. See if there was anything he could find about Enrique and Xiang.
Chapter 15
After showing Grady his room, Cecily sought out Bryce, who tugged her into Derek’s empty study. “I’m still getting hinky vibes from him,” he said.
“Come on, Bryce. He’s a kid caught in a new situation, and not one he’d have chosen for himself. He’s confused and a bit scared, which manifests itself as belligerence. Any teenage boy would be the same way. You saw him at supper. He was trying to interact with adults, probably something he’s not used to doing, especially if he’s been on his own for the last couple of months. What about him reading to Ginger? He showed some good instincts.”
“Why was he in the barn in the first place? You haven’t been around him. He does not feel comfortable around horses. Why would he go there?”
“Maybe he forgot something, and then felt sorry for Ginger. I don’t know. Why not ask him? If he was going to mess with anything, why stick around?”
The doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of the first rancher. Bryce huffed. “We can talk later.”
“Suit yourself,” she said, throwing his words at him as she stomped toward the dining room.
As the ranchers assembled in the dining room, availing themselves of Sabrina’s offerings while they waited for everyone to arrive, Cecily trotted upstairs to Grady’s room. He sat on the bed, reading. She tapped on the jamb. He glanced in her direction and gave his normal response. A shrug.
Cecily took that as an invitation to enter, and stepped inside. “You like to read?” she asked.
Instead of a shrug, she got a grunt and enough of a head bob to assume he meant yes. “Derek’s got books in his study. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you borrowed some.”
“Thanks.” Grady closed the book over a forefinger and gave her a What do you want? look.
“I’d like you to come downstairs. Meet the local ranchers.”
“You want to trot out the poster child for your project, just say so. Sure, I’ll go down and tell them how your horse program has turned my life around. In a day-and-a-half.”
She stepped back as the words hit her like individual slaps across the face. “Grady—”
