High Desert Detective, A Fiona Marlowe Mystery (Fiona Marlowe Mysteries) (2 page)

“Ghosts, plural,” said Rosemary. She leaned in, warming to her
story. “There’s a cross cut into that tree by the bunkhouse. Folks say they
found a human skull and a belt buckle from the 1870s under that tree.”

“What happened to the remains?” Fiona rubbed the goose flesh on
her arms though the day was warm.

“Disappeared.
Nobody knows. But in the
old days when Opal used that bunk house for the ranch hands, they complained of
hearing voices arguing in the wee hours of the morning.
Gunshots
sometimes.”

Fiona frowned. Sharing a house with ghosts was not in her plans.
She wondered again about the wisdom of coming here. Her new duds itched and
that reminded her of what a green horn she was. Her safe, comfortable condo in
Northern Virginia beckoned. No spiders or rats. No creatures that bit or stung.

“Hey,” said Esme, “we’re scaring you. Don’t listen to us. We had
too many beers, and our tongues are loose. You be quiet now, you hear, Rosemary?”

Rosemary grinned. “Fiona’s a big girl. She looks like she can
take care of herself. But if I were you, I’d get me a nice looking buckaroo
like Jake to keep your bed warm at night, keep you safe from ghosts.”

They laughed, and Esme said, “Now you know Suzie wouldn’t like to
hear you talk like that about Jake. You’ll make her jealous.”

“Make her jealous? Ha, she was born green with envy.”

Fiona glanced around. “Who’s Suzie? Jake never mentioned a girl
friend.”

Rosemary shrugged. “Suzie thinks she owns every good looking man
in the valley. Don’t pay attention to her, if you’re sweet on Jake.”

“I’m not sweet on Jake. I hardly know him.”

That wasn’t entirely true, but Fiona was rattled to hear that
Jake might have a sweetheart. They had spent an intense two weeks together last
fall. She hadn’t seen him since. Opal was the one who had nagged her to come
out to re-do her ranch house and what with Fiona’s other high income projects
and the month long trip to Australia, it was June before she hit the high
desert.

Both ladies looked at her and smiled.

“Really, I’m not interested in him in the least.”

“We’ll fix you up with someone else then.
Maybe
Sheriff Hoover.
He’s available.”

Sheriff Hoover strode over to their table as if he’d heard his
name mentioned. He tipped his hat to Fiona.
“Evening.
I hear you are new to these parts. I’ll guard you from the wolves around here.”
He smiled at his little joke.

Fiona wasn’t sure she needed Sheriff Hoover’s protection. He was
tall and lanky with a ready smile in a rugged face. He didn’t look threatening,
but she had always been wary of law enforcement types. She had too many
speeding tickets. There was that problem of the ghosts though.

“Fiona’s curious about Hank Little and his missing wives,” said
Esme.
“Any new developments?”

The Sheriff leaned in. “There’s been bones found in the rubble of
a slash pile burn.”

“No,” said Esme.
“Where?”

“Can’t say right now.
We’re
investigating.”

“Might be more.
There’s a lot of slash
piles up in the mountains.”

Sheriff Hoover pressed his lips tight and shook his head. He
wasn’t sharing any more information.

Esme said, “Fiona here might need your help with the ghosts up at
the bunk house when they start bothering her.”

Sheriff Hoover turned his full attention on Fiona. “I wouldn’t
listen to these two. There are no ghosts in that old place.”

“Yes, there are,” said Rosemary. “Sure as my name is Rosemary
there are. Opal knows about them.”

“You listen to me,” the Sheriff said. “Any time you have ghost
trouble you call me. I’ll come running.” He pulled out a well-stuffed wallet, drew
out a card, and laid it by Fiona’s plate. “My cell phone number is on there.
Don’t hesitate to call.”

He tipped his hat and returned to his rowdy companions.

“Wow,” said Rosemary. “You made a conquest, Fiona. I do believe
the Sheriff’s got eyes for you. Jake’s going to be jealous now.”

“You two are bad,” Fiona said.
 
She picked up the card and studied it. “You never know when I may need
this.” She waggled it in front of them.

“Don’t look now but here comes Jake,” said Esme.

Jake stopped by Fiona’s side. “Are these ladies bothering you?”
asked Jake, addressing Fiona.

“No. They are excellent conversationalists and first rate
gossips.”

“Myself, I wouldn’t believe a word they say. Better be careful.”

She smiled. “I’m always careful.”

That declaration set Rosemary and Esme into gales of laughter. Fiona
found she liked teasing with them. It didn’t take much to amuse these gals.

“If you’re afraid,” Jake said, “I’ll be glad to walk you up the
knoll to your new home when you are ready to leave. But you won’t want to leave
yet. The dancing should start soon.”

Rosemary and Esme grinned.

“You are brave, Fiona,
staying up there by yourself,” Rosemary said. “I think you should take Jake up
on his offer. Remember what we told you.”

Fiona smiled. “You gals can come visit me and the ghosts anytime.”

* * * * *

Jake liked the feel of Fiona in his arms. It had been too long.
As a matter of fact, the times he had held her in his arms he could count on
one hand. He had waited long enough for her to decide to come out here. She
sure had a mind of her own.

They moved easily around Opal’s huge living room. They had pushed
the furniture to the walls when the dancing began. That was two hours ago.
Fiona had caught on to the two-step fast, but then again she had a natural
grace about her that he found only too attractive. He wanted to monopolize her,
but other gents were always butting in, especially Hoover.
Not
that he didn’t like Hoover.
He was an old friend. But he was feeling a
little threatened with all the attention to Fiona, and he contemplated taking
Hoover aside and telling him to butt out. Not that he had any claims on Fiona,
and therein laid his hesitation.

He wondered if Fiona were enjoying herself. He sure was now that
she was finally in his arms. How he was going to get her into his bed was another
matter. So far she had managed to repel all his suggestions and advances. Maybe
he should just throw her over his shoulder and waltz her off to his room.

“Who’s that woman dancing with Hoover?” Fiona asked as they
circled the floor.

There was a good crowd on the dance floor with sparse groups of
people on the sidelines huddled in conversation.

“Where?” asked Jake, looking over his shoulder in the direction
of Fiona’s gaze. He frowned. “That’s Suzie Parker.” He turned them in another
direction and headed away from Suzie and Hoover.

“She keeps looking over here.”

“Let her look. No harm in that.”

“I heard she’s your girlfriend.”

Jake missed his footing and stumbled but quickly recovered and
kept them turning around the floor. “She’s not my girlfriend. Where’d you hear
that? Don’t tell me.
Rosemary and Esme.”

Fiona smiled. “You never mentioned anything about her.”

“Wasn’t anything to mention.” He looked into Fiona’s beautiful,
dark eyes. Was she teasing him or could it be possible that she was a little
bit jealous? “Besides, when did we ever talk about anything personal back in
Virginia? We were always chasing or running from someone.”

She smiled again, one of those soft, sexy smiles. Was she
flirting with him or wasn’t she?

 
“That’s true,” she said. “I’m
just giving you a bad time, Jake.
Just a little fun.
She is pretty though. I could understand you’d be interested in such a lovely
little thing.”

The dance ended, and Jake reluctantly released his hold on Fiona.
“You’re the one I’m interested in. I like tall, willowy women.” He held her
gaze. She didn’t say anymore, and those mysterious eyes said even less.

“I could use something to drink,” she said, breaking the spell he
thought was beginning to weave around them.

“I bet you want wine.”

She smiled.

“Okay, let’s scare some up.”

He pulled her toward the kitchen where he figured Opal might have
a few bottles sitting out. This was a beer and whiskey crowd, but Opal was
always accommodating. In the kitchen, which was rather an understatement as it
ran half the length of the house and included the long dining table where the
picnic had been laid out, some partiers sat at one end of the table talking.
There was a pinochle game going on at the other end. Opal and some of the other
ladies, mostly nieces leaned against the island counter.

“Got any wine for Fiona?” he asked Opal.

“Sure do. There’s a bottle of red and a bottle of white down at
the end of the counter.
Should be glasses there, too.”
She indicated with a point of her chin.

“Are you having a good time, Fiona?” she asked.

“The best.
Everyone’s been very nice.”

“Of course,” Opal said. “We’re nice folk all around. You got
yourself a nice dance partner there, too. You help yourself to the wine.”

Opal had been encouraging Jake and Fiona to hook up since they
met in Virginia. He appreciated her encouragement, but it didn’t seem to be
working with the unfathomable Ms. Marlowe.

“Red wine?” said Jake, holding up a bottle of Oregon’s finest.
Fiona nodded, and he tipped a good pour into a gigantic wine glass painted with
sunflowers.

“Nice touch, the sunflowers,” said Fiona, taking a sip from the
glass.

“A local artist does those for wine tastings. Opal collects
them.”

“I didn’t know Opal was a connoisseur of wine.”

“She’s not, but she’s not opposed. She’ll lift a glass every now
and again but her drink is whisky. She swears by a pour on her cereal in the
morning.”

“She doesn’t.”

Jake laughed. “I’m kidding. But she does like her whiskey.”

“She’s an amazing woman, given her age.”

“Her mind’s pretty good, too. Although she seems to be slipping
since Albert died. I hope she has everything in order. I’d hate to be the one
to unravel the holdings of this ranch.”

Out of nowhere, Suzie came up to them and slipped her arm through
Jake’s. “I thought you’d never get off that dance floor, Jake, honey. “ She
smiled at Fiona. “I’m Suzie Parker. I understand you’re the new girl in town.”

“I guess. My name’s Fiona.”

Suzie’s smile was one of her weaker efforts. “Opal says you’re
going to remodel her house.”

“That’s the plan, if Opal will ever sit still so we can discuss
what she wants done. I’m a designer not a remodeler. I do the design, someone
else does the work.”

Jake shrugged out of Suzie’s grip. “Let’s walk outside, Fiona.
It’s a pretty night.”

“I’ll join you,” said Suzie.

“You two go on,” said Fiona. “I need to take a trip to the powder
room. Catch up with you later.”

Jake watched the love of his life walk away and sighed.

“Such a big sigh,” said Suzie. “She’s tall, isn’t she? How about
we take in that pretty night, big guy? I haven’t had a chance to talk to you in
a while. Have you been avoiding me?”

* * * * *

Opal watched the interplay between Jake, Suzie and Fiona. She
didn’t dislike Suzie. She’d known her all her life. But she was a real man hog
and that got tiresome. Her nieces had a lot to say about Suzie stealing
boyfriends if given half a chance. The girl must have some psychological
deficiency that was beyond Opal’s ability to understand.

The nieces, who were from Henry’s side of the family, were
chattering on, something about Suzie. But Opal’s mind couldn’t stay interested.
Lately, she’d been forgetting things. Even she noticed, let alone the people
who told her about it. She had a weariness in her bones she couldn’t shake. She
should get her will updated, get things tidied up legally. She wasn’t getting
any younger. But she had no children, and Henry had long since passed away. All
the nieces and nephews on Henry’s side were waiting to fight over the place and
tear it to pieces. She wished she had someone to leave the whole operation to
who would keep it intact, run a good ranch,
keep
up
what she had worked so hard to build.
 
She had been thinking a lot lately about Jake
taking it over. He could run the ranch. He loved it like she did. But he wasn’t
kin, and she knew the nieces and nephews wouldn’t stand for it. So she kept
putting off and putting off what she knew had to be done. She loved her
relations, but, Lord, they could be a trial.

“What’s got you so worried?” asked Tillie, one of the more
aggravating of the nieces.

“I’ve been thinking about the ranch is all,” said Opal. To change
the subject, she said, “Why aren’t you dancing with your hubby?”

“You know perfectly well why I’m not. Damn fool is drunk again.”

“What about Roy?”

“What about him?”

“Are you still seeing him on the side?”

She shrugged.
“When I get a chance.
I got
to have some good time in my life.”

Tillie was tall, thin, and smoked too much. She could use the
money she’d get when Opal was gone, if the ranch were sold off and the proceeds
split among the relations. At least, her relations were still talking to her.
Sometimes they didn’t talk to each other. Tillie was smart, but her life was
hard. Ranch life was always hard. As Henry used to say, “I’ve been a gambler
all my life. I’m a rancher.”

The climate in Harney Valley was harsh and unpredictable. The
high altitude made for a short growing season. Some ranchers were owned by the
banks, and beef and hay prices were often too low when selling or too high when
buying or feeding. It was a rare breed that stayed with ranching full time. The
family ranch was a dying institution. That’s what worried Opal. The younger
ones didn’t seem to have the grit it took anymore to make a go of ranching.
They moved away to the city looking for the jobs this small community couldn’t
provide.