The Ranch

A woman with brunette hair falling to just below her shoulders was washing down a horse as they approached the stable. "Hey, Matthews," John announced their presence. "How's it going?"

The startled woman jumped and the horse gave a short nicker as it moved away from her then let out a snort. "Sar-," she began. "You startled me, boss. It's alright Daisy. I'm sorry, girl. I didn't mean to make you jumpy. Come here, you wonderful girl." Matthews began petting and hugging the horse and even leaned in and kissed its neck. In return the horse wrapped his neck around the torso of the woman before calmly standing again for the wash down.

"You sure seem to love your horse," Lisa interrupted.

"She and I have been together for quite a while."

"I can tell that you are very skilled with her."

John didn't address that issue. He knew that Mathews was skilled in all sorts of things, including being an expert in quite a few firearms, as well as being a technical whiz, and communication devices. "Matthews, this is Lisa Nelson. Lisa, Susan Matthews," he finally introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you Miss Matthews," Lisa greeted.

"You can call me Susan," Came the reply. "Can I call you Lisa?"

"Sure."

"Where's Reynolds at?" asked John.

"He's in the storage area in the stable with Huey," Susan said without thinking. John winced at the nickname that had been given to Ryan Jackman. It wasn't something he wanted the Nelson family to know about. "He's trying to get it cleaned up and everything sorted. He said he would have had it finished by now except he had some kind of building project he had to do first."

"Yes," John agreed. "The new corral does look nice."

"Except for the posts," Susan complained. "They stick up way too far."

"Did he say why he did that?"

"Gas lines, water lines, electrical lines. He didn't want to go very deep until he knew for sure where everything is. Those poles won't hold if there is something really mean going on, but they're okay far now."

"It shouldn't be a problem," Lisa remarked. "It's in the same place the old corral was."

"I'll talk to him about it and see when we might be able to get them in proper," John said. He started moving his horse towards the stable. The first thing he had to do was get Charger in a stall and brushed down, then leave him some food and water before he took care of any of his own needs. Lisa followed in order to do the same with Demon.

After telling Jake Reynolds that he was going to get a shower and that he would want to see him once he was done, John left the stable and made his way to the apartment. Lisa also left and headed to the main house. As she walked across the yard, she looked around her at all the activity. She had met Susan Matthews and she could see that there was a second woman out where the old bunkhouse used to be with four guys piling up the old wood and materials in a couple of neat piles. She hadn't seen the place this active since before the fire seven years earlier. And it was obvious that all of the people, including the woman, a blond with long hair, could hold up their end in any given situation. She was going to have to apologize to Nancy sometime later, but she was sure that she needed to wait until whatever else was going on with John Turlow and company was finished before she did so.

It was an hour later when Jake entered the apartment to face his boss. The two sat down and John handed him a cola from his fridge. "The corral," John began. "Any idea when you can sink those poles to the right depth?"

"Electrical has been out here and approved everything, but gas and water still has to make an appearance. They should be here sometime this week."

"Good. It shouldn't be anything to worry about. The old corral was set up in the same place. I wonder why they tore it down."

"Don't know," Jake replied. "I gotta admit I didn't ask, either. Sarah didn't say anything about it."

"Oh, it's Sarah, now, is it?"

"She asked me to call her that on Wednesday."

"What about Roy? Has he been out here?"

"Every day. He sure is ticked at you, Sarge."

"Boss," John reminded him.

"Sorry. Right, boss. Anyway, he's ready to tear you a new one after you taking Lisa along for that little adventure."

"First, I didn't take her along; I rode out by myself. Second, nothing untoward was going to happen between us, so there wasn't anything to worry about. And three, I'm sure I can take him if it ever came down to it." Jake chuckled. He knew his boss very well and he, too, was certain that Roy would end up with the short end of the stick in a fight. "Tomorrow is Sunday. I don't know if the Nelson family will be going back to church or not after what happened last weekend. But I'm sure that Sarah will want to do something."

"I'm pretty sure she isn't, boss. That preacher you told me about came out here on Tuesday trying to apologize and Sarah lit in to him like lightning. I thought I was going to have to rescue the poor soul the way she was going. You might be able to hold your own against the sheriff, but I think that woman would beat you to a pulp."

"I think so to."

"Boss," Jake finally was ready to broach the subject that had been on his mind all week. "I don't mean to be critical, but, you know, the ranch isn't our job here."

"No," John answered him. "But we have to seem like it is and that means doing the work that we would be doing if it was."

"Once this is over, we're all going to be gone. That's going to cause a lot of heartache when we leave and this place goes back on the market."

"It isn't going back on the market."

"What?"

"I actually bought the place, Jake. I mean for real. This is my last case for CID. I'm getting out after it's over and coming back here to run the ranch."

"So, in the meantime, why not use us all as cheap labor. Is that it?"

"No. While it is nice of all of you to help out with what has to be done to get this place operational again, it really is a matter of fact that we have to look the part that we're playing."

"When do we get down to the real job?"

"We do that at the same time, Jake. But we still have to look real and we have to be careful not to get anyone hurt."

"Alright, boss. I'll go along."

"Good! Now about that other job, did Johnson get in?"

"Yeah. Steve reported in yesterday that they accepted him into their little gang. In fact, he already made a run with them. He got some pictures, too."

"I'll bet the run was on Thursday, wasn't it?'

"How'd you know?"

"If it was any other time, we probably would have been close enough to hear them as they passed over our land."

"They're using your land to get the guns out?"

"It would seem so. We found a path that trucks could drive through the field to get from the warehouse to the road on the other side of our property."

"Steve did mention that they started out going over land instead of roads. I hadn't thought of them using the ranch property, though. That's messed up. Anyway, he also said that there is a problem. It seems that the gang has someone on the inside at the sheriff's office. They know that the feds got all the evidence and files on the fire."

"Great!" John exclaimed. "We'll have to be extra careful until we know who it is. Or at least until we know for sure that it isn't Roy."

"You really think the sheriff would be caught up with them?"

"No. But we don't assume anything. We might conjecture, but we always confirm before we act to be sure we got the right person."

"You're right, boss."

"Did the files come in yet on the background checks?"

Jake whipped a sheet that had been covering the table off. Now no longer hidden, there were three piles of files on it.

"That's a lot of files," John said.

"Yes, it is. You said anyone associated with the people you mentioned. I've arranged the files in three different sets. Pile one is the Nelson family and all known associates. Pile two is the Evans' and all known associates. Pile three includes files on persons known by both."

"Lamar Westfall," John decided where to start.

Jake went through the third pile and found the file. "Once the foreman for the ranch, he now works at the warehouse for the Evans' family. Before working there, he seemed to be a good guy. Nothing in his records to suggest any criminal behavior. But since going to the warehouse, he has had a few run-ins with the law. Most of it is inconsequential, but there were a couple of charges of assault with intent. And they weren't just incidents of things getting out of hand at a bar. He seems to have targeted the persons that he got in trouble over. Boss, one of them was Mark Nelson."

"I was afraid you would say something like that. Was he around anywhere near when the old man ran off the road?"

"No. He was out of town at the time. Do you suspect foul play in that accident?"

"I do now," John answered. "According to Lisa, there is no way that he would have cooperated with the Evans gang and let them use his property. The old man wouldn't have bothered checking on any of the land, but everything seems awful neat. It could also be that one of the people he was blackmailing took him out. There're just too many questions to rule anything out, yet. Get us a copy of the police report on it and see what it says."

"Sure thing. You want the feds to handle getting it again?"

"Yes. We need to maintain our anonymity. Do you have anything on Marie Nelson?"

"It's Marie Garner now," Jake answered while selecting the file. "My understanding is that she was born Marie Cox, and married Roy, but divorced him about six years ago and she has since married a guy named Samuel Garner. Get this, boss. She married the guy just three months after leaving Roy."

"You're making a conjecture that she was seeing her present husband while she was still married to Roy?"

"Yes, but that has not been confirmed."

John chuckled at his response. "What was the reason given in the divorce?"

"Irreconcilable differences."

"That's not very helpful. Lisa said that she lives in Des Moines now. We need to send someone to talk to her. Send Shelby. She'll be more likely to get information out of her. We need to know what her true reasons were for the divorce. We need to know what her perspective was on Sarah Nelson, Roy Nelson and Lisa Nelson. What was her feelings about the Evans family? I told you the story about the rape. Did she know about it? What did she think of it if she did? I should have had you get the report on that while you were at it. My fault that I didn't think of it."

"But I did. When you told me about it Monday, I added it to the list of things we needed."

"Good. Anything in there that would help?"

"It was pretty cut and dry. Sarah was using a recorder at the time to take notes on a homework assignment, and she actually got the whole thing on tape. Sean Evans definitely raped her and was pulled off her by Britney Evans. With that tape in evidence, it didn't take the jury long to convict."

"It's nice to have something confirmed. Let's find out what else we can. Give me some time to read through all these files and we'll talk more."

"You got it, boss. Should be about time for dinner," Jake announced as he got up to leave.

"Wait a minute," John interrupted. "Did we get any confirmation on who is in those photos that Johnson took?"

"Yeah. The Evans' were there, of course and a man named Akbar Solvina. He's from Egypt, but was buying for someone in Afghanistan. There was also a woman there. Senator Sabrina Myers. It seems the deal was taking place on her property. She seems to have offered it as some kind of thank you, although they also gave her money. Perhaps a finder's fee? But nothing confirmed on all of that except the identifications. There were several other guys there that came with the Evans', and a truck driver that came with Solvina and Myers."

John sighed. He had read through the ledger of Mark's blackmail payments and knew that the Senator was one of the people on the list.

It was Tuesday before the report on Mark Nelson's accident got to the ranch. By then, John had read all the files and had an idea about what was what. As he thought, there was no evidence that Sarah Nelson had any idea about the body in the fire. It seemed equally obvious that she didn't know of her husband's blackmailing activities. If so, she would have continued doing so and would not have been in trouble financially for the ranch. Lisa was as in the dark about everything as her mother. She didn't have any signs of extra money showing up anywhere. The big question then became who killed Sean Evans. Neither Jeremiah nor Lisa had had the opportunity. Mark was at the bar and just as drunk as ever. It was certain that if he had tried to do such a thing, he couldn't have got the job done in such a state. Sarah was unavailable for the task as she had been at the country club all afternoon decorating for the fundraiser. She left there at three-thirty to go home, picking up Mark on the way, clean up and get dressed for the fundraiser itself, leaving there, as she said about five-o' clock to take Lisa to her friend, Nancy Wright's house. Roy Nelson had also been at the club all day preparing for the fundraiser, as was Marie Nelson.

Sean's record showed that there were quite a few that might want revenge. His exit from prison had happened eight years earlier. But none of those individuals in the area where he was killed had opportunity. John was confused as to a motive for anyone else.

Then the report came of Mark Nelson's accident. He read it carefully and was almost as confused as with the Evans' killing. It hadn't been an accident. He was sure that Roy would know about the fact that Sean had been killed and his body left in the stable to be burnt up in the fire. He was just as sure that he would have the knowledge of the holes in the car Mark had been driving that showed he had been shot at several times. There were even a few rounds recovered. The comparison of the rounds was what was confusing. They were the same 5.56 rounds that had killed Sean Evans and had been fired from the same weapon. Who would want both men dead?

It wasn't until Wednesday that SPC. Diane Shelby returned to the ranch. It had taken her two days to get the ex-Mrs. Nelson to trust her and talk to her. She had the interview on tape for John to listen to so he could draw his own conclusions.

"What was your sense of her, Shelby?" John asked as she handed him the tape.

"She still loves the sheriff. It took me two days to convince her that I was who I said I was and not some reporter trying to ruin the sheriff. But she was very forthcoming when we got down to it. I gotta admit, sarge. I feel sorry for this family. They've had more than their fair share of hardship."

"We're not here to coddle them, Specialist."

"I know sarge. It's just, well, this last generation has had it pretty bad."

"I'll take that under advisement," John said as he set up the player.

"Sarge, do you know about the row that happened between Lisa and her uncle?"

"What row?"

"He didn't like her going off with you on that field trip."

"I would expect not. He seems to be rather protective of her."

"He was really giving it to her. It was all about how she shouldn't trust you. But she gave it back too."

"Oh?"

"He was trying to say that you would want to have your way with her, if you know what I mean."

"I do understand the old euphemism."

"She started off reminding him that she's twenty-one years old and then asked if he really thought she was still a virgin. Then she admitted that she has had sex, although only with a couple of guys and not very often."

"I bet that didn't go over too well."

"He seemed to be flabbergasted. He couldn't even think what to say. She continued that she knows how to take care of herself and stop a guy from doing anything when she doesn't want to do so."

"That's probably true," John agreed. "But there are exceptions. Some just won't take no for an answer. That leads to rape, and you can't always beat back the perpetrator."

"Anyway, she told Roy that it wasn't necessary since you weren't about to try to do anything with her. Then Roy found his voice and asked if you were gay."

John eyes went wide, then he broke out laughing. "What did she say?"

"She said that she didn't know. But it got me to thinking. I've never seen you go out with anyone. Neither has Susan and she's been here longer than anyone other than Sargent Reynolds and Huey."

"Are you asking if I'm gay or not?"

"I know we're not supposed to, but I can't help but wonder."

After some thought John finally spoke. "If you are asking because of some interest in me, you need to realize that nothing will happen between us. You are a good person, Specialist Shelby, but I don't have those kinds of feelings for you."

"I didn't mean that, Sargent. I was just curious. I won't ask again." She started to leave.

"Specialist. I most definitely am not gay. Just so you know. I simply choose not to compromise my position as NCOIC of this squad by making stupid mistakes."

Shelby left having the answer to the question that had been on not just her mind. John hit the play button on the recorder.

"This is specialist Diane Shelby, U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division. The date is two four April two zero one eight and I am interviewing Mrs. Marie Garner. Mrs. Garner, please introduce yourself and acknowledge the fact that this is being recorded with your consent.

"This is Marie Garner and I am aware that this conversation is being recorded. I have given my consent for this."

"Would you reiterate what you said earlier when I told you what I was here for?"

"You said that you wanted to ask me about Roy Nelson. I told you that Roy is a good man and you better not try to get rid of him."

"You used to be married to him. It sounds as if you still have some strong feelings for him."

"Well, yes. I guess it would be fair to say that."

"Do you still love him?"

"Not as I once did, but yes. He's a decent man and a good sheriff. I don't want you hurting him."

"You trust him as sheriff?"

"Of course. You see all these movies that talk about cops that are on the take. Not Roy. He wouldn't let that happen. If there was something going on that would cause him to be compromised, he'd resign first. That's the thing about him. He has a job to do, and he'll do it, and do it right. The only place I could find any fault with him is in the area of love. He's good in law enforcement, but he's not so good at love. At least not in loving the right woman."

"What do you mean? Did he cheat on you?"

"It's not exactly like that, Specialist Shelby. I just mean he was in love with someone other than me. He wouldn't let it get out of hand, though. At least not more than maybe the one time."

"Can you elaborate?"

"I don't think I should."

"Your divorce decree declared that you had irreconcilable differences. What was the real reason that you divorced?"

"I don't think that needs to be discussed."

"Was it because you caught him cheating with someone?"

"No! I told you he wasn't like that."

"But he was in love with someone else. Who was that?"

"It doesn't matter who. And I won't have you saying bad things about her either. She's had a bad time of it herself."

"Mrs. Garner, I need to know the answer to these questions. I need to know if he has done something that could cause him trouble. I need to know because my boss needs to know."

"Why? What does the Army have to do with anything in Ringgold County?"

"Because there's something going on there, and we need to know who we can trust and who we can't. There's a lot more to it than that, but that's at the heart of it. Please answer the question."

"I can tell you right now that you can trust Roy."