Page 2 of Nothing Stays Buried
When the accidents started to happen, I figured someone was trying to make us sell up at a massive loss and leave the ranch, but lately, I’ve seen things that would make your hair curl. The sheriff has been out and found nothing unusual. I figure he believes I have an overactive imagination.
Hopefully, the problem will be resolved by the time you read this, but be aware, people are not who they seem.
* * *
Your loving father,
* * *
Christopher Lawson
Convinced his parents had been murdered, Jenna promised to look into the cold case. Finally, she’d tied up a few loose ends with the serial killer murders that had occurred in Black Rock Falls during spring. Time had moved swiftly. To everyone’s surprise, summer weather had arrived a month early and the landscape had bloomed in all its glory in June. It was hard to believe her son Jackson would be turning two on the Fourth of July. Also intrigued by the Lawson case, Carter had moved into the grand old ranch house with Rhett to spend his vacation time. The FBI IT specialist Bobby Kalo, the youngest member of the team, would be along later. Having a chopper at their disposal, Rhett and Carter planned to search the entire spread for anything that might point toward a reason for murder. The ranch had been well managed by Ed Bowman in the twenty-two years since Rhett’s parents’ deaths. Bowman was the cow boss during the time of his parents. There were other old-timers at the ranch. Josh Greenwood and Dirk Lovall had been there for over twenty years. All these men were under fifty and more than capable of continuing to make Rhett a profit.
Rhett wanted to pursue a career as a children’s advocate, after being raised in foster care. He’d decided to leave Bowman to run the ranch and had hired a housekeeper and cleaners to keep the big house maintained. The house hadn’t been occupied since his parents’ deaths and having someone else living in the house with him made him feel more comfortable, as no one was sure if a threat still existed.
As Julie wouldn’t be starting her new job until September, the same time as Rhett, she’d moved into the house to keep him company and help him buy everything he needed to bring the old house up to date. The staff had their own quarters, and Rhett had complained about rattling around the house alone and had an open invitation for guests. As they drove away from the firing range, Jenna turned in her seat to look at Rhett. “Has there been anything for you to worry about since you moved in?”
“Not really. Most times, the hands just ignore me.” Rhett pushed a hand through his thick black hair and smiled at her. “They consider Bowman as the boss. I don’t figure half of them even know I’m the owner. I’m just a pesky guy with the tats and Harley who doesn’t fit in with the cowboy crowd. I don’t figure Ty will have that problem.”
“It’s probably better they leave you on your lonesome.” Carter removed his hat, smoothed his untidy collar-length blond-streaked hair, and grinned around his toothpick. “They might see you as a threat—to most of them, you come from the big city. You likely talk too fast and things run at a little slower pace around these parts.”
“As long as they don’t try to kill me, I don’t care.” Rhett blew out a sigh. “I found another safe at the house. It was tucked away in the back of my parents’ dressing room. I haven’t figured out the combination yet and I can’t find it written down anywhere. I’m hoping when I eventually get it opened that my dad left a few clues in there for me.”
Jenna turned back in her seat and looked at Kane. “I’ve seen you open all sorts of things. How are you at safecracking?”
“I guess we’re gonna find out.”
Two
Sunlight spread across the landscape and the drive to Rhett’s ranch was incredibly beautiful. On one side of the highway, Stanton Forest led to a mountain range, and above, the cloudless blue sky went on forever. The spring rains had turned everything into a rich green and the pastures in the lowlands were lush. Every tree they passed was wearing its summer best and all alongside the road and throughout the lowland pastures, wildflowers spread out like a patchwork quilt. Jenna and Kane with their sons, Tauri and Jackson, arrived at Rhett’s ranch a little before ten-thirty. Carter came out immediately to help Kane unload the horses, and Jenna took her sons and made her way up the steps and into the grand foyer of a massive ranch house. She gaped at the intricately carved wooden panels, the magnificent staircase, and the oil paintings gracing the walls.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Julie greeted her with Rhett hurrying to her side. “I wish I could stay here forever. I’ve never had so much room to move around before. Do you want me to give you the tour?”
Jenna smiled. “Maybe later when we come back. Dave and Ty are waiting outside. The kids are anxious to go riding. I’ve never taken them to a ranch this size before.” She looked at Rhett. “This house is beautiful. I didn’t even know it existed. I noticed many other buildings around the area. Are they as splendid as this one?”
“Actually, I haven’t been inside all of them as the ranch staff occupy them. I believe it would be an invasion of privacy and I don’t want to upset them. This house is overwhelming for me, but Julie has been wonderful.” Rhett gave Julie a squeeze. “She’s been making a ton of changes around here and bringing everything up to date. The house is in great shape, but when I arrived everything was over twenty years old. Now we have TV and satellite Wi-Fi.” He looked at Jackson and Tauri. “The kids will be fine. The place had antiques all over, but we’ve moved them into a spare room.”
Jenna smiled. “I’ll keep them close. I figure they’d get lost here. The house is much bigger than I envisaged.”
“Are we going riding soon?” Tauri looked at her. “Dad said they have cows and bison. I’d like to see them.”
“They’re all over. I promise you won’t miss anything.” Rhett smiled at him. “We’re ready to go if you are?” Julie grabbed the food. “I’ll go and get the horses. Meet you round the front.” He turned on his heel and headed along the passageway.
Jenna took the boys outside and they mounted their horses. Kane took Jackson and placed him before him on the saddle. He went a little ahead with the children, and Jenna rode beside Rhett. “You’ve been here for a few weeks now. What’s the lay of the land like?”
“It’s a very busy working ranch and people are coming and going all the time.” Rhett stared into the distance. “They employed twenty or so people last week. The place is filled with seasonal hands, so it is difficult to figure out who is here permanently. I know there’s a big staff most of the year, but around this time, they’re not only managing the cattle and bison but also cutting hay for winter.”
Jenna nodded. “So nothing weird is happening?”
“Not than I can see—well, apart from a few side-eyes from the hands.” Rhett frowned. “They shake their heads and roll their eyes when they see me. I’m not a good fit for a cattle ranch and I know that.”
Looking at the fresh-from-graduating-UM young man, she had to admit, the bad-boy biker image did look out of place. Jenna smiled. “Well, this a Western county. Maybe it would help if you went into town with Carter to buy yourself a few pairs of Wranglers, a cowboy hat, and some boots. He’ll be able to advise you.”
“Yeah, Ty said the same thing and I’m trying to understand the way of things here.” He narrowed his gaze. “I have a ton of records from when my dad was in charge. I’ve started wading through them, but there’s so much paperwork. It’s almost impossible.”
Looking ahead, Jenna could see Kane with Jackson seated in front of him, and Tauri riding between him and Carter. Tauri rode well. They’d been taking him out often over the weekends and their good friend and relative, through Tauri, Atohi Blackhawk had been taking him trail riding into the forest since he turned five. She turned her attention back to Rhett. “Carter mentioned he planned to do an aerial survey of the ranch. How did that go?”
“Yeah, I went up in the chopper with Ty and noticed many patches of freshly toiled earth. When I came back to the ranch I asked Bowman about them, and he said that they bury dead cattle where they fall. They have a ton of tractors and other machinery at their disposal. Apparently, it’s easier to bury them where they drop rather than try and drag them back to a burial area or whatever. Once they’ve laid in the field for a few days, which is usually the time it takes to discover them, they’re no good for anything.”
