Chapter 8
Eight
Josh Greenwood might have been a hell-raiser in his time, but Jenna found him soft-spoken and almost eager to answer their questions.
Greenwood had given them a tour of the massive stables, which covered three large buildings.
The day-to-day running of the stables interested Jenna and the smell was comforting.
The scent of horses, leather, and manure made her relax.
She always enjoyed working beside Kane in their own stables.
It was never a chore. Here, the horses not used for work spent their time in a corral during the day and were brought in at night, then groomed and fed.
As Kane’s knowledge of horses outweighed her own, he took the lead in the questions.
It interested her to see the way he managed to maneuver the conversation around to what happened to Rhett’s parents.
“Nasty accident.” Greenwood stroked the stubble on his chin and leaned against one of the posts in the middle of the stable.
“Act of God they say.” He stared at his boots for a time.
“Chris Lawson was a really good man, and his wife always made me feel welcome. When I first came here, I was practically destitute. I had a young pregnant wife, no money, and all I knew about was horses. He gave us a place to live, and I worked alongside the head wrangler. He was an old man, but he worked right up until the day he died. It was only a couple of days after Chris and his wife perished in that fire. I’ve always figured that it was the shock of them dying like that that did him in. ”
“How long was it before people noticed they were missing?” Kane absently rubbed the nose of a bay gelding.
“I remember that day very well.” Greenwood straightened and his mouth turned down at the corners as if the memory was painful.
“I saddled their mounts. They had been away for a few hours when a storm rolled in. I’d warned them before they left that it was on the way and they said they would shelter in the fishing cabin if it got too bad.
Seems to me that’s what they did. We reckon it must have been hit by lightning.
Both their horses came back to the stables and we went out searching for them.
By the time we arrived most of the cabin was razed to the ground, with only the front part and one corner remaining. It was a grisly sight.”
Needing more information, Jenna looked at him. “Did anyone call the sheriff?”
“Not that I recall.” Greenwood looked at them and his eyes narrowed.
“We waited until it cooled down. No one could get into that place until the following morning. Everything was red hot. The roof had caved in, but Chris and his wife were up against the front door. It was plain to see. It’s not something I would forget. ”
“So who removed the bodies?” Kane turned away from the horse and looked at him with one eyebrow raised. “Could there have been any chance that they were still alive when you found them?”
“Nope.” Greenwood stared into space as if remembering the horror of the day.
“I’ll never forget the smell. They were just charcoal.
If I recall, someone opened the front door, we loaded them onto a flatbed, and took them to the family cemetery on the hill over yonder.
We didn’t have coffins, but we wrapped what was left of them in blankets and buried them.
I recall Ed Bowman saying a few words over the graves. ”
The story was different than Bowman’s. He’d told them they’d called the paramedics, who removed the bodies. She glanced at Kane and he gave her an imperceptible nod. He’d picked it up too.
“Who opened the door?” Kane looked at him. “If it was unlocked, why didn’t the Lawsons run out?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right.” Greenwood looked at his feet. “The door handle was red hot, and someone went through the back where the wall had collapsed.” He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t really with them. I’m sorry—I’m just telling the story Bowman told me.”
“So the Lawsons aren’t buried on the ranch.” Kane stared at him.
“Oh, yeah, they are, in the fenced-off area up on the hill in the east paddock.” Greenwood’s cheeks glowed red. “I don’t recall who he said pulled them out of the fire. Ask him, he’ll remember.”
“Then what happened? Who took charge of the ranch?” Kane folded his arms across his chest and stood feet apart.
“Wade Cutter worked alongside Chris and he knew how things ran around here.” Greenwood removed his cowboy hat and ran a hand through his thick graying hair.
“You’d be better talking to Bowman about this.
I was just a newcomer, so I didn’t get involved with the hierarchy around here.
I would have assumed that someone told the sheriff what had happened.
I know Cutter and Bowman went to speak to Chris’s lawyer.
People started showing up with clipboards and doing inventories of everything on the property.
From then on, the lawyers ran the place from afar.
They appointed Cutter to be the rancher. ”
Jenna turned as Kane’s phone buzzed and raised an eyebrow.
“It’s Carter. I’d better take this.” He stepped outside.
Jenna nodded. She’d heard the story about Cutter. “Ever had any problems with outsiders?”
“Nah, I rarely leave the ranch.” Greenwood shook his head slowly.
“Me and my boy work sunup to sundown and then some. There’s no need to go to town.
Chris set it up so we have everything we need.
We can order our boots, shirts, gloves, whatever we need, and they’re supplied.
He was like that. He cared for his hands.
The ranch made good money and everyone benefited. ”
Moments later Kane returned, his expression granite. Something had happened. Jenna nodded to him and turned back to Greenwood. “I’ll give you my card. Call my office if you think of anything else we might need to know.”
“Jenna, I hear the chopper. I figure we should go out and meet them.” Kane moved his attention to Greenwood. “Thanks for the chat.”
“Anytime.” Greenwood pushed the card into his top pocket, turned away, picked up a pitchfork, and started to muck out one of the stables.
“That guy couldn’t lie straight in bed.” Kane led Jenna away from the door and then leaned toward her. “The call was from Carter. They found a body. Wolfe is on his way.”
What Jenna had dreaded slammed into her and she gaped at him aghast. “A fresh body?”
“I’m afraid so.” Kane nodded.
Horrified, Jenna hurried alongside him. “How bad?”
“It’s buried in a cattle grave. One arm is sticking out.” Kane grimaced. “Now we’re all in danger. This is a warning to stay away.”