Chapter 32
Sleep was elusive as the events of the previous day replayed themselves in her mind all night. Colette’s heart raced at the implications of the words Marshall had spoken.
No one was safe until they knew this death was an accident.
Of course it was an accident or an unfortunate death of natural causes.
Murders happened in the city. From what she had gleaned from her various cop shows and movies, it was usually someone you knew who committed the crime.
Turning beneath the duvet, Colette stared out the window at the early morning sky filled with stars.
Anyone who knew Jack loved him. It didn’t make sense that one of the amazing people on the ranch would suddenly become a murderer.
The employees at Rosebud Ranch worked hard.
They helped each other and had a special camaraderie that could only be borne of working together for years.
As an outsider, Colette could immediately observe how Jack was a role model and inspiration for everyone, including Marshall.
Only sweet words were spoken of his wife Edith.
Through her talks with Jack, Colette discovered his wife was battling cancer and stayed close to home most of the time.
She ventured into town to visit with her friends regularly, which was when Colette had had to opportunity to meet her.
Jack and Edith lived on another house on the property, the original farmhouse, which was a small two story home closer to Lost Creek Ranch, owned by Evan’s family.
Their house was surrounded by mature trees and the creek that separated the two properties ran behind it.
It was hard to get the thoughts of Jack from her mind, imagining him being alone, passing without anyone knowing he was there.
She wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks and rolled over on her side, resting her head in the crook of her elbow.
The death affected her, even though she was still getting to know Jack after working with him for such a short time.
Life was so unfair, taking a man without any warning.
Reaching over to the nightstand, Colette turned on the bedside lamp and reached for her book.
She wondered what had kept Marshall from returning to her.
The previous night seemed like a dream. The events of the last twenty-four hours turned their universe upside down, leaving only her uncertainty in its wake.
After a few minutes of trying to focus on the story, Colette dropped her book on the bed and lifted the covers.
A glass of water might help her fall back asleep.
Her bare feet made a soft sound against the hardwood as she padded toward the kitchen.
Turning on a lamp on the side table in the living room, she sought a glass in the kitchen and filled it with water.
Absently drinking, her gaze wandered out the window in the living room, where a light caught her eye.
She climbed on the sofa and peered out into the night.
Marshall’s kitchen lights were on. Was he newly awake and getting ready to start his day?
Had he spent all night tossing and turning like her?
The barn was dark, and police had cleared out some time in the night, along with their floodlights, which was a relief.
The idea of returning to the stable was frightening. Too much had happened.
Though she had been afraid of the horses when she first arrived at the ranch, now she felt bad for them.
It must have been so unsettling to have their home invaded like that.
Her plan was to work a few days from the cottage before setting foot in that building again.
Chewing her bottom lip, she wondered if there would be a funeral somewhere in town.
It would probably happen in the next few days.
She would visit Jack’s wife to pay her respects.
It was hard to imagine how Edith was coping, having lost everything while also battling cancer. Would there be anyone to care for her?
In her head, Colette could see a list of all the strange things that had happened since she had arrived.
She spied that strange man leaving Marshall’s office.
Even after taking the cookies to the stables and meeting all the ranch hands, she had never seen a man with the same physical characteristics as the one she had witnessed that day.
And right after that, the cattle were set free from their enclosure while Marshall was away. It was way too coincidental.
Marshall complained about fences that always needed mending.
The canceled cattle feed orders and the missing files were still nowhere to be seen.
None of the mishaps seemed connected if examined separately; they were more like normal ranch maintenance and upkeep issues.
But altogether? It was a lot happening all at once.
Overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness, Colette watched Marshall’s house, wondering if she should go see him.
What if he was crying and there was no one to hold him?
The thought squeezed her heart.
Colette shook her head. If he decided not to come to her, there must have been a good reason.
The sun would rise in a few hours, and she could start working again, as long as she had an IV of coffee hooked up to her veins.
Best to focus on her job. Finding what was going on might help Marshall figure out who was up to no good at the ranch.
Maybe the bad luck wasn’t bad luck after all.
Maybe there was a serpent in the grass at Rosebud Ranch.