Chapter 14

As Tess and Chuck approached the north pasture, the glittering light of the flashlights led the way in the pitch dark. Luke, Stan, and Kyle stood holding the lights over the slaughtered cattle.

Tess pulled the reins on Stella and dismounted. “Anybody see anything?” She cursed under her breath. The cow’s throat had been cut cleanly through.

“No. Stan and I heard the cattle making a bit of a ruckus. We thought for sure it was another stampede. We scouted around the pasture and came up to this mess,” Luke said sadly.

“Ya think it was a wolf, Tess?” Stan asked.

Tess shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair in an angry gesture. “Look at that cut, boys. This was no animal. If it were a wolf, he’d have ripped her to shreds. Fuck!” she hissed. “Okay, Stan, go back to the ranch and tell my father what’s going on. Then ride into town and bring that worthless sheriff out here, not that it’ll make a difference. I’m going to the south pasture. The rest stay here. Go on,” she said, and Stan swung up on his horse and rode into the darkness.

Tess held the flashlight and knelt beside the slaughtered animal. It was a gruesome sight. “I take it there’s more?” she asked tiredly.

Chuck nodded sadly. “Two more, about fifty yards up on the ridge. It’s the same thing as here. Clean cut right across the throat as if…” He stopped and Tess looked up at him and finished his sentence.

“Somebody knew exactly how to do it. Someone with experience in slaughtering livestock. Someone like Ed Chambers and Warren Telford.”

Both men glanced at each other. “Tess, let’s not fly…”

“I’m not going into town and kill Warren Telford, Chuck, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she said and stood. “As much as I’d like to. Get to the south pasture and guard the herd for the rest of the night. You two stay here.” She swung up on her horse. “I’ll check out the south pasture and be back in a while.”

Chuck and Luke watched as Tess galloped through the meandering herd and out of sight.

All was quiet on the south pasture. It was almost too quiet. The half moon that hung low in the sky illuminated the grassland as Tess slowly cantered through the herd. She saw nothing out of the ordinary as she pulled Stella to a halt and looked around, realizing that this is where they found Stephen’s body. Damn Warren Telford and his money-grubbing ways.

Jed Rawlins paced back and forth in the big living room. Claire sat on the couch and watched him patiently. “Jed, you’ll wear a path in the carpet.”

Jed sighed and sat by the fire, glancing at the clock on the mantel; it was nearly two in the morning. With that, Stan came bounding in through the kitchen door.

“Stan! In here,” Jed called out and met him in the living room. Stan, tired and dusty, explained the situation. Jed was breathing heavily through his nose as he listened. Claire noticed how much Tess was like her father. Tall and proud with a quick-fire temper.

“Damn that man,” Jed said in a low angry voice that scared Stan and Claire. They let him rant and rave for a minute or two until Claire walked up to him, remembering what Tess had said about his heart. She put a calm hand on his arm. “Damn that man!”

“Jed, please take it easy,” she said. Jed nodded and Claire looked at Stan. “Where is Tess?”

“She’s out at the south pasture, rode out alone while…”

“Alone!” Claire barked, and Stan stopped, his mouth hanging open.

“Uh, yeah…”

“And you let her?” she continued angrily.

Both men exchanged hidden grins.

“Let her? Tess? My boss?”

“Damn that woman!” Claire exclaimed, and now Jed walked up to her and put a calming hand on her shoulder.

“Claire, please take it easy,” he said with a small grin. He turned to Stan. “Now what?”

“Tess wants me to ride into town and get the sheriff.”

Jed nodded his agreement and grabbed his hat. “I’ll go with you. We’ll take the Jeep. Claire, we’ll be back. Don’t worry. Tess will be fine, she can take care of herself.” He gave her a reassuring hug.

Pat Hayward squatted down to examine the slaughtered cow. “Maybe it was a wolf. Ya know Marty Banks had one a while back…”

“This was no wolf and you know it, Sheriff,” Tess said evenly.

He stood and took off his hat, running his hand through his sandy brown hair. “Did anyone see anything?”

Everybody looked at one another except Tess. She was staring a hole through Pat. “Would it make a difference if we did?”

Pat shot her an angry look. “Are you questioning my ability, Miss Rawlins?”

“As a matter of fact…” Tess said and took a step.

All three men took a step between them.

Pat didn’t move. “Be careful. Threatening an officer of the law is a serious offense.”

Jed turned to Pat. “Nobody’s threatening anybody. No one saw anything tonight, but yesterday, one of my men saw someone on an Appaloosa riding away, just after a shot was fired that spooked the cattle into a stampede.”

“Yeah, I heard that. I don’t know what…”

“We all know the only one who owns that type of horse,” Tess said angrily.

Chuck and Stan stood as cautious sentries.

“Well, now, that’s not quite true. Don Milltown’s wife just bought the prettiest little Appaloosa not two weeks ago. Ya think she caused the stampede?” he asked in amazement.

Tess let out a growl and started forward. Chuck and Stan physically had to restrain her. “You lying—”

“Watch it, Tess. I’m not in the mood. How would you like to spend the rest of the night in jail?”

When he grinned, Tess saw red. She struggled against Chuck, then winced as the pain shot through her bruised back.

Jed had enough. He stood between his angry daughter and the smirking sheriff. “Warren Telford may own many people in this county, Sheriff, but he doesn’t own the Double R or me. You do your job and find out who slaughtered my cattle and who caused the stampede yesterday. That’s all I want. Do your job. Good night, Pat,” he said in a dismissive tone that Pat snarled at.

Jed gave Tess a stern look. She relaxed as Chuck and Stan let her go. “Let’s go home,” he said and put his arm around Tess.

She nodded and slipped an arm around his waist. Chuck and Stan smirked at the flustered sheriff and mounted their horses.

Pat stood there feeling stupid and useless as he knew he was. “Fuck you, Rawlins!” he growled, then kicked the carcass of the slaughtered animal.