Peril by Ponytail (A Bad Hair Day Mystery) (13 page)

“I’ve got her,” Wayne’s voice burst from the radio. “She’s just off the trail, half-hidden under some bushes.” He rattled off the location.

Marla sat upright, instantly alert.

“Looks like she hit her head on a rock when she fell,” Wayne said in a grim tone. “We’ll need a stretcher.”

“The sheriff is on his way,” someone else replied. “He had to deal with a car accident on the other side of town. I’ll call for an ambulance.”

“Don’t move her,” Dalton’s voice sounded in the background. “They’ll need to assess the extent of her injury. Doc Harrigan, are you there? Can you take a look until the paramedics get here?”

Although Dalton had been trained in emergency procedures, he probably figured the vet knew how to treat injuries better, even on a human. Marla clenched her hands in her lap, breathless to hear more.

“She’s not coming around.” Panic laced Wayne’s tone. “Carol! Can you hear me?”

“Wayne, you’d better come see this,” said another guy. “There’s a wire tied to this tree.”

“I can’t leave my wife.”

“If it’s evidence, don’t touch anything,” Dalton cautioned. “The sheriff will need to investigate. Wayne, the doc and I are heading your way.”

Static cracked the air and the radio cut off, leaving a heavy silence.

Marla stood, too agitated to sit. How bad was Carol’s injury? Had she truly hit her head on a rock when she’d tumbled from her horse? What did the guy mean by a wire?

She fought an urge to run outside. It wouldn’t help, as she couldn’t see the posse in the distance. Best remain here until one of the managers returned.

Then again, some of the wranglers might ride back first. They had duties to their guests. Wayne could handle things along with Dalton and Doc Harrigan, plus the sheriff was due to arrive. She should go wait over by the corral for news.

Or not. She mashed her lips in frustration. What could she do from this end to help? Man the front desk along with Janice? Answer phones?

If Carol was going to be indisposed for a while, she could offer to manage the books. She owned a salon and possessed business skills. But the job might occupy her for several days, depending on Carol’s condition, and that wouldn’t be fair to Dalton on their honeymoon.

Well, guess what? He was already involved in an investigation of sorts. It wasn’t in their natures to sit idly by while things happened around them.

“What do you suppose they meant by a wire?” Janice asked with a wide-eyed gaze like an elk in headlights.

“It appears Carol’s accident wasn’t random.”

Janice gave a furtive glance toward the front door. “But why target Carol? She’s a sweetheart. Everyone loves her and Wayne.”

“So I gather.” Marla voiced her thoughts aloud. “Maybe the intent had been to hurt Raymond through her.”

Janice gasped. “You mean, to threaten the ones he loves the most?”

“That’s what I’m thinking.”

“You’re saying someone laid a trap to trip her horse? And then she hit her head on a rock when she fell? That part must have been an accident.”

“It sounds like that’s what happened.”
Or else somebody beaned her and made it look that way.
“Look, can I help you with anything? I feel so useless just waiting around until the men get back.”

“Sure, if you wouldn’t mind. You can answer the phone if I’m busy with a guest.” As she spoke, a party of eight entered the lobby to sign up for various activities.

Janice got occupied with them and then with a foursome wanting to check out, while Marla fielded a call about a leaky bathroom faucet and a closet door that got stuck. Janice told her how to notify maintenance, and she took care of the problems.

Once free, Janice grabbed the radio. “I can’t stand this silence. I have to find out what’s going on.” She pushed a button. “Can anyone hear me? This is Jan at the front desk.”

“Dalton,” Marla called in the background. “Are you there?” She could try his cell phone, but this seemed quicker.

More static sounded, and then a voice answered. “Kevin Franks here.”

“Who’s that?” she whispered to Carol.

“Kevin Franks is one of the wranglers. He must have ridden out with the boys,” Janice explained in a hushed tone. “Kevin, what’s going on? Is Carol responsive yet?”

“Yes, ma’am. She’s awake but a bit confused. They’re taking her to the hospital. We’re riding back now. Wayne is bringing his horse in, and then he’ll follow her there in his car.”

Marla snatched her purse and rose. “I’ll go outside to wait for them.” She hesitated a moment before patting Janice on the shoulder. “Everything will be okay, you’ll see. We’ll help out if Wayne needs us. Will you be all right by yourself?”

Janice gave a wan smile. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for keeping me company.”

Marla rushed out the door and hurried down the winding path toward the corrals.

A cloud of dust mushroomed from the direction of the hills where the men had gone. That must be their posse returning. From far away, a siren pierced the crisp morning air. Marla shivered under her sweater. Somehow a beautiful morning had turned ugly. Poor Wayne. At least she and Dalton were there to offer support.

Wayne dismounted along with the rest of the guys, including Dalton. The wrangler, Jesse, was present, too. He must have ridden in from one of the distant paddocks.

After handing their horses over to the employees, Wayne and Dalton stood aside in deep conversation. Dalton’s brow creased in that way he had when displeased. What were they discussing? His face brightened when he spotted Marla, and he waved her over.

“How’s Carol?” she asked first thing.

Wayne replied, his tone somber. “The paramedics say she might have to stay overnight at the hospital for observation. I’m heading over there to be with her.”

“You said something on the radio about a wire?”

“The sheriff is handling that aspect. We found one end of a trip wire tied to a tree. It must have been strung across the trail. Her horse wouldn’t have seen it. That would account for his limp. The Doc can tend to him now.”

“If they were going fast, Carol would have been thrown when the horse stopped abruptly,” Marla guessed.

“She might have held her seat unless someone tampered with her saddle.”

Marla exchanged a knowing glance with Dalton. Whoever had done it knew Carol’s daily habits. That implicated someone close enough to observe her.

Guests stepped forward as wranglers called their names and apologized for the delay. Horses snorted in the background, while birds twittered against a clear blue sky. It would have been a perfect morning except for this happenstance.

“Hey, Jesse,” Wayne hollered.

The wrangler stood conferring with a couple of the other guys. He glanced up at Wayne’s summons, said something in parting, and sauntered over.

“Yeah, boss?”

“I want you to supervise a full inspection of our equipment. A wedding party is due to arrive in two weeks, and we don’t want anything bad happening to them. Understand?”

“I’ve got it covered, don’t worry.”

“I’ll help you,” offered another fellow who aimed their way. He had a lean frame, a mustache and beard with dark brown sideburns, and a loping gait.

Dalton introduced Marla to Kevin Franks, the wrangler she’d heard on the radio.

“Jesse’s in charge,” Wayne said in an insistent tone. “He’ll let you know if he needs a hand. I’ll check in with you later,” he told the younger man.

Doc Harrigan strode by after settling his horse. His face haggard, he carried his satchel and nodded a greeting on his way past. This morning’s disruption must have set him off schedule, but thankfully he had been around to offer his expertise. She wondered what he’d find upon his examination of Carol’s mount.

Marla and Dalton accompanied their cousin to the parking lot where he kept his car.

“You’re making a mistake,” Dalton said to him. “Jesse could be involved, and you’re letting him conduct the inspection?”

“Despite what you think, I believe in Jesse. He’s been outstanding at his job from the start. I can’t see him risking it for a family feud between us and Hugh Donovan.”

“You still blame the man, even for this?”

“My father is right. Who else would want to cause us grief? If you ask me, he’s after our land. We’ve had offers on both this resort property and the ghost town.”

“It could be someone else who has you and Raymond in their sights.”

“I don’t think so. Carol had better pull through this, or Donovan will get his due.”

Dalton placed a hand on his arm. “Wayne, don’t be rash. You have no evidence to prove your theories.”

“We’ll have it soon, if the sheriff does his job properly.” He shook off Dalton’s hand and stormed away. A moment later, his car careened from the parking lot and headed into town.

Marla hooked her arm into Dalton’s and led him toward their room. “What now? You’ve had your morning ride. Let’s do something relaxing to get our minds off these problems.”

“I’m not in the mood. Carol could have been killed. She might still have complications.”

“I know.” Marla worried about her, too, but she wouldn’t let it bring them down. “It’s not right for Wayne or Raymond to blame this Donovan guy without proof. He’s doing the same thing to them, claiming they’re responsible for spoiling his grazing land.”

“We should talk to the guy.”

“No, we shouldn’t. It’s our honeymoon.”

Dalton’s jaw clenched, and his eyes took on a determined glare. “Wayne asked for my help. We have more questions than we have answers. That doesn’t sit well with me.”

Marla realized she wouldn’t be able to raise his spirits until they talked this out. Once he was in investigative mode, he became focused on one goal, like her poodle when he stalked a squirrel. She needed to act as his sounding board to calm him.

“Let’s go sit on that patio behind the conference center. No one should be there this early. We can compare notes.”

“All right. You know what’s really on my mind?” He gave her a troubled glare. “We’re related to Raymond, too. That means
we
could be next.”

Seated on the terrace overlooking the mountains, Marla wished for a state of tranquility. “It should be peaceful here. How could anything bad happen when we’re surrounded by such natural beauty?”

“Ask the forest ranger who’s dead or Carol who’s lying in a hospital bed. This territory has been rife with battles between Indians and settlers, prospectors and thieves, gunmen and the law. It hasn’t progressed much in that regard.”

“I wish Doc Harrigan had finished his story. We might have learned more from him. Janice hinted at something that might have occurred between Raymond and Hugh’s wife at one time. Is she still living?”

Dalton’s shoulders rose and fell. “I have no idea, and I doubt my uncle would tell us.”

“We need to find someone who will talk. Let’s review what we know so far.” She ticked off the points on her fingers. “Garrett Long, a forest ranger, is dead under mysterious circumstances. A worker is missing from the ghost town project. Accidents are being staged at Craggy Peak as well as here.”

“It does seem as though there might be a connection between all these events.”

“Plus Hugh Donovan is complaining that his water supply has dried up, and his livestock is suffering. He blames your uncle’s project for contaminating the environment. Yet I saw white smoke pouring from the water bottling plant up on the mountain. Is it really steam or something more toxic? Maybe we should accept Otto Lovelace’s offer to tour his facility.”

“It’s a long shot if you think he’s involved. The man has no personal relationship to either family. What would he stand to gain?”

“Who knows? Maybe he caught Garrett snooping near his operation,” Marla said. “The shopkeeper in town mentioned armed guards patrolling the place.”

“Lovelace could be afraid of eco-terrorists in the area. Besides, the sheriff said he’s looking closer to home toward Garrett’s friends and family.”

“That would include your Uncle Ray. We need to pay him another visit, unless he shows up for dinner tonight. Carol won’t be able to cook. Maybe we should offer to bring in some food. And who will pick up her kids from school?” Marla whipped out her cell phone. “I’ll call Annie. I can’t just sit around when people need our help.”

“That’s my girl. You’re never happy being idle.”

“Believe me, I’d rather get a massage or lounge by the pool.”

He tickled his fingers along her thigh. “You know what I’d prefer to do?”

“Save it for later. We should help Carol’s family. Let’s see what needs to be done.” A few minutes later, Marla packed her phone away. “Annie has it covered. She’ll pick up her niece and nephew from school and will fix them something to eat for dinner.”

“Has she heard anything new about Carol?”

“Carol is awake and coherent. She had a mild concussion from her nasty whack on the head. The doctors will keep her under observation until tomorrow. Wayne is still there with her, and Raymond came over to keep him company.”

“So we’re free for the rest of the day?”

“We could visit the sheriff again,” Marla suggested. “If someone did mess with Carol’s saddle or string a wire across her path, Sheriff Beresby might consider it a case of attempted murder in view of her injuries.”

“I wonder if she actually hit her head on a rock or if someone bashed her while she lay stunned on the ground. Carol might not remember.”

Marla pursed her lips. “The sheriff would be able to determine that possibility from the angle of her fall and the type of bruising, wouldn’t he?”

“Most likely.” Dalton checked his watch. “Let’s wait until after lunch to decide what to do. I’d rather not bother Luke Beresby again. He hasn’t asked for our help, whereas my cousin has. Our obligation is to him.”

Dalton called Wayne to be certain they weren’t needed elsewhere for the afternoon. He put the call on speaker phone so Marla could hear.

“Thanks, but Carol is stable, and I’m okay. The safety of our guests is paramount. Whoever has it in for our family might decide to broaden their reach. It would be a way to stab at us financially if reservations started to drop off.”