Peril by Ponytail (A Bad Hair Day Mystery) (33 page)

“Did those secrets pertain to Garrett Long?” Marla guessed.

Wayne gave her a wry smile. “Jake and Garrett shared an interest in technology. Garrett acted as a mentor to him, recognizing his talent and funding his online classes. In return, Jake did Internet searches for Garrett.”

“No wonder Jake had so many computers in his house.” Marla asked Dalton to pass the cranberry sauce. She needed a dollop to go with the rest of her turkey.

He complied with a sexy grin. Now that the mysteries were solved, they could enjoy their remaining day on the ranch. Eager to be alone with him, she returned her attention to the conversation before her desire shone in her eyes.

“Garrett had shared his suspicions regarding Lovelace’s water bottling facility. Upon investigating further, Jake realized someone must have reopened the old copper mine. When Garrett was killed, he remained silent, unsure who to trust.”

“Did he know Matthew Brigham must be involved?”

“He suspected Brigham and Tate Reardon, the plant’s manager. Jake figured someone at the Last Trail was working for them, but he couldn’t pinpoint the mole. So he worked in silence, hoping to uncover enough evidence to tell the sheriff his findings.”

“How did Brigham get onto him?”

“He didn’t.” Dalton answered, having spent a lengthy session with the sheriff. “Brigham confessed to stealing ore and hoarding it at the train depot. He plotted to take over Otto’s operation. We played into his hands by getting rid of Lovelace. With the boss, Reardon and Franks out of the way, his path was clear except for Jake. But once Jake discovered the engineer had a passion for trains, he realized the depot was the key.”

“So he went up there alone, hoping to collect evidence,” Marla said. “Brigham saw him via the video cameras he’d placed along the road.”

“When Jesse realized he might not get out of there alive, he sent me a photo he’d taken of the tunnel system. He had come across a schematic of the mine shafts during his research,” Dalton added. “Jesse started to type in the word ‘help’ when Brigham caught him. Beating Jesse didn’t gain him any information, so Brigham figured he’d wait and see who came to rescue the guy.”

“There’s something I don’t get.” Carol had been occupied with serving the meal and clearing their empty dishes. Now she spoke quietly from her seat, an intense expression on her face. As the ranch’s financial manager, she had to be glad things were finally cleared up. “How does the eco-terrorist group fit into this? Was Otto afraid of them or working with them?”

Dalton replied as he understood their connections the best. “Lovelace’s armed guards were meant to keep people with prying eyes away from his immigrant labor camp and his illegal mining operation. The E.F.A. was actually buying his refined products. They sold these to the Chinese and used their profits to obtain weapons. The Chinese, in turn, wanted the rare earth elements so as not to lose their global monopoly.”

“Kevin Franks, an E.F.A. member and Otto’s liaison to the foreign buyers, was the arsonist who set fire to our hacienda and who put the snake in Dalton’s luggage. He sabotaged Carol’s saddle and put the trip wire across her trail.” Marla’s tense muscles eased. She hadn’t realized her neck had been so rigid. The memory of those incidents still disturbed her.

“How did Sherry Long take the news of her brother’s involvement? Was she aware of his activities?” Carol asked with a wide-eyed glance at Marla, as though she had all the answers.

“She’d feared her brother, always a volatile sort, had taken revenge on Garrett for her sake. They both knew about Garrett’s affair. But Sherry didn’t dare confide her views to anyone, afraid Franks might turn on her next. She’d been unaware of his E.F.A. activities.”

“What of Mrs. Reardon?” Carol addressed Annie. “How is she doing?”

A pained expression crossed Annie’s face. “Eleanor had no idea her husband was involved in these schemes beyond his work at the bottling plant. She had truly believed the man was overworked. The woman feels guilty about her relationship with Garrett, but at least she realizes their affair had nothing to do with either murder.”

“And their daughter?”

Annie shook her head. “Poor Christine. Her parents’ problems likely contributed to her eating disorder. Hopefully, with therapy, she’ll improve over time. I’ve started a group for teens, and we’ll see how she does.”

“That’s great, Annie.” Raymond, who’d remained silent through their explanations, cleared his throat. “I owe people some apologies. First to you, doll, for doubting your choices. You make a great nutritionist. I’m proud of you for opening your own clinic and managing the business so well.”

Annie flushed under his praise. “Apology accepted, Dad. I knew you’d come around eventually. You’re not as hardheaded as Hugh Donovan.”

“Speaking of the guy, I got an email from him. Hugh gave me his version of an apology, said he was sorry for making assumptions that weren’t true.”

“What prompted this great change of heart?” Wayne said, glancing at him askance.

“The sheriff notified him and the town council members about the goings-on. The smelting mill’s excessive water usage, polluted runoff, and dirty air emissions were the likely causes of the problems on Hugh’s ranch and elsewhere. The refinery will be closed along with the bottling plant, and the proper course of the mountain stream will be restored. These actions should solve their issues. Luke told Hugh in no uncertain terms that my renovation project was not at fault.”

“Well, that put him in his place,” Carol said with an indignant sniff.

The kids wandered into the room.

“When are we going to have dessert, Mom?” the girl asked, her hair in pigtails.

“If you’d like to help me clear the table, I can serve it afterward. Go ahead and take the dishes into the kitchen. I’ll be along shortly. I just want to finish hearing what your grandpa has to say.”

Raymond resumed after the children left the room. “Hugh’s note encouraged me to give him a call. I reckoned it was high time to clear the air, as long as all these other revelations were coming to light. Hugh admitted he’d made some gross errors. So did I.”

“You were generous to make the gesture, Uncle Ray.” Marla’s words of kindness elicited a misty smile from the older gent.

“Did you know your mother-in-law used to sing?” he asked her in a soft tone. “Kate had the loveliest voice that soared like the angels. But she stopped singing the day Harry died. And when Ma left and took Kate with her, part of my heart went with them, too. I could never lift my head in their sight again, after what I’d done. But that was a long time ago, and instead of forgiving myself for my sins, I cast blame on Hugh. He did the same. And I added fuel to the fire by comforting his wife after their son left home. We’re both stupid asses, what can I say?”

Wayne gripped his father’s arm. “So did he hear you out when you called?”

A tear leaked down Raymond’s face. “We both cried like babies. We’d been such good friends. I’m hoping we can mend the rift that’s kept us apart for so long.”

Marla blinked rapidly, her eyes filling. Oh gosh, in another instant, she’d start bawling.

“Hugh said he wanted his son to come home. He’d make things right and pay for Jake’s education if he would return.”

“That will make Jake happy. I’ll inform him tomorrow morning,” Wayne said. “I suppose now he’ll be able to court Juanita openly. You did good, Dad.” His warm approval brightened Raymond’s demeanor, and joy spread around the table.

“Nothing means more than family. I shouldn’t have forgotten that principle, but it’s going to rule my life from here on.” Raymond gripped the hands of those on either side of him, and his gesture moved the rest of them to join hands, too.

“Now let’s each offer a prayer of thanks that we’re all gathered together.” He let go after a few minutes of meaningful silence, except for the kids’ chatter in the next room.

“I should serve dessert,” Carol said, half-rising.

Raymond waved her back in place. “Hold your horses, I’m not finished. You and Dalton will have to come back next year,” the patriarch told Marla with a wink. “With things heating up between Jake and Juanita, I suspect there might be a wedding coming. Did I mention that I’d called your mother, Dalton? You’ve never heard anyone more shocked in your life than when she answered, and I said hello. I’ll do my best to talk her into singing at Jake’s reception.”

“I’m sure Mom would love to come see you, wedding or not,” Dalton replied with a broad grin. “Marla, can I persuade you to return?”

She patted his arm, glad for him that his family issues had been resolved. Her throat clogged with emotion at being part of his clan now.

“I think I could manage another trip out west,” she said in a light tone. “The desert has started to grow on me. Besides, I might want to go on one of those advanced trail rides at the dude ranch. I didn’t have enough lessons on this visit. After all, what member of this family doesn’t know how to ride? I have some catching up to do.”

Meanwhile, she’d have to catch up on salon business and household chores at home. After these recent adventures, she looked forward to her normal routine and seeing friends and loved ones back east. If anything, this trip had given her a greater appreciation for her everyday blessings.

Dorothy in
The Wizard of Oz
had the right idea. There truly was no better place than home.

I had a fabulous time doing research for this book. With my husband, I took a two-week trip to Arizona and visited most places in the story. Among our adventures, we stayed overnight in a haunted hotel, explored a copper mine, visited a famous cavern, admired the red rocks of Sedona, shopped at Scottsdale, browsed The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, and trod the historic streets of Tombstone. And most critical, we stayed at a dude ranch that served as the model for Last Trail in this story. It was an amazing trip, and I hope you enjoyed following in Marla’s footsteps as she visited some of the same places.

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Nancy J. Cohen
writes the humorous Bad Hair Day mystery series featuring hairdresser Marla Vail. Several of these titles have made the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association bestseller list. Nancy is also the author of
Writing the Cozy Mystery,
a valuable instructional guide for writers on how to write a winning whodunit. Nancy’s imaginative romances have proven popular with fans as well. Her titles in this genre have won the HOLT Medallion and Best Book in Romantic SciFi/Fantasy at
The Romance Reviews.
A featured speaker at conferences, libraries, and community events, Nancy is listed in
Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers,
and
Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets.
When not busy writing, she enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and outlet shopping.

Nancy loves to hear from readers. Contact her at
[email protected]
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http://nancyjcohen.com
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