Peril by Ponytail (A Bad Hair Day Mystery) (18 page)

“Why did Grandma leave and take Kate with her?” Wayne said in a choked tone.

“She blamed her husband because he pushed Harry to be more like me. We couldn’t accept his quieter nature and love for books. Pop wanted him out among the horses, loving the outdoors and land same as I do.” Raymond gazed into the distance, his face crisscrossed with lines like the cracked, dry earth. “So Ma took Kate and moved back east to be near her parents. Being close to me reminded her of Harry’s death.”

“You must have felt abandoned.”

“I considered it my just punishment for what I’d done. I couldn’t be near Hugh after that. He’d told my folks he was sorry, but my father forbade me to associate with him anymore. Said he was a bad influence.”

“So it was easy for you to project your guilt onto him.”

“Man was a bastard when he grew up, too. After he chased his younger son away, I ran into Flora one day in town.”

“Wait a minute,” Annie’s voice squeaked. “Who’s Flora?”

“His late wife. They had two kids, Ben and Jake. Flora and I had known each other in high school.” His skin flushed beet red. “Heck, we’d been sweethearts in those days. But she chose Hugh over me. I guess after the accident, nobody saw me in a good light. I’d let my younger brother die.”

“Dad, stop beating yourself up over it,” Annie said in a pleading tone. “You have to let go and put Harry to rest.”

Marla exchanged a glance with Carol, feeling like an outsider during an intimate family moment. Maybe they should leave their men alone for privacy. But then, the guys needed support. This skeleton had hidden in their closet for too long.

“You mentioned Hugh’s younger son,” she ventured, to get the older man talking again. “Why did he run away from home?”

“Poor kid was like our Harry. Jake grew up on a ranch, but he loved computers and wanted to go to City College. Hugh wouldn’t hear of it. I don’t know what happened to break them apart. Jake hasn’t been heard from since then.”

“He didn’t stay in contact with his mother?”

“Flora died a year later from cancer, although I think heartbreak brought it on. Stress can do that to people, you know. I tried to comfort her, and we . . . well, the old flame rekindled.”

“Oh, no, Dad. You didn’t!” Annie jumped up to pace the room.

“Well, your mom was gone, and a man has needs. It’s a kindness that Flora died not so long after, or Hugh might have done the deed himself. He was furious when he found out.”

Wayne shot his father a derisive glance. “No wonder he hates you.”

“Look, I wish I could go back in time and undo all the bad things I did, but I can’t. I have to live with these memories, and that’s my retribution.”

“It’s more than retribution if Hugh is trying to destroy you,” Wayne said. “You both have reasons to resent each other. He egged you on with your brother, and you seduced his wife. So now you’re left without a sister, and his son is gone.”

“Maybe you two have more in common than you dare to admit,” Marla remarked. “You’d been best friends once. Have you ever thought about apologizing to Hugh?”

“Who, me? If he hadn’t been so mean-hearted, Flora wouldn’t have needed comforting.”

“But you took advantage of the situation. Maybe your subconscious saw it as a way to get back at Hugh and cause him the same pain he’d brought you.”

“It doesn’t matter now, does it? He’s out to get me one way or another.”

Marla lifted her exasperated gaze to meet her husband’s. This wasn’t like any kind of honeymoon they might have imagined.
Oy, vey.
Family issues could be so complicated.

“It does matter to my mother,” Dalton said to his uncle. “She was very happy to meet Wayne and Carol at our wedding. I’d bet she would love to hear from you.”

“Time can soothe a lot of injuries,” Marla said in a gentle tone. “She was only a child then, too. Maybe part of her silence is guilt mixed with regret.”

“Or maybe she heard about me and Flora through the grapevine, and that compounded my sins in her mind.”

“Speaking of sins, what other secrets are you keeping from us, Dad?” Wayne’s brows lifted in sharp angles like two pointed arrows. “Such as, where did you get the cash to buy Craggy Peak?”

“That’s nobody’s business but mine.”

“What affects you touches the rest of us. If you’re saddled with debts, we should know about it now. Carol is a financial wizard. She could help you.”

“You needn’t worry. I don’t owe any money.”

“You didn’t borrow from anyone? Or take out a loan?”

“Nope.” Raymond shot to his feet. “Isn’t dinner ready? That roast must be overcooked by now.” Indeed, a fragrant aroma scented the air, but it had a tinge of burnt meat to it.

Everyone scrambled to their posts to get the meal ready, while Dalton took Marla aside.

“You know what I think? Uncle Ray has an investor, and he doesn’t want to give away the guy’s name.”

“Like a silent partner?”

He nodded, his face grim. “And I’m afraid this might be another bad choice my uncle made.”

“I have a proposition for you,” Annie said to Marla after they’d cleared the dinner dishes.

“That’s great, because I have one for you, too.” Marla had remembered that she’d stuck her shears in her purse before they’d set out that day. Maybe Annie would have time for a haircut now. “You go first.”

“I have an appointment tomorrow at two o’clock with Eleanor Reardon to discuss her daughter’s progress. Would you like to take a drive with me? She lives in the Big Rocks section, and it’s a beautiful area. Tourists drive through just to see the homes wedged among the rocks.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude on your conversation.”

“You could sit outside and admire the view. We’ll go to lunch first—my treat—and then ride over.”

“Okay, that sounds great.” She felt a twinge of guilt for making plans that didn’t include Dalton, but he could manage alone for a few hours.

“What did you want to ask me?” Annie picked up a couple of dessert plates to bring to the dining room table.

“Do you still want me to style your hair? If so, I have my shears with me.”

“Yes, I’d love it!” She put the plates down on the table and clapped her hands. “I am
so
ready for a makeover. Will you need to shampoo me first?”

“I can wet your hair with a spray bottle if you have one handy.”

Marla couldn’t wait to get started on Annie’s hair. Once they’d finished dessert, she set up shop inside one of the bathrooms. They left the men right as Dalton began telling Wayne and Raymond about their encounter with Lovelace and Tate Reardon. She’d miss what his relatives said about the pair, but he could fill her in later.

She told Annie instead while snipping her damp strands of hair.

“We ran into your client’s father in town today. Mr. Reardon was speaking to the owner of the bottling plant in front of an accountant’s office.”

“Is that so?” Annie watched her movements in the mirror. She sat on a desk chair they’d appropriated from Carol’s home office. “That wouldn’t be anything unusual. Mr. Reardon works for Lovelace.”

“They seemed to be arguing.”

“That would go along with my theory about Christine’s father having problems at work.”

“Have you heard anything else to make you suspect otherwise?” Marla’s fingers paused, but then she carried on, trimming Annie’s hair and adding layers.

“Not really. I’m hoping to learn more at my interview tomorrow. What’s Lovelace like? I’ve never met him.”

“He’s a big guy who speaks with a cultured accent and always acts pressed for time. At least he dresses decently.” She couldn’t imagine Lovelace in a cowboy’s plaid shirt or jeans.

“I did hear he comes from Europe and likes expensive clothes.”

“What about his water product? Is it popular?”

“Heck, yes, you must have seen Arizona Mountain High in all the stores.”

Marla gripped her shears tighter. “I wonder why he picked that particular location for his plant? I’d looked up water bottling facilities in Arizona on the Internet. Most of them appear to be located in big cities.”

“They probably use purified municipal water. Lovelace may have wanted to be near the source of a natural spring. Imagine the competitive edge he’d have in his advertising campaign.”

“I suppose you’re right. I’d rather buy bottled water that comes from a fresh mountain stream than from a city system.” She wrinkled her nose, thinking of processed sewer water. The cities must obtain drinking water from their underground aquifers which the processing plants ran through filtration systems. Still, she liked the idea better of a gurgling mountain stream as a source.

“His brand is doing well.” Annie crossed her legs, making Marla halt a moment.

“Is it publicly or privately owned? I mean, could I buy stock in the company?”

“No, it’s private. I know that much.”

Marla unclipped a top section of hair and cut it at an angle. The snipped pieces fell to the tile floor. She’d get a broom and sweep it up afterwards.

“I’m wondering about the ranger who died. Could Lovelace’s compound be located anywhere near forestry land?

“Lovelace built his facility on the foundation of the old stamp mill. I suppose it’s possible the location might be near federal-owned territory. You’d have to talk to the forest service people to see how far their boundaries extend.”

“That might be a good idea. I’m curious about where Garett fell to his death and how that site relates to Lovelace’s facility.”

Marla had a lot more questions about the industrial complex on the mountain, but she put them aside for now. She’d take Lovelace up on his offer for a tour and sound him out then.

Annie loved her new haircut and told Marla so again on Friday when they met for lunch, followed by their excursion to the Big Rocks section of town.

“I hope Mrs. Reardon remembers our appointment. We confirmed yesterday so it should be all right.” Her hands on the wheel, Annie concentrated on the winding road that curved up yet another mountain.

Marla’s jaw dropped at the enormous boulders that made up these hills. How had these rocks evolved? And how could they be stable over the years? She’d be afraid to live in a place that might be crushed in an instant. The boulders could be a giant’s creation, tossed there during child’s play like so many pebbles. Piled onto each other, they formed a towering mountain whose harsh landscape was broken by an occasional green shrub. Against a brilliant blue sky, the enormous rocks were an awesome sight.

One spectacular view after another revealed itself as they wound around each curve. In between one craggy piling and another gentler slope sat a flat-roofed house, its wide glass windows on a second-story balcony overlooking the valley. A singular stalk of saguaro cactus stood its ground like a defiant finger aimed at the sky gods.

The next dwelling was a three-story house supported by concrete pilings. Good thing this region doesn’t have earthquakes, Marla thought with a shiver.
You couldn’t pay me to live in one of these homes, no matter how beautiful.
She liked her feet to be on solid—or make that flat—ground. She did admire the next multi-level, Spanish-style home painted peach with white trim.

If the Reardons lived in this area, they must have a good income. Imagine what you had to pay workmen to haul materials to these heights.

Annie pulled into the driveway of a French country-style residence. The two-story structure sat on a relatively flat area amongst a compilation of boulders. The house had a stone exterior, brick chimneys, and a sloped shingle roof. As they emerged from the car, Marla noted the careful placement of cacti and plants on a yard made up mostly of granite chips. A few graceful trees provided shade and a splash of color against the relentless rocks.

They approached a columned front porch that held wicker furniture and a magnificent view of the valley. A warm breeze whistled through the hills, stirring her hair. Otherwise, the eerie stillness unnerved her, especially when no one answered the door bell.

“Maybe Mrs. Reardon is indisposed,” she suggested. “Give her a minute.”

When the lack of response persisted, Marla prowled around to the side of the house along a flagstone path. She noted two rear entrances and a bicycle leaning against a wall. Beyond was a detached three-door garage. Not hearing any summons from Annie, Marla strode forward and peeked inside the garage window. A sleek black vehicle was parked inside.

She hurried back to the porch where Annie pounded on the door to no avail.

“I’ve never had a client stand me up before. Do you think she forgot?”

“You said you’d confirmed the date, and there’s a car parked in the garage.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. It could be a spare.”

“Maybe Mrs. Reardon had to pick up Christine at school and forgot to notify you.”

“I guess that’s possible. I’ll give her a call.” Annie’s brow creased with worry as she withdrew her cell phone from her bag.

Does she feel the same sense of unease as I do?

“I’ll try knocking on the rear door,” Marla said. “Mrs. Reardon might be inside the laundry room or somewhere she can’t hear us.”

She glanced into each window as she swept past. A living room had contemporary furnishings, cream-colored walls hung with paintings, a grated fireplace, wood floors partially covered with an Oriental rug, and expensive-looking accent tables.

The dining room must be on the opposite side as both faced front. At the rear corner, she spied a study. As that appeared empty, she moved on to what must be either the master suite or a guest bedroom. It had a king-sized bed, a cherry wood dresser and mirror, and other furnishings. One door led to the rear terrace from this room. She knocked there and waited a few heartbeats, but no one responded. The next window must belong to a bathroom.

As Marla moved on, she called Annie on her cell phone. The line was clear, and Annie picked up after the second ring.

“Has anyone come to the door yet or answered your call?”

“No, where are you?”

“I’m in the back. I haven’t seen anyone so far. Wait, here’s the kitchen. There’s another door. I’ll try this one.” The door’s glass inlay allowed her to survey the modern granite counter-tops, stainless steel appliances, white cabinetry, and tiled backs-plash.