Peril by Ponytail (A Bad Hair Day Mystery) (7 page)

Historic theatres would never again hold the same appeal for her.

Raymond’s eyes blazed behind his spectacles. “This wasn’t any accident. We could have been killed.”

“I should go up there and take a look around.” Dalton turned to Marla. “Why don’t you wait outside? It’s not safe in here.”

“All right, but please be careful.” She couldn’t leave this place too soon in her opinion.

Waiting on the street, she considered who might have been following their movements. Somebody had noticed them entering the old theatre and had taken advantage of the opportunity to cause harm. Had it been a member of Raymond’s crew or someone else?

“How well do you know your workers?” she asked Raymond when he and Dalton had rejoined her. Dalton’s negative shake of the head indicated his mission hadn’t proven fruitful.

“We’re on passable terms. I wouldn’t say I know each guy personally.”

“Did you hire them yourself?”

“I brought in Gomez. He vetted the applicants. Don’t worry, they’re legal. They each had to show their documents, and I had my lawyer verify them. We wouldn’t risk skirting the law.”

“By
we,
you mean yourself and Gomez?”

Raymond’s gaze shuttered. “That’s right.”

Somehow she didn’t think he’d meant his foreman.

Drilling noises impacted her ears. Marla inhaled a deep breath of earth-scented mountain air to restore her equilibrium.

Raymond gestured expansively. “Let me show you the hearse before you go. We discovered it intact, and it only needed a bit of polish.” He led them down the street at a fairly steep decline.

A hearse. Oh, joy. They’d nearly ended up in one.

Along the way, Marla put on her sunglasses. Curiosity propelled her thoughts away from their near-miss and back to their surroundings.

“Did people leave here gradually or in a hurry?” she asked, wondering if residents had lingered after the mining operation shut down.

“When the mine closed, there wasn’t any point in other folks staying. The miners would have gone elsewhere searching for jobs. That meant fewer people were around to buy goods and services from the merchants and tradespeople, and so they left, too. These towns could be deserted rather fast.”

“What about their furniture and other goods?” Possibly the buildings hid a treasure trove of antiques.

“Most of the items we’ve found are in disrepair and not worth restoring.”

It was sad how these old settlements had died. The settings were so picturesque. Marla could imagine an art colony loving a place like this set among the hills.

“Where did the miners live?” She stepped around a wooden electric pole that looked about to teeter over.

“The company built houses and rented them to the miners and their families. Single men often shared a place together. Since they worked twelve-hour shifts, they weren’t all home at the same time. The houses were shotgun style. You could see in through the front door straight back to the rear.”

“And these places are abandoned now?”

“That’s right.” He pointed down a narrow lane, where dilapidated wood-framed structures lined the worn road. “I don’t have any plans to restore them at this time. Maybe later I’ll consider it, if there’s interest from people wanting to move here, but we’ll see how it goes.”

“Where was the ore refined?” Dalton asked as they descended a steep set of stairs to a lower level. “Was there a smelter, or was it shipped by rail elsewhere?”

“The ore went to a stamping mill further up on the mountain and toward the other side. A narrow gauge railway ran from there to the main line. This train brought in supplies and transported the processed minerals to other locations. Now a water bottling company owns the property and operates a facility where the refinery used to stand.”

“Is anything left of the train tracks?”

“Nah, they got sold to Mexico. I imagine the depot is long gone by now. You can drive along the old rail bed, but it’s supposed to be a harrowing ride with dangerous curves and steep drops. Look, here’s the horse-drawn hearse.”

Marla’s glance flitted over the shiny black vehicle, but then her attention shifted to a two-story house beyond. It looked fancier than other buildings with fresh white paint and red trim and a balcony with carved wood posts.

“What’s that place?” she asked.

Raymond’s eyes crinkled in bemusement. “That’s where the better known prostitutes entertained their guests. Some of those ladies even married their regulars. I didn’t show you the dance hall another street over, but it was a popular place. In the rear were rooms where dancers offered private entertainments.”

“I imagine that drinking, whoring, and gambling must have been the main amusements for off-duty miners,” Dalton remarked in a wry tone.

“You’re probably right.” Marla glanced at the greenery between the buildings. “I’m surprised by how many taller trees grow this far up the mountain.”

“We have juniper, cypress, pinyon pines, and scrub oaks. It’s not like down on the ranch where vegetation is more sparse,” Raymond said.

Following him uphill again, Marla thought how pleasant it would be to stroll here when the restoration was complete. Her heart thumped in excitement as she glimpsed his vision for the future.

He stopped before a sturdy two-story stone house with brown dirt for a yard. “This is where the mayor lived. The tale goes that he fancied Doris McFee, who sang nightly at the Fat Hog Saloon. Doris had a beloved reputation around town because she visited the sick and brought food to the poor. When the mayor took ill, she moved into his house to care for him. One night, a man who had a grudge against the mayor attempted to shoot him. He killed Doris instead.”

“That’s terrible.” Marla wondered how many people died from gunshot wounds in the mining camp compared to death by disease or other means.

“Where was the mine entrance?” Dalton asked.

“If you follow the road around the mountain, it’s uphill from there. The main shaft has long since been sealed.”

“Will you run shuttles from the dude ranch up here for visitors?”

Raymond matched his long-legged stride. “That’s the plan. I’m hoping somebody will open a bed-and-breakfast place in town. I have a house in mind to renovate for that purpose. Plus we’ll lease the hotel once it’s restored.”

“That would take business away from Last Trail. Isn’t your point to raise revenue to balance out the slow season?”

“People who want the dude ranch experience can stay there. It’ll be a win-win for our bottom line either way. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d better have a talk with Alberto about that falling chandelier. Feel free to stroll around. And if you get any exciting ideas about what might look good, be sure to tell me.”

“Will we see you at dinner?” Marla would love to hear more stories about the region’s past. She couldn’t imagine life as a miner. And it wasn’t one relegated to the history books, either. Dangerous mining conditions still existed around the world, whether for coal or diamonds or other materials. The role of women in the earlier century fascinated her, too. Aside from the red-light district, did women fill any other positions in town besides pioneer wife?

“I’ll probably be here late, so I may grab something to eat on my way into town later. Over by the highway are a few fast food places. Listen, let me know if you guys need anything, you hear? Meanwhile, enjoy your stay on the ranch. Have you been riding yet?”

“We’ll get to it.” Dalton gave him a clap on the shoulder. “Good luck with this project. I’m impressed by how much you’ve accomplished so far.”

“Thanks, son. See you later.”

Marla faced her husband in the empty street after they were left alone. “So do you want to explore the hillside or head back to the ranch?”

“Let’s take a look at the hill as long as we’re in the area. We might see something the others missed in regards to the worker who vanished. I don’t think the sheriff would have investigated since they haven’t officially declared the guy as missing.”

Her breath came short as she climbed the steep stairs to the main level. “Man, I need to get in shape.”

“You’re not used to this altitude. The air is thinner here.”

“That’s true.” She trudged toward the hill at the far end of Harrison Street, the main road through town. Sounds of hammering mingled with the whine of drills and the steady thumping noise of heavier construction. Dust filled her nostrils and covered her sneakers.

They passed an open lot holding various relics—a stone statue of a monk, an old bathtub, rusty wagon wheels, and more. A breeze rustled leaves on nearby shade trees.

“If Eduardo saw something he interpreted as an apparition, it might have been situated up there.” Dalton pointed to a summit looming over the town to their left. “We’ll have to find a way across to that location.”

Marla slung her purse strap diagonally over one shoulder, wishing she’d locked her bag in their car. Her walking shoes crunched on a pile of stones as she took her first steps off the road and up a slight rise. A higher stretch forced her to reach upwards and clamber onto a higher rock, her fingers gripping its cool surface. At least this slope was fairly gentle, with small rock ledges for hand and footholds.

After maneuvering across several flat-topped boulders that rose in ridges, she found an easier gravel path to follow. Dodging bushes and boulders, she gasped and huffed her way upward. Cactus didn’t grow at this elevation, but other shrubs and a few scraggly trees mingled with evergreens. By her standards, they were sparsely scattered among the red dirt and rocks, and they provided little shelter from the blazing sun.

She paused to adjust her sunglasses, thinking she should add a wide-brimmed hat to her shopping list. She’d forgotten to pack one of her sun hats from Florida.

“Watch out for rattlesnakes,” Dalton said with a teasing grin. He took the lead, and she followed his broad back on their makeshift trail.

“Oh, joy. I suppose scorpions can be hiding under these rocks as well.” Despite the sweat breaking out on her brow and her heavy breathing, she was enjoying the exercise. “We should have brought snacks and water bottles in a backpack.”

“You’re right. Remember it for next time.”

Her skin felt dry, and her hairs stood out from static electricity. Missing Florida’s humidity, Marla breathed through her nose to minimize moisture loss.

She halted at the top of a rise. Small bushes dotted the terrain but not much else. Two hills rose on either side of them. She guessed they should stay to the left toward the town. If Eduardo, the guy who’d vanished, had seen something on the hillside, it might have been from there as Dalton had suggested.

Unfortunately, the slope on that side consisted of solid chunks of rocks. They had to climb further, helping each other over one rise after another.

“Ow,” she said, banging her toe on her last attempt as she half-crawled over a boulder.

“We’re almost there.” Dalton surveyed the territory ahead. “This isn’t getting any easier. Who knows what could be hiding up here? They have coyotes and mountain lions in these parts.”

“How nice of you to share that information. Hey, pick up that dead branch. You can use it to stir the dirt and chase any snakes away.”

They roamed the area, peering at the town below and the mountainous vistas surrounding them. Marla took photos, but that’s all they came away with other than a few scrapes and bruises. They didn’t find any clues as to where Eduardo might have gone.

As she headed back, Marla stumbled over a pile of rubble. A cold wind seemed to grab her, whistling in her ears. It smelled faintly like rust. She cast a nervous gaze around but saw nothing except rocks intermingled with various shrubs and interspersed with boulders.

Maybe a ghostly presence was making itself known. She seemed to attract them, remembering the playful spirit in the elevator at Sugar Crest Plantation Resort on Florida’s west coast. Never mind the spirits in the old theatre below. She hurried away, pausing on a swath of gravel to admire the valley stretched out before them and the town nestled in its crease.

At the horizon rose another mountain range in murky tones of blue. White wildflowers sprinkled the ground where she’d stopped. Overhead, cirrus clouds drifted across the azure sky.

A sense of peace and tranquility invaded her. But all wasn’t as calm as it seemed. Secrets buried in these hills might prove deadly if the forest ranger’s death turned out to be more than an accident.

“Let’s head back to the ranch,” she said, resuming their descent to Craggy Peak. “I’d like to relax this afternoon. We can go into town tomorrow to buy supplies.”

“All right. I might sign up for a morning ride. Do you want to give it a try?”

“I’ll need to take a lesson first. Maybe I should ask for a pony. I’m not thrilled about getting on a big, powerful horse.”

“Why not? You ride me, don’t you?”

His sexy grin lifted her spirits. “Come on, I’ll beat you downhill.”

Marla was glad to take a breather at the ranch, but she couldn’t rest for long. She’d promised Dalton to meet him in the Jail House Saloon after he signed them both up for activities tomorrow morning with the wranglers.

The lounge must have just opened, because when she peeked inside, no one else greeted her except for the bartender. A pretty girl with her hair pinned atop her head, she was busy polishing glassware behind a gleaming wood bar that took up an entire wall. Marla turned away, quietly shut the door and went to find her husband. He might be down by the corrals.

Her nose wrinkled as she got closer to the horses. The cowhands must get used to the smell, she thought with a moue of displeasure. Horses in all colors roamed the fenced enclosure to her right. She marveled at the powerful beasts before moving on to the main staging building.

Swatting away a fly, she studied its four closed doors. She doubted he’d gone into the Staff Only entry. That left the Wrangler’s Roost, Riders Entrance, or Game Room. Feeling like a player in a video game picking which door held the treasure, she chose the Riders Entrance.

Inside was a tiled room with a couch facing a television console, armchairs, and a coffee table. This must be where guests waited before riding lessons. As no one was there, she tried the game room next. It held a ping pong table, billiards, and table hockey but no people at the moment. As for the Wrangler’s Roost, the door was locked.