Page 68 of One in a Million
“What are you going to do for transportation now?” Darrin asked. “You can’t just wait for a car to fall out of the sky.”
“I’ve been looking around here,” Jasmine said. “There’s that old black truck in the shed—it’s vintage, kind of cool. I think with a little work—maybe clean the carburetor and put in new spark plugs—I could get it running. At least it might be fun to try.”
Sam was quick to hide his surprise. But Lila hadn’t missed the expression on his face. For an instant, he’d looked as if he’d been punched by a giant fist.
Lila, too, had been caught off guard. She’d forgotten how Jasmine, as a lonely teen, had taken to hanging out in the garage and machine shed, helping the grandfatherly mechanic who’d since passed on. In the early days of her marriage, Lila had tried to befriend the girl. But she’d never gotten past the wall of anger that Jasmine had built between them. That wall, she knew, was still there.
Had Jasmine’s comment about the truck been made in innocence, or had it sent Lila a defiant message? Knowing Jasmine, either could be true.
As for Sam, Lila could sense the conflict in him. He liked Jasmine, maybe even loved her. But she had just become one more suspect in an attempted murder.
Lila’s gaze met Madeleine’s. The look in the older woman’s eyes was so cold that it raised goose flesh on the surface of Lila’s skin. Madeleine could easily have ordered the damage to the car and had maybe even orchestrated Frank’s murder. She was the mistress of secrets, the puppet master, pulling the strings.
It might be a stretch to call Madeleine evil. But she was clearly a woman who would do anything to get what she wanted. And it wasn’t just the ranch she wanted. If Lila hadn’t realized it before, she knew it now. It was revenge.
Mariah emerged from the kitchen with bowls of chocolate ice cream, which she passed around the table. Pausing next to Lila, she leaned close and spoke. “I meant to deliver a message earlier. The mortuary called. They have the young man’s body prepared for burial. You need to let them know which casket you want and when you’d like it delivered.”
Madeleine’s eyebrows shot up. “What’s going on? It sounds like you’re burying somebody on the ranch.”
“That’s right.” Lila had expected objections. “It’s the young cowboy who was killed guarding our cattle from that wild animal. He was a foster kid, with no family, so I’m making him part of ours. He’ll be buried in the family cemetery on the hill.”
“How dare you?” Madeleine was on her feet, her voice raised. “I won’t allow it! That land was set aside for the Culhane family, not for some homeless piece of riffraff. Let the state take care of him.”
“This isn’t your decision, Madeleine.” Lila stood, one hand gripping the back of her chair to steady her balance. “This ranch is mine. Frank’s will left it to me. That includes the cemetery. I have the right to choose who gets buried there. That young man could’ve had a good life—an education, a home, a wife and children. He lost his future protecting Culhane property.”
The faces around the table were beginning to blur. She forced herself to keep talking. “My decision stands. If you want to fight it, take it to court.”
“Bury him anyplace you want, then.” Madeleine’s lip curled in an angry sneer. “But I promise you this. When we get our ranch back, the first thing I plan to do is dig him up and turn his body over to the state.”
“Leave it alone, Mother!” Jasmine sprang to her feet. “I’ve stood by you and done everything you wanted. But that boy deserves a resting place with our family.”
Madeleine turned to confront her daughter across the table. “Have you lost your mind, Jasmine? What’s gotten into you?”
“That cowboy is dead because of me, Mother. I was with that mob of activists who broke into Charlie’s compound and let the animals out. One of those animals killed Smokey. I could have stopped that riot before things got out of control. I could’ve warned the police ahead of time. But I didn’t. I let it happen. And the least I can do is fight to give that poor young man an honorable grave.”
“Be quiet and sit down, Jasmine,” Madeleine ordered. “We need to talk in private.”
“No, there’s more,” Jasmine continued, ignoring her mother. “Charlie found evidence that could prove I’d been at his place with those people. He threatened to go to the police. That’s why I had to give him my car. It was the only way to keep him quiet. So now you know. And now I need to leave.”
Stepping away from the table, she turned and fled from the dining room. Her footsteps rang on the tiles as she raced through the entry hall and out the front door, slamming it behind her.
As stunned silence settled around the table, Sam rose from his place and strode after her.
“Well, that’s that.” Simone carved out a dainty spoonful of ice cream. “I always said Jasmine was too impulsive for her own good. I certainly don’t want her anywhere near our baby.”
Madeleine remained standing. “Darrin, don’t you need to meet that animal hunter soon? It’s getting dark outside.”
Darrin glanced at the IPhone on his wrist. “Yes, it’s getting to be that time. I’ll be meeting him at his place. We’ll pick up the goat and set up a blind by that mesquite thicket.”
“Please touch base with your cowboys,” Lila said. “They’ll need to know what’s going on.”
“They know.” Darrin stood. “As long as they stay together and keep an eye on the cattle, they’ll be fine. They’ve been warned that if they lose another calf, it’s coming out of their pay.”
“Shall we go now, Simone? I can’t imagine there’s anything left to be said here.” Madeleine extended a hand to her daughter-in-law and pulled her to her feet, then turned briefly to Lila. “Please thank Mariah for preparing this wonderful dinner on such short notice. We enjoyed the food.”
She stalked out of the house, following her son and sweeping Simone along beside her. Lila and Roper were left alone in the dining room.
“Are you all right, Boss?” He sat at the far end of the table, his face in shadow.