Allie Thinks That The Dude Ranch Is Haunted!

 Josh knew he was in so much trouble. The dumb dog wanted to play and lick him plus he was laying in a mess of poison ivy. He was already starting to itch. "Oh dog, why did you pick now to play? I have to wait here until the sheriff leaves or he'll probably arrest me for disobeying him. I feel like a kid being punished in school for somebody else's wrong doing. This is bad. Allie probably won't ever speak to me. No one will ever let me tell my side of things. They are presuming I'm a bad guy just because my dad is. Dad. Hmm. Wonder what's happening to him. Well, whatever does he probably deserves it. Oh this stuff itches. How did it get through  my shirt?" He started to crawl through the fence on his belly to make sure that the sheriff didn't see him when all of a sudden he heard the car turn around and head down the driveway. "What is going on I wonder. Go home, girl. I have to walk back to town and get something for this poison ivy thanks to you. I wish I had better shoes. I have just about worn these out. Go on now. Go home!" He couldn't believe it when the stray dog actually trotted up the hill and left Josh alone. 

The sheriff was about ready to get out of the squad car when he got a call from Haylee. "Arrest the bank president now. Urgent. Have K.R. in custody.

"Well I'll be. She is one of the best agents I've ever worked with." Fast and efficient. That's what she is. He sent a quick text back and said, " Okay, girl. I'm on my way. It should be done within the half hour."

Josh got back to town limping on his sore feet. He had walked over ten miles today. He was exhausted and was itching something terrible. He looked for a drug store and found one quite some distance away from the sheriff's office. He walked in and started looking for vinegar or anti itch cream. He didn't have a clue what to buy. He decided to ask the clerk or pharmacist.  At the end of the aisle there was another man with a bottle in his hand and was having difficulty hanging onto it because he was scratching his neck and his arms. "What do you have there? Josh asked. I'm looking for something that helps this terrible itching I got from getting into poison ivy. Got into it not long ago." The man said, "Me too. I'm going to try this Calamine lotion. Seems like I've heard it helps some. I personally think time helps mostly. It's down on the bottom shelf."

Both men stopped talking when they heard a familiar voice say, "Well, lookie here. Two men both itching from poison ivy. There isn't any poison ivy around here for miles. You see a couple of years ago the city council and the county commissioner decided to call in some county agents even though it cost the tax payers a lot of money. They sprayed for poison ivy and poison oak and similar plants. The only place they didn't spray was out at old Bill's Dude Ranch. The old boy didn't want any strangers messin' around his place. Old Bill had some strange ideas sometimes. Anyway seems to me that the two of you just might have both been out there at the same time and not long ago by the looks of things. So why don't the two of you take a walk with me down to my office. We'll have a nice little visit."

Allie had watched the news and had seen that K.R. had been arrested. "I guess that Haylee is good at her job, but she tricked me. Kind of hurt my feelings. I thought she was going to be my friend. I don't go for that. I think that for the next couple of hours I will go back upstairs and see if I can't find Uncle Bill's missing video will or maybe he also had a paper one. That would make my day. It's been a rough one, that's for sure. Things need to change for the better; a lot better."

Allie started by picking up all the pictures that had fallen out of the old journal when Haylee startled her earlier. Beside the desk there was a piece of furniture that she had never seen before. It had all kinds of drawers and some drawers had small individual compartments. If she recalled correctly her mother used to call furniture like this a chest of drawers. As she opened them she was disappointed. They were all empty. She so wished that she could find something that would legally prove that she was the owner of the ranch.

By the time she shut the last drawer she was tired and a little angry. Nothing seemed to be going her way. She hit the top of the old piece of furniture with her fist and walked away. But something stopped her. She heard the eeriest noise. It sounded like a creaky old spook movie noise. She chuckled and said to herself. "You've been spending too much time looking through all these old pictures. And that desk! That was ancient. She looked back at the old storage dresser and gasped. It had moved! It was turned around and was facing the wall. "Okay. I'm out of here. I think this place is haunted and I'm done!" She ran down the stairs trying to catch her breath. Her heart was beating so fast she thought she was going to faint; she could hardly swallow. She ran outside and saw two people riding horseback towards her. "That's weird. I wonder who they are. I didn't think I had any neighbors living from that direction. I hope they are nice. I need a break." She walked over to the fence and said, "Hi, I'm Aaliyah, but some folks call me Allie. Glad to meet you."

She was a bit taken aback when her neighbors didn't say hello. She thought, "Well, they probably didn't hear me." She walked even closer and said, "Hello! I'm Allie. I'm so glad to meet you." Still nothing. Allie looked over her shoulder thinking there must be something interesting or terrible behind her and looked back to her visitors and there was nothing. Nothing. No horses, no people. No dust. Nothing.

As Allie started running down the driveway to get to her Jeep she heard a loud wailing coming from her upstairs. The house was haunted! She jumped into her Jeep to go who knows where when she realized she was being silly. Halloween was only a few days away and she was making herself scared. Her house was not haunted. There is an explanation for everything. She sat for a minute to catch her breath. She got out of the Jeep and stood by the door and listened. Nothing. "See, you silly ninny. It was all your imagination. Now get yourself back in the house and get busy."

When she walked into the house she heard howling, wailing and water bubbling. "Oh no! I can't live here." Then she chuckled as she heard a voice say, "Happy Halloween from all of us at KHTV-3. Have a safe and happy trick or treat evening. The weather should be great for the kiddos." She had forgotten the old television was still on in the living room.

Josh Has A Really Bad Day

 "And furthermore, why in the world do you keep that ridiculous picture of you on the wall? That does nothing but remind everyone that looks at it that that silly mine meant more to you than any of your family did, especially Naomi. That's a beautiful picture of that dear woman. You know she was a friend of mine too and you ran her away. No one knows whatever became of her. You should be ashamed of yourself. And what about your son and grandson? And what about Allie? Yes you worked hard, but to what end? Everyone is unhappy now. Maggie ran away, Naomi ran off. That mine took over your life, Rex. You end up here after a stroke with the sheriff of this town and me as your only friends. And now you are trying to take advantage of our friendship by swearing me to secrecy about that darned old mine! I've kept your secret, but you need to talk to Allie or Josh. They are your legacy, not that old mine. If you'd give them a chance they might even like you a little. Don't know why they would, but that's up to you, you old dog. Now, I've given you a bone, you chew on it awhile and do the right thing. I'm leaving now. I'm going to the feed store and give Allie a bill of credit. Yes, me. You've got the money, but here you are in here feeling sorry for yourself. You can keep your money. See you later."

"Excuse me sir, you have to wear a mask in our facility. It is a company rule. If you don't have one we will provide one for you if you are a family member or if you are on the resident's list of acceptable visitors. Just who is it that you are here to see? If you are here to visit this gentleman in room 101 he has a visitor at the moment. Please go to the front desk. The person there will tell you if you are on the list of visitors for this man. Please go now. You understand it is for the protection of everyone in this facility. I need to deliver these balloons and flowers to a lady. Please go. Thank you."

Josh thanked the lady and quickly went to the reception desk. He said, "I am Josh Durnhem, the grandson of the resident in room 101. May I please have a mask and permission to see him once the visitor that is with him has left?" The lady smiled and said, "Sure. Just let me see if you are on his list of visitors. Let me see,  no. I'm so sorry, but your name isn't here." Josh said, "Well, he wasn't expecting me to visit. I'm from Springfield, Illinois. I'm in town and thought that I would surprise him. Please let me see him. I won't stay long." 

"I'm sorry, but we have strict rules here. I will ring his room and ask if he would like to see you though. What did you say your name was again?" When the receptionist looked up the young man was gone. "Well, that was certainly strange. I wonder what he was up to. I think I had better call Rex's room and tell him that someone was here saying he was his grandson."

K.R. was mad! He knew his rights and he was going to use his phone call that's for sure. He could have as many as he wanted, but one should do it. "Guard! Bring me a phone. I want my phone call. What do you mean 'later?' I want to make my call right now!"

"What do you mean you need me to bail you out? I don't think so, buddy. You haven't given us our money from the sale of the stock of the ranch. That girl is still there, by the way. When do I get my money? Call you a lawyer? If I remember right, you are a lawyer and a crooked one in my way of thinking. Call your own lawyer." After he hung up on K.R. he called to his wife, "Hey, Honey. I have a feeling we lost a wad of dough to the jerk, K.R. He's in jail down south. He just had the guts to call me and ask me to bail him out. No, I'm not going to bail him out. Why would you even think that? Oh, that's right. But it costs money to sue folks, don't it? Only if we win. Hmm. Let me think on this a few. We'll talk, okay? No she's not back yet. Daisy is still over there on the girl's ranch. You got anything for poison ivy? No? I'll look for some vinegar. That should help."

Allie didn't go upstairs. She and Josh hadn't actually had the time to go through the downstairs of the big old house. She and Josh had pretty well cleaned the upstairs good enough so they had somewhere to sleep. The quilts were lumpy, but she had aired them out. She had found an old journal that she would put back together someday, but for right now she was just plain exhausted. "What a day. What I wouldn't do for a television, a soda, and a pizza. Boy my imagination is going wild." She did walk through what she figured was a living room at one time. The furniture was covered with sheets. She decided that she would see what kind of condition the furniture was in. Hopefully it was good enough to last until she got the Dude Ranch up and running. She needed money desperately. The first thing she had to do was to pay the ranch hands. They had decided to give her two days, so tomorrow she was going to go into town and try the local bank again. She hated to travel for a half hour to another town's bank and only get two hundred dollars.

As she was taking the sheets off the furniture she discovered an old old television. "Well, hot dog! I haven't watched television since I lost my job. I wonder if it works. I didn't see an antenna outside. I probably missed it. I'm sure if Uncle Bill had cable it hasn't been paid. As she was looking to see if the old television was plugged in she tripped and almost fell over a strange looking thing. It had two metal arms and a thin brown plastic tape running out of it. The arms were stuck in a round base of some sort. It looked like it was hooked up to the back of the television. "Hmm, I wonder what this thing is for. She set it on top of the television and continued to uncover the rest of the furniture. She opened a couple of windows and let some fresh air in. "All mine. I have a bed and a couch, two chairs and an antique television that probably doesn't work, but what the heck I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work, I'll put mom's picture on it. Yup, let's see if I can find a power button on this thing. Boy is thing old. Whoa! There's a little door with a lot of knobs and buttons. I haven't got a clue. I don't know half of what these things are for. Vertical? Horizontal? VHF? UHF? Brighten, darker.. Well, at least there is a big selction. There, volume I know. I don't see a remote any where, so I'm sure it won't work." She wiggled some knobs then thought to herself,  " Uncle Bill, I doubt if you ever once used this thing. If you did, you must have lost the remote or were a genius. I'm going to go get me a soda and see if there is some sandwich meat. At least I can sit down on the couch and pretend I'm rich," she chuckled. When Allie was out in the kitchen making herself a sandwich she thought she heard some people talking. "There better not be anybody on my place. I want the rest of the day with no people. None. Just me. "Hopefully that stray dog went home. I don't want to share with her today," she muttered to herself. She put her sandwich on a paper plate she had taken out of her camper and grabbed a drink and headed back into what was now her new living room. The television was on! It was all snowy, but she could hear people talking. "What do I do now? I have no remote. I wonder if I move this thing if it will work somehow. It looks like it's screwed onto the back of this big old thing. Oh Uncle Bill, can't you help me?" She took the strange looking thing and moved it to one side. All of a sudden there was a picture. It was black and white, but who cares? The world had just entered her home. What? Who is that? No! The lawyer that told her she owned the ranch had just been arrested in southern Texas. Now what? No! No! Picture come back on! I have to know!." She started getting really rough with the strange thing and suddenly the picture came back, but the audio was garbled. She couldn't do this. She was going to have to call Josh or Haylee. Haylee was an undercover agent. That's who she would call. She would give her the answers she needed; not Josh. Not Josh ever again. He was a crook like his dad. He needed to be arrested too. But doggone it, she missed that sweet crook. "Why, Josh, why? I need you."

When Josh heard Allie cry and call out for him he thought he would be sick. He had to fix this, but how? He heard tires on the gravel road. It was the sheriff! He couldn't let the sheriff see him. He saw a hole in the fence. He was out of there! "Get away, dog. Get now. Quit licking my face. I don't want to play. Go home! Quit barking! Doggone it, this is poison ivy! Dog, stop it! Umphh!"

K.R. Is Read His Rights

When Josh walked into the cafe it was almost empty. It was a bit after four in the afternoon, the bus had just left without him. He figured the sheriff would be upset with him after he ordered him out of town, but he needed some answers to about a thousand questions he had. He had no idea that he had any family outside of his dad such as he was, for a father. After his eyes got accustomed to the gloomy atmosphere of the little cafe he spotted Lill sitting on a stool staring at what he figured was a cold cup of coffee. He walked over to her and sat down beside her. "Hello, My name is Josh Durnhem." Lill looked over at him and said, "I know who you are. Your the son to a man I've known for years. He's a bad dude, kid. You need to stay away from him. He'll get you into trouble. I know that for a fact."

Josh said, "I know your son, Justin. He was a friend of mine in college. I know that you are right about my dad. Justin cheated on his entrance exams to law school and I told my dad about it. That was the biggest mistake I ever made." Lill gave him a long stare and said, "No, doing his dirty work and letting him blackmail you was your biggest mistake. You don't need to be telling me your life story. I know you were friends with my boy. He's told me about you."

A little boy was eating lunch with his mom and said, "There goes a big bus! Can we ride on it? Please Mom. Oh, there's the sheriff. He stopped the bus. I wonder why. Look, Mom. Is somebody in trouble?"

Josh heard what the little boy said to his mother. He gave Lill a look and she said, "Go out the back door. Walk the dirt road until you see an old log cabin. I'll meet you there when my shift is over. We need to talk anyway." Josh didn't need any convincing. He jumped up, ran out the back door and was on his way before the sheriff caught sight of him.

The sheriff was fit to be tied. "Dagnabit! That young man is in so much trouble. I told him we didn't need his kind in our little town. I just had a feeling he wouldn't leave. I wonder if he walked back out to the ranch. He doesn't have a car yet." He wondered where Haylee was. "These young folks got my head spinnin'. I wonder if she went after K.R. I might walk over to the bank and see if she's working. No that's not a very good idea. I think I will send her a text. That way no one will hear her phone ring and I won't have to take money out of the bank I don't need. She's a smart one, though. She put permanent powdered dye in the money she gave K.R. That was a good one. That powder stains skin and likes to never comes off. Then I couldn't believe that the gas station attendant knew that the money K.R. had given her had been stained with dye. She had had experience with catching a money launderer in the past. So that's how she knew he was up to no good. Plus she saw the red stain on his hands. Well, they should be about down there to arrest him by now. He's out of my territory or I'd have been pleased as punch to do the job."

It seemed like K.R. had had one headache after another. He was starting to get concerned. He had laid down after the last one and did feel better, so he changed his mind about going to the doctor. He hadn't been up long when there was a knock at the door. He wondered who could be knocking, but figured it was housekeeping with linens he'd ordered. He hadn't ordered his pizza yet. He opened the door and there stood two men wearing uniforms.

"Are you K.R. Durnhem?" K.R. said, "Yes, I am. Why do you ask?" "Well we would like to have you come to the office with us, Mr. Durnhem. We have some questions to ask you. Why don't you get your keys and come with us."

"Why should I do that? What is it that you want? I can answer your questions right here."

K.R. turned his head to the parking lot and thought, "I've seen that woman somewhere before." He watched as she walked up beside the two men. "Hello, K.R. My name is Haylee. We have met before. I was the teller at the bank when you came in for some cash. I also was driving Allie's Jeep when you tried running us off the road. I am a Federal Securities Agent. I think these men asked you to go to the office. I'd advise you to do just that. There are some questions that need to be answered and I think you would be more comfortable doing that in their office than at the police station. What do you think?"

"I'm a lawyer, and I know my rights. I don't have to go anywhere with you without a warrant. So why don't you folks just go enjoy the sunshine and leave me alone."

Haylee smiled and said, " Actually, K.R. you aren't a very good lawyer. Alright gentlemen; cuff him and take him downtown. Mr. Durnhem, you are under arrest for fraud and selling stocks and shares of property that does not belong to you.  Please read him his Miranda Rights, gentlemen. You have the right to remain silent. If you do say anything it may be or can be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney present when we question you and if you cannot afford one one will be assigned to your case. This warrant says we have the right to search your condo here as well as your office in Springfield, Illinois.  Actually your office is being searched as we speak and your cohort president of the bank will be arrested shortly." Haylee grinned and said, "That dye I put on your cash is sure hard to get off, isn't it?"

Haylee watched the men put K.R. in the patrol car and sent the sheriff a text. "Just arrested K.R. Go arrest the president of the bank for accessory for security fraud. We will figure out the rest of this mess when I bring K.R. back for trial. The judge will determine where and when that will be. Good luck. See you soon." As she was putting her phone back into her side holster she heard K.R. yell, "I want my phone call and I want it now!" She just shook her head and muttered, "All crooks are alike. They know their rights, but not the rights of others."

After her shift Lill changed her clothes and walked back to the log cabin to meet with Josh. He wasn't there. "Figures. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Why I ever got mixed up with that no good human they call a man is beyond me. I was young and foolish and he was so handsome."

Josh stood outside the old miner's door listening to Laura telling her old friend that enough was enough. She had to tell Allie and Josh the truth. Things were completely out of control.

Allie Tells Everyone To Leave Her Ranch

 The sheriff put his phone back in his shirt pocket and said, "I have to go back to town. Allie, what do you want to do?" Allie looked around at Josh and Haylee whom she thought were both her friends. Take him with you, and Haylee you go back to town. I want to be alone for awhile so I can think." Laura started to talk, and Allie said, "No, not today. You go back to town with the sheriff. Oh and you can take this dog back with you or to however he belongs to. Haylee take your dog. I'll be just fine out here all by myself. I've lived by myself for years. I'll be fine. Go! Just go; all of you! Now!"

"I'm really sorry, Allie, but I was just doing my job. I really do like your kind of music and would love to be your friend, but I can't stay. I have to go where I'm needed. It's just part of my job. I need to get back to work. Come Chata, let's go. We have some bad guys to catch." With that she and her dog got into her car and took off down the driveway.

The sheriff, Laura, and Josh got into the sheriff's patrol car and followed Haylee back to town. All that was left beside her were the alpacas, the dog that escaped Laura's arms and a chicken.  "Well, Mom, thanks a lot. You gave me a family only to have it taken away as quick as I found it. Yeah, thanks a lot."

Allie felt like her heart was broken. Just a few days ago she was happy for the first time in months. Now all she had was someone else's dog, alpacas that constantly hummed and chickens that cackled and clucked their way into her porch with the goats if she wasn't constantly watching them. She looked over her shoulder to see if she could see where Maxine had gone to, but there was no sight of her. Even the dust had settled where she had kicked her feet in defiance of the past as well as what she thought of as the future. Then she looked to the hills. There were the horses. Her horses. She wasn't done. Not by a long shot. Family? She'd never had one at least not for a long time, she didn't need the hassle. She wanted those horses home. She was going to open up the Dude Ranch once again. Her Uncle Bill wanted her to. She just knew it. Once again the DD Ranch would be a success. By hook or by crook. Crook! So Josh's dad was a crook. The lawyer. Huh! "You just never know do you? I can do without people for awhile. There is so much to do, and most of it I can do by myself. I'm thinking that the sheriff is an honest man and will make sure nobody starts trouble. In the meantime, I'm going upstairs to see if I can find the missing part of that video Uncle Bill made. I just might need that silver and diamond necklace and earrings to sell, if things get worse."

Allie barely made it into the kitchen when the stray dog started barking. She went to the door to see what was going on and there stood the cowhands she had seen in town. "Well, do you have our money? We ain't waitin' much longer, Missy. You got it or not? If you ain't then we're leavin', but on the way out of town we are stopping at the sheriff's office and find out just who we see about takin' you to small claims court. We need our money!"

"Well you can wipe those grins off your face. I don't have any money so you will just have to wait. I'll pay you when I can. Please don't sue me.  I need your help and I promise to pay you when I can. For some reason the bank won't give me any money. I'm going in to talk to the sheriff tomorrow and see if he can help me. There seems to be a problem at the bank. I'm sure he will get to the bottom of it and we will all be happy. Will you wait at least a day or two?"

The ranch hands said that they would think about it and let her know. But they also said that they weren't a bit happy about the situation.

On the way back to town the sheriff's car was fairly quiet. Laura and Josh listened to the sheriff talking to Haylee. "Okay, stop at the office before you leave. I have a tip for you that he's down by Brownsville. I got a call from a gas station attendant. Yeah, I'll tell you about it when you come in. See you in a few."

Josh was sitting in the back seat. After he listened to the sheriff talking he tapped the sheriff on the shoulder and said, "Are you talking about my dad? Is Haylee going to arrest him? What did he do exactly? I need to know. How do you know it's my dad? I'm not a kid anymore, sheriff. I don't like my dad much, but he is my dad I guess. It sounds like to me that he really didn't like anyone including himself. This has been a really bad day especially for Allie. I need to go to Springfield. If you let me go to Springfield I think I can give Allie some really good news, but I have to get my birth certificate from that lady. You know, that Maxine lady. Can I please go back? I don't even have any clothes! What are you going to do? This is a mess, I tell you that! If you won't let me I am going to the nursing home to see that old miner. He probably has all the answers. You two seem to both know him. Let me go see him. Please.

The sheriff seemed to be listening to Josh, but he was thinking only about Allie. She was not only by herself now, but she didn't have any money. He got on his cell phone and said, "Hey, Haylee, is there any way you can unfreeze Bill's account so that Allie can have some money.? She has to live you know. I can help some, but not for long. Laura nodded her head and said, "I'll help too." Josh said, "I've been helping her you know. I can help some more, but there really isn't a need for long term help. I think Allie's rich. More than you guys understand. No one seems to be listening to me!" 

Laura looked out the window and thought, "What do I do? Rex swore me to secrecy." Then she said, "When we get to town, why don't you drop me off at home. I have some errands to run." She smiled at Josh and said, "Sure she is. She has five hundred acers of land a roof over her head and some beautiful horses that she can't afford to feed. Of course, she's rich."  She turned and grinned at her friend and Josh when they got to her house. "It will all work out. Don't worry." 

As soon as she got in the house she grabbed her purse and car keys. She was on her way to the nursing home to see her old pal, Rex. They had some serious talking to do.

As the sheriff drove through the small town he pulled over to the curb. The bus will be here at four o'clock this afternoon. Be on it! I think you and your dad have caused enough trouble for our little town. Now beat it!"

Josh felt completely defeated, but he knew what he had to do. He waited until the patrol car was out of sight, then he walked to the cafe. He needed to talk to Lill.

Maxine Tells Her Story

 Allie looked at Haylee with tears in her eyes. "I thought you wanted to be my friend. It was all lies. I can't believe you would treat me that way. You even said you loved the same music I loved and I believed you! You spoke Spanish to this little dog and she understood you. What's up with that? "And you, she pointed at Josh, how could you act like you were my friend? You helped me with money and food, you've helped around the ranch, you even showed me how to get water! You made me believe that you would stay and get the place cleaned up and back as good as new. But you're a crook! A low down crook! Just who is your father anyway? I need some answers and I need them now. No, just forget it. I'm done. I'm going to have the sheriff arrest all of you. I want you all gone and gone now. Get off my ranch right now!"

The sheriff walked back to the group of angry and upset people and said, "Nobody's going anywhere. Okay, Haylee. Tell Allie what you are about. Allie, I had a hand in this too, so please forgive me, but it had to be done. Our little town was becoming corrupt and I knew it, but I couldn't clean it up by myself. I called for help and they sent me Haylee. Okay, Haylee tell them who you are."

Haylee was petting Chata and softly whispered Spanish in her furry little ear. "I'm really sorry, Allie, but I was just doing my job. I am an under cover agent for the Federal Securities Office. Chata is my dog. I have taught her Spanish so that I can give her commands in a language that might not be understood by the bad guys. I let her loose at the gas station where you stopped for gas. Her collar has a tracking device on it so that I could know exactly where you were at all times. I knew that the Jeep had been compromised by Josh, but I knew Chata would stay with you as long as you gave her treats. I was hired as a bank teller in this little town so I could watch the coming and goings of the people that were stealing from your Uncle Bill. He had no idea why he was losing money. Then he became sick. Your Uncle Bill made K.R. the executor of his estate. He was taking a large salary every month for that "job". For the last few months Josh's father has been selling stock in your ranch illegally. He tells folks he has a get rich quick deal for them, they fall for it then  he gets their money. When you came into the bank the other day, I couldn't give you the money that I knew was meant for you, because I had found out that the president of the bank was in cahoots with K.R. He had a small but very effective ring of hoodlums selling these stocks for him. He would promise these guys a big percentage of the profits, but to  my knowledge he has never paid them. No one has recently bought a new car, or left town or deposited a large amount of money.  I was concerned the other day when I left the sheriff's office that you might have seen me." 

"I saw you when I was coming back from the feed store, said Josh. "I wondered what a young woman like you was doing at the sheriff's office. The only thing that I am guilty of is being blackmailed by my father. Years ago when I was in college my friend, now a senator, cheated on his exams. My father told me that if I didn't help him with his dirty work, he would have my friend's mistake exposed to the media. That would mean he would lose his law license, his job as senator, and probably his family. His mother works in the cafe here in town. She put a hot pepper in Allie's chili when we stopped there. She was rude and never smiled once when we were there. Justin is my friend's name and he is trying to help me get to the bottom of dad's scheme. Hopefully his mother isn't mixed up in this stock fraud going on.  I have set a trap for my dad, sheriff. It should help you catch him. I wasn't running away, I was trying to get the new Real ID so I could fly back to Springfield. I wanted to go to the capitol and get an original copy of my birth certificate. I was hoping that they would accept my drivers license and my address on a utility bill and not ask for my birth certificate. I sometimes get this feeling that my dad isn't my dad. I wanted to see for myself exactly who my father was. I don't know how to explain it. I guess you will just have to arrest me."

Maxine sighed and said, "I have it. I'm your grandfather's sister-in-law. Naomi and I were good friends. She hated the ranch and I loved it. She had a son that hated the ranch and mine loved it. Then our sons had sons and the opposite happened, Josh. You love the earth and making discoveries. You were a great disappointment to your father, K.R.. as he was to me. William was the son I always wanted. His sister was your mother, Allie. Rex sent for Maggie and her son when Naomi ran off. It's a complicated family tree you have, but that's the story. You can believe it, or not. It's up to you."

Laura looked at Maxine, then the sheriff. "I wondered. Who we considered the third musketeer swore me to secrecy, my friend; sorry." Then she walked over to Maxine and said, "The man that won the ranch in a card game over sixty years ago is in a nursing home not ten miles from here. He was young and reckless in his day.  He and his brother, your husband, never did see eye to eye. They were always competing with each other. The last contest was their last. Your brother-in-law married a wonderful woman whose name was Naomi as you well know. He loved her with all his heart, but she couldn't live on the ranch. She loved the bright lights and city living. She hated it here. She ran off, but their son, Bill, stayed here and made this ranch a thriving dude ranch for hundreds of folks to enjoy. At one time the Texas plains sang with the sounds of children laughing and people singing around the bonfires every evening. Oh it was a sight to behold. The ranch had over fifty people working on it. Oh the stories I could tell. You could have been part of this ranch's wonderful history, but you decided to be a bitter old woman with an ax to grind."

 "I remember how much your son hated this ranch.. Your brother-in-law made him work and clean the barns and tend to the horses. He made him get up at sunlight and work 'til sundown. He forced him to go to law school when he saw that he would never stay on the ranch. That also made your son angry. He never wanted to go to law school. Maxine said, "I know. One day he called and said he was never coming back. I could stay if I wanted to, but he would never set foot back on this piece of dirt again. Rex spent his days and sometimes nights working on that old mine. It's been played out for years, but he wouldn't give up on it. Whatever. I gave up on him years ago as well as his brother.  I asked Rex if I could move back to the original cabin that his brother had built for me. He told me I could live out my years here if I wished, so that's that. So, Miss Allie, you can't do anything to me except try to kick me out and that will get you nothing but a bundle of bills you can't pay and years of heartache. I haven't done anything wrong. I have enough money that I will fight for my piece of this ranch. It's my home and I'm staying. And someday it will belong to my son, K.R. He can do with it what he wants once I am gone." With that she got off her bench kicked up some dust and walked away. You could hear her chuckle on her way to her cabin. "I guess I told those whippersnappers what's what."

Allie and Josh looked at each other. Without saying a word they realized that they weren't just friends; they were cousins. Allie's eyes got big. She suddenly realized that she had a brother somewhere. What in the world just happened?  They needed answers. They both started talking to Laura and the sheriff, but before they could get any answers, the sheriff's phone rang. It was the same unknown number.

Maxine Tells Her Story

 "If everybody would just quit with all the questions and the shouting. I'll tell you what I know to be the truth. Now just quit pointin' fingers at me. Y'all are makin' me a might nervous, with all this whooplarah."

"No, I want to hear what Josh has to say. What do you mean your father's a crook and you've been helping him? Just who are you anyway?" sobbed Allie.

Haylee looked at Allie and said, "Josh is telling you the truth ,Allie. I know who he is. And I know who his grandfather is." Maxine gave Haylee a small smile and said, "I wondered if the truth would come out someday. I was hopin' it wouldn't. Well, who's gonna tell this tale? You want the history of the truth and the whole truth from an old woman or the youngest of the  bunch tellin' the story. It's up to you." She looked the sheriff dead in the eye and said, "Well? What will it be?"

The sheriff looked around at the mix of folks all whom were upset to say the least. Maxine was the oldest of the bunch, but he knew Laura the best. They had been pals for years. He raised his thick eyebrows at Laura and she gave him a slight nod. He said, "Alright, Maxine, so tell it. It had better be good because I'm going to check out every word you say. And you, young man, are not going anywhere. You are stayin' put until I tell you that you can go. Sorry, Allie. I know you were putting your trust in this fella. Down right sorry I am. Well, get to it, Maxine."

Maxine cleared her throat and said, "Well, this is going to take a few minutes to tell, but it's good to be tellin' it. You know I wasn't always this old. I was young and kinda pretty is what my man said, "He loved me you see, but he loved playin' cards more. I didn't know that when I married him. Hey, sheriff, could I have a cup of coffee? This is gonna take a cup or two to tell."

"Oh, he was a sweet talker, that's for sure. And handsome? None better. I was the envy of all the girls in town. I loved that man with my whole heart and soul and still do for that matter. I was takin' in by all his sweet words and what I thought was sincere plans for our future. He had bought a few acres down here. As a matter of fact the land that my cabin is on was the first land that he ever bought. Said it wasn't much, but he knew with hard work and a little luck we'd have the biggest ranch in Texas. Wanted to raise horses and build me a beautiful house. Said we could have a few kids and the land would be in the family forever." Maxine wiped some dust from her eyes, or so she said. She sipped at her now cold coffee and looked at Josh. "After our boy was born, he seemed to want to go out at night more and more. He said he was lucky at cards and wanted to build us a nest egg. A nest egg...well he did that and bought more acres of land. Before I knew it we had five thousand acres. It still wasn't big enough for him. He wanted more land and more horses. I wanted my husband home with me and our boy, but he couldn't be tied down he said. The last night I saw him he told me he was goin' into town. There was supposed to be a hotshot card player coming. The stakes were high and he was going to win enough to add even more land to our already huge ranch. I pleaded with him to stay home. But he wouldn't listen. My memory of that night will never leave my mind. That was the night that changed my life and my son's life forever. After playing cards for hours he had run out of money. He had gambled all of the money he had in the world. All he had left was the ranch. So he did the unthinkable. He bet the ranch on the hand he just knew was going to beat that horrible man. My man told the dealer to hit him with two winning cards. He quietly picked up two aces and he had three sevens in his hand. He had a full house! He could just taste the win, but the shark said, "I'll call." My husband  laid his cards on the table and he chuckled until he saw the hand that the card shark laid down. He had been holding a royal flush. My husband didn't stand a chance. People tell me he left town that night. No one has seen him since. I haven't heard from him since that night so many years ago. It's probably been sixty years by now. I have no idea if he's alive or where he is, but there is one man in town that does. She looked at Josh and said, "He is the man that won this ranch in a card game; his brother; your grandfather.

K.R. made it to the beach and was enjoying the warm sun and an adult beverage. He had gotten away with a lot of money from those silly small town yokels. Thousands of dollars all his. He had really wanted to kick the girl off the ranch and sell it and get a few more thousand, but this way he was safe from the law and enjoying all that he had worked for. "Ha, I love it down here. I wish I could get this red stuff off my hands. Wonder what I got into. Oh well, think I'll order in a pizza. Man this is the life. I bet I could run a little scheme down here too. That would keep me in spending money. Yeah, I think next week I might just put an investment website on line. That way I won't have to rent an office. My mind just keeps coming up with new ideas to take and keep. Yup, that's my new motto, 'take and keep.' I think pepperoni and mushroom sounds good. Yup, this is the life. Ow! Man I keep having these headaches! Probably should go see the doctor. Aw, I'll just pick something up at the drug store. Doggone it! It's really getting bad. I'd better go lay down for awhile. Then I'll order some food."

The sheriff put his hand in the air and said, "Hey, cut the chatter. This number keeps calling me. I'd better take it. I'll be right back."

Will The Truth Set Them Free?

 It seemed that everyone was talking at once. Some people were shouting and most  kept talking louder trying to be heard over others. The neighbors were so excited. The sheriff was finally kicking the girl and her friend off the ranch. K.R. didn't seem to be answering his phone. They had tried several times to reach him, but at last they gave up and decided to enjoy the show. They had walked the half mile and crawled on their hands and knees back to the fence so that they could hear what was going on without being seen. They told their little puppy, Daisy to be quiet and hold still.

Josh's plan to get a ride back into town was immediately quashed by the sheriff. Allie was crying and Haylee was talking to Mike and the sheriff without taking a breath. The alpacas were humming their unhappiness with all the commotion. The chickens were clucking their displeasure warning the humans there were not going to be fresh eggs for their breakfast in the morning. Daisy grinned when she spotted Chata and jumped through the hole in the fence and jumped up on top of the patrol car. Mike said, "Aren't you a cute little thing. Where did you come from?" Laura said, "I'd know that pup anywhere. It belongs to your neighbors. I gave that puppy to them just a couple of months ago from our dog's litter."

Josh felt like he was suffocating because he had been hiding the truth from these wonderful folks for so long; especially Allie. He really liked her. He had to tell her and her friends the truth.

"Alright !Alright, already! Just be quiet and I'll tell you what I know. You are not going to like it much. I don't like me much, but you deserve to know. You deserve to know that my dad's a crook!"

The Texas ranch became still. All that could be heard was a sob from Allie, a deep breath from the sheriff and a sigh from Laura. The animals seemed to hold their breath for what seemed to Josh for  hours.  Even the horses on the hillside held their heads still pointing them to the ranch seeming to listen. "Well, he is! And what's more, I've been helping him do his dirty work."

The neighbors were whispering into each other's ears blaming each other for their puppy's getaway. "You should have been watching her closer."  "No you should have been holding onto her leash tighter." "We should have left her at home. Oh no, "I can't believe we did this. Can you hear what's going on over there? Oh no! They are talking about us. Let's get out of here." "We can't leave Daisy. Doggone it, if we stay, Daisy will run right over to us and all those folks will know we are behind the fence eavesdropping. We have to go home and act all innocent like when they bring Daisy home. I'm itching somethin' fierce. You change soap or somethin'? Let's get outta here."

Maxine had made herself comfortable on an old bench so that she could hear what was going on. She closed her eyes for a moment then motioned for the young man to come over and sit by her. "I think I know who you are and who your dad is. Why don't you start from the beginning and I'll see if I can't fill in the blanks that you are searching for."

 Laura took a look at Maxine and walked over to her. "Well, well, well, you decided to make an appearance after all these months. I heard you and your sidekick were takin' care of Bill, now here you are all of a sudden in the middle of all of this. Are you wanting money too? It seems to me that if my old friend should suddenly walk back on this land there would be some scatterin' done. He's not a bit happy I can tell you that for sure. You never ever take old folks for granted. They know more about most stuff than you'll ever know. He asked me to talk to the sheriff you know."

The sheriff walked over to the two women. "Well, your side kick did come to see me the other day wantin' me to kick these kids off the ranch. What is the story, Maxine? I always trusted you and thought you were a good woman. Is that no longer true? Just where is the man you think so much of anyway?"

The sweat was running down his neck and into his eyes as K.R. was maneuvering the big Packard down the winding country roads as fast as he could. "That was close. I need to get to the ranch, but I have a feeling that I might not be welcome. That girl that was driving looked me right in the eye and recognized me. I think I will go south for awhile and let things settle down. I have enough money to make me comfortable for a few months. "It's a sad day when you can't trust your own son to help you out a little. Well, at least I think of him as my son. He was just a kid when I first laid eyes on him. I can't even remember his real name. Seems like his name was Phil, Will, oh yeah; Bill named after my aunt's boy. Oh excuse me, dear old dad; William. Yes, William was the pride and joy of the DD Ranch. He was the son you always wanted not your own flesh and blood. You had that picture of you and him sitting on that old desk for me to see all my life."

 "I'm sick of that place. Hated it out there. Nothing but work, horses and dirt and manure. Smartest move I ever made was getting out there. I got the money I wanted out of that big piece of dirt and I got old Bill to make a will on video. Ha! I'm the only one that knows where the missing piece of that video is and no one will ever find it.  Oh there's a gas station up ahead. I need to fill up and head for the beach. I'll use some of the cash I found in that old Jeep. Josh thought he was so smart and hid it under the floor mat in the back. Ha. What a chump! I taught him better than that. That's fine he can spend the rest of his life digging in the dirt and making discoveries. Yeah, that's what he used to call them; discoveries. I wasted all my time and energy on that kid."

When K.R. finished filling up his Packard he went inside to pay for the gas and pick up some snacks and drinks to take a long. The cashier rang up the bill, thanked him and mentioned the red stain on his hands. She asked him if he had hurt himself.

  "Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. Oh, I have no idea what's on my hands. No no I'm fine. See ya! Yeah, you too!"

The sheriff looked at his cell phone and saw that it was an unknown caller. Since he seemed to have his hands full at the moment he didn't answer the call. Whoever it was would call again if it was important.

Happiness Is Family Not Money

 The packrat family was very busy today. Since the old man died it seemed like there were new treasures all over the place. They had gathered up pearls, silver and diamonds along with bits and pieces of aluminum foil. They so loved shiny objects. He had hidden the silver and diamond necklace and earring set in one of the dolls' apron pockets in the old spare room.  They had gently taken each piece over the last months to their home beneath the floor boards. He had left a silver pocket watch which was very heavy, but with the whole family helping, they had successfully dragged it into their cozy little home. It definitely was a conversation piece. They had invited relatives to visit just so they could show it off.  Their life had become a life of luxury lately after months of being poor. There was food and water once again since a young man and woman had moved in the main house. They no longer had to go for days on end  being hungry and thirsty.

They had started their nest years ago when Naomi was just a little girl. She had accidentally discovered their home while playing in the attic, but had not told her parents. She had brought them bits of cheese and visited them every day until she grew up and married her husband. Their house had been little more than a shack, but they were happy. They were happy until her husband discovered silver. Then he became obsessed with working the mine and getting rich. 

He built her a new house and they had a baby boy. Naomi loved her son, but her husband didn't seem to have time to spend with him. He was always working at the mine. He was determined to build her an even bigger house and to become the richest man in the state. Naomi often wondered if her husband loved her or their son. It seemed he constantly was telling his son what to do and never asking him what he wanted or liked. She found herself alone many nights. As her son grew older he too, stayed away and often didn't come home. When he did visit, her husband and son often argued and her home would be turned into a battleground and eventually became an empty house; no longer a home.

At one time he started to buy horses and became known as the horse trader of the county. He had huge stables built and made sure that the horses were well fed and trained. He never lost a dime on his trading. His motto was buy low sell high. He started having trouble sleeping at night. He dreamed of hitting the mother load of gold and silver in his mine and buying the fastest horses. He often would pack a blanket and canteen and sleep at a little shack he had built not far from the entrance of the mine. One cold and lonely night he woke to the sounds of coyotes howling and wondered if his wife had coffee made. He missed the comforts of home.  He got on his horse and went to the house. When he opened the door, he immediately knew something was wrong. He went upstairs only to find his wife's belongings gone and a note sticking out of the corner of her quilt that was laying haphazardly across their bed. As he read the note a tear slid down his weathered cheek. She said that he had caused her unforgiveable sadness because he had also driven their son away. She would not be back.

There was no fixing it at this point. He knew what he had to do. He was going to send a letter to his sister, Maggie and her family. He knew they would come and live at the ranch. Her oldest son, Bill, loved horses and seemed to be a hard worker. Yes, that's what he would do. He'd send that letter tomorrow. First he had to get a good night's sleep because he was going after Naomi in the morning. He loved her so much. She was probably spending the night with her best friend, Laura. He'd apologize and ask for her forgiveness. Maybe she would like to go on vacation for a weekend or so. Yes, she would like that, then she would come home. He just wouldn't spend so much time at the mine. Yes, that would do the trick.

He fell asleep with their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary picture in his hand. He had put it in a silver frame...

The old man looked out the window at the assisted living facility where he now lived. He  wondered what could have been. Oh how he missed his wife. She had been gone for years now. He had a son somewhere. He hadn't talked to him in years either. He had really messed up his life with his greediness. All the money in the world does not make a person happy. Family. That's what should have made him happy.  He had talked to the only friend he had left and asked her to to go the sheriff. He was concerned about his sister's niece. Her son had indeed come to the ranch. He had made his ranch into a Dude Ranch. Ah yes, something entirely different than he had ever imagined for his land and life, but Bill had made a lot of folks happy. He had lived there for many years. He had died a short time ago and left the ranch to Aaliyah. "At least it's still in my family. Hopefully Laura can convince the sheriff (my old friend) to keep the vultures away from the girl. I think her real hope in saving the ranch is the young man that came with her. I wonder what his story is. Laura will find out. Yes, she will find out...

The Sheriff Goes To The DD Ranch

 The sheriff was just ready to dig into his steak when his old friend came in and sat across from him. He had grown up with Laura and knew her well. She was always welcome at his table as well as his home. His wife had also gone to school with her. He was a bit surprised to see her looking so serious though. "Hey, girl! What's cookin'? Get yourself somethin' to eat and keep me company. Jeanne had to leave to do some errands, so I could use some company. Some good company. That sidekick of Maxine's was just here wanting me to go out to the DD ranch and kick out the young woman that's just moved in out there. What have you heard about her, anything? I hate to say this, but I just don't trust that guy."

Laura gave Lill the heads up and ordered a cup of coffee. After Lill left she smiled and said, "Boy, that woman always makes you feel welcome, don't she?" The sheriff nodded and said, "Poor woman. She needs to move and do something she enjoys. Waitressin' just isn't her thing." They both chuckled. After Lill brought Laura her coffee the sheriff said, "Okay, girl. What's up? You just don't come visiting me at the cafe. Laura looked steady into the sheriff's eyes and said, "You and me been friends in this little town for about forty some years. I've had your back and you've had mine. We've both been in scrapes where we needed each other, now I think it's time we did somethin' for another one of our old friends. They didn't call us the three Musketeers for nothin'. I know somethin' about him I've never told another soul not even you. He needs our help." 

"Okay, you got it. Oh sorry, Just a minute. I need to take this call. Okay, young man. Yes, Where? Oh, Mike's out there helping? Oh alright. Sure I'll get out to the DD. Now? Well, I've had a steak waitin' on me. Oh what the heck. Mike's taking the Jeep into his friend's shop? Okay. I'll go pick up the girls. Oh Mike has them? This is gettin' a might confusing. Okay then.  I'll be right out there. You sure they both are alright? Okay see you in a few."

Laura took one look at her friend and knew there was trouble. "What's going on? Does this have something to do with the young woman out at the ranch? Her friend nodded his head. I had a feeling. Tell you what. Is it alright if I ride along? I have a story to tell you and since you are a lawman you are sworn to secrecy, got it?" The sheriff nodded and growled a bit as he got up and left his now cold steak. He threw a few bills on the table before he and Laura walked out the door. 

Lill couldn't hear all of the conversation, but she heard the words young woman and ranch. She went to the back office to call K.R. Something was wrong and she wanted her money now. It was way past time to get her cut and get out of this rinky dink town and live her life in the city.

Mike had loaded up Allie's Jeep on his trailer, taken the Jeep to his friend's repair shop and was on his way out to the DD ranch. Both girls were talking a mile a minute. They made Mike smile, but something they were saying soon made Mike 
more serious. 

"You say it was a big old white car? A Packard, maybe? I saw that car this morning. It stuck out like a sore thumb in our little town. I never found out who it belonged to. Okay, here we are ladies. Glad I could be of service. I'll let you know when your ride is done. Got my number? Good." Mike was about to leave when he saw Josh come running out of the house. "Hey wait up! Are you girls sure you are alright? Good. Haylee, where is the nearest drivers license bureau? I need to get a Real ID to fly back to Illinois. Oh good. There's one in your town? Cool. Okay, can you or Mike give me a ride into town? Sorry, Allie. I've got to do this. I'll explain to you later."

As Josh was getting into Mike's big truck the sheriff and Laura came driving up to the house. The sheriff gave his siren a couple of rounds and got out of the car. He  said, "Probably better not anybody be leavin' just yet. Seems to be a bit of talkin' that needs to be done. Yeah, that means you too, young man. Just hold your horses."

The neighbor was getting all excited as he watched the new and interesting commotion through the fence. "Hee hee, finally the sheriff is kicking those people off the ranch!" He and his wife could get their money. Finally! He ran the half mile back to his house. It was way past time to call  K.R. "We are going to get you a diamond collar little one. Just you wait and see."