Marjorie Thelen - Designer Detective

“He’s gotten himself into a real pickle.”

“I don’t understand who those men were that he has been having over to the house.”

“You remember them?”

She frowned. “Not exactly. I haven’t been well these last few days. Things seem a bit fuzzy.”

“Opal, do you remember locking Jake in the wine cellar?”

“Me?”

“That’s what Jake said. Why would you do that?”

She blinked her eyes in double time. “Why, Fiona, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Do you remember telling me you and Hudson were getting married?”

She giggled. “Now you are teasing me. Why would I say anything like that? I’m too old for him.” She finished her coffee, and I could read tired in her eyes.

“C’mon, I’ll get you fixed up in the studio. You’re worn out. Tomorrow we’ll decide where we go from here.”

After I got Opal tucked in, I checked on Jake and Cody. Jake was stretched out on the king size bed with the snoring Cody. His eyes fluttered open as I approached.

He rubbed his eyes and coughed. “What time is it?”

“After midnight.”

He looked at Cody. “Who knows when wonder boy will wake up? Is there any more coffee?”

“Sure. Are you holding vigil here tonight?”

“Someone should stay with him.”

“Why don’t you stretch out on the couch? I’ll lie down beside him for awhile.”

“You talked me into it. I’m beat. I can’t keep living like this.”

He rose stiffly from the bed and followed me into the living room.

“Still want that coffee?”

“You bet.”

I poured another cup, heated mine, carried the mugs to the couch and made myself comfortable.

“I guess we won’t make Australia tonight,” he said.

“No.”

“Did you find your passport?”

“In the freezer where I put it, just like Olympia said.”

We sat in silence. The rain beat against the window. The night kept vigil with us. The slow tick tock of an antique kitchen clock I had picked up at a yard sale kept time with our thoughts. The events of the day receded. I was cozy and warm and snuggly.

“Do you mind if I put my feet across your lap?” I said

He looked at me and smiled. “Not at all. Want your feet rubbed?”

“I kill for foot rubs.”

He slipped off my socks. His big, firm hands kneaded my feet in a soft, smooth motion.

“Where’d you learn to give a massage like that?”

“Horses,” he said and grinned.

“Horses like their hooves rubbed?”

“No. Some like their legs stroked. I’ve done a lot of stroking in my life.”

“I bet it wasn’t all horses.”

“Not all.” He smiled and smoothed my aching feet into submission. “Pretty toes,” he said.

“Pedicures. My one weakness.”

He smiled.

“Don’t you have any weaknesses?” I asked.

“Sure. Lots.”

“Like what?”

“I used to smoke. I like alcohol a lot. It’s controlled me some of my life, not so much now.”

“Gambling?”

“Not a gambling man. Never was much of a speculator. You?”

“No, I’m addiction free.” I laughed and so did he.

“I don’t think so. You seem like a woman of big appetites.”

I shook my head and laughed. “Not really. I like investing money.”

“Not me. Don’t really much care about the things it buys. Cowboys don’t make much. I don’t spend much. I have some savings in a bank back home. That’s it.”

“Are you still driving to Oregon?”

He nodded. “Opal needs to go home. The lawyer can handle all the estate business. She needs to get back to where she belongs.”

“What’s it like on her ranch?”

He leaned back against the couch.

“Prettiest country you’d ever want to see. You can see forever. Big, big sky. Blue a lot of the time. After a night rain you can smell the sage in the morning air.”

“Aren’t there rattlesnakes and creepy things like that?”

“Sometimes, but they keep to themselves mostly.”

He put my wooly red socks back on. I sighed in contentment and closed my eyes.

“Tired?” he asked.

“More like frazzled. I’m not cut out for this.”

He laughed. “Me neither. That’s why I want to go back. If Cody wakes up in decent shape, I’m turning him loose, tell him he better get his act straight, and get on back to the ranch as soon as he can.”

I laid my head against the couch and drifted in and out of a doze. The next thing I knew, he was taking the mug from my hand.

“C’mon cowgirl, time for bed.”

He took my hand and tugged me along the hall.

“I’ll sleep with Cody,” I said. “You take the couch.”

“I’ll not argue with you.”

He tucked me in beside Cody who snored on. I was beginning to think he’d never wake up. Jake turned off the table lamp and left the room. I heard him in the bathroom and that’s the last I heard.

When I awoke it was light outside. I lifted my head. Cody was staring at me.

“Fiona?” My name came out in a croak.

I smiled across the pillow at him. “You were great, Cody.”

“Oh, no.” He put a hand on his forehead. “Did we. . “

I was being wicked, I know. “No, we didn’t. How do you feel?”

“Lousy. Is there any orange juice?”

“Yes. But first tell me, do you remember anything of last night?”

He coughed and moaned. “God, my head feels horrible. I remember being with the guys, then one of them said he’d drive me home, since I guess I was in pretty bad shape. I can’t remember much past that. Where am I?”

He gazed around the room.

“At my place.”

“Fiona, I’m sorry if I behaved badly. I’m sorry I can’t remember anything. Did I. . did I take advantage of you?”

“No, you were too drunk to do anything. Have any drugs to go with the drinks?”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Maybe, I can’t remember. Sorry.”

I threw back the covers and emerged with my honor and sweat suit intact.

“What are you doing?” he said, elbowing himself up. “Fiona, I’m terribly sorry about this.”

“Are you sorry you held a gun on us the other night?”

He groaned and laid back down on the pillow. “God, I’m a mess. Someday I’m going to grow up.”

I stood over him. His lips were caked dry and he had one puffy eye. “Where’d you get the shiner?”

“What?”

“Your eye is puffy.”

He touched the wrong eye.

“No, the other one.”

“I can’t remember.”

He went to sit up then lifted the covers and frowned. “I could really use a bath room but someone has stolen my clothes.”

“Bath is in there,” I said with the point of a finger. “I’ll get coffee going.”

“Thanks. Do you know the time?”

I checked the clock on the nightstand beside him. “Almost seven A.M.”

“What day?”

“That I can’t be sure of.”

I turned to leave.

“Fiona. How did I get here?”

“Long story. I’ll make coffee. Your clothes are on the table and chair. They might be dry. You’re welcome to a shower. Towels in the cupboard.”

I left and made my way to the kitchen, checking on Opal along the way. She was still abed and appeared to be sleeping. Jake was stretched out on the couch with my favorite afghan in primary colors covering the top part of him. I tried to be quiet as I made coffee. I searched the refrigerator for the quart of orange juice I thought I saw there recently. It was behind the twelve pack of beer and was past the date stamp but Cody would never know. I opened the carton and sniffed. Smelled okay to me. I filled a glass, took it back to the guest room and set it on the nightstand. The shower was going in the bathroom.

I performed my own toilet, pulled on a pair of clean pressed Levis and a black turtleneck, and light footed it back to the kitchen. Jake sat up on the couch as I went by.

“Good morning,” I said. “I’ll get you some coffee.”

“Thanks,” he said, barely above a whisper.

I returned with a mug and placed it on the coffee table. He had gone somewhere to use a bathroom, so I sat down with my legs curled underneath me and flipped on the television. The local news went over the same sad stories that never seemed to change. The weather forecast was for rain all day. Roderick Smart came on with breaking news. Firefighters were on their way to a fire in McLean. A second unit had been called. A picture flashed on screen, and Roderick explained it appeared to be a large McLean estate. The camera focused on flames shooting from the roof of Albert Lodge’s lovely mansion.

“This can’t be possible,” I said, trying hard to believe my eyes.

The reporter was saying the second fire truck had just arrived. The roof was on fire. Leaping flames. Plumes of black smoke.

“It is not clear if anyone was at home when the fire started,” said the reporter in a yellow rain slicker.

“Hudson,” I said. “I wonder if he made it out.”

“Made it out of where? Who?” Jake said, coming into the room and reaching for the mug of coffee.

“Albert’s estate is on fire. I hope Hudson made it out.” I jumped up and stood inches from the screen like that would help me believe what was happening better.

“You’re kidding,” Jake said, watching the report. More photo footage flashed across the screen. “You’re not kidding.”

“Because of the isolated setting,” the reporter said, “the house may have been on fire for some time before a neighbor saw the smoke and called it in. No one was found in the house. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of the family should contact local police.”

I gnawed on my thumbnail. “Do you think Hudson set it? He wanted Opal out of there awfully bad.”

Jake said, “I hope not. I hope he made it out. Maybe he had this planned.”

“It’s a brilliant idea to set fire to a house you inherited, and you couldn’t keep up. Collect the cash and retire. Fire would be a perfect way to settle the whole messy estate. I wonder what the real estate was insured for.”

Then something that Hudson had said came back to me and gave me pause.

“Jake, when I asked Hudson if he was now master of the house, he said, ‘in a manner of speaking’. What if he didn’t inherit the house?”

Jake shrugged. “Fiona, I can’t make heads or tails of the inheritance thing. I never saw any documents. I only know what Opal and Cody told me, that Hudson got the house. We better tell them.”

I hurried back the hallway. Cody’s door was closed. I rapped.

“Cody, Albert’s house is on fire. Come quick.”

He cracked the door and stuck his head through. “What?”

“The house is on fire. I hope none of your buddies is responsible for it. There were four there last evening, and they took out a load of rifles. That was before you arrived.”

“I’ll be right out. I need to dress. You don’t have any guy clothes lying around, do you? Mine are still damp.”

Cody was about as tall as I and slim. “I might have a sweat suit.”

I ran to my room and found a pink sweat suit that was too big for me that I thought would fit him. It might be a bit small but it beat damp clothes. I dropped it by his room then ran to Opal’s room. “Opal,” I said softly and touched her shoulder. “Wake up.”

She started awake, eyes wide. She gazed at me like she didn’t recognize me.

“Fiona?” she said. She gave owl like blinks.

“Albert’s house is on fire. It’s on TV breaking news. Get up and come out to the living room. The authorities are looking for family. We don’t know where Hudson is.”

I rushed back to the living room, forgetting to help Opal out of bed. Jake was still watching the news.

“Any new developments?”

“No, they keep repeating the same stuff.”

“Opal and Cody are dressing. Tell them what happened and have them call the police. I’ll take you to a car rental place on my way to the airport. You can run them to the mansion.”

“On your way to the airport?”

“Yes, I’m leaving town. I’ve resigned my commission.”

“You’d desert me?”

I paused to gaze upon Jake’s rugged face. He was starting to look good to me. That was added incentive to leave.

“Yes, I’m deserting you. You are a big boy. You can take care of these folks. I’m not sure about Cody’s game, but I bet you can straighten him out.”

Cody came striding into the room in the pink sweat suit. That was a real conversation stopper. The legs were Capri length on him and the sleeves about three inches too short. He was taller than I thought.