High Desert Detective, A Fiona Marlowe Mystery (Fiona Marlowe Mysteries) by Marjorie Thelen Page A

job done, and I’ve
run into some delays so I won’t be able to start your job till next week.”
    “But surely you can take the measurements today and start
ordering materials.”
    “That’d take a while. I’m meticulous, you see, and I got to get
back to this job in town at the new bed and breakfast.”
    With that he rode off in a paint stained white van, leaving Fiona
a little steamed. She sank onto one of the old straight back chairs that
wobbled under her. This was not a good beginning. She checked the time. The electrician
and plumber were late.
    She walked down to the ranch house to look for Opal. Maybe she
knew of some other workers who were more dependable.
    “No, honey,” said Opal, “I can’t say I know a single dependable
contractor in this valley. You see, most of them are seasonal because they are
haying or irrigating or ranching or calving or lambing or whatever, and the
people they work for are, too. So it’s a little hard to keep on a schedule
because Nature calls the shots here.”
    Fiona mulled that one over while she sipped a mug of industrial
strength coffee Opal had made.
    “I’m going into town today,” said Opal. “Do you want to go with
me? Jake says I shouldn’t be driving anymore. Leastways, long distances.”
    “I have to wait for the electrician and plumber.”
    “You better call to see if they are coming.”
    Fiona called them but only got answering machines. “This is very
frustrating,” she said.
    “You’re going to have to slow down if you are thinking to live
here,” said Opal, busy shredding cabbage in a food processor.
    “I’m not sure this is going to be my permanent residence. I’ve
got a big clientele back in the Washington DC metro area that depends on me.
I’m reliable at least.”
    “Suit yourself. You can ask Queenie to watch out for those guys
while we go to town. They might not make it today.”
    “I suppose I could go with you and look for someone to do the
drapes. I need furniture, too.”
    The back door creaked open, and Sheriff Hoover walked in. “You
could come for a drive with me. Is that fresh made coffee I smell, Opal?”
    Opal smiled and poured him a mug. “We don’t see you around here
much in the course of the day.”
    Hoover nodded. “Only when I got investigating to do and there’s a
pretty woman involved.”
    Fiona ignored the obvious flirtation. “What are you
investigating, Sheriff, and where would you be driving?”
    “I was in the neighborhood and stopped to see if you had
remembered anything else of interest about finding those bones yesterday.”
    “Opal had an idea, didn’t you?” Fiona said.
    “It probably wasn’t anything,” she said and turned the food
processor back on.
    “I’m interested,” said Hoover.
    While she worked, she related the particulars about the man
looking for work.
    “Have you found any missing persons in your reports?” Fiona
asked.
    “We have a few open files. Trail’s gone cold on them though. Not
likely the type would end up out in the desert. A man looking for work could
end up anywhere. But I’ll ask around.”
    “How are Farley and the little girl?” asked Fiona.
    “In the hospital. They kept them for
observation overnight. The man may have a concussion. The little girl has a
broken leg.”
    “Poor thing,” said Fiona. “What a traumatic experience for a
young child.”
    “They won’t be here long,” Hoover said. “Caleb said the mother’s
on the way to pick them up and take them back to Portland.”
    “I’m glad they didn’t get hurt worse,” said Opal. “Accident like
that they were plain lucky to make it out alive. Fiona and Jake were lucky they
weren’t hurt.”
    “Do you remember anything else, Fiona?” Hoover asked.
    “I told you all I could remember. I did think of something about
those bones though.”
    “What’s that?”
    “It probably isn’t anything, I mean, I don’t have any facts. When
will you have the results of the DNA analysis?”
    “Takes a