pain. But there was someone, that's for certain. I suppose people would say that was another motive for Alex to kill his wife."
"But he didn't do it. He couldn't. I know that somehow. It's got to be someone else, and I'm going to find out who it was." Robin rose to leave. "Thank you for helping me, Mrs. Manchester. Can I stop by some other time so we can get our heads together?"
"Any time, Robin. It's a pleasure to have met you. You're a determined lady, and Alex is lucky to have you!" Her eyes were twinkling and Robin blushed.
"I'm just trying to do justice, Mrs. Manchester. A man should be able to prove himself innocent in a matter like this."
Robin left the little woman behind her with a wave and headed down the street to the far corner where she had left the jeep.
"Alex is lucky to have you," Mrs. Manchester had said. What had she meant by that? Robin was pursuing this mystery because the injustice of the whole situation had upset her feelings of right and wrong. There was nothing personal in it at all. Or was there?
Chapter 7
A few drops of rain had begun to drop from the dark clouds that had been hanging heavily overhead all day. Robin reached the jeep and hurriedly lifted her jean-clad legs into it. She thrust the key into the waiting ignition, silently berating herself for lingering so long in town, knowing that a storm was threatening. The engine sputtered a few times, then finally roared.
On the way to the ranch, Robin almost ran over a prairie dog. Her foot leapt to the brake pedal of the car. Her tense arms swerved the steering wheel to the right at the same instant. Her ears were filled with the sound of the jeep's wheels skidding uncontrollably on the gravel shoulder of the road. Relentlessly Robin bumped the brakes to no avail. The jeep was not slowing. She turned her attention to the steering wheel, sharply counteracting each spin to try to regain control of the vehicle. But it did no good. The jeep whizzed over the shoulder of the road and onto the rough terrain of the prairie. Robin found herself being jostled fiercely up and down, while she held tightly to the wheel.
Then everything seemed to happen at once. The sky seemed to open up; gallons of water poured from the angry gray clouds. A burst of lightning split the sky. In the startled second where she was caught off guard, the right front wheel of the jeep plunged into a waiting hole. The vehicle was thrown totally off balance, and Robin found herself being plummeted through the air to the wet ground below. She landed with a smack and lifted her aching head in time to see the runaway jeep finally conic to a stop—upside down with its wheels spinning freely in the air.
"I could have been killed!" she cried, wrapping her shaking arms around herself as she sat alone on the prairie. The tears were running in rivers down her cheeks, but the pouring rain washed them away. And overhead the sky shook with thunder, blazed with sporadic flashes of lightning, and the wind whipped coldly around her ears.
Her shoulders shook with sobs, the impact of the close scrape with death dawning horribly on her. She felt very alone.
But then another rumpling sound reached her desolate ears, the sound of an approaching engine. She attempted to stand, and began to make her wobbly way toward the road that lay almost a hundred yards from her. A long black car came into sight, a welcome vision to her tearful eyes.
It screeched to a halt and the door flew open. The sight of the strong blond man coming close to her was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.
"Robin, Robin, good heavens, are you all right?" asked Alex. He had torn off his faded denim jacket and now he pulled it gently around Robin's shivering shoulders. The feel of the comforting arm around her back made her blood run warm again in her veins. She buried her wet face in his broad chest and hung onto him with all the strength left in her tired body. He silently held her close.
She could
"But he didn't do it. He couldn't. I know that somehow. It's got to be someone else, and I'm going to find out who it was." Robin rose to leave. "Thank you for helping me, Mrs. Manchester. Can I stop by some other time so we can get our heads together?"
"Any time, Robin. It's a pleasure to have met you. You're a determined lady, and Alex is lucky to have you!" Her eyes were twinkling and Robin blushed.
"I'm just trying to do justice, Mrs. Manchester. A man should be able to prove himself innocent in a matter like this."
Robin left the little woman behind her with a wave and headed down the street to the far corner where she had left the jeep.
"Alex is lucky to have you," Mrs. Manchester had said. What had she meant by that? Robin was pursuing this mystery because the injustice of the whole situation had upset her feelings of right and wrong. There was nothing personal in it at all. Or was there?
Chapter 7
A few drops of rain had begun to drop from the dark clouds that had been hanging heavily overhead all day. Robin reached the jeep and hurriedly lifted her jean-clad legs into it. She thrust the key into the waiting ignition, silently berating herself for lingering so long in town, knowing that a storm was threatening. The engine sputtered a few times, then finally roared.
On the way to the ranch, Robin almost ran over a prairie dog. Her foot leapt to the brake pedal of the car. Her tense arms swerved the steering wheel to the right at the same instant. Her ears were filled with the sound of the jeep's wheels skidding uncontrollably on the gravel shoulder of the road. Relentlessly Robin bumped the brakes to no avail. The jeep was not slowing. She turned her attention to the steering wheel, sharply counteracting each spin to try to regain control of the vehicle. But it did no good. The jeep whizzed over the shoulder of the road and onto the rough terrain of the prairie. Robin found herself being jostled fiercely up and down, while she held tightly to the wheel.
Then everything seemed to happen at once. The sky seemed to open up; gallons of water poured from the angry gray clouds. A burst of lightning split the sky. In the startled second where she was caught off guard, the right front wheel of the jeep plunged into a waiting hole. The vehicle was thrown totally off balance, and Robin found herself being plummeted through the air to the wet ground below. She landed with a smack and lifted her aching head in time to see the runaway jeep finally conic to a stop—upside down with its wheels spinning freely in the air.
"I could have been killed!" she cried, wrapping her shaking arms around herself as she sat alone on the prairie. The tears were running in rivers down her cheeks, but the pouring rain washed them away. And overhead the sky shook with thunder, blazed with sporadic flashes of lightning, and the wind whipped coldly around her ears.
Her shoulders shook with sobs, the impact of the close scrape with death dawning horribly on her. She felt very alone.
But then another rumpling sound reached her desolate ears, the sound of an approaching engine. She attempted to stand, and began to make her wobbly way toward the road that lay almost a hundred yards from her. A long black car came into sight, a welcome vision to her tearful eyes.
It screeched to a halt and the door flew open. The sight of the strong blond man coming close to her was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.
"Robin, Robin, good heavens, are you all right?" asked Alex. He had torn off his faded denim jacket and now he pulled it gently around Robin's shivering shoulders. The feel of the comforting arm around her back made her blood run warm again in her veins. She buried her wet face in his broad chest and hung onto him with all the strength left in her tired body. He silently held her close.
She could
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