parting ways. Neil joined the two men lighting lanterns while R.J. battled trees and a dense thicket to reach the group of people standing in front of the hole. Most of them had their backs to Neil. Even so, he recognized Jake Tucker’s unmistakable stance.
“Evening.” Neil addressed the men beside the truck.
The older of the two glanced at the badge on Neil’s shirt and extended his hand. “Howdy, Sheriff. I’m Gary Forester, and this is Little José. He’s the fellow who found the shaft.”
Neil reached inside his jacket and removed a notebook. “Can you tell me more about that?”
“I was riding the trail, looking for areas that needed clearing.”
“Where’s your horse now?” Neil scribbled as Little José talked.
“We trailered him back to the ranch so I didn’t have to ride in the dark.”
“How did you happen to notice the mine shaft?” Out of the corner of his eye, Neil observed R.J. attempting to remove the people from the slope and the crime scene. He was being met with some resistance, from Jake in particular. “I didn’t notice it,” Little José said. “Not at first. What I found was this.” He lifted one of the lanterns, illuminatingthe truck’s lowered tailgate where a long, cylindrical piece of iron lay. “It was right there in the middle of the trail.”
Neil fished a handkerchief from his back pocket. “Who else besides you has touched this?” he asked.
“Just Gary.”
Careful not to smudge any possible fingerprints and incur the wrath of the CSI team, Neil used the handkerchief to lift the object. His hand dipped slightly at the unexpected weight.
“It’s a chisel,” Little José informed him.
“And finding this prompted you to go looking for a mine shaft?” Neil set the chisel back down on the truck’s tailgate.
“Not the chisel so much as the footprints and tire tracks.”
“Where?”
“Everywhere.” Little José indicated the ground near them and up the slope.
Neil took in all the people and vehicles and groaned inwardly. Any trace of those footprints and tire tracks was probably eradicated by now. Why hadn’t Jake called Neil first before storming out here and bringing three-fourths of his family with him.
The three-fourths, he promptly realized with another glance at the slope, that included Carolina.
His scribbling momentarily faltered.
“This is private property,” Gary interjected. “No one comes up here who doesn’t work for the ranch.”
“What about neighboring ranchers?”
“They have no reason. And the fences are diligently maintained. We can’t afford to have our guests coming in contact with stray cattle.”
“You rent out ATVs, right? Could any of the guests have come up here?”
Concentrating required all Neil’s effort. Carolina’s pale yellow jeans and green trench coat made her hard to ignore.
“These trails are too dangerous and off-limits,” Gary said.
“Not everyone obeys the rules.”
“I suppose.” Gary adjusted the knob on one of the lanterns. The flame caught, then glowed brightly. Up at the mine shaft, flashlight beams zigzagged over the ground and on the rock walls.
“So, after you found the chisel and noticed the footprints and tire tracks, you went searching for the mine shaft?”
“I didn’t know what I was looking for at first,” Little José explained, “only that someone had been here. I followed the tracks up the hill. Once I got close enough, I could see the hole hidden behind a pile of brush. They didn’t do a very good job camouflaging it.”
“Or they were in a hurry because you surprised them,” Neil suggested. “What did you do after you found the shaft?”
“I radioed the ranch. Reported my location and what I’d found.”
“I drove straight out here as soon as he told me,” Gary said. “Then I called Mr. Tucker. He told me to contact you.”
R.J. had done his job. He’d rounded up the family and was bringing them down the hill.
Jake stopped briefly at a white truck
“Evening.” Neil addressed the men beside the truck.
The older of the two glanced at the badge on Neil’s shirt and extended his hand. “Howdy, Sheriff. I’m Gary Forester, and this is Little José. He’s the fellow who found the shaft.”
Neil reached inside his jacket and removed a notebook. “Can you tell me more about that?”
“I was riding the trail, looking for areas that needed clearing.”
“Where’s your horse now?” Neil scribbled as Little José talked.
“We trailered him back to the ranch so I didn’t have to ride in the dark.”
“How did you happen to notice the mine shaft?” Out of the corner of his eye, Neil observed R.J. attempting to remove the people from the slope and the crime scene. He was being met with some resistance, from Jake in particular. “I didn’t notice it,” Little José said. “Not at first. What I found was this.” He lifted one of the lanterns, illuminatingthe truck’s lowered tailgate where a long, cylindrical piece of iron lay. “It was right there in the middle of the trail.”
Neil fished a handkerchief from his back pocket. “Who else besides you has touched this?” he asked.
“Just Gary.”
Careful not to smudge any possible fingerprints and incur the wrath of the CSI team, Neil used the handkerchief to lift the object. His hand dipped slightly at the unexpected weight.
“It’s a chisel,” Little José informed him.
“And finding this prompted you to go looking for a mine shaft?” Neil set the chisel back down on the truck’s tailgate.
“Not the chisel so much as the footprints and tire tracks.”
“Where?”
“Everywhere.” Little José indicated the ground near them and up the slope.
Neil took in all the people and vehicles and groaned inwardly. Any trace of those footprints and tire tracks was probably eradicated by now. Why hadn’t Jake called Neil first before storming out here and bringing three-fourths of his family with him.
The three-fourths, he promptly realized with another glance at the slope, that included Carolina.
His scribbling momentarily faltered.
“This is private property,” Gary interjected. “No one comes up here who doesn’t work for the ranch.”
“What about neighboring ranchers?”
“They have no reason. And the fences are diligently maintained. We can’t afford to have our guests coming in contact with stray cattle.”
“You rent out ATVs, right? Could any of the guests have come up here?”
Concentrating required all Neil’s effort. Carolina’s pale yellow jeans and green trench coat made her hard to ignore.
“These trails are too dangerous and off-limits,” Gary said.
“Not everyone obeys the rules.”
“I suppose.” Gary adjusted the knob on one of the lanterns. The flame caught, then glowed brightly. Up at the mine shaft, flashlight beams zigzagged over the ground and on the rock walls.
“So, after you found the chisel and noticed the footprints and tire tracks, you went searching for the mine shaft?”
“I didn’t know what I was looking for at first,” Little José explained, “only that someone had been here. I followed the tracks up the hill. Once I got close enough, I could see the hole hidden behind a pile of brush. They didn’t do a very good job camouflaging it.”
“Or they were in a hurry because you surprised them,” Neil suggested. “What did you do after you found the shaft?”
“I radioed the ranch. Reported my location and what I’d found.”
“I drove straight out here as soon as he told me,” Gary said. “Then I called Mr. Tucker. He told me to contact you.”
R.J. had done his job. He’d rounded up the family and was bringing them down the hill.
Jake stopped briefly at a white truck
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