Crystal was waiting for her between the front doors of the hospital. Helena did not even have time to get out of her car. Crystal jumped in. As always, Helena did not bother with small talk. 'Where to?'
'The courthouse. I want to see if Meredith's car is there She told me she works every Saturday, but no one's answering the phone in the clerk's office or at her place.'
They circled by the courthouse. No old Mustang cluttered up the small lot.
'Where to next?'
'Anna's place.' Crystal chewed on the corner of her lip.
'I'll fill you in on the way out.'
Helena might be in her sixties, but she drove her Buick with both skill and speed. J.D. always teased her that she thought the speed limit was the minimum daily requirement for each road.
They pulled onto the Montano ranch fifteen minutes later.
Neither was surprised to see Meredith's old car parked out front.
Meredith met them at the door.
Helena gave her a quick hug and asked, 'What can we do?'
'I don't know.' Meredith led them inside. 'Anna's been pretty beat up, but she's resting now. She won't tell me anything. The sheriff told her she could put the man who did this to her in jail if she'd make a statement, but she won't say anything. It's like she thinks her silence is protecting someone.'
'Crystal said they have Zack Larson in custody.' Helena circled the room, looking at the damage. 'He owns the place next door.' She was putting the pieces together in her mind and, as always, thinking things through.
'He was here,' Meredith verified. 'Carlo Vangetti says Zack shot him when Carlo tried to help his sister. They took Larson and Anna's brother to the hospital in the same ambulance.'
Helena stormed suddenly. 'If I get my hands on that Zack Larson, I'll kill him myself. What kind of a monster would do such a thing to Anna? She's frightened of her shadow as it is and every man she's ever known has been a bully. There is no telling the damage something like this will do to her.'
'Wait a minute,' Crystal whispered. 'Something doesn't make sense. Let's reason this out for a moment.'
The other two woman stared at Crystal in surprise, but she the continued before they could say anything. 'If Zack Larson beat up and raped Anna, why would his first question be `Is Anna all right?' It doesn't make sense. He sounded like he was worried, really worried about her.'
'Anna's only question was `Is Zack still alive?'' Meredith added. 'She didn't even ask about Carlo and he was the one shot.'
The three women froze. The only sound in the great room was the wind whistling in the fireplace.
'Do you think…' Meredith started almost afraid to say the words.
'It could be,' Helena added.
'We have to be sure before we tell anyone,' Crystal reasoned. 'No one is going to believe us.'
Suddenly, all three women talked at once. Theories flowed around the room. After an hour they agreed to collect more information, let Anna sleep, and meet back at Anna's tomorrow afternoon.
While Helena and Meredith tried to pick up the broken furnishings, Crystal excused herself and walked out the front door.
'Where's she going?' Meredith watched as Crystal ruined leather heels tromping through the snow toward the burned-out rig.
'She's going to talk to the oil field workers,' Helena guessed. 'And from what I hear, they'll tell her anything they know. She's built a lot of respect with them over the past months. She's not just Shelby Howard's wife anymore. She's one of them.'
'But it's a half mile to those trailers.'
Helena smiled. 'She'll make it. She also knows our cars wouldn't. Those roughnecks might say anything on thc phone, but they won't lie with her facing them down. She's a wildcatter's woman, and my guess is they all know it by now.'
'Can you stay here with Anna tonight?' Helena did not wait for Meredith to answer. 'I'll try to track down the housekeeper Anna uses. She'll know where everything goes.' Helena picked up a piece of a lamp. 'Maybe she'll agree to come out and help. This might be a good time to gut the room and start over. None of this looks like Anna.'
Meredith nodded. 'I didn't plan on leaving Anna at all tonight, even though Carlo sent word from the hospital that there was no need for me to stay.' She leaned close and touched Helena's hand. 'And how about you? How are you feeling today?'
'Better than I've felt in a long time. There is work to do here. Crystal's right, something doesn't make sense, and wr can't depend on one overworked sheriff and a few dimwitted deputies to figure it out. I'm a workhorse. Put me out in pasture and I'll surely die.'
'Randi's coming in tonight, and she's promised to stay with me,' Meredith added. 'Crystal's already told me, I'm to keep her away from the new poles at Frankie's. Having her with me out here should keep her far enough away from any trouble in town. Maybe Randi can talk to the hands on the place. Someone in the bunkhouse must have heard thc shot.'
'It's a ways to the bunkhouse, but it might be worth a try. Tell Randi to check it out.' Helena agreed, feeling like she was suddenly one part of a detective team.
'Granger told me when he got here the hands were all standing around outside, like they were afraid to come in.'
'Randi probably knows most of the help.' Helena dusted for hands together. 'Maybe they'll tell her things they wouldn't tell us. Ask her to piece together anything she can on Zack. Someone must know him. He's lived here all his life.'
'What about you?'
Helena shook her head. 'I vaguely remember his mother, but she died years ago. His father drank himself to death, I think. To tell you the truth, I barely recognize Zack Larson when I see him on the street.'
Helena laughed. 'J.D. says I know everyone in town, but line them up and I'd miss a few.'
'If Larson was here with Anna and they were friends, then who shot Carlo? Who beat them all up?'
'We'll find out,' Helena promised. 'If Zack Larson is guilty of hurting her, heaven help him. If he's not, then we'll have to help him.'
Sunday, December 19
'I don't care what you and the widows came up with Meredith, I'm not letting Zack Larson out of jail.' Granger looked quite official, leaning forward in his chair. 'By the way, which one of you has been making trips down to Sam Houston State to pick up a Criminal Justice degree?'
Meredith glared at the man she once considered intelligent.
'And aren't you supposed to be staying with Anna? Why are you and Randi leaving your post?' The sheriff glanred from Meredith to Randi, who did not seem to be listening to his lecture at all. He had a feeling she probably acted the same with anyone in authority since she had been in the sixth grade. He did not even want to think about what she offered in trade for all the gossip she collected from tlu Montano ranch hands.
'We were with her all night,' Meredith answered. 'Bella came by the Montano place after she brought Zack some clothes and found out what was going on. She said she'll stand guard over Anna until we get back.'
Granger started again, this time with that 'I'll try to hc patient with you' tone in his voice.
'Look at it this way, half the men in town want to kill Zack Larson, including Anna's brother. The man is safer in here for tonight. After he sees the judge in the morning, we'll take him to the County lockup. I know his kind. He's a loner. If I did let him go, the first place he'd head would be back to that rundown ranch of his, and I'd have no way of protecting him.'
Meredith knew Granger did not exaggerate the danger. Folks clustered around town, talking about how
