Tony snorted a laugh. “Good one, Dana. Yeah, right.”
“No, I’m serious,” she said, wondering why he thought this was so funny.
“The Brendan Donovan?” Tony asked, his face turning a blotchy red. “Are you sure?”
“That’s the man’s name,” she replied.
“Okay, if you say so,” Tony said, scratching his head. “But I can’t imagine why the wealthy, worldly Mr. Brendan Donovan, better known as the ‘Geek from Ireland,’ would be out on a county line road in rural Kansas. Maybe it was someone pretending to be him.”
Dana studied her friend, suspicious of that bright knowing light in Tony’s eyes. To her way of thinking, Brendan Donovan was anything but a geek. The man oozed handsome. “What do you know about him?”
“Enough,” Tony replied, already focusing on the task at hand. “Let me pull up a few things and then I’ll explain.”
A few hours later, Tony emerged from his corner with printouts an inch thick. “Very interesting. When you make someone mad, you go for the big guns, huh?”
Dana dropped the magazine she’d been leafing through. “What’d you find?”
Tony settled down in the plaid chair and adjusted his bifocals. “Universal Unity Church—founded by Caryn Roark. Started in Europe, specifically Ireland, has ties with extremists groups, cultlike following, over a thousand sworn members worldwide, very secretive, very powerful. Members have to swear loyalty to the church and give up all worldly goods. Had some run-in with parents who claim she’s brainwashing their teenagers. Moved to rural Kansas about three years ago to start a new arm of church. Still has headquarters in Ireland, but has a growing following in United States. Claims to have channeling powers, uses the occult and spirituality to convey her messages to believers.” He stopped, tipping his head so he could see Dana over his bifocals. “And here’s the part I especially like—owns stock in various companies, including technology and activewear.”
Dana sat listening, surprise and disbelief growing with each word. Now she let out a shocked breath. “I knew she was powerful, but I had no idea. You’re telling me I’m in a lot of trouble, right?”
Tony bobbed his head. “Yes, I guess that’s what I’m telling you, doll face. Should have kept better tabs on your neighbor, I reckon. And probably shouldn’t have picked a fight with her over a dead bull.”
Dana dropped her head into her hands. “They moved into the Selzer place a few years back, not long after my parents were killed. They didn’t bother me and I tried to stay clear of them, until she tried to buy my land. Ever since I turned her down, she’s been rather cool toward me, but no one from over there has ever harassed me before.”
“But they may have shot your bull?”
“Yes,” Dana said, groaning. “I told you, I went there the other day, after Otto was shot. I told her I thought someone from her complex had done it.”
“And you threatened her.”
Dana thought back over the conversation. “Yes, I guess I did get a tad mad. But she was so smug, so high and mighty! Okay, I did suggest it might be someone from her group. She didn’t take too kindly to that, either.”
Tony gave her a worried look. “Dana, this doesn’t sound too pretty. No wonder Sheriff Radford didn’t get all bothered about the looting and fire.”
“No, because she’s probably paying for his extra little luxuries,” Dana said on a hiss. “He kept trying to protect her, assured me she’d have nothing to do with something like this. I can’t believe this. Why would she get so angry just because I suggested this might be someone from her complex? And why do they think I’m hiding something they need?”
Tony’s white teeth played across his bottom lip. “Maybe because she knew you were correct in that suggestion, and it made her look bad? Maybe because she was afraid you had figured some things out? Maybe they’re saying they know you have proof and they want that proof?”
“What things, what proof?” Dana shouted, getting up to pace around the room. “I was trying to mind my own business. I never once messed with those people until they messed with me.”
“Maybe this Roark woman has something to hide, besides murdering animals and setting fires, and she thinks you know more than you really do.”
Dana’s head shot up. “That has to be it. Here I was thinking it’s just about the land, but they came in and tore up my house, so they were obviously looking for something.”
“What could you possibly have that they’d want, though?” Tony wondered. “If this woman is as powerful as this report claims, then she doesn’t need anything else.”
Dana shook out her wavy mane. “Technology and active-wear? Pretty strange for someone who forces her followers to live in virtual poverty.”
“Or virtual reality,” Tony added. “If she’s into technology, there’s no telling what she’s got going on. She might be conning them with this spirituality gig. I’ll bet she uses technology to conjure up all sorts of dire things.”
Dana shivered. “You mean she uses scare tactics?”
He nodded. “Yes, mind control, hypnosis, brainwashing. Dana, you’ve got yourself into some pretty heavy stuff here.”
Dana shot him a wry look. “I went to see her because I was concerned. I must have opened up a whole new can of worms by threatening her, but I never meant for it to go this far.”
“Smart move. Are you sure someone from this church could have had Otto done in?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not completely sure, but that was the only explanation. I’m sitting right in the middle of their complex, so they’d have to cross my land to get back and forth on the property. I just figured one of her wards decided to have target practice on old Otto. We both know there’s nothing for miles and miles around. It can get pretty boring out there, especially for those kids from the big city.”
Tony squinted at her. “You said your property is surrounded by church property?”
“Yes,” Dana replied, nodding. “Everybody else either lost out or had to sell out. The church has bought up just about every bit of land there is to have out there.”
Tony leaned back in his swivel chair. “And she’s offered to buy your place?”
“She’s hinted at it very strongly, but I never offered to sell.”
“You thought about it, though. Maybe now would be a good time to do just that. Maybe that’s all she’s after.”
“I am the only holdout,” Dana said. “And she does seem to want all the land around there. But I don’t want to lose it, not even now. And I certainly don’t intend to be bullied out of my daddy’s land.”
Tony rolled his eyes. “You don’t have many choices left, sugar. Time was, you would have gladly sold that land to anyone with a good offer—let alone someone trying to kill you.”
“That was before,” she said, looking over to where Stevie sat playing a maze-type video game with Tony’s state-of-theart gadgets. “When Mom and Dad died, Stevie didn’t take it so well, remember. I couldn’t uproot him so soon after all that. He loves the farm, so I stayed. And I’ll keep on staying until he’s better able to handle a move.”
“I’ve heard this tale before,” Tony reminded her. “That’s all very noble, but it also means you don’t have a life. And we both know that’s why you and I aren’t together today.”
She made a hushing sound. “I don’t want to get into that, Tony. Stevie and I are a package deal, take it or leave it. You chose