“I couldn’t agree more,” Seth replied, then shook his head with dismay. “I can’t believe one of the T Bar K hands nearly killed you.”
“Steve actually believed he was shooting at Ross, not me. He’d been holding a grudge because Ross wouldn’t give him their cousin Linc’s job. And then there was that woman, Angela Bowers. Steve wanted her, but she wouldn’t have anything to do with him because of Ross.”
Seth’s lips twisted ruefully. “Ross always did like the women. In that way he was just like Tucker used to be. And look what it caused. You were nearly killed.”
“Well, to be fair,” Jess said, “Ross wasn’t having any sort of relationship with Angela. Steve just believed something was going on between them. And that was enough to make him take a potshot at Ross.”
“Thank God Ross quit his playboy ways and married Bella before anyone else got shot around here,” Seth exclaimed.
Jess grinned as though the idea of Ross being married still amused him. “Yeah. Ross is a truly converted man now. I never thought I’d see the day.” He turned a keen eye on Seth. “So when are we going to hear wedding bells for you, Seth? Haven’t you found some Texas beauty you can’t live without?”
Seth let out an easy laugh. “Hardly. I’m a busy man. Besides, I’m too set in my ways for any woman to put up with me.” And even if he did find one that would be willing to put up with his crazy work schedule, Seth thought, that didn’t mean that he would love her or that she would love him.
Love. Seth wasn’t even sure he believed in the emotion. Oh, he loved his siblings all right. But that was a different kind of love. He wasn’t at all sure that the connection between men and women was anything more than physical lust. As a young boy he’d grown up believing his parents loved each other. That they were married and had children because there was love between them. Later, as a teenager, Seth had realized his father wasn’t a devoted husband and his mother was only living a sham of married bliss. The discovery had devastated Seth and opened his eyes to relationships between men and women. And through the years he’d continually vowed to live alone than to live a lie as his parents had done.
“You might be surprised about that,” Jess said.
Seth merely smiled at his brother-in-law’s response, then motioned for the other man to join him at the vee-shaped rocks.
“Come on, Jess, we’ve got a little speculating to do.”
For the next half hour the two men studied the spot where Noah had been found and discussed the ways in and out of the ranch that the killer might have taken, plus the possible reasons why any of it had happened on the T Bar K.
Eventually, they climbed back on their horses and rode to the ranch. Once there, Jess lingered only a few more minutes before he loaded his big gray gelding and drove away.
With his brother-in-law gone and Ross busy with the cattle, Seth decided he’d use the remainder of the morning to drive into town and make a visit to one of the names on his list.
Montgomery Feed and Grain was located in the older, original part of town and had served the ranchers around Aztec for as long as Seth could remember. The front of the building was made of corrugated iron painted a pale green. Large double doors made of heavy wood stood open to a dark, cavernous interior stacked with tons of feed ranging from wild birdseed to high-protein horse grain. To the right side of the double doors was a high wooden porch connected to the front of the store itself.
As Seth opened a pane-glass door and stepped inside, a cowbell clanged over his head, announcing to the proprietor that a customer had entered the store.
He walked between dusty rows of leather tack, nylon lariats and veterinary supplies until he reached a pine counter rubbed smooth by years of use. Behind it, a gray-haired man with hooded eyes and crinkled, leathery skin rose from a rocking chair and stood to one side of a cash register.
He peered curiously at Seth. “Could I help you?”
Seth leaned against the counter. “Hello, Cal. I’m Seth Ketchum. One of Tucker’s sons.”
The man planted both hands on the countertop and leaned forward for a closer inspection of Seth. After a moment, a grin split his face. “Why, it sure is you, Seth. Haven’t seen you in years, boy. If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known you. What are you doing in Aztec? Come up from Texas to investigate the murder?”
At least Cal wasn’t going to be evasive, Seth thought wryly. “Not really. The San Juan County Sheriff’s Department is handling the case. But if I stumble across any information that might help, I wouldn’t turn a deaf ear.”
The older man folded his arms across his chest. As he did, Seth couldn’t help but notice that the flesh on his arms was flaccid and his shoulders stooped. Cal was somewhat older than what his father would have been if he’d lived, yet it jarred Seth to think Tucker would be as Cal and Rube were now, riddled with arthritis and other geriatric maladies. Up until his heart had given out, Tucker had been so big and vibrant it had been hard to imagine him old or even sick. And even after he’d begun to ail, his presence had remained strong enough to grab everyone’s attention.
“I don’t blame you,” Cal replied. “That was a hell of a thing—Noah getting killed like he did. Tell me, Seth, what kind of lowlife would do such a thing?”
“Criminals come in all shapes and sizes, Cal. If we can figure out the motive, we’ll probably find our man. I was wondering if you’d seen Noah recently or talked to him?”
Cal pulled off his John Deere cap and scratched his head. “I guess I haven’t seen Noah in—oh, I’d say twenty years or more. He came by here once—that was shortly after he’d quit the T Bar K. Said he was just passing through and wanted to say hello. I didn’t know where the man had gotten off to.”
“Can you remember Noah having any enemies around here?”
Cal’s forehead wrinkled even more. “Enemies? Hell no! Everybody liked Noah. Now, your papa was a different matter. Me and Tucker had a few rounds between us. But Noah was a quiet, gentle man who never bothered nobody.”
Seth nodded briefly. “That’s how I remember him, too. And I remember you and Dad having a big row over some feed. Whatever happened about that?”
A grimace twisted the old man’s lips. “I’ll tell you what happened. Tucker accused me of selling him moldy horse feed. I didn’t. I told him he’d let it get wet then blamed it on me. We went round and round about it. But I finally gave in and shipped three more tons out to the ranch. At no cost. Took me months to make up that loss,” he added with a huff.
“I can understand you being mad at Dad. But what about Noah? Was he in on any of this argument?”
The old man looked totally surprised by Seth’s question. “Oh, no! It weren’t any of Noah’s fault. Tucker’s the one who let the load get wet.” He shrugged one shoulder. “But I forgave your old man for that. He was a good customer over the years. And Ross still buys a lot of feed from me. I’m not offended to take Ketchum money,” the older man said with a smile.
Seth let out a long breath. “Well, I’m glad to know you’re not harboring any grudge toward Tucker. But I wish you could tell me a little more about Noah,” Seth admitted.
“I wish I could, too,” Cal replied. “You know, it’s downright scary to think there might be a killer around here. Most of my customers say they’re watchin’ their backs. And all of them say they don’t ride fence alone. Makes a man wonder what the world is comin’ to.”
Seth talked a few more minutes with Cal and tried to reassure the older man he believed the killing was an isolated incident and that he shouldn’t worry. When he left the feed store, he noticed traffic had picked up on nearby Main Street. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was approaching the lunch hour.
On sudden impulse,