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"My grandmother died of influenza when the twins were twelve years old."

"So why do you think he did it?"

"I don't know. But cutting a son completely out of an inheritance is the act of a very angry parent."

"I agree. What happened to Phil and Cory's mother? She could be a source of information."

"She left Eugene when Phil was six and Cory was twelve, and just disappeared. It caused quite a scandal. Eugene packed Phil and Cory off to military school in Roswell as soon as they were old enough.

After college, Phil came back to run the ranch. Cory never came back from Vietnam."

Karen waited for a response.

"Well?" she finally asked.

He stood up.

"Are you going to dig into this any deeper?"

"I'd like my father to come to me on his own,"

"I hope he does."

"So do I." Karen got up from the couch.

"Will you keep what I told you confidential?"

"As long as I can."

"Fair enough. You don't remember me, do you?"

"Phil jogged my memory when I had dinner with him," Kerney said.

"I remember three young girls who followed me around the rodeo grounds when I was here for the high school state finals. One of them had black hair and beautiful blue eyes, and made Cousin Cory introduce me to her every chance she got."

Karen laughed and extended her hand.

"That was me. In my age of innocence."

"Innocence doesn't last very long, does it?" Kerney replied, taking her hand in his.

"No, it doesn't. You'll keep me informed of what you do?"

"Of course I will."

Kerney saw Karen to the door, said good night, changed into his sweats, and did a two-mile run. He mulled over his meeting with Karen and came to the conclusion that the woman had some fire and steel to her-appealing qualities that increased her attractiveness.

The knee felt better when he got back to the trailer. Jim's girlfriend, Molly, was sitting on the step.

"Hi, Mr. Kerney. The wounded hero has me running a messenger service."

"Come in," he said.

She sat in the overstuffed chair with an attache case on her lap. Kerney took a seat on the couch.

Molly glanced around the room and made a face.

"This place is a pit."

"You don't find it homey?"

"You have mice."

"The landlord has promised full eradication."

"Good." She cocked her head sideways and studied him.

"You don't talk like a cop."

"Thanks, I think. What have you uncovered?"

Molly quickly turned to business, opening the case and shuffling through some papers.

"You wanted information on the Cox clan." She paused and fixed her gaze directly on his face.

"Do you still want it?"

"You bet I do."

"Haven't you been fired?"

"I'm unemployed," Kerney confirmed.

"Then what good will all this do? Jim's so angry about you getting canned he's spitting bullets. He didn't know about it until he turned on the evening news."

"Tell him to chill out. I'm going to stay with it."

Molly gave him a delighted smile.

"That's great."

She dropped her attention to the papers in her attache case and arranged them in order.

"Okay, here it is. Calvin Cox owned the local bank that carried the mortgage on the Padilla ranch. Before the property went on the auction block for back taxes. Cox bought it and immediately resold it to Elderman at an inflated price. Elderman passed the price increase on to the Forest Service. Both men made a chunk of money on the deal."

"What have you learned about Eugene's hunting accident?"

"He was out alone when he got shot. When he didn't come home, Edgar went searching for him and brought him down the mountain."

Molly flipped over a paper and studied her notes.

"When Eugene recovered enough to be questioned, he said he never saw who shot him. The state police speculated that whoever rustled Padilla's sheep shot Eugene."

"Eugene wasn't a suspect in the rustling?"

"Nope. He was back home with a bullet in his spine the day before Don Luis left the hacienda for the meadows."

"According to whom?"

"Calvin Cox, Edgar, and the doctor who treated Eugene."

"What about Eugene's wife? Any leads?"

Molly shook her head.

"Vanished without a trace, but Jim's looking." She put her notes away and got up.

"That's all I've got. Can I tell Jim my research assignment is over, please? I need to get back to my real job."

"Only if you tell me something."

"What is it?"

"Are you going to marry him?"

"Probably, but don't you dare tell him. I want to soften him up a bit more."

Kerney grinned.

"I promise I won't."

Molly stepped over to Kerney and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks for saving him for me, Mr. Kerney."

Kerney blushed and patted her on the shoulder.

"No thanks are necessary. Call me Kerney. Most of my friends do."

Molly tossed her hair out of her face and smiled.

"Okay, Kerney, you've got a deal. Jim gets to go home tomorrow morning.

Actually he's staying with me, so I can nurse him back to health." She wrote her address on a piece of paper and handed it over.

"You'd better stop by to see him. He likes you a lot.

So do I."

"The feeling is mutual on both counts," Kerney replied.

"Give Jim my best."

"I'll do it."

When Karen returned from her meeting with Kerney, Edgar carried Cody and Elizabeth up to the old house-Cody sitting on Grandfather's shoulders-to tuck them into bed. Margaret and Karen waited for him to return. When he didn't come back they looked for him out the living-room window. The light was on in the horse barn, and they saw his shadow through the open door as he moved around inside.

"He'll be fine," Margaret predicted.

"He always putters when he's worried."

"I'm worried too," Karen admitted.

"It will all be over soon." The surgery was scheduled for eight o'clock in the morning.

"I plan to breeze right through it," Margaret said, patting her daughter's cheek.

"See that you do."

When Karen left, Margaret turned out the livingroom lights and waited for Edgar to come back inside. Ten minutes passed before the kitchen door squeaked and Edgar walked quietly into the living room. She turned on the reading lamp next to the couch, and Edgar looked at her in surprise.

"Didn't the doctor tell you to get a good night's sleep?" he asked.

"He did. I will. Sit down, Edgar, I need to talk to you."

Edgar's expression grew grim.

"It's not about the surgery," Margaret reassured him.

He walked to his chair and eased his long frame down, his face still gloomy.

"What is it?"

"I want you to promise me something," she said.

"Anything you want."

Margaret held back a smile.

"I want you to tell Karen what happened on Elderman Meadows."

"I can't do that."

"Yes, you can. It's time, Edgar. I've kept your secret for over forty years, and I've seen it eat at you from the day we were married. Tell Karen and let her help you. A promise is a promise, and you've always been a man who kept his word."

Edgar, stunned by the request, knew he was trapped by a woman who wouldn't let him off the hook. He tried anyway.

"It's a hard thing you're asking me to do."

"But you will do it."

"When?"

"Soon. Very soon."

"You know what it may mean," he countered.

"Yes. A burden will be lifted and we can get on with our lives."

Edgar took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Margaret, still waiting for his answer, would keep him rooted in his chair until she got what she wanted. Maybe she was right and the time had come.

"I'll tell her," he said.