Shifting Calder Wind (Calder Saga 7)

“I think we should ask Timmy’s mother whether it’s all right first.”

“She won’t mind,” Trey hastened to assure her.

“Just the same, I think we should call and ask. We’ll use the phone in the living room. Come on.”

Taking him by the hand, Jessy led him into the living room and dialed the number for the Rasmussens who lived in one of the houses at headquarters that were provided for married ranch hands. She stood by while Trey made his request.

Still holding the receiver, he looked up at her. “She said I could come. I told you it would be okay.”

Taking the phone, Jessy confirmed the answer and made sure Connie Rasmussen understood that Trey was to come back to The Homestead for lunch. Instead of bolting for the door to race to his playmate’s house, Trey waited until she had hung up.

“Has ’Redo seen my new horse?” he asked with undisguised eagerness.

“I don’t believe he has.”

“Should I take ’Redo to see Joe when he’s finished talkin’?” It was a prospect that clearly appealed to Trey.

“Maybe another time.”

“But we could go ridin’. This time he wouldn’t have to share his horse.”

“I’m afraid he has to go back to work at the feedlot when he’s done with his call.”

“Me and Joe could help him,” Trey suggested. Jessy frowned in surprise. “I thought you wanted to play with Timmy.”

“But if ’Redo wanted me to help him, I could do that instead.”

It didn’t seem to matter to Trey that Laredo was essentially a stranger. He still wanted to spend time with him. She blamed it on the absence of any other male figure in his life. But it still didn’t explain why he had picked Laredo when there were so many other ranch hands, most of whom he had known his entire, albeit short, life.

“Timmy is expecting you. I think you should go there this morning,” Jessy told him.

He accepted her decision without argument. “Okay. See ya, Mom.” He took off at a run.

When Jessy returned to the den, Laredo had vacated the chair behind the desk. He stood next to the coffee tray, the carafe poised above his cup.

“Did you learn anything from Ben Parker?”

“Quite a lot, but I don’t know how useful it is.” Finished refilling his cup, Laredo tightened the lid on the carafe and set it back on the serving tray, then hooked a leg over the corner of the desk and reclined against it. “This isn’t the first cattle deal Markham has put together. As near as I can tell, he’s acted as a cattle broker for the last five, maybe six years. Parker invested in several and has nothing but good things to say about Markham’s reliability and honesty. And the banker echoed just about everything Ben Parker said.”

“That’s a relief,” Jessy declared, once again taking a seat in one of the wing-backed chairs. “It was uncomfortable not knowing whether I should trust Monte.”

“There doesn’t seem to be any blots on his reputation,” Laredo admitted, showing no pleasure in it. “According to Parker, Markham has investors waiting in line. I can see why, though. It’s a helluva deal he offers them, too.”

“What do you mean?” Observing his troubled expression, Jessy guessed it came from Laredo’s unwillingness to let go of Monte as a suspect.

“I mean it’s one of

those sweet deals without any risk to the investor,” Laredo replied. “The purchase price of the cattle is established. Markham guarantees to fatten them for market for a set amount per hundred weight. The cattle are sold on the futures market to be delivered in four or six months, establishing their sale price. Which means the investor knows exactly what his profit will be. If there is any increase in grain costs during that time period, Markham has to absorb it, not the investor. Maybe he’s had to absorb a few too many losses lately.”

“Even if he had, what would that have to do with Chase?” Jessy reasoned.

“Maybe he knew Markham was financially in hot water.”

“I don’t think that’s a motive to kill someone.”

“I know.” Laredo sighed in frustration. “There’s a reason, though. We just haven’t discovered it yet.”

“Maybe it isn’t Monte at all.” The minute the statement was out of her mouth, Jessy knew why Laredo was convinced it was. “But the banker in Fort Worth knows him.”