Death at a Dude Ranch
This is my Law and Order:Criminal Intent-Heartland crossover. For those who don't know Heartland it is about the running of a horse ranch seen through the eyes of teenage Amy Fleming. My story focuses mostly on Mallory and Lou. The following is a list of characters for those unfamiliar with each show.
Amy Fleming- horse whisperer
Lou- her sister and business woman
Tim- their father
Jack- their grandfather and go to patriarch
Ty- Amy's boyfriend
Soraya-Amy's friend who runs the diner
Ashley-friend who works at the diner and is involved, off and on, with Caleb
Val-her mother
Mrs. Bell-reclusive neighbor Lou does business with.
Mallory-next door neighbor who stays with the Flemings while her family travels.
Detectives Bobby Goren, Alex Eames, and Mike Logan are all detectives in Major Case, in NYC, under Capt. Jimmy Deakins.
Sam and Randy are my own creations.
….
A group of businessmen from out of town sit in a bar in Hudson. "Hey barkeep", one yells. "Yeah?" says the bartender. "Where can we party after hours?" "There is a place right up the road," he replies. Though in truth it was not so much a dude ranch as it was a "We service dudes" ranch.
A couple of hours later a piercing scream rings out near the Heartland Ranch. Tires speed off but not before a nocturnal Mallory Wells catches a NY license plate.
The next day.
Goren and Eames sit across from Jimmy Deakins. "You two drew the short straw," he said. "I am going to send you on a road trip to Hudson, over the border.
"Canada? Why?" says an always reluctant to change Detective Goren. "There's been a murder, and the only thing that links us so far is a witness who saw what might be a NY tag. It occurred near the Heartland Ranch, a dude ranch that is willing to put you up. I'll get your travel vouchers ready."
"Why all this fuss over a hooker Captain?" says Goren. "There is a concern this guy might be escalating because of the way the murder was done. He took the time to tie her up. Hudson authorities want you to consult," Deakins stresses, looking at Goren." "I'll go saddle up," Alex Eames muses.
Hudson Coroner's office.
"All we have are rope marks. No signs of sexual assault," the coroner says. "She struggled. There is DNA underneath the nails but no match in the system."
A dejected Goren and Eames head for the nearest diner.
"Good luck trying to get a warrant for guys with rope in their car around here," Eames said. "We'd have better luck with a DNA dragnet."
Diner
Soraya gives change back to Randy, the new ranch hand as Mrs. Bell looks on.
"You seem to be doing pretty well with that ranch! Plan on staying after all?" said Soraya.
" Yes, I do," Randy replied.
" Running a ranch can be hard work," said .
"Some people honor their commitments," he replied.
Mrs. Bell and Soraya look at each other strangely as he walked away.
Soroya overhears the detectives as she pours coffee. "You guys here for that murder?"
"Yep", Eames says. "Give us a call if you know anything, hear anything." She passes the teenager her card.
Soroya sidelines with Amy at the other end of the counter. "There's nothing wrong with a private citizen collecting evidence on her own, is there?"
"No, but why would you want to? It's too dangerous."
"So's being next."
"This is such a freak occurrence in our town. It's possible the killer is long gone by now."
"What if he isn't? What are we gonna do, depend on the men to protect us?"
"No, but you don't have to look for trouble either."
Heartland.
"I understand you caught a glimpse of the person," Goren asks gently.
"Sort of. I thought I saw a black cap.", says Mallory.
"Did you see any facial features, hair color..? Eames quizzed.
"No…just the cap. I think it had an Eagle or a logo on it. It was dark But I know I saw an "NYC" on the license plate!"
"Thank you Mallory. We'll be in touch."
Eames and Goren walk away. "How many black caps are there around here?" she said. "Not as many as you think," Goren replied.
The two made themselves at home on the ranch. Eames spies Copper in the corral. She walks over to pet him. "Aw, he's beautiful."
"He's a great horse, says Tim, Amy's Dad. "Would you like to ride him?"
"When?" says Alex.
"Tonight?'
"Sure."
"Meet you at the barn?"
"After supper."
Goren tensed. A new stallion was messin' with his filly. Meet you behind the barn. I bet you will.
Eames and Goren do a background check on the locals, including the business men using Heartland as a getaway for their conference.
"They seem very nice," said Lou, pr director for the ranch. "I haven't had any trouble from them."
"Well, sometimes people can surprise you," Alex replies.
Randy, the new neighbor from down the road, comes over. "Borrow a cup of barley?" he says. "Sure," says Amy. "Follow me."
"That guy's a funny one," says Mallory. "Give him a chance," says Ty. "We thought the same thing about you once."
"I've got to get these guys out on the trail for their "Team building" imitative," Ty says.
"What a load of horse hucky," says Jack. "In my day it was work hard or get fired."
"Let's not let them know that. We need the business," says Lou.
Ty leads the group down the trail. Sam, one of the businessmen, gets a late start saddling up. As he moves to the horse it nays and whinnies as if in a thunderstorm. Mallory looks on leery. Horses don't act like that unless something is wrong, she knew from years of observation
"I'll get one with less spirit," Sam muses, aiming for a usually docile Appaloosa. Her bucking, while eyebrow-raising, is minimal.
….
Mallory slipped the key off of Lou's ring and crept into the Horse Upsetter's room. She rummaged through the closets, drawers, suitcases and quakes at what she finds- a black cap.
"What are you doing in here?" thunders a female voice known as Lou. "It's the hat!" Mallory squeaks. "It's the hat I saw on the man driving away!"
"Put that back! You don't know that. Now put everything back and let's get out of here."
"Lou I'm sure! I have to tell Det. Goren!"
"What, that you broke into a client's room! There are dozen's of truckers hats around here!"
"This is the one! I know it!"
"You don't know it. Now move." She sounded authoritative, but her insides reflected otherwise as they hastily left the room.
Later in the Goren/Eames war room.
"Either way we can't use it. You obtained it illegally," Alex informed.
"Ohhh," Mallory moans.
"Mallory, this is very dangerous stuff. As much as you want to help you have to stay back," says Alex
"I'll make sure it gets put back", sighs Lou.
As Lou put the hat back under the guise of cleaning a guest's room, her breathe sucked in at what she did find.
…
"Maybe he remembered her name and thought a dude ranch would be a good place for a company retreat," Alex whispered, tossing clippings of Lou's work with Strickland and Cooke in Bobby's direction..
" A little too coincidental," says Bobby.
Alex walks over to Lou. "Tell me about your work in New York."
"I worked on Wall Street. I arranged the merging of companies but I was no corporate raider."
"I'll run a background check. Pictures of you under the bed is creepy but on its face there's just not enough there for an arrest."
"Great," Lou sighs.
"You'll be protected," Alex said.
Meanwhile Amy helps a new guest with entry-level riding. "You're going to pull back on the reins gently- if you need to slow down."
"Thanks for helping this city boy. The closest I've come to a horse is petting one in Central Park."
"You'll do fine, I'm sure," Amy comforts.
….
Bobby and Alex sit on stake out in the dark brush. The sound of footsteps comes closer. Alex goes for her gun. "Who's there?"
"Don't shoot! It's me."
"Logan?!"
"The captain thought you'd need an extra pair of eyes."
"So he sent you? On a horse?"
"I'm the Lone Ranger baby!"
"Kimosabe I think we're in heap big trouble."
" Don't give me any lip Goren. I've been on one of these things all day learning to ride.
" I feel bad for the horse," Alex said.
" Ha Ha!" Logan scoffed. "Why don't we blow this pop stand and see what this town has for night life? The sheriff has guys posted everywhere.
The two stags sit at a table at the Hudson Bar and Grill while Alex dances with Tim, her head on his shoulder. Lou is clearly entranced by the green eyed detective.
"Would you like to dance, detective?"
"The pleasure would be all mine, ma'am," says Logan. He takes her hand and they begin to slow dance while Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" plays in the background.
Bobby looks on forlornly, once again the lone horse.
Val nods at Bobby. "You could do worse," she says to Ashley.
Ashley comes over and extends her hand. "Care to join me?" she asks, as Caleb looks on jealously. He was not sure if it was pity, but Bobby took her hand gladly. Now more than ever, he needed a cute blond.
That night Bobby and Logan both rode horses, metaphorically, comfortably. They themselves were not Appaloosas. They weren't Quarterhorses. But they damn sure weren't geldings.
Likewise, Ashley and Lou busted new Broncos, happily, in their bedrooms.
…..
"You need refocusing. Randy needed some help. Why don't you go over and see what you can do for him?" Lou says, the next day, hoping to avoid any questions the preteen might have about her feelings for the new detective as she carried jam to .
Mallory sighs. "Ok," she says, and ambles away.
Bobby sees Lou struggling with her box and quickly lends a hand."Thank you Detective," she says.
"No problem. What's in the box?"
" I have a jam business with Mrs. Bell. Would you like a sandwich when I'm finished? This is a fresh batch. It taste really good."
"Sure. You take on so much, keeping up the ranch and all."
"Oh I don't mind. does most of the work Sweet old woman, sad-lost the love of her life once. Never seemed quite the same.
" Hmm. Could I get a glass of water with my sandwich?"
….
"You need help cleaning up?", Mallory says, as she walks into the new stranger's barn.
"I wouldn't mind a second hand mucking these stalls," Randy chirps. "I 'll get a mop bucket."
Mallory rolls her eyes.
As he leaves, Mallory sees a drop cloth covering a car. She quickly lifts the cloth and sees what she thought she'd imagined: An "I love NYC" bumper plate. She drops the cloth but not soon enough.
"I really like you Mallory," said Randy. "I hate to have to kill ya."
…..
Logan, Bobby, and Alex sit around a campfire on stakeout. Alex strokes her horse. "We could have just as easily done this on foot," Logan complains. "We can cover more territory this way," Alex says. "Besides, who could not love this face," Alex coos at Trigger, her horse of two days. Boy was it aptly named, thought Goren. The three are alerted by screams in the barn.
Sam takes off for woods with Logan and Bobby and Al right behind. Logan clearly uncomfortable on horse. "You go down that way," Logan shouts to Alex, "I'll cut him off at the pass." He was not sure where the pass was or even if there was one but he had wanted to say that since he was a little boy and damn, it felt good.
Jack, Ty, and Tim join in the chase. "We'll head up near Hudson's Bluff and surround him as best we can," said Jack. Bobby doubled back and headed to the barn.
"I haven't done anything!"
"Why did you take off from the barn when there was screaming?" Alex said.
"I'm just going for a night ride! That's all, I swear!"
…..
Mallory turns but Randy covers her mouth with an iron like grip on her as he struggles to lock her in the closet. She struggles free and runs smack into Mrs. Bell.
"Stop!"
"You're the reason for my suffering!" he shouts.
"Then let me put you out of your misery!" She wacks him with a shovel.
….
"How did you know?" Lou says. "Something about the way Randy and Mrs. Bell interacted made me think there was something there that was not quite right," Bobby said. "Apparently when she gave him up for adoption it was the beginning of a very hard life.
"A little New York justice and he leaked like a siev," Logan quipped. "So Sam really did think I was part of his downfall?" Lou says.
"Yes, one of several and he just happened to find raving lunatic misogynist to do his work for him."
"So that's how those two met?" Alex oppines.
Bobby says "They met while Sam was scoping out ranches for a retreat. He looked into him and found he had a petty criminal background, thought he'd try for something more."
"Two bad apples found each other", said Logan.
"Now they'll be at a different kind of rodeo," Alex said.
…..
Lou and Mrs. Bell sit at her kitchen table. "I couldn't tell anyone. It was a different day, you see. Maybe he would have been better off if I had raised him."
"It wasn't your fault," Lou offers. "We never know what our children will be like."
"Still, I should have had the courage to go against my father, the community."
"You're among friends now," says Lou, putting her hand on top of hers.
Lou and Logan exchange goodbyes near the squad car.
"So, will I see you again?"
Logan, green eyes to green eyes."You never know. I am kind of a Canada buff. Take care, Lou." The two share a tender kiss. "You I won't miss," he says to the poor mare who had to put up with him, smiling as he walks away.
At the Diner
Bobby " I guess I'll be heading back to the city. You think you could be a NY girl?"
Ashley: " More easy than you think."
Bobby nods at Caleb. "What about him?
"Who knows…".
"You think you might come my way?" Tim ponders to Alex, reluctant to part with her horse
" I could. I've always wanted to live on a horse farm. You think you might come mine?
" Sometimes Amy talks about taking courses at a Hudson University. The one in NYC."
" Walk me to my car…I'll give you the lowdown on Hudson.."
8