"Wait a minute, it was her foreman?" Oscar asked, incredulously. Andy's face was a study as he turned to Laurie. "It was the glove, wasn't it, Gramma?"
Astonished, Rick looked at his wife, then to Andy. "What the…Andy, how'd you figure that out?"
"Grandpa, Kasey asked him if anyone wore black gloves and he said no, except for Long .. Long John, right, Gramma?"
Beaming, Laurie reached out and ruffled his hair. "Right, Andy. Only thing is, at first he said Long John was riding with him, then that he met up with him, before they found her father. And that the glove was clutched in his hand. Only thing is, why didn't he leave it with the body when it was found? Because Kasey's father fought with him and grabbed his glove before he was killed."
Ramona laughed as Lala wrinkled her nose and said "Yucky."
"Yucky is right, honey. Dad, it looks like we've got another detective in the family."
"Oh no, he's not." Oscar and Rob said at once, then everyone broke up.
"Guys, Andy's going to be whatever he wants to be, but I think you'll figure out what you want to do yourself, right, pal?" Rick hugged his grandson, who grinned and said "Right, Grandpa!" in a deep voice.
After wiping her eyes from laughing, Robin pulled a sleepy Petey in to her arms and asked, "Mama, what happened next?"
Laurie accepted a glass of ice tea from her husband, then clearing her throat, replied, "Where was I, oh yes, Kasey saw the face of her father's murderer.
"Slim, why did you kill him, my father trusted you, considered you his friend…" I asked, trying to sit up.
Regret was in his eyes. "I know, and I'm sorry. But he kept talking about how "his girl" was coming home, and that you would help run the ranch. Here I was the one who made it pay, got us the best price at market for horses. I couldn't let that happen. I caught up to him as he was riding to town, pleaded with him not to turn the place over to you. When he got angry with me, I swung at him…I only meant to knock some sense into him, but he fell off his horse and hit his head."
For the second time in two days I wanted to cry, but anger kept the tears from falling. "So you left him to die, then came back around with Long John and "discovered" his dead body?"
He nodded, seemingly ashamed. "He had grabbed my hand as he fell, and pulled my glove off. I couldn't get it out of his hand when he was still breathing, so after he died I managed to pry it loose. I was going to try to make it look like he was robbed, only I didn't have time."
Furious, I managed to get myself upright, only for Slim to pull a gun from his holster. "Don't move, Miss Kasey. I don't want to make this any harder then it is. You're going to suffer a tragic accident, you thought you heard a trespasser up here and then the whole place collapsed and killed you."
"You'll never get away with it; I'll scream for help and…." Before I could finish he leaned down and stuffed a handkerchief into my mouth, then tightened the rope around me so I couldn't move.
"As I said, I'm sorry to do this, but I'm too old to go to prison. Don't worry, I'll make it quick. Good bye, Miss Kasey, I'll take real good care of the Double SS for you."
As he spoke he straightened up, then backed slowly out the door, closing it as he left. A minute later I heard a noise under the floorboard, then realized he was underneath the rickety shack, knocking loose the supports to the wooden structure. Terrified, I struggled to work myself free of the rope holding me. As I moved, the whole floor groaned, as if ready to give way. I stopped, and for what seemed like an eternity I held my breath, then I renewed my efforts.
Suddenly I heard shots, then a loud voice, demanding to know where I was.
"Help! I'm in here!" I called, only able to make a muffled sound. Frantically I pounded my boots against the splintered floor.
At once the door broke open, and Gene stood there, gun in hand. "Kasey!"
Carefully he strode forward and pulled the gag from my mouth, then quickly untied me and helped me up.
"Can you walk, Kasey?" He asked, worriedly. I nodded, trying to steady myself.
Taking my arm, he hurriedly led me out of the building, then rushed us down the hill. Scarcely had we reached the bottom when a loud crash signaled that the shack had crumbled in on itself. Turning around, I saw a hole in the ground, as if the earth had swallowed the building whole.
I took a deep breath, then felt Gene tighten his grasp on my arm. "I'm all right, Gene. Thanks, that was too close."
"It's my fault, I should have questioned how Bob would have died like that…..I never thought that Slim would do such a thing." He replied, taking his handkerchief and dabbing at a cut on my face.
Shocked, I caught his hand in mine. "Gene, listen, it's not your doing. He went crazy with greed, you couldn't have guessed he'd kill my father, or try to kill me. But how did you find me?"
"Believe it or not, Pat figured it out." Gene saw my look of disbelief and smiled. "Yes, Slim lured him away from the office with a tale of a suspicious man, then grabbed you. Only thing is, Pat realized he forgot his gun, then when he came back, he saw Slim driving a wagon down the back alley, then discovered the receiver dangling from the wall. Once I heard him on the phone, I told him you'd been kidnapped and he told me about Slim's ruse. I immediately rode to town, and on the way in I caught sight of the wagon at the top of Dead Man's Hill."
Just then Pat came into view, holding a disheveled Slim in handcuffs. I didn't want to face my father's old friend, but forced my eyes to meet his.
"God, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you…" he mumbled, then one of the other deputies stepped up and roughly dragged him away.
I shook my head, "I'll never understand, Gene. I wouldn't have interfered in the running of the Double SS…"
"I know, Kasey, I know." Almost gently Gene gave me a hand up on Champ, then swung himself onto his back. Quietly we rode back to town, where he insisted on stopping at Doc's office to see that I was all right.
"She'll be right as rain with a good night's sleep, Gene." Doc pronounced, then he bandaged my cheek where Slim had hit me.
"I can sleep in the spare room above the office, Doc." I told him, only to have Gene shake his head sternly.
"You'll never get a full night's rest there, Kasey. Go on over to the Palace, Miss Phyllis will get you a room."
Too tired to protest, I allowed Gene to take my arm and escort me to the hotel, where the saloon owner took over and put me to bed as if I was a child.
Safely tucked in, I smiled at Miss Phyllis as she paused in the doorway. "Thank you for putting me up, ma'am, I hope I didn't make too much trouble."
"Miss Kasey, I'd have been hurt if you went anyplace else, after all, your.. Bob and I .." suddenly she got teary-eyed, and I held out my hand.
"I know, Miss Phyllis, he cared very much for you, and it made me feel better that he wasn't alone."
She wiped her eyes, then leaned down and hugged me. "Thank God you're safe. Let it go, deary, it'll all be okay in the morning."
She stood up abruptly and went out the door, only to almost run down Gene, who'd evidently come to say good night.
"Scuse me, Sheriff." She muttered, then vanished down the hall.
He looked after her, confused, as I cleared my throat. "Finding out about Slim and what happened, I think it was a shock to her."
"Oh." He seemed to understand, then came forward to stand next to my bed.
"I'm proud of the way you kept your head, Kasey. You put up enough of a fight so that we had time to find you."
I chuckled. "It didn't feel like much of a fight …"
"Pat says Slim has bruises on bruises, and your heel marks were all over his legs."
I couldn't help it, a tear fell down my cheek. "I was terrified, he threw a blanket over me and I thought I was going to suffocate."
"It's okay, he's never going to hurt anyone again." Gene told me, then pulled out his handkerchief again. I managed a smile as I took it and wiped my eyes. "Thank you. I'm all right."
"I know. Sleep well, I'll see you in the morning." Gene replied, then quietly closed the door behind him.
I lay there, exhaustion taking over, but one thing echoed in my heart as I fell asleep.
No matter what, I had people who cared about me. I'd never be alone again.
There was silence, then the children applauded. "Yea! The bad guy got caught!" Andy cheered, then came and hugged Laurie. "Thank you for the story, Gramma!"
"Yes, thank you, Mama, that was great." Robin smiled, as Rick dropped a kiss on Laurie's neck. "My storyteller."
"Any time, darling, my family is my favorite audience." Laurie replied, then let her father help her up as a cool wind brought goosebumps.
"You're better then a movie, honey." Oscar told her, putting her sweater around her shoulders. "Why don't we go back to the ranch and I'll make dinner."
"Second best offer I've had all day, Dad." Rick grinned, leading the way back to the carriage.
As everybody rode back to the house, Robbie started singing the children's favorite animal song, to the delight of his parents. Dismounting, Rick helped lift everyone off, not noticing Laurie vanishing at record speed through the kitchen door.
"I'll put the horses in the barn, Pop. You go on in." Robbie offered. "Thanks son, say, where did your mother go?" Rick looked around.
"I think she had to go make a pit, Pop." At that, Rick laughed. "Somehow the bouncing of the wagon didn't help, either."
Following the others through the back door, Rick headed to his office to fetch his "valentine" for Laurie, only to see her closing the door behind her.
"Sweetheart?"
Startled, she turned then lost her balance and nearly fell, only to land in his arms.
"Rick…oh, love!" she gasped, then put her arms around his neck as he asked, "You okay?"
"Yes, darling. I love you." She whispered, then met his lips with hers.
Coming up for air, Rick grinned. "I love you too, my valentine. Now what are you up to?"
"I want to give my valentine his gift." Laurie returned impishly, then took his hand to lead him inside his office.
As Rick flipped on the light, his eyes fell on a miniature pinball machine, neatly tucked between his desk and the file cabinets.
"Laurie?" Rick had to rub his eyes; he couldn't believe it. His old machines were now resting in Robbie and Robin's basements as there had been no way they'd fit in his or A.J.'s offices.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Rick." Laurie said, the words echoing as their family and friends filled the hall to bursting. Robin came and hugged her father. "We hoped we'd surprise you, too, Pop. I thought for sure you'd see the box in Robbie's trunk."
"Thank you, guys, thank you for a wonderful surprise." Rick finally managed, embracing all of them, then with a laugh he picked up his wife and kissed her again. "And as for you, sneaky girl…."
"Never mind, son, we'll call you two when dinner is ready." Oscar chuckled, shooing everyone out. As the last two children exited, Lala giggled as Petey said "Yuch!"
"Somebody has a new favorite word, love." Laurie murmured, breathless from being kissed. Rick put her down on his desk only long enough to turn on his new toy.
"As soon as I break this in, I'll share some more words with you, darlin'." He promised, putting one arm around her and manipulating the paddles with the other.
As a steady ding, ding, ding filled the house, a shadowy figure stood in the patio, content that another generation knew her story. Robin and Ian were in the kitchen when she looked up, catching sight of her ancestor.
"Ian, look!" she whispered. Ian saw Grandmother Kasey smile at them, then fade away.
"Honey, she smiled at us. That means…."
"It means she's happy, and so am I." Robin told him, laying her head against his shoulder.
"That's all I want, for you to be happy, and our family be together." Ian told her. "You and I are never alone, we've got each other. And Grandmother."
"As Mama says, Capice?" Robin put her arms around his neck. Her husband laughed. "As Dad says, Capice!" As they kissed, a voice came from down the hall, "Score!"