Dallas, Texas
October 1977
"The calls came from the office. Are you sure you didn't forget you made the enquiry?" Harry handed him a printout of the phone records to prove his point. His face was expressionless, though his tone betrayed a hint of scepticism.
"I wouldn't forget something like that."
"Well, whoever made the call did it from right here at Ewing Oil."
"It wasn't me."
"Then you have a problem."
They did have a problem. Ewing Oil employed hundreds of staff; theoretically, any of them could have made the call. But JR didn't know where to realistically begin. He couldn't imagine who would care enough about him and Sue Ellen to snoop around in their private business.
The first time it happened, she hadn't thought much of it. She'd invited Miss Ellie to feel the baby kicking, and Jock had just happened to be there, assuming the invitation extended to him. The second time was similar, minus Miss Ellie; their natural conversation paused as the baby's kicks distracted her. This time, however, she hadn't done anything but lay her own hand down, and Jock had followed suit. At best, she was surprised; at worst, uncomfortable.
As Sue Ellen poured herself a drink, he stood behind her, his arm curving around her, his hand over hers, fingers splayed to fit between hers. She froze for a few moments before removing her hand, hoping he'd take the hint. He didn't.
"My boy's getting big." Jock moved his hand up and down, and his words sent a chill down her spine, though she was too polite to say so.
"More than halfway there now."
Sue Ellen stepped away as best she could in the cramped space between him and the bar cart. She didn't leave the room immediately, though she wanted to; she couldn't see a way to do so without causing offense.
"How is he?" he asked, assuming once again it was a boy. He couldn't know, no one knew, it wasn't possible.
"He or she is perfect." It was the truth, and it was the only pleasant part of their conversation. Doctor Lewis was confident that both she and the baby were in excellent health, and it always felt good to repeat that.
"You're still convinced it's a girl?"
"No, my thoughts change day to day." That was true as well. It was a fifty-fifty chance, and her guesses about the future flipped back and forth just as often.
"Mine don't. I'm sure it's a boy." Jock's matter-of-fact tone almost made her believe he knew something she didn't.
"What makes you so sure? There's an equal chance it might be a girl."
"Just a feeling. I had the same one with Miss Ellie and I was right all three times, so I trust my intuition won't fail me this time either."
She wondered what he'd thought when Gary broke the news of Valene's pregnancy or when he'd read about Jenna in the newspaper, whether he'd had any idea they were to have daughters. She refrained from asking, not wanting to linger any longer than necessary.
"Only a few more months, and we'll know." Smiling politely, she resumed her walk, heading for the doorway and closing the conversation with her exit.
Money could buy a lot of things, but common sense didn't seem to be one of them. Jock thought it obvious that when a contact was paid to look into something discreetly, it meant doing so off the books. Unfortunately, he'd neglected to specify that, and it had nearly blown his cover.
His clinic contact had recorded their interaction like any other, and JR had been billed for it as if it were standard business. Not recognising the service being invoiced, instead of simply signing a cheque and handing it to Susan to mail, JR had decided to investigate.
It seemed JR hadn't found much and was opting to be more conscious of his and Sue Ellen's privacy moving forward rather than dwell on the past. But Jock couldn't be certain there wasn't more to it. JR was sneaky and secretive; it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that he was keeping his true intentions under wraps. It wouldn't be the first time JR had omitted important information, not in his life and certainly not regarding the circumstances of Sue Ellen's current condition.
Jock's curiosity about what had transpired remained strong, but he knew he ought to ease off for now, at least until JR did the same. For the time being, he'd have to make do with what he could glean from interactions with JR and, more interestingly, with Sue Ellen.
She was a fascinating subject: engaging when spoken to, easy on the eyes, and she'd filled out in all the right places as the months passed. While he'd never had the full pleasure of her company, he'd heard enough to imagine she must be quite something behind closed doors.
They didn't know how involved he potentially was, but he did. That knowledge shaped many of his thoughts and actions, and it would continue to do so.