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While I nodded, I felt the rock in my stomach grow to the size of a boulder. Something told me everything wasnotas it seemed.
18
BEAU
As I turned into the drive leading to the main residence, I reminded myself security on the property needed to be increased as soon as I could make it happen. Primarily, installing an electric gate. That would be easy. The other measures I envisioned would require I reveal my whereabouts to at least one person.
First, though, our conversation with Cord Wheaton. I’d seen the face of evil more than once in the years I’d been involved with Los Caballeros—a good-guy vigilante group per se, a bit like Robin Hood, except we didn’t steal from the rich; we were the rich. Tonight, I saw it again. Whoever the man sitting at the bar was, he clearly harbored a great deal of animosity toward Cord. One might even say hatred. But why would someone feel such strong emotion over a man who’d been in the state less than a month?
Then again, perhaps this wasn’t his first visit and when he was here previously, he’d made at least one enemy.
“You’re deep in thought,” said Sam, looking over at me.
“Lost in the mystery of Cord Wheaton and the man seated at the bar.”
“He gave me the creeps, especially since there was something familiar about him—which makes zero sense.”
“I’m hoping Cord will be a bit more forthcoming than he was earlier. I’ve no intention of interrogating him. He obviously knew the man and was discomfited enough to choose to leave the bar. Either he shares why, or I suggest you consider replacing him.”
Sam breathed in deeply when we saw the truck with Colorado plates parked near the main residence. She let it out slowly and waited after I parked for me to come around and open her door.
Once the three of us were inside the house, I suggested he and Sam sit in the same room where we met with the attorney while I went into the kitchen to see if I could find anything to drink. Given there was a winery on the property, I hoped there would be wine at least.
“Success!” I said to myself when I found a red blend along with glasses. As far as other booze, I hadn’t come across any.
I joined them and held up the bottle. “Cord, are you a wine drinker?” I noticed he’d removed his cowboy hat and had set it on a table near the front door.
“I am, thanks.”
I suppose it didn’t speak well of me that I’d assumed he would’ve preferred beer or something stronger. “Where shall we begin?” I asked once each of us held a beverage and I’d taken a seat beside Sam on the sofa.
Cord set his glass on the table in front of him and momentarily leaned forward with his elbows on his knees before sitting upright again. “What I’m about to tell you is going to sound crazy.”
Sam chuckled. “No crazier than my story.”
Cord smiled. It was the first time I’d seen him do so. “Guess you’re right, ma’am, I mean, Sam. Now, I sound like Dr. Seuss.”
We laughed, but Cord’s expression quickly changed to a scowl, and he shook his head. “My father passed away last year.”
I offered our condolences.
“Thanks, but I doubt my siblings are any sorrier than I am that he’s gone. The man was a meansonuvabitch.”
His comment was reminiscent of Henry Allen saying the same thing about Cena’s husband, Manley. “Go on,” I prompted.
“You’d think death would’ve put an end to the way the old man manipulated my brothers, sister, and me, but it sure as hell didn’t. In fact, it got worse.” He looked at Sam. “Sorry for my language.”
“No apology necessary, Cord. You’ll hear plenty of swear words from Beau.” She nudged me, and I turned to kiss her cheek.
“Anyway, our family owns ranchland in Crested Butte, Colorado, called the Roaring Fork. It’s been operating at a loss for a few years, not unlike other ranches in the area, but that isn’t the point. In order for his beneficiaries to inherit, my father had stipulations. The first was that my oldest brother had to remain on the property for a full year. Buck left Colorado when he turned eighteen, swearing he’d never come back. He worked for the CIA for a while, then went into private intelligence.”
Buck Wheaton—the name sounded vaguely familiar. I’d add it to the list of people to look into I’d begun mentally preparing.
“Given what he does for a living, the requirement posed a significant hardship for him since he couldn’t be away for longer than forty-eight hours.”
“What would happen if he didn’t comply?” I asked.
“We’d lose everything. The terms of the trust were if Buck didn’t do as Dad demanded, all assets were to be sold and given to charity.” He raked his hair with his fingers. “Ol’ Buck did what he had to, and while we all expected him to leave the minute he could, he and his wife settled there instead. Given that’s what our father wanted all along, I guess he got his wish.”
