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Copyright 2004

Life settled back into a reasonable routine at the Jackson farm. After a few days, Emily began showing Paula and Jenny the same kind of affection she had shown the boys. Nights were still rough. She continued to wake up with nightmares and insisted on keeping Rob in her bed. Finally, Jason was the one who managed to glean out the information from her that solved the problem. Bear had slept in her room before the tragedy. So, every night they let Bear in and he went to sleep beside her bed. As soon as he was with her, the bad dreams ceased.

They had been assigned a new social worker, whom they all liked almost as much as Lois. His name was Ed Nelson and he was a jolly, balding, personable character who seemed to have Emily’s best interests at heart. He had told them that he would just drop in from time to time over the next six months to monitor her progress, and then he would recommend that custody be made permanent. He also provided a missing piece of the puzzle for them. He informed them that Emily’s mother had worked the night shift at a nursing home, so she had slept during the day. Apparently, Emily and her five year old brother fended for themselves while she was sleeping, and their father cared for them as soon as he got home from work. That explained a lot about Emily’s behavior.

Chelsea was feeling good and beginning to show a bit. She came over now about two or three days a week and Emily seemed very fond of her. Rob could see that Chelsea was going to make a wonderful mother.

Rob was in the arena office one morning when Dutch came looking for him. Construction had been completed on Bessie’s unit, and now they were working on the addition to the main house. Rob assumed that Dutch had a question about the work.

“Come on in,” Rob waved, “What’s up?”

Dutch shut the door, “There could be a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Rob grew concerned.

“Davey called,” Dutch reported, “It seems that Bob didn’t show up at the store yesterday. He’s not at his house, either. The man who was tailing him has disappeared too.”

“Davey’s friend told him this?” Rob asked.

“Yes,” Dutch nodded, “I guess the guy who works for Bob at the store got worried. Seems Bob’s car is at his house, but no Bob. He’s just flat out missing. The cops have been notified.”

“What’s Davey think?” Rob was getting a bad feeling in his gut.

“He thinks Bob couldn’t pay the money back,” Dutch reported, “He thinks Bob had a gambling problem.”

“He thinks he’s dead, doesn’t he?” Rob guessed.

Dutch nodded, “This could get ugly. These people might decide to come after Linda.”

“Any suggestions?” Rob could feel the walls caving in.

“Not really,” Dutch confessed, “But I think you should tell Mitch.”

“Yes,” Rob nodded, “I think I’d better tell Paula too. Thanks, Dutch. Keep me posted.”

~*~

It was late. Emily had fought sleep tonight and Rob could see that Paula was tired. He turned off the bedside lamp and got into bed next to her. She snuggled up next to him and he debated about just letting her drift off to sleep. Then he remembered how out of control things had gotten before when he’d hidden the truth from her.

“Baby,” he spoke softly, “I know you’re tired.”

“But?” She caressed his chest, “You want something?”

“I need to talk to you,” he confessed, “I need to tell you what I found out today. I’m not keeping these things from you again.”

“I’m listening,” she cuddled closer.

“Dutch told me this,” Rob reported, “He got it from Davey. Bob is missing. The police are looking for him. His car’s at his house, but Bob’s not there.”

“You’re worried,” she observed, raising up to look at him, “What’s going on?”

“Davey thinks that Bob had a gambling problem,” Rob shared, “That he couldn’t pay back that money he owed to the loan shark. He thinks they killed him and they might come after Linda.”

“Oh my God, Rob!” Paula put her hand to her mouth, “Come here? To our house?”

“I don’t know, Paula,” he admitted, “I hope not…But I’d say Dutch knows what these kind of people are capable of.”

“What are we going to do?” She had fear in her eyes.

“I don’t know, Honey,” he pulled her back down close to him, “But I don’t want you and the children going anywhere without protection. I told Mitch about it. I told him not to leave Jenny alone and not to leave the women alone at the clinic.”

“I’ve had a bad feeling about this whole business with Linda from the start,” Paula reminded.

“I know,” Rob kissed her, “I haven’t forgotten. I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop ever since you told me that. I think it may have dropped now. I think we should tell Jason what’s going on. He’s old enough to understand and we may need his help.”

“OK,” Paula agreed, “I think you’re right. He has Emily with him so much…Oh, Rob…would they...?”

“I don’t know,” he knew what she was thinking. He’d already thought it himself. “But we can’t take any chances. I don’t want her in the yard alone for five minutes. I want at least Jason and Bear with her. I know that dog would die before he’d let anyone harm her.”

Paula was silent. He felt a tear drop onto his bare chest. He had scared her, but he knew telling her was the right thing to do. It might save her life.

“Honey,” he comforted, “It’ll be OK.”

“Bear’s not the only one who would die for her, Rob,” Paula whispered, “So would Jason, or Kevin, or Keith…So would you.”

“We’d all die for you too,” he reminded.

“Rob,” she admitted, “I’m scared.”

“I know,” he pulled her as close as he could, “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe…all of you. I promise.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about,” she raised up and looked at him, “Rob, I don’t want you to die for me. I want you to get old with me. Please don’t forget that.”

“I won’t,” he assured, “Come here…you need to get some sleep. It’s OK. Just rest.”

“Rob,” she requested, her voice trembling, “Please…promise me you’ll be careful…I can’t live without you…I need you here with me…always.”

“I promise,” he rolled over and kissed her, “I can’t live without you, either, Baby…and I’m here…right now.”

She pulled him down into a kiss and wrapped those long legs around him. She needed reassurance and he had every intention of giving it to her.

~*~

Rob felt the looming danger all morning. Every noise made him look up from his desk. He had left Bear at the house with orders to guard the family. He had also explained the situation to Jason and shown him where the guns were hidden. All of his sons knew how to handle guns. They had been shooting rabbits and squirrels since they were big enough to carry a .410.

He’d brought his own pistol to the stable with him and had put Sam outside the door to stand guard. Right now he was wishing for a couple more reliable dogs to place strategically.

He heard a car door and jumped up to see who it was. Sam didn’t bark, so he knew it wasn’t a stranger. It was Mitch, early for lunch.

“Dad,” Mitch looked concerned. Rob noticed Linda was in the truck. “Is Dutch here?”

“Yes,” Rob answered, “Up at the house working.”

“Good,” Mitch replied, “We all need to talk. Can you come on up now?”

“On my way,” Rob went to lock the office and walked up to the house. Obviously something more had happened. Mitch didn’t worry without good reason.

When Rob walked in, Paula, Jenny and Linda were all in the kitchen. Mitch and Dutch were in the living room. The boys and Emily were nowhere to be seen. Rob assumed that Mitch had sent them upstairs out of hearing.

“What is it?” Rob asked.

“Let’s all go in here,” Mitch led them to the table, where the ladies were already seated. “Linda got a call this morning at work. The police found Bob’s body. He’d been shot and left in a dumpster.”

Rob looked at Paula. She was worried, but not surprised.

“Dad,” Mitch proposed, “If Dutch is right and this is a hit, then we need to get the ladies out of here. They’ll be coming here next. I want to send Jen and Linda to stay with my mother in St. Louis. Is there somewhere you can send Mom and the kids?”

“Wait a minute,” Jenny protested, “You’re not sending me anywhere! I don’t want to leave here without you.”

“Jen,” Mitch argued, “You’re not safe here.”

“What makes you think she’ll be safer with Mary?” Paula spoke up. “Don’t you think these guys can track her down up there? I’m with Jenny. I don’t want to leave. I think we’re safer here with you guys than anywhere else you could send us.”

“Paula’s right, Son,” Rob agreed, “Your mother is too obvious. If they can find Linda here, they can find her anywhere.”

“Besides,” Paula remarked, “If Linda leaves, it’ll look bad. The police don’t know what we know, remember? They might think Linda killed him and she’s running.”

“All right,” Mitch rubbed his face, “Let’s hear a better idea then.”

“Look,” Dutch spoke up, “These guys don’t just run around killing people for fun. They want their money and they can’t get it from dead people. It’s more likely they’ll try to grab one of the ladies or kids and hold them for ransom. The best way to deal with this is to never leave them alone. This place is already like a fort. There’s only one way in and you can see someone coming for miles. They’re not going to come up here in broad daylight. If the ladies and kids are here in the daytime, they’re safe.”

“And at night?” Mitch asked.

“We’ve all got dogs and we’ve all got guns,” Dutch reminded, “We just need to keep our doors locked, our dogs on guard, and our guns by the bed. I’ll move Terry down to my house, so Chelsea won’t be alone. Mitch, you need to drop Jenny off here every morning and pick Linda up.”

“You think Linda’s safe down there in the apartment at night?” Rob asked.

“Probably,” Dutch reflected.

“Probably?” Linda’s eyes got wide, “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Did you know about this?” Rob asked her, “About Bob’s debt?”

Linda looked down, “Yes. He’s had a gambling problem for a long time. It’s one of the reasons I left.”

“It would’ve been nice if you would’ve mentioned it,” Paula scolded.

“What else have you failed to tell us, Mom?” Jenny quizzed.

“Nothing,” Linda shook her head, “Really. That’s all I know.”

“Linda,” Rob warned her, “You’d better not be holding anything back from us. You have already put this entire family in danger on several occasions. If you want us to keep helping you, then you need to be straight with us.”

“I think you should come and stay with me and Jen,” Mitch suggested, “At least for a little while.”

~*~

As the days passed, Rob grew weary. He was on edge all the time. He never slept deeply now. He woke at every noise, even more so than Paula. He carried his pistol with him all the time and slept with a rifle under his side of the bed. He had given Paula his .38 to keep nearby in case she needed it. He knew the tension was wearing on her, but she didn’t complain. She was quieter than normal, and so were the boys. He had even noticed that Emily seemed to be more sedate.

A coyote howling to answer a passing train woke him up.  He started to reach for the rifle, then realized what the sound was. He also realized his movement had woken Paula. She sat up and looked down at him.

“I’m sorry, Honey,” he reached up, “It’s just a coyote. Go back to sleep.”

“Rob,” she crawled over and sat on top of him, “I’m worried about you. You don’t ever rest anymore, Honey.”

“I’m OK,” he smiled, sliding his hands down her bare arms, “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“I haven’t heard you snore since we found out Bob was missing,” she was still straddling him and now she started massaging his chest.

“That should make you happy,” he teased, “If I’m not snoring, you should be able to sleep better.”

“If you’re not snoring,” she told him, “then you’re not sleeping deep enough to rest. Honey, you can’t protect us if you’re exhausted. No one’s getting in this house without us knowing it. Do you think Sam would let anyone come past him? He’s in the living room. No one can get to the boys without going through Sam.”

“I know,” Rob reached up and put his hands in her hair. It was so soft and silky. He loved Paula’s hair.

“And Bear’s in Emily’s room,” she reminded, “You know he’d kill anyone that tried to get to her. He’d even kill us if we tried to hurt Emily. She’s his little girl, Rob. She couldn’t be safer.”

“And what about you, my love?” He asked, his hands drifting down to the small of her back. He rocked her against him and felt the heat rushing through him to his groin.

“No one can hurt me when I’m here with you, Rob,” she bent to kiss him, “And no one is going to hurt you, while you’re here with me.”

Her hair fell around his face as she kissed him and he pulled her tight against him. He would die for this woman. He would die a million times over to keep her safe and he would endure any amount of pain to protect her. One moment with her in his arms could wash away a lifetime of hell. Now she was about to wash away all of his weariness and dread…to calm his fears and soothe his soul…to give him the rest he so desperately needed.

~*~

Rob blinked and squinted against the sun streaming in the window. He could tell by its position he had slept much later than usual. He tried to shake the cobwebs from his head and reached over for Paula. She wasn’t there. Her side of the bed wasn’t even warm.

He sat up and looked at the clock. It was past 9:00. He hadn’t slept that late since his days of all night parties. The bedroom door was shut. Paula must have told everyone to be quiet so he could sleep. He went to the shower. That would wake him up.

When Rob came down the stairs, the house was hauntingly quiet. He felt a chill of fear run through him. Then he saw a note propped on the table.

Rob,

There is coffee in the pot and there are waffles in a zip-lock bag on the counter. You can heat them in the toaster. Sam is on the porch guarding you. I have taken the children and Bear down to the stable, so you can sleep. Don’t worry. We’re fine. We have Bruce and Bear to watch over us.

Love,

Paula

p.s.

I took the pistol you gave me too.

He smiled. Bless her heart, she had gathered everyone so quietly that he had slept right through it. He poured himself some coffee and heated some waffles. The house hadn’t been this quiet since they had moved in. He suddenly realized that the construction noise was missing too. He went to look out back. No one there. Paula must have sent them away. Then he felt another chill.

He went back and looked at the note. It was definitely Paula’s handwriting. He sighed. He was growing paranoid. No one could have gotten in here and taken his whole family away without him waking up. He swallowed the last sip of coffee, grabbed a jacket and walked outside. Sam looked up at him and thumped his tail. Rob was thankful to have such reliable dogs. Sam had certainly proved his worth many times over.

Rob looked toward the stable. Bruce’s truck was there. Everything was just as Paula’s note had said. He started down to find his family. Sam got up to follow.

“No, Sam,” Rob told him, “You stay here and watch the house. I want to know if anyone comes up here that doesn’t belong. I’ll be OK.”

Sam went back to the porch and lay down. Rob went into the arena and looked around. Quiet there too. Only the sound of horses munching on grain and snorting from time to time. The office was dark. He walked along the stalls and saw they had already been cleaned.

He came back out and looked back toward the house. His truck was there. He hadn’t thought to look in the garage for the Jeep and Navigator. He glanced out at the triplex. His dad’s Buick was there. Rob felt his heart start racing. He went to the old stable to see if Bruce and his family were there. Again, he was greeted by only the soft sounds of horses.

He walked quickly to Linda’s apartment and knocked. Of course there was no answer. She was staying at Mitch and Jenny’s now. She’d be at work right now anyway. He could feel his heart pounding in his throat as he ran to the triplex and knocked on his father’s door.

“Hey, Son,” Bill opened it, “What’s wrong?”

“Have you seen Paula and the kids?” Rob asked. “I can’t find any of them. No one is here. You’re the only one I’ve found.”

“Bruce’s truck is down there,” Bill observed, “Isn’t he there?”

“No,” Rob shook his head, “There isn’t a soul down there but the horses.”

“Well,” Bill thought, “Come to think of it, it has been pretty quiet this morning.”

“Dad,” Rob instructed, “Get Bess and Hazel and take them to the main house. Sam’s up there. It’s probably nothing, but I want someone there in case…”

“On my way, Rob,” Bill shut the door and went for Hazel’s unit, “You go look for your family.”

Rob hurried to the garage to check for vehicles. They were both there. That was good. It would take something the size of a semi to haul his whole family away. Surely something like that would have at least alerted Sam.

Then a thought hit him. Horses. He ran to the arena again and checked the tack room. It was open. Saddles were gone. Lots of them. He grabbed his own saddle and blanket and a bridle. He went down the aisle to where Dakota was kept.

“Come on, big guy,” Rob saddled him quickly, “Let’s go find everyone.”

He rode out and went to the paddock where they kept their own horses most of the time. It was vacant. He urged Dakota on toward the gate that led to the next pasture. It was standing open. He pushed the horse to a gallop and followed the trail that led to the main pasture where they kept cattle. If someone wanted to sneak away, this was the direction to go. No one would hear screaming or calling or think anything of a gunshot. The very edge of this pasture ran along a small strip of land that was owned by someone who lived in Springfield. There was a hunting cabin on it and it was rarely used. Next to that ran a dirt road.

He came to the next gate. It was closed. If they had come this way, they didn’t want to let the cows out. Everything was OK, he assured himself. Jason or Paula would have managed to leave the gate open as a warning to him if they’d been taken off at gunpoint.

That’s when he heard it. It was music to his ears. He heard Bear barking and Emily giggling. They were safe. He followed the sound and as he came to the top of the ridge, he could see them all playing along the creek. Bruce was with them and so was Jenny. There were horses grazing nearby and saddles stacked in the grass.

Emily was the first to see him. She pointed and yelled, then waved and started running toward him. Bear ran after her, barking. Rob rode down and stopped next to Emily. He dismounted and scooped her up in his arms.

“Daddy,” she hugged his neck.

“Hi, Sweetpea,” he nuzzled her, “Daddy’s so glad to see you.”

He led Dakota down as he carried Emily. Paula had been sitting on a rock along the creek. She got up and came toward him.

“Good morning,” she smiled, “Do you feel more rested?”

“You scared the hell out of me,” he scolded her, “Why did you leave the house?”

Paula’s face fell, obviously wounded by his words, “I thought you needed the peace and quiet. You were sleeping so soundly that I…”

“Don’t ever do anything like that again,” he warned, “Jason! You boys get the horses saddled back up. We’re going back to the house.”

Jason and the twins jumped to follow their father’s orders. Bruce went to help, as well. Jenny came over and put a hand on Paula’s shoulder. She looked at Rob warily, like he might scold her too. Instead, he put Emily on Dakota and got on behind her. He waited in silence as the boys brought the horses over. Everyone mounted and trailed behind him as he led the way back. He knew he had hurt Paula with his harsh tone and scolding words. She had meant well. He had even been pleased by it when he thought they were all safe at the stable. He knew he shouldn’t have yelled at her like that. He had been so afraid something had happened to them, though.

Bruce rode up beside him, “I’m sorry, Sir. She said she left you a note. I came with them so they wouldn’t be alone out here.”

“It’s all right, Bruce,” Rob smiled, “I’m glad you came with them. Paula did leave me a note…it just wasn’t quite specific enough. You did the right thing. Thank you.”

“Shall I take care of the horses when we get back?” He offered.

“Please,” Rob nodded, “I’m going back to the house with my family.”

Bruce rode on ahead and opened the gate for everyone. He closed it when they were through, then brought up the rear. When they got to the stable, everyone dismounted and tied their horses to the rail fence.

“Bruce will take care of the horses,” Rob informed, “Everyone go back to the house. Jason, you take Sweetpea, will you?”

“Come here, Little Bit,” Jason took her.

Paula was walking fast toward the house and Rob knew she was trying to get away from him. Jenny was staying close to the boys. Rob crossed the lawn and closed the gap between himself and his wife.

“Paula,” he called, but she didn’t stop. He took two more strides and reached for her arm, “I’m sorry.”

She turned around and there were tears running down her cheeks, “I just wanted to let you rest, Rob.”

“I know,” he pulled her into his arms, “And I did rest. I slept better than I have in ages. I got your note and I ate the waffles. Thank you. I just got worried when I couldn’t find you. I’m sorry, Honey. I thought someone had taken you all off at gunpoint or something.”

“Rob I have the pistol in my coat pocket,” she told him, “And I took both Bear and Bruce. I thought you’d figure we’d gone for a ride when you saw the saddles and horses gone.”

“I know,” he leaned down and kissed her, “I’m sorry I yelled at you. Paula, I am just so afraid something’s going to happen to you. I have such a bad feeling in my gut. I keep thinking someone is going to grab you or Emily…”

“Rob,” she told him, “We can’t live like this. I think we need to make Linda go to the police in Wichita. She needs to tell them all she knows.”

“I think you’re right,” he agreed, “I’ll talk to Mitch about it tonight.”

~*~

Before he could talk to Mitch about anything, the walls came tumbling in. Ed Nelson came over for an unannounced visit. They were all in the living room, talking with him, when the phone rang.

Jason answered, then came to get Rob, “Dad, it’s Chelsea. She’s pretty upset.”

“Excuse me, Ed,” Rob got up, “I need to take this.”

“Hello?” Rob answered the phone in the kitchen, “What’s wrong, Chelsea?”

“Uncle Rob!” She was crying, “You have to come over here quick! They’re taking Daddy and Dutch away.”

“Who?” Rob asked, “Who is ‘they’, Chelsea?”

“The sheriff,” she told him, “They’re arresting them!”

“Calm down, Sweetheart,” he soothed, “I’m on my way.”

He came back to the living room, “Paula, I have to leave.”

“Is she all right?” Paula jumped up, “Isn’t Dutch there with her?”

“Come here,” he led her aside and spoke in a hushed tone, “She says the sheriff is there. He’s arresting Terry and Dutch.”

“Oh Rob!” She gasped, loud enough that everyone heard. Jason came over to see what was going on.

“Shh,” Rob cautioned, “I need you to call Tom. Tell him to get someone to the Webster County Sheriff’s Department to represent us. I’m taking Dad with me and he can drive Chelsea back over here. I don’t want her left alone.”

“What are you going to do?” She asked.

“Paula,” he explained, “If Ron’s arresting Terry and Dutch, it’s got to be about this business with Bob. I have to go try to get them released…and…”

“And what?”

“Paula,” he sighed, “He may arrest me too.”

He thought she was going to faint. He grabbed her shoulders to catch her and pulled her close. Jason was standing there, concerned.

“Jason,” Rob told him, “Whatever happens, you stay with your mother and Emily, you hear me?”

“Yes, Sir,” he nodded.

“Paula,” Rob pushed her back, “I have to go. Please pull yourself together. I need you to call Tom and then you’d better let Mitch know what’s going on.”

“OK,” she nodded, “I’m all right. I can do it.”

“Jason,” he looked at his son, “I’m counting on you to take care of things here now.”

“I will, Dad,” Jason assured.

Rob exited quickly. He left the explanations to his wife and son. None of this would look good to a social worker, no matter how it was presented. He’d have to deal with that later. Right now he had to get to Chelsea. He drove the truck over to get his Dad and briefly explained the situation.

They went as fast as safety would allow and when Rob pulled the truck up to Chelsea’s house he saw the sheriff’s car in the drive. Both Dutch and Terry were leaning against it, arms folded, talking to Ron. At least they weren’t in cuffs and Ron was the only officer there. Maybe Chelsea had jumped to conclusions.

Rob parked and he and Bill got out. Chelsea came running out and flew into his arms. She’d been crying and he could see the concern in both Dutch and Terry’s faces. They were worried she might lose the baby.

“Uncle Rob,” she sobbed, “Please help.”

“Shh,” he comforted, “It’s OK. I’m here, Honey. Now, just calm down. You’ve got to take care of that little girl you’re carrying around, Sweetheart. You go back inside with Grandpa, OK? I’ll talk to Ron and see what’s going on. I’ll take care of everything. I promise.”

“OK,” she nodded and went back in the house with Bill.

“Hello, Ron,” Rob greeted, “What’s going on here?”

“Sorry, Rob,” Ron told him, “I told her to call you. I hate doing this. I don’t want her to lose that baby, either.”

“What exactly are you doing?” Rob asked.

“I have to take Terry and Dutch in,” Ron answered, “They’re wanted for murder.”

“You’re arresting them for murder?” Rob gasped, “Ron, you know…”

“Look, Rob,” Ron pulled him aside, “Here’s the deal. I’ve got cops here from Wichita that have questioned everybody in the world, except the people they should have. They’ve come to the conclusion that Terry shot this guy Bob and that Dutch helped him.”

“Why?”

“Because Bob was shot with a .38,” Ron shared, “And some nitwit managed to get his hands on the report that Rita Wilson wrote up. She put in there that he pulled a .38 on Bob that day at your place. And, of course, Terry has a .38 registered with my department.”

“So do I,” Rob confessed.

“Yeah, well,” Ron shrugged, “I sort of misplaced that registration for the moment. Anyway, they wanted to come in here with a SWAT team, but I talked them into letting me handle it. I knew these guys would come in voluntarily for me and I didn’t want to scare Chelsea half to death.”

“You know they didn’t do this,” Rob observed, “I’ve got a lawyer on the way. Don’t let the Wichita guys have them until the lawyer gets there, OK?”

“I’ll take my time,” Ron nodded, “Are you coming to the station?”

“Yes,” Rob informed, “But I’m going to get Linda first. She’s the one they need to be talking to. She knows more about this than anyone.”

“All right,” Ron agreed, “You want a minute with them before I haul them in?”

“Please,” Rob nodded and walked over to the car, “You two OK?”

“We’re OK,” Dutch answered, “I’m worried about my wife, though.”

“She’ll be all right,” Rob assured, “I’ll send her to my house with Dad. Jenny and Paula will look after her there. I’ve got a lawyer on the way to meet you at the station. Don’t say anything until he gets there. Ron said he’ll take his time handing you over, to buy us some time.”

“What are you going to do?” Terry asked.

“I’m going to get Linda and meet you at the station,” Rob informed, “She’s the one they need to talk to. She’s got to come clean about all this gambling stuff.”

“Don’t be too rough on her,” Terry cautioned, “Or she’ll just fall apart and do more harm than good.”

“I’ll try,” Rob nodded, “Dutch, do you have a record?”

“No,” he shook his head, “I’m clean. Just keep some colorful company from time to time.”

“Good,” Rob sighed, “We ought to be able to get you released pretty quick then. Terry, you know this looks bad for you. Your record isn’t so clean and they’ve got a state witness who saw you pull a gun on Bob and threaten to blow his head off.”

“I know,” Terry rubbed his face, “but I didn’t kill him.”

“I’m not the one you have to convince,” Rob smiled, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”

~*~

Rob got his father and Chelsea into her Jeep and sent off to his house, then he went to the clinic. Mitch was expecting Rob when he arrived.

“Dad,” Mitch came up front, “Come back here and tell me what’s going on.”

“Linda,” Rob motioned, “Come back here with us.”

They went to the office and shut the door.

“Was Paula OK when she called?” Rob asked.

“Jenny’s the one that called,” Mitch told him, “Said you had to go see about Chelsea because she was freaking out. The sheriff was there.”

“Here’s the deal,” Rob nodded, “The Wichita police have decided that Terry killed Bob and Dutch was an accomplice. So far, they haven’t implicated us, but I’m sure that’s coming.”

“Me too,” Mitch agreed.

“Linda, you’ve got to tell them what you know about the gambling debts,” Rob explained, “I’ll tell them the stuff about our guy following Bob and why. It’s our only chance here.”

“OK,” Linda was white as a sheet, “I’ll do whatever you say.”

“All right,” Rob opened the office door, “Mitch, will you please call Paula and tell her I’m OK.”

“Got it, Dad,” he agreed, “And I’ll get to the house as soon as I can. Bruce is here, so I should be able to cut out.”

Linda rode in silence all the way to the station. Rob was in no mood for small talk, so he remained silent, as well. He was trying to organize his thoughts before he had to present them in a reasonable fashion to the police.

When they arrived, Ron greeted them, “Glad you’re here, Rob. They’ve started asking questions about you now. One of the deputies here messed up and mentioned that you and I are friends, so now my word doesn’t carry much weight.”

“Great,” Rob moaned, “Well, they need to talk to Linda and me, anyway. Can you tell them we’re here and ready to talk.”

“Yes,” Ron nodded, “Be careful, Rob. These boys are nothing but head-hunters and they don’t particularly care whose head they get.”

Time dragged by as Rob waited. They were questioning Linda and he couldn’t hear what was being said. The attorney was with her, but Rob worried that she would say too much or too little. He wanted to talk to Dutch and Terry, but they wouldn’t let him. Suddenly, a thought came to him: Davey. He needed to get Davey down there.

“Ron,” Rob called him over, then spoke under his breath, “I know someone else who can help clear this up. I need to call him.”

“Do you have your cell phone?” Ron asked quietly, “If you call from our phone, it’ll be monitored.”

“I’ve got my cell,” Rob nodded, “Where can I go to use it?”

“Yeah,” Ron spoke louder, “I’ll take you to the John. Come on.”

Once inside the bathroom, Rob quickly dialed the number, praying Davey would answer. He did.

“Davey,” Rob spoke fast, “All hell’s breaking lose down here. The Wichita cops think Terry killed Bob and they’ve arrested him and Dutch. I’m trying to get it cleared up. Can you come down here to the sheriff’s department and help me out?”

“You bet,” Davey assured, “I’ll be there as soon as I can…but I don’t know if I can get my man in Wichita to talk. He’s got a record a mile long and he don’t much care for cops.”

“OK,” Rob sighed, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

~*~

It was hours later when they finally released Dutch on his own recognizance. No matter how hard he tried, Rob couldn’t convince them to release Terry. They insisted on waiting for the ballistics report on his gun. Ron assured him that Terry would be kept in a cell of his own and no one would bother him.

Terry told Rob he’d be OK. Rob assured him he’d take care of his daughter and his stock. They both knew the report would clear Terry, it was just a matter of time. It hadn’t helped that Terry had no alibi for the time period when Bob was killed. Rob and Dutch had both been with several people who could vouch for them, so at most they were only accomplices.

Rob drove Linda and Dutch back to his house and everyone came pouring out of the house when he pulled up. Chelsea ran to Dutch and Paula ran to Rob. He had never been so glad to see her in all his life. Rob held Paula close to him and soaked in the comfort of having her in his arms.

“Oh Rob,” she told him, her face buried in his chest, “I was so afraid they wouldn’t let you go.”

“So was I,” he confessed, “But they did and I’m here now. Come on, let’s go inside and we’ll tell you everything.”

Emily fell asleep on Rob’s lap as he and Dutch told everyone their story. Chelsea seemed to have regained her strength, even though she was concerned about her father spending the night in jail. Linda was still very quiet. The reality of the chain of events she had started was sinking in now. She was finally realizing that she was responsible for much, if not all, of the chaos that had come into so many people’s lives.

When Rob and Paula finally went to bed, it was very late. They were both exhausted, but wide awake. He realized he didn’t know what had happened with Ed after he left.

“So, Baby,” he pulled her up close to him, “What happened with Ed, after I left?”

“Jason and I managed to get rid of him,” Paula reported, “We told him Chelsea was pregnant and had already had one miscarriage and she called all upset about something but we couldn’t make sense of it. So you had to go over there and find out if she was all right.”

“Good work,” Rob praised, “I was hoping he’d be gone when Dad brought her in.”

“Rob,” she snuggled up, “We’re still not out of the woods, are we?”

“No,” he admitted, “Until they find the right guy, we’re all still in jeopardy. I think they’ll release Terry tomorrow, though.”

“Honey,” Paula spoke softly, “I have to ask you something.”

“What, Baby?”

“You know I love you,” she assured him, “no matter what. Nothing could ever change that. I need to know the truth, though, Rob. I need you to be completely honest with me. You’ve been hiding things from me a lot lately. If you haven’t told me everything, then now is the time for you to do it.”

“Paula,” he rolled onto his side so he could look into her eyes, “I’ve told you everything. There’s no more secrets.”

“OK,” she put her hand on his cheek, “But what about Terry? Are you sure he didn’t have anything to do with Bob’s death?”

“I don’t think so,” he told her, “He told me he didn’t. I can’t believe he would do something like this.”

“Linda seemed pretty shook up,” Paula reflected, “I’m not sure she’s told us everything she knows.”

“She was upset that they wouldn’t let her talk to Terry,” he reported, “I wish I knew what she told the police.”

“Rob,” Paula confided, “I’m worried that she may have convinced Terry to do this. That she knew you would cover for him and blame the loan shark.”

Rob closed his eyes and let that thought sink in. He couldn’t discount that possibility. Paula had good insight into human nature. If she thought it was possible, then it was. He rolled onto his back again and felt Paula come closer and drape an arm and leg over him.

“I hope you’re wrong,” he finally said, “Because if you’re right, it could cost us everything we have. We’d certainly lose Emily. Chelsea would probably lose her baby. It might scare people off enough from our stable that we’d lose the business…Mitch could lose the clinic for the same reason…we could lose the farm, Paula.”

“The farm is paid for,” she reminded.

“When I signed the loan papers to help Mitch buy the clinic,” he revealed, “They put a lien on our farm. If Mitch loses the clinic, they can take our farm.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that?” She sounded hurt.

“I didn’t think it mattered,” he sighed, “I couldn’t envision any circumstance that could make that happen. Will you forgive me? I’m afraid I’ve gotten us into a very deep hole, Paula. I don’t know if I can get us out.”

She raised up and looked down into his eyes, “Honey, I already told you, I love you no matter what. As long as we have each other, we’ll be OK. We’ll get through this, somehow.”

“All because of one careless mistake,” he remarked, more to himself than Paula.

“What?”

“None of this would be happening,” he reflected, “If I had just told Mary no. As much as I love Mitch, this would never have happened if he had not been conceived.”

“We reap what we sow,” she reminded, “But we can still pray for mercy. Justice is not on our side.”