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the-real-tc · 2 years

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Bad Business Chapter 2: For Better

Author's Note: Thanks for all likes and re-blogs so far, everyone! I appreciate the encouragement. Here's the next installment. Things are still relatively calm, as you'll see. This time we have a small side plot involving what I'd call Heartland magic, you know, that not quite true-to-life horse-healing stuff that's nevertheless entertaining (or at least I hope it is). While it may seem like nothing much is happening in this chapter, I can tell you it's laying a foundation, so pay close attention.

Special thanks to tnwalk7rach for her help with this chapter as she provided invaluable information. Any inaccuracies are solely my fault, as creative liberties were taken.

***

Chapter 2: For Better

"I'm so glad to get that announcement out of the way," Amy sighed after making sure Lyndy was tucked in safely for the night. "It was driving me crazy keeping it a secret. As it is, I think Lisa and Lou were getting a little suspicious."

"I'm relieved to get it out of the way, too," Ty said in agreement.

"You're not planning to bubble-wrap me again this time, right?" Amy said to her husband as they prepared for bed.

"Uh... No," Ty said, a grin creeping up on his lips. "I think I'm over that 'super-over-protective' phase."

"Well, good!" Amy said while sliding under the bedsheets. "Because bubble-wrap spooks the horses."

"Does it, now?"

"Mm-hmm," Amy replied with a mock-serious nod, brushing her fingertips across his chest. "Noise-sensitive equines could be set back weeks just by being exposed to the stuff. Snap-crackle-pop! Instant horse trauma."

"Now you're sounding like an old Rice Krispies cereal commercial," Ty said, snuggling in close to Amy. He rested his chin against her shoulder and brought an arm over her belly.

"Ty..." Amy began slowly.

"Hmm?"

"How would you feel about it if I decided to ride during this pregnancy?"

Ty hesitated before answering, leading Amy to believe he was not thrilled with the idea. "I think... if your Ob/Gyn says the risks are minimal, then I think you should follow her advice," he finally answered.

"You didn't really answer my question," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Be honest: would you or would you not be okay with it if I got the all-clear?"

Ty inhaled sharply. He knew Amy was not trying to bait him, but he felt cornered, nevertheless. "Amy, I will always have your safety and that of our baby as my highest concern. But I know I can't bubble-wrap you. I don't want to be that guy who dictates everything his wife does because he's too insecure. If you want to ride this time around, then go for it."

"Okay," she said. "I'll see what the doctor says when I go in for my check-up."

"All right," he said agreeably, but to Ty's ears, his wife did not sound as if she fully believed him.

***

"Have I told you lately how proud I am of you?"

After donning one of Jack's old shirts that she had claimed for sleepwear, Lisa looked at her husband over her shoulder with a quizzical expression. "No. Why do you ask?"

"Tonight," Jack said, moving to stand close behind her so he could place his hands on her shoulders. "You didn't make a peep about being the reason why Scott can take on Cassandra as full partner at the vet clinic."

"Why should I have? It was a group decision," Lisa said, trying to deflect any praise.

"Mm-hmm," Jack murmured, bringing his lips to her cheek. "And who was it that brought the clinic to the group's attention in the first place?"

"Well, I may have suggested it," Lisa conceded. "And though I voluntarily abstained from the final vote, the rest of them still had to unanimously choose to support Scott."

"That could not have been an easy task with Dan Hartfield being involved," Jack grunted, trying without success to hide his personal disdain for the man.

"Actually, Dan helped convince the others," Lisa said. "Some of them were concerned there was too much of a personal interest on my part since Ty is family, after all. I pointed out Ty has his own practice at Heartland with Amy apart from the clinic, and Dan mentioned how much Scott has done for all of us in the horse business in Hudson."

"Really," Jack said dubiously.

"Yes. And you'll never guess who seconded the motion."

"Who?"

"Val Stanton."

"I have to say I had my misgivings when Dan roped the two of you into this," Jack said with a shake of his head, "but I admit I was wrong in this case. This little investors' group has been doing a lot of good."

Lisa did not reply immediately, but simply gave a cold, abstract "Mm-hmm."

Jack instinctively interpreted her chilly response to mean she was thinking once again about Lanny and Paige. "I heard about the reward the group is offering in the Barick murder case," he said quietly, lowering his hands from Lisa's shoulders to encircle her about the waist. "Your idea again?"

"No. Tanner Gunn's idea," Lisa answered, turning now so she could wrap her own arms around his frame as she leaned into his chest. "It was an easy decision to put up the reward money. After all, Lanny was one of the original members of the investors' group... That poor family..."

"Yeah," Jack said, now rubbing a gentle circle into Lisa's back. "I sure hope someone out there can provide answers."

"Me, too," Lisa said with a soft sigh. "You should have heard Paige's family at the memorial and press conference today, Jack. It's been a year, but the pain there is still so raw."

"I tell you, if someone had done that to Marion, I wouldn't have rested until her killer was brought to justice," Jack said passionately. "As it is, losing her in that auto accident wasn't easy, either. But it was an accident. It was something I could come to terms with, even if it wasn't fair."

"That must have been a terrible time for you. For all of you," Lisa murmured. "I wish I had known you then. I wish I could have been there for you."

"I know. But you're here now, and I'm grateful."

"I wish I had been able to meet her," Lisa said wistfully as they separated and climbed into the bed. "I knew about her only vaguely, which is really a shame."

"The two of you would have got along very well," Jack declared.

"Really? You think?"

"Why, sure. You love horses. Marion loved horses. She would have liked the way you treat your animals and staff at Fairfield."

"Would she have liked me—with you?" Lisa asked. It was a question that occasionally occurred to her, but had never found an opportunity to broach the topic with Jack.

"Oh, I don't think that would have been a problem for her," Jack said dismissively, pulling the covers over them both.

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Having a step-mother younger than she was wouldn't have been strange?"

"'Strange'? Naw. She would have loved you, Lis. Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"

"Oh, I don't know. Just thoughts about family, I guess," Lisa said, lying back while Jack switched off his bedside lamp. "Amy's announcement... Things are going to be busy around here again with a new little person. I love my life with you and everyone else at Heartland. But sometimes, I wonder..."

"You wonder what it would be like if you'd had kids of your own," Jack said knowingly, inching nearer to her. Lisa slid readily into his arms, bringing her head to rest beneath his chin.

"Yeah," she whispered. "But then I think, if I had been able to carry the ones I lost to term, I think: I would want them to be exactly like the family I have, right now."

"Well, good," Jack said happily, kissing the top of her head. "Because I think if Marion had been able to choose the kind of woman to look after her children and grandchildren, she would have chosen someone exactly like you."

"Would she?"

"You love them as if they were your own," Jack said earnestly. "You've been able to do things for them I couldn't, and I'm not just talking about money."

"No?"

"All right, it's true you have spoiled them more than I ever could, but it goes beyond that. You're generous with your time, your advice, and your business expertise," Jack stated. "For example: If it wasn't for you, I might not have been convinced to let Lou have her Dude Ranch on the family property."

"And see how beautifully that turned out," Lisa said contentedly, instantly remembering a magical winter's night at that same Dude Ranch, cabins strung with bright lights, and the exchange of rings and vows.

"Yes, for the most part, you're right about that," Jack said with a soft chuckle, his mind also drifting back to the same winter's night, and the joys that followed since.

Sleep came easily to the happy couple, secure in each other's embrace.

***

Two Weeks Later

"So?"

"Dr. Hawthorn has given me the all-clear," Amy said as Ty opened the truck door for her. "She says everything looks good and it's okay for me to ride during the first trimester."

"That's good, Amy," Ty said, hoping he sounded genuine.

"It is," Amy said. "Now, are we ready to take on our latest client?"

"I think so," Ty said, as he started the truck.

"Great," Amy said with a smile while she buckled her seatbelt. "Because he's supposed to be arriving with his horses just after lunch."

Earlier that morning, Amy had received a call from a potential new client named Marvin Clancy about a case of foal rejection.

"Bring them to Heartland as soon as you can," Amy had advised. "My husband is a vet, so if there's something medically wrong with the mare, he can determine the issue. If it's something behavioural, I'll get to the bottom of it."

Now as the couple drove back home, they compared notes.

"Did you find out if it's a maiden mare?" Ty asked.

"No, but we can ask when Marvin arrives," said Amy.

"Okay," Ty said. "Is the mare showing any signs of aggression?"

"Fortunately, no," Amy answered. "Marvin told me she just won't let the little one suckle and seems to be fearful of it."

"Hmm," Ty murmured. "Could be a few things going on in this situation."

"Right," Amy said. "I can't wait for us to figure it out. We make a great team, Ty."

"I know," Ty said with a grin. "I love working with you at Heartland."

"I'm thinking it's probably still way too early for this foal to be weaned," said Amy, picking up their topic at hand.

"Yeah," Ty said. "I'm a little worried because it could be really difficult to find a surrogate on such short notice. If push comes to shove, we'll start a bottle-feeding regimen, obviously."

"You up for some late-night feedings, 'Dad'?" Amy teased.

"Practice for when Number Two arrives," Ty replied smartly, reaching over to rub Amy's belly.

"Good answer," Amy said, giggling at the ticklish sensation resulting from her husband's touch. "On a related note, I'm looking forward to having you as my birth partner this time around, Ty."

"What, your dad isn't your first choice? Didn't he do a good enough job last time?"

"Umm, let's not go there," Amy replied, rolling her eyes and laughing.

***

Due to the unusual circumstances of the mare's rejection of her foal, Marvin Clancy was obliged to trailer them separately.

"Sassy was not too pleased when I tried to transport little Windy with her," he explained. "I know it's best for the foal's first trailering to be with its mama, but mama wasn't having it."

"Well, you managed to get them both here," Ty said, "that's the important part. How old is Windy?"

"Six days old," Marvin answered.

"And have you started bottle-feeding him?" Amy asked.

"As soon as we noticed Sass wasn't feeding him," Marvin replied. "My wife and I have been in the stable pretty much since he was born, keeping an eye on things, getting him used to being around people. It's the first foal born on our farm, so it was a pretty big deal."

"So this is Sassy's first foal?" Amy asked of the Quarter Horse.

"No, it's her third," Marvin answered, "but the first she's had on my farm. I bought her two years ago from a friend. He said she'd had two before."

"Hm," Ty said reflectively. "And no indication she rejected the foals in those instances?"

"None at all," Marvin said, "which is why it's so concerning. I'd like to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible, obviously."

"Did Windy at least get some of the colostrum?" asked Ty, wanting to ensure the newborn had benefitted from the early nutrients and antibodies that first milk provided.

"Yeah, he suckled just fine the first two days," Marvin said. "But by day three, Sassy-girl started avoiding him and wouldn't let him feed."

"Okay, I'll do an examination of Sassy and run some tests to rule out a few things like mastitis or something more serious," Ty said.

"And if it's not something medical?" Marvin asked, sending a knowing glance in Amy's direction.

"Then I'll take over," Amy said. "For now, we'll keep up with the bottle-feeding routine. In the meantime, we should both try putting out some feelers into the community to see if there's a mare nearby that can come in as a nursemaid—as a last resort."

"All right," Marvin said with a hint of reluctance. "I'll try."

"Good," Amy said. "We all want what's best for these two, right?"

"For sure," Marvin said with a smile. "I'll call tomorrow to check in."

"Sounds good, Marvin," Ty said, shaking the man's hand. "We'll be in touch."

***

Next Day

"We can definitively rule out mastitis or any other problem affecting Sassy's mammary glands and milk production," Ty informed Marvin over the phone. "No indication of inflammation, swelling, ulcers, or tumors."

"Well, that's good, right?" Marvin asked.

"It's a good start," Ty acknowledged. "It means Sassy isn't rejecting Windy because she's experiencing pain or discomfort due to nursing."

"Okay, so what do we do next?"

"Well, we're continuing with bottle feeding, but Amy is going to turn them out into the paddock today and observe how they interact," Ty said. "Sometimes, horses don't like being cooped up in a stable. It could be Sassy just wants some space."

"But y'all are still handling Windy and getting him used to people, right?"

"Right, when we feed him," Ty replied.

"But nothing more?"

"What do you mean 'nothing more'?" Ty asked.

"I mean, I had hoped you and your animal-behaviour specialist wife would be more pro-active with the, y'know, the imprinting process," Marvin said, an edge of irritation creeping into his tone.

The concept of imprinting was not foreign to Ty, but it was one both he and Amy discouraged their clients from attempting too early on in a foal's development.

I don't even think I need Amy to diagnose what's up with Sassy and Windy, Ty thought ruefully. Marvin and his wife have probably been too hands-on with this poor foal, and his mama doesn't like it.

"Marvin, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Ty said as calmly as possible. "It's been our experience that over-handling a newborn foal can be detrimental to the bonds it's supposed to develop with its mother in those critical early days."

"Yeah, but this horse expert guy we follow on YouTube makes the point that the earlier you imprint on your horse, the easier he'll be to train up," Marvin argued. "He's a published author. Says de-sensitizing them early makes 'em more docile and more likely to trust humans."

Ty, not wanting to sound combative, said, "Mr. Clancy, I know there are plenty of people out there on the Internet with plenty of opinions, and I'm glad you're interested in doing what's best for Sassy and Windy, otherwise you wouldn't have brought them here, right?"

"That's right," Marvin said in agreement.

"So I'm asking you to trust me and my wife," Ty said. "There's still plenty of time to get Windy to 'trust humans', and my wife can even help you with that process. She's gentled wild horses; she knows what she's doing."

Marvin huffed, and grudgingly accepted Ty's request of trust. "Fine. But if Windy doesn't train up right, you know who I'm blaming."

***

"Well, I think we can draw a very strong conclusion about what the problem is with Sassy and Windy," Ty said, as Amy came down from the loft after putting Lyndy down for a nap.

"Oh?" she asked, fully curious.

"Yep," Ty said with a curt nod. "I spoke with Marvin just now, you know, to tell him there's nothing physically wrong with Sassy, and he mentioned he and his wife bought into the whole early imprinting thing with foals. They were apparently in there handling Windy as soon as he was born."

"Oh," Amy said. "That actually could explain a lot about why Sassy is rejecting Windy."

"Exactly," Ty said. "I mean, I don't blame him for doing what he thinks is best for his horses, but in this case, it's doing more harm than good."

"Well, the good news is we can probably fix the problem because we've caught it early. Windy is due for another feeding right about now, but when that's over, it will be time to turn them out."

"That's what I told Marvin you'd be doing," Ty said.

"And it needs to be done now more than ever," Amy added. "In fact, I think I'll turn Sassy out right away. It will give her space, and maybe it will give her time to miss her baby. Her mothering instincts don't just disappear overnight; we just need to help her remember them."

To Amy and Ty's disappointment, however, Sassy showed little interest in Windy by the afternoon. The foal's full stomach meant he was not inclined to want to suckle due to hunger, but he knew his mother's scent anyway, and craved her maternal closeness. Sassy wanted nothing of it. Every time the foal neared, she distanced herself from him. The window to get Windy nursing again naturally would be closing swiftly, and the pair of horse healers fretted this might be a rare case when they would have to accept defeat.

***

By the next morning, Amy wanted to persist in turning Windy out with the rest of the horses after each of his bottle feedings. She decided to hold off introducing any sort of dry feed for the time being, just to give the foal more time to observe the adults foraging so he would get the idea. Sassy persisted in her avoidance tactics.

When Georgie arrived home from school that afternoon, she went immediately to saddle Phoenix for a round of jumping practice. She noticed Amy watching the latest arrivals on her way from the stables.

"How are they doing?" the teen asked her aunt.

"No breakthroughs yet," Amy replied. "But at least we think we know what the trouble is."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"The owners were trying to do something with the foal called 'imprinting'," Amy explained. "In theory, it's supposed to help the foal become used to humans so it's easier to train later on, but instead it can really interfere with the natural bonds the baby is supposed to have with its mother if it's done too early or too aggressively. Since there's no medical reason for Sassy to be rejecting Windy, we think it's the over-handling by humans that's turned Sassy off from her own foal."

"Gee, that's too bad," Georgie said in sympathy. "Poor baby. I hope you guys can work it out."

"Me, too," Amy said with a sigh. "Anyway, I'll let you get to your practice."

"Thanks," Georgie said, snapping her helmet chinstrap and pulling it snug. Remi, upon seeing Georgie mount up, scampered from her spot on the porch to be closer to the action.

"Here comes your shadow," Amy said with a chuckle, giving the dog a quick rub around her furry jowls.

"Hi, girl," Georgie cooed. "Did you come to watch me practice? Good girl!"

Remi snuffled and gave her tail a few vigorous wags before settling down on the sidelines to take in Georgie's practice rounds. But before long, the dog wandered off towards the paddock, drawn to the pair of new horses. She yawned once with an extravagant stretch, and sat herself down next to Amy.

The dog and the human looked out upon a few of the permanent equine residents standing lazily in the paddock, grazing about. Windy the foal, having discovered other large animals not his own mother the previous day, would take a few tentative steps towards a strange horse, then suddenly prance off, as if playing a game of keep-away. The elder horses generally paid the foal no attention. His mother, though, avoided him at each playful approach, trotting off in a different direction each time he chanced to get near.

"Come on, Sassy," Amy said under her breath after observing this behaviour for close to an hour. "Take care of your baby. We stinky people aren't going to get in your way anymore."

Remi huffed and whined once, as if picking up on Amy's exasperation. She got to her feet, gave her tail a few gentle wags, then padded over in Sassy's general vicinity.

Amy watched in awe as Sassy sniffed curiously at this canine invading her space. Remi tolerated this attention with perfect calm and acceptance. Next, Sassy's large tongue came out, giving Remi's snout a long lick.

"Pals for life now," Amy said, a grin spreading across her face.

Ten minutes later, Remi was lying down at Sassy's feet, and the horse was nibbling calmly at some grass. Windy, however, was wary of the dog, its earlier curiosity around new creatures evidently forgotten.

***

"I think we've had a breakthrough," Amy said to Ty that evening after another round of bottle-feeding Windy was complete.

"Oh? What happened?" Ty asked.

"The canine companion factor," Amy answered triumphantly. "You know as well as I do that some nervous and stressed-out horses respond well to a companion animal. I mean, remember that goat Lisa had with Fairfield Flyer's clone a couple years ago?"

"Right," Ty said, thinking of how the high-strung thoroughbred had benefitted from the smaller animal's presence in its stall.

"Well, this afternoon, it was like Remi knew Sassy needed a friend. She went right over to her, and that seemed to break the ice. Sassy let Remi get right up to her and even licked her."

"You're kidding," Ty said.

"Nope. Remi just lay right down next to her out there in the paddock for the whole afternoon," Amy said. "It's the most relaxed I've seen that horse yet. I'll let her stay out tonight with the other horses, but I'd like to try turning Windy out again tomorrow and see what happens."

"That's excellent," Ty said. "Fingers crossed that Sassy will let Windy nurse tomorrow."

"I have a feeling she will," Amy said. "Gut instinct."

"Well, sure hope your gut's right, 'cause I actually forgot how tiring these round-the-clock feeding schedules can be."

"Oh, having second thoughts, 'Dad'?" teased Amy.

"Never," Ty said, stretching over to kiss her.

***

True to Amy's "gut instinct", Sassy was not on the alert when Windy's spindly legs carried him towards her early the next morning. Amy and Ty had purposely not fed the foal at the appointed time in the schedule so as to encourage it to seek out "breakfast" from its mother.

"Ty, look," Amy said in an excited whisper. "She's not running away from him."

"I see it," Ty said, his own excitement building.

The couple watched as the foal, ears flicking, crept closer, drawn by the promise of his mother's warm milk. He stretched his tongue out to the teat, latched on, and started suckling. Sassy remained in place, completely unperturbed by this activity.

"He's nursing!" Amy cried happily.

"Yes!" Ty exulted. "Marvin is going to be a very happy man when we tell him."

"He sure is," Amy said. "But make sure he knows he needs to get himself a Shepherd now, because I have a feeling Georgie isn't about to give up Remi."

Indeed, the canine was still out in the paddock, snoozing peacefully near the nursing mother and foal in the dewy morning grass.

***

Two Days Later...

"I know I said it earlier, but thanks for deciding to come to this one with me," Lisa said to Jack as they climbed into the Fairfield truck in preparation for departure to the vast Westfield estate.

"I have to admit this whole faux fox hunt deal really isn't so bad, despite the presence of certain individuals," Jack chuckled, a wry smile partially hidden beneath his generous moustache.

Both knew exactly which individuals Jack was referring to. Upon arriving at their destination, they walked with their horses on leads towards an open area before Paula Westfield summoned Jack.

"Hold him?" asked Jack, handing Lisa the line tethered to his jumper for the day, a Fairfield horse named Striker.

"Sure," Lisa said, taking the line from him. They were early still, as only a handful of participants had arrived, mostly those directly involved in a more official capacity. Moments later, she heard a voice she instantly recognized calling out a greeting, so she turned in response to it.

"Hello, Lisa! I see you managed to drag that fine husband of yours to another one of these things," Val said with a dry laugh and a half-grin.

"Hi, Val. Yes, I certainly did," Lisa replied warily. She was never entirely comfortable when Val referred to Jack in such familiar terms. But I really need to remember Jack has known Val longer than he's known me, she thought, they're just friends.

Jack was oblivious to Val's scrutiny while he stood talking with Paula about his role in today's proceedings.

"I guess he had such a great time at the last one, he couldn't stay away this time, eh?" Val laughed again, this time a little too harshly for Lisa's liking. "My, he sure does look handsome in those breeches and that jacket, I'll say!"

"Mm-hmm," Lisa agreed with a tight-lipped smile.

"Let's hope the weather cooperates," Val chatted on. "No more freak snowfalls, please and thank you!"

Lisa was about to add "And no more drinking so much you can't stay on your horse, Val," but charitably stopped herself before making such a pointed dig at her former rival for Jack's attention and affection.

"That is a very fine animal," Val stated, nodding towards Lisa's steed.

"He's something, isn't he? His name is Herring," Lisa responded, glad for the change in subject. "You remember Ben, my nephew?"

"Of course I remember Ben. I seem to recall my Ashley had an eye for him while he was staying at Briar Ridge."

"Well, Ben's horse—Red—is the sire," Lisa said.

Val sent a dubious look at Lisa. "Red's the sire of Herring? Seriously?"

Lisa tried to conceal a laugh. "Seriously. I know, it's not a very creative name. It wasn't my idea."

"I might be interested in him, if you're looking for a buyer," Val said, stroking the horse's neck.

"Well, I did have another client interested in him earlier," Lisa replied. "But why don't I have Herring trailered over to Briar Ridge next week or so? You can try him out; see if he's what you really want, and we'll see if we can hammer out a deal."

"All right, sure," said Val. At that moment Paula dismissed Jack and called for Val's attention to deal with some other matter. "We'll talk soon, Lisa."

"Okay."

"Hello, Jack," Val said huskily, a bright smile flashing across her face as they passed each other.

"Val," Jack responded cordially, about to tip a non-existent hat before remembering his head was bare. He continued on to where Lisa was waiting with their mounts.

"What was that about?" he asked as he reached his wife's side, having seen the tail end of their conversation.

"Val might be interested in buying Herring," Lisa answered while staring after the other woman's retreating figure, somewhat surprised she had not found some excuse to linger in order to chat with Jack.

"No kidding," Jack uttered.

"Jack," Lisa began tentatively, "I know these kinds of events are out of your comfort zone, but I'll say it once more: I really appreciate everything you do to make it out here with me."

"Well, I seem to recall a fly fishing date that was out of your comfort zone some years ago," Jack said with a twinkle in his eye. "Not too many ladies would have agreed to that. But you went the extra mile and even bought all the gear, just so you wouldn't disappoint me."

"I knew I wanted to spend time with you and to get to know you better," Lisa said, gazing up at him with affection. "I wasn't about to let that opportunity pass me by."

"And I'm forever grateful you came," he commented, remembering how she allowed him to hold her close and guide her hands and arms while holding the fishing rod. It meant so much to him that she trusted him implicitly, even at that early stage in their relationship.

I caught a real beauty, he recalled saying to the kids when he returned from that date; his meaning slowly dawning on them as he shuffled inside with a very contented smile on his face.

"We should do that again sometime," Lisa said, reaching for his hand and taking it in hers.

"Sounds like a plan!" Jack answered heartily.

*** Chapter 3: Or Worse

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the-real-tc · 1 year

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Bad Business Ch. 10: There the Vultures Will Gather

Author's note: Again, I'm issuing a trigger warning, as there's stuff in here that might make some people squeamish. You've been warned.

To the childless wife he gives a home, and gladdens her heart with children.

- Ps. 113

Chapter 10:

There the Vultures Will Gather

***

Hudson Police Headquarters

The morning debrief with his team was beginning to bring Chief Parker a glimmer of hope they were making progress on the investigation into Val Stanton's death.

"Okay, how's the 'money' angle coming on the Stanton case?" Parker asked, as he looked around the room.

Detective Benoit answered for the rest of them. "Okay, as far as the financial benefits go, our friends at the International Claim Association confirmed two policies existed for Valerie Stanton. The first is a family policy taken out years ago when both Stanton and her husband were alive. That was through Booker & Sons Life Insurance."

"And the second one?"

"That one was through a different insurance company in Calgary," replied Benoit. "Canadian Rockies Life Insurance taken out maybe six months ago. I spoke with both companies, and no surprise: they're reluctant to put the payouts through since Stanton's death is suspicious and is being investigated as a possible homicide."

"Okay, obviously Stanton's children would have put in the claim for the one with Booker," Jim rightly guessed. "Who made the claim on the non-familial one?"

"We haven't been able to find out yet," Benoit replied. "But the premiums were being paid through an offshore numbered account."

"But someone still had to request Stanton's medical death certificate to make the claim and then file the claim," Parker said.

"Right, and we're waiting for the court orders to come through to access that information. I expect to have them by this afternoon."

"Good work, Benoit," Parker said. "Do you, by chance, have the dollar amount on that second policy?"

"Two million dollars," Benoit answered. "Not bad for a financial motive if you're looking for one."

"Nope, not a bad motive at all," Parker said. "Let me know as soon as you hear back about who requested Stanton's medical death certificate for that second claim."

"Of course, Chief," said Benoit, though both men and the rest of the team had a strong hunch who that person might be.

***

At noon, Calgary detective James Prescott called with an update for Chief Parker.

"I can't thank you enough for the heads up with that investors' group list," Prescott said. "The stuff we're digging up about Tanner Gunn, well, it's leading us down a bit of a rabbit hole."

Parker felt his pulse quicken. "What have you been digging up?"

"My undercover guys said Tanner Gunn was in the hole to the tune of around 900K over a year ago with one of the underground, high-roller poker tables in Calgary. But get this: the loan shark who staked him apparently got all his money back, with interest, no problem."

"A 'year ago' also being right around the time Lanny Barick wound up shot to death," Parker said.

"Rather convenient, wouldn't you say?" Prescott said.

"A little too convenient," Parker commented wryly.

"And you're going to love this one. The International Claim Association confirmed policies exist for every single member of that investors' group through various insurance companies," Prescott added. "Which is not unusual on the surface, but what is a little unusual is they all have more than one policy to their names. And the second policy for all of them—all taken out within the last year or so—is with the same insurance company in Calgary: Canadian Rockies Life Insurance."

***

Heartland Ranch House

"I got your text about Remi, Georgie. Are you doing okay?" Adam asked as he hopped off his bike, having just come from school.

"Not really," Georgie replied with a slow, miserable shake of her head. "Everything is just awful."

"I know. I'm sorry again about Lisa," Adam said sincerely, reaching over to give her a friendly hug. "I'll never forget her crazy aunt who brought all those wacky presents that time."

"Yeah, Aunt Evelyn," Georgie said wistfully. "Crazy. She's supposed to be getting here in a few days. Lisa's sister and nephew are supposed to fly in tomorrow."

"Do you know anything more about Remi? Your text said she had a seizure last night."

"Ty says she was poisoned. Strychnine," Georgie said, eyes downcast. "But he said she hasn't had another seizure since then, so that's a good sign. He doesn't know the source of the poison yet, but he and Cassandra are running tests on stuff like her stomach contents to figure it out."

"I guess that's good news, right?"

"I guess," Georgie said, still sullen.

"Hey, do you want to go for a ride?" Adam suggested brightly. "It might take your mind off things."

Georgie looked at him doubtfully. "You're not exactly the biggest horseback riding fan. Are you sure?"

"Yeah, but you like it," Adam said. "C'mon. Let's go."

The pair saddled up and took a path out in the direction of the Dude Ranch, maintaining a slow pace and an easy silence. Georgie was grateful for this, as she was not in the mood for idle chatter. Simply having Adam's company was enough.

Her phone buzzed a message at that point. She looked at the screen and saw it was from Wyatt.

"It's Wyatt," Georgie said to Adam, reining in Phoenix. "Do you mind?"

"No, go ahead," Adam replied. He was relieved for the opportunity to rest, as he still was not entirely comfortable being bounced around in a saddle, even on an easy ride through the woods.

Wyatt: Hey Georgie that totally SUCKS about remi and I hope she gets better

- Mom needed me to babysit Brick after school or I'd be there

- Missing u at class and hope ur back soon

Georgie: Thnx Wyatt that means a lot

- No worries about not being here

- Adam is over right now so between the two of u looking out for me its not so bad

- I hope I'm back soon too maybe tomorrow or something

Wyatt: OK great!

- See u soon

- bye

Georgie: bye

"Hey, Georgie, look!" Adam said, just as Georgie put her phone away.

She glanced up to see Adam pointing at several black birds that were wheeling in the air a short distance away.

"Those are turkey vultures," Adam explained, pulling out information from his encyclopedic memory. "They're carrion birds. Something must've died out there and they're ready to feast."

"Oh, gross," Georgie said, grimacing.

"It might be the bear that's on the loose. It could have killed something and left behind a carcass," Adam posited.

"Again, gross," Georgie said, eyeing him in the hopes he would quit.

"I'm serious," Adam said. "I think we should check it out. You're not missing any Dude Ranch horses right now, are you?"

"No..." Georgie said slowly. "But-but we are missing a Dude Ranch guest. Oh, no. You don't think..."

Despite not wanting to get close to anything that might be deceased, Georgie nudged Phoenix onwards. Adam followed, scanning the foliage ahead.

Following the direction the birds seemed to be flying would take them off the marked trail into the bushes and more wild, overgrown vegetation. The teens decided to dismount and continue on foot. After securing the horses, Georgie and Adam trudged through the bushes and came upon a small natural clearing beneath the canopy of a grouping of trees. Moments later, they sighted an almost unrecognizable but nevertheless very human heap lying prone on the grass, partially obscured by some shrubbery. Their nostrils were soon assailed by the stench of decay. Flies buzzed and were clustering all over the rotting mass of flesh. Two turkey vultures descended on the body, flapping their massive wings as they settled to begin their meal.

"I-I think you'd better call your mom," Adam said shakily, averting his glance from the stomach-turning spectacle. "And I'm calling my dad."

***

Hudson Veterinary Clinic

"Great. The rest of the lab results just came back for Remi," Ty said, clicking on the report in his email Inbox.

Interest instantly piqued, Cass looked over at her colleague. "So, what was the source of the poison?"

"Her dog food," Ty said, staring at the lab results as if to be sure his eyes were not misleading him.

"How did strychnine get into her food?" Cass asked, equally puzzled.

"I don't know," Ty said tersely as he pulled out his cell phone and hurriedly dialled home. "It's a bag she's been eating from for nearly a week. If it had come contaminated from the production line, she would have been sick a long time ago."

Cass stared at him. "Who are you calling?"

"Home," he replied, exhaling sharply. When Amy answered, Ty did not waste time with pleasantries. "Amy, I need you to grab the open bag of Remi's dog chow right now. Don't touch the contents. In fact, use gloves when you handle the bag. Put it in a heavy-duty garbage bag and seal it tightly. Get it down here to the clinic as soon as you can."

"Ty, slow down, please,"Amy begged. "What's this all about?"

Ty caught himself and scaled back his agitation. "The strychnine poisoning," he stated, his spoken pace this time more slow and deliberate. "We tested the water in her dish, and that came back negative. The only other thing in Remi's stomach was her food, so that means her food was the source of the poison."

"What? Are you sure?" Amy's own shocked reaction was not lost on Ty.

"Without a doubt," Ty answered, looking back at his computer screen.

"All right. I'll get the food. Lyndy just woke up from a nap, so she'll have to come with me."

"Okay, thanks, Amy," said Ty gratefully.

***

Lou could not have been more shocked when she received Georgie's call about a dead body near Heartland Equestrian Connections. She had just finished speaking with Evelyn about her travel details and how she would be more comfortable in the house than at the Dude Ranch. Cabins Three and Four were already made up and waiting for Rachel and Ben to occupy when they arrived in Hudson; Cabin Two was still off-limits.

Chief Parker and his forensics team were already at the site when Lou arrived.

"Mom," Georgie called upon spotting Lou, and quickly went to her for a comforting hug.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Lou asked, holding her daughter close for several moments.

Georgie nodded. "I'm okay," she said at length. "At least I'm better now that you're here."

"Thanks for coming, Ms. Fleming," Jim said. "I really need you to be present when we talk to Georgie about all this since she's still a minor."

"Of course," Lou said, sending her daughter a look of maternal concern. Parker summoned Detective Constable Patterson to assist in the questioning. Lou stood by quietly while Adam and Georgie answered Patterson's questions as best they could.

"We touched absolutely nothing," Adam said in response to her query about their actions upon discovering the body. "I know you're not supposed to contaminate a possible crime scene."

"I know you know," Jim interjected patiently, "but we don't always follow logic when we stumble upon something like this."

"As soon as we realised what it was, we halted where we were right away," Adam continued.

"Yeah, there's no way we were getting any closer to that," Georgie said, her stomach still churning uncomfortably. "That's when we called you all to come."

"Okay, thanks," Patterson said. "Tell us what led you to finding the body in the first place. We're really off the beaten path, here."

"There were some turkey vultures," Adam explained. "I saw them flying around. They're not too common in this part of the province; that's why I noticed them. Since they're carrion birds, I figured something was probably dead out here. That's when Georgie mentioned the missing Dude Ranch guest."

"Carrion birds," Parker muttered with a shake of his head. "Of all things."

"I'm satisfied with what they've had to say, Chief," Patterson said to her boss. "Are you good?"

"Yes, I'm good," Parker said to his subordinate. "You can head back to the scene."

"Will do," she said, and moved off to rejoin the forensic team's efforts.

Jim returned his attention to Adam and Georgie. "Thanks, both of you; you did great today. You called immediately and kept your cool. I know plenty of adults who would not have reacted in as level-headed a way that you have."

"Thank you, sir," Georgie said demurely.

"Thanks, Dad."

"I'm going to talk to your mom now, Georgie," Chief Parker said. "You can wait for her if you like, but the two of you are free to go now if you want. I may have questions later for you, and you can call me if you think of something you didn't mention here."

"Okay, sure," Georgie said. "I think I'll go."

"Yeah, I'd rather go, too," Adam said in relief.

"All right," Parker said. "Be careful on the ride back."

"We will," Adam said.

With that, the teens returned to the horses and rode back to the ranch house, still not completely over the shock and disgust of discovering the corpse.

Chief Parker now focused his attention on Lou. "Georgie tells me you've been missing a Dude Ranch guest," Chief Parker said.

"That's right," Lou said. "Dov Grosvenor. He's been missing for several days. My manager said one of the guests saw him either late on Friday night or very early on Saturday morning out by the firepit. It's all in the information I gave to one of your constables. He came out here yesterday when I called; I filed a Missing Persons report with him."

"About that," Parker said, "it turns out the name 'Dov Grosvenor' is an alias of some kind. No one exists with that name that we can determine."

"He registered under a false name?" Lou's surprise was evident.

"So it would appear, Ms. Fleming," Jim said. "We're of course working on the assumption this is your vanished-into-thin-air Dude Ranch guest, whatever his name really is. Not a pretty way to go."

"No," Lou said, shuddering at the grim realisation her guest had probably met his horrible end due to an encounter with the roving bear.

As Chief Parker feared, the body was far too bloodied, marred and mauled to be positively identified by anyone. There had been no wallet, but a phone with a cracked screen along with other items had been taken by Parker's forensics team.

"Do you get many hunters out here at the Dude Ranch, Ms. Fleming?" he asked.

"Never," Lou said with an instant negative shake of her head. "Why do you ask?"

Parker looked over at his forensics team. They were still gathering evidence, bagging soil samples, and taking photographs. "I ask because we found a rifle near the body," Parker replied.

The chief was referring to the Special Edition Tikka T3x Compact Tactical rifle, mounted with a Steiner Military 3-15x50mm MSR scope and an Ase-Utra SL5i suppressor, which was discovered a short distance from the corpse. This weapon was of great interest to Parker and his team as they quickly noticed the absence of any serial numbers that could indicate license and ownership.

"No, no hunters," Lou repeated with emphasis, surprised at the news the dead man had been armed. "We've never advertised the Dude Ranch as such, either. It's not like we're a big game resort. At most, our guests do a little recreational fishing out on the pond."

"Hmm," Parker murmured. "You see, I don't like the coincidence of this rifle, the bear attack, and the recent death of Val Stanton. Next question: Do you get many trespassers at Heartland or the Dude Ranch?"

Lou gasped, an awful possibility dawning on her.

"What is it?" Parker asked.

"Um, I'll have to check my bookings, but, if this really is my missing guest, I—I think he was also checked in here during the time Val was killed," Lou said, gulping uncomfortably.

"I'll need to see those booking records, Ms. Fleming," Parker said. "Unless, of course, you'd prefer I get a warrant first."

"No, no, I'll gladly volunteer that information if it means we'll get to the bottom of who this guy is and what happened to Val," said Lou.

"Thank you," Parker said. He then beckoned to his forensics team to join him. "While you dig up those records, I'd like to look at the cabin he was staying in right away, please."

"All right," Lou said. "Cabin Two. Follow me. Oh, this is his truck, by the way."

Parker looked at the Ford F-150 that Lou was pointing to. He remembered how his rookie constable had taken the time to inspect the registration sticker when he came out to speak with Lou and found it to be a fake. Now Parker wondered about the license plate itself. He realised Becket had not mentioned anything about it—just the phony registration sticker. He would have to ask the kid what he found out about who the plate was actually registered to when he got back to headquarters.

"Ms. Fleming, when your missing guest first drove up here, did you notice if he had anything loaded in the back of his pickup? An ATV or a dirt bike, or something like that?" Parker questioned.

"No, why?" asked Lou.

"See these straps and this ramp?" Parker said, pointing to the items in the truck's bed. "He may have had something secured back here."

Lou looked for herself. "He couldn't have been bringing an ATV or a bike," she said in reply. "We don't permit those kinds of vehicles to go zooming all over the place here. Heartland Equestrian Connections is meant to be for peace and quiet. If either Jen or I had seen him pull up with something like that, we would have made him fully aware of our policy, in case he missed it on the website."

"Okay, thanks," Jim said, putting the issue on his mental back burner for the time being. "Let's see the inside of his cabin now, please."

"Let me get the master key," Lou said.

"Just unlock it, but don't touch the handle," Parker said in warning.

"Okay," Lou said. She climbed the steps and unlocked the door without touching the handle, as requested.

"Wait outside, please, Ms. Fleming, while my team goes over everything," said Jim.

"Of course." Lou stood back to let the forensics team first dust the handle for fingerprints and then enter the premises.

While Parker and his team pored over Cabin Two, Lou was gripped with apprehension. I can't believe this is happening. This is going to absolutely kill the Dude Ranch business. Who is going to want to stay here after people find out one of my guests was killed by a bear?

She pulled out her cell phone to access the bookings app to get the information for the chief. Sure enough, the name 'Dov Grosvenor' appeared as having reserved Cabin Two earlier in April, coinciding with the date of Val Stanton's death. Lou shivered at having that piece of information confirmed. Who was this guy, and could he really be responsible for what happened to Val?

Inside Cabin Two, Parker was initially disappointed. A pair of khaki-coloured pants and black cotton T-shirt lay folded crisply on the bed, the latter of which was also made up neatly.

"Chief, we've got something under the bed," one of the forensics team members named Corey Fraser stated. "It looks like a couple weapons cases of some kind."

The forensics photographer, Jason Pruitt, immediately dropped to the floor to snap images of the location of the cases.

"Let's pull them out and see what we have," Parker said, once Jason was finished.

Corey reached in and dragged the larger case out first.

"Empty," Corey said after snapping it open. The interior held sturdy foam packing, the contours of which very obviously matched the tactical rifle they discovered earlier near the body. There were also indentations that matched the shape of the weapon's scope and suppressor.

"Let's have a look inside that second case," Parker said.

Corey flipped the tabs and opened the lid to reveal a pair of Glock 17 pistols.

"Let's get pictures and bag and tag," Parker commanded. His team immediately complied with the instruction.

***

Hudson County Morgue

"Jim, we won't get anything from his fingerprints, unfortunately," the coroner Harlan Blackburn said as the two men stood in front of the stainless steel slab upon which the dead man's reeking remains were laid out, covered by a sheet.

"Why is that, Harlan?" Chief Parker asked, doing his best not to breathe through his nose.

"Not enough left of the fingers. Our guy must have put up his hands and arms defensively to protect his head and neck when the bear attacked. Chewed up his fingers and hands pretty bad. See?"

Harlan raised the sheet to show what was left of one of the dead man's hands.

Jim had seen his fair share of dead bodies in his career, but this was the first bear mauling he had come across, and he felt his stomach flip at the sight of the mangled, rotting digits.

"He didn't leave any prints in the cabin or in the truck, either," Jim said, swallowing hard against the tide of bile rising in his throat.

"I'll get you some dental X-rays and see if we get lucky," Harlan said casually.

"Great," Jim said. "Have you been able to determine a time of death yet?"

"From the observed rate of decay and the stage of the life-cycle of the flies present, I'd say he's been dead close to three or four days, give or take."

"So that would mean he's been dead since Saturday or Sunday," Jim stated.

"Yeah. Plus, turkey vultures tend to be picky about what they'll consume," Harlan continued. "They usually turn up their beaks if something's been dead past the four-day mark. Mind you, overnight temperatures have been close to freezing these past couple nights, which would of course also slow the decomposition... But I'd still say three or four days."

Jim said, "That pretty much squares with what one of our witnesses says about the last time this guy was seen alive. Thanks, Harlan. Let me know when your report is done."

Harlan gave him a thumbs-up. "You're welcome, Chief. The report will be ready lickety-split barring any surprises."

With that, Parker beat a hasty exit out the door. A few breaths of non-decay-scented air later, and he was on his way back to police headquarters to question his procedurally lax rookie constable.

"Becket," he said, upon finding the hapless young man. "About that Missing Persons report you tried to file for the name 'Dov Grosvenor' ... you did actually run the guy's license plate through the database, right?"

A beat of silence passed. "No, sir," Becket said as he visibly paled. "Once I realised the registration sticker was fake and didn't find his name anywhere, I just assumed the plate was fake, too—"

"Rookie," Parker growled. "Never 'assume' anything. Run that plate now and find out who it's supposed to be registered to!"

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir," Becket said meekly.

"Chief, that name 'Dov Grosvenor'..." Benoit said thoughtfully, having heard the exchange.

"What about it?"

"I knew a guy in high school back in Montreal named 'Dov'," Benoit recounted. "I remember it because it was so unusual. He told me he had Jewish ancestry and that the name means 'bear' in Hebrew."

Detective Constable Patterson picked up on this. "How about we see what the name 'Grosvenor' means, too?" she asked while tapping an inquiry into the Google search engine. Two seconds later, she had the result. "You're not going to believe this, but 'Grosvenor' means 'chief or royal hunter'."

"A guy registers under a fake name that essentially means 'royal bear hunter' only to end up getting mauled to death by a bear? If that don't beat all," Kavanaugh said with a dry laugh.

"Now that's what I'd call poetic justice," Parker said.

"Chief," said Becket, coming back with the results of his own search. "The license plate on the truck comes back as being registered to a beige 1998 Toyota Corolla belonging to 79-year-old Mildred McCann of Grande Prairie, Alberta."

"Stolen plate?" Benoit asked what everyone was thinking.

"Maybe," Parker said pensively. "Let's get Grande Prairie RCMP on the line, please, Constable Becket. You're going to explain to them that we have a truck here in Hudson with a license plate that should be on a Toyota in their city. Find out everything you can about the owner and how she might be connected to our dead guy."

"Yes, sir," Becket said, and retreated to his desk to do just that.

***

Half an hour later, Becket reported his findings to Chief Parker.

"Grande Prairie RCMP think they can ID our body," Becket said.

Parker was instantly alert. "Who was he?"

"They think it's Mildred McCann's son, 36-year-old Earl McCann," Becket said. "He's got several outstanding warrants for theft, assault, uttering threats, fraud, and so on. They said he was dishonourably discharged from the Armed Forces years ago for insubordination and pretty much being a violent, loose canon.

"Mildred has Alzheimer's and is in an assisted-living facility. The RCMP corporal I spoke with says Earl never visits, but somehow the bills get paid. RCMP in Cold Lake almost had him a while back when he was stopped for driving around in the truck with the plate registered to his mother's sedan. Those cops let him go because Earl reportedly claimed he had not had time to get to the registry office to make the switch. Those Cold Lake guys assumed he was telling the truth and let him go with a warning to get it done. They didn't realise their mistake until he was long gone."

"See how assuming something can lead to bigger problems?" Parker said, knowing the lesson would not be lost on his rookie.

"Yes, sir," Becket said solemnly.

Parker sighed. "Eh, for what it's worth, Earl McCann does not sound like the kind of guy who would have let himself be taken in because of a petty registration violation. He most likely would have shot and killed those cops in cold blood if they had pulled up his warrants at the time."

Becket's eyes went wide. "I hadn't thought of that, sir."

"All right. I'll let Harlan know to send the dental X-rays to the Grande Prairie detachment," Parker said. "I'm sure they'll be able to confirm it's Earl McCann."

"Yes, sir," Becket said.

Turning to the rest of his team, Parker said: "Now we get to figure out why Dov Grosvenor, aka, Earl McCann, was staying in Hudson and how he managed to get himself killed by a bear. We've got lots of evidence to process, so let's get moving."

***

Heartland Ranch — Barn Loft

Ty was dreaming in the early morning hours. An open country road stretched before him as he rode his treasured Norton motorcycle. Someone's arms held onto him tightly from behind. Without turning to look, he instinctively knew it was Amy. Such a feeling of freedom coursed through him, he did not even wonder for a moment where they were headed, or that none of this made any sense since he was no longer in possession of the Norton.

As is sometimes the case in such dreams, Ty's point of view shifted. He was now observing the ride rather than experiencing it. He noticed with a touch of confusion it was not Amy who was snuggled up close to him, but rather Ashley Stanton. Repulsed, Ty brought the motorcycle to a halt and planted his feet on the ground.

"Get off the bike, Ashley. I'm supposed to be giving Amy a ride."

"What?" Ashley whined. "But this is my brother's bike. You promised me you'd take me out for a spin."

"No, this is my bike," Ty argued indignantly. "Get off!"

"You can't leave me stranded on the side of the road," Ashley complained. "Take me back to Briar Ridge."

Ty thought to himself this was a reasonable request since he really could not just abandon Ashley in the middle of nowhere.

"Fine," Ty heard himself saying. "But if Amy shows up, you're getting off, and I'm taking her."

"Fine," Ashley said.

Ty started up his bike again and turned around, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of Amy.

The dream then seemed to morph into other images and sights that no longer had any connection to the original theme. When Ty awoke, the dream was already fading. By the time he had brushed his teeth and washed his face, he had already forgotten most of it. However, a small voice nagged in the back of his brain he should have paid attention to something important in that dream, but that detail remained elusive.

***

May 8

Hudson Times—Online Version

Man Mauled to Death

Nadir Jutley

Hudson Police along with Alberta Fish and Wildlife are issuing an urgent alert to all residents of Hudson county after a grisly discovery. The body of an unidentified man, badly mauled, was found in a wilderness area near the Heartland Equestrian Connections resort yesterday afternoon.

The owner and operator of Heartland Equestrian Connections, Samantha Fleming, declined to comment on the situation due to the ongoing investigation by Hudson police, but did say the resort will be closed to the public for the next two weeks.

If you see the bear, contact Alberta Fish and Wildlife immediately at 555-625-1540. Do not approach the animal under any circumstances.

More details to come as information is released by authorities.

Email: nadir_jutley

***

Hudson Police Headquarters

"I've got the ballistics report on the rifle we found yesterday at the Dude Ranch, Chief," said Kavanaugh as his boss walked into the room for the morning briefing. The team had been burning the midnight oil working on the evidence collected from the Dude Ranch, and results were beginning to filter through.

"Let me guess: Earl McCann's rifle is the same weapon that killed Valerie Stanton," Parker said.

"You got it in one, Chief," Kavanaugh said, "it's just as you suspected."

"What about the pistols we found in the cabin?" Parker asked. "Anything special about them?"

"Well, we already knew those Glocks—untraceable of course—were the wrong caliber for the Stillman shooting," Kavanaugh said. "But we did get a hit on an unsolved murder on one of the Glocks. I've just shared that information with Detective Prescott in Calgary."

"Oh?" Parker said, interest aroused.

"You're probably not going to believe this, but the ballistics on one of them came back as a match on the Barick murders."

"You're saying McCann was responsible for Stanton and the Baricks?!" Parker exclaimed.

"So it would seem," Kavanaugh said. "Why else would he have been in possession of those weapons?"

"But he didn't shoot Lisa Stillman," Parker spoke, more of a statement than a question.

"Doubtful," Patterson chimed in. "The kind of professional, high-end firearms McCann had, no way he would have been using a pea-shooter like what was probably used on Stillman on the road that day."

"Which means we still have more than one shooter on our hands," Parker said gravely.

Patterson nodded back in silent acknowledgment of this fact.

"Hmph," Parker sighed. "Benoit, tell me you have good news about that phone we found on McCann's body."

"I was just coming to tell you, Boss," Benoit said hastily. "We worked all night. Finally cracked the encryption a couple minutes ago. Look at what we pulled off his message history."

"Show us."

Benoit flashed an image file up on the screen. "That's a picture of Lisa Stillman," he said. "It was received the day of the attempt on her life in the hospital. And then there's also a picture of Val Stanton, received shortly before she was shot."

"A killer for hire, right here in Hudson," Parker said with a shake of his head as he stared at the images. "Okay, so we can tie McCann to Stanton's killing with the photo he was sent, and with the ballistics match on the rifle. He was obviously the one to go after Stillman in the hospital. But if he didn't shoot her, who did?"

"That is a mystery," Benoit said with a shrug. "But that's not all. Two more pictures were sent this past Saturday. Are we seeing a pattern, yet?"

All eyes focused on the two additional pictures Benoit pulled from the phone.

"Our very own Hudson veterinarians," Parker said in recognition of Drs. Scott Cardinal and Ty Borden.

"Who both happened to be on the scene when Lisa Stillman was shot," Patterson said.

"Looks like Stillman's shooter is trying to eliminate any possibility of being identified," Kavanaugh added.

"Tell me you have a bead on who was sending McCann those pictures, Benoit," Parker said.

"We're still trying to figure that out, sir," Benoit answered ruefully. "Whoever sent the pictures was using a burner phone. Unless he tries to make contact again, we can't trace him."

Another thought suddenly occurred to Parker. "What's happened to the court orders to get the ID of the person who requested Val Stanton's death certificate and who filed that second insurance claim?"

"Oh!" Benoit exclaimed. "Those probably came through yesterday right when we were called out to deal with the situation at the Dude Ranch. I'll get on that right away, sir."

***

Hudson Funeral Home

Stanley Belmont could feel a trickle of perspiration starting to make its way down the side of his face. Faced with questions about his involvement with Tanner Gunn's investors' group and his recent application for the medical death certificate for Val Stanton, he nevertheless tried to keep his panic and his indignation in check.

"Of course I requested Val Stanton's death certificate," he said testily in reply to Detective Kavanaugh's question about it. "As the owner and operator of this business and as the one entrusted with handling Val's funeral arrangements, I had every legitimate right to request it."

Patterson and Kavanaugh nodded in agreement, hoping to keep the man at ease before they dropped the next question.

"Yes, we know Ms. Stanton's will stipulated that your business was to handle everything at whatever time she passed," said Kavanaugh.

"Well, then, what's the trouble?" Stanley asked, clearly exasperated.

"The trouble is we can't seem to find a reason why you also applied to receive a copy of Lisa Stillman's medical death certificate," Patterson said, looking him squarely in the face.

Stanley swallowed.

"Lisa's family says she stipulated she wanted a funeral home in Calgary to handle her arrangements," Patterson said. "So I ask you now: why did you request a copy of Lisa Stillman's death certificate when you didn't need it?"

Both Kavanaugh and Patterson noted the nervous shift of Belmont's eyes.

"We also have questions for you about your gambling habits, Mr. Belmont," Kavanaugh said. "You and Tanner Gunn like to frequent the poker tables, don't you?"

Belmont pursed his lips. "And what if I do?" he challenged with a question of his own.

"Nothing, really," Kavanaugh said, "except if those poker tables are illegal. How much are you in the hole for, Mr. Belmont?"

"Um, I think I'd like to contact my lawyer before I say anything more," Stanley eventually uttered after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

"Fine," Kavanaugh said. "That's entirely your right. But you're treading on dangerous ground, Mr. Belmont, and I think you know you are."

"Call your lawyer, Mr. Belmont," Patterson said. "We can all meet together down at police headquarters."

"Am I under arrest?" Belmont nearly squeaked, his voice nervously rising in pitch.

"That all depends on how you answer our questions," Kavanaugh said.

"Call," Patterson said, nodding at the phone on Stanley's desk. "Then you're coming with us for more questioning."

With a resigned sigh, Stanley picked up the phone and dialled.

***

Calgary International Airport

Lou watched carefully for Rachel and Ben Stillman at the Arrivals gate. She recognized Ben on sight, though it had been years since she last saw him. The handsome, yet arrogant lad she remembered had grown a few more inches since then, and had matured into a young man with rugged good looks. The dark blonde woman nearly hidden behind his tall frame could only be Rachel. Though they had never met, Lou could see the family resemblance instantly, as Rachel's looks were strikingly similar to Lisa's.

Not that they'd ever be mistaken for twins, Lou now thought, but it's clear they were related...

Lou waved to get their attention. As soon as they saw her, they quickened their pace to meet up.

"Hi, Lou," Ben said.

"Hello, Ben," Lou responded, giving him a brief hug.

"Thanks for coming for us," he said. "This is my mother, Rachel."

"Hi, Rachel," Lou said, choosing to give the other woman a quick hug as well. "We spoke on the phone, obviously..."

"Yes," Rachel said. "It's nice to finally meet you face to face after all the times Lisa shared family photos..."

"Your, uhm, the flight was okay? You got everything?" Lou asked awkwardly, indicating their luggage.

"Yes, thanks," Rachel said, in answer to both questions.

"All right, good. Follow me and we'll be off."

The ride back to Hudson was spent mostly in silence. No one quite knew what to say as the subject of what brought them together at this time was still too raw and too devastating to address head-on, though Lou could sense Rachel was brimming with questions she desperately wanted answered.

Rachel did speak once when she mentioned how much certain areas of Calgary they passed along the way had changed, and how much larger the urban sprawl had grown since she was last in that city.

"Hudson has changed quite a bit too," Lou commented. "Especially since all the flooding in 2013."

"Yes, I remember that," Rachel said contemplatively. "The footage we saw on the news was just awful."

"But we pulled through," Lou said, thinking of how members of their community had indeed joined forces to help each other, including the local Hutterite colony.

No one said anything more until they reached Heartland.

"Wow. Are those my old jumps?" asked Ben upon seeing them in the yellow glow of the fading afternoon sunlight when Lou pulled up.

"Yes," Lou responded.

"Who's that riding in the pen right now?"

"My daughter, Georgie," Lou replied with a touch of pride.

"Oh, yeah," Ben said. "She's the kid you adopted, right? Lisa mentioned her a few times. I'm glad someone's making use of them... and since Lisa's technically her family... was her family..."

Ben morosely stopped talking.

"Well, here we are," Lou said clumsily, putting the SUV in park and shutting off the engine.

"You know, I wasn't sure when I'd ever see this place again," Ben murmured.

"I heard so much about it from her," Rachel said as she stared out the windshield at the ranch house. "She told me she was so happy when she finally moved in here with Jack... It's just as 'homey' as she described it. Thanks for bringing us here and for offering to put us up at your Dude Ranch, Lou. I don't think I'm emotionally ready to be at Fairfield just yet. Not when she can't be there with us anymore."

Lou sent a sympathetic glance at Rachel. "Come on. Let's go inside. Amy will have supper ready by now."

They followed Lou up the porch steps. She held the screen and the kitchen door open for them to enter.

"Our stuff will be safe in the SUV, right?" a worried Rachel asked while looking over her shoulder, thinking at once of her luggage.

"You're out in the country again, Rachel," Lou responded. "This isn't the city. No one's going to break in here."

"Right," Rachel said with a wry smile. "I'd forgotten what it was like to leave your doors unlocked."

"Ben," Amy said warmly upon seeing the young man step foot in the kitchen. She approached right away and embraced him as if greeting an old friend.

"Hey, Amy," Ben answered back. "It's good to see you, even under the circumstances."

"I know," Amy said after pulling away. "I'm sorry it took something like this for us to meet again."

"This is my mom, Rachel," Ben said, gesturing to his mother. "Mom, this is Amy. She and I also used to compete against each other on the circuit."

"Hi, Rachel," Amy said, deciding to give the woman a hug as well. She, too, noticed how similar in appearance Rachel was to Lisa.

"Nice to meet you, Amy," Rachel said. "Lisa told me so much about you—about all of you—over the years. I almost feel like I know you."

"Excuse me while I go call my daughter in for dinner," Lou said, hoping to avoid any further mention of difficult topics. "The bathroom is just down there around the corner if you want to freshen up."

"I'm fine," Ben said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I could use a bathroom break," Rachel sighed, and made directly for the facilities.

"Why don't you have a seat either here in the kitchen or in the living room, Ben?" Amy suggested. "I'm just going to go check on my daughter."

"Sure," Ben said easily, deciding to lounge on the couch.

A minute later, Amy returned with a still-sleepy Lyndy, who had just woken from a nap in Katie's room.

"Ah, who's this?" Ben asked with a smile upon seeing mother and child.

"Meet Lyndy," Amy said. "She turned two in December. Say 'hi' to Ben, sweetheart."

Lyndy rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes. "Hi," she whispered shyly.

"HI, Lyndy," Ben answered back with a smile. "She's super-cute, Amy. I bet she's got Ty wrapped around her little finger."

"Oh, does she ever," Amy said with a roll of her eyes and a soft laugh.

"Where is Ty, anyway?"

"Working. He had the day shift at the vet clinic in town, but he's supposed to be on his way home now."

"Right, he's 'Dr. Borden' now," Ben said. "Lisa sent photos of the graduation ceremony."

"It sounds like she kept you up-to-date," Amy said.

"She did," Ben confirmed with a short nod. "Aunt Lisa was proud of all of you; proud to call you her family. It made me feel a little jealous sometimes, to be honest. Made me wish I was back in Hudson, even if I didn't exactly enjoy it when I was sent here during my parents' divorce."

"That was a rough time for you, Ben," Amy said in sympathy. "You know my parents split up too, so I understand. It's hard to appreciate anything when your whole life is being turned upside-down."

"No kidding," muttered Ben.

Presently, Lou returned. "Georgie should be in here soon," she said. "Thanks for taking care of dinner, Amy. I guess we can start as soon as Ty gets in."

"And he should be here any time," Amy stated.

"Is Rachel still — ?" Lou began to ask, jerking a thumb in the direction of the bathroom.

Amy nodded.

"Should I check on her?" Lou asked. "I'll check on her."

Amy was about to protest, but realised the woman had been in there a while.

Lou tapped lightly in the bathroom door. She could not be sure, but she thought she heard the sound of muffled sobs before the sudden flush of the toilet followed by the noisy gush of the faucet.

"Are you okay, Rachel?" Lou called.

"Be out in a minute," Rachel replied in a nasally, constrained voice.

"Okay, we'll be at the dinner table," Lou said before turning away.

***

The meal started out in a subdued fashion. Nobody seemed willing or ready to talk about what had been happening over the past week. They ate and drank in silence, until finally Ben broke the ice. He cleared his throat before beginning to speak.

"You know, I just wanna say to you guys I was a real brat when I was sent to stay here," he said solemnly. "And I'm sorry for all that."

"Oh, that was long ago. You don't have to apologize for anything, Ben," Lou said kindly.

"Yeah, but still. I could have been more gracious about, well, everything," he said. "What's happened... it's been a huge wake-up call for me. I thought at the time Lisa was just trying to get rid of me by dumping me here. But I get it now. I get it. Even then she saw something special in this family. She wanted me to experience that also. I didn't appreciate it enough."

Amy noticed Lou's eyes were brimming, and she could feel the moisture building beneath her own lids.

"Anyway, that's all I wanted to say," Ben said.

"Thank you, Ben," Amy said, giving him a smile of encouragement. "Lisa... was very special to us, too..."

Georgie was starting to get weepy. Ty blinked back his own tears.

"My sister," Rachel began shakily, "was never able to have children of her own. But she regarded all of you as if you were her own. I hope you know that."

Silent tears slipped from Amy's eyes as she recalled the very candid conversation she had shared with Lisa not so long ago about her miscarriages. "We know," she said with a sad smile and a nod.

"All right, enough emotional stuff," Rachel declared. "I want to hear about all of you. I mean, Lisa would call and talk about what was happening with the family, but I want to hear details."

"No, first I want to hear about you two," Amy said. "I have a feeling Lisa probably shared a lot more about us with you than she did about you with us."

"That'd be my fault," Ben admitted. "I didn't communicate with Lisa nearly as much. She'd send emails all the time, but I don't think I sent many back."

"So what's been going on with you, then?" asked Amy.

"Well, I got my MBA as you may know," Ben replied. "I've been working as a financial analyst for a startup in Montreal for the past year. Keeps me busy."

"You should talk to Lou," Amy said, looking over at her sister. "She got her MBA. Put it to good use, too."

"Oh, I've done all right," Lou said, flipping a hand dismissively. "Nothing crazy."

"That's not what Aunt Lisa told me," Ben said seriously. "She told me all about how great the Dude Ranch was. Said you were one of the smartest and most competent women she knew. I think that was after she sold her share back to you. You handle people's financial portfolios, and you also published a book, right?"

"Yeah," Lou said slowly. She was struck by the fact Lisa had taken the time to share such things with her nephew, and that he remembered them.

"And Lisa said that Maggie's Diner is a franchise now," Ben continued.

"It is," Lou said.

"I bet Mrs. Duval never dreamed her little diner would be a franchise in Times Square," Ben said. "You're living the dream, Lou."

"'The dream' is also very busy," Lou said. She looked over briefly at Georgie. "It takes me away from my family much more than I wish it did. I was actually in New York dealing with the franchise when I got the call about Lisa..." her voice trailed off. Unable to continue, she instead took a drink of water.

"Uh, speaking of Maggie's," Ben said to move past the uncomfortable moment, "How's Soraya?"

Amy answered: "She's doing great. Loves London."

"Ontario?" Ben asked.

"England," Amy corrected. "It's where her husband, Dillon, is from."

"Wow. I didn't even know she got married," Ben expressed his surprise. "Time flies."

"Maggie moved out there, too. It's why Lou bought the diner in the first place."

"Crazy decision," Lou said with a shake of her head.

"Hey, Lou, maybe I'll open a Maggie's Diner location in Montreal," Ben quipped. "How much to become a franchisee?"

"Don't encourage her," Amy chuckled with a grin and a roll of her eyes.

***

Hudson Police Headquarters

Stanley Belmont, owner and operator of the Hudson Funeral Home business, tried to decide what his best course of action should be. Sitting beside him in the cubby-hole of a room reserved for questioning suspects was his lawyer, Patrick Randall. For the time being, Stanley had not said a word, choosing to take his Charter-guaranteed right to remain silent.

Detective Constable Patterson looked steadily at Stanley. "We know you had a legitimate reason for getting Valerie Stanton's medical death certificate. But why did you request a copy of Lisa Stillman's death certificate, Mr. Belmont?"

"You don't have to answer her question," Randall advised his client.

"What did you do with the copy of Lisa Stillman's medical death certificate?" asked Patterson.

"He's not answering that one, either," said Randall.

"Fine," Patterson said, splaying her hands on the surface of the table between them. "Look, we know you're not in this alone, Stanley. We know someone either asked you or coerced you into putting in that request for Stillman's certificate. You're the one with the credentials as a funeral home director to legally request such a document. Anyone else would need to be either a family member or they'd do it through a court order, and that sort of thing. The only reason someone would want that document at this point would be to file a claim on a life insurance policy. Money is a very good motive for murder."

"Murder?!" Stanley yelped, forgetting his resolve to remain silent. "I didn't kill Lisa Stillman."

"But maybe you hired the man who did," Detective Kavanaugh broke in.

Stanley shook his head. "I did no such thing!"

"We know about your gambling debts, Stanley," Patterson said. "You and Tanner Gunn are pretty well known out there for your love of the illegal poker tables. He roped you in to that underground scene, didn't he?"

"Don't answer that," Randall warned.

Patterson narrowed her eyes.

"Detectives, this is a fishing expedition," Randall said impatiently. "Either you charge my client with something, or you let him go."

"We're getting to that. We know you're in the hole for a cool 1.2 million to a certain loan shark in Calgary," Patterson said to Stanley.

"Who's this loan shark?" Randall asked sharply, eyebrows instantly pinching together.

"Oh, someone your pal Tanner Gunn introduced you to, isn't that right, Mr. Belmont?" Kavanaugh asked. "Does the name 'Mick Osbourne' sound familiar, Mr. Belmont?"

Stanley's face went pale.

"You don't have to answer any of that, Stan," Randall repeated his predictable line yet again.

"Mick Osbourne told our Calgary counterparts you've borrowed heavily from him on a number of occasions," Patterson said. "You've been racking up the debt. Mick's enforcers are vicious. Were you being threatened?"

Stanley's eyes swept over to his counsel.

"Did Tanner Gunn ask you to request Lisa Stillman's medical death certificate?" Patterson asked. "Did he promise to get Mick's guys to back off if you did?"

"Um... I'd like a private conference with my lawyer now, please," Stanley murmured weakly after a period of dead silence.

"Granted," Patterson said. She and Kavanaugh got up from their seats and left their suspect alone with his counsel.

***

Chief Parker was waiting for Patterson and Kavanaugh when they reappeared in the bullpen.

"How's the interview with Stanley Belmont going?" he asked.

"I think we've got him," Patterson answered. "He's asked for some private time with his counsel."

"He hasn't admitted anything yet," Kavanaugh said, being more cautious. "But he's definitely spooked."

"Think he's going to spill what he knows?" Chief Parker asked.

"Hopefully," Patterson said. "Because he's definitely not going to want to be the one to take the fall for a murder conspiracy charge."

"He won't if he knows what's good for him," Parker commented. "Good work, you too. We'll see if his lawyer talks some sense into him."

"Okay, since we've been away dealing with Belmont, let's get up to speed. Where are we with our dead hitman's case?" Kavanaugh now asked.

Detective Benoit looked up when he heard this question.

"As you know, Earl McCann's phone was all busted up, so we've taken the SIM card out and popped it into another phone on the off chance the sender will try to get in touch again, but so far, nothing," he said.

"Then maybe it's time we went on the offensive," Parker suggested. "Can you try reaching out to him?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, sir," Benoit answered. "The call history shows there were never any outgoing calls. It might be a giveaway if we try to make contact."

Parker considered this. "You could be right..."

"Hold on," Benoit said excitedly. "Someone is calling right now. ID is blocked. It could be the middle man."

Kavanaugh raced over to help his colleague with setting up a trace.

"All right. Accept the call, Benoit," Parker advised.

Benoit tapped the screen to answer. Before he could say a word, the mysterious caller barged ahead without greeting.

"Hey, remember those two loose ends I told you about? They've still not been taken care of!" the voice barked menacingly. "The client is pissed. I told you on Saturday those had to be taken care of ASAP. You are still in Hudson, right? I told you the client said to stick around, didn't I?"

Benoit did not know if he should chance a reply. "Uh-huh," he eventually mumbled.

"You're makin' me look bad. Do what you're being paid to do!"

The line went dead.

"Did we get him?" asked Parker.

"No," replied a disappointed Kavanaugh. "Whoever this is, he's still using a burner phone. GPS and location services have been disabled. Best we can do is triangulate off the closest cell tower."

"How close can you get us?

"The call pinged off a cell tower around 7th Avenue and 8th Street in the downtown Calgary area," answered Kavanaugh. "He could be anywhere within a three city block radius."

"Get Detective Prescott over in Calgary on the line," Parker ordered. "They'll have the resources and the manpower. We need to find this guy before he disappears."

***

Calgary Homicide Detective James Prescott listened intently to what Chief Parker was telling him. He mobilized his teams as soon as he learned of the active cell phone signal potentially belonging to the individual involved in the hiring of a professional killer.

"Do you have any likely suspects on your radar in the 'middle man' department, Prescott?"Parker asked.

"A few come to mind," Prescott responded, as he and four separate groups of plainclothes detectives converged on the area in downtown Calgary that Kavanaugh had identified.

The light rail passenger trains traversing 7th Avenue that hummed along at 15-minute intervals at this hour of the evening were sparsely filled. Prescott said a silent prayer their quarry did not decide to hop on one of those trains while they searched for him. The man could quietly disappear into any quadrant of the city if they allowed that to happen.

Prescott and two others now crossed those very tracks on foot. "Heading north on 8th Street," he spoke into his concealed comm. "Approaching the Dominion Centre Building with the pharmacy, Tim Hortons, and the Community Corrections Centre."

"Copy," the dispatcher's voice spoke in acknowledgement.

The Tim Hortons franchise caught Prescott's attention, or rather, one of the patrons did. The detective continued walking for a few more paces before silently indicating to his two colleagues he wanted to double back. They understood immediately what he was planning. There was only a pair of street-level doors being used as an entrance and an exit. One of Prescott's colleagues named Koch casually took up his position near that exit should the suspect try to bolt.

"Possible suspect sighted," Prescott whispered into his comm. "William Ulrich. He's in the Tim Hortons."

Chief Parker and his team in Hudson, also linked in to Prescott's feed, heard this announcement. All waited with bated breath to hear how this would go down.

Prescott and the second cop named Diaz swung open the entrance door and made their way inside. The aroma of brewing coffee, sugary baked goods and toasting sandwiches wafted in the tiny space that seated maybe 40 at capacity. The man they were after sat alone in a booth situated right up against one of the windows by the exit door. Prescott and Diaz ignored him for the time being and instead made for the lineup as if they were going to order something.

Known on the streets as 'Billy the Bulldog', it was not a stretch to see why ex-felon and known middle-man William Ulrich had been saddled with that nickname. Small in stature, compact in build and with a prominent underbite, Billy had spiteful black eyes and a mercurial temper.

Prescott pulled out his cell phone and sent a quick text to Benoit.

- Call the number now.

Benoit responded from his desk in the Hudson police headquarters.

- Copy. Calling now.

Prescott turned slightly to see Billy pull out his phone. "What the hell are you calling me for?" he snapped.

Benoit terminated the call without saying a word.

The 'Bulldog' scowled at his screen, put it away, and went back to sipping his double-double*. It was the confirmation Prescott was looking for. He left the queue and made a beeline for his suspect with Diaz right behind.

"Billy, Billy, Billy. Little late for a caffeine fix, wouldn't you say?"

Billy jerked his head up at the sound of Prescott's chiding voice. He saw the two plainclothes cops, instinctively recognized them for what they were, and realised he was cornered. A look of wild panic crossed his features.

"Don't make a scene," Prescott said gruffly, shoving Billy back into his seat as he tried to stand up.

"This is harassment," Billy howled. "I was just minding my own business here."

"Sure you were, Billy," Diaz said, sliding into the seat opposite the others in the booth.

"I had a meeting earlier with my parole officer over in Corrections," Billy said, jutting his generous chin in the general direction of the Corrections Centre. "You can call and ask him. Now I'm just having some coffee and a bite to eat."

"Must have been a really long meeting, Billy," Prescott said.

"Yeah, the Corrections Centre has been closed for hours, Billy," Diaz added.

"So time flies!" Billy protested. "What do you guys want, anyway?"

"Oh, you're coming with us," Diaz said.

"What for?!" Billy yapped.

"See, you're under arrest for suspicion of soliciting murder," Prescott said, pulling Billy up and handcuffing him while informing him of his rights. "Let's go."

***

Heartland – Ranch House

Lyndy was starting to nod off in her booster seat. Despite the afternoon nap, it was now long past her usual bedtime and sleep was beckoning.

"I'll take her back to the loft and put her to bed, Amy," Ty offered. "Plus, I've got some paperwork I've been neglecting that I should take care of."

"Thank you," Amy said, giving both her husband and her child a kiss. "See you when I finish up here."

"Goodnight, everyone," Ty said, giving a short wave to them all while picking up his sleepy daughter, cradling her head against his shoulder and supporting her back.

The rest of them said their goodbyes and watched Ty depart with Lyndy.

They lingered at the table for about a half hour longer, making idle chat about nothing of any significance until the travellers' exhaustion began to take over. Lou noticed, and politely suggested it was time to head over to the Dude Ranch.

Rachel yawned her assent. "I'm ready to turn into a pumpkin," she said.

"Same here," Ben said. "Thanks for the meal, Amy. See you tomorrow."

"Yes, thanks, Amy," Rachel said. "You've all been wonderful. I can see why Lisa loved you all so much... and why she loved being here."

"You're welcome," Amy said. "See you tomorrow."

***

The dog was nowhere to be seen. He heard through the grapevine about the possible case of strychnine poisoning, and he patted himself on the back for that one. Stillman's sister and nephew had spent dinner at the ranch house, but the elder Fleming sister had just taken them somewhere; maybe to that hole of a place she called "Heartland Equestrian Connections" like it was some five-star resort. He was slightly surprised they were even using the place since the news earlier that day said some dead guy was found nearby yesterday, but he figured that was none of his business.

The old man still had not come back, so that meant another possible threat was cleared from his list of concerns. Now all he had to do was make sure he could get to Borden in the barn office, then he could focus on Dr. Cardinal in the clinic. Things were approaching a critical juncture now, but there was no turning back. He could no longer let them live when the chance remained they could identify him, no matter how remote that possibility.

He readied his weapon, slipping it into his jacket breast pocket once again. His aim had not been as perfect as he had wanted when he fired at the Stillman woman, but in the end it had not mattered. She was dead, and she would never again be talking about who might have shot her.

I won't mess up this time, he vowed, picturing in his mind how he would take out Borden. He would shoot him, then trash the barn office, paying special attention to the medicine cabinet. Make it look like an attempted robbery gone bad by a desperate junkie. Nope. I definitely won't miss this target, and the same will go for Cardinal.

***

With the dishes washed and put away, Amy sat tiredly in the ranch house kitchen. She entertained the thought of brewing a cup of tea, but decided she should just head back to the loft and decompress there. She was about to do just that when the kitchen telephone extension rang.

It was getting to be a little late for anyone to be calling since it was already past nine o'clock, but Amy nevertheless checked the call display.

HUDSON POLICE

She picked up the phone right away.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Good evening, this is Chief Jim Parker. Is Lou Fleming available?"

"Sorry, Chief," Amy said, "she's stepped out for a little while."

"I see," Jim said. "I was hoping to talk to her and provide an update about the body we found by the Dude Ranch. But I'm glad I caught you at the house, too."

"Why is that?" Amy asked.

"We're convinced the dead man we found was hired to kill Valerie Stanton, and we're almost certain he was the one who attacked Lisa and assaulted Jack in the hospital. We found evidence on a cell phone belonging to him—photos of Val and Lisa. The timeline of Val's shooting and the incident at the hospital line up with when the photos were sent."

"That's crazy," Amy said, blood running cold at this revelation.

"There's more, I'm afraid. Your husband and Dr. Cardinal also seem to have been targeted," Parker said.

Amy almost could not believe her ears as she listened to what the chief was saying. His call that evening had been most unexpected, as was the information he was now sharing.

"The latest pictures he was sent before he died were of Ty and Scott, so it's highly likely he was being paid to kill them, too."

"Are you sure?" Amy asked, her heart skipping a beat as this message sank in. When will this nightmare end? "But who was he?"

"We've been in touch with another RCMP detachment about that," Parker said, not yet wanting to disclose what they discovered to a civilian. "I can't share those details about his identity at this time, but the police in Calgary have the man who sent the pictures in custody right now. Unfortunately, he's just a middle man. Even so, he's refusing to talk right now about who's behind all this."

"Chief," Amy said, trying to calm her nerves, "is my husband still in danger?"

"Until we know for certain who initiated the hits, we can't be sure," Parker admitted. "My advice would be to take whatever precautions you deem necessary. I unfortunately can't spare or justify the manpower for a protection detail at this time based simply on broad speculation. That said, I have to say I am still personally worried. If this dead guy truly was contracted to take out your husband and Dr. Cardinal, chances are whoever did the contracting might simply hire someone else to get the job done. We should not assume the threat has passed. Stay on the alert while we work on it."

At these words, Amy sent a furtive glance out the window. The security lights illuminated the expansive yard. She glanced up at the loft above the barn, suddenly thinking how very exposed it was. The distinct lack of a secure door leading to her living space with her husband and their child was troubling. If someone breached the barn door during the night, it would be very easy for that person to come creeping up the stairs unnoticed and unhindered.

"Chief, thank you for telling me," Amy said, having already made up her mind what she was going to do.

After she ended the call, Amy quickly made her way to the barn. Ty looked up from his paperwork as soon as he heard her. "What's going on?" he asked, confused by her anxious appearance.

"I just spoke with Chief Parker," Amy said hurriedly. "Ty, he was calling about the dead guy they found by the Dude Ranch... he said they think someone contracted him to kill Val and Lisa. They found Val and Lisa's pictures on his phone."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Ty said, staring at her, mouth agape.

"No," Amy replied grimly. "That's not all. Chief Parker said there were also pictures sent recently to the dead man's phone of you and Scott. I don't like how vulnerable we are in the barn loft. I think we should all stay in the house tonight and lock the doors, or at least until Chief Parker and his team get to the bottom of this. I'm packing an overnight bag for me and Lyndy; you should do the same."

"All right, you go ahead with Lyndy. Has Chief Parker contacted Scott?"

"I don't know," Amy said with a shake of her head.

"I'll call him," Ty said, rising to his feet. "Let me finish up here, and I'll join you in the house soon."

"Okay," Amy said, and kissed him quickly before heading up the stairs. After filling a bag with clothes and other necessities for herself and her child, Amy gathered a sleeping Lyndy in her arms, hefted the bag onto her free shoulder, and made her way back down.

***

He watched as she walked at a brisk clip across the yard from the house to the barn. He had been about to make his move, but stopped in his tracks when he saw this. The vet was no longer alone now, much to his frustration. He would have to wait to see what happened next. Had he missed his opportunity? He decided to wait a little longer. His patience was rewarded when about ten minutes later, she reappeared, this time with the kid in her arms and a bag on her shoulder. He watched as she nearly ran back into the house. A vile smile spread across his face. The vet was finally by himself in the barn! It was now, or never. Still, he waited for a few minutes to be sure she was not coming back. He wanted no witnesses. But ultimately, if she did come back, and if she interrupted what he was about to do, he had no qualms about ending her on the spot, too.

***

Scott, having just got off the phone with Chief Parker, was nevertheless grateful for Ty's call.

"It's crazy," Scott said to Ty. "But I think I'll be okay at the clinic tonight. The police station is a couple blocks away, anyway, right? Nobody could be that stupid to try something with the cops so close."

"Right," Ty said, hoping Scott actually was right about that. "Be careful, man."

"I will," Scott said. "You, too."

***

Amy knocked on her niece's bedroom door.

"Come in," Georgie answered.

"Georgie, we're staying in the house tonight," Amy announced upon opening the door.

"Uh, okay," Georgie said in surprise. She stared at Amy whose body language spoke of pent-up tension. "What's going on?"

"I just spoke with Adam's dad," Amy explained. "That dead guy you two found? It turns out he might have been hired to kill Val and Lisa. The police found their pictures on his phone."

"What?!" Georgie exclaimed.

"But that's not all," Amy said. "They also found pictures of Ty and Scott, so I'm thinking we'll all be a lot safer together here in the house until the police figure out what's going on."

"You know, you guys really do need to get a door with a lock for your loft," Georgie said.

"Yeah, yeah," Amy muttered. "I've put Lyndy down in Katie's room for now and Ty and I will be in my old room."

"Okay. I really wish Jack and Tim were here," Georgie said wistfully.

"Me, too," Amy said. "But for now I'm just going to sit in Katie's room and be with Lyndy until Ty arrives." She was grateful her younger niece was still staying with Peter in Vancouver.

"And Lou had better get back here soon from settling Rachel and Ben in at the Dude Ranch," Georgie added.

"Maybe you should call her," Amy suggested.

"Yeah. Okay, I will," Georgie said, pulling out her cell phone to do just that.

***

He watched for any sign she would be back. When five minutes passed, he decided the coast was clear. It was time to finish this. It was time to clean up the mess for which he had only himself to blame. And after handling this job, the last item on the list was Scott Cardinal, but making that one also look like a burglary gone wrong would not be too much of a problem either, he figured. He crept out of the shadows towards the barn, hand inside his jacket breast pocket, ready to pull out the pistol.

***

"Mom, you need to get back here," Georgie said.

Lou could not mistake the urgency in her daughter's voice.

"Why, what's going on?" asked Lou, who had just finally bid goodnight to Ben and Rachel in their respective cabins.

"Adam's dad thinks the dead guy we found is the one who killed Val and Lisa," she said.

"Val and Lisa?" cried Lou.

"But Mom, there's more," Georgie continued. "Chief Parker says Ty and Scott could also be targets. Amy just brought Lyndy to the house and Ty's coming, too. They're all going to stay in here tonight. For safety."

"Um, okay, that's a good idea," Lou said, already approaching the SUV. "I'll be there soon—"

"Hang on a second, Mom," Georgie interjected, "Amy's trying to tell me something."

"It's okay, honey," Lou said, "you go ahead. I'll just hang up now."

Lou ended the call without waiting to hear Georgie's reply.

***

He could hear the vet scuffling about up in the loft. That was fine. He would just wait until he came back down. Then, bam! He would shoot him right between the eyes. He would never know what hit him.

***

Ty noticed Amy had already packed both their toothbrushes and toothpaste as he made one last sweep of the loft to make sure he had not forgotten anything essential he might need for an overnight stay in the ranch house. He swung his duffle bag over his shoulder, unlatched the baby gate, and began to head downstairs.

***

His ears picked up the sound of footfalls. Borden is coming down, he thought, feeling his pulse start to race with excitement. He slid the gun from his breast pocket and steadied his hand, pointing the piece up at the staircase in anticipation of his target's appearance.

***

"Drop the gun and step away from my husband!" Amy's command was crisp and unwavering.

The interloper paused, arm still outstretched, weapon aimed up at the nonplussed Ty.

"Drop the gun," Amy ordered again, measuring every word, her own arms steady as she held Jack's rifle on the man threatening her husband. "I'm warning you: I know how to use this, and the police are on the way."

The balaclava-clad, would-be killer turned slightly to face Amy. He seemed to be considering his options. Perhaps he doubted Amy's skill with the rifle and figured he would be able to carry out his deadly task. Or perhaps he knew very well that she could kill him with one pull of the trigger. His shoulder eventually drooped, seemingly in submission, followed by a lowering of his pistol.

Ty let out the breath he was unaware he had been holding.

In a flash, the stranger twisted away from Amy and once again raised his weapon to Ty. An ear-splitting blast ripped through the barn office. A cry of agony escaped the lips of the masked stranger. He stumbled to the floor, clutching at his shoulder. A few horses neighed in surprise as the explosive ka-boom echoed through their stalls.

Ty dropped his bag and sprang from the steps towards the downed man. He kicked aside the small pistol, whirled around, and drove his foot into the small of his back. "Stay down," he growled.

Knowing the other weapon was far out of reach and Ty's sturdy boot was keeping the villain pinned, Amy crept forward and yanked the balaclava from his head.

"Jesse!" she gasped upon recognizing him.

Jesse Stanton craned his neck and glared back up at her sideways, eyes revealing a mix of shock and torment. Shock that Amy had carried through with her spoken threat; torment due to the bullet that had torn through his shoulder.

"That was you that day, wasn't it?" Ty snarled in an accusatory tone. "Riding your Ducati when Scott nearly plowed into you. You shot Lisa!"

Jesse could not deny it. "Yeah," he muttered, not bothering to meet Ty's infuriated gaze.

"Did you also go to the hospital to finish the job? Huh?!" Ty exclaimed.

"No, that wasn't m-me. Someone else." Jesse mumbled.

"You're lying," Ty said. "You went in there, you snuffed out her life, and you escaped on your bike again."

"No, I swear that wasn't me!" protested Jesse. "I wasn't anywhere near the hospital."

Ty clamped his mouth shut. Jesse seemed to be telling the truth.

"Let me up, will you?" he begged.

Ty considered the request. Every bone in his body wanted to continue keeping him jammed squarely to the floor, but mercy prevailed. "Okay, I'm letting you up, but I'm warning you Amy won't hesitate to shoot again if you try anything. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah," Jesse grumbled.

Ty lifted his foot carefully. Jesse scooted himself up and scrambled against the barn wall like a rat being let out of a trap. He pressed his hand to his bloodied shoulder, wincing in pain as he did so.

"If it wasn't you who attacked Lisa and Jack at the hospital, then who was it?" Ty asked.

"I don't know," he replied, not meeting Ty's gaze. "It just wasn't me, all right?"

"You might not have gone after her in the hospital, but you're still the reason she ended up there in the first place," Amy said angrily, thinking of what Chief Parker told her about the pictures on the dead man's phone. "You're the reason someone else got to her. You're the reason she's dead."

"Whatever," Jesse mumbled.

"After all these years, Jesse," Amy said. "Our families. You know us! You-your mom! She and my grandpa and Lisa—they all knew each other for years. They were friends!"

"Don't even start, Amy!" Jesse snapped contemptuously. "'Friends'? My mother—my mother hated Lisa Stillman."

He caught the expression of astonishment on their faces at this revelation. "That's right," he continued, enjoying this last taunt he could needle them with. "Oh sure, she was friendly to her face in public. But… You should have heard the things my mother said about Lisa when she got into her liquor—some friend! And I… I hated my mother."

"So, did you kill her, too?" Amy ventured to ask, her voice brittle.

"No," Jesse replied through gritted teeth. "But I sure didn't shed any actual tears when I heard she was dead."

"You're lying," Ty countered as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You were the only one who knew for sure when she took Herring out for that ride. You're the one who reported her missing. You're the one who told the police where they should conduct their search. You purposely directed their search away from Lookout Point, didn't you?"

"Doesn't mean I'm the one who pulled that trigger," Jesse said with a leer, though he was still visibly in quite a bit of pain. "Wish I was, though. Briar Ridge… was supposed to be mine to run as I saw fit! She was supposed to… grrr… be living full-time in Florida. Instead, she just kept coming back here, hanging on, telling me what to do, interfering in my decisions... treating me like some clueless child! Gah! I actually thought I would be free of her when she had that s-second bout with the cancer, b-but she beat that, too."

Ty had heard enough. "Stop talking," he snarled. "You're making me sick listening to all your crap!"

Amy had also heard enough. She handed Ty the rifle. "The police should be here any minute. I'm going to go back to check on Lyndy and Georgie."

"How 'bout an ambulance?!" Jesse hollered desperately.

Amy ignored him as she scurried out the barn door, hoping Georgie was not too freaked out by the loud report of the rifle.

"How 'bout you shut up!" bellowed Ty, keeping the rifle trained just to the left of Jesse's ear. "You're lucky she didn't take off your head when she shot you."

"You-you're enjoying this, aren't you, Borden?" Jesse sniveled.

"No, I am not enjoying this," Ty hissed. "None of this is enjoyable. What did Lisa Stillman ever do to you? Was shooting her some kind of thrill-seeking game for you? Jealousy over Fairfield's success?"

"Borden… Your guesses are so cold, you… heh… make Antarctica feel like a sauna," Jesse laughed feebly.

"Do you have any idea what you've done to this family? What you've done to Jack?"

"That old m-man can die and go to h-hell," Jesse grunted, his teeth chattering now. "The w-way my mother pined away for him… even-even after he m-married Lisa… it was em-embarrassing… sickening… Dunno what she s-saw… He was nothing like m-my father…"

Ty noticed Jesse's shivering. What with the pain and blood loss, he was probably starting to go into shock. "Okay, just keep quiet now, all right?" Ty said, using a gentler voice he was surprised he was able to muster. "You don't want to bleed out here before the paramedics come."

"H-how 'bout some pain k-killers in the meantime, Borden?" Jesse asked with a lop-sided smile. "Y-you got some of the good stuff here, don't you?"

Ty glowered at Jesse. "I said keep quiet. You're not getting anything from me."

"Worth a try." Jesse gave a weak laugh, then finally shut his mouth.

After checking to ensure her niece and child were fine back at the house, and after hastily explaining why there had been a weapon discharged, Amy returned to the barn. "I have the 911 dispatcher on the line," she advised, holding her cell phone to her ear. "An ambulance is heading here, now."

The shrill whine of a police siren caught their attention next. Red and blue lights splashed brightly against the walls and reflected in the windows. The cruiser came to a halt in front of the barn. Car doors opened and slammed shut; footsteps crunched the dirt and gravel.

"Everybody okay in there?"

Ty recognized the voice of Chief Parker; Detective Kavanaugh was right behind the senior officer. Jesse's head sank to his chest in utter defeat at their appearance.

"Chief! Jesse just tried to shoot Ty," Amy said, pointing at the weapon. "That's the gun right there."

Chief Parker looked on the barn floor and saw what he recognized as a Raven MP-25. He bent to retrieve it, gingerly picking it up with a gloved hand by the trigger guard.

"And um, I just shot Jesse," Amy admitted, noticing for the first time her hands were shaking.

"He, uh, he also just confessed to shooting Lisa out on the road that day, Chief," Ty said quietly as he handed over Jack's rifle to Parker's other gloved hand.

"You mean he confessed to killing her," Amy uttered furiously, feeling an overwhelming sense of grief and anger cascading over her. "He's the reason she ended up in the hospital in the first place. He's the reason that guy was able to get into her room and–and—"

She could not continue. All the stresses and tragedies of the past few weeks seemed to descend on her at that moment, crushing her with their weight. Tears she had not known that were still in reserve spilled out. Ty's own eyes clouded as his heart ached for all the losses the family had endured. He crossed over and gathered her up into his arms.

"And she's not dead," Parker announced.

He was met with stunned silence from them while Kavanaugh knelt to take Jesse into custody.

"What are you sayingؙ—Lisa's not dead?" Amy gasped, gazing now at the senior officer.

"H-how?" Ty asked shaking his head. "I thought she..."

"That's what we needed everyone to think," Kavanaugh said, being careful not to jostle his prisoner too harshly. "Well, almost everyone."

"I can't believe it!" Amy exclaimed in jubilation. "She's really alive?"

"Yes, really," Parker said. His face broke into a wide smile, pleased he could finally bring some good news to this long-suffering family. "She's still in pretty rough shape, mind you, but your dad and your grandfather are with her right now at the hospital under police protection."

"This is incredible!" Ty said. "But why make us think she didn't survive?"

"All in good time, Ty," Parker said calmly. "Our investigation is still on-going, but catching Mr. Stanton red-handed here tonight has certainly blown things wide open for us, and we expect to be making another arrest in Calgary very soon."

"Who?!" Jesse dared to ask.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Kavanaugh quipped dryly. "But maybe you'd like to guess?"

Jesse pursed his lips.

"Not even one guess?" Kavanaugh goaded. "Aw, you're spoiling my fun."

But Jesse refused to speak.

"Jesse Stanton, you're under arrest for attempted murder," Kavanaugh said. "It is my duty to inform you that you have the right to retain and instruct counsel of your choice in private and without delay. Before you decide to answer any questions concerning this investigation, you may call a lawyer of your choosing or get free advice from Duty Counsel. If you wish to contact Legal Aid duty counsel I can provide you with a telephone number and a telephone will be made available to you. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Jesse mumbled. "I wanna call my lawyer."

"Fine," Kavanaugh said. "We'll make sure that happens while we wait for the ambulance to get here. Let's go."

Kavanaugh started shuffling his prisoner off towards the barn's open door.

"Amy? Ty?" Lou's voiced called out.

"In here, Lou!" Amy called back. She was so wrapped up in what had just happened, she did not even hear when her sister pulled up in the SUV.

Lou jogged over to the entrance only to stop in her tracks as Kavanaugh hauled Jesse out. "I thought I heard a gunshot just now—" She stared at the arrestee and his bloodied shoulder. Now she chanced a look inside the barn and saw Jim holding the rifle in one hand and a pistol in the other.

"We're okay, Lou," Amy said to assure her sister. "But, um, Jesse just tried to kill Ty. I shot him with Grandpa's rifle."

"You!" Lou cried. She glanced back over her shoulder at Jesse, who was being made to sit inside the cruiser. "Jesse came to kill Ty? Why?"

"Because he didn't want any more witnesses around who could ID him as Lisa's shooter," Parker said.

"Jesse shot Lisa?!"

Parker nodded. "We'll have to wait on the ballistics to confirm," he said, indicating the Raven he was holding. "But he's already admitted it."

"And Lou," Amy said, brimming with joy, "Lisa's alive. She survived the attack in the hospital."

"Lisa's alive?" Lou repeated, dumbfounded.

Parker nodded, a smile still pasted on his face. "I'm sorry we had to do that to all of you, but between my department and the Calgary police who were investigating that attack, we agreed it was the best option to keep her safe until we caught all the ones responsible."

"And have you caught all the ones responsible?" Lou asked tentatively, looking once again over at the cruiser where Jesse Stanton was bring granted a privileged call with his lawyer.

"We're close," Parker admitted. "This thing is still in motion, but we're hoping to have everyone in custody by tomorrow. Arresting Mr. Stanton here tonight is already a big win for us."

"He probably also poisoned Remi," Amy said, as all the pieces were starting to fall into place in her mind. "That's why he came over to visit the other day."

"Your dog was poisoned?" Parker asked in surprise.

Amy nodded.

"Strychnine," Ty explained. "We don't keep that at Heartland. She's going to make it, but we were really concerned for a while there."

Lou put her hands to her temples. "This is too much. I think I'm getting a headache."

The whine of an ambulance and another police cruiser filled the night air.

"That would be the paramedics for Mr. Stanton and my backup officers," Chief Parker said. "It's going to be a long night while we get everything straightened out here."

***

Canadian Rockies Life Insurance — Calgary Branch

5:00 a.m.

The young woman switched on the desk lamp at the workstation. Using the overhead lights, especially at this early hour, had the chance of attracting unwanted attention, and she needed secrecy for what she was about to do.

Using the credentials she had spied long ago from an unwitting co-worker, she logged into the company mainframe and accessed the Policies database. She quickly located the one she had specifically come to find:

LISA RENÉE STILLMAN

Hurriedly, she began entering the required data to kickstart the claims process. Now that she had the medical death certificate information, things could finally proceed.

Date of Filing:

The field automatically populated with the current date of May 9, 2019.

Policy Holder:

Here, she input the name of the dummy corporation she was instructed to use in this scenario.

Date of Death:

She consulted the copy of the certificate and typed "03/05/2019".

Place of Death:

"South Calgary Health Campus".

Cause of Death:

"Cardiopulmonary cessation".

Next, she entered the certificate number and pressed ENTER to continue.

When presented with the options for the payout, she immediately selected "Lump Sum" over the other choices. She hovered the cursor over the "Process Now" button and clicked on it. As soon as she did so, the overhead lights glowed to life in the room without warning, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"Getting an early start to the day, Ms. Haywood?"

Tessa Haywood jumped at the unexpected question. She swiveled around in her chair to see Kavanaugh and Patterson standing a few cubicles behind her. Her eyes darted to the exit. Calgary detectives Prescott and Diaz guarded that escape route. Tessa guessed right away why they were all there. She spun back to the desktop monitor. There was nothing she could do now about the Stillman policy, but the rest of them... Tessa tried to access the policy database again.

"Hudson Police! Step away from the workstation, Ms. Haywood," Patterson said loudly.

Tessa ignored Patterson. She had to eliminate any evidence of the fraudulent policies for all those other members of that investors' group before these officers could uncover them.

"I said: Step away from the workstation, Tessa," Patterson commanded again. She began her approach with Kavanaugh following.

Tessa's level of panic skyrocketed.

"Stop what you're doing now!" Patterson ordered. "Tessa Haywood, you're under arrest for insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit murder—"

"They made me do it! They made me do it! Tanner and Jesse made me!" Tessa screeched desperately, perhaps hoping this admission would grant her some kind of immediate leniency.

Patterson nevertheless yanked Tessa up from the chair and secured her wrists in handcuffs, giving her a quick pat-down in the process.

"You need not say anything," Patterson intoned gruffly, knowing she had to legally issue this warning. "You have nothing to hope from any promise or favour and nothing to fear from any threat, whether or not you say anything. Anything you say may be used as evidence. You have the right to retain and instruct counsel in private without delay. Do you understand?"

Tessa merely nodded her head.

"I need you to answer either 'yes' or 'no', Ms. Haywood," Patterson said.

"Yes, I understand," Tessa said, barely above a whisper.

"Good. Let's go."

***

*double-double: How you order a coffee with two creams and two sugars at Tim Hortons

Chapter 11: Sing Me to Heaven

#heartland #heartland fanfiction #my fanfiction #bad business #a heartland murder mystery #chapter 10 #there the vultures will gather #chief parker #georgie fleming morris #adam parker #lou fleming #jack bartlett #lisa stillman #tim fleming #amy fleming #ty borden #jesse stanton #wyatt #lyndy borden

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