Part 15 (1/2)

”Peter's father. Now why didn't Victor mention that? Even when Peter moved

here, he never said a word.”

She seemed to be talking more to herself than to Winn, so he didn't respond.

He was thin king that it was especially curious in light of what Louie had said about the boy.

”Peter must own some land, then,” she said.

”If it's homestead land, he'd have to be living on it.”

Cynthie shook her head.

”This is Osage Reserve. You have to buy it for two dollars an acre.

Maybe they just squatted, but I doubt if they'd borrow money unless they

owned the land. ”

Cynthie came out of her musings and shrugged. She read on until she came tothe first foreclosure.”I remember them,” she said.”They had a fire and then they just left. I guess Victor took their farm, but I doubt it was worth as much as he loaned them.”

For a moment, Cynthie was rather pleased that her husband had tried to help the farmers until Winn said, ”Except they had almost paid off the loan, with interest.”

Cynthie looked at him a moment and read on. Winn continued to figure in his

head. When she was done he offered no comment. Ott was the only one

to pay off his loan, but the other six had come close, very close in some cases.The first farmer had been burned out. Peter's father had been shot.

There was a pattern here Winn didn't like. He reminded himself that it was none of his business. Whatever had happened was over now, and Franklin wasdead.

”I suppose I can close the book on these. Ott paid and the rest were settledbefore Victor died.” Cynthie pushed the ledger into a drawer.”Iwould like to give Peter back his father's land when he's old enough. ”

Winn smiled.”That's easy enough to accomplish.” He was forever having to revise hisopinion of the woman. Maybe his first judgment of her had been based toomuch on her treatment of Reuben Ott.

She startled him by saying, ”Funny how Ott's the only one that stayed.” He had thought it was funny, too, but hadn't wanted to say so. Ott's had been the last loan and was only half repaid when Victor died. When Victor was murdered, he reminded himself.

Cynthie continued, ”You know, he's the one Kyle thinks stole my cattle.”She saw Winn sit up straighter.”What does he base this on?”Cynthie shrugged.”Who knows. Victor didn't trust Ott. He told me that.I guess I'm a little suspicious myself. ”Winn made no comment. Cynthie watched him, trying to read something in his face, but he was too good at hiding what he was thin king.

”Are you up to going through another ledger?”

”Another? What else was your husband up to?” The words left Winn's mouth

before he could think. He hoped he hadn't sounded critical.

She didn't seem to take offense.

”Well, this started out as my father's business. I guess Victor kept itgoing after he died.”Cynthie thought Winn looked more interested. When he said, ”Sure, go ahead,”

she heard eagerness in his voice. She smiled to herself. She would enjoy the chance to talk to him about her father.

”A trading business,” she clarified.”Father ran a s.h.i.+pping business back in New York. He left it in good handsand came out here with Victor and me. While Victor started the ranch, hestarted this business. I thought it had ended when he died, but I found thisledger and realized it had continued to operate.”

She opened the last ledger and began to read.

”You know, it's odd, but this book gives me the most trouble,” she observed after a while.

”I used to help with Father's books back home, but Victor kept these.

He must have come up with his own code or something. I understand the

purchases, payment to employees, most of the rest, but he threw in these letters once in a while. Do you know what they mean? ”

Winn had wondered the same thing, but a.s.sumed she knew what they stood for.

”If they aren't s.h.i.+pping terms, could they stand for people, drivers perhaps?”

”Maybe, but they aren't in capital letters.” She flipped back to the first page and read only the initials.

Winn listened in amus.e.m.e.nt. She wasn't concerned about the business.It was over and he doubted if she had any thought of star ting it again. Shejust didn't like a mystery. He paid less attention to the letters she readthan to her voice, which he found himself liking more and more.

”Well,” she concluded, ”They aren't the drivers because there are nos.h.i.+pments labeled K or D for Kyle Dempsey and he drove a lot for Father, andfor Victor, too, I'd guess.”

Winn grinned, wanting her to continue speculating so he could listen to hervoice while she mused aloud. It was soft and expressive and somehow lessformal than what he usually heard.

”Pick a letter and find out what is the same about all the entries that include it.”

”Good idea!” She sounded so pleased he almost laughed. She was mumbling inearnest now and flipping pages. The enthusiasm tapered off quickly, however.

”Only thing I can see is that all the entries with any letter made a betterprofit than the ones without a letter.” She sounded disappointed.

Winn shrugged.