Silver Wilderness Range Read online

  Royce leaned nearer to Nadine. “We have a little problem, and I’m asking for your assistance. Miss Daisy has wandered off from the Silver Wilderness Center. We need somewhere for her to stay. Inconspicuously. I don’t want to take her to the Court House.”

  Nadine frowned as she spoke to Daisy, “I didn’t know you were residing there.”

  “I’ve only been there a couple weeks. At least that’s what I think,” Daisy replied. “They had me so doped up; heaven knows how long it’s been. I know I’ve been wearing down, we all do. But back in the old times it wasn’t easy, but I’ve always been in control. I was a clever girl. Early on I learned to be strong. Feisty, even.” Tears began brimming her eyes. “When they have you all hopped up on drugs…” She paused, shutting her eyes as her hands covered them. “I never was one for drinking. Much less drugging up on medication that wouldn’t allow me to think.”

  Nadine’s focus went back to the sheriff. “Royce, what’s this about?”

  “I’m not sure. But I want to find out.” Royce rocked back on her heels. “I need a favor. Can you and Gwen keep Miss Daisy undercover until I get to the bottom of this?”

  “Of course.” Nadine stood, walked around the desk counter’s corner, and put her arm around Daisy’s shoulder. “She’s safe here. We’ll put her up in the guest room. Our backyard is fairly private, so she won’t be seen.”

  “I’d appreciate that,” Royce uttered. “I’ll be back later.”

  She heard Nadine instruct the elderly woman about where her new room would be, as well as the bathroom and kitchen. Royce knew Daisy would be well-cared for with Gwen and Nadine. When Nadine returned to the reception area, she asked in a voice quiet with secrecy, “Are they really drugging her?”

  “On the quiet. Daisy told me that they had. Nadine, Miss Daisy has never been a fraction off the truth anytime she’s said something. She isn’t confused. Also, another patient has been missing. Under curious circumstances. I’m on my way out to the home to get some answers. This all needs to be completely confidential until I resolve the case. If there is a case. I just don’t want Miss Daisy endangered.”

  Nadine gave a thumbs up. “You do know Gwen will want to have the newspaper exclusive when you go public.”

  “You’ve got it. I don’t suppose you and Gwen would like to do a little investigating about Silver Wilderness Center? I need to know everything I can about the background of owners. The administrator and everyone responsible.”

  “I haven’t heard anything negative about their business practices. No major malpractice lawsuits.”

  Royce grimace. “There may not be anything negative. But Daisy claims they stole her house.”

  “Daisy mentioned a year ago that she would like to will it to the city for part of our historic homes. She said it could be used as a small history library. I know she never would have sold it. Silver Wilderness now owns it?”

  “That’s what I need to find out. All of this is off the record. I’m conducting an investigation. Nadine, I’ll let you and Gwen know more after I visit the Center.” She walked to the door, followed by Deputy Chance. “Nadine, thanks.”

  “My house spouse will love honing up her investigatory skills,” Nadine replied with a chuckle.

  Royce gave Chance’s topnotch a tickle. “Chance, girl, we’re going to visit some folks.” Royce would attempt to tread lightly when meeting Eileen Austin, the grouchy administrator of Silver Wilderness Assisted Living Center.

  ***

  The drive to the Silver Wilderness facilities was brief, barely enough time for Royce to appreciate the late autumn landscape. From the chill in the air, she was betting on an early turn to winter, and an early first snow. She gazed up at the spine of peaks, and the woodland area they called wilderness. It jutted upward from the range below. One side was a high ledge, with a small mantle atop. The remaining mountains lifted slowly. Enormous boulders, pines, and meadows were slotted between granite walls. Soon the landscape would be frosty; then snow would fill the entire panorama.

  Pulling her SUV into the parking lot, she debated about taking Chance with her. As she exited, she gave the German shepherd a hand command to accompany her. Chance followed as if she was happily aware that she got to be with Royce, but she needed to be on her best behavior.

  Once inside, Royce approached the young women at the check-in counter. She asked to talk with the administrator. “Is this about the alert that went out for Miss Barnaby?”

  “It does concern that.”

  While waiting, she surveyed the upscale décor of the waiting area. When Administrator Eileen Austin walked toward her, Royce studied the well-groomed, perfectly coiffed, stylish woman. She was an attractive, and a fashionable fifty-year old. Surgically assisted, she looked a decade younger. The woman was aware of her looks. Flashing brown eyes, average height, light brown hair that was streaked with lighter mid-length hair. Her hand graciously extended toward the sheriff.

  “Mrs. Austin?” Royce asked. “I’m Sheriff Madison.”

  Eileen turned, walking back to her office. “Come with me.”

  Royce followed after her into a luxurious office. Eileen motioned for her to have a seat. “And where is Daisy Barnaby?”

  “Not to worry,” Royce responded. “She’s safe and comfortable. I do want to interrogate her before returning her.” Royce watched as Eileen’s back stiffened. Her face appeared suddenly pinched. Her eyes were less warm, and her demeanor now brusque.

  “Sheriff Madison, we hate to take your time. She is legally in our charge. Silver Wilderness Center is her legal guardian. I see no reason for her to be held hostage by the Sheriff’s Department.”

  Royce’s lips curled upward. “We don’t hold anyone, other than criminals, hostage. And as for being legally your responsibility, being in my custody trumps your responsibility.”

  Sputtering, she sat behind her desk with rage. “You can’t do this.”

  “Sure, I can.” Their stares dueled. “Mrs. Austin, Daisy Barnaby was taken into custody after trespassing on what I’m told is Silver Wilderness Center’s property.”

  Looking somewhat pleased with herself, Eileen answered, “We aren’t filing charges.”

  “You are the owners of the property that belonged to Miss Daisy?”

  “Yes, about two weeks ago we acquired the property.” Smugly, she added. “It now belongs to the Center.”

  Royce allowed a moment’s silence before she questioned, “Do you want to run that transaction past me? I don’t understand how a woman’s property is signed away like that?”

  “I don’t know what you’re implying, but it was a completely legal arrangement.” She walked toward the door. “I’d like you to leave. I’ll be getting my legal team together, and you can question them. They’ll be in touch. In the meantime, I’d like our resident returned.”

  “I’ll be in touch with you. Probably before that happens, since I need some questions answered”

  Eileen Austin charged, “Any investigation you conduct will only stain the good name of Silver Wilderness. It will tarnish the Center.”

  Royce walked very near. “Mrs. Austin, it will only be stained and tarnished if there is some criminal or financial negligence or abuse.”

  The administrator’s jaw was clamped so tightly, Royce considered that Eileen would probably wear away a couple millimeters of dental enamel.

  ***

  Royce and Chance stopped by the Sheriff’s Department before their afternoon was over.

  The first quiet time she’d had throughout the day, she shut the door to her office, and sat. She punched the cell phone number of the former Timber County District Attorney, Lyn Evans. She had dated Lyn, and they remained in contact. While waiting for Lyn to answer, Royce thought about Lyn, and how she admired her D.A. ex.

  When Royce and Lyn first met, she recalled seeing a trim figured woman in a tailored business suit. Royce noticed Lyn was attractive. Her dark hair was swept back and was neck-length. Her eyes were deep blue
, and her gaze at the sheriff was intense.

  “Sheriff,” Lyn answered. “You were in my thoughts.”

  “Telepathy,” Royce said with a chuckle. “Actually, I need your help on a case.” Royce explained Daisy Barnaby’s situation. “I recall your telling me about a case you worked on a few months ago.”

  There was a pause. “Nasty case. Those scams are difficult to nail down. But we managed to get indictments on all the perps. And sent half a dozen of those implicated up for five or more years. Not what I wanted, but at least they’re off the street. White-collar crime. Anyway, I’ll check out the information and see what I turn up on the principals of the center. When I was in Timber County, I never heard anything shady about Silver Wilderness Assisted Living Center.”

  “I haven’t either. Undersheriff Nick’s father was there for several months rehab last year. Nick seemed happy with the treatment his father was getting.” Royce hesitated. The center didn’t have a bad reputation. But Royce went back to what Daisy had said. “Lyn, thanks for offering to assist on this. Miss Daisy wouldn’t make this up. I’m stymied.”

  “I’ll get as much information on the Center as I can. I’ll call you back tomorrow. By the way, how are things going with Hertha? Have you moved in yet?”

  Royce eased the shrug of her shoulders against the back of the chair. It was a conversation that made her slump. “Things still are where they were.”

  “You still haven’t moved in with her and her children?”

  “No.” She felt defeated just talking about it. “Hertha and I talked about living together. I’m just not ready. After all, she left me and left our fifteen-year relationship. Then a year later, she returns.”

  “She left because her mother died. Her mother had custody of the kids. As their only remaining relative, Hertha become custodian of her nephew and niece. She knew how you felt about raising children. Now, if she didn’t have the kids? Be honest with us both, Royce. Would you be living with her?”

  “I’m not sure. The children are wonderful. Good kids. But I’m not sure I can take that kind of responsibility on. Parenting. That frightens me. Suppose we get together and Hertha leaves me again. You shouldn’t do that to children. And it would be difficult for me if they were in my life, then were taken away.”

  “What makes you think she’d ever leave you again?”

  “Sometimes she mentions that the kids are bullied here in Timber. Because they’re Native American, kids make fun of them. It hurts them and hurts her, since she’s their aunt and only living relative. And she’s mixed race -white and Native American, so Hertha’s been bullied. When she says those things about the kids being bullied now, I feel as though I’ll be left behind. She’ll take the kids back to their original home.”

  “Royce,” Lyn said, then paused. “I understand. She hurt you. And she hurt herself. She stepped up and took the children after her mother died. And with both the kid’s parents deceased; Hertha was loyal to her family. She took those kids and wanted to do the best she could by them. Yes, she may return to their home. But my guess is that she would only leave Timber if the two of you couldn’t make it. Or in your case, Royce, wouldn’t make it happen.”

  “I’m to blame?” Royce’s voice was raspy when her throat constricted.

  “Give it time.”

  “Right now, I’m worried about my grade school teacher and an elderly resident who has gone missing.” Royce heard the chiming laugh of Lyn. It made her smile. “Well?”

  Lyn sputtered. “Well, if they were both missing, I would say they were having a dirty weekend. Call off the search.”

  Royce joined in the laughter. “If Miss Daisy Barnaby heard you say that, you would be spending the remainder of your life standing in the corner.”

  “I’ll see what I can dig up. And check on some of the tricks used in my nursing home abuse case here in the city. Nursing home crime may have come to your mountains.”

  The sheriff covered her eyes. She realized that Timber County had changed over the last decade and a half. The county was divided into two sections. One was the rustic downtown city of Timber City. The downtown part of Timber was filled with elegant homes that were charming, turn-of-the-last-century dwelling.

  A few miles beyond Timber, at a higher elevation, was the ski village of Crystal. The ski resort was developed for the leisure, wealthy crowds of sportspersons and shoppers. Surrounded by the pristine white, craggy snow peaks, Crystal had been expanding, both in commerce, as well as residential areas. Glamorous celebrities not only flocked to the lodge and hotels, but also, became residents.

  “Royce, are you still there?” Lyn checked.

  “Yes. Look, if you’ll email any information you get to our district attorney, it might be helpful.”

  “I’ll be glad to. Is Mike still there?”

  “You trained him to be a tough D.A. Michael Parker still credits you for training him to be fierce in the courtroom.”

  “I’ll send the emails to you both, and also give Mike a call. I’ll help him in any way I can. When it comes to kids and seniors, I’m relentless about it.”

  “Thanks, Lyn. Whatever transpired, I can’t help but believe every word Miss Daisy said. The woman is completely credible.”

  With a contentious tone, Lyn’s throaty voice uttered, “Very trusting, Royce. Maybe you can give a little of that trust to the woman you lived with for sixteen years. Hertha needs your trust.”

  Royce considered her exit strategy. “I’ll do that. Lyn, I’ve got to get going. I need to check on the BOLO for Seth Egan. The missing senior. We’ve been on the lookout, but now it will be official. If Miss Daisy is concerned, I’m concerned.”

  When Royce hung up, she knew that she would be using the disappearance of Seth as a way to confront the executives at the Silver Wilderness Center. On any occasion that she deemed appropriate.

  When Deputy Sam approached her desk, she looked up. “Any news on Seth Egan?”

  “None. No missing person has been reportedly found. No bodies have surfaced. Would you like me to take Deputy Chance to the range and see if she locates any strange scents? She’s the best tracking dog I’ve ever worked with.”

  Chance’s head lifted and she rushed to Sam. Her tail was whipping as she neared him. “I guess that’s your answer,” Royce spoke with amusement. Chance was always ready for a run in the wilderness. She longed for work. “She needs to stretch her legs. Since I’ve got at least an hour’s worth of paperwork, it will be a good outing for her.”

  Royce watched Sam and Chance leave. Sam was called Deputy Sunshine by his fellow deputies, and the county’s citizens. He sported a cheerful walk. Professional, yet buoyant, and carefree. Royce agreed that when Sam came onto the force, the spirit of the entire Sheriff’s Department lifted.

  Sam was not jovial when he called an hour later and told Royce that he and Chance were on their way back to the office. Chance hadn’t picked up any cadaver scents in the quadrant of property they’d searched along the range. He complained that as the wilderness lifted, there were a myriad of places that could conceal a body. He and Chance just hadn’t found the right hiding spot where Seth might be.

  Deputy Sunshine, aka Mr. Optimistic said that was a positive. At least there was a chance Seth Egan was alive.

  Chapter 2

  Gran, Dora Madison – Royce’s grandmother, crossed the kitchen. She was thin, spindly, more now than when she was younger. In her eighties, Dora’s face showed wrinkles, and her eyes were the prominent part of her face. Although her frame was becoming more and more bony, she argued that she had always been a scrawny woman. Yet her energy level always astounded Royce. “I hear there was a spot of bother at the Silver Wilderness Center yesterday.”

  Royce yawned before she spoke, “Yes. I’m not sure what to think. Did you know Miss Daisy was at the home?”

  “First I heard of any of it. Royce, Daisy isn’t the type of woman to make a story up. She was straight-laced from when she was a child. We were friends si
nce back then.” Gran shrugged as Royce sat at the round oak table. “I fixed you some steel-cut oats. Mornings are beginning to get a little chilly.”

  “Gran, just sit. I’ll get them.” Royce went to the stove and began stirring. She took bowls from the cupboard. After filling them with the oats, she sprinkled cinnamon on them, then a squirt of honey, and milk. “Coffee or tea,” she asked her grandmother as she placed the bowls on the table.

  “I’ll have coffee this morning. Royce, I’m concerned for Daisy.”

  Royce poured the coffee. “Gran, I’m perplexed by it. I think we can get it sorted. I talked with Lyn, and she’s optimistic.”

  “Nice woman, your friend Lyn. And you think she’ll help?”

  “Of course, she will,” Royce answered. “She’ll be coaching our Mike Parker. Lyn had a case similar to this. She’ll be checking. And Nadine said that they would do some investigating.”

  “Gwen and Nadine love snooping.” As Gran blew on her spoonful of oats, she closed her eyes a moment. “The last time I saw Daisy was when I was in Timber recently. Daisy and I went into Molly’s and had us some tea and pie. She looked healthy then.”

  Royce shooed Gran’s cat, Shelley. “Shelley is always in the kitchen,” she spoke teasingly. “Your kitty gets to eat first, then us.”

  “As it should be, Royce. Our Chance girl always waits until you’re finished eating.” Gran quizzed, “You really think Daisy can get her homestead back?”

  “We’ll do what we can. I’ve also got a missing person. At least, I think we might have a missing person. According to Miss Daisy, a man named Seth Egan disappeared after an altercation at the Center. Ever heard of him?”

  “If it’s the same Seth I’m thinking of, he’s a fella in his mid-seventies. I haven’t seen him for months. He lives over in Crystal, or at least he did. He became a big shot for a major financial institution in New York. Then he started his own company. So, he was away from Timber County for most of his life. Later he bought an exclusive pricy home in Crystal. That was after he had a spot of bother with the law. He was accused of pulling some fast ones on investors. I think the Egan family mostly moved away or died. A couple years ago, he must have returned.” Gran looked perplexed. “I can’t imagine why he’d go missing. I remember he’s a big, strong man. I’ve heard he was a trouble maker when he was younger. Where would he go?”