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“Ms. Tucker.”
Standing at the table. A crudely written menu in hand, “You’re back.”
“As promised.”
Passing the menu off to another worker, Susan takes a seat.
“Been awhile, started thinking I’d never see you again. Figured you’d found some truth and feared returning.”
“Just very thorough. Often, to find the truth, you gotta search in the weeds. Details require time. Time to drag facts to the surface. Two kinds of sources, those that claim to know nothing and those whose memories are filled with… embellished stories.”
For the moment the room falls silent, as if someone has paused the world, everyone listening, holding their breath. A few seem overly interested, cocking their heads, leaning in, hoping to steal a secret.
“Jesse, as you know, was a teacher before the world crashed. Hired by to those who could pay in order to generate income for his family. Often employed as a tutor by questionable characters, the advantaged.”
“Nothing new. What else?”
“Mr. Eldridge is wealthy… a landowner, cattle rancher, has access to natural resources, more land up north, a solar farm, and notoriety. Part of an organized gangdom. He hired Jesse to tutor his children.”
“This I already know.”
“The day of the event Jesse traveled to Mr. Eldridge’s ranch, a thirty-minute ride, which in itself was dangerous, arrived, tied his horse to a post, and would spend the next two hours tutoring the children… reading, writing and arithmetic.”
“A convenient alibi,” Susan added.
“One possibility…”
“The other…?”
“Meanwhile, three employees of Mr. Eldridge rode to your home on horses as directed my Max, clearly branded, positioned where you mother could see the brands, knocked on your door. Unexpected, but your mother, now concerned, Jesse injured or never arrived at the ranch. Opened the door.”
“Mom was concerned. She had a bad feeling most of the day. Naturally, she opened the door.”
“And they barged in and carried out the assignment. Eventually taking you and your sister back to the ranch, hooded. Your mother, an unfortunate… highlight… an afterthought? A victim by chance or, more likely, an intentional act?”
“How about beaten and raped as we watched! Physically held wonder if we were next. I still have nightmares, reliving the attack,” Susan replied, teary-eyed.
“As you rode past the ranch-house, they removed your hoods and made sure you saw your dad’s mount tied to the hitching post out front, correct?”
Pause, “Yes.”
“Next, they took you and your sister to the back of the ranch and placed you in a darkened room where you could hear a conversation in an adjoining room.”
Again pause, “Yes.”
“You mother worked as a waitress, a quasi-manger, at the cafe?”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Eldridge ate at the cafe on a weekly basis?”
“Yes.”
“Was Mr. Eldridge friendly, perhaps chatty?”
“Mom was polite toward all the customers.”
Tell me, “Who owns the cafe?” Cord asked.
“Me.”
“How?”
“Mom was buying it.”
“From?”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Let’s be clear. Mr. Eldridge cared for your mom, a platonic relationship, to be sure, but real. He was planning to give the cafe to her. Unfortunately, his older son was furious. Had his own plans that did not include your mother.”
“This is a lie!”
“Bound with your sister, then taken up north, cold country, cattle country, where you both served the male staff, male guest, i.e. cook, clean, tend to...to. Sandra, older pregnant, you were both put on a train headed west, to Meadview, and eventually returned to here.”
“Yes.”
“Do you own the cafe?”
Now sitting, the afternoon staff busy serving customers, fidgeting, eventually after a long pause, “Yes. But…”
“Mr. Eldridge panicked. He needed to protect his son, family. Blaming your dad, easy. Framed. I spoke with several who confirmed Mr. Eldridge abandoned his hacienda. Gave it to some riffraff to manage. So the stories go.”
“Mr. Eldridge denies everything now controlling a small town, Meadview, in the north-west corner of Arizona new Vegas a mega-metropolis. His older son working up north, Montana, I believe, always in trouble, claims he’s innocent. Witnesses, one kidnapper, dead, the other I caught up with, not a fan of Mr. Eldridge, confirmed the story. The other has vanished.”
“I…, the third kidnapper?” Susan mumbles, trying to pull the pieces together.
“Unknown.”
“One final thought: the cattle ranch in Montana. Controlled by Max. You were one of many young women, kidnapped and serving the ranch, used and misused. And, should you ever like to visit the ranch… my advice, let it go, but if you can’t, I’ll take you there, should you choose.”
“Revenge?” she asked.
“Later, for now, next steps?”
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