Free Turkey Ranch Road Rage by Paula Boyd Page B

then, of course, there was that heavy equipment that was working night and day out at the Little Ranch a few weeks back. Gilbert Moore was there and then here he is again today. These are all things to check into.”
    Kimmy frowned and start smacking again. “I don’t see why you think all of these things could be related.”
    “Well, some are obvious, others less so. If I were here in a professional capacity, which I am not, I wouldn’t ignore any of it. I’d be checking and cross checking every angle I could. You never know where you’ll find that one piece of evidence or even person that ties everything together.”
    “I know that,” Kimmy snapped. “The first thing I did was check out those animal rights people. Other than what’s on their website, there’s not much to be found. They won’t talk when you try to interview them and the only quotes I got were stock lines about how we have to treat animals like people and that we have to quit destroying the planet. None of them would give me a real name.”
    “Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?” As she nodded in agreement, I added, “They sure got here quick too. Did anybody even mention horny toads before they got here? Has anybody even seen a horny toad around here in the last twenty years? There are many, many angles to this, Kimmy.”
    She chewed on that for a few seconds along with her gum. “You could be right. I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
    “Well, now you have, so get to it. I’ll do the same. Call me and we’ll compare notes. Maybe between the two of us, we can find out what’s really going on.”
    She smacked thoughtfully a few more times then said, “Why are you doing this? You hate me.”
    “You’ve written a lot of crap, Kimmy, no question about that. If you put your energy into writing about things that actually matter, and getting the real truth about them, I think you could be a decent journalist.”
    “Meaning I’m not now?”
    “You know the answer to that, and I’m not going to lie to make you feel better. The truth is I have more experience than you do in life and otherwise. I’m also a better writer than you will ever be.” She puffed up at that as I knew she would. “But,” I said, pausing for emphasis, “I have never been and never will be the reporter you already are.”
    She leaned away from the wall and stood a little straighter, but still said nothing and didn’t even make a smack.
    “You’ve got talent and you’ve got the right personality. Now use them in a good way. Get in there and dig for some answers.”
    “You really mean that or are you just trying to get me to find things out for you?”
    “Both. You can find out things that I can’t. There’s a good story here and you could use it to move yourself from gossip columnist to investigative reporter. Besides, I’d rather have you helping me than looking for some kind of salacious angle from which to create a story about me.”
    Bewilderment flickered across her face.
    “It means scandalous, sensational.”
    She nodded and began smacking away. “Okay. Thanks. I think.”
    We exchanged phone numbers, just in case either one of us decided to follow through on the deal.
    “Oh, and Kimmy, here’s another professional tip, lose the gum.”
    * * *
    In the car headed back to Kickapoo, Lucille was quiet for several miles, which was more than fine with me. I needed the time to think, and the thing in the forefront of my mind was that I needed to get back and walk the property behind the house. I also wanted to go talk to the owner of the land. Why he wasn’t the focus of Lucille’s activities seemed odd. She’d made the comment that he’d gotten in over his head, but what did that mean?
    “When we get back, I’m going out behind the house and walk the property. Probably should talk to Bob Little first though, instead of trespassing.”
    “There’s no need in that. You’re not trespassing. You go on and look around. I wanted to do that too, but it