Free High Desert Detective, A Fiona Marlowe Mystery (Fiona Marlowe Mysteries) by Marjorie Thelen

them to leave. He got
out of the car and came back to their truck.
    “What seems to be the trouble?” he asked. “The
usual?”
    Opal said, “Might be the carburetor this time.”
    “Pop the hood,” he said. “This isn’t the first time I’ve had to
look under the hood of this old rig.”
    “Try it again,” he said.
    Fiona compiled. It caught but she had to keep gunning it to keep
it going.
    Officer Brown slammed the hood.
    “You need to have it looked at when you get home. I’ll follow you
to the turn off to the ranch.”
    The little caravan moved on down the highway, Officer Brown
bringing up the rear, Old Faithful bucking her way home. When they made it to
the turn off, Officer Brown flashed his lights and kept on going. As luck would
have it, Old Faithful made it halfway along the dirt road to the ranch and then
quit on them for good. No amount of cranking, swearing, and waiting helped.
    “It’s not far to walk,” said Opal. “The evening is cooling down.
We’ll be back at the ranch in no time.”
    Fiona slammed the door of the truck after she spilled out of the
seat. She had been here less than a week, and she had already had more
adventure than she needed.
    “We’ll get the rest of the stuff in the morning,” Opal said. “A
walk will do us good. It’s a lovely evening. We could call Jake but there’s no
cell signal here. I’ve tried before.”
    Fiona sighed and fell in beside Opal. Someone gave a wolf whistle,
and she turned around, looking to see who it was.
    “Did you hear that?” asked Fiona.
    Opal laughed. “That’s only a meadowlark, not one of your many
admirers. Meadowlarks do that to confuse us. They have many sweet songs to
sing.” She pointed to the offender who flew to a stand of greasewood.
    Fiona stopped and watched him fly away into the sun that was
setting over the ridge to the west.   It
would take a bottle of wine to calm her down tonight.

 
 
 
    Four

 
 
    Jake was enjoying an end-of-the-working-day whiskey on the porch
of the ranch house when he saw two figures walk up over the rise in the
distance. He went inside to fetch the binoculars. It was Opal and Fiona. Fiona
looked put out. Opal was talking and gesturing with her arms. He drove out in
the truck to give them a ride.
    “Out for an evening stroll, ladies?” he said, as he pulled
alongside and stopped. “You look like you could use a ride, Fiona.”
    She stopped and shoved her hand on her hips. “Old Faithful let us
down.”
    “That doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “Hop in.”
    Fiona helped Opal into the front, and she got in back of the extended
cab Ford 350.
    “I was telling her funny stories, but she didn’t laugh much,”
said Opal.
    “I guess I’m tired. It’s been a long day,” said Fiona.
    “You hear the latest?” Jake asked, looking at her in the rear
view mirror.
    “About more bones in the spring?” asked Fiona.
    “You’ve heard.”
    “Scooter Brown told us,” said Opal.
    “Don’t tell me Scooter got you, Fiona,” said Jake, laughing.
    “I don’t think it’s very funny getting one ticket, let alone two.”
    Opal said, “He was waiting for us, and I forgot to warn Fiona
about that spot he favors. He gave her a speeding ticket and another for her expired
license.”
    “You don’t have to say it with such glee,” said Fiona. “I could
lose my license.”
    “So this isn’t your first offense,” said Jake.
    “Not exactly.”
    “Maybe you should get an Oregon License.”
    “I’m afraid to. They’ll search my record and probably require a
written exam. I’m not sure I’d pass the test.”
    “I’ll be your driver and squire you around where you need to go.”
    “Thank you for your generous offer, but I like the freedom of
driving my own vehicle.”
    “How did it go here today?” Opal asked.
    “We are short a few head in the west herd. We’re checking it out.
They may be out where we can’t see them.”
    “Don’t tell me. With Cody in jail I thought