Read Online Deadly Desperados by Lily Harper Hart - Free Book Online
Authors: Lily Harper Hart
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stuff,” Ally challenged. “I can’t have fun spending James’ money if you don’t join in.”
“Deal.”
“WELL, that took forever,” James said, spreading the map out on the hood of Jake’s rental so they could study it. “Okay, this is your uncle’s property here … and this is Charlie’s property. Tell me what else I’m looking at.”
Jake did as instructed, racking his memory for the proper property lines. “We shouldn’t mark this map up until we get it back to the farm. I’m not completely sure I’m right about this and we need the correct information before we start deconstructing this.”
“I’m not an expert on Kansas property costs, so give me a ballpark on what one of these farms would go for.”
“Twenty million.”
James’ eyebrows flew up. “Excuse me?”
“Give or take,” Jake said, nodding.
“You cannot be serious,” James muttered. “I know the land comes at a premium, but … come on! Does your uncle make a big profit from his crops?”
“Yes. In the grand scheme of things, though, you probably make more money than he does.”
James waited for Jake to expand.
“The cost of living is cheaper out here,” Jake supplied. “The farm is worth a lot of money, but when you factor in the cost of workers, feed, seed … they do okay for this area. They would not be doing well in our area.”
“That’s a little sad,” James said, rubbing his chin. “For all the work they’re doing out here, they should be making bank.”
“I’m not going to argue with that.”
“So, let’s say all of these farms are worth twenty million,” James said, turning his attention back to the map. “How can this Mark Nixon guy afford to buy all of them? That means he would have eighty million bucks available to throw at farms.”
“We don’t know for sure that he tried to buy the other two farms,” Jake reminded him.
“No,” James conceded. “I think it’s a good bet, though. Nothing on this map indicates there’s anything of worth about those farms beside the fact that they’re farms. What else could someone want that property for?”
Jake shrugged. “Mineral rights?”
“Like?”
“Maybe someone thinks there’s oil out there,” Jake suggested. “Maybe someone wants all four farms so they can build a mega-farm.”
“Or maybe Charlie’s death has nothing to do with this,” James countered. “I know your uncle is convinced that Mark Nixon is up to something nefarious – and without another suspect I don’t know where to focus – but would someone really kill an innocent man over a farm? There have to be hundreds of farms in Kansas. Why not pick another spot?”
“I don’t know,” Jake said, scratching the back of his neck as he studied the map. “We need Uncle Ben to go over this map with us. We’re stuck otherwise. Did you call Grady?”
“Yeah, my cell service is crap out here, by the way,” James said. “I had to go stand on the corner to get a decent signal. I was practically in the street. Grady is going to run an extensive search. I told him to call the main house if he gets something and can’t get me on the line. I explained about the cell service.”
“What did he say?”
“He laughed and made ‘mooing’ sounds.”
Jake snickered. “That sounds just like him,” he said. “How is everyone back home?”
“They’re fine. Grady likes being in charge of the office and Finn is fine letting him be in charge because he’s taken to watching Emma like she’s about to explode.”
As the youngest Hardy brother, Finn was used to his brothers bossing him around. Since his fiancée Emma got pregnant, though, he was more interested in her than anything else. Fatherhood was starting to press down on him, and he was convinced Emma was going to go into labor when he wasn’t around to help her.
“He’s just excited,” Jake said. “It’s a baby, man. Ally has been buying things for it for months. If it’s a boy, he’s going to have a
“Deal.”
“WELL, that took forever,” James said, spreading the map out on the hood of Jake’s rental so they could study it. “Okay, this is your uncle’s property here … and this is Charlie’s property. Tell me what else I’m looking at.”
Jake did as instructed, racking his memory for the proper property lines. “We shouldn’t mark this map up until we get it back to the farm. I’m not completely sure I’m right about this and we need the correct information before we start deconstructing this.”
“I’m not an expert on Kansas property costs, so give me a ballpark on what one of these farms would go for.”
“Twenty million.”
James’ eyebrows flew up. “Excuse me?”
“Give or take,” Jake said, nodding.
“You cannot be serious,” James muttered. “I know the land comes at a premium, but … come on! Does your uncle make a big profit from his crops?”
“Yes. In the grand scheme of things, though, you probably make more money than he does.”
James waited for Jake to expand.
“The cost of living is cheaper out here,” Jake supplied. “The farm is worth a lot of money, but when you factor in the cost of workers, feed, seed … they do okay for this area. They would not be doing well in our area.”
“That’s a little sad,” James said, rubbing his chin. “For all the work they’re doing out here, they should be making bank.”
“I’m not going to argue with that.”
“So, let’s say all of these farms are worth twenty million,” James said, turning his attention back to the map. “How can this Mark Nixon guy afford to buy all of them? That means he would have eighty million bucks available to throw at farms.”
“We don’t know for sure that he tried to buy the other two farms,” Jake reminded him.
“No,” James conceded. “I think it’s a good bet, though. Nothing on this map indicates there’s anything of worth about those farms beside the fact that they’re farms. What else could someone want that property for?”
Jake shrugged. “Mineral rights?”
“Like?”
“Maybe someone thinks there’s oil out there,” Jake suggested. “Maybe someone wants all four farms so they can build a mega-farm.”
“Or maybe Charlie’s death has nothing to do with this,” James countered. “I know your uncle is convinced that Mark Nixon is up to something nefarious – and without another suspect I don’t know where to focus – but would someone really kill an innocent man over a farm? There have to be hundreds of farms in Kansas. Why not pick another spot?”
“I don’t know,” Jake said, scratching the back of his neck as he studied the map. “We need Uncle Ben to go over this map with us. We’re stuck otherwise. Did you call Grady?”
“Yeah, my cell service is crap out here, by the way,” James said. “I had to go stand on the corner to get a decent signal. I was practically in the street. Grady is going to run an extensive search. I told him to call the main house if he gets something and can’t get me on the line. I explained about the cell service.”
“What did he say?”
“He laughed and made ‘mooing’ sounds.”
Jake snickered. “That sounds just like him,” he said. “How is everyone back home?”
“They’re fine. Grady likes being in charge of the office and Finn is fine letting him be in charge because he’s taken to watching Emma like she’s about to explode.”
As the youngest Hardy brother, Finn was used to his brothers bossing him around. Since his fiancée Emma got pregnant, though, he was more interested in her than anything else. Fatherhood was starting to press down on him, and he was convinced Emma was going to go into labor when he wasn’t around to help her.
“He’s just excited,” Jake said. “It’s a baby, man. Ally has been buying things for it for months. If it’s a boy, he’s going to have a
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