Read Online Peril by Ponytail (A Bad Hair Day Mystery) by Nancy J. Cohen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nancy J. Cohen
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could be hiding up here? They have coyotes and mountain lions in these parts.”
“How nice of you to share that information. Hey, pick up that dead branch. You can use it to stir the dirt and chase any snakes away.”
They roamed the area, peering at the town below and the mountainous vistas surrounding them. Marla took photos, but that’s all they came away with other than a few scrapes and bruises. They didn’t find any clues as to where Eduardo might have gone.
As she headed back, Marla stumbled over a pile of rubble. A cold wind seemed to grab her, whistling in her ears. It smelled faintly like rust. She cast a nervous gaze around but saw nothing except rocks intermingled with various shrubs and interspersed with boulders.
Maybe a ghostly presence was making itself known. She seemed to attract them, remembering the playful spirit in the elevator at Sugar Crest Plantation Resort on Florida’s west coast. Never mind the spirits in the old theatre below. She hurried away, pausing on a swath of gravel to admire the valley stretched out before them and the town nestled in its crease.
At the horizon rose another mountain range in murky tones of blue. White wildflowers sprinkled the ground where she’d stopped. Overhead, cirrus clouds drifted across the azure sky.
A sense of peace and tranquility invaded her. But all wasn’t as calm as it seemed. Secrets buried in these hills might prove deadly if the forest ranger’s death turned out to be more than an accident.
“Let’s head back to the ranch,” she said, resuming their descent to Craggy Peak. “I’d like to relax this afternoon. We can go into town tomorrow to buy supplies.”
“All right. I might sign up for a morning ride. Do you want to give it a try?”
“I’ll need to take a lesson first. Maybe I should ask for a pony. I’m not thrilled about getting on a big, powerful horse.”
“Why not? You ride me, don’t you?”
His sexy grin lifted her spirits. “Come on, I’ll beat you downhill.”
Marla was glad to take a breather at the ranch, but she couldn’t rest for long. She’d promised Dalton to meet him in the Jail House Saloon after he signed them both up for activities tomorrow morning with the wranglers.
The lounge must have just opened, because when she peeked inside, no one else greeted her except for the bartender. A pretty girl with her hair pinned atop her head, she was busy polishing glassware behind a gleaming wood bar that took up an entire wall. Marla turned away, quietly shut the door and went to find her husband. He might be down by the corrals.
Her nose wrinkled as she got closer to the horses. The cowhands must get used to the smell, she thought with a moue of displeasure. Horses in all colors roamed the fenced enclosure to her right. She marveled at the powerful beasts before moving on to the main staging building.
Swatting away a fly, she studied its four closed doors. She doubted he’d gone into the Staff Only entry. That left the Wrangler’s Roost, Riders Entrance, or Game Room. Feeling like a player in a video game picking which door held the treasure, she chose the Riders Entrance.
Inside was a tiled room with a couch facing a television console, armchairs, and a coffee table. This must be where guests waited before riding lessons. As no one was there, she tried the game room next. It held a ping pong table, billiards, and table hockey but no people at the moment. As for the Wrangler’s Roost, the door was locked.
Could Dalton have entered the staff’s private enclave? She peeked inside a long hallway with saddles and riding helmets hung on the walls. It was open at the far end.
Wondering if he’d be around back, she crunched along the gravel at the building’s side. Horses ranged inside the corral there, and she saw a wrangler whom she hadn’t met, but her husband’s tall figure was nowhere in sight.
Great, now what? Maybe Dalton had taken a different route to the Jail House Saloon. She spied a dirt
“How nice of you to share that information. Hey, pick up that dead branch. You can use it to stir the dirt and chase any snakes away.”
They roamed the area, peering at the town below and the mountainous vistas surrounding them. Marla took photos, but that’s all they came away with other than a few scrapes and bruises. They didn’t find any clues as to where Eduardo might have gone.
As she headed back, Marla stumbled over a pile of rubble. A cold wind seemed to grab her, whistling in her ears. It smelled faintly like rust. She cast a nervous gaze around but saw nothing except rocks intermingled with various shrubs and interspersed with boulders.
Maybe a ghostly presence was making itself known. She seemed to attract them, remembering the playful spirit in the elevator at Sugar Crest Plantation Resort on Florida’s west coast. Never mind the spirits in the old theatre below. She hurried away, pausing on a swath of gravel to admire the valley stretched out before them and the town nestled in its crease.
At the horizon rose another mountain range in murky tones of blue. White wildflowers sprinkled the ground where she’d stopped. Overhead, cirrus clouds drifted across the azure sky.
A sense of peace and tranquility invaded her. But all wasn’t as calm as it seemed. Secrets buried in these hills might prove deadly if the forest ranger’s death turned out to be more than an accident.
“Let’s head back to the ranch,” she said, resuming their descent to Craggy Peak. “I’d like to relax this afternoon. We can go into town tomorrow to buy supplies.”
“All right. I might sign up for a morning ride. Do you want to give it a try?”
“I’ll need to take a lesson first. Maybe I should ask for a pony. I’m not thrilled about getting on a big, powerful horse.”
“Why not? You ride me, don’t you?”
His sexy grin lifted her spirits. “Come on, I’ll beat you downhill.”
Marla was glad to take a breather at the ranch, but she couldn’t rest for long. She’d promised Dalton to meet him in the Jail House Saloon after he signed them both up for activities tomorrow morning with the wranglers.
The lounge must have just opened, because when she peeked inside, no one else greeted her except for the bartender. A pretty girl with her hair pinned atop her head, she was busy polishing glassware behind a gleaming wood bar that took up an entire wall. Marla turned away, quietly shut the door and went to find her husband. He might be down by the corrals.
Her nose wrinkled as she got closer to the horses. The cowhands must get used to the smell, she thought with a moue of displeasure. Horses in all colors roamed the fenced enclosure to her right. She marveled at the powerful beasts before moving on to the main staging building.
Swatting away a fly, she studied its four closed doors. She doubted he’d gone into the Staff Only entry. That left the Wrangler’s Roost, Riders Entrance, or Game Room. Feeling like a player in a video game picking which door held the treasure, she chose the Riders Entrance.
Inside was a tiled room with a couch facing a television console, armchairs, and a coffee table. This must be where guests waited before riding lessons. As no one was there, she tried the game room next. It held a ping pong table, billiards, and table hockey but no people at the moment. As for the Wrangler’s Roost, the door was locked.
Could Dalton have entered the staff’s private enclave? She peeked inside a long hallway with saddles and riding helmets hung on the walls. It was open at the far end.
Wondering if he’d be around back, she crunched along the gravel at the building’s side. Horses ranged inside the corral there, and she saw a wrangler whom she hadn’t met, but her husband’s tall figure was nowhere in sight.
Great, now what? Maybe Dalton had taken a different route to the Jail House Saloon. She spied a dirt
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