Chapter 19

The receiver dropped from Charlie¹s fingers. He watched it swing back and forth for a moment before he put the phone back to his ear. "Is that a positive identification? Are we sure that the phone number is registered to Michael Cauble?"

"I¹m afraid so. I personally ran the check three different times." Robert assured him. "I¹d really like to talk to this manŠdo you think that he¹ll be coming here to see his daughter?"

"I¹m not sure. His oldest daughter called last night to notify him and his wife of Amanda¹s condition. Neither one of them seemed too concerned." Charlie put his notepad back in his pocket. He looked up as the door to Amanda¹s room opened and a very haggard Lex stepped out. "I¹ve got to go, Robert. Page me if you get any more information, okay?"

The prosecutor released a relieved breath. "You got it. I¹ll talk to you later. Give my best to your family, Charlie."

Charlie hung up the phone and walked quickly over to where Lex was standing. "Lex? Are you okay, sweetheart?" He stepped up next to her as the tall woman turned and fell into his arms. "What¹s wrong?"

"Uncle CharlieŠ" Lex buried her face in the older man¹s shirt and breathed in the familiar scent of his cologne. She cried in relief for a few moments, then pulled back. "Sorry about that."

"What¹s the matter, honey? Is Amanda okay?" He pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and used it to clean away the tears from her face.

Lex looked up at the sheriff with a relieved smile. "She¹s fineŠI¹m a basket case, but she¹s okay." She looked around the hallway and then back to him. "Where¹s everyone else?"

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and began to lead her away from the room. "They went to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee." He glanced down at the young woman. "You look like you could use a cup yourself, sweetheart."

"YeahŠI think I could. You buying?" She smiled up at the man who had always been there for her.

"Yup." Charlie continued to lead her down the hall. "C¹monŠthey probably make it nice and thick, just the way you like it."

Lex laughed. "GreatŠthink they¹ll just give it to me intravenously? I¹m so damn tired that I don¹t think I could lift the cup." She gratefully accepted the sheriff¹s arm around her waist as they headed toward the cafeteria.

***************

"You¹ve got to be kidding me!" Martha almost spewed coffee through her nose. "She didn¹t actually do that, did she?"

Anna Leigh nodded. "Took off all her clothes and raced through the front yard, right during shift change at the plant." She laughed with the others at the table. "I swear, the woman you know is not the same child I knew growing up. She was such a little exhibitionist as a toddler."

Martha shook her head. "It¹s hard to believeŠAmanda gets embarrassed just talking about anything related to that sort of thing." She met the older woman¹s glance. "It embarrasses her to let me wash her underwear."

"That sounds just like my sister." Jeannie shared. "She turned into such a prude when she grew up. I was afraid she was going to die a virgin." She felt an elbow in her side. "What?" The auburn-haired woman glared at her husband. "Well? It¹s true."

Frank covered his face with one hand. "I can¹t believe you talk like this around your grandmother," he murmured.

Jeannie leaned over and whispered loudly in his ear, "She knows about sexŠhow do you think my dad got here?"

"GeezŠ" The big man blushed.

Lex sat down next to the red-faced man and leaned into him. "What¹s the matter, Frank? You look a little flustered." She nodded and smiled gratefully to Charlie when he sat a cup of coffee down in front of her. "Thanks, Uncle Charlie."

"No problem, kiddo." The sheriff took his place next to his fiancee¹. "Hello there, beautiful. What are you folks jabbering about?"

"How¹s Mandy doing, Lexington?" Anna Leigh asked the exhausted woman. She looks completely worn outŠpoor thing.

The rancher looked up from her cup of coffee. "She¹s sleeping right now. But she was feeling pretty good, other than having a sore throat from the respirator." Lex bit her lip to keep from crying. She just looks so tiny and frail in that bed, all alone. I should have never promised her that I would go lie down for a while. I hate leaving her by herself. Damn!

Jacob reached across the table and took Lex¹s hand in his. "I¹m glad you were there for her, Lex. But you look like you¹re about to fall over." He saw out of the corner of his eye as Jeannie quietly left the table. "Why don¹t you go back to the hotel and get a little rest?"

"I promised Amanda that I would take a nap, but I didn¹t actually tell her I would leave the hospital." Lex quickly drained her coffee cup. "I think I¹ll go find a quiet corner in the waiting room." She stood up slowly.

Martha stood up also. "I think that we can do better than that, Lexie." She smiled as Jeannie walked back into the room and gave her a thumbs up. The housekeeper was about to lead her charge from the room when a young nurse stopped them.

"Excuse meŠare you Ms. Walters?" She had been given a detailed description of the woman, but the lady that stood before her was more beautiful than the man on the phone had described.

"What¹s wrong?" Martha asked. She had one arm wrapped protectively around the rancher and wasn¹t about to let go.

Lex smiled slightly at the nurse. "I¹m Lexington Walters. Is something wrong with myŠ friend?" She stammered a bit on the last word, unsure of how their relationship could best be described.

"Oh, noŠnothing like that. There¹s a phone call for you at the nurses¹ station. It¹s a Mr. DempseyŠhe says that it¹s quite urgent."

The housekeeper scoffed. "That old geezer thinks that everything is urgent." She remembered when he would call the ranch all upset at the slightest rise or fall in the market. Joshua Dempsey had been Victoria¹s investment broker. When she passed away and left a large sum of her funds to Lex, he had stayed on to make certain that unscrupulous men like her older brother wouldn¹t take the young woman for all she had.

"How did he know where to find me?" Lex looked at Martha, who shrugged innocently.

"I wouldn¹t know. I called Roy before we left so that he could keep an eye on the house for us. But he¹s the only one I told. I think that old man is psychic, or something." She shook her head.

The rancher sighed. "Might as well go talk to him before he has a stroke." She smiled at the nurse. "Thanks for coming to get me."

"No problem." The young woman returned the smile before leaving the room.

Martha squeezed Lex gently. "Do you want me to talk to him and just take a message? You look like you¹re about to collapse, honey."

"NoŠI¹ll talk to him. I was supposed to call him earlier this week anyway." Lex turned slightly and looked down at the older woman. "When I finish with him, I¹m gonna go hide somewhere and take a quick nap." She pulled Martha into a strong hug. "I¹ll see you later, okay Mada?"

"Sure, honey. But when you get through with Mr. Dempsey, stop by Amanda¹s room first. We¹ve got a little surprise for you."

Lex looked down with a smirk. "You have something up your sleeve? Should I be nervous?"

"NopeŠnow go talk to that old man before he calls out a search party." The housekeeper patted Lex gently on the side.

"Yes, ma¹am!" Lex saluted Martha and left the room smiling. She hurried to the nurses¹ station. "I¹m Lexington Walters. Did you have a call for me?"

The young nurse who had given her the message came up behind Lex and patted her on the back. "HereŠlet me get that for you." She walked around the desk and picked up the phone. "Here you go." She handed the receiver to Lex and stepped back. "Just holler when you¹re done, hon."

The tall woman nodded and smiled. "Thanks." She ran a hand over her face and spoke into the phone. "This is Lexington."

"Young lady, you¹re harder to find than a five-dollar call girl on a Saturday night!" The old man the other end of the line teased. "I know you¹re busy, but I have to notify you of a problem with one of the companies that you have major stock in."

"I¹m sorry, Joshua. I should have called you sooner. What¹s going on?" Lex smiled gratefully at the young nurse when she was handed a pen and paper.

The old man took a breath and then coughed. He¹d smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for over fifty years, and refused to give them up. "Well, it¹s actually an investment that your dear mother had made, rest her soul. But the company¹s stock is beginning to drop drastically, and I¹m afraid that if you don¹t get out now, it could seriously hurt you."

Lex nodded. She had always trusted the old man¹s business savvy ¯ he¹d never been wrong before. "OkayŠwhat¹s the name of this business?" She listened for a moment and then began to write. "Cawkeen Enterprises? Did I hear that right?"

"That¹s right. I don¹t have too many particulars about it, but something happened to it recently and it¹s dropping fast." Joshua could be heard shuffling papers in the background. "If you sell now, you¹ll still be making a profit."

"Never heard of it." Lex thought for a moment. Oh, wellŠ "Go ahead and sell it all, Joshua. I trust your judgement." She scribbled down the name and put the bit of paper in her shirt pocket. "Thanks for calling."

Dempsey chuckled. "No problem, Lexington. I¹ll call you back next week to go over some new investment ideas." He hung up the phone still smiling. That girl has as good a business sense as her motherŠand grandfather.

She hung up the phone and smiled at the two nurses. "Thanks again for the use of your phone." Lex turned around and began to walk down the hallway towards Amanda¹s room. She saw Charlie and Martha standing outside the door talking with Frank and Jeannie. "Hi folksŠdid I miss anything interesting?"

"Hey, Slim! My sister was asking for you." Jeannie walked up to the tall woman and enveloped her in a hug. "I think she wants you to break her out of here," she whispered into Lex¹s ear. "I heard her arguing with Gramma ¯ she¹s feeling a lot better, but the doctor refuses to release her."

"DamnŠ" Lex pulled out of the embrace slowly. "I¹ll see what I can do." She reached for the door and then stopped. "Maybe I should give your grandparents more time with her."

Jeannie laughed. "Maybe you should go in and save my grandparents." She winked at the others. "We could hear Mandy from hereŠI guess her throat no longer bothers her."

Lex looked at the smiling faces around her. "OkayŠwish me luck." She squared her shoulders and pushed the door open.

***************

He tossed the suitcase onto the bed and flipped it open. Of all the days to give the servants the day off, he thought angrily. I hate having to pack my own bagŠI always forget something. The phone next to the bed rang several times before he sighed heavily and picked up the receiver. "Michael Cauble here."

"Mr. Cauble! Thank goodness I found you!" The excited voice on the other end of the phone practically yelled. "I thought you were out of town?"

"I was. Something unexpected came up. What¹s the problem?" Michael continued to pack the bag. I really don¹t have time for his hysterics. Damn fool.

The man paused for a moment. "UmmŠyou remember how your stock began to fall this past week?"

Michael stopped what he was doing. "Yes? You told me it would pick back up and not to worry about it." A small knot of apprehension began to form in his stomach. "Why?"

"WellŠummŠ" the voice trembled slightly.

"Dammit, Craig! What the hell is going on?" Michael finished tossing clothes into the suitcase and zipped it shut.

Craig coughed to clear his throat and to stall for time. "It seems like one of your major stockholders couldn¹t be so patient."

"What do you mean?"

"They sold their stockŠand a couple of others must have gotten scared because they did the same," the frightened man almost whispered.

The executive dropped soundlessly onto the bed. "How bad is it?" he murmured.

His employee swallowed loudly. "UmmŠwellŠ" Craig stammered. "They¹ll probably freeze all your assets to pay off the stockholders. I¹m afraid you¹ve lost it all, Mr. Cauble."

"Everything?" Michael felt lightheaded. "Even the Swiss accounts?"

"UhŠthose were closed out a month ago, sir. I thought you had done it."

Michael closed his eyes. ElizabethŠthat bitch said that she¹d take me for everything I had. "Do you have any idea what caused the stocks to fall so rapidly?"

Craig breathed a sigh of relief. At least he¹s not mad at the messengerŠthank god. "There had been a rumor that you were going to sell the company to an overseas buyer that had a bad reputation on the market. Everyone believed it, sir."

"All right. Thanks, Craig." The beaten man leaned forward and cradled his head in his free hand. "I¹ve got to go to Texas for a whileŠmy daughter has taken ill. You can reach me at my parent¹s house." I hopeŠmaybe I can mend a few bridges while I¹m there. Dad was right. A corporate merger does not a good marriage make. He hung up the phone and stared unseeingly out of the bedroom window.

A sound at the doorway causes him to turn around. "Michael. I thought that I had heard the phone. Who was it?" Elizabeth Cauble stood with her arms crossed over her chest.

He stood up and took several steps towards her. "You did it. I¹m ruined." Michael walked over and picked the suitcase up from the bed.

"Where do you think you¹re going?" She held out an arm to stop him from passing her. "And what on earth are you talking about? What do you mean, you¹re ruined?"

"Several stockholders pulled out. I¹m broke." He laughed humorlessly. "Don¹t look so innocent. I knew you were up to something while I was out of town. I just never figured you to be this vindictive."

Elizabeth glared at her husband. "You¹ve always been weak, Michael. I¹ve tried to give you a backbone, but you¹re just like your father."

Michael shook his head sadly. "NoŠI¹ll never be the man my father is." He sat the suitcase down and pulled out his keyring and removed several keys from it. "You can have this damn mausoleum, Elizabeth. For years I¹ve listened to you, and became just as cold and calculating as you are." He handed her the keys and wiped his face with his sleeve. "I almost lost my daughter yesterday. I may have already lost her heart." Michael picked up the suitcase and started for the door.

"Don¹t you dare walk out on me! Not after all I¹ve done for you!" Elizabeth yelled.

He stopped and turned back around. "Done for me? What in the hell have you done for me?" Michael dropped the suitcase at the door and shook her head. "You¹ve never done an unselfish thing in your life."

The enraged woman crossed the room and slapped him. "You ungrateful bastard! How dare you speak to me that way." Then Michael watched, spellbound, as Elizabeth¹s countenance changed from angry and imperious to soft and condescending. She took his hand and led him to the bed and sat him down. "I didn¹t ruin youŠshe did."

"Who?" Michael rubbed his cheek where his wife had slapped him. What the hell is she talking about?

"I tried to stop her, you know." She looked down at their linked hands. "But she has more lives than a cat."

Her husband jerked his hand out of hers. "What are you talking about?" Understanding dawned on his face. "You¹re talking about that Walters woman, aren¹t you?" Michael scooted away from the woman he thought he knew.

"Nothing can be proven, you know." Elizabeth smiled coldly and patted his leg. "And don¹t act so offended. You don¹t like her any more than I doŠyou¹re just too spineless to do anything."

"Just because I don¹t like someone, doesn¹t mean I want any harm to come to them." Michael slapped her hand away. "What¹s the matter with you? Have you completely lost your mind?"

Elizabeth tilted her head back and laughed. "You fool! That woman is the one that ruined you. SHE was the major stockholder that sold you out." She shook her head. "She¹s probably sitting in a bar drinking beer with her redneck friends and laughing her head off."

"Do you actually believe that?" Michael asked. "As much as I dislike the woman, I can¹t believe that Amanda would have anything to do with someone like that."

"Oh grow up, Michael! Our daughter ¯ both of them, actuallyŠhave been too influenced by those simpering fools that you call parents. It¹s a shame mine were killed in that car wreck all those years ago ¯ they would have been excellent role models." She stood up and began to pace. "I¹ve done everything possible to secure our futureŠand that country bumpkin ruined it!"

Michael stood up and caught her arm as she walked by. "Stop it, Elizabeth! You¹re acting crazy!" Her behavior was beginning to scare him. He stopped and thought back to what she had said. "Secure our future? Just exactly what have you done?"

"Since you wouldn¹t do anything more than to hire that worthless private investigator to dig up old history, someone had to take charge." She turned and gave him a disgusted look. "I sent someone to Texas to keep an eye on her."

"You did what? Don¹t tell me you had anything to do with her almost getting killed." He stepped away from her.

"Not exactly. But the moron that Mark hiredŠ" Elizabeth was cut off by her now furious husband.

He stepped forward and grabbed her arm roughly. "I KNEW IT! You slut! Garrett is your little plaything, isn¹t he?"

"Let go of me!" She shook off his hand. "At least he was man enough to take care of what I needed!"

"My godŠwhat haven¹t you done?" Michael stepped away from her. "Are you going to marry him after our divorce is final?"

She laughed mirthlessly. "Oh pleaseŠhe was a good distraction, but hardly worthy of any long-term investment on my part." She walked over to the dressing area and picked up a brush. "I sent him overseasŠ" Elizabeth looked at her husband¹s pale face in the mirror as she brushed her hair. "And as for a divorceŠI¹m not sure." She reached for her lipstick and applied it to her lips. "There¹s such a stigma attached to being a divorced womanŠI don¹t know if I want that applied to me."

Michael walked over and stood behind her. "I can¹t stay married to someone who paid to have another person killed. How can you be so cold and calculating?"

"Don¹t be such a baby, Michael. I paid someone to keep an eye on herŠHE hired some inbred moron who had a grudge against her. It was his idea to push her off a cliff." Elizabeth sighed. "What¹s the big deal? She livedŠnot that I was happy about that fact," she mumbled almost under her breath. She met Michael¹s eyes in the mirror. "Since when have you gotten so attached to her? Why the sudden change in you, Michael?"

"Do you realize that I yelled at Jeannie last night for waiting so long to call about Amanda?" He dropped his gaze. "I didn¹t even ask how she was." He looked back up at his wife with tears of anguish in his eyes. "My daughter was lying unconscious in a hospital halfway across the country, and I was more concerned with appearances. Dear godŠI¹ve turned into YOUR father!" He turned away and began walking towards the door again.

Elizabeth turned and glared at him. "Just where do you think you are going?"

He bent down and picked up the suitcase again. "I¹m going home, ElizabethŠ and I¹m going to beg my children for forgiveness and pray that it¹s not too late." He walked out the door without another word.

"We¹ll just see how welcome you¹ll be when your children find out that YOU were behind this whole messŠ" she murmured with a smile. "At least all the evidence will point to you."

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