He Gave A Homeless Woman A Job — Months Later, She Saved His Ranch
Chapter 8
The stranger was older than Pike.
His coat was expensive.
His hands were clean.
He looked nothing like a thief.
“You’re Mary Ellis.”
She tightened her grip.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Richard Vale.”
She recognized it.
Her husband’s brother.
The man who had taken her home.
“You.”
“Yes.”
“You killed Thomas.”
Richard smiled.
“No.”
“You stole his land.”
“It was legally transferred.”
“You forged the documents.”
“You cannot prove that.”
Mary stepped closer.
“You followed me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you have something my brother found.”
“What?”
“The ledger.”
Mary’s heart stopped.
“What ledger?”
Richard laughed.
“Your father never told you?”
“No.”
“He hid it.”
“Where?”
Richard studied her.
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be here.”
Mary realized something.
Richard did not know everything.
He was afraid too.
“Who sent you?”
He said nothing.
“Pike?”
“No.”
“Whitmore?”
Silence.
Mary understood.
There was someone above them.
A man powerful enough to move land deeds across colonies.
A man who had remained hidden.
Richard suddenly lunged.
Mary struck him with the poker.
He fell.
Jonathan entered seconds later.
He saw Richard on the floor.
Then Mary.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
Jonathan helped restrain Richard.
The next morning, Richard confessed enough to reveal the larger scheme.
A wealthy land syndicate had been buying disputed frontier property through forged deeds.
Jonathan’s ranch was one of the last obstacles.
Mary’s husband had discovered the network.
Jonathan’s father had unknowingly acquired one of the syndicate’s documents.
And Mary’s father had copied others.
The evidence had been scattered.
Now everyone was searching for it.
Jonathan asked Richard:
“Where is the leader?”
Richard shook his head.
“I don’t know his name.”
“Then what do you know?”
“He signs letters with a black circle.”
Mary looked at Jonathan.
The same mark.
Richard continued.
“He is coming here.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
“How soon?”
Richard looked toward the northern fields.
“Before harvest.”
Jonathan went silent.
Harvest was less than a month away.
If the syndicate wanted the ranch, they would strike before the crops were gathered.
Mary looked at the calendar.
Then at the barns.
Then toward the northern pasture.
“I know what they’ll do.”
Jonathan followed her gaze.
“What?”
“They won’t attack the house.”
“Why?”
“Because they don’t want witnesses.”
She pointed toward the grain barns.
“They’ll destroy the harvest.”
