The Rancher’s Dog Laid Flowers in Her Lap… He Said, “I Think God Is Trying to Tell Me Something”
Chapter 6
Thomas read the letter twice.
Then a third time.
Margaret watched his face.
The letter explained that Thomas’s mother, Abigail Reed, had discovered that several local land deeds had been altered.
She had confronted Silas Mercer.
She had also spoken with Margaret’s father.
The two families had discovered that Mercer was using forged signatures to acquire land from poor farmers.
But there was more.
Abigail believed someone inside the registrar’s office was helping him.
The final paragraph was damaged.
Only a few words remained.
“…the original ledger…”
“…under the mill…”
“…Samuel knows…”
Thomas lowered the page.
“Samuel.”
Margaret recognized the name.
“Your father?”
“No.”
Thomas’s younger brother had been named Samuel.
Margaret looked at him.
“I thought you were an only child.”
“I was.”
“What happened?”
Thomas folded the letter.
“He disappeared.”
“When?”
“Two years after my mother died.”
Margaret looked at the dog.
Gideon had his nose pressed against the ground.
Thomas crouched beside him.
“Gideon belonged to my brother.”
Margaret’s eyes widened.
“You said your father gave him to you.”
“He did.”
“Why?”
“Because Samuel never came home.”
Margaret stared at the dog.
The animal lifted his head.
Then he walked toward the woods.
Thomas followed.
Margaret followed Thomas.
They reached an abandoned mill near the creek.
The building leaned dangerously to one side.
Its wheel had stopped years earlier.
Gideon entered through a broken doorway.
He barked.
Thomas pulled his pistol from his belt.
“Stay behind me.”
Margaret obeyed.
They found a rotting wooden chest beneath the mill stairs.
Inside was an old ledger.
Thomas opened it.
Names.
Land parcels.
Payments.
Dates.
Mercer’s name appeared repeatedly.
So did Margaret’s uncle.
And beneath several entries was another name.
Samuel Reed.
Thomas’s hand began to shake.
Margaret touched his arm.
“What does it mean?”
Thomas looked at her.
“My brother wasn’t working with them.”
“Then why is his name here?”
He turned the page.
At the bottom was a final entry.
Paid in full for silence.
Thomas went pale.
