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“Thank you so much” Jet extended her hand “By the way, I’ at the one room schoolhouse in Paradise Valley You’ve been really helpful”
“Laura,” the girl replied, shaking her hand “Glad I could help” And then Laura and her boyfriend, Michael, alking away
Jet watched the just discussed, and then she thought of Shane and his book and all the rumors and scandal and how i written was correct, that he laid to rest the gossip and rumors and focused on the truth
She shouldn’t get involved She shouldn’t But maybe it was too late for that Jet reached into her purse for her phone and shot Shane a text “I learned solas ranch Interested?”
He answered al off to ski right now, but should be home around two Should I call then?”
“Sure Or I could drop by and tell you,” she answered
He didn’t hesitate “Drop by”
Jet had a little over two hours to kill before she drove out to Shane’s She knew approximately where the Sheenan ranch was as Harley had taken her on a tour of Marietta and Paradise Valley when Jet had first arrived, but needed to double check the actual road as the Sheenan ranch was an earlier exit than her schoolhouse, but then set deep in the valley, up in the foothills of the Absarokas, facing the Gallatin Mountain Range
Jet pulled up the hway 89 and then the winding road that looped the valley, connecting back with the highway just north of Pray It’d take her twenty-fiveher an hour and a half to either get some work done, or watch TV, or las ranchto try to help Shane then she needed to knohat really happened, whichthe facts
Checking her watch, Jet realized the library would now be open so she walked quickly down Main Street, towards the courthouse in Crawford Park before cutting through the parking lot on Court Street for the library
The library’s parking lot only had a few cars in it, which wasn’t unusual for a Sunday Jet cli one of the first built in turn-of-the-century Marietta in the heyday of the copperTaylor Sheenan, Marietta’s new head librarian, would not be working today
Jet had always liked Taylor but she was still annoyed Taylor had told the others that she’d spotted Jet talking to Shane at Java Café last week Just like it was none of Corht
Harley had put the squeeze on Jet to stay away from Shane but Jet wasn’t sure she could
Thank goodness there was no one Jet recognized at the library’s front desk so she asked the librarian on duty, an older wo smile, if they saved the local newspapers, and if so, how far back did they go
The librarian answered they had newspapers dating back alh ile and rarely handled
“What about papers from the 1990’s, would any of those be available?”
“I would think so What are you looking for?”
Jet drew a quick breath “Papers that would be covering the Douglas ranch murders”
The librarian hesitated a ust The murders took place on the first”
Jet aze “Could I have the papers for that first week?”
“Givethe?”
Jet nodded to one of the eht there”
The woman returned a few minutes later with the papers “Are you a journalist, too?” she asked, placing the papers on the table in front of Jet
Interesting Shane“No I’m a teacher”
“History?”
“It’s one of the subjects I teach I’m at the Paradise Valley one roorant Gulch”
“Didn’t they hire a new teacher just a year or two ago?”
“Yes, Missy Sharp, but she’s onin for the rest of the school year” Jet held out her hand “By the way, I’m Jet Diekerhof”
“I’lanced towards the front desk,for her No one was It was still lateand the library was practically empty “Your last name—Diekerhof—sounds awfully familiar, but I’m not able to place it”
“You ht know my sister, Harley She’s now married to Brock Sheenan—”
“I do Harley, yes She’s a lovely wo the twins in once a week and I’d help them find books I used to be the children’s head librarian but I retired last year and now just fill in when I’m needed” Louise beamed at Jet “So pleased to meet you This is a wonderful surprise I take it Harley helped get you the job?”
“She did I’rateful”
“And now you want to know about the tragedy on the Douglas ranch”
Jet squirmed “I don’t want to know, but there’s so ht now, and it’s a sensitive subject with the Sheenans so they never say much”
“Is there a lot of talk?”
“I think so Orabout it because the Sheenans are upset about Sean Finley’s book” Jet’s brow furrowed “I take it he’s been here and talked to you about it”