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“And Calder?”
“He’s in very critical condition”
Stricklin reached for the telephone “HI contact our pilot and ements for us to fly up there”
“Yes, do that” Dyson nodded absently
Ty called Stumpy Niles at the ranch and apprised him of the situation; then he made a separate call to the Haskell house Jessy answered, and he repeated again the words he’d said so often that they’d lostto him
“How’s Ruth?” he asked in a voice that was heavy
“I don’t know,” Jessy ad that Vern take her to the hospital so she can be there to look after your father, insisting it’s what Webb would want her to do She talks about your grandfather as if he were alive yet Then she rah as a child” There was a slight pause “The doctor’s given her a sedative, so hopefully she’ll rest”
Ty rubbed his forehead, trying to erase the dullness “Has anyone been to O’Rourke’s place to notify him about the accident? I should have done it before I left but” A broken sigh came fros had crowded any thought of his uncle from his mind
“No, I don’t think so I’ll go see him,” Jessy volunteered
“Thanks” Just the sound of her voice was so in this upheaval that surrounded him
Few stars were shining in the inky black of a ht when Jessy drove into the yard of the Sha fron of life in the yard; the usual tall yard light was not lit
When she stepped froht, her breath billowed in a steaainst the sudden drop in te the dark shadows of the barn and corral At this hour, she doubted that O’Rourke would be out riding She turned toward the house, and a voice jumped at her out of the shadows
“Are you looking for me?”
Jessy swung around, staring into the darkness, barely able to ainst an equally black background No sound betrayed his presence, and he offered her no silhouette against the faint stars in the sky
“Yes, I am” She took a step in the direction of the voice, then paused For reasons of his own, he didn’t want to be seen clearly, or he would have come forward So Jessy didn’t press him “I’m sorry, but I have some bad news” No sound pro silence “There was a plane crash” It was an unco able to see the person she was addressing “Your sisterwas killed”