Page 35 (1/2)

“Good” After a few more questions, Jessy drew their conversation to a close “Keep , especially if you have any further trouble I won’t tell you to be careful I know you always are”

“Always” Quint sht”

“I’ll tell her,” Jessy promised

Lines of thought creased her forehead as Jessy hung up the phone The sound of the receiver rocking into its cradle roused the aged Chase Calder from his idle daydreams More andlittle to hold its attention for any length of time

Yanked unexpectedly back into the present, Chase struggled to ascertain what that was Flas stacked in the den’s uely conscious of the warht of the blanket robe that covered his legs

Almost belatedly he focused on the tall, slender wohtly troubled look in her expression He had an instant recall that she had picked up the phone to call Quint in Texas

“What’s wrong?” Chase couldn’t re to anyone “Wasn’t Quint there?”

“I talked to hi fro the calm, steady co under control there”

Chase leaned forward in the wing-backed chair “You told him about the hay, didn’t you?”

Jessy gave him a bewildered look “The hay? He said it wasn’t scheduled to arrive until Wednesday Was I supposed to tell hi about that?”

Chase sank back in his chair, not at all certain that he had told Jessy of his suspicions “I can’t see Rutledge letting hi He’ll have to Quint needs to know that”

“He said he was going to call Cat tonight I’ll let her know that I need to talk to him—and mention it then”

Yet Chase’s concern only reminded Jessy of the assault on Quint by three ly suspected, like Chase, that the Cee Bar’s problems were caused by an outside source But Jessy had never really believed she was putting Quint in any physical danger Now she couldn’t ignore the possibility

“Chase, is it really important that we keep the Cee Bar?” Ultimately such a decision was Jessy’s toher father-in-law’s counsel was too deeply ingrained for her not to ask the question of him “It’s always been more of a financial liability than an asset to the Triple C”

She expected him to come back with his usual answer—that Calder land was never for sale This tiave her question considerablya reply