have something to do with the woman whose remains were found in the well.”
There was a soft knock on the door and both women turned to see their first customer—Kitty Randolph—looking at her watch.
“She’s early but we’re going to have to let her in, huh,” Hilde said with a laugh. “You sure you’re up to this today?”
“I would go crazyif I stayed home, believe me,” Dana said as she started toward the door to unlock it and put up the Open sign. “Good morning, Mrs. Randolph.”
“Dana,” the older woman said, then added, “Hilde,” by way of greeting. Kitty Randolph was a petite gray-haired woman with a round cheery face and bright blue eyes.
“I was going to get back to you about the fund-raiser,” Dana said, instantly feeling guilty for not doing so.
Kitty patted her hand with a cool wrinkled one of her own. “Now, dear, don’t you worry about that. I know something dreadful happened out at the ranch. You must tell me all about it while you match this color thread.” She pulled the leg of a pair of blue slacks from a bag hooked on her arm. “I need to raise the hem. I hate it, but I’m shrinking and getting shorter every day.” She chuckled. “Now what’s this about a body being in the well?” she asked conspiratorially as she took Dana’s arm and steered her toward the thread rack.
Dana picked up several spools of thread and held them to the pants in Kitty Randolph’s bag.
She gave the elderly woman a short version of the discovery in the well.
“Any idea who she was?” Kitty asked.
Dana shook her head. “We might never know.”
Kitty purchased her thread and left, promising to bring some of her wonderful chocolate chip cookies the next time she stopped by.
A RMED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS and informationabout the emerald ring found in the well, Hud drove to Bozeman first thing.
The jewelry store was one of those small, exclusive shops on Main Street. Hud tapped at the door just over the Closed sign and a fit-looking, gray-haired man unlocked the door.
“Marshal Savage,” the jeweler said, extending his hand. “You made good time.”
Hud handed him the photographs and information taken from the ring.
“Oh yes,” Brad Andrews said as he examined the photos. “I remember this ring very well. A one-carat emerald set in a pear-shape with two half-carat diamonds on each side. A beautiful ring. Something you would notice a woman wearing.” He looked up, still nodding.
“You can tell me who purchased the ring?” Hud asked.
“Of course. I remember this ring well. It was a twenty-fifth anniversary present. Judge Randolph purchased it for his wife, Kitty.”
A S K ITTY R ANDOLPH LEFT Needles and Pins, several other ladies from the canyon entered the shop, also using the excuse of needing fabric or patterns or thread when they were really just interested in the latest goings on at the Cardwell Ranch.
Dana could see how her day was going to go, but better here than being at the ranch. Especially alone.
At least that’s what she thought until the bell over the door at Needles and Pins jangledand the last person she wanted to see came through the door.
Dana looked up from the fabric she was pricing and swore under her breath. Hilde had gone to the post office to mail a special fabric order so Dana was alone with no place to run as her sister Stacy stepped into the shop.
Stacy glanced around, looking almost afraid as she moved slowly to the counter and Dana.
Dana waited, wondering what her sister was doing here. Stacy didn’t sew and, as far as Dana knew, had never been in the store before.
Stacy was two years her senior, with the same dark hair, the same dark eyes, and that was where the similarities ended. Stacy was willowy-thin, a true beauty and all girl. She’d never been a tomboy like Dana, just the opposite. Stacy had hated growing up on the ranch, wanting even from a very young age to live on a street in town that had sidewalks. “I never want to smell cow
There was a soft knock on the door and both women turned to see their first customer—Kitty Randolph—looking at her watch.
“She’s early but we’re going to have to let her in, huh,” Hilde said with a laugh. “You sure you’re up to this today?”
“I would go crazyif I stayed home, believe me,” Dana said as she started toward the door to unlock it and put up the Open sign. “Good morning, Mrs. Randolph.”
“Dana,” the older woman said, then added, “Hilde,” by way of greeting. Kitty Randolph was a petite gray-haired woman with a round cheery face and bright blue eyes.
“I was going to get back to you about the fund-raiser,” Dana said, instantly feeling guilty for not doing so.
Kitty patted her hand with a cool wrinkled one of her own. “Now, dear, don’t you worry about that. I know something dreadful happened out at the ranch. You must tell me all about it while you match this color thread.” She pulled the leg of a pair of blue slacks from a bag hooked on her arm. “I need to raise the hem. I hate it, but I’m shrinking and getting shorter every day.” She chuckled. “Now what’s this about a body being in the well?” she asked conspiratorially as she took Dana’s arm and steered her toward the thread rack.
Dana picked up several spools of thread and held them to the pants in Kitty Randolph’s bag.
She gave the elderly woman a short version of the discovery in the well.
“Any idea who she was?” Kitty asked.
Dana shook her head. “We might never know.”
Kitty purchased her thread and left, promising to bring some of her wonderful chocolate chip cookies the next time she stopped by.
A RMED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS and informationabout the emerald ring found in the well, Hud drove to Bozeman first thing.
The jewelry store was one of those small, exclusive shops on Main Street. Hud tapped at the door just over the Closed sign and a fit-looking, gray-haired man unlocked the door.
“Marshal Savage,” the jeweler said, extending his hand. “You made good time.”
Hud handed him the photographs and information taken from the ring.
“Oh yes,” Brad Andrews said as he examined the photos. “I remember this ring very well. A one-carat emerald set in a pear-shape with two half-carat diamonds on each side. A beautiful ring. Something you would notice a woman wearing.” He looked up, still nodding.
“You can tell me who purchased the ring?” Hud asked.
“Of course. I remember this ring well. It was a twenty-fifth anniversary present. Judge Randolph purchased it for his wife, Kitty.”
A S K ITTY R ANDOLPH LEFT Needles and Pins, several other ladies from the canyon entered the shop, also using the excuse of needing fabric or patterns or thread when they were really just interested in the latest goings on at the Cardwell Ranch.
Dana could see how her day was going to go, but better here than being at the ranch. Especially alone.
At least that’s what she thought until the bell over the door at Needles and Pins jangledand the last person she wanted to see came through the door.
Dana looked up from the fabric she was pricing and swore under her breath. Hilde had gone to the post office to mail a special fabric order so Dana was alone with no place to run as her sister Stacy stepped into the shop.
Stacy glanced around, looking almost afraid as she moved slowly to the counter and Dana.
Dana waited, wondering what her sister was doing here. Stacy didn’t sew and, as far as Dana knew, had never been in the store before.
Stacy was two years her senior, with the same dark hair, the same dark eyes, and that was where the similarities ended. Stacy was willowy-thin, a true beauty and all girl. She’d never been a tomboy like Dana, just the opposite. Stacy had hated growing up on the ranch, wanting even from a very young age to live on a street in town that had sidewalks. “I never want to smell cow
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