looked up from
the paper. Aileen's face had lost its color. "What's the matter?"
"This is a letter from the Internal Revenue Service. It
refers to the tax return filed last year." Wordlessly she
handed it to him.
Quint read it. "How can the ranch owe this much money
in taxes to the IRS? I don't understand."
"That makes two of us." She shook her head. "I do my
own tax return, but that's straightforward and simple. I
have no idea what all's involved in figuring taxes that include a payroll, retirement accounts, depreciation on equipment, and heaven knows what else. Do you?"
"Not really. My taxes are little more complicated because
I itemize my rodeo expenses, but that's nothing like what
you have to file for an outfit the size of the Triangle B. Did
Jack do the taxes himself?"
"I'm sure he didn't. He disliked all paperwork." Aileen
glanced at the clock before reaching for the telephone. "I'm
calling the accountant's secretary. She gave me her home
number in case we had any questions."
"And do we have questions," Quint muttered.
"This is Aileen Bolton. I hope I'm not calling too late,
but we-" Aileen listened. "Thank you. I received a letter
from the IRS. They claim that the Triangle B owes twentyfive thousand dollars more for last year."
Quint watched as Aileen listened to the secretary. At one
point he saw her eyes widen and saw her slump against the
counter. He took a couple of steps toward her.
"Thank you," Aileen said. "I'll get in touch with the firm
that handled the taxes."
After she hung up, Quint said, "From your reaction, I
take it that the news isn't good."
Aileen sighed. "Two years ago, Dad took all the paperwork to a firm that specializes in taxes. Mr. Holloway, according to his secretary, is conservative. The tax service,
on the other hand, has a reputation for being creative. They
always promise big savings in their ads."
Quint frowned. "Creative? What does that mean?"
"I suspect it means looking for loopholes that may or
may not be legal. I can't believe Dad fell for their promises."
Aileen looked so bewildered, disappointed, and miserable that Quint wanted to take her in his arms and hold her.
Stroke her bright hair. Inhale that caramel-sweet scent that
made him hungry for things lost long ago or forever unattainable.
"Why would he?" she asked.
"Sounds to me like the actions of a man in trouble."
Aileen continued as if she hadn't heard him. "I always
thought Dad was honest and honorable. But apparently I
didn't know him at all. First you and now this. We lived
in the same house for a quarter of a century, and I have no
idea who he was!"
Quint laid his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently. When she raised her face to look at him, he saw tears
glisten in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said simply. "I know it's tough when
somebody disappoints us. Especially if we care about that
person."
"I should have guessed that something was wrong."
"How?"
"By lots of small things. Like when I first got my job, we split payments of the household expenses. Then I noticed that he was no longer depositing money into that account, so I started to pay everything." Aileen shook her
head. "Even before that, there were plenty of signs, but I
didn't interpret them correctly."
"What signs?"
"When I started college, he gave me spending money.
The summer after my freshman year I took part in a special
research project that paid a very nice stipend. After that,
he no longer offered spending money. That was okay. I got
a part-time job in the library."
"What else? You said there were plenty of signs."
"Halfway through my sophomore year, he asked me to
live at home and commute. That surprised me because the
campus wasn't all that close. He claimed that the cleaning
woman wasn't doing a good job anymore."
"Now you think these things were signs that the ranch
wasn't doing well?"
"I'm not sure, but what else could they mean?"
"Maybe he was lonely and missed you and wanted you
the paper. Aileen's face had lost its color. "What's the matter?"
"This is a letter from the Internal Revenue Service. It
refers to the tax return filed last year." Wordlessly she
handed it to him.
Quint read it. "How can the ranch owe this much money
in taxes to the IRS? I don't understand."
"That makes two of us." She shook her head. "I do my
own tax return, but that's straightforward and simple. I
have no idea what all's involved in figuring taxes that include a payroll, retirement accounts, depreciation on equipment, and heaven knows what else. Do you?"
"Not really. My taxes are little more complicated because
I itemize my rodeo expenses, but that's nothing like what
you have to file for an outfit the size of the Triangle B. Did
Jack do the taxes himself?"
"I'm sure he didn't. He disliked all paperwork." Aileen
glanced at the clock before reaching for the telephone. "I'm
calling the accountant's secretary. She gave me her home
number in case we had any questions."
"And do we have questions," Quint muttered.
"This is Aileen Bolton. I hope I'm not calling too late,
but we-" Aileen listened. "Thank you. I received a letter
from the IRS. They claim that the Triangle B owes twentyfive thousand dollars more for last year."
Quint watched as Aileen listened to the secretary. At one
point he saw her eyes widen and saw her slump against the
counter. He took a couple of steps toward her.
"Thank you," Aileen said. "I'll get in touch with the firm
that handled the taxes."
After she hung up, Quint said, "From your reaction, I
take it that the news isn't good."
Aileen sighed. "Two years ago, Dad took all the paperwork to a firm that specializes in taxes. Mr. Holloway, according to his secretary, is conservative. The tax service,
on the other hand, has a reputation for being creative. They
always promise big savings in their ads."
Quint frowned. "Creative? What does that mean?"
"I suspect it means looking for loopholes that may or
may not be legal. I can't believe Dad fell for their promises."
Aileen looked so bewildered, disappointed, and miserable that Quint wanted to take her in his arms and hold her.
Stroke her bright hair. Inhale that caramel-sweet scent that
made him hungry for things lost long ago or forever unattainable.
"Why would he?" she asked.
"Sounds to me like the actions of a man in trouble."
Aileen continued as if she hadn't heard him. "I always
thought Dad was honest and honorable. But apparently I
didn't know him at all. First you and now this. We lived
in the same house for a quarter of a century, and I have no
idea who he was!"
Quint laid his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently. When she raised her face to look at him, he saw tears
glisten in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said simply. "I know it's tough when
somebody disappoints us. Especially if we care about that
person."
"I should have guessed that something was wrong."
"How?"
"By lots of small things. Like when I first got my job, we split payments of the household expenses. Then I noticed that he was no longer depositing money into that account, so I started to pay everything." Aileen shook her
head. "Even before that, there were plenty of signs, but I
didn't interpret them correctly."
"What signs?"
"When I started college, he gave me spending money.
The summer after my freshman year I took part in a special
research project that paid a very nice stipend. After that,
he no longer offered spending money. That was okay. I got
a part-time job in the library."
"What else? You said there were plenty of signs."
"Halfway through my sophomore year, he asked me to
live at home and commute. That surprised me because the
campus wasn't all that close. He claimed that the cleaning
woman wasn't doing a good job anymore."
"Now you think these things were signs that the ranch
wasn't doing well?"
"I'm not sure, but what else could they mean?"
"Maybe he was lonely and missed you and wanted you
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