THE WILL 21

dave the deputy didnt spare the horses all the way to jacobs farm. tobey was just a bit scared as the speedometer needle was tickling the century mark. but when they pulled into the farm yard it was plain there was something wrong. the place looked abandoned. dave and tobey got out of the care and stood looking around, weeds grew in every corner, trash was scattered from a burn barrel . they started to walk over to the shop. there they found jacobs under a farmall h tractor on his back with the front tool bar crushing his chest.the tractor had been jacked up with a hi lift jack but not propped in any way. the jack had tilted to one side dropping the tractor on jacobs. dave carefully walked around to the far side and felt of jacobs vein in his neck. he shook his head sloww" he has been dead a while." he got up and walked back to his car and useing the radio called for a wrecker and a ambulance.dave stood there transfixed. it was plainly a accident, but he still had a funny feeling. as he stepped to where the jack lay under the front of the tracter he saw it. he stooped down and picked up a white peice of high heel from a womans shoe. it lay in the rubble next to the jack.he rolled it around in his fingers for a second then put it in his shirt pocket. it was late afternoon before they got the place cleaned up. dave wrote it up as a accident bu tobey wasnt so sure. when tobey got back to his hay yard he found roberto superviseing hay being loaded. he stood to one side while a man was stacking the hay on his truck. the man jumped down and counted bills in payment and drove out. tobey chewed on roberto." i told you to stay out of sight! besides your weak from the first gun shot what are you thinking?" " ime ok, all i did was count the bales they loaded. here s the money!" roberto explained. " come on, ill drive you home. then ill come back and do the chores.: tobey pushed roberto to his truck.. tomorrow he had some things to check out.

THE WILL 20

tubbs was about to fold, tobey hadnt even touched him yet. but a wet place had appeared on the crotch of the fat mans wranglers. "nick hadly, nick told me. "tubbs blubbered. "how the hell would he know anything? whats it to him?"tobey asked. "him and that hay farmer jacobs wanted your uncles business. they couldnt sell their hay as good as blake could."the fat man was done. tobey turned and walke back to the deputy whom then turned around and looked as tubbs retreated to his truck a definate wet spot in his crotch "how hard did you have to hit him to do that to him?"the deputy was trying not to laugh. "never touched him, but i got a name. nick hadley?"tobey was almost laughing himself. " i know where to find him, get in with me and lets go have lunch."the deputy grinned. tobey got in the deputys car and they headd back down town. they pulled into the sherriffs station and the deputy told tobey to wait while he ran in. when he came back he had a sheet of paper in his hand he handed it to tobey when he got in. " autopsy report on the old rancher that died in the hospital" he said. as they pulled away from the station tobey was reading . he turned to the deputy "is this for real? it wasnt his heart?" " thats what it says , smothered" the deputy had a grim look on his face when they pulled into the parking lot of a local cafe. " ill go with you this timeill ask the questions, be quiet until i que you in. this bird knows more than he will tell us. i think"the deputy was now all business. inside the cafe nick saw them comming. he slide his chair back to get up and go out the back door but the deputy reached him first. " we need to talk nick."the law man stated. nick had a sick look about him and wilted back into his chair. "how did you know about the shooting at the hay yard. ?" the deputy asked. " oh i heard it around town i guess. why?"nick answered. " well who around town told you? you had the word out before we had even made a report. who told you? i want to know now!"the deputy bored in. nick looked past the deputy at tobey standing there a grim look on his face. " well, lets go out back here and see if you cant remember just who told you." the deputy started to stand up. nick grabbed the table edge with both hands and clamped down" no! jacobs told me. his girl friend is the one behind all this. i swear!" nick had crumbled easier than the two men thought he would. "dont leave town until this mess is cleaned up" the deputy got up and turned to tobey " i know where jacobs farm is lets take a ride"