THE BIG HORN 33

when roy and con had filled 2 carts at the grocery store and started checking out, con could see in the parking lot a man in a white shirt and khaki pants leaning on the front of the ranch truck. con bumped roy and nodded toward the man. roy simply grunted. in the parking lot each cowboy had a cart full they were pushing toward the truck. when they reached the front of the truck con pushed his cart past the man and stopped in front of him. " what can i do for you?" con asked. the man produced a wallet with a badge, FBI, " ime looking for fawn capps." the man said. " i got no idea where she is. i wouldnt mind seeing her myself."con answered. roy was loading the grocerys in the truck but stopped and was listening. " we just want to talk to her. she left you pretty well set up with the ranch. there is no where you can contact her?" the man asked. " she left me some instructions and a bank card. i cant say more, because i dont know more."con responded. " understood. will you contactt us if you do hear from her?" the man handed con a business card. con took the card and placed it his shirt pocket" will do." the man turned and walked back to his bronco. roy watched him go" i thought, hoped, we were through with them guys." " they might just being to tie up some loose ends. i wouldnt worry to much. we got our jobs and control of the ranch. they cant hurt us none."con started helping roy load the bags. a couple of hours later con stopped the truck next to the mail box for the ranch. it set along the asphalt out side the main gate. " i dont know why i keep checking this , theres never anything in it." he commented as he shut the front door on the box. at the trailer they were un loading the bags wwith miriam helping and putting the food away on shelves and in the refridgerater. when they finished miriam reached into her apron pocket and brought out a post card with apicture of a bunch of pine trees on the front." this was in the mail box"she said as she handed it to con. when con took the card he noticed the post mark was a small town on the washington state coast. he turned it over. fawn had written " dont expect to see me ever again. just operate the ranch as if it were your own this address is that of my father. should you need direction contact him. your bank account will be short some cash. thats me. i hope it doesent cause a problem we will talk soon." con stared at the card a long time then handed it to roy to read. when roy was through he looked at con" now what?" con shook his head" i dont know. it sounds like she dont want to be found. why i dont know." miriem quietly said" i know why. she told me one time before she left. she needed to talk to some one." " well? what is it?" roy blurted out. " she shot her husband and his mistress. it wasnt the cartel." miriem quietly said while looking at the floor. " she comes back the feds will charge her with murder. damn!" con stated. mirem pushed abig manila envelope down the counter. it was addressed to con. in it were documents giveing con posetion of the ranch, a instruction sheet of where to deposit funds and what percentage of the income to deposit." con read it through twice " damn" was all he said. on a small privatley owned island off the washington coast fawn cast her fishing line into apool . she could see the shore line a mile away. she had a bungalow to live in, a boat came to her once a week with supplys and news her father took care of her needs from his home on the main land. she had a lot of time to reflect on her life.

THE BIG HORN 32

late that aternoon con and roy drove into the ranch yard. earnesto, miriam and their daughter were sitting at the motor home. fawns jeep was no where to be seen. when con and roy got out of the truck earnesto slowley stood up. it was plain to see it was a painful thing to do.. " HOLA amigos" he called out. when they close to him they helpe him sit back down. " where is the patrona?" con asked "she left. when we were comming home and she saw all the police on the road she got scared. she left us here then drove away. she left this for you." earnesto handed con a envelope. when con opened the envelope he saw it was full of hundred doller bills. it was bulging with them.. " what the ......" con asked. " she said you should keep the rancho going. sell more cows. that she would be back." earnesto spoke slowley. " has the police been here?"roy asked. "you are the only ones. i dont understand.why would she be afraid?"earnesto slowley shook his head. in the envelope with the cash was a debit card on a account at the local bank. a note said to deposit the cattle checks in that account and draw funds as needed. con looked at roy" ime sure this is legal but it seems awful fishey. but its work and these folks are depending on us. what do you think?" " well if you think its on the up and up i guess ime in. i got nothing else to do. we came here to punch cows so i guess we will."roy spoke slowley. all of them were puzzled. for the next two weeks con and roy worked the cattlew at the paradise and then back to the 13. they shipped 4 loads of cattle to the auction and there were still cattle left on the ranch. there was no more smugglers crossing the ranch. the federale agent showed up at the end of the first week and told them the raid on the cartel in mexico had be accomplished. he stated it had turned to gun fire and many criminals had died. off handidly he asked about fawn. when con explained about her disaperance the agent asked no more. at the end of the second week earnesto was getting up and around. doing little chores about the ranch but very slow. miriam was cooking for the whole bunch and cleaning and setting things in order in the bender house. con remarked that for once things were going like they should. at the uction barn when con picked up the cattle check his eyes bulged out. he had no idea they would bring that much money and when he deposited the check and saw the balance on the account again his heart almost stopped. out in the truck roy was waitting for him. " you know we are being tailed?" he asked con. con looked at him" who?" " dont stare but that ford bronco parked out on the street. he was at the sale barn too. what do we do?" roy told him. " we havent done anything wrong. we go about our business like always. if they want something let them come ask."con was terse. they headed to the grocery store.