Hollywood Hills

Chapter Thirty-Two

"I see you've met the local whore."

Jan Sanchez was a tall and lanky high school junior Kate had hired to help with the animals a few hours a week. It wasn't clear what the girl had meant until Kate saw her looking at the pea-brained hound from the night before, who was even now leaping and flopping bonelessly in the tall grass in pursuit of flying bugs.

"He just showed up last night," Kate said.

"Oh, he's a whore. He'll hang around 'til he gets tired of the grub and then move on. I've seen him at half a dozen places between here and Lompoc. I'm not sure if anybody really owns him. Dad says he's his own man."

I should name him Elijah, Kate thought with a smile.

"Thanks for the help getting the horses settled. I'll be here most of next week but will probably still need your help with odds and ends. You game?"

"Absolutely. If I'm not here helping you, my folks will put me to work doing the same, and they don't pay near as well."

She'd taken an immediate liking to Jan, who'd grown up with horses on a small ranch not far down the road. Kate's two horses had arrived mid-morning, and it had only taken about ninety minutes to check them out, exercise them, and feed and water them before going over what Jan's work schedule would be for the next month.

The youngster had declared Kate's facilities more than satisfactory and even had a few sage suggestions about what parts of the meadow to fence off for pasture. The girl had even gone so far as to volunteer her father and brothers' efforts when it was time to lay in the fencing.

As the young woman moved toward her truck, Kate suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, hold on." She returned from the barn in an instant. "Here's a key to the gate. I plan on keeping it open, but if this key doesn't work ...."

"You met Mr. Phelps, didn't you?"

"Oh, yeah ... yesterday."

"He pulled that trick on somebody else." The girl looked over. "He's like that hound. Everybody knows him around here."

"Does everyone get such wonderful vibes?"

The girl laughed and shrugged. "No, not everyone. If you don't have business with him, he's a really nice and friendly man. If he thinks he's been wronged ... look out. He's been in pissing matches with seven or eight of his neighbors. But, please, whatever you do, don't bring him up with my dad," she said as she climbed into the seat of her pickup. "They do not get along."

"Thanks for everything, Jan. I'll give you a call if I have any change of plans."

The young woman hesitated before starting the engine and glanced back toward the barn. "Is that your boyfriend?" she asked with a sweet smile.

"Eli? Nah ... he's an old friend helping me get settled."

The kid laughed again and smiled as she started the engine. "Don't leave that laying around, then. Somebody's just liable to walk off with it .... Bye."

"Bye."

Sweet girl, she thought to herself. Better watch her, though, warned her little voice.

"Are you ready to go?" she called to Eli. All the work she'd intended to do was done, and she'd even had time for a short ride that morning. Jan would be around three times a day for the horses until she returned.

"I'm ready when you are." Eli tossed a bag in the back seat of the truck. "Do you have everything?"

She did a quick inventory and then another. She never used to be so deliberate but decided she needed to be now.