Roy moved over to a file drawer and began pulling files.

While Roy’s back was to him, Bram took the opportunity to look at the pile of papers on the desk. Several were overdue bills. “How goes the roundup?” he asked casually.

Roy stacked the files in front of Bram. “We caught a few. Wyatt’s going out with the assistant wrangler and handyman to round up the rest.”

*  *  *

Angie signaled to me. “Bram wants to interview you. He’s in Roy’s office. Go through the gift shop, through the door on the far side, down the short hall to the room at the end.”

I paused at the door.

“How goes the roundup?” Bram was asking Roy.

“We caught a few. Wyatt’s going out with the assistant wrangler and handyman to round up the rest,” Roy said.

I nudged the door wider. “What’s going on with your remuda?”

“We think the helicopters spooked them.” Roy gave me a tight-lipped smile. “Though they should have been used to the sound by now. Don’t worry about it. I have my wranglers out rounding them up. Wait, weren’t you a champion rodeo rider?”

My hands became sweaty. “More like O-Mok-See games and trick riding, and I’m rusty.”

Roy’s gaze had drifted to my left leg. “Never mind. I don’t really need an extra wrangler to catch the horses. I understand.”

I wanted to say I’d try—that I wasn’t the disabled has-been he thought me to be. I could handle it. Instead, I just shrugged.

“Darby,” Bram said. “What can you tell me about the contaminated water?”

“Not much to tell. I didn’t see anyone deliver the water. I just recognized the boggy smell.”

“Okay,” Bram said to Roy. “Who assigns the various tasks?”

“Me. Or Cookie. Sometimes Wyatt. We maintain a whiteboard in the kitchen with job assignments. We’ll put a name next to who’s doing the work.”

Bram stood. “Let’s go see—”

“Already did. There’s a check next to ‘Take coffee, hot water, fresh water to art room. 12:45.’ That means someone did it. Doesn’t say who.”

Bram slapped his hand on the stack of files. “Let’s start in a new direction. Roy, who could have gone up to the pond this morning to get water? Was everyone accounted for?”

“I’m afraid that won’t help you,” Roy said. “The lodge and cabins are on a gravity-fed well system. We pipe the pond water to the outside faucets to irrigate the lawns. All of them are labeled non-potable water, of course.”

“Would your waitresses know that?” I asked. “English isn’t their first language. It could be just a mistake.”

“We make the water situation very clear to all our staff,” Roy said stiffly.