“That’s not ours.”
They exposed more.
The old galvanized line had been cut.
A PVC cap had been glued onto it.
Deliberately.
Clara looked at Walter.
“When?”
He rubbed dirt from the pipe.
“Hard to tell.”
“Years.”
“Ten?”
“Could be.”
“Twenty?”
“Possible.”
Nell stared.
“Someone shut off the spring.”
Roy swore quietly.
Walter said:
“Don’t touch anything else.”
Clara looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because if your notebook says Kesler knew, and somebody intentionally capped a stock-water source on your property, you might want photographs before you change it.”
For the first time, Clara understood that this was no longer merely about saving goats.
She photographed everything.
Then she called the county sheriff.
Deputy Martin Bell arrived.
He listened.
Looked at the notebook.
Looked at the cut pipe.
Then asked:
“Can you prove who did this?”
“No.”
“Any camera?”
“No.”
“Witness?”
Walter shook his head.
Martin sighed.
“I can document possible property tampering.”
“What happens after that?”
“Without evidence of who or when? Not much.”
Clara expected that.
Still, hearing it hurt.
Martin photographed the cap.
Before leaving, he looked toward the road.
“Dwight Kesler know you found this?”
“No.”
“Keep it that way for now.”
Roy laughed bitterly.
“County knows everything by lunch.”
Martin gave him a look.
“Then maybe stop talking.”
Roy actually looked offended.
The laboratory results came the following afternoon.
Water usable for livestock after flushing and treatment of the cistern.
Clara cried again.
Then got angry at herself for crying.
Hannah stood beside her in the kitchen.
“You’re allowed.”
“I’m wasting water.”
“Those are tears.”
“Still.”
Hannah smiled.
The vet reviewed the goats.
Weight loss had slowed.
Hydration improved.
The watermelon supplementation was working exactly as Clara hoped.
Not curing.
Stretching.
Buying time.
Hannah looked over Clara’s records.
“You documented everything?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“Someone filed a complaint.”
Clara looked up.
“What complaint?”
“Animal neglect.”
Silence.
Hannah continued.
“Claimed you were feeding rotten produce instead of proper forage.”
Clara’s jaw tightened.
“Who?”
“Anonymous.”
“Dwight.”
“I didn't say that.”
“You didn't need to.”
Hannah closed the notebook.
“The complaint won’t go anywhere.”
“Why?”