He helped arrange the space without making a fuss.
That small consideration earned him more goodwill from Clara than any elaborate compliment could have.
For nearly two hours, they reviewed the documents.
Frey asked precise questions.
When was the Carter property acquired?
Who maintained the original irrigation channel?
What evidence established historical use?
Which records referred to the missing instrument?
Had anyone obtained permission to inspect the upstream diversion?
Clara answered carefully.
Nathaniel explained the ranch's history.
Mateo's measurements provided evidence of the recent decline in flow.
Frey examined everything.
Then sat backward.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Finally, he looked toward Nathaniel.
“You've been fighting Hawthorne for two years without understanding why he wants your property.”
Nathaniel sighed.
“Apparently.”
The attorney turned toward Clara.
“And you've identified a plausible reason.”
She nodded.
“But we still need the original document or reliable independent evidence establishing its contents.”
Frey smiled faintly.
“Good.”
Nathaniel frowned.
“Good?”
The old man looked at him.
“She's not pretending certainty where she hasn't earned it. That's a rare quality in people trying to win legal arguments.”
Clara smiled.
Frey continued.
“The later deeds are useful. Your historical water use matters. The survey evidence matters. But the exact rights depend on the instruments, the applicable territorial law, and the facts we can establish.”
Nathaniel nodded.
“What do we do?”
Frey leaned forward.
“We preserve the evidence, obtain the records, and seek temporary relief if the diversion is unlawful and threatens serious harm.”
He looked toward Clara.
“And we find out why the original instrument disappeared.”
The next weeks were exhausting.
Clara and Nathaniel worked with Frey to gather the available property records.
The county clerk located several older index entries.
A retired survey assistant confirmed that an irrigation agreement had once governed the upper crossing.
And Mateo identified a former ranch hand who remembered maintenance work on the shared channel during Joseph Carter's lifetime.
The witnesses didn't all agree about the details.
Time had blurred some memories.
Records had been copied.
And several people involved in the original agreement were dead.
But the evidence supported the existence of an older arrangement Hawthorne's current claims did not adequately explain.
Meanwhile, the water shortage became dangerous.
Cattle needed to be moved.
Feed costs increased.
And the ranch's winter preparations fell behind.
Nathaniel worked longer hours despite his injured hand.
Clara noticed.