Blood on the saddle.
Search parties found tracks near an iced-over river.
No body.
Everyone assumed he fell through.
Their father never recovered.
Vincent spent years wondering whether he could have saved him.
Now Samuel was saying—
“No.”
Samuel lowered his eyes.
“I saw him.”
Vincent’s voice became dangerous.
“You’re certain.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He called me by name.”
Khloe moved closer to Vincent.
Not touching.
Just near.
Samuel continued.
“He said he was taking back what should have been his.”
Vincent’s face emptied.
Khloe understood before he spoke.
“This isn’t just money.”
Vincent looked at her.
“No.”
His voice sounded far away.
“This is family.”
Morning did not wait for grief.
At 6:40 Paulie rode into the ranch yard.
Khloe watched from behind the parlor curtain.
Samuel had been hidden in an unused root cellar beneath the kitchen.
Vincent had changed clothes.
Clean shirt.
Dark vest.
No visible bruise from exhaustion except beneath his eyes.
He sat at the breakfast table holding coffee as though the night had been ordinary.
Khloe wore her usual gray skirt and white blouse, now dry.
She had returned Vincent’s coat.
The thick nightgown remained beneath her clothes because there had been no time to change properly.
That secret seemed absurdly intimate considering everything else.
Paulie entered.
“Morning.”
Vincent looked up.
“Commissioner coming?”
“Seven.”
“Good.”
Paulie smiled.
“Deeds ready?”
Khloe stood near the sideboard.
Vincent opened the folder.
Paulie watched.
Too closely.
Vincent turned one page.
Then another.
“I found a problem.”
Paulie’s expression barely changed.
“What?”
“Parcel number.”
Khloe kept her eyes down.
Vincent tapped the paper.
“Doesn’t match county survey.”
Paulie walked closer.
“Probably clerical.”
“Probably.”
He looked at Khloe.
“Miss Evans prepared them.”
There it was.
Immediate transfer of blame.
Khloe felt cold.
Vincent noticed.
His expression did not change.
“She prepared what you gave her.”
Paulie smiled.
“Then whoever typed the original.”
Vincent leaned back.
“And this signature?”
Paulie looked.
“What about it?”
“Mine.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t remember signing.”
Paulie laughed.
“You sign fifty papers a week.”
“True.”
Vincent closed the folder.
“We’ll delay.”
Paulie’s smile vanished.
“The commissioner rode from Cheyenne.”
“He can ride back.”
“Vincent.”
Interesting.
Paulie rarely used his first name during business.
“We need that grazing land secured.”
“Why?”
Paulie hesitated.
“Winter feed.”
“We have enough.”
“Not if snow comes early.”
Vincent looked at him.
“Since when do you worry more than me?”
Paulie smiled again.
“Trying to earn my wages.”
Khloe could barely breathe.
He knew.
Maybe not that they knew.
But he sensed something.
Vincent stood.
“Tell commissioner paperwork needs correcting.”
Paulie nodded.
Then looked at Khloe.
“Miss Evans.”
“Yes?”
“Need you downstairs.”
“For what?”
“Quarterly ledger.”
Vincent answered.
“She’s busy.”
Paulie looked at him.
“With?”
“Me.”
Silence.
Khloe felt heat rise in her face for reasons unrelated to fraud.