For a moment, he seemed uneasy.
"How recent?"
Caleb examined the edges.
"Before the last small snowfall. Not long."
The sheriff stood.
He looked toward the deputies.
"Stay alert."
Clara's stomach tightened.
She glanced toward the ridge.
The forest seemed quiet.
Almost peaceful.
Then a branch snapped.
Caleb turned instantly.
"Behind the rocks."
The warning came just as a man stepped from the trees.
Nathaniel Briggs.
He wore a dark coat, thick gloves, and a black hat.
Two riders emerged behind him.
One was Silas Crowe.
The other carried a short-handled shovel.
Clara froze.
Briggs looked toward the exposed marker.
For a moment, his expression changed.
Then he smiled.
"Well, Mr. Hart."
Caleb stepped slightly in front of Clara.
"Briggs."
The man glanced toward Sheriff Boone.
"Amos."
The sheriff's jaw tightened.
"What are you doing here?"
Briggs gestured toward the quarry.
"Company business."
Mallory rose from beside the marker.
"On whose authority?"
Briggs looked at him.
"And you are?"
"Henry Mallory. Surveyor."
Briggs's smile faltered.
For a moment, he seemed to reassess the situation.
Then he gestured toward the stone.
"That marker belongs to Granite Valley."
Clara stepped forward.
"It predates your company's claim."
Briggs looked toward her.
For the first time, his expression hardened.
"Miss Whitmore."
She swallowed.
He smiled thinly.
"Your father was a troublesome man."
Caleb's face changed.
Briggs noticed.
Then continued.
"Pity you seem determined to follow his example."
Clara felt fear move through her.
But she kept her voice steady.
"My father recorded discrepancies. We're verifying them."
Briggs laughed softly.
"With a schoolteacher and an aging surveyor?"
Mallory's expression tightened.
He looked almost offended.
"Young man, I've been measuring land since before you could spell your own name."
One deputy coughed to hide a laugh.
Briggs's smile disappeared.
He looked toward the sheriff.
"These people are interfering with company property."
Boone stepped forward.
"Then provide the documents supporting that claim through the appropriate process."
Briggs stared.
For a moment, he seemed surprised by the resistance.
Then he looked toward Crowe.
The ranch hand shifted.
Caleb noticed.