Dark Horse by Lee Clinton

Author:Lee Clinton [Clinton, Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

DO SOMETHING

The Need For A Plan

When Rita had finished telling me what Alex had told her, well, what a fit of rage I felt flood over me. I was on my feet and stomping around in circles. I had trouble controlling my pique and wanted both justice and vengeance all at the same time. ‘I will go to the bank and demand to see that document,’ I announced.

‘You will do no such thing,’ said Rita with annoyance.

‘Why not?’ I fumed.

‘Do I need to explain, again? You will place Alex, me, and yourself in great danger. And do you really think for a moment that Hopkins will let you near that document or those bonds and cash? For God’s sake, Nettie, sit back down.’ There was fire in Rita’s eyes as she spoke. ‘Hopkins will guard that piece of paper with his life. It cannot only make him wealthy but also ruin him. Knowledge of its existence is knowledge of his interference, perjury and collusion with Karl O’Brian. From here on in Hopkins has no choice but to lie, cheat, steal, and maybe even kill if necessary, to carry this secret to the grave.’

Slowly, I was starting to understand that we had uncovered a hornets’ nest, but how do you deal with a nest of hornets when it is now tangled in your hair? ‘I still don’t get it, Rita. If it is so dangerous, why doesn’t he just destroy it?’

‘It gives him power over Karl O’Brian, and that gives him access to the fortunes of the Double U. It is a perilous piece of paper, but one that provides him with a path to wealth and power. And besides, possession is nine-tenths of the law. He is safe while he has it under lock and key and held tightly in his custody.’

Rita was right, and I despaired at the situation. ‘Hopkins and his greed are one thing, but how could my father do this to me? He has been paid off by Clement for one thousand dollars and put his mark upon a written agreement to leave us alone. Why does he have to make my life such a misery?’

Rita just looked straight ahead and remained silent.

I continued howling my injustice. ‘All my life he has treated me with scorn, but I have never understood why. And now this.’ I could feel my anger growing. ‘But Clement must have known the true character of my father all along.’

Rita still remained mute and stony faced.

I tried again to get a response. ‘I said, my husband must have known what my father was like.’

Rita lifted her eves to look at me as she said coldly, ‘I heard you, and yes Clement was a good judge of character. Not everybody has that knack.’

‘What do I do now, Rita?’

‘Short of murder, I’m not sure. I just know that we have to get the Double U back to its rightful owner, you, Nettie Youcheck.’

‘That’s what led me to the bank to get a loan, so that I had the capital to build this farm up and show that I can successfully manage a property.

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