It was almost lunch time when Rex arrived back at the ASPCA offices. He read through the half a dozen messages that waited in his inbox and cursed under his breath when he recognized his boss's signature on the last one. Tim Masters wanted to see him in his office the moment he got back. He sighed and headed to the large office at the end of the hallway. No use delaying the inevitable; it was just another of his grandfather's sage advice.
He inhaled deeply as he brought his fist up to the hard wood door. He could still smell her, lingering in his nostrils as much as she did in his mind. It was that which propelled him forward when the voice bid him, "Come in."
Tim Masters had never been his favorite person. With his freshly pressed suits that seemed out of place in a building with hundreds of animals, he was too much the polished politician for his liking. The man had never spent a day in the field, knew nothing of the neglect and abuse that the animals faced. Hell, Rex could not remember the last time he had seen the man in the holding pens, where the animals were kept awaiting adoption. No, this man got and kept his job because of one thing, his ability to raise money. And this time Rex was standing in his way. He did not relish this meeting.
"You wanted to see me, Mister Masters?"
"Yes, Mister Ranger," the formal introduction set Rex even more on edge. "I received a call from Marigold this morning. She told me about what happened in court yesterday." The man finally lifted his cold eyes from the computer screen, "Would you mind telling me since when does the ASPCA work with the defense on cases we are prosecuting?"
Rex met the man's stare directly, "Miss Riley is not the defense. She represents a third party in the case. The man's son, who claims rightful ownership of those horses. His father is contesting his wife's will that left the bulk of her estate to their son. It is likely that Mister Marshall's intent was to starve the animals so that his son could never take possession of his property."
"Yes, I knew all of that going into this court case. We all did. It has no baring on the case. If the younger Mister Marshall wanted to claim his property, he had the responsibility to insure that it was being properly cared for. What I want to know is what the hell came over you in that courtroom that you would deviate from our case and take up with the opposition?" Rex could see the red tint forming around the man's ears and hear the rise in voice.
"This was an unusual case from the beginning, Mister Masters, you know that. It is not every day that the ASPCA is called to one of the largest ranches in the state. The Marshalls trace their ancestry back to the Alamo, founding fathers of this state. And the value of those horses? We have never dealt with those kinds of assets."
Rex skirted the subject, knowing that was the true motivation for this man's concern, the loss of potential revenue from the auctioning of the horses. This man had never cared for the animals themselves, just his career, his ability to impress the board and move on to another higher paying and more prestigious job in a couple of years. It disgusted him, but he did all that he could to hide his feelings, to keep the conversation professional.
"Exactly, Mister Ranger, all the more reason that the ASPCA must do all that it can to protect the welfare of those animals. We cannot appear to favor the Marshalls because of their station in this community. And you saw for yourself the state of those animals, the intentional starvation imposed by Mister Marshall on the animals when every other animal on that ranch was well maintained with plenty of food and water," the man's hands rested on the top of his desk, his knuckles were turning white where they were laced together.
"Yes, but once more that had nothing to do with his son," Rex tried to keep his own anger under control. This man got under his skin on the best of days. The past two years working with him had been an exercise in control. But today, when he was already on edge, when the beast him in roared to claims its mate, when things were happening so fast that his brain could no longer process it, his patience with the self-centered bastard was hanging by the proverbial thread.
"And we are back to the point that we agreed with Marigold and the Prosecutor's Office before taking this case to court. That Thad Marshall had a legal obligation to monitor the care of the contested property while in the possession of his father. How has that changed, Mister Ranger?" Masters furrowed his brows as he stared at Rex.
Rex searched for an answer that would make sense, would appeal to this man and his agenda. He fell back onto the only one that he had been able to come up with during the long, sleepless night filled with images of her in his arms and bed.
"The ASPCA cannot insert itself into a civil matter of this magnitude. While those horses are animals and deserve all of the protection that we can offer them, they are also financial assets worth one point two million dollars, Mister Masters," which he knew was the heart of his boss's objection. Tim Masters wanted those horses for the center piece of the annual auction next month. Rex would bet that the man had even listed them in the brochure already.
He took a deep breath before he continued to plead his case under the intense stare of his superior, "Due to the nature of this case, it is likely to receive a lot of media attention, not just locally or even statewide, but nationally and perhaps internationally as well. We cannot have Mister Marshall or his attorney claiming that the ASPCA interfered and prematurely seized his property. It would do serious damage to our reputation and perhaps scare off some of our high profile donors."
There it was, his ultimate argument. He watched as the man's brows knit together in thought, his mouth scrunched up, his nose twitched. He waited. And waited. And waited as he allowed the man to play through the various scenarios in his mind.
"Yes, well, I will concede your point, Mister Ranger, but that did not give you the right to intercede on the woman's behalf without consulting me or Miss Clement."
Rex nodded, "I apologize." He kept it simple. The sooner he was finished with the man, the sooner he could focus upon more important things. Like her. His Mitawa Naya.
Tim Masters sighed and shook his head, "I'm assuming that you have a plan. That you and the woman are working out this compromise that you promised Judge Ortega? And I trust that you are looking out for the best interest of the animals."
Rex nodded, "Yes, sir, I am. Miss Riley, the younger Mister Marshall's attorney, has a small ranch just outside of Houston, in Waller County," he stumbled over the half truth. The few acres that the woman owned could hardly qualify for the term, but he did not want his supervisor knowing that.
"She runs a pony farm for special needs children in her spare time. And in her youth, she competed in barrel racing at the Livestock Show and Rodeo and won several Four H prizes. She has volunteered to care for the animals, under our close supervision, of course, until the civil matter comes to court. If the younger Mister Marshall wins the case then she has assured me that he will reimburse the ASPCA for any care they received while in our possession."
He played his ultimate card, "She assures me that we have Thad Marshall's deepest gratitude. Perhaps he would even be moved to make a generous donation." Rex waited as he dangled the worm before this greedy fish. He saw the man's face soften just a bit before he continued, "Of course, if Mister Marshall senior were to win then nothing stops us from proceeding with our case against the man and seizing the horses as we planned."
Rex smelled the man's discomfort. He knew that Masters was not completely satisfied with the plan. He was certain that the lure of immediate revenue from the auction weighed more heavily than any possible donation. He did not blame the man. From a purely business point of view, it was not the wisest decision, but Rex had never been much of a business man. And this decision had nothing to do with business. Honestly, it had far less to do with the welfare of the animals than he wanted to admit. It had everything to do with her.
The man finally shook his head, "I'm still not convinced that this is going to work, Mister Ranger. You said that the ASPCA will supervise the care of the horses? How do we even know that Miss Riley has the facilities or ability to fulfill her duties? As you say these are highly valuable animals, the ASPCA needs assurances that they will be cared for properly."
Rex smiled, "That is where I was this morning, checking out Miss Riley's facilities. While her ranch is not large, it has a sufficient barn for housing the animals and land for their exercise. As I said, Miss Riley herself is quite the horsewoman and she has the assistance of Hector Ramirez. He was a former jockey and groomsman until he retired some years ago. And you have my word that I will inspect the horses often to insure that they are receiving the care they need to recover fully."
The man frowned, "Yes, well, as I said I am not happy with the situation, Rex." Masters' use of his first name did nothing to assuage him. "But after your little performance in front of Judge Ortega yesterday, you have not left me much choice in the matter." The man stared him in the eyes before continuing, "Hear me now. Do not pull another stunt like that again without consulting me and Miss Clement. We do not like having the rug pulled out from under us without warning."
Rex inhaled deeply, knowing that this battle was won. His mind raced ahead to the next, his grandfather. And as it always would, it returned quickly to her. His Mitawa Naya. He nodded slightly, "Thank you, Mister Masters. And you have my word," he said as he slipped from the office, closing the door behind him.
***
Jaycee paced back and forth down the hallway. She opened the door and checked on her sleeping daughter several times. She would pause there until she heard the raspy wheeze of her snores or could see the soft rise and fall or her chest. If she did not, then she tiptoed into the room and softly laid a hand on her tummy until she felt the gentle rise and fall of her chest that confirmed the child was still breathing.
SUDEP, it was a horrible acronym. Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. It was also her worst nightmare. The possibility that her daughter would go to sleep and never wake up. It occurred in just one to two percent of those diagnosed with epilepsy, but they were almost all either children, teens or young adults.
She shivered at the thought. It was not the first time. From Angel's first seizure, Jaycee has scoured the Internet seeking information and support. On place that she received that support was an online forum run by the Epilepsy Foundation. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of that first night that they were home from the hospital. She had come across a posting on the forum that would stay with her forever. A mother wrote about putting her daughter to bed for her nap. The child had begged and pleaded for another story, but the mother refused and closed the door. When she went to wake her daughter, she was dead. The woman was filled with guilt, not only over the death but the story as well.
