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It would only take a second to find out if she was losing her mind or not.

* * *

THE MOMENT Hud hit the highway, he called Judge Raymond Randolph's widow to see if Kitty had returned home. It would have been better to stop by and see her, but she lived at the other end of the canyon. He'd spent longer at his father's than he'd meant to. Now he was running late. He wouldn't be able to drive down to see her and still get back to Needles and Pins before Dana left for the night, and he was worried about Dana.

But he needed to know if anything his father had told him was the truth.

"Hello?" Kitty's voice was small but strong.

"Mrs. Randolph?" He remembered Katherine "Kitty" Randolph as being tiny and gray with smooth pink skin and twinkling blue eyes. She baked the best chocolate-chip cookies and always brought them to the church bake sales.

"Yes?"

"My name is Hudson Savage. You probably don't remember me."

"Hud," she said, her tone more cheerful. "Of course I remember you. You and your mother used to sit near me in church. Your mother baked the most wonderful pies. I think her apple pie was my favorite. I couldn't help myself. I always purchased a slice at every sale. For a good cause, I'd tell myself." She let out a soft chuckle, then seemed to sober. "I remember your mother fondly. You must miss her terribly."

He'd forgotten about his mother's pies. Her crust would melt in your mouth. Pies were her one pride.

He cleared his throat. "Yes. I hate to bother you this evening but I'm the new interim marshal in Gallatin Canyon and I'm involved in an investigation." He hesitated, unsure how to proceed.

"That woman's bones that were found in the well on the Cardwell Ranch," Kitty Randolph said. "Yes, I heard about it. How horrible. But I don't see what I—"

"The woman is believed to have been killed with the same gun that killed your husband."

Kitty let out a small gasp and Hud wished he'd been more tactful. He should have done this in person. He should have waited. But since he hadn't, he dove right in.

"I need some information about the last few months the judge was alive." He took a breath. "Did he have Alzheimer's and was he about to be asked to step down from the bench?"

Silence, then a shaky croak. "Yes, I'm afraid so."

Hud let out a breath. "I'm sorry. That must have been very difficult for you. I understand his behavior was sometimes irrational."

"Yes," she repeated. "This is about your father, isn't it?"

Behind the twinkling blue eyes, Kitty had always shown a sharp intelligence.

"Yes. Mrs. Randolph, do you know what the judge had against my father?"

"No, I never understood his animosity toward Marshal Savage," she said, sounding sad. "But the judge was a hard man. Much like your father. And who knows how much of it was just my husband's illness."

"Were there any papers missing after the judge's death?" Hud asked.

"You mean, some evidence my husband might have had on your father?"

That was exactly what he meant.

"No. I doubt any existed." She sounded tired suddenly.

"I know it's late. I just have one more question. In the burglary report, you didn't mention a ring."

"No," she said, sounding tentative.

"Well, Mrs. Randolph, an emerald ring was found."

Another gasp. "You found my ring?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it's being held as evidence."

"I don't understand."

He cleared his throat again. "The ring was found in the well with the remains of Ginger Adams."

Another gasp, this one more audible than the first. For a moment he thought she might have dropped the phone. Or even fainted. "Mrs. Randolph?"

"I had to sit down," she said. "I don't understand. How is that possible?"

"I was hoping you might have some idea," Hud said.

"This is very upsetting."

"I'm sorry to have to give you the news on the telephone," he said as he drove. "Do you have any idea how long the ring has been missing?"

"No, I didn't look for it for months after the judge's death and when I did, I realized it was missing. I thought about calling the marshal and letting him