The Case of the Cattle Rustlers

By Richard Pinkerton

Golderado, a town still locked in the 19th century, where horses are the main method of transport and outlaws go about their dirty deeds unhindered.

The Rex Cassidy Investigators must help a young ranch owner deal with a ruthless gang of cattle rustlers led by Fingers McGraw and his two brothers. However, Husk, the local sheriff seems to have no interest in dealing with these criminals.

This does not stop the RCI from doing their job, but Fast Draw McGraw, the fastest gunner in the west, just might.

The RCI Series = Kid's detective novels for adults!

Book 4 in the series

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard Pinkerton
• Release date: Apr 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463171097

Richard Pinkerton

I am in my early 50s and have been writing now since I was 12. I prefer to write light-hearted drama but have written a little fantasy horror and science fiction too.I have an entire series of high school novels (19 of them so far) set in New Zealand (The Mob from TAC series), which I will gradually publish if there is a demand.I prefer to use a mix of quirky and outrageous characters you would never come across in reality and also your every day Joes.My writings are aimed at teenagers mainly, but also young adults.I have also written a series of detective novelettes, most of which can be found on my website. The majority require work, to be able to be published here, mainly due to copyright issues.Please do leave feedback or contact me if you want to know more about my books.

Book preview

The Case of the Cattle Rustlers

(Book 4 in the Rex Cassidy Investigators series)

Published by Richard Pinkerton at Smashwords

Copyright 2021 Richard Pinkerton

Remembering Brian Dennehy

who starred in the greatest Western ever, Silverado

CHAPTER 1:

Poolside Antics

Tucker Pyles sat in front of the TV set playing around with a toy gun as he watched reruns of the old 80s TV show, Sledgehammer. He looked up to see something on the screen and burst into hysterical laughter.

Pete Cook who sat next to him pulled a face. 'Geez, Tucker, you laugh like crazy at the lame stuff but the really funny stuff you don't laugh at. It seems to go right over your head.'

'Urrrrrbbaaarrrrrrrr!' Tucker glared at his friend with contempt. 'If I laugh at it, it's funny, you got that, Cook?'

Pete snickered. 'What's funny is your brain. It has me in stitches of laughter on a regular basis.'

‘You better watch it, ubbhead. If you're not careful, I'm gonna dish out a good ubbering.'

His short, but athletic friend quivered his hands in mock fear. 'Ooooh, I'm scared. I better watch it or you might shoot me with your water pistol.'

'This isn't a water pistol, ubbhead!' Tucker growled. 'It's a real gun. I'm taking it on our case to Colorado.'

Pete chuckled. 'Real gun, my foot. If it was real, you would have fired off a whole lot of shots by accident by now, because you're so careless. Half of us would be in hospital with bullets wounds, or worse be lying in coffins.'

Tucker's attention returned to the 50-inch flatscreen TV set on the wall in front of him. He leaned back in an easy chair his generous frame squished in between the arms. He and his fellow RCI members had moved to the USA the previous year but still chose to live in shared accommodations. It saved money and it meant they had all the mod cons.

Tucker burst out laughing once again, amused by what he was watching. He then turned back to Pete. 'I'm gonna get a gun like Sledgehammer's. And it's gonna talk.'

'A talking gun?' Pete scoffed. ‘There's not much point in having talking guns.'

'Yes, there is. They can tell the crooks to put their hands up or something like that.'

'But why can't you just say that yourself?'

Tucker rolled his eyes, unable to believe how dense his comrade was. 'That's the idea of having a talking gun, so you don't have to say it.'

Pete groaned. 'Yeah, yeah, okay.'

'See?' Tucker tapped the side of his skull. 'Smart thinking, right?'

'Actually, I was thinking it was some other kind of thinking, but we won't go there, otherwise, you'll be threatening me with ubberings again. And I don’t want to have to defend myself and risk burying my fist in your fat gut. I’d probably have trouble pulling it out again.'

Tucker's program came to an end so he headed out to the pool where others of the Rex Cassidy Investigators were hanging out. Tucker loved their accommodations and it was so cool having a swimming pool. Despite the fact, that a couple of his fellow Investigator still hadn't completely accepted him, it was a pretty awesome lifestyle and he no longer had to put up with his nagging abusive mother. That was the best thing of all.

It was a lovely backyard and the swimming pool that even had a diving board. The chief of the RCI, Rex Cassidy himself, sat cuddled up with the world's most stunningly gorgeous woman, Vanessa Dante. Tucker could hardly break his eyes away from her flawless curvaceous figure. This was one of the many perks of being an RCI and that was getting to see the goddess in a swimsuit on a regular occasion, a pleasure he only got to have occasionally back when they went to school together. He admired her long dark hair, her spotless, smooth, creamy, skin, her sapphire blue eyes and cute diamond nose stuff.

How he loved her. Alas, he would never get to hold her, because she belonged to Rex. She always did. Rex with his muscular 6 foot 3 tanned physique. Tucker had always envied him.

Colin Hewes – second in command of the RCI and Jo Ashley, Tucker's two best friends in all the world were having a diving competition. Jo has just pulled off a near-perfect dive and Colin now stood on the board.

'Jo, that was bloody pathetic!' Colin scoffed.

The brown face of Jo bobbed up and down in the deep end of the pool and scowled. 'Let's see you do better, cunt!'

Colin thumped his muscular chest, which caused his slightly bulging belly to wobble. He then bounced on the board and plummeted down to the water, performing a belly buster. Their Maori companion burst out laughing from the water as Colin surfaced a pained expression on his face.

‘Colin, you egg!'

Colin grinned. 'Now let's see someone outdo that for spectacularity!'

Rex rose to his feet. 'I'll give it a shot.'

Vanessa grinned. Tucker knew how she loved to see Rex perform and show up the competition. She always had. However, if Rex's dive could get anywhere near as spectacular as her smile, then Tucker would give up food for an hour.

Ha, he thought to himself. As if it ever could be.

Their wealthy lifestyle was all thanks to Rex and Vanessa. Rex came from an insanely wealthy family and had even driven a modern Mustang Shelby as a teenager. Many saw him as just a lucky rich kid, but he had keen business acumen, like his parents and so far, in the US he had made some great business deals and already had new money streaming in of his own.

Vanessa, on the other hand, had come to the USA with her own money already, having been a hugely successful fashion and swimsuit model in New Zealand and having signed a multimillion-dollar contract with a huge fashion company in LA. She was on billboards and on the cover of fashion and woman's magazines galore. Even after only a few months, she had become a big name in the modelling industry and that fame was now starting to spread beyond that. They all figured it wouldn't be long before she was up there amongst the big names.

Rex took to the diving board and did a somersault dive into the pool. It was nicely done and sure beat Jo's effort, but it still didn't come anywhere near to being as impressive as the smile of the goddess, Vanessa.

Tucker decided it was his turn to try the diving board. Maybe he could do something to impress her because he'd done very little of that over the last several months.

'Uh-oh,' Colin said. 'Better hold on to a solid object, a tidal wave is coming.'

Tucker was proud of his massive frame. Everyone called him fat, obese and a lot worse names, but as far as he was concerned it was all just extra bouncy muscle. He waddled to the ladder and hauled himself up with difficulty. Once at the top, he felt momentary vertigo, but he walked out onto the board, which bent precariously under his 130+ KGs of muscle.

He paused to look around at the trees and gardens around their two-storied house. It was a beautiful sunny day and the sun glinted off the water of the pool. For a moment he rocked as a little vertigo set in, but he had a goddess to impress and he refused to give into it.

He leapt and hit the water with a tremendous splash. It almost seemed like Niagara Falls upside down. He nearly drenched Will Ullman who delivered him a look of content.

‘Watch it, Pyles!’ he growled.

Wal was one of the guys who still struggled to accept him. He’d always treated Tucker with contempt at high school.

Vanessa sighed as Rex rubbed suntan lotion onto her luscious back. 'I am going to miss you sooo much, Rexy. God, I just hope your case doesn't go on too long.'

'I hope not too. I hope we can clear it all up as quickly as possible.'

'It so sucks that I have a big modelling shoot in New York next week. Otherwise, I'd come. I'd love to see this town. What's it called? Golderado?'

'Yep.'

'Sounds like some kind of old wild west town.'

Rex massaged her shoulders. 'From what our client said on the phone, it's not far from the truth. It's a ranching town and most of the people ride horses. Hardly any motor vehicles. The residents decided they wanted a town that had a wild west feel to it, so they've kind of rejected outside