True to the Law (40 page)

“He sure did.” Jem shook the keys. “Still don’t know why. I saw what happened. Far as I can tell, they’re the wronged party. Mackey was cheating.”

“Oh. Yes, well, maybe he did it to keep them safe.”

“Safe from what?” Jem asked, but his question went unanswered. Tru had already ducked out of the doorway and back into the office.

Cobb asked, “Did he have something to say?”

Tru shook her head. “I don’t think he could see me. I couldn’t see him. Dr. Kent is still working on him.”

“It
is
Frank.”

“Yes. I believe you.” Her eyes swept over him in a single glance, then again, more slowly the second time as she took inventory. “I’m glad you’re all right.”

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Her eyes darted to the Wanted Wall.

Cobb’s smile was modest and a little amused. “They don’t know,” he said.

“They don’t?”

He shook his head. “Frank had everyone’s attention. Do you want to tell them or should I?”

Ted frowned and asked the room at large, “What’s he talking about?”

Jake shrugged. So did Harry and Jessop. Neither Terry nor George bothered to offer even that much of a response.

“I’d like to,” said Tru. She walked over to the Wanted Wall, and with a gesture that she had perfected in her classroom while discussing place names on the map, she extended her arm and pointed to the notice at the center. “Gentlemen, that is Mr. William T. Barrington our marshal arrested this evening. Ted, you’re going to spend the rest of your days telling everyone about the time you
almost
captured a miscreant.”

Ted took off his hat, scratched the back of his head, and squinted hard at the poster. “Why, the fella back there doesn’t look anything like that sketch. Barrington here has got a beard.”

Everyone except Cobb and Tru regarded him with a jaundiced eye and an arched eyebrow. Terry said, “It’s him, Ted. You can’t tell from the poster that he’s a redhead. Remember how you said that picture put you in mind of Mr. Andrew Mackey? You were in the right church, wrong pew. Frank looks like his cousin and Billy Barry looks like Frank. Funny how none us of saw it when they were sitting side by side at the card table.”

Harry nodded. “Barry asked about a barber. Do you recall that?” When Ted nodded, Harry went on. “That’s why we didn’t see him for looking at him. Hiding in plain sight, he was. He told us straight out that he didn’t like the way Beck shaved his beard.”

Tru went to Ted’s side and took his arm. “I’m sorry, Ted. I should not have teased.”

Ted harrumphed under his breath, but everyone could see that he was pleased to have the apology and the attention. “Don’t recollect seeing that other fellow up there. What about the one that calls himself Beck?”

Cobb said, “That’s for me to figure out, Ted. The best way to do that is to encourage one of them to turn on the other.” He addressed Tru. “So you know, everyone here tonight helped out in some way. They just didn’t realize how much until a moment ago.”

Jake chuckled. “I don’t think Jem knows yet who he is guarding.”

“I’ll tell him in a while. Mr. Johnson, I’d be grateful if you’d escort Miss Morrow home. Ted, Harry, and the mayor have to stay to figure out the money.”

George was happier to oblige Cobb than Tru. She separated herself from Ted’s arm because no excuse to remain behind came to her.

“Goodnight, Marshal,” she said as Mr. Johnson opened the door for her. “Goodnight, gentlemen.” The best she could hope for was that Cobb understood that she did not include him among the gentlemen at the moment.

Chapter Fifteen

Tru asked George to walk her to Jenny’s instead of escorting her home. He hesitated because of Cobb, but she promised him that Jim would go with her when she was ready to leave. George agreed and eased his conscience by speaking to Jim before he passed her off.

Jim stepped aside to allow Tru into the house. “What was that about?”

“It’s Cobb,” she said. “He’s feeling inordinately protective toward me.”

“Kissing a man in front of God and everyone will do that.”

Tru felt the weight of her beaded reticule dangling from her wrist. “I suppose.”

“Let me take your coat, Tru. Jenny is in the parlor. She’ll have something to say.”

“Actually, Jim, I came because I do.”

* * *

Rabbit and Finn huddled in the deepest shadows of the schoolhouse watching the activity in the jailhouse across the way. Their cowlicks and all the rest of their pale yellow hair were hidden under black woolen caps. The collars were turned up on their coats, and their long knitted scarves were wrapped several times around the lower half of their faces. Rabbit’s scarf had wide black-and-gray stripes. Finn’s was crimson. He hadn’t liked it when he saw it in the lamplight, but in the dead of night, it did not look like any color other than black.

They kept their gloved hands thrust into their pockets and stamped the ground softly to keep warm.

Finn lowered his scarf to uncover his mouth. “Too bad about the snow.”

Rabbit nodded. They were nearly invisible staying close to the houses, but when they stepped away, it hardly mattered that there was only a fingernail moon out tonight. The crusty blanket of snow that lay everywhere except on the well-traveled main street made their presence as obvious as chalk on a slate—but only the opposite, Rabbit had hastened to add.

“I don’t know,” said Rabbit. “Maybe it’ll make you more careful. You can’t just go running off every which way.”

Finn shrugged and jerked his chin in the direction of the jail. “What d’you suppose they’re doin’ over there?”

“Hard to say. Is that money that they’re takin’ out of that hat?”

Finn squinted. “Suppose it could be.” He sighed because Ted Rush sidled up to the desk and stood directly in their line of sight. “Well, that’s that. Hey, do you reckon Miss Morrow’s in some kind of trouble?”

“No,” Rabbit said scornfully. “She’s our teacher. It’d be unnatural.”

“Maybe they’re hiding something from her. That’d be natural, her bein’ a woman and all. They didn’t let her stay very long.”

“Could be. Mr. Johnson looked like he was in a hurry. You wanna take a peek up at the Phillips’s place? There’s nothing we can see in the marshal’s office anyway.”

Finn tugged on his brother’s coat sleeve as he shook his head. “I want to show you what I found behind the Taylors’ house. We’re supposed be looking for villains, remember? That’s what you said, and I think I know what Sam Burnside’s been up to. C’mon.”

Moving as stealthily as the crunch of snow under their shoes would permit, Finn led Rabbit behind the schoolhouse, into the alley, and past several cross streets until they reached the gate that opened on the fenced-in backyard of Taylor’s Bathhouse and Laundry.

When Finn reached for the handle on the gate, Rabbit stopped him. “The Taylors have a dog.”

“Yeah, I know. Clover. Prissy says she’s real friendly, and she doesn’t bark at strangers on account of she’s used to them because people are always comin’ and goin’ from the laundry or the bathhouse.” Finn opened the gate only wide enough to slip inside. He motioned to Rabbit to follow but threw out an arm to keep him from advancing too far into the yard.

“Notice anything?” Finn whispered. “About the snow, I mean. Like where it is and where it ain’t?”

Rabbit did. A dark path leading from the back porch opened to a large, equally dark circle that was almost dead center in the yard. “Where’s the dog?”

“See? That’s the thing. Prissy says they take her in at night, and Mr. Taylor puts her out in the morning. Ties her up because otherwise she’ll dig in Mrs. Taylor’s garden.” He looked around. “You can’t see it now, but there’s a patch under the snow somewhere. There’s a stake in the middle of that circle, and the path comes from Mr. Taylor walkin’ back and forth to the house.”

“You’re saying Sam Burnside comes here?”

“Uh-huh. Most every morning before school to play with the dog. That’s what I’m suspicioning. His folks won’t let him have a dog, or even a cat, on account of his sister gets all wheezy and watery around them.”

“So that’s why she’s never with him.”

“Maybe. I don’t think she knows or cares where he goes. Besides that, Charity gets a little wheezy and watery around him. Good for her to keep Sam at a distance.”

Rabbit thought about that. “Only problem, Finn, is that the ground is frozen. Not muddy.”

“That was a puzzler, but then I tagged along with Prissy when school let out on Monday and—”

“You told Gran you stayed after to help Miss Morrow.”

“Sure, and she thinks we’re still tucked in just like she left us.”

Rabbit nodded, impressed. “Right. Go on.”

“Well, I saw Mrs. Taylor toss a couple of buckets of water out here. Some of it froze, but what with Clover and Mr. Taylor going back and forth, the ground ain’t froze solid yet. If you want to test it, just walk in there, but I’m tellin’ you, you’ll leave tracks.”

Instead of going anywhere, Rabbit flung his arm around Finn’s shoulders. “This is good work.”

Finn beamed. “So maybe it’s Sam that’s the villain cuttin’ between Miss Morrow’s and the Stillwells.”

“Could be. The Stillwells have a cat. Peeve. We both know Mrs. Stillwell lets him out to prowl at night.”

Finn absently rubbed his right arm. “I never saw any scratches on Sam that looked like the ones Peeve laid on me.”

“Maybe Sam never knelt on the cat’s tail when he tried to pet him.” He pulled Finn through the gate and closed it. “Let’s go on over to Mrs. Stillwell’s, but first we’ll check to make sure Miss Morrow is with Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. It’d be better if we don’t have to watch out for both of them.”

* * *

Ted, Harry, and the mayor were still haggling over the money and markers when Cobb was thanking Dr. Kent for his services and seeing him off. As soon as the doctor was gone, Cobb strode over to his desk and threatened to scatter the spoils over the Laramie Range if the three of them didn’t conclude their business in five minutes.

“At this rate, you’ll be wrangling over the reward money into the next century,” he told them.

That brought Ted’s head up. “Reward money?”

Cobb pointed to the poster. “Two hundred dollars offered by the Jones-Prescott Bank of Rawlins. And that’s only for Mr. Barrington. Beck might be worth a little more or a little less depending on his role in the robbery.”

Ted whistled softly. “I wasn’t thinking about the reward when I invited them to join us for cards.”

Cobb did not reveal his amusement. “That was clever of you, Ted. You dangled just the right bait on your hook.”

“That’s what I’m realizing. Always was good at getting the fish to bite. Of course, Harry and our mayor had a say in it, too. Leastways they were sitting with me. Share and share alike, I say.”

Jake and Jessop Davis were slouched on the bench under the Wanted Wall with their arms folded identically in front of them and their legs slightly splayed and extended. In response to Ted’s comment, they exchanged sardonic glances.

“That’s real big of you, Ted, to remember us,” said Terry. He pushed Ted’s portion of the winnings toward him. “All of your markers and your share.”

Ted looked at it, frowned. “Seems like there should be more.”

“Ted,” Cobb said, and looked pointedly at his pocket watch.

“All right. All right. I’m taking it.” He scooped up what Terry had passed to him and stuffed it in his pockets. “You fellas want to have a drink at the Pennyroyal?”

“You buying?” Harry asked.

“No.”

“I think I’ll go home then and let the marshal get on with his business.”

Terry held up a hand. “Same for me, Ted. My wife will be waiting.”

Cobb said, “If you’re going back to the Pennyroyal, I would take it as a favor if you’d let Mr. Andrew Mackey know that his cousin is here. I’m a little surprised he hasn’t shown up already.”

“Maybe he already knows and doesn’t care,” Ted said, shrugging. “I wouldn’t if my cousin was a card cheat. That Frank fella back there came to the saloon alone, so maybe Mr. Andrew Mackey doesn’t want to associate himself with trouble.”

“I realize that. Will you tell him anyway?”

“Sure.” He gave Cobb a little salute and caught up with his friends as they were leaving. He was still trying to convince them to accompany him to the Pennyroyal as the door closed behind him.

“Maybe I should go tell Mr. Mackey,” Jessop said. “I don’t know if you can count on Ted.”

“No. I want you here. And it doesn’t matter if Ted remembers to tell Andrew.”

“Then why’d you ask him to do it?”

“I thought since the other two were going home, Ted could use a reason to head up to the saloon. Sometimes a man needs to feel important.”

Jake nodded. “That was real good of you, Marshal.”

“Don’t repeat it. I’ll deny it, and it will embarrass Ted.”

Jake put a finger to his lips, nudged his brother, and Jessop did the same.

“Anyway,” Cobb said, dropping into the chair behind his desk. “I think Ted’s right. Andrew Mackey doesn’t care much for his cousin.”

“Huh,” Jessop grunted.

Jake asked, “You goin’ to keep him overnight?”

“I haven’t decided. Doctor Kent says he has no problem with it if I do.”

“Well, I guess one of us should relieve Jem in the back. He’s probably bored keeping an eye on Barry, um,
Barrington
and Beck.”

“Yeah,” said Jessop, getting to his feet. “And he gets a little punchy when he’s bored.”

“Actually, Jessop, we’re going to separate Barrington and Beck. One out here in shackles. The other stays in the cell.”

“You’re going to talk to them?”

“If I do it right, I won’t have to talk much at all.”

* * *

It was after midnight when Jim Phillips escorted Tru up the front steps of her home. “Do you want me to go inside with you? Have a look around?”

Tru shook her head. “That’s not necessary. You saw that everyone’s over at the jail. The office is practically ablaze.”

“Not everyone. I saw the Davis boys, Cobb, and someone sitting behind Cobb’s desk that you say is Barrington. We don’t know if Frank Mackey or the other fellow are still in their cells. I couldn’t see through walls and neither could you. Cobb might have let them both go already.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Humor me, Tru. After what you told Jenny and me tonight about the Mackeys, I think I need to be humored.”

“Very well.” She stood on tiptoes and bussed Jim’s cheek. “I appreciate you offering.”

“My mistake was posing it as a question. Go on.” Jim shook his head when Tru opened the door without searching her reticule for a key. “Given the situation as you described it this evening, locking your doors when you go out would not be amiss.”

“You’re right. I suppose I don’t like being the only person in Bitter Springs who locks her doors.”

“After word gets around about the bank robbers, I have a feeling you won’t be alone.”

Tru set her reticule down and lighted the table lamp. She allowed Jim to help her out of her coat. “There are more lamps in the parlor. Light them all if you wish.”

“One will be sufficient.” He found matchsticks in a drawer and struck one. “Let me walk around once.”

“Certainly.” She smiled a little to herself as she removed her gloves and scarf. Jenny would be so pleased by Jim’s thoughtfulness. She called after him as he went into the kitchen. “I’m going to take
Triumphant Democracy
off the shelf again. I swear I will finish it by Monday.”

Jim checked the back door. It was also unlocked. He opened it, stepped on the back porch, and nearly came out of his shoes as a large ball of gray-and-white fur howled and spit and finally leaped over the stairs and into the yard.

“That’s Mrs. Stillwell’s pet Peeve,” Tru called from the parlor. “Did he scratch you?”

“No. But it wasn’t for lack of trying.” Jim stepped back inside, closed and locked the door. He looked around the kitchen, the dining room, and then came around to take the stairs.

Tru tucked her book under her arm and let him go. He wasn’t gone long, and she was waiting by the front door when he reappeared. “Just so you can be assured that I lock it behind you,” she told him.

He nodded, handed her the lamp, and stepped out when she opened the door for him.

“Locking it,” Tru said when he was on the other side. “Rattling the key.” She heard him chuckling. “Goodnight, Jim.”

“’Night, Tru.”

* * *

Rabbit yanked on the tail of Finn’s coat. “Get down,” he whispered.