The Edge of Town (42 page)

Julie hadn’t wanted to sleep. She had wanted to stay awake and live over and over again every word Evan had said and feel again the kisses they had shared; but when the red rooster in the barnyard announced a new day, Julie woke with a start.

As she slipped out of bed and hurriedly dressed, she recalled that she and Evan had decided to say nothing to the family, just yet, about their plans to spend their lives together. She longed to tell Joe. He was the one who would be the happiest for her.

Her father, who usually milked the cows on Sunday morning, came into the kitchen as Julie was building the fire in the cookstove.

“Morning,” she said over her shoulder.

“Mornin’. You were out pretty late last night.” His voice was gruff, critical.

“Yes,” Julie admitted. “It was late.”

“Not a very good example to set for the young ones.”

“They should have been asleep when I got home,” Julie said calmly, determined not to let his grouchiness take the edge off her happiness. “Are you going to church this morning?”

“Planning on the whole family going.”

“Mrs. Stuart, too?”

“She says not.”

“I’ll stay home and cook dinner. I don’t think we should all go and leave a guest in the house.”

“Why? Are you afraid she’ll steal something?”

He went back out before Julie could reply. She looked after him, wishing things were different between them and that she could tell him of the wonderful thing that had happened to her.

Julie worked swiftly, pinching off dabs of biscuit dough the size of an egg, flattening them between her palms, and placing them in a row in the shallow baking pan. She shoved the pan in the oven, added a dozen cobs to the firebox because they made the fire hotter, removed a round stove lid and placed the big spider skillet over the open flame.

While placing the strips of meat in the skillet, she paused to think. Even if Birdie wasn’t here, who would cook the breakfast, do the washing, mend, clean, and do all the other chores if she went to live with Evan? Jill was fifteen, the age Julie had been when she took over the running of the house, but somehow Jill seemed younger. Oh, there were so many obstacles to overcome before she could be with Evan.

Julie pushed the thoughts from her mind, and by the time the family had gathered, breakfast was on the table.

“Do you want to call Mrs. Stuart, Papa?”

“There’s been racket enough to wake her if she wanted to come in.” He took his place at the table. Behind him, Joe grinned and winked at Julie.

Birdie and Elsie came to the table when the meal was almost over. She apologized, saying that she had a terrific headache this morning. She and Elsie ate only the biscuits with butter and honey. Julie had taken the jar of strawberry jam to the cellar.

“Did you enjoy yourself last night, Julie?” Birdie asked.

“Very much. Jason, if you want more honey, I’ll pass it.”

“I heard you when you came in.” Birdie looked pointedly at Jethro.

Julie chose to ignore the comment, and the conversation died from her lack of response.

Birdie had ceased in her pretense of helping after the meals. She and Elsie went to the bedroom. While Julie and Jill were washing dishes, Jethro came in with a chicken he had plucked and cleaned. It was in a pan with a cloth over it.

“I cleaned this last night, Sis. I was kind of hungry for chicken and dumplings.”

“The chicken will have to boil for a couple of hours. If I go to church, it’ll not have time to cook for dinner.”

“I changed my mind about going. I’ll watch it if you’ll put it on. Joe can take you in the car. It’s too hot for you to walk.”

“All right. I’ll make the dumplings when we get back.”

An hour later, church and dumplings were the furthest thing from Julie’s mind.

After she had dressed Joy and herself and was waiting for a grumbling Jason to change his shirt and pants, a car came down the lane from the road.

“Who is it?” Jill asked.

“I don’t know.”

A big touring car stopped beside the front porch. A tall man wearing a felt hat and a large tin star on his shirt pocket got out. Julie could see Evan in the front seat, but he made no move to leave the car. The officer paused to say a few words to Evan, then came around the car to the porch steps, where Jethro had gone to meet him.

“What’s going on?” Joe asked from behind Julie. “That’s Deputy Weaver. What’s Evan doin’ with him?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

Julie went out onto the porch and, ignoring her father and the deputy, went to the side of the car where Evan sat. Before she could say a word to him, the deputy grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the car.

“Keep away from my prisoner, miss.”

“Prisoner? And …let go my arm.”

Evan opened the car door.

“Stay put,” the deputy barked. “Stay put or I’ll put the cuffs on you.”

“Papa, what’s going on?”

Julie looked from her father to the sneering face of the deputy. The rest of the family had come out onto the porch, followed by Birdie and Elsie.

“You goin’ to church with us, Mr. Johnson?” Joy yelled as she darted down the steps to the car.

The deputy caught her under the arms and roughly swung her back up onto the porch. Scared, Joy burst into tears.

“Get your hands off her!” Julie shouted, even as she heard a growl come from her father’s throat. Jack swung Joy up into his arms and held her protectively.

“What do you think she’d do?” the boy demanded.

“He probably thought she was going to slip him a knife or a gun,” Joe said dryly.

“I don’t think you understand what’s going on. I’ve got a job to do here and I’ll not put up with a couple of smart-aleck, wet-eared kids.” Deputy Weaver reared back and looked down his nose at Joe and Jack. “Keep your mouths shut unless I ask you a question. There’s been a murder, and this man is my prisoner.”

“Murder?” Julie’s hand flew to her mouth and her eyes to Evan.

“Walter Johnson was killed last night, and it’s my job to find out who did it.”

“You…think…Evan did it?”

“Yes, I think he did it. He says that he was with you last night.” Weaver’s narrowed eyes focused on Julie’s face.

“He was. He was with all of us until just after dark, then he and I went for a ride in his car.”

“Where’d you go?”

“We went along the river, then to the bluff overlooking town.”

“What did you do up there?”

“We talked.”

“Talked? Bull-foot!” The deputy cast a disgusted glance back toward the car.

“What do you mean by that?” Jethro’s irritation was evident.

“It means … well, never mind. What time was it when he left you here?”

“I’m not sure of the minute,” Julie said trying to remain calm. “But it was shortly after two o’clock. I heard the clock strike when we were on the porch, and we stayed a little while after that.”

“Talking? You must have had a lot to talk about.”

“We did. Not that it’s any business of yours,” Julie added sharply.

“That remains to be seen.”

He glanced over his shoulder as a car came down the lane and stopped. Chief Corbin Appleby got out and came to the porch. He nodded a greeting.

“She says he was with her until two o’clock.” The deputy raised his brows in an insinuating way.

“Are you sure of the time, Miss Jones?”

“I’m sure.”

“It was about that time, Chief,” Jethro said. “I heard her come in.”

“Then who came in a little after ten? I thought that was Julie; the boys had already gone upstairs.” All eyes turned to Birdie. She put her hands to her cheeks, and her eyes got large and fearful. “Did I say … something I shouldn’t have? Oh, Jethro, I’m sorry.”

Julie turned on her, her eyes blazing with anger. “What are you trying to pull now, Mrs. Stuart? You didn’t hear me come in at that time, and you know it.”

Birdie’s eyes became even larger and slowly filled with tears. “Oh, you’re just so … mean. I don’t know why you said you came in later.”

“Ma’am.” The deputy reached for Birdie’s arm. “Let’s go over here and have a little talk. Chief, see that this bunch stays away from my prisoner.”

“I don’t want to get Julie in trouble.” Birdie threw a pleading look over her shoulder at Jethro and choked back sobs. She grabbed Elsie’s hand and walked behind the chief’s car with the deputy.

“Papa, you know it was around two when I came home, don’t you?”

“I heard the car drive in and stop away from the house, and I heard the clock strike when you were on the porch.”

“Is the time important, Chief Appleby?” Julie asked.

“Yes, ma’am, it is. Gus Keegan, who runs a joint down on the river, was out on his dock around two o’clock. He told the deputy he was fishing, but I know that he was pulling up a gunnysack full of bootleg whiskey out of the river. A car drove up and someone began to pull something from it. He thought it was thieves out to steal his whiskey. He yelled. The man got in the car and drove off, leaving the bundle on the ground.

“Gus walked over and discovered the body of Walter Johnson. He had been stabbed many times and his throat was cut. Whoever killed him must have been in a rage, because he was cut up pretty bad. Gus thinks the man was going to get him in the river, hoping the current would carry him downstream. Doc Forbes said Walter had been dead for four or five hours.”

“Why does the deputy think Evan did it?” Julie asked.

“Because of the car. Gus said he had seen a car like the one that brought the body go by earlier in the evening and he thought it was the same one. The car he described was like Evan Johnson’s. From a previous conversation with Johnson, when Weaver and the marshal went to the farm to talk to Walter, Weaver believes he wanted his father dead so he could have the farm.”

“Can I go say something to Evan?” Julie asked.

“As far as I’m concerned it would be all right, but this is out of my territory, although Well’s Point where the body was found is and I’m in charge of the investigation.”

“Does Weaver know that?” Jethro asked.

“He was on hand and thinks he’s my superior. Ah, hell, come on, Miss Jones, and speak to Johnson. You’ve made your statement.” Julie hurried to the car. The chief followed and stayed a short distance away.

“Evan, I’m sorry about Mr. Johnson.” Julie reached her hand in and he clasped it tightly. She saw the deep tension in his face and took a deep breath that quivered her lips. Her eyes caressed his face. The look warmed him to his very soul.

“So am I. He was as ornery as the day is long, but he didn’t deserve to die like that. Honey, I didn’t want to drag you into this.”

“I don’t know what Birdie is telling the deputy. Did you hear her say I was home at ten o’clock?”

“I heard. Just stay calm and don’t let the deputy get you mad. He’s showing off. The marshal is a straight shooter. He should be here sometime today. What we’ve got to do is find out who around here has a car that would look like mine at night.”

“I love you,” Julie said on a breath of a whisper, and tears filled her eyes.

“I love you, too.” Evan brought her hand to his mouth for a quick kiss, his eyes glued to her face. “Tell Appleby that I’d like to have a word with him.”

Julie backed away and Corbin moved around to the car window.

“The tires on my car are special. Check the tread and compare them to the tracks made by the car that dumped Walter by the river.”

“Have you mentioned this to the deputy?”