The Outlaws (32 page)

“I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it.” Mark spoke almost into her ear, startling her. “Garrett has decided that Ezra’s going to lead him to Billy or else.”

“Never mind!” she cried, her anger at Ezra spilling over onto Mark. “You knew what would happen, didn’t you? No wonder you could sound so noble at the grave. You knew the sheriff would do your dirty work for you.”

Mark didn’t reply. Susie, standing next to him, stared wide-eyed at Tessa.

“Oh, you poor dear,” Susie murmured. “You’re so upset you just don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I know exactly what I’m saying! When men pin on a law badge, it seems to turn their hearts as hard as the badge.”

“But Tessa . . .” Susie protested.

“Don’t talk to me!” Tessa cried. “Naturally you’d be on Mark’s side. He’s a man.”

Susie flushed, putting her hand to her cheek as though Tessa had slapped her. Before Susie turned away, Tessa saw her eyes mist with tears.

Tessa raised her chin. She wouldn’t be sorry for what she’d said. It was true, every word.

Calvin touched her arm. “I thought you might feel the need for a bit of fresh air.”

She turned to him gratefully. “Oh, yes, Calvin. This very minute.”

The evening was cool. The sky, still deep rose to the west, showed the hills etched darkly against the fading light. Calvin led her through the gate and down the street.

“Surely you see there’s nothing left for you in Lincoln,” he said. “Santa Fe would be a new start.”

“Yes,” she said, sighing. “A new start.”

“Does that include marrying me” he asked.

Tessa tried to smile. “I wouldn’t go with you to Santa Fe otherwise.”

He took her into his arms, holding her close. “You’ve made me very happy. I’ve waited a long time for the right answer,”

Had she really said yes? Tessa felt dazed and lightheaded. She leaned against Calvin’s shoulder. He was the only one she could count on.

The sound of someone approaching made her draw back a little. Mark passed them, looking straight ahead. He said nothing. Calvin’s hand was warm on her back, but it did nothing to ease the sudden chill inside her.

* * *

“I don’t mean to tell you your business,” Mark said to Garrett on May first, but you could keep Ezra Nesbitt behind bars until he turned gray and it wouldn’t change his mind about helping you find Billy.” -

“If you don’t mean to tell me my business, then don’t,” Garrett snapped.

“What purpose does it serve? You haven’t got a warrant on him. Suspicion isn’t a valid reason.”

“It’s my reason.”

“Can’t you see he doesn’t mind being in jail? He blames himself for his brother getting shot and so he feels he ought to be punished. He thinks it’s fair. You can’t expect him to change his mind and take you to Billy when he’s got that attitude.”

Don’t go talking fancy to me either.”

Mark’s eyes flashed. “I’ll talk to you however I choose. If Ezra got himself a lawyer, he’d be out in no time. Legally, you can’t hold him.

“So now you’re a lawyer.”

“As a matter of fact, I am. And I’m telling you what’s legal and what isn’t.”

“The hell with what you’re telling me. He stays in. That’s final.”

“What if I told you I needed him to help me with some unfinished business down near Mesilla?”

“I’d say you had as much chance of getting him as a snake has of hatching a chicken. Why don’t you get the hell out of here and leave me be?’’

Mark did just that. He took himself on up to Santa Fe, and when he came back, he had papers to show to Pat Garrett.-.

“Damn you, Halloran, what’d you go and do that for?” Garrett demanded.

“I told you I needed help. Now, will you get the new deputy marshal out of your goddamned jail or do I have to file suit? And my name’s Dempsey.”

Ezra kept shaking his head as he walked down the street with Mark. “Me, a deputy marshal?”

“Why not? I still haven’t caught up with Yarrow, but I hear he’s been spotted for sure around Mesilla. We’ll ride down and round him up. Any objections?”

“No. But I sort of thought you’d be hunting Billy.”

“That’s the sheriff’s job. He hasn’t asked me for help. And somehow I don’t think he will.”

It was June when Ezra and Mark got back into Lincoln, Yarrow safely behind bars in Mesilla and no longer a threat to the U.S. Mail. Garrett wasn’t in town and Billy was still at large. Most people believed Billy had fled to Mexico.

At Maria’s the house was in turmoil as Tessa’s wedding date approached. Mark, who’d thought himself resigned to the fact she’d soon be another man’s wife, suddenly found he couldn’t look at her without choking with rage. He wanted to pick her up and shake her until her teeth rattled. Tear off her clothes and fling her onto the floor and take her by force, make her admit she wanted him and not that phony Southerner.

He decided he’d better stay away from Maria’s house altogether.

Ezra watched his sister darting here and there, sewing frenziedly, talking, talking, her voice high and shrill. She looked thinner and, despite her protestations of happiness, her eyes were shadowed. He didn’t think it was all because she still grieved for Jules. The wedding was set for the third week in June, only two weeks away. She claimed she could hardly wait, but Ezra kept seeing her pull back from Calvin’s embraces and he knew something was very wrong in all this. He also knew he couldn’t just burst out and ask her if she really loved the man. He’d begin slow.

“What did you say Calvin did in Santa Fe?” he asked her, figuring that was a harmless question. “Well it’s only me, I know, but I don’t think I can explain it. I don’t always understand what he tells me, He’s such a brilliant man and I’m--”

“Whoa, Tess. Try to explain it to me.”

“It has something to do with investments.”

“Does he work for a bank?”

“Not exactly. I believe he mentioned railroads once.”

It sounds like he hasn’t tried very hard to tell you exactly what it is he does. My God, Tessa, didn’t you ask any questions? You’re usually full of them.’’

“I tried, but it seems I couldn’t quite grasp the answers. Calvin says it’s terribly complicated.”

“But you’re smart, Tessa. Papa always said you were the brightest of us all. ‘A real scholar’ he called you. I should think you’d understand.”

“The truth is maybe I didn’t listen as closely as I might have. It’s such a relief not to have to worry anymore. To know that someone will be taking care of everything so that I’ll know what’s coming and there won’t be any surprises…” Her voice trailed away and, for a moment she looked wistful, as though she rather wanted a surprise to look forward to.

“So it boils down to the fact you don’t really know what he does for a living.”

“You make it sound sinister. I won’t have you twisting things like that, Ezra. Calvin is a fine, upstanding man, a gentleman. Anything he does is certainly honest and straightforward.”

She sounded more like her old self and he grinned at her. “I guess that’s more than you can say for me. You make him sound noble. But, Tessa, are you certain you want to marry him?”

She nodded firmly. “I’ve made up my mind, I won’t change it.”

“I thought once that you and Mark might get married.”

Desolation swept across her face making his heart contract. A moment later she’d put on her brittle new smile. “I can’t imagine whatever gave you such a notion. Mark has no intention of ever settling down to one place or one woman.”

The next day Ezra tried to sound out Mark.

“I thought you were pretty fond of Tessa.”

“l am.”|

“Then how come you’re letting her marry Rutledge?”

“She accepted him. I didn’t force her into it”

“Do you think she’ll be happy with him?”

“Look, Ezra, I’m the wrong person to ask. I can’t stand the man. Never could, from the first time I saw him. I can’t help feeling he’s a phony. But that’s my prejudice. He probably is just what he seems to be—a respectable businessman, one who does well at whatever it is he does.”

“What does he do?”

“Something to do with one of the Santa Fe banks, I understand. “Mark shrugged. “What difference does it make?”

“I don’t know. Maybe none.”

Ezra pondered. He really hadn’t worried about Calvin’s line of work until he discovered no one seemed to know exactly what it was. Now he was determined to find out.

By asking Calvin? He shook his head. If Calvin didn’t give anyone a straight answer, he wouldn’t give Ezra one either. By heading up to Santa Fe and asking? Would anyone tell him? He was a deputy marshal now, so they might.

And on the way he could stop at Sumner and see Violet. No word had come from Manuela about her since Billy had got out of jail. Had Violet gone to Mexico with him?

Billy hadn’t told Ezra where he was heading, but Mexico was the only safe place to go and Billy was no fool. But would he take Violet?

It probably was a waste of time checking on Rutledge, but Ezra knew he wouldn’t be satisfied until he did. Besides, he might get to see Violet ...

Mark, I’ve been thinking I’d like to travel to Santa Fe,” Ezra said. “Got some business there. Could you spare me for a week?”

Mark eyed him for a few moments, then nodded. “Reckon so.”

It wasn’t until Ezra was riding alone on the ninety-mile stretch to Sumner that he began to think about Jules. He’d tried to keep from remembering, but with nothing to distract him, it was impossible.

Tessa blamed Billy. Ezra blamed himself. He should have taken Chavez’s silver-handled pistol and thrown it into the river. He was older, wiser; he should never have gotten caught up in Jules’ enthusiasm for helping, should never have let Jules be a part of Billy’s escape.

It was his fault that his brother was dead.

How could he blame Billy? He hadn’t even seen Jules when he fired the shot from that damn pistol. It might not even have been his shot that killed Jules, who could tell?

Jules had been more talented than either he or Tessa. And he’d been everyone’s friend. Tears came to Ezra’s eyes. He hadn’t been able to stay with Billy after he’d heard, even though he didn’t blame him.

Jules’ death called everything he’d ever done, or believed, into question. It was no longer enough just to suit himself. There was more to being a man than that. When the fight begins within himself a man’s worth something ...

That was Browning, too. He thought he understood what the poet meant and for the first time understood why his father had so loved poetry. Those men with their fancy words weren’t fools. They wrote of a man’s life, of joys and sorrows. And of the struggle to find what was right. To try to do it.

He’d never betray Billy. Would he ever help him again? He wasn’t quite sure.

Ezra rode into Sumner, his heart hammering at the thought of seeing Violet. He hoped she’d be there to welcome him.

“She’s gone,” Manuela said.

“I’m not asking where they went; I don’t want to know,” he said. “She did go with Billy, didn’t she?”

Manuela shook her head.

Ezra stared at her. “Violet’s not with him?”

“He come to Sumner, you know, after he escape the calabozo. He don’t come here, he don’t come to see Violet. No, Billy go to Maxwell’s.”

“I don’t understand.”

“He likes Paulita Maxwell, wants her to ride with him when he goes away. Paulita, she’s too smart; she won’t go.”

“And he didn’t even stop by here? Didn’t see Violet at all?”

Manuela shook her head. “.Violet, she find out. Everybody knows Billy wants Paulita instead of her. Paulita or Celsa Guiterrez,” Manuela shrugged. “Men like girls better when they’re not big, like this.” She curved her hand out in front of her belly. “They like pretty little girls who will dance with them and tease them. It is their way. I tell Violet this, but she don’t listen. The next day she is gone.”

“But where? Where did she go?”

“Who can tell? I ask, but no one knows. She is not in Sumner or I would find out.”

“You’re certain she didn’t go with Billy?”

“He rode off two, three days before Violet. Maybe she try to ride after him, I don’t know.”

When is she—I mean, when is the baby coming?” “Maybe this month, maybe next. I cannot be certain.” Ezra clenched his fists.

“I, too, worry,” Manuela said. “Violet, she don’t know how to take care of herself.”

“I have to travel to Santa Fe,” Ezra said. I’ll be stopping here on my way home. If you find out where she is, try to get her to come back here.”

“If I can.”

When Ezra arrived in Santa Fe, he’d lost his interest in Calvin Rutledge. All he could think of was Violet and what might be happening to her in God-knows-where.

He rode through narrow streets flanked by verandaed adobes into the plaza where the Palace of Governors fronted on a tree-shaded park with a bandstand in the center. The square towers of St. Francis Cathedral thrust up to the east.