Ernest blew out a long breath of frustration. His old friend wasn’t hearing him. He sat back in his chair and tried to gather himself for a moment.
“Look, I know your first instinct is to protect the rich folk in Talon Peaks,” Ernest said, “but I think that instinct is cloudin’ your judgment here, Milton.”
The Sheriff pointed a long, thin finger at him, his expression darkening. “Watch your tongue, Ernest,” he warned. “Just because we been friends for more years than I can count don’t mean I won’t toss your ass in a cell.”
“On what charge?”
Milton shrugged. “I’ll make somethin’ up.”
Ernest angrily scrubbed at his face. “Listen Milt,” he said. “Somethin’ is happenin’ out at Richard’s ranch. And I think it’s somethin’ bad.”
The Sheriff dug a thin cigar out of his desk drawer and lit it, inhaling a deep breath of smoke and then blew it out in a thick, white plume, his eyes tracking it to the ceiling. Finally, he turned his eyes back to Ernest but still said nothing.
“You are still a man who values facts over gossip, ain’t you?” Ernest asked.
“You know I am,” Milton’s voice was cold.
“Then look at these facts with me. First, I have no axes to grind with Richard,” he said. “We get along well enough, we ain’t never had a tussle, and oh yeah, Adeline was in love with me, not him.”
Milton blew out more smoke and nodded, conceding the point.
“Second,” Ernest said, “Richard had every reason to be jealous since he obviously knows where Adeline’s affections are. And you and me, we both know he can be a hard man when he doesn’t get his way.”
“He can be a hard man, sure,” Milton said. “But hard enough to kill a woman just because she didn’t return his affection?”
Ernest shrugged. “I’m not sayin’ it’s for sure the right answer,” he argued. “All I’m sayin’ is that it bears lookin’ into.”
The tip of Milton’s cigar flared a bright, angry orange, as he inhaled deeply. The Sheriff looked up as he blew out a column of smoke and Ernest watched him working it all over in his mind.
“Okay. We’ll put together a posse and search his land. If he did anything to Adeline, we’ll find her,” he finally said. “But we are gonna do this delicately and we are not gonna mention that we think he did something to her. We are going onto his land with nothing more than an offer to help him search his land for where she might be hiding.”
“That’s all I ask.”
Milton scoffed. “You’re askin’ for a lot more than that,” he replied. “You just ain’tseein’ it.”
Ernest smiled ruefully. “Well, I’ll buy you a whiskey down at the saloon later to make up for it.”
“When I prove you wrong and we don’t find her, you’re buyin’ me a bottle.”
Ernest nodded. “Fair enough.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“I’ve already searched my land,” Richard protested. “She’s not out there.”
“I understand Richard,” Milton explained. “And we just want to check to see if maybe she doubled back and is hidin’ out there somewhere.”
“This is ridiculous,” he bellowed. “And as you waste time goin’ over ground I’ve already gone over, whoever took her gets further and further away.”
Milton’s posse – two dozen men in all – were already combing Richard’s land. They were under strict instruction to be as delicate as possible and that this was just a general search party. But his deputies – one of whom was leading each group Milton had broken the posse down into – had been instructed privately that they were to look for anything unusual, including evidence of a freshly dug grave.
Ernest stood on Richard’s porch slightly to the right and behind Milton, preferring to let the Sheriff do the talking. He wanted to make himself as unobtrusive and as close to invisible as possible. It didn’t work though – Richard cast a dark, angry glance at Ernest as if the older man somehow knew he was to blame for Milton and his men being there.
“Just let us do our job, Richard,” Milton said. “We’ll be out of your hair soon enough.”
Richard stared at them, openly scowling at Ernest. “Do you really think I did something to Adeline?” he growled. “Do you really think I’d do something to the woman I loved?”
The last words were spat directly at Ernest, as if in challenge to him. Clearly, Richard knew there was something between them and was not pleased about it. But that was something they needed to put on the back burner for now. All that mattered was finding Adeline.
“Of course not, Richard,” Milton soothed him. “All we’re doing is checking around out there to see if she’s hiding somewhere.”
“I know my land, Milton,” Richard said, his voice cold. “I checked everywhere she could possibly be.”
“And I believe you,” Milton rejoined. “But we’re just going to check in places where you may not have looked.”
The older man crossed his arms in front of his chest, a sour look on his face. He turned to glare at Ernest before looking back at the Sheriff.
“Fine. Do what you have to do,” he said. “But I’m tellin’ you, you’re wastin’ everybody’s time. She ain’t here and every minute we waste here is a minute she gets further away.”
“We’ll find her, Richard,” he said. “I give you my word.”
Richard glared hard at him. “Be careful to not make promises you can’t keep, Sheriff.”
Richard turned and walked off without another word, going down the steps and crossing his yard. Ernest watched him walk into the barn, both he and Milton remaining silent for a long moment. Finally, the Sheriff turned to Ernest, a small wry grin on his face.
“I’m gettin’ the feeling he thinks you had somethin’ to do with Adeline’s disappearance,” he said.
“Yeah, I got that impression too.”
“You could always come clean,” Milton said. “Tell him you two had a fight and that might have made her run off.”
He groaned. “And give him somethin’ else to be in a mood about? I don’t think so,” Ernest said. “Besides, we don’t know that she ran off. Don’t forget she said she was bein’ watched.”
“There’s no proof of that,” Milton snapped.
“And there’s no proof our argument made her run off either.”
Milton sighed and Ernest could see the strain on his friend’s face. He felt bad about putting Milton in this position – having to protect him like that. But what Ernest said was true – there was as little evidence of one theory as there was the other. And until they had some facts and had it sorted out, there was no sense in upsetting Richard anymore than he already was.
“Fair enough,” Milton finally said.
Ernest frowned, the stab of guilt about their quarrel rising in his chest, paining him once more.
“I hope that ain’t the case,” Ernest replied. “If she ran off b’cause of our quarrel and something happened to her –”
“Let’s not think that way right now, Ernest,” Milton said. “Let’s just focus on finding some facts and seeing where it all leads.”
Ernest nodded. “That’s fair.”
They stood on Richard’s porch for most of the afternoon, directing the search party as they returned to check in with Milton. Richard came and went from the barn to the house and back again, carrying on with what Ernest assumed was his normal day, continually glaring at him as he passed by.
Ernest watched him closely. There was something about the older man’s demeanor that bothered him greatly. He couldn’t put his finger on it but there was just something that wasn’t sitting right with Ernest.
“What’s bothering you?” Milton asked.
“I dunno for sure,” Ernest said. “Just got a real hinky feeling and I can’t place it.”
“Hinkyfeelin’?”
Ernest nodded. “I dunno what it is. Just somethin’ don’t feel right to me.”
“I s’pose that should be expected since
we don’t have the full story.”
Ernest kicked at a couple of pebbles with the toe of his boot then slipped his hands in his pockets and leaned against the post.
“Yeah, I s’pose that’s it,” he finally conceded.
They stood in silence for a few minutes as Ernest watched Richard and Sonny working with one of the horses out in the paddock. The sun was turning vibrant shades of red and gold as it slipped toward the horizon. Ernest was lost in thought, sending out a silent word to whoever might be listening that Adeline return home safe – and soon.
Milton had already sent riders out to collect the posse and send them on home. It was getting late and full dark would be here soon. Besides, if they hadn’t turned up something by now, chances were they probably weren’t gonna. Adeline wasn’t out there on his land anymore than she was in the house. It was time to face the fact.
“What’s this now?” Milton muttered.
Ernest snapped out of his head in time to see a rider galloping through the yard. The newcomer reined his horse to a stop at the foot of the stairs that led to the porch where they were standing and dismounted quickly. He looked up at Milton and nodded.
“Evenin’ Sheriff,” he said. “Mr. Arnolds about? I got a telegram for him.”
“I’ll take that.”
The rider turned as Richard strode across the yard, his steps purposeful and yet somehow, still managed to look angry. Or maybe, Ernest thought, it was the dark scowl on his face that did that.
The rider handed Richard the telegram and sent the rider on his way. He unfolded the telegram and scanned the page. From where Ernest was standing, although he couldn’t read the entire thing, he saw a few words – …time to pay up. In gold.
Richard quickly folded the page and stuffed it into his pocket. He turned to Ernest and Milton, his expression darkening even further.
“You all done here?” he growled.
“What was the telegram about?” Ernest asked.
“Business,” he said. “My business.”
“Who’s tellin’ you they want gold?” Ernest pressed. “And for what?”
“Ernest, that’s enough,” Milton snapped. “Richard answered your question, so drop it.”
“He didn’t really answer my – ”
“Ernest. Enough,” Milton roared and then turned to Richard. “I apologize for him, Richard.”
“You don’t need to apologize for him,” Richard replied, his voice ice cold. “I know he’s fond of Adeline and is just worried.”
“That’s very kind of you, Richard,” Milton said and elbowed Ernest in the ribs. “Isn’t it?”
“Very generous and I appreciate it, Richard,” Ernest said grudgingly. “I am fond of Adeline and am concerned for her well being.”
“Well fine then, since we’ve now established that she’s not here to all of our satisfaction, I expect that we’ll focus on actually finding her,” Richard demanded.
Milton nodded. “Absolutely. That is our priority.”
“It better be, Sheriff,” Richard said.
“Richard, you may not believe it but we want the same thing here. I just want to see Adeline brought home safely,” Ernest said.
“I’m sure you do,” Richard replied, his voice cold.
Ernest narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t know anything that can help us?” he asked. “She didn’t leave a note behind or anythin’?”
Richard’s eyes narrowed. “No. I’m afraid I don’t,” he growled. “And no, I’m afraid she didn’t.”
“You sure?”
Richard’s jaw clenched and he stared daggers through Ernest. For his part, Ernest stood his ground, looking for any telltale signs – any slight tic that might give him away.
“I’m quite positive,” Richard finally said through clenched teeth.
“Ernest, shut your mouth right now,” Milton hissed. “And let’s go.”
“If there’s nothing else, I have a search to organize,” Richard said.
“Of course,” Milton said. “And again, I apologize for any inconvenience.”
Ernest rolled his eyes. He’d never heard Milton be so obsequious before and it irritated him. Without another word, Richard stormed into his house, slamming the door behind him.
“That went well,” Ernest said.
Milton grumbled under his breath and started down the steps, headed for his horse. Ernest stayed behind though, still standing on the top step of the porch and studied the house. Something was definitely amiss but he couldn’t quite see the whole picture yet.
“You’re a bigger idiot than I thought,” Milton grumbled. “You don’t antagonize a man like that.”
“Maybe you don’t –”
“Ernest, I’m not screwin’ around here,” he said.
“Neither am I,” Ernest shot back. “Somethin’ stinks here, Milton. It stinks real bad.”
“Unfortunately for you, we can’t make arrests based on whether or not you think something smells.”
“Tell me you think everybody is on the up and up around here,” Ernest said. “Tell me you don’t think there’s somethin’ hinky happening.”
Milton clenched his jaw and let out a long, slow breath. “The only hinky thing happening is that an innocent girl is out there somewhere,” Milton said. “And because we spent the day here, searching for her where everybody but you said she wasn’t, we lost an entire day to pursue her. She could be anywhere. And if something does happen to her, it’s going to be your fault, Ernest.”
Ernest opened his mouth to fire back but thought better of it and bit off his reply. Milton had scored a direct hit on him. Ernest already felt guilty for everything that happened between him and Adeline yesterday and he feared he was somehow responsible for her absence – though logic told him otherwise.
Emotions are tricky things though and will punch you in the face when you least expect it – and will often overrule logic and common sense. Much to the detriment of everybody involved.
“Go home, Ernest,” Milton said. “Get some sleep and let me handle this from here on out.”
“Milton, I –”
The Sheriff shook his head. “No, you’re done. I don’t need your help on this case anymore.”
“And why is that?” Ernest argued.
“Because all you’re doing is throwing fuel on the fire. You ain’thelpin, Ernest,” Milton countered. “I don’t doubt you’re tryin’ to help and tryin’ to do what you think is best. But believe me, you’re making this whole thing worse.”
“C’mon Milton, that’s not –”
“Go home, Ernest,” he said. “I’ll come for you if I need your help.”
And with that, Milton climbed onto his horse and gave Ernest one last look before turning his horse and riding off into the murky light of the oncoming night. Ernest sighed and with nothing else to do, he climbed onto his own horse and headed for home himself.
* * *
Later that night, he sat in a rocking chair on his porch, looking out at the absolute darkness of the world around him. Ernest looked up into the sky and though the clouds were patchy and covered large swaths of the darkness above, the stars sparkled like chips of cold diamonds.
Fat, dark clouds cruised slowly through the blackness above, sliding in front of the moon, temporarily dimming the cold, monochromatic silver light that bathed the world. There was a chill in the air and Ernest’s breath came out in puffs of steam.
In the distance, a coyote howled and was soon answered by two, then three, then four other plaintive wails. They rolled across the land the way thunder did on stormy nights. Except that it was far eerier.
As he listened to those plaintive howls, a chill marched across his skin. But he remembered the night he and Adeline stood outside of Richard’s house and heard these same howls in the darkness. It was the night of her betrothal to Richard and she’d said the howling of the coyotes was the sound of sadness. And if that was true, Ernest would be howling right alongside them right now.
He still couldn’t entirely wrap his brain around the idea that Adeline was gone. Whether their quarrel was the impetus for her leavin’ in the middle of the night or somebody had actually taken her from Richard’s home, it was her absence and the fear that he’d never see her again that made Ernest realize just how deeply he felt for her – and just how empty his life was without her in it.
Ernest knew he cared for her. Knew he loved her. But he’d also tried to keep those emotions in check. Tried to keep himself tempered and keep his feelings at an arm’s distance simply because he knew that she’d eventually go home to Frailburg.
The Cowboy's Stolen Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 19