‘Don’t bother to get down,’ was Locke’s greeting. ‘If one of you is Elmer Baddon, you are not welcome on Valeron land.’
‘I’m Baddon!’ A bearded man spoke as he withdrew a paper from the inside of his shirt. ‘I’ve got me a court order!’ He ventured forth testily. ‘This here paper gives me the right to take back the property what is rightfully mine.’
Locke turned to Cliff. ‘Fetch Martin so he can look over the claim. He and Wyatt are over at their folks.’
Cliff glowered at Elmer, the urge to beat him with his fists so strong he could barely contain himself. Reese hadn’t been able to tell him the whole truth, but before him was a man who had severely mistreated Mikki.
Locke gave him a gentle push with one hand. ‘G’wan, son,’ he coaxed. ‘I told you, we will handle this lawfully.’
Cliff hurried over to Udall and Faye’s house. Wyatt had already been alerted by the dogs. He and Martin were in the process of putting on their hats. Wyatt, as usual, also wore his gun. As the three of them approached Locke’s house, the miner was making a fuss.
‘I asked you where’s my girl is?’ Elmer shouted his demand. ‘You try and keep her from me and I’ll tear this place apart!’
‘Don’t let your mouth make promises that your body will regret,’ Wyatt spoke up, causing the three men to all look in his direction.
‘I got me a legal paper here,’ Elmer snarled. ‘Gimme my property!’
Martin walked up to the man and stretched out his hand. ‘May I?’ he asked, always polite in his dealings.
Elmer shoved the document into his hand and Martin looked it over. After studying it for a moment he asked: ‘Who is Judge Marisol?’
‘He’s a judge from Denver.’
‘Says here he resides in Cherry Creek.’
‘That’s part of Denver.’
‘It also lists his credentials as Justice of the Peace, not a recognized judgeship.’
‘Judge . . . smudge,’ one of the men with Elmer growled. ‘What’s the difference?’
Martin shook his head. ‘The difference, my ignorant friend, is that this document has no validity.’
‘Valid-what?’
‘You need an order by a federal judge to procure an underage juvenile from out of state.’
‘What do you mean by out of state?’ Elmer cried.
‘This ranch sits on the Wyoming side of the border. Did you not notice when you passed through town? Valeron is located on the Colorado-Wyoming border. Much of our holdings are on the Colorado side, but the ranch and half of the town are in Wyoming.’
‘The hell with this!’ Elmer bellowed, starting to dismount. ‘I’m gonna take what’s mine, right here, right now!’
But Wyatt’s gun appeared magically, cocked and pointed at the man’s head. ‘If your foot touches our yard,’ he warned Elmer in a voice hedged with frost, ‘I’ll splatter your brains all over your two pals.’
Martin moved up a step and handed him back the paper. ‘Tell your friend, relative or whomever wrote out this worthless paper that a fraudulent act – that of supplying legal documents – could land him in court for exceeding his authority.’
‘I’ll be back with the army if need be!’ Elmer threatened.
‘Give Colonel Warring at the fort my regards when you make the request,’ Locke told him causally. ‘He and I share a committee on army-civilian affairs.’
Elmer yanked his horse’s head with the bridle cruelly, and the three men whirled about and galloped out of the yard.
‘That won’t be the end of it,’ Cliff said. ‘He will be back.’
‘We’ll stop him,’ Martin said. ‘I can represent Miss Bruckner in court. If need be, I’ll go before a judge and file a motion to have her assigned to our care. She is not yet of legal age, so it would be a form of guardianship.’
‘Wendy wouldn’t tell me everything,’ Cliff told the three men. ‘But she did claim the man mistreated her. She has been his personal slave since she was ten years old.’
‘Wanetta was equally vague,’ Locke admitted. ‘She has never kept a secret from me that I know of, but she avowed this was not her secret to tell. Evidently, Marie had a heart-to-heart with the nanny. She kept most of the conversation to herself, but Wanetta did say one thing. . . .’ He displayed a grave expression. ‘If bad went to worse, they would let Wendy tell Jared the whole truth.’
Wyatt grunted. ‘We all know what that means. Jared has always been the self-proclaimed protector of the women on the Valeron ranch.’
‘Yeah,’ Cliff agreed. ‘Jerry considers them to be lambs in his care.’
Locke sighed with finality. ‘And woe be unto the man who dares harm one of his flock.’
Faro waved farewell to Jared and Shane as he boarded the train for Cheyenne. Munson was busy delivering his report to Fielding, so the two Valerons wandered over to see what conclusions or actions would come from the mine inspection sham. They arrived at the police station as Fielding was exiting the building.
‘Just in time, boys,’ Sergeant Fielding said. ‘I’m on my way over to talk to Judge Burke. He’s the judge who oversaw Trina Barrett’s case and provided the warrants to arrest all those involved in the rustling ring you two brought down.’
‘Think he can do anything about this?’ Jared asked. ‘I mean, this is a corporation, not an actual township. Does he have authority over something like this?’
‘Burke is a sitting judge for Denver, but he also has federal authority. Brett used that angle to shut down the indenture scam being used by the ship captain.’
‘I get it. If this can be deemed a slavery enterprise. . . ?’ Jared posited.
‘That’s it, exactly,’ Fielding responded. ‘Plus, there are also the deaths of several prisoners to consider. Those men were under state, county or local city authority, meaning their safekeeping was in the hands of those wardens or superintendents. Each and every death should have been investigated.’
‘Sounds like you’ve lined up a pretty good line of offenses.’
‘I have a couple of the contracts Brett brought back with him. I’ve never seen one of the old indentures from back before the war, but these certainly look like a pledge of unwavering servitude to me.’
The three of them made their way up the street. Jared, ever watchful, spotted the man Wyatt claimed had been watching his every move. Without looking directly at him, he mentioned the spook to Fielding.
‘Ronnie Cogg,’ the lawman said, without needing to take a look. ‘If I was a betting man, I would lay odds he and his pals are the ones who made Adams disappear – the runaway miner who first brought these contracts to our attention.’
‘No proof against him?’
Fielding shrugged. ‘No body. We did a pretty wide search, but there are a great many hiding places out in the nearby hills. More than a few empty holes or shafts where mining was attempted too. I suspect Adams is in a deep pit or buried under several feet of dirt.’
‘Sounds like someone ought to be watching this Ronnie character,’ Shane suggested.
‘It’s like trying to follow of gust of wind. The man knows all the tricks to prevent anyone from dogging his trail. Plus, he has two chums that work with him.’
Jared frowned. ‘Maybe you haven’t tried the direct approach.’
‘Oh, we’ve talked to him a number of times. We interviewed him and his friends about Adams and harassment of other witnesses concerning a couple of deaths out at Paradise, but nothing came of it. It’s well known that Gaskell has the money and power to shut up anyone who intends to speak out against Paradise or him.’
‘But you have no proof Ronnie has done any of that,’ Shane deduced.
‘His unsavory friends are a half-breed named Shade and a weasel of a gunman called Donner. We’ve never been able to pin anything on any of them. They are real good at covering each other’s backs.’
‘You think they might try and influence Judge Burke?’ Jared wanted to know.
‘I would guess that h
e and my captain are the two men in Denver they would never test. One wrong word or threat and they would end up behind bars.’
‘Any chance they would try to dry-gulch Jer and me?’ Shane asked, not hiding his concern. ‘I mean if they figure out we’re trying to bring down the king of Paradise. . . .’
He didn’t have to finish, and Fielding’s expression was not comforting. ‘I can’t say you two aren’t riding on a slippery road,’ he said carefully. ‘But then, you came to us with this problem and now we’re all involved.’
‘Excuse me,’ Shane reminded him. ‘Wyatt is the one who came to you.’ Then he added, ‘And he’s safely back at the ranch!’
Cliff stuck close to the house while Wyatt conferred with Martin and then went into Valeron to send off a couple dispatches to keep Jared informed and get input from Judge Burke in Denver. Locke and Wanetta went over to visit with other members of the family to finish planning the upcoming birthday party for Wendy. It left Cliff alone with Nessy and the nanny.
The night wore on and bedtime came for Cliff’s little girl. He gave her a kiss and hug, told her how very special she was, then allowed Mikki to put her to bed. A few minutes later, Mikki came into the sitting room and took a seat in an easy chair across from where he was sitting. After a moment, she spoke up in a hushed voice.
‘Nessy has told me how you rescued her from the tragic accident that took a nun’s life.’
‘Poor little tyke,’ Cliff replied. ‘She actually stuck a long stick out the back of the wagon like a gun, fearful the bad men had come back. She was trying to protect “Mam”, as she called the lady.’
‘It was very good of you to adopt her, especially with all of the other Valerons here. I would think a number of them would have been willing to do that.’
‘Nessy took it in her head that I was her protector.’ He smiled at the memory. ‘She even attacked a full-grown man during a fight trying to protect me.’
‘Yes, Scarlet told me the story about you and her in the bandit stronghold. She seemed to think you changed when Nessy came into your life.’
‘Nothing makes a man grow up faster than taking on the responsibility of being a father. I had a change of heart about a good many things.’
Mikki ducked her head, seeming embarrassed. ‘I . . . I wouldn’t want anyone in your family to be hurt on my account.’
‘Just like Nessy,’ Cliff told her firmly, ‘your life is worth fighting for. Elmer will never touch you again – I swear it on my own life.’
Her eyes lifted, filled with a mixture of compassion and wonder. ‘But you hardly know me. I’m a stranger to you and your whole family.’
‘You’re Nessy’s nanny,’ he countered steadfastly. ‘And you are part of this family . . . my family.’
‘You can’t mean that!’ she said with some force. ‘One of your kin could be hurt or killed by defying Elmer. He can hire a lot of men – tough, roughneck, dangerous men.’
Cliff chuckled. ‘Maybe you haven’t taken a close look at the Valeron family. Jared, Wyatt and Brett are all first rate men with a gun. Reese, Troy, Faro . . . every man sired by Locke, Temple and Udall. These are men of the west, men who have fought rustlers and Indians, the harsh weather and everything nature throws at us. But, foremost, these are devout men of honor and decency. They will always take up a fight on behalf of the weak or innocent. It’s who they are.’
‘And you, Cliff Mason,’ she turned the arrow to point at him. ‘Why are you so dead-set on defending me?’
‘Ever since I set eyes on you, I knew you were something special.’ Cliff saw her eyes grow a bit wider. ‘I saw in you everything a man could want.’ Mikki’s lips parted, but no words came forth. Cliff continued to praise her. ‘In you, young lady, I believe I’ve found something that has been lacking in my life for a long time.’
As the girl’s head turned slightly from side to side, Cliff knew he had her on a romantic track. To lighten the moment, he finished: ‘You are a perfect choice to be Nessy’s nanny.’
Mikki frowned . . . then her features grew soft and she laughed. It was a very pleasing laugh.
‘I expected something a bit more personal from you. Tish, Marie, Wanetta – they all warned me of your boyish charm and ease around women.’
Cliff leaned back in his chair and smiled. ‘I keep telling everyone I’ve changed.’
With a timid nod, ‘Yes. And for the better. I remember.’
‘I won’t say I don’t find the idea of courting you very tempting, Mikki, but you are young in both years and experience. I don’t want to rush you into anything.’
The odd look crossed her face again, the one he had seen the last time she ran from the room. ‘I . . . I have some adjusting to do too. I told you before that I couldn’t. . . .’ But a constriction stopped her flow of words.
Cliff lifted both of his hands. ‘I’m not asking for any dark confessions, Mikki,’ he said gently. ‘I’ve never been patient when it came to courting a girl, but I am willing to be patient with you.’ Displaying one of his most winning smiles, he added: ‘I believe you are worth the wait.’
Mikki did not hide her relief, rising to her feet. ‘Then I look forward to our getting to know one another better. Perhaps, down the road a way – if Elmer doesn’t take me away – we can discuss a proper way to begin a courtship.’
Cliff also stood up. He moved over and took her hand. Holding it between his own, he gave her a short bow. ‘I bid you goodnight, Mikki. And I again thank you for the care and tenderness you have shown my little girl.’
Mikki did not pull away. When he let go of her hand, she said goodnight and left him alone in the sitting room.
Cliff watched her leave and felt as if a part of his heart had walked out of the room with her. It was an odd sensation, yet he enjoyed it somehow.
Chapter Eight
Jane tapped lightly at the door and then opened it. Gaskell was relaxing in his comfortable, leather-bound chair, smoking a cigar.
‘What is it?’ he asked.
‘Mr Cogg to see you,’ Jane answered. ‘He said you would want to speak to him.’
‘Thank you, Miss Lawrence. You can let him come in.’
Ronnie walked through the door and then paused to turn his head and watch the secretary walk away. When he looked at Gaskell, a smirk curled his lips.
‘Nothing but the best for the king of Paradise,’ he said, walking over to sit down in the chair opposite Gaskell’s desk. ‘Fine lookin’ filly, Ward.’
‘What’s happening, Ronnie?’ Gaskell was concerned. ‘You don’t usually come all the way up here, not when a telegraph message will suffice.’
‘This ain’t something I wanted spread around, Ward.’
Gaskell crushed the smoke in an ashtray. ‘Let me have it. What’s going on?’
‘After I sent the message to you to say Wyatt Valeron had left town, I spotted a second Valeron hanging around – maybe two of them.
As Gaskell listened, Ronnie told him about the pair and how they had met up with Sergeant Fielding.
‘But you said the Mackavoy family took the train for back east,’ Gaskell said. ‘And if Wyatt left town, what could be going on?’
‘Them two that come up here – the mine inspectors Parker told me to watch for?’ At Gaskell’s nod, he continued. ‘Well, only one of them left town. The other one – turns out he’s a policeman. He arrived in Denver a few days before he joined up with that Faro character. Shade seen Faro talking to one of the new Valeron boys too. That means Fielding and the Valerons must have something up their sleeve.’
Gaskell pounded a doubled fist on the desktop. ‘I knew them two were phonies! This is some kind of underhanded trick. The law and the Valerons are going to try and destroy everything I’ve built up!’
‘Be my guess,’ Ronnie concurred. ‘One of the clerks who does office work at the police station told me Fielding had got hold of several contracts you use for hiring imported workers. He said they came from a batch of people who just ar
rived from England.’
‘So that’s why no new contracted employees have showed up. They should have been here several days ago. Van Stokes sent a message saying he was shipping over a dozen people and we’ve yet to see a single one.’
Ronnie rubbed the stubble along his jaw. ‘Meaning someone must have shut down the operation at that end. This isn’t good, Ward. This isn’t good at all.’
‘We’ve been working together since the war, Ronnie,’ Gaskell told his friend. ‘You never wanted the life out here, but you’ve been the most important man I have on the payroll.’
Ronnie chuckled. ‘Don’t lay it on too thick, Ward. You’ve always paid me top dollar for usually doing almost nothing.’
‘Yes, but you took care of Adams. You’ve made sure the people released from here never told their story to the law. You’ve been a big part of our continued success.’
‘Get to the part of how I can help this time, Ward.’
‘Those two men – maybe both Valerons?’ He snorted his contempt. ‘They need to disappear.’
Ronnie tighten his brow, squinting from his pinched expression. ‘Damn, Ward,’ he whispered the words. ‘They are working with Fielding. How are we going to do anything without bringing the law down on all of us?’
‘I’ve got a few men we can use for the chore. Just make sure you and your two men are seen in town when it happens. If you have an alibi, no one can point a figure at us.’
‘I reckon Drummer is the one to talk to,’ Ronnie said, considering the job.
‘Yes,’ Gaskell agreed. ‘We need to keep this within our control. No third party involved; we handle it ourselves.’
‘I’ll go discuss it with him.’
‘Ronnie, I can’t imagine why you never wanted to work alongside me. You’ve always had a quick mind.’
He grinned. ‘I like my free time too much for that, Ward. The job I have gives me all the freedom I want. I don’t aim to end up like you, sitting behind a desk and worrying day and night.’ Then he rolled his eyes and nodded in the direction of his secretary. ‘Though I admit there does appear to be some special benefits up here.’
Valerons--Beyond the Law! Page 9