“What’s that?”
“Who was William? He said you wanted to visit his grave but didn’t know where he was buried. Who was he?”
“Just someone I knew,” Sinclair said.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Mirta, that’s enough,” Escalante said.
“I just want to make sure I understand the story in case this woman Jesse asks me any questions,” she said.
Odell pointed his fork at her. “You, young lady, have a keen mind and are the sort that pays attention. I like that quality in a person.”
“No one’s going to ask you any questions if you just keep your mouth shut,” Escalante said.
“But if she does,” Mirta said.
“She won’t.”
“It’s all right,” Sinclair said. “What don’t you understand?”
“I just thought if he was someone you knew well enough to take such a long trip to want to visit his grave, you’d already know where he was buried,” Mirta said. “But if he was someone you didn’t know well, I don’t understand why you’d want to see his grave.”
“He was, you know—” Sinclair stopped speaking and opened the bottle of whiskey next to him. “He was, just, ah.” He uncorked the whiskey and took a long swallow. He put the bottle down and wiped his face with his hand to grab all that spilled liquor from his mouth and beard and flicked his hand at the dirt to get rid of it. “He was my son.”
* * *
* * *
The trail opened up into the full afternoon sun and straightened from narrow winding passage into a road that was wide enough for two stagecoaches. There was a clear view of the whole valley. The only trees were apple orchards with trees so full that workers had to run around with baskets to try to catch all the fruit as it fell.
Cowhands on horseback trotted past the group, and they said hello. Large wagons raced past hauling supplies as fast as they could go, leaving large plumes of dust in the road. It was flatland in both directions and the fields on either side of the road glittered green and gold.
“There it is,” Odell said.
The first thing Sinclair saw was that not one piece of fencing was out of place for as far as the eye could see. All of it was sturdy and freshly painted. Behind the fence was nothing but lush green fields filled with tall grass and flowers and berry bushes. From the road he could see several bright red barns and pastures filled with cows. There were smaller pens for sheep and chickens and, beyond them, fields for corn and wheat and a horse corral where several unsaddled horses grazed.
“Entrance is this way,” Odell said. “The men there should know me so we won’t have any trouble.”
There was an ornate carved wooden archway over the main gate, engraved with the words edna’s prayer.
“Did you know they named it after her?” Odell asked.
“No, I did not,” Sinclair said.
“Your wife took my daughter in when I went to prison. I’ll always be grateful for that. Lord knows what would have happened to her otherwise. Edna was a good woman. I never met her, aside from that day we were all in court, but she was a good woman for what she did. You were lucky to be married to her. It’s my understanding that she struggled her damnedest to make sure William and Jesse turned out better than any of us ever did. Worked herself into an early grave from what I gathered.”
“All I ever heard about it was a letter I got from some doctor while I was in prison. You know more about it than I do. I don’t even know where she’s buried.”
“Well, that’s an interesting story. She was buried in this pauper’s plot out where they were living when William was working on a ranch and still learning the business. That was all they could afford. When they bought this place, they paid to have her moved.”
“She’s here?” Sinclair asked.
“There’s a hill way in the back of the property that overlooks everything. The sun sets down behind it. Prettiest place on the entire ranch. That’s where she is, like she’s keeping an eye on all of them.”
“Where’s William?”
“Buried right next to her.”
“Well, it’s good they’re together, I suppose. This old feller I knew, he swore you had to be buried next to your kin, because they’d vouch for you on your day of judgment. Bunch of hogwash if you ask me.”
“Well, if it’s true, I’m sure Edna vouched for William just fine.”
Sinclair looked over the rest of the ranch. “Didn’t you say there were men to meet us at the gate?”
“There have been every other time I’ve been here,” Odell said.
They waited to see if anyone came. When no one did, they all went through the gate and started down the main road. They did not pass anyone minding the herd or tending to the horses or hauling any wood. There were no workers who pitched hay or pushed wheelbarrows of manure back and forth. No one was feeding the chickens or working in the fields. No one appeared to be there at all.
The main house was elaborate and brightly painted. It had several chimneys and a sturdy roof. It had good windows and a wide front porch with thick wooden beams of stained wood for columns. There were chairs on the porch that no one sat in. There was a fence around the house that separated it from the rest of the ranch, but the front gate was open.
They tied their horses at the post outside of the fence and made their way to the front door. “Hello?” Odell called out. He took off his hat and held up his face so anyone inside could see him. “Is anyone there?”
No one came to the door.
Odell cupped his hand to the side of his mouth. “Jesse? Connor? You home?”
The front door flew open, and a scared-looking woman wearing a white apron said, “Come in, come in.”
“Miss Rena,” Odell said with a tip of his head. “Where is everyone?”
“Please, Mr. Hank, just come in.”
Miss Rena hurried them all inside the house and shut the door behind them. She locked each lock and pulled on the handle to make sure it held fast. She went to the curtains and stuck her face against the glass, then closed the curtains again and made sure no one could see in.
The men took off their hats and Odell said, “What in the world is going on here? Where are Jesse and Connor? Where’s all the help?”
Miss Rena waved for them to follow her into the house. She shuffled down the hall and kept her hands against her face like she was on the verge of tears. She stopped at the end of the hall where the kitchen was on one side and a large dining area on the other. The dining room table was set in the middle of the room, and it had a fine white tablecloth and multiple place settings of fine silver and wine goblets. In the center of the table was an empty vase with water in it but no flowers.
Jesse Sinclair sat at the far end of the table. Her hair was still curly but the golden blondness of it had turned almost white. Her face was lined and weary looking, and her eyes did not look up at her visitors. They stayed fixed on the two things set on the table in front of her.
One was a large piece of parchment paper with fancy-looking writing. The other was a paper envelope that had been soaked all the way through with blood. Blood seeped through the envelope and onto the tablecloth beneath it.
“Jesse, dear? Are you all right?”
Odell looked over her shoulder at the parchment paper. It was a deed to Edna’s Prayer made out to Nelson Granger, and it included everything on the ranch. The animals, the buildings, the crops, the supplies, everything.
“Yesterday, Master Connor gathered up all his men and went to fight that Mr. Granger,” Miss Rena said. “None of them came back.”
Odell picked up the envelope with his one hand and turned it on its side to lift up the flap. Inside was a severed ear with strands of blond hair stuck to it in dried blood.
Mrs. Rena’s lower lip trembled. “A man brought that by right before you showed up. He said
either Mrs. Jesse signs that deed or we’ll be getting more envelopes.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Miss Rena moved them all into the sitting room and brought in a pitcher of coffee. There was already an assortment of cups and saucers spread throughout the room. She walked around the room filling the cups for those who held one up.
“Mrs. Jesse, do you want coffee?” When Jesse did not respond, Rena set a mug on the table next to her and filled it anyway.
Odell took a sip of his coffee and said, “This is fine and strong. Thank you, Miss Rena.”
“Thank you, Mr. Henry. Mrs. Jesse?” Rena asked. “I hate to bother you but it’s almost suppertime and I was wondering if you and your guests wouldn’t mind eating in here this evening. I can’t imagine you all want to eat in the dining room with that hateful envelope still in there. Normally, I’d say we could eat outside, but given the current conditions, I think it’s best we all stay indoors this evening.”
Jesse’s eyes stayed fixed on the floor.
“Since there’s no one left, there’s plenty of food for you all too,” Rena said.
“Thank you,” Odell said, and then the rest said thank you as well.
“I can bring you all whatever you want and clean it all up like you never knew anyone ate in here,” Rena said. “All right, Mrs. Jesse?”
Henry Odell leaned forward and said, “Miss Rena, I certainly have no authority here, but given the current circumstances, I think what you’re saying is perfectly acceptable. We’d be happy to eat in here.”
Rena wiped her hands on her apron. “All right. It’s going to be a while because I’m by myself, but I’ll get it to you.”
Escalante looked at his daughter. “Go help.”
“What?” Mirta asked.
“Go help in the kitchen.”
Mirta rolled her eyes, but she stood up and followed Rena down the hall.
Odell put his hand on his daughter’s wrist and rubbed it gently. “Jesse? Can you hear me, dear?”
“Is she having a fit?” Sinclair asked.
“No, she’s not having a fit,” Odell said. “She’s just in some kind of shock, that’s all. I’m not sure how we can leave her like this.”
“Mirta will stay to keep an eye on her,” Escalante said.
“That girl? You tried to leave her behind once and look how that turned out,” Sinclair said.
“She’ll do it. I am not letting her near this Granger person. Look at what he’s done. He burned down Wolfe’s ranch. His gang either killed all of Connor’s men or ran them off. Now he’s cut off your grandson’s ear. He’s got giants! I’m not letting Mirta anywhere near him.”
“Oh, would you stop it with the giants already?” Sinclair said. “Ain’t no such thing as giants and he ain’t got no gang. He’s got a few hired guns, that’s all. Some drunks who maybe shot some other drunks in a card game and now they think they’re all outlaws. Look at yourselves, all worked up over this Granger person. He’s nothing but another rich fool trying to have his way with everyone else. Same kind of folk we’ve all been robbing and killing most of our lives. That’s all. Nothing special about him or the guns he hired, and sure, maybe a couple of them are big fellas or strong fellas, but I promise you, there’s no such thing as giants and even if there was, Nelson Granger does not have any.”
Jesse whispered something that made them all turn toward her and lean closer. Her voice was so soft, none of them had heard what she had said.
Odell put his arm around her. “What’s that, dear?”
“He does have giants,” Jesse said. “Two of them. I think they’re brothers.”
“How do you know?” Escalante asked.
“I saw them. Granger came here two days ago with all his men to try to force us to sell. Our guard stopped them at the gate and the giants grabbed him. One took the guard’s rifle and snapped it in half. The other picked him up in the air with one hand and shook him until his whole body went limp. Then he threw him to the ground, dead.”
“God in heaven,” Odell said. “What happened then?”
“Someone rang the warning bell, and all our men grabbed their guns. Connor too. They shot a few, but the rest got away. That’s when Connor decided enough was enough, and they all rode to go fight. That was the last I heard until—” She stopped speaking and swallowed. “Until that envelope showed up.”
“Well, I realize it’s too little and too late, but we came to try to help,” Odell said. “We are going to go talk to this Mr. Granger and see if we can’t settle things down a bit. We’ll tell him to give Connor back and everything will be all right. You’ll see. We won’t leave you alone either. Someone will be staying with you to make sure you’re safe.”
“That’s right,” Sinclair said. “You will.”
“Pardon me?” Odell said.
“This isn’t no peace mission anymore, Henry. It’s a rescue operation. They got Connor and God knows what they’ll do to him next. There’s a time for talk and there’s a time for no talk and this here is a time for no talk.”
“Well, excuse me, but I will not be staying here,” Odell said.
“Yes, you will. I need Lorenzo’s girl and her bow covering our back more than I need a one-armed reformed bandit who don’t have the nerve left to fight.”
“Absolutely not. Mirta stays here,” Escalante said.
“I want to help!” Mirta called out from where she was hiding behind the corner.
“You get back in the kitchen and mind your own business, young lady!” Escalante shouted. He turned back to Sinclair. “I don’t want her involved in this.”
“I know you don’t and we’ll make sure she stays out of the fight, I promise. We just need her at the rear, making sure nobody sneaks up on us from behind and pens us in.”
“I brought you into this, Ashford!” Odell said. “Without me you’d still be skinning beavers. You don’t get to come here and give orders and hand out assignments. I do!”
“You want to hand them out instead, Stumpy?” Sinclair asked.
“Enough!” Jesse shouted. She banged her hands against the armrests of her chair. “That is enough out of the both of you miserable old cretins! Neither one of you gets to show up at my door and act like you’re in charge! If I had any sense, I’d toss you both the hell out on your ears because all either of you knows how to do is make things worse!”
“I’m sorry, dear,” Odell said and lowered his head. “I’ll do whatever you think is best.”
“You’re damned right you will—and stop calling me dear! That’s my son out there and this is my ranch, not yours, so don’t come in here acting like you own the place.” She turned to Sinclair with glowing-hot eyes. “And it’s damn sure not yours.”
“I didn’t think it was mine. I can tell you hate me and that’s fair. I’ve never been anything to you and I don’t expect you to want to be anything to me.” Sinclair set his coffee aside. “Henry?”
“What?”
“The other night I lied about William coming to see me. He never did. Not after I ran him off that time when him and Jesse brought little Connor to come ask me to stay here with them. He laid a curse on me before he left. He said I’d sooner have to shed my own skin than see him again and it turns out he was right.”
“Why are you telling me this now?” Odell asked.
“Because it’s true. You all want to speak and hear the truth, let’s do it. Jesse, as much as you might hate me, you need my help. Lorenzo and me have a lot of experience with this sort of thing.”
“Well,” Escalante said, “I thought we were being honest, jefe.”
“All right, so we were usually the kidnappers. But still, we have a pretty good understanding of how it works.”
“You think I don’t?” Odell said. “You think I was out there picking tulips with the Red Trail all them years?”
“Before you lost your hand and your backbone maybe,” Sinclair said.
Odell stood up. “I have tolerated as much disrespect from you as I can stand, Ashford Sinclair. I will not allow it in front of my daughter!”
“Hang on,” Jesse said. She used her arm to move Odell out of her way and raised an eyebrow toward Sinclair. “What would you do first?”
“I’d send Lorenzo and Mirta out to scout your property and see if we’re being watched. Only a fool wouldn’t have planted a few spies here to see if you brought in any more men or were trying to mount a rescue effort. Being that we’re the rescue effort, I’d hate to have Mr. Granger know we’re on our way.”
“Jesse, don’t listen to this old snake,” Odell said.
“I’ll listen to whoever I choose,” Jesse said. “Mr. Escalante, would you and your daughter be agreeable to checking our property for spies like Mr. Sinclair advised?”
“I’ll go!” Mirta called out from behind the wall.
Escalante put his face in his hands. “Madre de dios. I’d rather face a whole gang of giants than her mother after she hears about this.”
* * *
* * *
After dinner, Escalante and his daughter went out to search the property for sign of spies while Jesse Sinclair agreed to show her father and her father-in-law what they had on hand around the ranch.
“What do you want to see?” Jesse asked.
“Everything,” Sinclair said.
They inspected the supply sheds and toolsheds and places where the farrier adjusted the horses’ shoes. She took them to the blacksmith barn, where they kept all the raw ore. She showed them the feed barns and milk barns and pens for all the various animals.
There was a multitude of storage areas for various items scattered around the ranch. Large barrels of bent nails that had been pried out of old buildings and saved for the day they could be straightened and reused. A whole shed dedicated to empty jugs and mason jars.
Jesse took them to one shed that was locked with a large padlock and said, “Two years ago a man came through with a wagon he said was from a distillery that burned down. I could tell he was shifty, but your son never could say no to a good deal.”
Ralph Compton Face of a Snake Page 13