John shakes his head. “I can’t do it. I’ve been gone from Denver long enough as it is. If you want to, you will be able to get the reward money to me there, though.”
Blackwolf nods. “I think we might be able to do that. Expect that we will have to pay someone to escort him down there, though.”
“Yeah, I kinda expected that,” John says with a bit of a sigh. “What about the others, though?”
“Yeah, you’re clear. I’ll get the gold to you this evening. I have it in the safe at the bank for safe keeping.”
“You don’t trust any situation, do you?” John asks suspiciously.
“Not unless I can help it,” Blackwolf says a little distantly.
John isn’t sure what it is about this marshal, but something doesn’t ring true. There’s something that is slightly off-putting. He doesn’t quite think the marshal is lying per-se, but there is definitely something that he is hiding.
He’s doing his best not to let it color his perspective, but it is difficult. He can tell that the marshal is hiding something. Has been hiding something for so long, he doesn’t even think about hiding it anymore.
John nods. “Yeah, I can imagine. Since you agreed to hand over the reward money, mind if I go to the bank with you?”
“I’m glad you mentioned it. I was gonna ask if you wouldn’t mind coming with me. Carrying that much gold does make one rather nervous, after all.”
“Think I can leave some in the bank for a day or two? I mean, I don’t really feel comfortable carrying around all that money to begin with.”
“Well, as long as you don’t keep it in there too long without an account, I don’t think they will have a problem with it,” Blackwolf replies with some consideration.
“Mmh. Think I should ask them about it? Maybe even opening an account?”
“I think that best, but it’s up to you. It is your money after all.”
“Which bank did you go with?”
“First Bank. They have branches here, Oklahoma Town, Guthrie, Edmond, Moore, Enid, and several others I can’t quite think of at the moment.”
“Nice. So that means that when my reward gets deposited, it can go in one branch and be transferred down here then?”
Blackwolf smiles. “That’s the general idea, after all. They can give an accounting for your records, when you want. You can also most likely sign the vouchers, so you won’t have to carry around all that money. I mean it is just a suggestion, after all.”
John sits there, considering a moment. He hasn’t ever been one to trust other people with his money, but this really is too much gold to carry comfortably. Not since they found the stash in the orphanage has he had access to this much money. “Well, it won’t hurt to go talk with them after all, will it?”
Still smiling, Blackwolf replies, “No, not at all.”
John stands and asks Lyttle, “So I will need to write out my statement and swear in, while signing it. To save the hotel’s paper and ink, can you have some paper, ink, and quill sent to the hotel?”
“Sure. You’ll have to sign it in front of another sworn officer, though. I don’t see any reason why it won’t work having you write it out elsewhere, though.”
John nods. “I’d appreciate it. I think we will be heading over to the bank now?” John asks looking at Blackwolf.
He nods. “Yeah, they are probably gonna close around five.”
Both men head out the door. Blackwolf turns to John and says, “You seem to be getting along with the judge nicely. I’m glad. He seemed kinda closed off during our trip down here from Guthrie.”
“Yeah, we have a shared history in the cavalry. He credits me with saving his life. You noticed the gun he carries?”
Blackwolf nods.
“I gave that gun to him a number of years ago, when he was in a tough situation. He thanked me for it.”
Blackwolf gives John an apprising look. It appears John just gained some small measure of respect in the younger man’s eyes. The young marshal sighs and says, “In the five years I’ve known Judge Logan, he’s never been very talkative. I’m not one to mince words, but I do like some conversation once in awhile. Know what I mean?”
John nods in agreement. They step up to the boardwalk in front of the bank. John opens the door and ushers Blackwolf in.
Chapter 45
Reaching the teller, Blackwolf quietly says, “My companion here would like to talk to the banker for a moment, if he’s available.”
The bank-teller takes one look at Blackwolf and John standing right behind him and says, “I’ll check. Just one moment, please, Marshal.”
Blackwolf grins back at John. “Being a U.S. Marshal does have its advantages.”
John nods. “Yeah, but is the risk worth it? I mean there’s been plenty of trouble around Denver after all.”
“It equals out. Hello there, Mr. Weston. My companion would like to discuss opening an account, possibly.”
The banker looks at Blackwolf, then at John, then at the clock on the wall. It is a quarter to five. He sighs, then motions the two marshals behind the counter to sit at a desk. He takes out a ledger, quill, and well. “So, gentlemen, how can we serve you?”
Blackwolf motions to John, in a movement that says, “Go ahead.”
John gathers his thoughts a moment. “You are holding onto a sum of gold for me. About twenty-five hundred dollars, in fact. The marshal, here, brought it down from Guthrie for me, and I would like to check into what I can do with it. Obviously, that’s a lot to carry around, but I’m not sure what to do with it.”
“Well, the easiest answer would be, for a small fee, we can hold onto it for you for as long as you want. There is something else, you can look into though. Here in Norman, you can give payment vouchers to pay for goods, where the people can bring in the vouchers for actual money. We keep the money here, but you can spend it at your leisure. We call it a checking account.”
John is intrigued by the concept, but still wary of trusting a businessman with his hard-earned money. He looks at the man a moment, then asks, “What happens if this place gets robbed?”
“We hire guards to help keep that to a minimum. However, we will guarantee up to five thousand dollars, though.”
“Meaning?”
“If we get held up, we will replace up to five thousand dollars per account.”
John is stunned. He wasn’t expecting anything like this. His thoughts racing, he sits there quietly a moment.
Blackwolf leans forward and clears his throat meaningfully. “I think I will want to make sure the gold I brought in today is still safe. Can we tour your vault a moment, while he still mulls his choice over?”
The banker stands. “Of course. This way, please.” All three people troop into the back room, where John is able to see a large steel round vault. The vault door stands almost floor to ceiling.
John asks, “Why is it round?”
“It deflects a dynamite blast. It’s a bit more expensive, but worth it in the long run.”
Blackwolf whistles appreciatively. “I can imagine.”
The banker nods then motions inside, indicating several bags just inside the vault. “Those are yours.” He motions toward several others. “Those are the gold of others.” He looks at John pointedly. “You see, others have put their trust in us as well. So, should I get your bags for you? Or did you want to look at starting an account?”
John considers a moment, then says, “I think I will go with an account, but will also withdraw two hundred fifty in gold. It will make getting the stuff I need, just that much easier.”
The banker nods, thinks a moment, reaches in and grabs a bag of the gold. All three go back to the banker’s desk where the older man gets some paperwork drafter. He has John sign several forms, then instructs him to write a password onto a piece of paper. He says, “This will tell the tellers at this branch you are who you say you are.”
John writes on the page, “Elizabeth Bakker,” folds it being careful not to let
anyone see it and asks the banker about the money.
The clinks of the gold coins as they are being counted out are sharp in the ears of the waiting patrons. John and Blackwolf leave the bank, John with a purse full of gold and several bank drafts, Blackwolf with a smile at a job well done.
The two men walk over to the hotel, where John has Blackwolf sign in to the register. Joseph is manning the registration desk. He hands the key over to Blackwolf and mentions the baths.
“I’ll be okay,” Blackwolf replies.
John is shocked. Someone turning down the opportunity like this? Interesting. “I would love one. It’s been a couple of days and I would love the chance to soak out this stink.” He motions to Blackwolf. “Their soap and bathing facilities are amazing. You can even soak in complete privacy. I would recommend it, not saying you stink or anything. Just that a good soak fixes a lot of aches and pains.”
Blackwolf considers a moment. “You said you can bathe in privacy?” The look in his eye is interested.
Joseph nods. “The stalls are completely curtained off. If’n ya wan’ total privacy, ya kin have it.”
John sees the naked desire in the marshal’s eyes. He can also see the marshal is definitely hiding something now. He says, “I can go make sure no one interrupts your privacy, if you would like to make use of the bathhouse.”
He sees the desire to trust and a bath battling for self-protection as the marshal stares at him. Finally, the walls in the marshal's eyes crumble. The small man seems to gather himself up and says, “I think I will take both of you gentlemen up on your offers. Yes, Mr. Mallory, I believe I would like use of the bathhouse.”
“I’ll send Sean up wit’ some soap ‘n a towel for ya t’hen.”
“Thank you, both.”
Both marshals go upstairs.
John is a little surprised to see that the room Blackwolf was given is right next to his. “I’ll show you the way to their bathhouse in a few minutes. I need to find a good place to put this gold, and get my bath stuff, too.”
Blackwolf nods and enters his own room.
John smiles. He’s more curious about what the young man is hiding, now than ever. He has the feeling it’s something substantial, but is still unsure.
When he steps into his own room, John is surprised to see a clean set of clothes and clean sheets on his bed. He smiles. This is a level of service he has not been expecting.
He puts his purse under the back corner of the dresser, grabs his clean clothes and rushes outside. He knocks on the door to David’s room. No answer. He must still be talking with Doc Lopez. He turns to go down the hall, and sees Blackwolf exiting his room dressed in a simple shirt, pants, boots and hat, while carrying a change of clothes.
Both men nod to each other wordlessly and start towards the stairs. Just as they reach the head of the stairs, John sees Sean coming up the stairs with towels and cakes of soap in hand.
“Good evenin’ marshals, ma da tells meh ya are lookin’ ta get a soak?”
John nods, Blackwolf looks uncertain.
John looks at the young man and places a hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be okay. You’ll have privacy, I promise you that.”
Sean nods. “Ma da tells meh ye’re concerned about’ it.” His smile is wide. “I’ll make sure no one is intrudin on ya. Ya kin trust meh on t’hat.”
Blackwolf sighs and reluctantly nods. “I’ll have to trust ya both, I guess. I really do look forward to a long soak.” His smile lights up his face.
Sean motions for the two of them to follow him downstairs. Just like before, he leads them out the back door across the bridge into the bathhouse.
Sean fills Blackwolf’s tub first. It takes him just a few moments to get it to the right temperature. Blackwolf enters the curtained off stall and immediately starts disrobing. John grins at the young man’s eagerness. His grin spreads into a wide smile when he hears a sigh of deep contentment and a muttered “Oh, yeah.” He chuckles quietly to himself, as Sean fills his tub. Once it’s full and hot enough, Sean takes a position to be able to stand guard and John slips inside his stall. He quickly disrobes and glides into the tub with his own deep sigh of contentment.
This time, unlike the last, John doesn’t soak just to soak. He washes, not as quickly as if the water was cold, but still quickly enough. He washes his hair, enjoying the tingle of the soap on his scalp, rinses off and quickly exits his bath.
He dries and gets dressed quickly, then drains his tub. He leaves the stall, to see Sean standing guard over the young marshal’s stall. The two men nod at each other and Sean leaves.
John hears quiet exclamations and numerous splashes as Blackwolf enjoys his bath. John smiles and says loudly enough to be heard over the splashing, “Sean has left. It’s just me’n you now.”
The splashing stops for a moment. “Okay, thank you. I’m almost done.”
“Take your time. You don’t have to rush on my account.”
“Thank you. I really do appreciate your doing this for me.”
“You’re welcome. One of these days, you will need to tell me why you’re so shy.”
Blackwolf sighs slowly, and says, “Maybe, but not right now.”
“Like I said, someday. For now, enjoy your privacy and relaxation.”
“Oh, trust me, I am.” The splashing begins again and continues for another fifteen minutes, then John hears water dripping as the young man exits his bath.
After quite awhile, the curtain moves back to reveal a fully clothed Marshal Blackwolf, hat and all, carrying his dirty laundry.
John is a little surprised that the young marshal refuses to expose any part of himself, even in the slightest. John’s distrust of the marshal hiding something increases greatly.
Blackwolf sighs and says, “Thank you, again. I really appreciate you doing that. More than you may ever know.”
John replies in a tone flat with newfound distrust, “You’re welcome. Would you like me to show you how to drain the tub?”
Blackwolf’s face darkens, obviously confused at the older man’s tone, but he doesn’t say anything about it. Instead, he replies, “Sure.”
John shows the young man how to work the stopper, and grins tightly at the young man’s low exclamation of surprise at the ingenuity of the owners. They take their towels and bars of soap inside with them. They deposit the towels in the bin by the door and put the soap on the tray as it is marked.
The two marshals troop upstairs to drop off clothing. At the top of the stairs, they see David start coming down.
“John! I was beginning to wonder if the marshal decided to take you to jail, instead of the prisoners!” he says with a smile.
John grunts. “Oh, the marshal took me somewhere, but it was to the bank, not jail. By the way.” He reaches the top of the stairs with Blackwolf right behind him. He motions to Blackwolf and says, “This is Marshal Joe Blackwolf. He’ll be the one taking our prisoners to Guthrie.”
The two men shake hands firmly.
John says, “We were just about to have a bite to eat. Are you gonna have a soak first, or did you want to join us?”
David considers a moment before answering, “I think I’ll join ya. I was considering having a soak myself, but we have a lot to discuss.”
John nods. “We’re gonna drop stuff off and meet you down there then.”
Five minutes later, all three are seated at a table by Sean and quietly discussing their choices of food. Blackwolf, in particular, seems to be more interested in the traditional Irish dishes than the others. He asks a number of questions about the recipes, to which Sean replies, “I’m sorry. I cannae tell ya. Ma Mam is t’he one as does all t’he cookin’ ‘round here.”
“Is she available? It would be wonderful to get several of her recipes if she would allow me to have any of them.”
Sean sighs deeply. “I kin ask ma mam, but ‘tis tha middle of dinner after all. Do ya t’hink ya migh’t be able ta wait until after t’hat?”
“Yeah. I can w
ait. I would just love to get them so I can give them to my grandmother before I leave in the next few days.”
Sean nods, takes their orders and steps away. He returns several moments later with their drinks. Guinness for John, Coffee for David, and hot water for Blackwolf.
John looks on curiously as the Marshal pulls out a container of a dark colored powder and spoons several spoonfuls into the hot water of the coffee cup.
David looks on and smiles. “Is that what I think it is?”
Blackwolf eyes him speculatively. “Dunno. Whatcha think it is?”
David’s smile is wide as he says, “It’s been half a year since I have seen hot chocolate. I got some for Bekah last winter, while we were out ice skating. I tried some and found that it was way too sweet for my taste.”
“Then, yeah, it is what you think it is. I don’t like alcohol, and can’t stand the taste of coffee. So, this is my drink of choice.”
Sean comes out a few moments later, with a tray full of plates. He places a plate of the Bangers and Mash in front of Blackwolf, a plate of the roast beef in front of David, and a plate of the cottage pie in front of John.
David immediately bows his head. Blackwolf, after a glance bows his, Sean bows his as well.
John sighs deeply, and rolls his eyes in disgust, allowing them the time to pay homage to their fairy tale.
After a few moments of silent prayer, David mutters, “Amen.” He is echoed by both Blackwolf and Sean.
John then immediately digs in to his plate of food, occasionally whetting his thirst with Guinness.
After several minutes of digging into his food, David clears his throat and asks, “So, other than doing our depositions, what else are we looking at doing here in Norman?”
John considers a moment before answering. “Well, I need to get some wood to fix up the Marshal’s office in Denver. I also owe you some of this reward money. Without your help, it wouldn’t have been possible. I figured you would appreciate a full-on office building.”
“Well, yeah. How much reward did you get anyways?” David’s look is curious.
“Enough that it will cover building offices out of gratitude. And then some.”
The Marshal of Denver Page 25