by Steven Grey
Cobb sat forward. Now they were coming to it. ‘Why? What evidence was there?’
‘For a start, with Bannister dead, it was going to be easier for Steadman to make sure the rest of the farmers toed the line.’
‘But that can’t be all?’
‘No, of course not.’ Jackson sounded angry again as if he suspected Cobb of thinking he hadn’t done his job properly. ‘Steadman was seen in the area of Bannister’s home at the right time.’
‘Who by?’
‘A couple of hands who work for the Double D ranch. Ben Lucan and Adam Carter. They testified at the trial. Not that they made very good witnesses. Their rowdy and rather stupid behaviour certainly didn’t impress the judge. Even so they stuck to what they said. And why should they lie?’
Cobb could think of a number of reasons, the principal one being that they’d been paid to do so. He made a mental note of the names, thinking he would need to speak to them.
‘The Double D, where’s that?’
‘Next to Bannister’s farm.’
‘Bit of a lucky coincidence.’
‘Maybe, but then as Lucan and Carter explained, they happened to be working on the fence that divides the two properties when they saw Steadman.’
‘Anything else?’
‘Yeah, Steadman and Bannister were both courting the same girl.’
‘A prostitute?’
Jackson shook his head. ‘No, a decent young woman actually. Amy Mallory. Her brother owns the livery stable and Amy helps him.’ He shrugged. ‘It wouldn’t be the first time that one man shot another over a girl.’
‘Is that it?’
‘It’s enough.’
It didn’t seem much to Cobb but he knew men had been hanged on even flimsier evidence.
‘Can I see Steadman?’
‘Yeah,’ Jackson stood up, reaching into his desk drawer for a bunch of keys. ‘Leave your gun out here and any other weapons you’re carrying.’
Cobb made no objection.
‘By the way, Owen, who’s the head of the Cattlemen’s Association?’
‘A Hugh Rowlands. He owns the Flying R, which is the area’s most important and largest ranch. It’s lands stretch almost down to the Mexican border. He’s a good man. He didn’t like the way things seemed to be spiralling out of control any more’n I did.’
‘Are you sure about that?’
‘Yeah, I am. And he’ll be willing to talk to you because neither does he like the idea of his employee being hung for a murder he says he didn’t commit.’ Jackson unlocked the door at the rear of the office. ‘OK, Mr Cobb, it’s through here. Take as long as you like.’
CHAPTER FIVE
There were four cells, two on either side of a short passage. Each had a barred window high up on the wall, two bunks and a chair. Only one cell was occupied.
As Cobb went up to the bars, Tom Steadman rose from the bunk where he’d been lying, staring up at the ceiling, and came over to him. Although it had been some time since Steadman left the detective agency, Cobb recognized him immediately. The man was now forty. He was almost as tall as Cobb’s six feet, and barrel chested, with fair hair balding in the front. He had a drooping moustache. Even in jail he was dressed well and, despite the fact he was waiting to be hanged, he had a cocky look about him which Cobb thought wouldn’t go down well with a lot of people.
‘Zac, you’re here at last!’
‘Journey took nearly three days,’ Cobb said, not happy at having to justify himself.
‘A goddamn long three days since the judge said I was to hang and I’ve been stuck in here with nothing to do but wait for the gallows to be built. It is being built, ain’t it? I can hear ’em sawing and hammering the wood.’
‘You should have gotten in touch before.’
Steadman smiled to show he’d meant no offence. ‘Didn’t think I’d ever come to this sorry pass.’ He spoke lightly but his hands gripped the bars so tightly his knuckles turned white. With an effort he relaxed and smiled again.
‘Well I’m here now. And from what Jackson has told me it don’t seem like he had much of a case against you.’
‘It was enough to convince judge and jury. But then the jury was made up of townsfolk and homesteaders, my natural enemies, with nary a rancher or cowhand amongst ’em, so I guess they weren’t that hard to convince. Most’ve been looking for an excuse to do me down.’
‘Any reason for that? Apart from the fact that you work for the Cattlemen’s Association.’
Steadman shrugged. ‘That was enough to make me unpopular with most. You know how it is!’ He paused then said, ‘I suppose I’d best admit there’ve been times when I’ve had to be harsh with some of the homesteaders, especially recently since they’ve insisted on rustling cattle. At my trial it was said I’d been terrorizing ’em. Now that, Zac, is an unkind word. And untrue. I’ve never done anything to anyone who didn’t deserve it.’
At least according to the wishes of the ranchers, Cobb thought. What the farmers felt about it was probably something quite different.
‘Tom, I’ve got to ask, did you shoot and kill this Ralph Bannister?’
‘Absolutely not. No way.’ Steadman shook his head. ‘I ain’t about to say I ain’t never shot no one, because I have, both during my time with Mr Bellington and since coming here to work for the ranchers. But it was always a case of shoot or be shot and I always gave the other man a fighting chance. I expect it’s the same with you.’
‘But Bannister was causing trouble wasn’t he? Was trying to get the farmers to band together?’
‘True. He was a godawful pain in the ass. And his death meant the farmers quietened down. For a while anyway. But once they started to get over their fear of being shot it only made ’em more mean and determined.’
Cobb nodded. That was a good point.
‘If I’d gone up against him I’d’ve had a better reason than the fact he was stirring up trouble. Christ, if that was a good enough reason to call someone out I’d’ve been damn busy. And I would’ve done it face to face. I would never ever dry-gulch anyone.’
Cobb believed him and not just because he wanted to. He felt that for Steadman to kill someone from ambush would be to take something away from his prowess as a shooter and as a man. He would prefer other people to know he was so good with a gun he wasn’t scared to play by the rules. He was sure Neil would say that was a bit like Cobb himself.
‘Any idea who did?’
‘No,’ Steadman said, with another shake of his head. ‘Bannister wasn’t all that popular, especially with the ranchers, but not with some of the farmers either, he was too quick to anger for that, too quick with his fists, but I don’t know of anyone he’d annoyed enough or anything he’d done to be killed for.’ He shrugged, then went on, ‘It’s a long shot but you might take a look at Fred Warren.’
‘Who’s he?’
‘A farmer. He’s been here for a long time, I think he was one of the first to take up title to land along the creek, and he’s gotten himself a decent place which he’s always trying to improve. Until Bannister began to stir things up, Warren was the unofficial leader of the farmers but at the same time he was always reasonable enough.’
‘Why would he shoot Bannister? Another farmer.’
‘To be honest I wouldn’t suspect him at all except that two of his three sons were under Bannister’s influence and were eager to join him in whatever he was doing. Had taken to wearing guns, were likely to be in the forefront of any fighting. I know it ain’t likely but Warren could’ve decided to shoot Bannister rather than risk his sons being hurt.’
He didn’t sound very hopeful.
‘What about the cattlemen?’
‘What about ’em?’
‘Could one of them have decided you’d become too violent and wanted to be rid of you? And so they killed Bannister and put the blame on you. In other words killed two annoying birds with one stone.’
‘What, betrayed me?’ Steadman gave a snort of derision
. ‘Not likely.’
‘It wouldn’t be the first time.’
‘That’d mean a rancher had to kill Bannister.’
‘And you don’t see that happening?’
‘Oh yeah, only too easily, someone had to after all. But not then to put the blame on me, no. Why should anyone do that? I worked for the cattlemen, have done so for a long while, and I did a good job too. Never had any complaints anyway. And if they wanted to be rid of me all they’d have to do is fire me.’
‘You don’t know of any reason one of them might have had to want you dead?’
Steadman thought about that. ‘I daresay I’ve got on the wrong side of one or two of ’em in my time but not enough for murder.’ He laughed. ‘Seems to me like you’re clutching at straws, old son.’
Cobb frowned. He knew Steadman was right but he didn’t like the man pointing it out to him. And, as he himself said, someone had to have killed Bannister and maybe there was some motive behind it that they hadn’t as yet learned.
‘Zac, listen, forget about the association. The ranchers have always treated me right. Treated me like an equal. Mr Rowlands paid for my defence. They’ll support me all the way.’
‘Right up to the time you’re hanged?’
‘The law found me guilty; the ranchers can’t break the law for me.’
Cobb didn’t say anything to that piece of moonshine. He thought Steadman was foolish to be convinced that the ranchers were his friends and would never do him harm, but there didn’t seem any point in saying so. Instead he turned back to the evidence against the man.
‘What about the fact that two cowhands saw you hanging around Bannister’s farm the day of the shooting? What were you doing there?’
‘It was a lie. Or they were mistaken. I was never out by Bannister’s farm. Not that day anyway.’
‘Where were you?’
‘Riding around, keeping a look-out for rustlers, but not there.’
‘Can you prove that?’
‘’Course not, or I would’ve done so.’
Cobb hid a sigh. Proving Steadman innocent wasn’t going to be easy, especially as Steadman himself wasn’t exactly being co-operative.
‘Then there’s the rumour that your young lady, Amy Mallory, was also being courted by Bannister.’
Steadman let go of the bars and paced the cell for a moment or two before coming back to Cobb. His eyes blazed. ‘That was a lie too.’
‘But you’d heard the rumours?’
‘Yeah. And I was angry about ’em.’ It would have been useless for Steadman to deny that, for anger still showed in his every movement. ‘For Amy’s sake. I love Amy. Before all this happened I wanted to marry her and settle down. But I didn’t go off half cock and shoot Bannister. Instead I asked Amy if there was any truth in the rumours. She said no. I believed her.’
‘Who started the rumours?’
‘I don’t know. I wish I did.’ Steadman grinned again. ‘None of this is very helpful is it?’
‘Not really.’
‘I guess you’re going to have your work cut out finding enough evidence to set me free, especially as you ain’t got much time!’
‘I’ll do my best.’
‘I surely do hope so!’
CHAPTER SIX
Reggie Drake downed his third whiskey in one long swallow, put the glass down on the bar and belched loudly.
‘Fill ’er up!’
Ed Chadwin was torn between doing what Reggie wanted, especially as when Reggie was in town he was one of his best customers, and getting rid of the rancher before he became drunk. He could see a couple of younger townsmen over in one corner laughing at Reggie’s antics. If Reggie also spotted them there would be hell to pay. The last thing he wanted in his saloon was a shooting.
‘Thought you was meant to be in town to buy supplies.’
Reggie frowned as if trying to remember. ‘Oh, yeah,’ he said at last. ‘Al wants some things. I’ve got a list here somewhere.’ He patted his shirt pockets and pulled out a piece of paper, peering at it.
‘Then hadn’t you better go and order ’em?’
‘But I want another drink.’
‘Plenty of time for that later on. As well as a visit to Madam Josephine’s. Heard tell she’s got a new gal in, just off the Eastern stage.’ Chadwin winked. ‘Also heard she ain’t never had a man before and is waiting for the right one to come along and teach her what to do.’ And if you believed that, he thought, then you must’ve come off the same stage!
But Reggie, being Reggie, was of the opinion that he was extremely good-looking and so wonderful at making love that the girls employed at Madam Josephine’s brothel loved him for himself and not because they were paid to do so.
‘Really?’ he said dreamily. ‘Is she pretty?’
‘Ain’t all of Madam Josephine’s girls?’
Reggie’s mind was soon made up. He’d buy what was needed and then take himself off to the brothel. Allan was waiting back at the ranch, not just for the supplies but more importantly the latest news. But Reggie, with three whiskies inside him fuelling his bravado, didn’t intend to go home until he was good and ready. His oft-repeated excuse for his behaviour was that as he worked hard he deserved to play hard as well.
He stumbled out on to the street and walked in an unsteady gait towards the plaza. As he got there the door to the marshal’s office opened and a stranger came out; a well-armed stranger.
Quickly Reggie took a step back into the shadows cast by the general store, not wanting to be seen. Was this the private detective meant to be coming to help Tom Steadman? How could it be? But if not, then who was he? For a moment his hand toyed with his gun, but even he wasn’t foolish enough to backshoot a man in broad daylight in the middle of the town. He watched as the man went to the horse tied to the hitching rail and began to lead it towards the business district.
Reggie searched in his befuddled mind for the answers to the questions about the man’s identity Allan would ask. Perhaps as the stranger was heading for the livery he could ask Amy Mallory about him. His brother probably wouldn’t like that but then Allan wasn’t here to stop him.
As Cobb had to stable his horse he decided to talk to Amy Mallory at the same time, find out how she felt about Steadman; and Bannister.
The livery stable stood at the far end of town, next to the feed and grain store. There was a large corral out back where a man with brown leathery skin was forking hay into a trough. A woman carrying a saddle and bridle came out of the stables. Her brown curly hair was pinned back from her face and she was dressed in a man’s shirt and a divided skirt.
‘Miss Mallory?’ Cobb said, coming to a halt by the rail.
Both the woman and man stopped what they were doing and looked round.
‘Yes?’ The answer was both an affirmation of her identity and a question as to why she was being asked.
‘I’m Zachary Cobb. From the Bellington’s Detective Agency. I’d like to talk to you about Tom Steadman.’
‘Oh, yes.’ She smiled slightly. ‘Tom said you were coming. That he knew you from the old days. I’m Amy Mallory. This is my brother, Greg. Why don’t you leave your horse in the corral and come inside where it’s cooler.’
As he followed the Mallorys into the stable, Cobb saw that Amy was about twenty-nine. She was quite tall and rail thin and while she wasn’t particularly pretty her face had character. And determination. He could understand why Tom Steadman had fallen in love with her.
‘Are you going to be able to help Tom?’ she asked, and up close Cobb could also see a sad expression on her face.
‘I hope so.’
‘Me and Greg will do whatever we can to help, won’t we, Greg?’
Her brother, who was slightly older than Amy and obviously a man of few words, nodded in agreement.
‘I’m sure, no, I know, Tom’s innocent. He would never, ever shoot anyone from ambush.’
‘I don’t think he would either.’ Cobb paused. ‘Miss Mallory, Tom tel
ls me that he’s in love with you. Are you in love with him?’
Amy reddened and Greg looked at Cobb angrily.
‘I’m sorry to ask such a personal question but it’s important I find out the truth.’
‘Yes, of course. It’s OK, Greg, I don’t mind. Yes, Mr Cobb, I love Tom. Very much. He asked me to marry him before all this trouble started. And I said yes.’ It was obvious she was telling the truth.
‘Then what do you say about the rumours that Ralph Bannister was also courting you?’
This time Greg Mallory took a step forward, hands bunching into fists at his sides. Amy put out a hand to stop him.
‘Were the rumours true?’
‘No, they most certainly were not! And that’s what I told Tom. Who believed me. I hardly knew Bannister. Oh, I admit I spoke to him if I saw him when he came to town to buy supplies, especially if he was staying overnight and left his horse and buckboard here. That was all. I couldn’t understand it when I learned what people were saying about me and him.’
‘Did he ever mention liking you?’
‘No,’ Amy said again. ‘Our conversations concerned things like the weather or the price of hay. Just like the conversations I have with countless other men. He was always polite, never anything more.’
‘Did he speak to you about Steadman?’
‘Why should he?’
‘Well, he probably knew you two were courting….’
‘It certainly wasn’t a secret.’
‘… So perhaps if he did have some feelings for you he might not have approved because he was a farmer and Steadman was working for the ranchers.’
‘Apart from the fact it was nothing whatsoever to do with him I really can’t remember him even once talking to me about personal matters!’ Amy was most indignant. ‘And if he had, as you say, felt something for me he would have said so. Bannister wasn’t the type to keep quiet.’
‘That he weren’t.’ Greg Mallory spoke for the first time.
Amy shook her head, looking upset and almost tearful. ‘I don’t know who put around such a lie about me or why.’