Blood on the Verde River

by Dusty Richards

  Jesus came back with ajar, smiling. “There is gold in here. Pouches say Wells Fargo Gold. This is the stolen gold dust, isn’t it?”

  Chet nodded. “That’s damn sure part of it.” He looked around a bit more and then dragged a chair over to stand on. He removed the top of a red, candy can and nodded, taking five fresh hundred-dollar bills out. “Here, write down the serial numbers of those bills in my log book.” He tossed the book to Jesus.

  “Put that back!” The woman stormed in the room. “You gawddamn thieves ain’t takin’ my money.”

  “Mrs. Marconi, step back. I bet those serial numbers are close to the money we found on your son. If they are not part of the Wells Fargo shipment, the money will be refunded to you.”

  “Where did you get that damn jar from?” She pointed to the one Jesus had found in the fireplace.

  “Stay away from that evidence,” Chet moved to block her and captured both her arms. In the struggle, he avoided her handy knee. She was tough as any man he’d ever struggled with. He knew she’d bite him if she got the chance. Jesus finally caught her around the waist and they forced her into a chair and tied her hands and feet with her cussing them out.

  “Now lady, I am going to stick a sock in your mouth if you don’t shut up,” Chet threatened.

  She closed her mouth.

  Chet knew from the struggle that she wore a money belt and decided to liberate her of it. “I am going to take that money belt you’re wearing off of you. You can stand up or we’ll put you on the floor and remove it.”

  “That is none of your business.”

  “I’m tired of your mouth. Jesus find a gag.”

  “No. I will stand up, but I am going to charge you with rape.”

  Chet laughed. “I damn sure won’t do that to you, lady.”

  She rose and Jesus held her bound arms. Chet unbuttoned her dress and found the canvas belt. It had three buckles, which he undid as she stuttered in anger. Then he pulled the canvas belt free. She swore under her breath.

  “Set her down again Jesus.”

  “That is my money,” she snapped.

  “I don’t want your money. Only the Wells Fargo money.” Chet found two hundred-dollar bills in a compartment. They were fresh enough to be part of the loot. He recorded the serial numbers in his book and shook his head. “You are now an accessory to this crime.”

  “Prove it.”

  “What is your first name?”

  “Shirley. Shirley Lynn Marconi.”

  “A warrant will be sworn out for your appearance in Preskitt. If you don’t appear in thirty days, another warrant will be sworn out for you and two federal deputy marshals will come over here and arrest you and take you back to Preskitt in irons.”

  Roamer came in the room as he was finishing. “Chet told you the truth. You will need to go to Preskitt and file a bond or you will be on the wanted list and any bounty hunter can come get you and haul you belly down to Preskitt.”

  “I’m not scared of you or your law.”

  “You aren’t dealing with a local sheriff, now. You’re in the federal system. Marshals will find you and your family members. Avoiding them will mean more charges and a longer sentence.”

  “She had two hundred dollars from the robber on her person. Jesus and I will initial them as hers. That jar has part or all of the gold dust in it.”

  “Lefty and Haze can’t find anything. Shirley, will you tell us where the other three went to hide?”

  She stomped both bound legs with her brogan shoes. “Hell no. You bastards will eat dirt when my husband gets through with you.”

  “Those men aren’t around this place and we need to get back home. Make those girls fix some food,” Chet said to Roamer. “Jesus you watch them.”

  “Make some beans,” Roamer directed the two younger women. “There are some soaking on the stove. And make some corn bread.”

  Chet agreed. Everyone needed some real food in their bellies.

  “What about her?” Roamer asked.

  “If she promises she won’t start shouting at us again, we can release her.”

  “Go to hell,” Shirley spat out.

  “Leave her tied.” Roamer turned his back on her and signaled for the two young wives to get cutting on the meal.

  The boiled beans, even with lots of pepper sauce, tasted flat to Chet. The corn bread was scorched, but good enough with the burned part sliced off. He’d not forget this poor meal for a long time.

  When each man had eaten his fill, they loaded up their grumbling prisoner and then mounted their own horses.

  The old woman was screaming again. The two young women had turned her loose. All three should have been taken in except no one in the posse would have wanted to stay and take care of the hogs.

  On their way at last, going over the hill, Chet looked back at the stinking hog ranch. He’d not miss any of it. Roamer, too, acted glad to be away from there, but the strong smell of hogs would be stay in Chet’s nose for several days. He could only imagine how far the three women would run.

  They camped at a ranch that night. Leaving their prisoner chained to a wagon wheel, they ate at the house. The woman served well-cooked beans and bacon with some wonderful Dutch oven biscuits and real butter. The man, Howard Temple, visited with them about the Marconis.

  “I never trusted them. Sneaky. I caught them hauling a cow carcass off. They said they found her dead, but they’d already skinned her out and she bore my brand. I recalled her being fine a few days before. But what could I do? I went to watching them and they must have noticed ’cause they didn’t ride my range again.”

  “Where did they go?” Chet asked.

  “Up on the rim I guess. There’s lots of wild country up there. They must know you have evidence on them. You may never see them again.”

  Roamer shook his head. “Guess we will see about that, huh?”

  Chet hated them getting away, but with federal and Wells Fargo rewards, the three may get run down by bounty hunters.

  When they reached Rye the next day, Chet bought food supplies and loaded the packhorses. They headed west on the trail for the Verde. Nightfall came and they camped. The temperature dropped after sundown and everyone took a turn at watching the sullen prisoner sleep.

  The next day they crossed the Verde river and reached Yeager’s ranch by mid-afternoon.

  His wife Sheila made them sit and eat a real meal. The saddle-weary crew never argued. They left the prisoner chained and under a blanket. The warmth of her house and fireplace drove the cold out of them. Her rich food spoiled them and they all smiled at her generous ways.

  “Sheila,” Lefty said. “Ma’am, if you ever need anything, let us know. For something as little as a polecat killing your chickens, we’ll ride over here and get rid of him.”

  “Yes,” Roamer said. “As long as you feed us.”

  They all laughed

  Yeager shook his head. “We appreciate all of you coming by. We don’t get many folks. Come by here any time. Sheila will always feed you.”

  On the way to Annie Smart’s, Chet shot a fat deer and everyone helped him load it aboard the spare horse they were leading back to the man who’d had it stolen.

  The short woman came out of her house shaking her head and laughing. “Chet Byrnes never forgets me. Take the buck in back and we can skin him.”

  Turning toward the prisoner and then back to Annie, Chet asked, “We didn’t get his father and two brothers, but do you recognize this one?”

  “All I saw was that old man threatening me. Guess I am lucky to be alive. Hey guys, thanks for that fat deer.”

  They strung it up and three of them sharpened their knives. In a few minutes, the carcass was skinned and gutted. They hauled it up and washed it with buckets of water. Returning to the front of the house, they each hugged her then left.

  Hassayampa City came next and they arrived there after dark, ate at the café, threw the prisoner in the small jail, and slept in the hay at the livery. At dawn, t
hey ate again at the café, got the prisoner, and then rode north. On the way, Roamer pointed out where the stage had been held up.

  By late afternoon, they came where the road forked east of Preskitt and pulled over to say their good-byes.

  Chet said to Lefty and Haze, “I’ll see you two when you fill out your papers for your money. You can’t miss Marge’s. I’ll pay you my part there and we can get you ready to go up on the rim.”

  Haze shook his head, amused. “We’re both going to stop and buy us some real underwear while we’re here.”

  “Do that. If you haven’t got the money put it on my bill.”

  Lefty reined up his anxious horse. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

  “I do. Cattle drovers say ‘you’d do to ride the river with’ about men they like and trust. Both of you would do.”

  “We’ve got the money, but thanks,” Lefty said. “You too, Jesus.”

  “I am glad to have ridden with you. And you took Roamer.” Jesus waved good-bye and he and Chet galloped down the Preskitt Valley for home under dull and cloudy skies in the late afternoon.

  His wife came out onto the porch. “My men are home.”

  Chet gave Jesus the reins, dismounted, and met her halfway. He swung her around, then wondered if he was supposed to do that with her pregnant.

  “I hurt you.”

  “Lands no. I loved it.”

  He kissed her. He couldn’t get enough of her. She looked secure and happy, and the baby was still safe in her belly. He silently thanked God and counted his blessings. That was enough and he was home. Home at last.

  CHAPTER 13

  It snowed that night while they renewed their marriage in the bedroom. In the morning, a blanket of soft snow covered the land with three or four inches of the white stuff. Sipping coffee at a front window to study the early morning snow, he mused about his first winter in the high country.

  “It will melt today,” his wife said, joining him.

  “Good. I can go to the lower place tomorrow.”

  “What took you so long going after them?” she asked squeezing his arm.

  “Like I said, they almost fooled us over at Rye. No one there even suspected them of robbing a stage. It was real slow getting a lead. Jesus finally found a crooked-legged horse’s print in the street. We matched the owner up with the stage robbery. Jesus did a real good job.”

  “I didn’t hear of anything wrong, anywhere in the ranch system. Your sister came by on her way to get supplies. She acted very pleased with her husband, so the marriage must be going well.”

  “I thought so. No mail from JD?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Do you fear he’s in trouble?”

  “I hope not, but who knows. He’s a different JD from the boy growing up. Even when he rode to Mexico with Jesus and me, his attitude worried me.”

  “What else?” she asked.

  “How he went off by himself all the time. I don’t know if it was shady lady business or what. But he hasn’t been the same since he broke up with Kay.”

  “She never talks about it to me and now that she is Mrs. Hannagan I don’t suppose she will.”

  “How did Monica’s Sunday go?” he asked in a low voice after making certain she wasn’t within hearing distance.

  “I think she found him interesting. She said she was surprised.” Marge smiled.

  “Nice. He was polite?”

  “Oh, yes. What do you want to do today?”

  “I guess get used to snow and stay here.”

  “We can go to town in a few hours. It will be melted enough.”

  “Good. I’ll go see Bo and find if there is any deeded land we can buy that’s attached to the Verde ranch. I can see if the bank was able to cash any of the script we got for the cattle drives, too.”

  “That is a large sum of money.”

  He agreed. “But they will pay it some day.”

  “There’s always something to fret about.”

  He agreed with her and went in the living room to look at the newspapers he missed reading. “Is your father all right?”

  “I think he will marry her.”

  “And?”

  “He wrote me a letter and said he planned to transfer this ranch to me. I wrote back and told him to make the deed out to Mr. and Mrs. Byrnes. Anything mine is yours.”

  “Whatever you think. I don’t plan to die, but we need to make a will that gives this place to our children.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Hey, we are partners and need to think about such things and face them responsibly.”

  “Yes.” She rose and mussed his hair. “I wish we’d been together all our life, but I really do enjoy our union. I’m glad I paid your bills so you could stay.”

  They laughed, hugged, and kissed. He so appreciated her drawing his attention to her.

  Mid-morning, they drove to town in the buggy. The snow had melted fast and even in the shade the ground was mushy under the horses’ hooves and iron wheels of the buggy as they cut through it.

  Their plans included lunch at Jenn’s. Both of the girls were still working as waitresses. They hugged him and Marge. The place buzzed with business. No doubt, the two attractive women made it the place to eat. Jenn was so busy Chet and Marge had little chance to talk with her except a few words, learning that things were going well.

  Chet found Bo in his office. His new assistant Donald Jernigan shook Chet’s hand.

  “Don is a lawyer,” Bo began. “He’s passed the bar and was looking for work so I decided I could use him. He’s already sold some property. Where’s Marge?

  “Oh, shopping. What’s new?” Chet asked.

  “I bought two forty-acre plots of land in the valley adjacent to the ranch property.” Bo led Chet to the map on the wall and pointed out the property. “How is that?”

  “Fine.”

  “A ranch next to the Hartley Ranch going to come up for sale soon. The Randle Ranch.”

  “What are you talking about?” Chet asked.

  “Six sections. It is in an estate case now. The cattle operation isn’t that great, but the property does go to the river. Thirty-eight hundred and forty acres. I feel ten dollars an acre could buy it when the courts settle who owns it. Plus some cost for the cattle. I understand it has not been managed very well.”

  “Where are the heirs?”

  “New York and Texas,” Bo answered.

  “We can probably handle it. But Washington is holding up funds for cattle we have delivered to the Navajos. And that grows with every month. We could probably swing it, but check with me before you buy it.”

  “The trial is six months away, so I will have my ear to the deal.”

  “Sounds good. Tell Jane I said hi.”

  “You aren’t the only one looking for a baby,” Bo said as he walked Chet to the door.

  “Good. We can both learn how to change diapers.”

  “Aw, I don’t know about that.”

  “You will. Trust me.” Chet waved to Bo’s assistant. “It’s nice to meet you, Don.”

  Chet left the real estate office and headed to the bank. He met with the banker Tanner in his office. The tall man in a tailored suit seated across from him was impressed with his cattle selling operation. He told him the bank could handle any ranch purchase he wanted to make.

  “I suspect the state will start paying those warrants in the next few months,” Tanner said. “I heard you helped Deputy Roamer capture one of the stage robbers.”

  “That isn’t for public information. Sheriff Sims doesn’t like my helping.”

  Tanner frowned. “His dislikes may cost him that job next election.”

  “I won’t run. I have too many distractions of my own.”

  “I understand, but the people won’t.”

  Chet held up his hands. “I can’t be sheriff and run all the businesses I have going on.”

  “I said I understand. The people of this county don’t.”

  Chet shook Tanner
’s hand. “Let me know if you hear anything on them paying those bills.”

  “I will. But don’t be concerned. They will be paid and anything you need we can help you.”

  “Good. That takes lots of worry off my shoulders.”

  Chet left the bank and picked up Marge at the dress store.

  The snow was almost gone and on the way home she broached a subject that had been on her mind for a while. “Now that my father has deeded the place to us, I think we need to sell off some cattle. He had drives before, but it has been two years”—she took a deep breath—“so . . . work us in. Since the place is now ours, we need to start operating it. Raphael can handle anything you need.”

  “Hey, no problem. Why don’t we ship two hundred head each delivery until we get caught up? Sorry I never asked.”

  “I never thought my dad would find another woman, but he did.” Marge clung to Chet’s shoulder and kissed him on the cheek as the wagon rims threw mud up on both sides of them. “I hope you’re happy with me.”

  “Marge, you are on my mind all the time.”

  “Good, because if anything happens to this baby inside me I think it will break my heart.”

  He switched the reins to his other hand and squeezed her leg. “No. We will have each other and I am proud of that.”

  “I may cry.”

  Chet slowed the buggy.

  “Don’t stop. Guess I am so involved in worrying, I even worry what you would do.”

  “I will be there for you. Understand?”

  She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. “Thanks. I love you.”

  “Me too. Don’t cry. We will always have each other.”

  He hugged her. She had nothing to worry about. He’d have to convince her of that when they got home.

  That evening, he told her about the Randle Ranch and had Jesus ride to the Hartley Ranch and tell Hampt to come over when he had time. They needed to talk about some things.

  Jesus came back late and said that Hampt would come in the morning. May wished to go into Preskitt and Marge could go with her if she felt up to it. Marge agreed she would go. So the next day was set.