Good Day for a Hanging (Book Two of the Western Serial Killers series)

by Hestand, Rita

  Elmer soaked up her praise like a puppy.

  "For what?" He asked a moment later.

  "You been tendin' to the meat lately. I got no complaints about your work. You are doin' what I need you to do. Without me having to nag you. I like that. I'll try not to ever nag you again, Elmer. You are a good brother." She said with a happiness that seemed to enrapture them both.

  Elmer nodded. But deep down, Elmer knew what a price he paid to keep Sadie this happy. He learned to steal the cows easily, and with hardly any notice. But every once in a while he was caught and he had to kill the rancher to keep him quiet. He thought about how neatly he had killed them. How artistic he'd been with their deaths, and it pleased him that he could make Sadie this happy. Life was good when Sadie was happy.

  Although he hated the killing because it gave him such nightmares, he knew his real reward was when Sadie was pleased. She'd never know what he had to do to please her. She was worth it. He loved her endlessly and he wanted to keep her smiling. Life was good when she smiled at him.

  The cold north wind drove them inside once more and Sadie began preparing the noon meal that half the town would come and enjoy with them.

  Sadie never put people down about not being able to feed themselves or pay for it. Instead she relished the fact that she could supply them with their needs.

  Sadie put a roast in the oven and cleaned the dishes up. Elmer stoked the fire and chopped more wood.

  It wasn't even breakfast yet and they had managed to prepare for the day.

  Elmer recognized that last night had a big bearing on why Sadie was in such a good mood. He'd finally broken through that religious barrier she had put up about them having sex and she accepted what was with them.

  He'd been extra tender, enjoying the feel of her body against him. There was no censure in her when she looked upon his body, for Elmer was strong and well-muscled. And Sadie still kept her tiny figure that he loved to touch and look at. He had taken pleasure in the fact that they had skinny dipped in the cool waters last night together, realizing that the weather was turning colder, it would be the last real bath they got for a spell. She had smelled like lilacs. Her hair shone a beautiful gold and silver streaked, soft to his touch.

  Just thinking about her had him squirming to be with her again.

  "I'm gonna lay down a bit, Sadie before the rush starts." He announced with a twinkle in his eyes.

  Sadie turned to look at him and it was all she needed to do. He swept her up and into his arms, and carried her to the bedroom once more. She giggled with pleasure.

  Laying her down, he took his clothes off and then proceeded to remove hers. Sadie smiled, "I love you Elmer. I can't hide from that. I don't want to anymore. Making love to you is like going to heaven."

  Elmer smiled, his lips touching the tips of her breast gently as his breath warmed her.

  They fondled each other for long moments, enjoying the joy of it once more, like children exploring.

  And even afterwards, he held onto her breast touching, kissing, and playing with the hard tips. She squirmed with delight.

  "This is meant to be Elmer. I'm sorry I spent so much time worrying over this. I love you with all my heart and it cannot be wrong. We were meant to be together. We love each other so…" She cooed.

  They slept for an hour, then Sadie got up, kissed his sweet face and went about her work again.

  She was so happy she sang while she worked.

  Then the people came to take lunch with them and talk about their woes. But nothing made them sad any longer.

  Elmer had Sadie often after that day. They were both so content and happy, even the townspeople remarked of it. No one ever asked why they never dated anyone. No one ever asked.

  Elmer would examine his lean-to often, cleaning it until the counter top shined. He took pride in the fact that his meat was always good and Sadie was happy.

  The only thing he dreaded was when the meat got low. He knew what that meant. But right now, he had plenty of beef in the smokehouse, he could rest easy for a while. Of course he hadn't figured that it would be freezing when he ran out of meat and had to go again. But for now things were just too good to worry.

  At night, he and Sadie would play games, chase each other around the cabin, and even sometimes strip off naked and spend the evening fondling each other. It was pure pleasure and he sincerely hoped nothing would ever mar their happiness again.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Cross Timbers

  It was thirty miles to Cross Timbers and Jim didn't feel as though the trip would be worth it. Why would anyone travel that far to steal cattle and kill? But then the real question was why would they kill complete strangers, that was the question that lingered in his mind.

  Smitty sensed the tension in Jim and rode along quietly for most of the trip.

  "Who we lookin' for over here?"

  "Someone named Elmer, a butcher."

  "All the way out here?" Smitty questioned.

  "Evans and a few others use him as their butcher. There has to be a reason." Jim commented.

  "What's his last name?" Smitty asked.

  "I don't know. He's the only butcher in town though, so someone should know who we are talking about. Besides, his sister runs a café there." Jim informed him.

  "Well the town ain't big enough to spit in, we should be able to find him easy enough. Do you really think someone would travel this far to kill and steal?"

  "I have no idea. I'm just following a lead, that's all, Smitty. I have to investigate any lead like it's the real thing. So we'll check this Elmer out and draw our own conclusions about it. I wanted to make the trip before the heavy snows come though." Jim said.

  "That makes sense. You know I get kind of tickled about how you go about things. You truly are the only Sheriff I've ever seen that goes on hunches and gut feelings." Smitty laughed.

  "It's in the bible, Smitty. If you feel there is something wrong, there probably is something wrong. And I got some pretty strong notions along those lines. My dad did the same and look how great he turned out."

  "Got a point there." Smitty agreed as they crossed a small creek.

  "Let's stop and make some coffee, our horses are tired and I'm cold to the bone." Jim said.

  "Sounds good to me."

  "You know I talked to Fred a long while the other day and he said it had to be a doctor or a butcher. Now we got our doc and butcher locked up. But I don't think either of them did it. So I gotta find the real culprit and quick."

  Smitty nodded. "Did Fred give you any pointers on the matter."

  "A few, yes."

  "Good."

  "This case sure gives me the willies, Jim." Smitty admitted as they dismounted and got the coffee makings ready. They used the stream to clean the pot and fill it full of water. Jim had coffee tied up in a small knapsack he used often on the trail. He made the coffee and they sat down on one of their blankets to rest for a while. The horses were hobbled near the creek so they could get a drink while they rested too.

  The cold weather meant there were less bugs buzzing about, but a few frogs sang a merry song and off in a distance a loon made a mournful sound.

  "I never have got used to those damn loons." Smitty admitted.

  "Yeah, they got a real pitiful sound to them, don't they."

  "You reckon they are as lonely as they sound?" Smitty asked glancing at Jim as he set the pot on the fire they built.

  "Naw, it's just the way they sound. That's all."

  "You ever met this Elmer?"

  "Nope. Don't know much about him except the rancher claim he's a darn good butcher. Although it makes me wonder why they don't use Fred. He's good too." Jim shook his head.

  "Maybe 'cause he's black…" Smitty offered.

  "That's no reason. Least ways not to me. But it seems the townspeople think that's a good enough reason to hang him now. They hadn't said a word to me about Fred until I arrested him, then the mayor came by and congratulated me for having the g
ood sense to take Fred in. I don't want to leave Fred in jail too long. He's not used to being caged up like that and he might throw a fit."

  "You know you know people all your life, or you think you do, and then something like this happens and you realize you didn't know them at all."

  "you are right about that. And our town is no different than another. People are going to get notions in their head and those notions may or may not be right. But Oh yeah, it's just a matter of time. Now if we catch the one that done this, then maybe we can avoid it."

  "How you gonna catch someone that lives in another town?"

  "I won't. But I might find something that would prove it."

  "Like what?"

  "I don't know." Jim hollered in frustration.

  Smitty knew Jim was a bit peeved at all the questions, but it was the only way Smitty could learn anything, by asking. He wanted to be of some help.

  "You never did tell me, was Cal's place as clean as Perkins?"

  Jim thought about that a minute before he answered. "Yeah, it was. Not a thing out of place. I've noticed the murders take place a few days before I discover a body. So the murderer has time to clean up and take care of everything before he leaves. The one thing about going to Cross Timbers is, I don't see how he could kill someone somewhere else and then bring him back to the ranch, that would make a lot of trips. I don’t' see anyone doing that. So unless this Elmer fella looks real guilty or acts funny, I see no reason to come back to this place. I just want to be thorough in my investigating."

  "I see your point. If the murderer doesn't kill on the property he is on, then he has to have somewhere to do it. Right? And he wouldn't ride all the way home and come back. That would make little sense, even to a crazy person."

  "Yep. The only way that would work," Jim paused to turn his thoughts inward. "Hey…the only way it would work out is if he had a place to do the killing."

  "You mean, somewhere in between?"

  "That's the idea…"

  "Well wouldn't he have to have a place that was rigged for that kind of thing. A place he could hang the person to drain the blood, and dispose of the limbs."

  "That's right. If this Elmer checks out okay, we can forget that. But if he seems shifty in any way, we'll have to consider finding a mid place he might work out of."

  "That's good thinking…" Smitty nodded with a smile.

  "My daddy used to say that sometimes to catch a killer you had to think like him. And beings this one is touched some, it might be harder, but we have to think of all angles. Because one thing is pretty clear to me, the doc nor Fred did this."

  "You are pretty sure about that aren't you?" Smitty smiled.

  "Yeah, I am."

  "What about that lady doctor?"

  "What about her."

  Smitty scratched his head and looked at Jim sheepishly. "Well, she's a doc. And obviously pretty strong since she helped with the autopsy and all."

  "That' true, but I just can't picture her doing something like that. Besides, she didn't show up in town until after Perkins was dead."

  "Maybe she knew him ahead of time or something."

  "There is a slight possibility in what you say, and if worse comes to worse I will check her out. But not unless I have to. The doc put a lot of stock in her and I'd hate to disappoint him unless I had to. He's kind of sweet on her, from the way he acts."

  Smitty chuckled. "Yeah, I kind of thought so too."

  "Hey, you know who else is kind of sweet on the doc?"

  "No, who?"

  "Mary Sue McCarthy."

  "You don't mean it?"

  "Oh yeah, you should have heard her defend him to her Pa. That girl has eyes for the doc too. It seems he's quite a ladies man. Who'd of thought."

  "Yeah, who'd of thought. Well, he is a good dresser."

  "The funny part is, I don't think he realizes how he affects women."

  Jim took off his hat, leaned back and took a swig of his coffee now.

  "You reckon Johnny and Robert could hold a mob if they came while we were gone?" Smitty asked as he stared at him.

  "I really don't think the town will give those two much trouble. I think that will wait until we get back home unless we are detained here for some reason."

  Smitty drank his coffee and settled on his elbows for a few minutes.

  Glancing about Jim frowned, "It feels like rain is in the air."

  "Yeah, it does. Reckon we should push on?"

  "Yeah, that might be a good idea. Let's douse the coffee, want another cup for the road?"

  "Yeah, sounds good. There's a chill in the air."

  "Another reason to push on."

  "All that snow that came has melted, that was kind of early in the year for snow. I didn't expect it."

  "The one thing you can count on here in Texas is that nothing lasts that long. Especially the weather."

  Smitty snorted and mounted.

  "Let's ride." Jim said holding his tin cup in his hand.

  It was late afternoon when they reached Cross Timbers a quiet little community with no outstanding buildings in site. An old cotton gin had shut down, the old silver mine was closed. There was a general store and a livery, but not much else. Jim stopped off at the livery.

  "Hi there," He called out.

  Directly an old man with a bent back and a thin body came toward them. "Howdy." The man called to them. "What can I do for ya?"

  "Lookin' for a café here in town." Jim said.

  "Sadie's Haven, down the road about a mile and a half. Cain't miss it."

  "Thanks…" Jim called to the man and tipped his hat.

  Smitty eyed the man closely as they were pulling away from the livery.

  The old man stared after them for a long while, Smitty noticed.

  "I guess they don't get many strangers…"

  Jim glanced back, "I guess not."

  "I'm getting pretty hungry…" Smitty commented as they saw the smoke stack from a distance.

  "Yeah, I could eat too…" Jim nodded.

  As they neared the café they noticed several horses tied up out front. "They do a right amount of business it seems."

  "Yeah, they do."

  Jim turned the knob of the door and walked inside. Several people turned to look at them as they strode through the door. They waved and smiled, and Jim was shocked.

  "Evidently they like company." Jim smiled at Smitty.

  After finding an empty table they sat down.

  There were no menus, but the sign above the kitchen had the special of the day listed. Home-made turkey dumplin's.

  Smitty licked his lips. "Sounds good to me…"

  "I guess so…" Jim nodded.

  The aroma of hot food stirred them both.

  Directly a small petite little woman with gold and silver hair came to their table with a smile as big as Texas on her face. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she glanced from one to the other.

  "Well now, we got visitors from out of town. Ain't that nice. I guess you will be wanting the special?" She suggested.

  "Yes ma'am. We would."

  "I'll have it right out. I got sassafras tea or coffee, which will it be?"

  "Coffee…"

  "Make that two…" Smitty joined in.

  "Will do…"

  The old woman rushed off, with a spring in her step.

  "She certainly seems happy, don't she."

  "Yeah, she does."

  Jim glanced around the place. Most of the people were older here, and some looked as though they hadn't eaten in weeks. Their gaunt faces and emotionless expressions told Jim that they had mostly come upon hard times. Their clothes were rags, and some of them stunk pretty bad.

  Smitty seemed to size the people up too.

  When the old woman returned with their coffee they smiled. "Thank you. Say you wouldn't happen to know an Elmer would you?"

  "Why shore I do. He's my brother. What you want with him?"

  "Just to talk. We heard tell a couple of ranchers west
of here used Elmer to dress out their meat for them."

  "Elmer's the best in these parts when it comes to butcherin'. He knows everything."

  "Is that so. Could we meet him?"

  "Why shore." The old woman went to the kitchen and directly she came out and pointed a man to their table.

  Elmer came up to them slowly, a little backward with his movements.

  "I'm Elmer," he said proudly.

  Jim eyed him up and down. He was a right fair looking man, but sturdy and heavy built. For some reason his eyes fell on his hands. He stuck out his hand to shake and Elmer grabbed it firmly.

  This Elmer fella had the cleanest looking hands he had seen in a while on a man. Something churned in Jim's gut.

  "We heard tell you were the best butcher in Texas." Jim smiled at Elmer.

  Smitty nodded.

  Elmer beamed. "I'm right good at it, yes."

  "You must be, the man that told me about you lives a ways from here."

  "Aw well, yeah, I've been doin' it for a while now, so I guess my name has gotten around." Elmer smiled.

  "Now why would anyone come way out here to have their meat prepared when there is a butcher in town?" Jim asked as though he couldn't put it all together.

  "I reckon I am the best there is, and they know it. Or I’m cheaper, one." Elmer laughed.

  The man was jolly, and smiling. Jim wanted to find fault with him. Wanted to find something that would clue him as to where he could murder or not. But he knew one trip out here wouldn't be enough time to discover everything. And he didn't relish coming back. So he had to find out all he could before he left.

  "Is there a place around here to spend the night, it's a might cold outside to camp out." Jim asked.

  "We got an empty cabin you can use. Not many people stop off here. It's to your left as you go out."

  "How much?"

  "We generally get two dollars a night."

  "Okay, thanks."

  Elmer smiled. "You got some cattle to be butchered?"

  "Not right now, but I'll sure remember you when I do."

  "Yes sir, I'll fix you up any time. You just come on back here." Elmer nodded and walked off.

  "Well, he was a friendly sort." Smitty acknowledged.