Holding up his hands, Cash chuckled. “I tried to stop her from going the last time. Nothing I could say changed her mind. I thought you’d have better luck.”
“Well, you thought wrong. You ready?”
Nodding, Cash opened the door, hurrying toward the livery. Within minutes, he and Gabe joined Nick, Lena, and Doc Worthington, then they took the trail to the Devil Dancer, John bouncing along behind them on the easiest horse in Noah’s stable.
Leaving Splendor behind, Cash thought of the men they’d seen in the Rose a few nights before. From what he’d heard, they’d never returned. Gabe assumed they’d ridden out, heeding his warning about not staying around. Cash didn’t believe it. He couldn’t shake the feeling they were somehow tied to the Penderville gang, which didn’t bode well for Splendor.
The situation at the mine had escalated by the time they arrived. Men held picks and shovels before them, squaring off into two groups in front of the mine office, Galt standing in front of one.
“You need to back off, Galt, before someone gets hurt.” Reuben held a shotgun in his hands, ready to bring it up at the hint of any violence. In his late fifties, with short gray hair and sparse stubble on his jaw, the man stood five foot eight, yet his thick neck, muscular arms, and thick fingers spoke of physical strength most men didn’t want to test. Slow to anger, he had a reputation for managing men without the need of threats.
“You ask me, we’re better off without those Chinamen. They’ve been nothing but trouble since they got here.” Galt looked over his shoulder at the men standing behind him. Cash noticed many were the same ones who’d caused the trouble at the lumber mill.
“It isn’t the Chinese men causing the trouble. They didn’t beat each other up and almost kill Zhao and Wang.” Reuben took a step forward, his hard gaze moving from man to man until they fell silent. “The trouble as I see it is you and those who stand with you. You see Sheriff Evans and his deputy over there?” Galt and the others turned, most noticing the riders for the first time. “They’re here to get this figured out, arrest those who beat Zhao and Wang, and find Zheng and Qian. Anyone who doesn’t cooperate will find himself without a job.” Reuben glanced at the riders. “We’ve got two men in the tent over there, Doc. They’re in a bad way.”
Doc slid to the ground and untied his medical bag from the back of the saddle. Uncaring of the hateful stares from some of the men, he pushed through the crowd, then disappeared inside the tent.
Dismounting, Lena and Nick joined Reuben outside the office while Gabe and Cash approached the group led by Galt, hands resting on the grips of their revolvers. Gabe didn’t waste any words.
“I want to know who’s responsible for this. If no one comes forward, I’ll arrest every single one of you and put you up for trial as a group.” He looked at Cash. “When’s the judge due back in town?”
“Two weeks.”
The response got the men talking. “You can’t arrest us. We ain’t done nothing wrong.” Galt stepped forward, his words hissing out, his face coloring a blotchy red.
Ignoring him, Gabe turned toward the other group. “You men agree with Galt?”
The men looked at each other, talking in whispers until one man broke from the middle to approach Gabe and Cash.
“We’re here to work, Sheriff. We know nothing about what happened to those Chinamen, but I can tell you Galt and a number of those men have been making life hard for them.”
“Shut up, Wiggins.” Galt took several menacing steps forward, bringing his shovel up.
Drawing his gun, leveling it at Galt, Cash moved to cut him off. “Get back with the others.”
“He’s lying.” Galt pointed an accusatory finger toward the man talking to Gabe.
“That’s why we’re here. To find out who’s lying and who’s telling the truth. Now, get back.” Cash moved until he was almost chest to chest with Galt, his gun between them. When Galt tried to take a step closer, Cash raised the gun, whipping it across Galt’s face before anyone knew what happened. The man fell to the ground, unconscious. “Is anyone else having a problem understanding what’s going on here? The sheriff and I are here to find a potential killer. This is not a game, and the consequences will be severe.”
Grabbing Galt by his collar, Cash dragged him closer to Gabe and dropped him with a thud, never lowering his weapon from the group of men. “They may be ready to talk now, Sheriff.”
Gabe looked down at a bleeding Galt. “Guess you’d better have Doc check him over when he’s done with Zheng and Qian. Then start talking to the men in Galt’s group. I’ll continue with Wiggins and the others. By the end of the day, I expect we’ll have the truth, or as close as we’re going to be able to get until John is able to get his friends to talk.”
Three hours later, Gabe and Cash had all they needed to arrest several miners, including Galt, for beating Zhao and Wang. No one knew what happened to Zheng and Qian. Reuben suspected they’d run, trying to get away from the men who’d descended upon them while they slept. Lena and Nick believed the same, as did Gabe and Cash.
It didn’t take long to organize Wiggins and several other miners into a search party, Cash and Gabe taking the lead. John had agreed to go with them, help persuade his friends to return.
“You know this area better than anyone, Reuben. Where would they go?” Cash walked alongside several others as they combed the area, calling out the names as they searched.
“Up, most likely. Going down the hill would take them to the main trails, which they’d want to avoid. There are some old caves a couple hundred yards up. Zheng and Qian probably heard the men talking about them. Trust me,” Reuben smirked. “They understand a lot more than you think.”
All Cash wanted to do was fall onto his bed and sleep, but he couldn’t. They’d spent over twenty-four hours searching the hills, finally finding Zheng and Qian huddled in one of the caves.
Zhao and Wang recovered from their beatings faster than anyone expected. This time, they identified Galt and the men they’d already arrested as the ones who’d beaten them. Reuben had been right. The Chinese men spoke and understood English much better than they let on.
Hauling the prisoners back to town, while listening to them rant about being arrested, had taken over two hours.
The entire time he’d been away, Cash couldn’t escape the uneasy feeling about leaving Beau alone to protect the town. He couldn’t shake the idea the men who’d been warned out of Splendor were part of the Penderville gang and meant to return.
Beau and he had always believed they hadn’t gotten all of the men associated with the bank robbery. The appearance of the Penderville brothers in Wyoming, then in Bloody Basin confirmed what they suspected. The remaining members of the gang were in Montana, possibly camped near Splendor.
Thankfully, his worry over Beau had amounted to nothing. Before they’d dismounted, he’d come walking out of the jail, flashing his customary smile.
“I see we have some new residents for the jail.” Bounding down the steps, he helped unload the five prisoners, escorting them inside to their cells. “John’s friends decided to talk?”
“They did, as did a few of the other miners. I don’t believe the judge or jury will have any doubts about their guilt.” Cash ran a hand down his face, then pinched the bridge of his nose. He picked up a telegram he saw on the desk. “This is good news. The circuit judge will be here early next week.”
“It is. Means we won’t be responsible for those men for too long.” Tossing the cell keys down, Beau settled into a chair next to Cash.
“Have the men we ran out of town shown up again?”
Beau shook his head. “Not that I’ve seen. I asked Al at the Rose and Paul at the Dixie to let me know right away if they see them.”
The door slammed open, Gabe not sparing them a glance as he walked straight to the coffee pot. Pouring the warm liquid into a cup, he took a sip, grimacing at the stale taste.
“You ever thought of making a fresh pot, Beau?”
“Figured it would take too much time away from my responsibilities.” Beau grinned, linking his hands behind his head.
“I’m too tired to appreciate your humor today.” Gabe took one more swallow of coffee, then set it down, pushing the palms of his hands into his eyes. “Why don’t you get some sleep, Cash? Beau and I can watch the prisoners.”
“You go ahead, Gabe. I’m too restless to sleep.” Cash needed to walk the town, satisfy himself none of the men they’d run off were around. Plus, he wanted to check on Alison, make sure she was all right. There were still two more days before they’d agreed to talk. In his mind, that was two days too long.
Pushing from his chair, Gabe nodded at Cash. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Heard you arrested the men who beat up John’s friends.” Silas extended his hand to Cash. “Good job.”
“I’m glad to get those men where they belong.” Cash looked around. “Where’s Monty?”
“Boy up and disappeared almost a week ago. Left one night and never came back.”
“Did you check his room?”
“Sure did. It’s cleaned out. He didn’t have much, but it’s all gone.” Silas scratched his jaw. “Can’t understand it. He was one of the best workers I’ve ever had.”
“Did he have a horse?”
“Stabled it at Noah’s livery. Hardly ever rode it, but it’s gone, too. Noah said Monty never told him he’d be leaving.”
Monty disappearing made no sense to Cash. “Do you mind showing me his room?”
Silas shrugged, then walked outside. “He stayed in a room built into the back of the extra storage shed.” Unlocking the door, he pushed it open, gesturing for Cash to go inside.
Small and cramped, the room held a narrow bed, worn dresser with a chipped wash basin and pitcher on top, one chair, and a wood stove. Silas had been right. Monty left nothing behind.
“Where did he take his meals?”
“With me most days. Sometimes he’d go over to Suzanne’s for supper. That boy could eat more than most two men I know.”
Cash took a few minutes to look around, checking under the bed, pulling out dresser drawers, finding nothing. Opening the stove, he spotted a charred piece of paper and pulled it out.
“What you got there, Cash?” Silas stepped forward. “Looks like a wanted poster.”
“It was. It’s too scorched to make out much besides the five hundred dollar reward. Mind if I keep this?”
“Won’t bother me.” Silas pulled the key out of his pocket. “If you’re finished, I need to get back to work.”
Folding what was left of the poster, Cash tucked it into his shirt pocket, chafing at the familiar prickling sensation he’d get when things didn’t make sense. Young and eager to please, Monty got along with everyone. He didn’t seem the type of person to leave a good job behind.
“Silas, does Monty have any family around here?”
“Nope. He may have brothers somewhere. Mentioned them once or twice, then shut his mouth, like he hadn’t meant to bring them up.”
“Did he ever mention where he was from?”
“Somewhere back east. That’s all I know.”
Silas walked into the lumber mill, leaving Cash to ponder what he’d learned. If nothing else were going on, none of this might bother him. Between the issues at the mine, the growing sense the Pendervilles might show up at any time, and his feelings for Alison, coupled with the lies she’d told, he wondered what else was about to crash down on them. Because he knew, as sure as he knew the sun would rise tomorrow, the surprises were far from over.
“Cash. I saw you talking to Silas and didn’t want you to walk past.” Bernie Griggs held out a telegram. “I believe it’s important. Let me know if you want to send a reply.”
Unfolding the message, Cash read through it, his jaw tightening. Murmuring a curse, he slapped the paper against his leg, then read it again. Anger surged through him. It all made sense, but he’d never suspected a thing. Cash needed time to consider what he’d learned and what he should do next. Two days remained before his meeting with Alison. Two days to make decisions that would define his future.
“Noah Brandt stays in town most of the time, so he won’t be hard to find. Deputy Coulter might be harder to get alone.” Monty watched the town below through his telescope. He and his brothers had ridden out after breakfast to get a better view of the town and make plans for going after the men who killed Chet and Bobby.
“Do either of them have a wife or woman friend?” Milt asked.
“Brandt has a wife and baby. Coulter doesn’t have a wife, but he does seem partial to Mrs. Burns, who owns a shop next to the bank.”
“Burns?” Milt’s eyes widened at the mention of Bobby’s middle name.
“Yes. Why?”
“Bobby’s full name was Robert Burns McGrath. He told me Burns was his mother’s maiden name.” Milt looked at Harry. “Bobby didn’t leave a wife behind, did he?”
“Hell if I know. He did have a sister. He called her Allie.”
“I’ll be,” Monty mumbled. “Mrs. Burns’ first name is Alison and she’s from Kentucky, same as Bobby.”
“Seems we have a woman looking to do the same as us. Find Bobby’s killer.” Satisfaction rippled through Milt. “We might have ourselves a partner, boys. Where does Coulter live?”
“In a house behind the jail. But he likes to ride out on weekends to this old shack on Survivor Pass. I followed him up there one day. He usually goes alone.”
“Where does Brandt live?” Harry took the telescope from Monty.
“See the house up on the hill on the other side of town?”
Harry adjusted the telescope, focusing on a large house overlooking Splendor. “Yeah.”
“That’s his.”
“Whooee. It’s a big place.” Harry handed the telescope to Milt.
“I wonder if he keeps valuables at home.” Milt closed the scope and stepped deeper into the trees, motioning for Harry and Monty to follow him.
“Dammit, Milt. We aren’t here to steal. We’re here to kill Brandt and Coulter, then ride out before they have a chance to gather a posse.”
Milt took a menacing step toward Harry, grabbing the front of his shirt. “We do what I say we do.”
Anger flashed in Harry’s eyes a moment before he shoved Milt away, causing him to stumble and fall. “Don’t ever lay a hand on me again. I don’t care if you’re my brother or not. Next time, I’ll break your neck.” Stalking away, Harry swung up on his horse.
Milt straightened, brushing off the dirt. They had two men to kill. Afterwards, he’d find a way to get back at Harry—maybe get rid of him altogether.
“Get your horse, Monty. We have plans to make and a brother to avenge.”
~~~~~
Chapter Twenty
Thursday came sooner than Cash expected. He’d wanted to talk to Alison at Bull and Lydia’s party, definitely sooner than waiting four days. Then he’d gotten the telegram. Fifty hours later, he tossed out the last of his cold coffee and strapped his gun belt around his waist.
A cool breeze washed across Cash’s face as he stepped outside. Shoving his hands in his coat pockets, he walked down the narrow street separating the row of houses from the businesses. Besides the house he and Beau rented, Gabe and Lena lived in one while their home was being built, the school teacher lived in another, Betts and her husband were in the one behind their restaurant, and one stood vacant behind the bank. Taking the narrow walkway between buildings, Cash stepped onto the boardwalk, stopping at Alison’s front door.
Grasping the doorknob, he twisted, hearing the overhead bell chime when he stepped inside. He looked around, sucking in a breath when he saw Alison sitting at her sewing machine. Other than the two of them, the store was empty.
Alison looked up, a tentative smile tilting up the corners of her mouth. “I’m almost finished. Would you like some coffee while you wait?”
Clearing his throat, Cash shook his head. �
�Uh…no thanks. Take your time.” He wandered about the room, feigning interest in the finished women’s hats and rolls of fabric, thinking he’d rather be anywhere than here. He knew the conversation they were about to have wouldn’t end well.
Then his gaze lit on a stunning dress of embroidered green silk, prompting a slight grin. “Is this Lydia’s wedding dress?”
Glancing up, Alison stood and walked to him. “Yes. I hadn’t planned on starting it this week, but I couldn’t sleep the last two nights and it seemed like a good way to pass the time.”
“It’s beautiful.”
Alison felt her face heat at his compliment. “Thank you. She’ll make a gorgeous bride.” Clasping her hands in front of her, she rocked back on her heels. “I’m finished with my work. Do you still want to talk?”
“That’s why I’m here.” He hadn’t meant to sound so harsh.
The tightness in his voice startled her. “All right. Shall we go upstairs?”
“Wherever you’d be most comfortable.”
She rubbed the back of her neck in an attempt to relieve the stiffness from working so many hours.
“Are you sore?” Cash stepped behind her, moving her hand aside as he began to massage the tight muscles.
She moaned as his hands worked their magic on her neck and back.
“Am I rubbing too hard?” Cash’s fingers stilled.
“No. It feels wonderful.” She sighed, tipping her head forward, letting her shoulders relax.
“That’s it, Allie.” He breathed in her scent, closing his eyes as he continued to work her muscles. Without thinking, he bent to brush a kiss across her neck, then froze when he remembered the reason for his visit. Dropping his hands, he stepped away. “Better?”
Turning, she saw Cash stiffen and wondered what was going through his mind.
“Yes. Thank you.” Smoothing her hands down the folds of her dress, Alison caught her lower lip between her teeth, her brows knitting together. “I suppose we might as well get to the reason you’re here.” She gestured to a pair of chairs several feet away. “I’ll be right back.”
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