Pearl River Junction

by Robert J. Randisi

  “Good idea,” Thomas said.

  They followed Thad into City Hall and up two flights of stairs. Then he showed them how to pull a ladder down from the ceiling that led to a hatch. Once they were all on the roof, Thomas saw that they had a fine view of the entire town and the outskirts.

  “Sure be able to see a passle of men ridin’ up to town from here,” James said. “What do we use as a signal?”

  “I don’t know,” Thomas said. “A shot, I guess.”

  “Won’t we need more’n one?” Thad asked.

  “Not if we’re all listenin’ for one,” Thomas said. “We’ll hear it.”

  “Look there,” James said, pointing to the street. “Pa and the sheriff.”

  They all looked and saw Shaye and the sheriff coming out of the telegraph office.

  “Looks like they’re gonna take a walk around town,” Thomas said, “let folks see pa wearin’ the deputy badge. Reckon we ought to do the same thing, James. I can do it now and you can do it later, when I relieve you.”

  James looked up at the sun.

  “Reckon one of you boys can bring me a canteen?” James asked. “Might get hot up here.”

  “I’ll bring one right back,” Thad said.

  “And each one of us who comes to relieve the other can bring a fresh one,” Thomas said. “Good thinkin’, James.”

  “Just don’t wanna die of thirst up here and have one of you boys find me with my tongue all swole up.”

  Thomas slapped his brother on the back.

  “I’ll see you in a while.”

  He and Thad went back down through the hatch and James closed it behind them. He then took up a position at the front of the building. Before long he saw his brother and Thad leave the building and cross the street. He wished he had told Thomas to bring a rifle up with him, but made a bet with himself that his brother would think of that on his own.

  He remained at the front of the building for a few moments, then decided it would be better to move around, make sure he could see on all sides. He started walking in a circle around the roof, found himself thinking about Belinda Davis, and shook his head to dispel thoughts of her. Like his pa said, that kind of thinking at the wrong time could get a man killed.

  “What happened at your house last night?” Shaye asked. “I mean, between you and your wife and Belinda.”

  “My wife doesn’t want to confront Belinda just yet,” Cotton said.

  “Why not?”

  “She’s afraid she might get mad and leave and take Little Matt with her,” the lawman explained.

  “Doesn’t seem to me Belinda’s all that loving toward the boy,” Shaye said. “Every time I’ve seen him, it’s your missus that’s holding him.”

  “You’re right about that,” Cotton said. “Seems we never had any young ones of our own. My wife does everything for that boy, from dressing him and feeding him in the morning to putting him to bed at night.”

  “And what does Belinda do?”

  “She goes out mostly. Does some shopping. Does…well, I don’t know what she does.”

  “Where does she get money for shopping?”

  Cotton hesitated, then said, “From my wife.”

  “Man,” Shaye said, “that girl has been taking advantage of you and your wife long enough.”

  “I know it,” Cotton said. “I see it now and so does my wife, but—”

  “I know,” Shaye said. “You don’t have to try to explain.”

  They continued walking, nodding to men they passed, tipping their hats to ladies.

  “Has Belinda got a man?”

  “What?”

  “A beau?” Shaye asked. “Somebody courting her?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  “She can’t be shopping all the time,” Shaye said. “Where does she go when she goes out? She got friends in town? Other girls?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Sounds…doesn’t sound right,” Shaye said, shaking his head. “What if she’s got a fella?”

  “And?”

  “She’s using you and your wife to live off of, to take care of the baby while she goes and sees this fella, maybe on the sly. Maybe he’s a married man.”

  “Well, most of the men in town are kinda stuck on her,” Cotton said. “I see the way they watch her when she walks around town.”

  “Could be she wants you to take care of her baby, my boys and me to protect her from Jeb Collier, and then maybe she’ll go off with this fella she’s seeing.”

  “If she’s seeing one.”

  “Right.”

  “I guess we’ll find that all out in due time,” Shaye said, “if we’re not going to confront her now.”

  “I’ll…talk to my missus about it.”

  “Fine,” Shaye said. “It’s your call, Sheriff.”

  They walked a bit more and then the sheriff said, “By the way, the town will be picking up the hotel bill for you and your boys while you’re here. Won’t cost you a cent.”

  “Well,” Shaye said, “at least that’s good news.”

  40

  It was several days later when the newly formed Collier gang rode into a Texas town called Highbinder. It wasn’t much of a town, really, but it had a lawman and a telegraph office. The lawman had received a message from the sheriff of Pearl River Junction to be on the lookout for a gang of men led by one Jeb Collier.

  Sheriff Tate Coffey had no deputies and spent most of his days seated in front of his office, watching the street. Highbinder only had a few streets and there was rarely any trouble there. When this group of men rode in—eight in number—he knew it had to be the gang Sheriff Cotton had contacted him about.

  Highbinder also had one hotel and one saloon and the eight men headed for the saloon first. If they went to the hotel next and checked in, he’d be able to take a look at their names. He decided to wait on sending a telegram to the sheriff of Pearl River Junction until he knew for sure that this was the gang in question.

  Coffey was in his early thirties and had only been sheriff of Highbinder for a few months. It wasn’t a position he had ever particularly aspired to, but he was new in town when the last sheriff accidentally shot himself in the head. When the job opened, he tossed his hat into the ring and got it. Highbinder was little more than a way station between towns and the town council—essentially, the mayor and his wife—didn’t think they needed a man with special experience. All they needed was a chest to pin a star on.

  Tate Coffey certainly qualified for that.

  In the saloon the eight men spread out, most of them standing at the bar. Jeb Collier and Vic Delay sat at a table. The saloon was small, only five tables. Two of them had been occupied until Collier and his men entered. Their presence alone was enough to convince the others to leave. So at the moment only the eight members of the gang—and the bartender—were present.

  “I tell you that sheriff was eyeballin’ us,” Delay said.

  “So what?” Jeb asked. “That’s his job.”

  “We stayin’ here overnight?”

  “Yeah,” Jeb said. “Our next stop will be Pearl River Junction. I don’t want us all ridin’ in there at one time, but I ain’t worked out what I wanna do yet.”

  “So we should get rooms at the hotel.”

  “Yes.”

  Lou Tanner came over and set a beer down in front of each man.

  “Lou, send Leslie over to the hotel. We’ll need…” He looked at Jeb.

  “Four rooms,” Jeb said. He and Delay would each have their own room and the others would share.

  “Four,” Delay told Tanner.

  “Right, boss.”

  As Tanner sent Leslie out of the saloon, Delay asked Jeb, “What are you thinkin’ of doin’?”

  “We’re too big a force to ride in together,” Jeb said.

  “I think we should ride into town in three groups, maybe four.”

  “You and me?”

  “Separately,” Jeb said, “in case someone recognizes
us.”

  “I can ride in with Tanner,” Delay said. “You can ride in with your brother. Then my two men and your two men.”

  “Sounds good,” Jeb said. “And we’ll stagger our times. Let’s send the others in first, then you and Tanner, and then me and Ben.”

  “We don’t know what kind of law they got there,” Delay said. “Maybe we should take the sheriff out first.”

  Jeb put his beer down. “No, let’s not start trouble as soon as we ride in. I’ll need time to see Belinda and the boy.”

  “We really are goin’ there so you can see if you have a son?” Delay asked.

  “Well, yeah,” Jeb said. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “I just thought there had to be more to it than that,” Delay said. “I mean, I might have some kids here and there, but I don’t really wanna know.”

  “Well, I do,” Jeb said. “My ol’ man left me when I was five. I know what it’s like not to have a father.”

  “So do I,” Delay said. “Big deal.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t a big deal to you, Vic,” Jeb said, “but it was to me.”

  “Fine,” Delay said. “As long as there’s a bank there.”

  “There’s a bank in every town, Vic,” Jeb said.

  “This one?”

  “Probably,” Jeb said, “though I can’t see that there’d be much money here.”

  Delay got a thoughtful look on his face.

  “No,” Jeb said, “I don’t wanna hit a bank this close to Pearl River Junction. I noticed telegraph lines as we came in.”

  “Why’s a town this size have a telegraph line?” Delay asked.

  “I don’t know,” Jeb said. “What does it matter?”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Delay said. “What does it matter? I’m gonna freshen my beer.”

  Delay got up and left Jeb Collier to his thoughts. He walked to the bar, grabbed Tanner’s arm, and pulled him to one side.

  “Send Samms out to look around.”

  “For what?”

  “This one-horse town has a telegraph line,” Delay said. “I want to know why. See if it has a bank.”

  “A bank? This town? What kind of deposits would it have?”

  “Lou?” Delay said, lowering his voice. “Why does this town have a telegraph line?”

  “Okay,” Tanner said, “I see your point. There’s got to be something here to make it worth it.”

  “Right,” Delay said. “Send Samms out.”

  “I’ll go too.”

  “Fine,” Delay said. “Just get me some answers.”

  41

  Thomas climbed up through the hatch and tossed a fresh canteen to his brother.

  “Thanks,” James said. “I ran out a little while ago.”

  Thomas moved to the edge of the roof and looked around.

  “Any sign of anythin’ at all?” he asked.

  “No,” James said, putting the stopper in the canteen. He didn’t want to drain his brother’s supply of water. “Three days up here, Thomas, and nothing. You think Pa could be wrong?”

  “Well, yeah, he could be wrong,” Thomas said, “but I wouldn’t want to bet against Pa, would you?”

  “No,” James said.

  “Maybe,” Thomas added, “it’s not Pa who’s wrong.”

  “Whataya mean?”

  “Maybe it’s Belinda.”

  “Why are you always pickin’ on her?”

  “James…”

  “Okay, okay,” James said, “never mind. All right, let’s say she’s wrong. Then what?”

  “That means that there’s not a gang comin’ this way.”

  “So is that good news or bad news?”

  “Both,” Thomas said. “Good news that there’s no gang, bad news ’cause we’re still here.”

  “And no telegrams from any of the other lawmen?”

  “No, nothing,” Thomas said. “Why don’t you head down, get somethin’ to eat?”

  “Okay,” James said. “Thad’ll relieve you in three.”

  “Good.”

  James handed his brother the rifle they were sharing while on “roof” duty and went down through the hatch.

  “What if you’re wrong?” Alvin Simon asked.

  Belinda made sure the CLOSED sign was out and his shop door was locked. She pulled the shade down and turned to face him.

  “What?”

  “What if Jeb Collier is not on his way here with a gang?” he said.

  Belinda crossed the floor and faced him.

  “Even if Jeb comes alone, he’d kill you.”

  “I’m not helpless, you know.”

  “Against him, you would be.”

  “Belinda—”

  “He’s coming, Alvin,” she said confidently, “and he’ll have men with him.”

  “Well, at least you got Shaye and his sons to stay and help.”

  “They’re not doing that for me,” she said. “They’re staying to help the sheriff.”

  “How are you doing with them?” Simon asked. “I mean, over at the sheriff’s house.”

  “They’re treating me different,” she said. “They know something.”

  “About us?” Simon asked eagerly.

  “No,” she said, “and they’re not going to find out.”

  Deflated, he asked, “About what, then?”

  “Just about…well, me.”

  “You have been pullin’ the wool over their eyes for a while now,” he said. “Maybe they sense something.”

  “No,” she said, “maybe it was Dan Shaye. He probably told them something.”

  “But you asked him not to,” Simon said. “Don’t tell me you couldn’t control him?”

  “Don’t worry,” she said, “I will. He’s a man, after all.”

  “And you can control any man?”

  Suddenly she realized she may have said too much. She came around the counter, then put her arms around his waist and her head against his chest.

  “Most men, honey,” she said, “but not you. You know the real me.”

  He put his arms around her and held her tightly to him.

  “You see right through me,” she lied.

  “Yes,” he said, “I do.”

  Riley Cotton and Dan Shaye were in the sheriff’s backyard, smoking cigars and watching Cotton’s wife play with Little Matt. They had become fairly good friends in the last few days.

  “She really loves that kid,” Shaye said.

  “Yeah, she does,” Cotton said. “I love watching them together. It would break her heart—and mine—if Belinda tried to take him away.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be able to work something out, Riley.”

  “Whataya mean? Like buying him from her?”

  “I get the feeling that once Belinda feels she’s safe from Jeb Collier, she’ll want to be on her way. And I’m not all that convinced she wants to take a child with her.”

  “So you think she’ll just leave him here?”

  “Maybe.”

  “If she did that,” Cotton said, “we could adopt him. Marion would love that.”

  “Sure, you could do that.”

  “But…what about you?”

  “What about me?”

  “What if he is your grandson?”

  Shaye puffed on his cigar for a few moments, considering how he should reply to that.

  “Riley,” he finally said, “I don’t know if there’s any way we’ll actually be able to know that. And even if he is, I don’t see how my sons and I could ever give him the kind of home you and your wife could.”

  “So you mean…you’d just leave him with us?”

  Shaye slapped the sheriff on the back and said, “Why the hell not?”

  42

  Sheriff Coffey watched as first one, then two of the men who had ridden into town left the saloon. One of them walked over to the hotel, went inside, and then came out. When the street was empty, Coffey left his chair and walked over to the hotel.

  “Afternoon, Sheriff,” the desk c
lerk said. His name was Norbert and he was also the owner.

  “Norbert, that fella who just came in,” Coffey said. “What did he want?”

  “Wanted to give me a good day, that’s what he wanted,” the clerk said. “He took four rooms.”

  “Did he sign the book?”

  “Sure did.”

  “Let me see it.”

  Norbert turned the book around for the lawman to look at. The four rooms had been taken in four different names and one of the names was Jeb Collier.

  “Okay, thanks.”

  “Gonna be trouble, Sheriff?” the man asked, worried. “Should I collect in advance?”

  “No, no,” Coffey said. “Don’t worry. You’ll get your money.”

  Coffey left the hotel and walked back toward his office and past it. He was on his way to the telegraph office, but he had to pass the bank to get there.

  Lou Tanner and Bill Samms entered the bank and stopped just inside the door to look around. There was room for three teller windows, but only one was being used. Off to one side were three desks, but again, only one was in use. The others had been vacant for some time, as evidenced by the layer of dust covering them.

  “Can I help you gents?” the teller asked.

  Samms started forward, but Tanner put his hand on his arm to stop him. Instead, he walked to the window.

  “We were just wonderin’ about opening an account,” he said, “but the bank looks…deserted.”

  “Well, yeah,” the old clerk said, leaning on his elbows. The lone figure seated at the desk was an older woman who looked over at them and shook her head.

  “That old woman hates when I talk to people,” the old man said, “but I ain’t only a teller, I’m the bank manager.”

  Now that he was standing at the teller’s window, Tanner could see a large safe behind it—against a wall. Oddly, the safe was open.

  “Is that a fact?”

  “Sure is,” the old man said.

  “If you’re the manager, how come you keep the safe open?”

  The old man cackled and said, “That’s ’cause there ain’t no money in it.”

  “None at all?” Tanner asked. “What happened? You get robbed?”

  The old man found that funny and started laughing so much he lost his breath and started to choke.

  “Take it easy, old-timer,” Tanner said. “It’s just a question.”