Heck Thomas was caught off guard but nodded slowly. “I’m grieved to say that I let my partner down. Ain’t ever been about to put it out of my mind, and that was over twenty years ago.”
“What happened?”
“I was in the Texas Rangers then, and my partner was Sollie Bacus. We got jumped by a Kiowa war party. We lit out, but Sollie caught an arrow in his back. He hollered at me to keep going, said he was a goner.”
Heck fell silent then said, “The Kiowas swarmed all over him. I was about to stop and help, but he called out, ‘Get out of here, Heck!’” A sad expression came into Heck’s face, and he said, “I should have gone to him, Waco. I know the hostiles would have gotten both of us, but I’ve grieved over what I done for twenty years.”
Both men were silent, lost in a deep sadness, and finally Heck said, “No going back, Waco. We both of us got regrets, but all we can do is go on livin’ and make sure we never let anybody else down.”
Waco sat beside the body of Callie. Heck came and sat beside him and tried to make him feel better, but Waco would not be comforted.
Finally Heck said, “Well son, one person in this world loved you enough to die for you. That’s one more than most folks have.”
As soon as the train pulled to a stop at the station in Fort Smith, Charles Warren stepped down and gave Sabrina and Marianne a helping hand. Caroline had been waiting and rushed forward to embrace both her daughters. She was weeping for joy and could not speak.
Heck saw Judge Parker standing to watch the train and went at once to him. “Well, Judge, we got the whole bunch. All but two of them are dead.”
“What about LeBeau?”
“Dead as a hammer.”
“Who got him, Heck?”
“Well, it’s a right sad story, Judge.” He told Parker the story of how the woman Callie had taken a bullet for Waco and how Waco had killed him.
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out for Waco, but LeBeau was the kingpin. I’d say we owe Waco Smith something. I hope he’ll join up with us.”
Heck shook his head, saying, “Doubt that will happen, Judge. The bullet that killed the woman—it was like Waco took a bullet right in his heart but didn’t die.”
“He’ll have to get over it.”
“I ain’t sure he can ever do that.”
Judge Parker stood before Waco. “I’m sorry for all this Waco, but let me say we have a place for you on the force.”
“Judge, I’m through with all this.”
Parker nodded and said, “Let me take care of your friend.”
“No, I have to do it all, Judge. Who takes care of things like this?”
“I thought so. You need Caleb Felton. His place is right across from the courthouse. He’s a good man, and he’ll take good care of your friend.”
Waco picked up Callie’s body and carried her down the street. He was aware that people were watching but could only think of the loss her death had caused him.
He was met at the door by a tall man with dark blue eyes who said, “I’m Caleb Felton. I heard about your loss.”
“My name is Smith. This is Calandra Montevado. Do your best for her.”
“I’ll do my best for the lady. Bring her this way.”
Waco followed Felton down a hall and placed her body on a padded table. He took one look at Callie then walked rapidly away.
CHAPTER 24
“Marianne, I’ve got to talk to you.”
The sound of Frank Morgan’s voice had caught Marianne off guard. She had been overwhelmed by the almost hysterical happiness of her mother, and her father seemed unwilling to let her out of his sight. She knew they had been terribly hurt by what had happened to her.
She had been standing in the twilight of the afternoon watching the sun drop beneath the horizon. It made a golden glow, but her emotions were anything but cheerful. Over and over again she went over how foolish she had been to ignore her parents’ advice about LeBeau, and then following that was the utter misery thinking how he had used her and abused her. She turned quickly and said, “I can’t talk to you now, Frank.”
Morgan moved closer and saw that tears stained her cheeks. “I know you’re all upset,” he said, “but I’ve got some things I need to say to you.”
“Not now, Frank, please!”
Morgan almost turned and walked away, but he set his jaw and shook his head. “I know it’s not a good time, but probably it will never be a good time, or at least a better time than right now.” He reached out tentatively, for she had turned away. He turned her around until she was looking up at him.
She studied him with an odd intensity, and then her lips began to tremble and she knew that there was nothing he or anyone else could do to change what had happened.
“We’re going to have to talk about this, Marianne.” His voice was gentle, and suddenly she began to sob. Reaching out, Morgan pulled her in and held her. She put her head against his shoulder and for a long time could do nothing but give great gasping sobs. Slowly she began to grow calm, and Frank waited until she was. Taking out his handkerchief, he wiped the tears from her face and said, “I know it’s going to take some time, Marianne. What happened to you was terrible, but it’s over now.”
“No, it will never be over.” Her voice was tense, and she looked up at him and whispered, “No man could ever forget what’s happened to me.”
“Don’t be foolish. A good man wouldn’t think twice about that. It’s not your fault, Marianne. It was against your will.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me. You know I’ve cared for you a long time, and when you were in such trouble, my love seemed to grow. What I want us to do, Marianne, just as quickly as you can do it, both of us together, we’ll shut the door on this. I want you to marry me. I know it’s too early to talk of that, but we’ll spend time together. We’ll be going home soon. I’ll go back to work, and you’ll live in your house. We’ll begin doing things together. We’ll take rides in the park. We’ll go to the zoo. We’ll read books together, and all the time God will be giving us both peace.”
“You think that could happen, Frank?” Marianne’s tone was wistful, and she felt like a small child as she stood in the encirclement of his arms.
“Of course it can, and it’s going to.”
Sighing suddenly, she put her cheek against his chest and savored for a brief moment the strength she felt there. “I’ll never forget how you came to fight for me, Frank. That was something I didn’t expect.”
“Well, I’m hoping you’ll see a lot of things in me you didn’t expect.”
The two stood there until the sun suddenly dropped and they were standing in the shadows.
As the sunlight faded, Marianne felt another light begin to dispel some of the darkness in her heart.
Judge Parker looked over at Heck Thomas, who was sitting in his chair tilted back against the wall. “Waco is still acting like he’s a dead man.”
Heck shrugged his shoulders. “I did some askin’ around. Found out a few things. He and that woman had quite an affair goin’ a few years ago. Sweethearts, you know. The way I get it, he was gonna use her to make his getaway, and then when she got killed, well…”
“You’re right about that. He stays in the saloon all night and hides out in the daytime where nobody can get at him. I’ve tried to talk to him, but he just won’t listen.”
“Well, he’s too good a man to waste. I never thought we’d bust up LeBeau’s bunch, but he did the job. As you know, I wanted him to become a marshal, but he declined my offer.” Parker sighed. “He just seems so lost.”
“Well, that’s what a woman can do to a man. When I was talkin’ to Miss Sabrina, though, somethin’ came out. I could tell she feels somethin’ for Waco.”
Parker looked up with surprise. “Why, she’s rich and comes from a fine family. Waco hasn’t got anything but the clothes he’s standing in.”
“I don’t think that’s the whole story. I’ll keep an eye on him, Jud
ge.”
“You do that. He’s too good a man to waste.”
“Sabrina, I need to talk to you.”
Turning quickly, Sabrina gave her father a quick look and saw that he was in deep thought. She had learned to read him fairly well and saw that he was troubled. “What is it, Dad?”
“Something I have to ask you about.”
Sabrina sighed. “I’m tired of talking about it. I thank God He got us out of that by His grace. Just a miracle that Waco wasn’t killed, and I think LeBeau pretty well decided to kill me and Marianne, too. He just kept us alive to trap Waco.”
“Sit down a minute and let’s talk.” They were on the front porch of the hotel, and the walkway was empty. It was midday, and the sun was beating down on Fort Smith, bringing with it the intolerable heat.
Sabrina shrugged but followed his request and sat down in one of the rockers.
He pulled his chair around to where he could see her face and said, “I’ve got to know something, daughter.”
“What’s that, Dad?”
“Well, you can tell me if it’s none of my business. I’m used to that. But I’ve had some long thoughts since all this happened with Marianne and then almost losing you. It shook me up some.”
“You never were much shaken by anything,” Sabrina remarked. She studied her father’s face and saw that there were lines that she had never noticed before. “What is it that’s bothering you?”
“Well, I may be all wrong,” Charles Warren said slowly and rather reluctantly. “But I’ve got the feeling that you feel something for this man Smith. Your mother feels the same way. Now, I don’t know about a father poking into his children’s private lives, but this thing has made me love my family more. I don’t want to miss any signs. What do you think of this man?”
Sabrina dropped her head and was silent for a while. When she looked up, Charles Warren saw that her face was tense. “It’s hard to say. He’s not what I thought he was.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, he was in prison, and to tell the truth I was a real snob. I just used him, but we were together alone quite a bit, and I got to know him. He’s had a terrible life. Betrayed by his best friend and a woman that he loved. He’s never gotten over it.”
“That can cut a man pretty bad.”
“Well, it almost destroyed him. He just gave up and became an outlaw. But he’s got more to him than that. I know he has.”
“So you love the man?”
“I—I feel something for him.”
“What about him? Does he care for you?”
“It’s hard to say. I think he does, but since Callie died, he’s been sunk in some sort of deep depression. He drinks all the time, and from what I hear that’s not like him.”
“Well, I can kind of understand that. She took a bullet for him. From what you told me, it would have killed him if she hadn’t jumped to save him.”
“I know. He’s very bitter, and I don’t know anything to bring him out of it.”
“Well, we’ve got the woman’s funeral to go to.”
“Are you going?”
“Yes, we’ll all go. She wasn’t a good woman, but she did a good thing there at the last, and I want to honor her for it.”
Waco did not want to attend the funeral of Callie. More than anything else he longed to just get on his horse and ride away and try to put all the thoughts of her and everything else about this sorry affair behind him. He knew, however, that he would be a long time, maybe forever, trying to forget her.
Pastor Mordecai Jones read a long list of scriptures, but they meant little to Waco. Finally he heard the pastor say, “One thing I may conclude my remarks with. Most of us live for ourselves. We take care of ourselves, we’re worried about our problems, and very rarely do we find a human being who steps outside of that pattern.” Jones hesitated for a moment then said, “But this woman, who had struggled with a hard life, at the last moment gave the gift, the greatest gift. The Bible says that Jesus came to die for the sins of all of us, and we are eternally grateful for that. Now every time I think of this woman, I will have the thought she had her problems but at the end she gave the most precious thing she had, her life, for her friend.”
At these words Waco bowed his head and closed his eyes. He wanted to get up and leave but could not. He stayed until the service was over and then followed the funeral procession. When they reached the cemetery, they surrounded the open grave. The pastor read a few scriptures and then dismissed.
Finally Waco turned and stumbled away. He heard Sabrina calling him, but he did not hesitate.
Sabrina followed him, saying, “I have to talk to you, Waco.”
Waco stopped, turned, and saw that the crowd was dispersing. “I’ve got to get away from here.” He turned back and began walking.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
Waco gritted his teeth and said harshly, “Go away and leave me alone!”
“I can’t do that.”
Finally they reached the edge of town. There were few people stirring that afternoon.
Sabrina said, “Waco, I know you’re sad and grieved over Callie’s death, and you should be. It was the bravest thing I ever saw anybody ever do. She loved you very much indeed.”
“Don’t say that!”
Sabrina’s eyes opened with surprise. “Why shouldn’t I? It’s true enough.”
“Don’t you understand, Sabrina? I was using her. I let her think I loved her. That after the robbery she and I would run away together. I knew all the time that was a lie. I’d give anything if I could do it all over again.”
Sabrina knew she was standing on precarious ground. She said quietly after a long pause, “You were trying to do a good thing in the best way you could. Think about what it means to my family, especially to Marianne. I think she’ll marry Frank and they’ll have a family. That never would have happened if it hadn’t been for you. I think LeBeau would have killed me. I saw it in his eyes, and it didn’t happen because you were there.”
Waco stood with his head bowed, listening as Sabrina spoke on. Finally he said, “I can’t live with this thing.”
“You can have a good life, Waco.”
“How can I live a good life? God can’t use me.”
“God doesn’t need to use any of us. You know what the Bible says God wants of us?”
“I guess to work hard for Him.”
“He doesn’t need anybody to work for Him. He’s almighty. He can do what He pleases. But there’s one thing we can give Him, and I’m just now finding out what it is.”
Waco lifted his head and saw that there was a tremendously sober look on her features. “What’s that?”
“God created us to do one thing. To worship Him. To love Him. If we do that, we’ve satisfied Him. Anything we could do for Him, that’s fine, but to love God, that’s what Jesus said. ‘Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might.’ That’s what I’m going to try to do for the rest of my life—and I would like it very much if you would do the same thing.”
Waco did not answer. He heaved a deep sigh and said, “I’m not sure I could do a thing like that.”
“I would like to see you try, and I’ll help you all I can. You’ve made so many friends here. Judge Parker and Heck and my family. We all care for you. But we don’t care for you as much as God cares for you.”
Waco stood stock still, and he whispered, “I just don’t know, Sabrina. Let me alone.” He turned and walked quickly away and was relieved when she did not follow him. He walked to the stable and was surprised to see Gray Wolf standing in the shadows.
“Hello, Gray Wolf.”
He said in his direct manner, “God’s giving you another chance. If that woman hadn’t got in the way, you would have been dead, and you wouldn’t have any way to make it right with God. But she bought you some time. Now act like it. Don’t act like a fool.”
Waco felt a flash of anger, but then it pass
ed. He shook his head slightly. “I’m not worth saving.”
“Yes, you are as much as any of us. Climb out of that whiskey bottle and act like a man.”
Gray Wolf suddenly faded back in the shadows, and Waco stood there silently, thinking of Sabrina’s words and then of Gray Wolf’s warning. He got his horse and went for a long ride, but he could not ride far enough to avoid the thoughts that came to him. He thought of Callie’s face as she lay dying in his arms, and it was a razor cutting him to pieces on the inside.
Finally, when darkness came, he went back and for a moment thought of going to talk to Sabrina. But instead he turned and walked into the Lone Eagle Saloon. He began to drink and knew that he was a lost cause.
Time passed, and he knew he was so drunk he could barely walk. Suddenly he felt something on his side. He turned to see that Heck Thomas had pulled his gun loose. “Don’t take my gun, Heck.”
“Come along with me. You’re under arrest.”
Waco had trouble speaking his tongue was so thick. “For what?”
“For being a fool. Now come on.” Heck hauled Waco out of the saloon, and Waco could barely walk. When he got to the jail, he hardly knew it when Heck shoved him into a cell and down onto a cot. “Stay there for a while.”
Waco wanted to protest, but he was so drunk he fell into a stupor.
“Well, are you sober enough for me to turn you loose?”
Waco looked up, and his head was throbbing. “Let me out of this place.”
“I’ll let you out, but first you’ve got to talk to a man.”
“What man?”
Thomas did not answer. He led Waco out of the cell and took him to a small office.
Waco saw that Charles Warren was sitting there. “Hello, Waco,” Warren said. “Sit down. I’ve got to talk to you.”
“You can pick up your gun when you leave, Waco,” Heck said. “You listen to this man. He’s got sense.”
Charles Warren said nothing but watched as Waco sat down in a chair. Waco’s hands were trembling, and Warren said, “I know you feel awful. Hangovers are no fun.”
The Western Justice Trilogy Page 49