“What……who?” Bart questioned.
“I don’t know who! I answered the phone and the woman on the other end of the line wanted a ranger. Do you know that Indian ranger is a Comanche Chief? Anyway, he took the phone…turned and said, 'let’s go, the Baker’s.' That’s all he said, and it was enough to darn near get the table turned over from the scramble. He handed the phone back to me and told me to call Doc and that’s what I did!” Judy said.
Fred had been sitting at the corner table and decided it was time to turn himself over to the law. Standing he walked over to Bart and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Sheriff…I,” Fred said.
“Not now! I’m busy…can’t you see that!” Bart said cutting him off in mid-sentence. Bart shoved past Fred and headed out the door. ‘Judd was cold and ruthless and would not make mistakes,’ he thought.
“Wait a minute, Sheriff! I need to talk to you!” Fred called after him.
Storming out of the diner Bart called back over his shoulder, “I don’t have time to talk to you! Stay out of my way!” Customers in the diner snickered at Fred and went back to drinking coffee, speculating on what had happened now. Turning to Judy, Fred asked, “What does a person have to do around here to get arrested?”
Grinning Judy sized him up. “Sugar, you might as well have a seat and have a cup of coffee.” Sliding a pencil through the bun on her head she said, “It’s going to be a doosey of a day here in Huntsville! I can feel it coming! Do you want breakfast with your coffee, Handsome?”
Fred grinned and sat down. “I think I might have breakfast at that,” he said.
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Doc bent over Bonnie and studied the knife and said soothingly, “I want you to be perfectly still. The knife went through your shoulder at a good place. Two inches one way or the other and you wouldn’t be here. There are no major blood vessels around there. It appears to have just missed your shoulder blade. I will remove the knife. The problem is you are pregnant. I’m afraid to give you anything for the pain. The blade is thin and long it will slide out easily. As soon as I get you bound up, I want to take you to the clinic so my nurse can keep an eye on you.”
“Get this thing out of me doc, and I’m not going anyplace. I have a patient of my own!” Bonnie said grimacing.
“So, you do! I just looked at him. He is getting some color back in his face. What have you been doing for him?” Doc asked, as he inspected the knife.
“Prayer and constantly reassuring him he will be all right. We have been feeding him strong soup and water with an eye dropper. His only response is to swallow. Doc, quit fooling around and get this thing out of me!” Bonnie said pleadingly.
“A couple of you boys come over here and assist me,” he said. Sitting her up, two of the rangers held her still as Doc put disinfectant on the blade and pulled the knife out from behind. As the knife came out, Bonnie groaned and lost consciousness. Taking a wet towel, Annie bathed her face until the color came back. A few stitches and some antiseptic later, Doc immobilized the arm with a sling. Lifting her up, the rangers placed her on the bed beside Willy.
Doc Mueller returned to the main room after looking at Willy and making sure Bonnie was comfortable. Eying the blanket-covered body on the floor Doc said, “Cage, let’s take a look at what we have here.” The ranger pulled back the blanket not telling Doc who lay beneath it.
Doc Mueller exclaimed, “My word, Cage! That’s Judd Smith! He’s a strange man, but I would have never figured Judd for something like this!” Bending over the body Doc looked at every sign of a struggle. “Judd took a bad lick on his face but what did him in was the cut on his neck.” Looking at the overturned bench laying on the floor, Doc spied a long nail. Blood had dried on the nail point and along the bottom of the bench. He then reported, “The nail opened his jugular vein. He had to know he was doomed and would bleed to death. A couple of you boys help me get him out of here so we can clean up this mess,” Doc stated.
The rangers placed the body in the back of a pickup truck and covered it with a tarp. A few minutes later Bart walked into the clearing. Looking first at the three rangers, he walked up to the back of the pickup truck where they had placed the body. “Who is under the blanket?” he asked. Lightfoot stood on the other side of the truck and flipped the blanket over. Physically shaken, Bart asked, “That’s Judd Smith! What happened here?”
Ranger Lightfoot replied, “This man broke in the cabin last night and tried to kill Bonnie Baker. You have any idea why he would do that?”
“I don’t know! This man is just a rancher. It looks like he is past telling. I didn’t know the Bakers were alive. The rumor is they were burned up in the barn fire,” Bart stated.
“Not the case, Sheriff,” Lightfoot said.
“Where is Baker anyway?” Bart asked.
“He is not around. Seems he spends a lot of time on the road these days. A traveling salesman I understand. We are looking for him now. You see him, Sheriff, you let us know,” Lightfoot said looking at Bart’s expression.
“Sheriff, how did you find us way back here in the woods? This cabin is pretty well hidden,” Ranger Mike asked.
Coolly Bart said, “I didn’t find anyone at the house, so I started looking around. I saw the smoke coming from the chimney, so I came back to investigate.”
Doc stood at the cabin door listening to the conversation. Drying his hands on a towel he said, “Bart, you need to notify Judd’s next of kin. I guess that would be Willow Smith? I need one of you rangers to drive the body back to the funeral home in Huntsville. Tell Digger I will be there in a few minutes to fill out the death certificate. The Smith’s will come out of the woods like locust to see Judd. Smith came from Scrappin’ Valley. He was a legend to the Smith clan down there. I will release the body to the family this afternoon,” Doc said.
“How’s your patient, Doc?” Bart asked.
“She is doing fine! Finally went to sleep from exhaustion. She will be real sore for a month or two. She came really close to meeting her maker last night!” Doc replied.
The grey mist of dawn burned away. Up where the barn had stood a rooster crowed. Sitting on a charred gate post the old cock ruffled his feathers. He turned his head from side to side listening to his own sound echoing across the meadow. Stepping from the cabin and looking out across the field, Doc sighed and put his coat back on as he said, “Boys, this is one heck of a mess. I’m getting to expect to hear of someone getting killed every day.” Looking around at the men with badges he sighed again and said, “You need to get to the bottom of this, and soon.”
“You are right, Doc, but our witnesses always turn up dead. As many loose end’s as we have something has got to break soon,” Mike said.
“I wonder if anyone besides God knows what is going on around here?” Doc sighed.
Bart left the men and headed back for the Smith’s farm. This was not what he expected to find. This had been botched and Baker was probably still alive. Doc had purposely lied to him concerning Baker’s whereabouts. They were hiding things from him.
“Doc, come see,” Lightfoot said. They all followed Doc back into the cabin where they found Willy’s eyes open, looking around the room.
“Mr. Baker, you are one fortunate man,” Doc said with a grin.
“Water,” was the only response Willy was able to give. Next to him laid Bonnie. Her eyes ebbing with tears of joy, her face flushing with pain. Doc checked Willy’s eyes and found them responsive.
“Annie, you and Mike help me get him in a sitting position. He has been down too long, and fluid has begun to build up in his lungs. He has a chance…a real good chance,” Doc said as he winked at the teary-eyed Bonnie.
“Mike, keep everything under control here! I’m headed for Huntsville to get the Captain. Don’t leave this cabin for any reason. I will be back as soon as I can, but while I’m in town I’m going to get some sleep,” Lightfoot said.
C21 - Ragged Edge
Ed sat in his garage. His
nerves were shot and he needed a drink in the worst way. The last time he had seen Judd he was sitting on the floor of the cabin. Had he finished the job or not?…he had been crazy to go with Judd. Taking a deep breath, he decided he would open his shop as usual and start work early. It was an anxious morning for Ed. Around nine a.m., the sheriff’s car pulled into Ed’s garage. Stepping from the car Bart had a look of complete distress. Looking nervously around he took out a cigarette. His hand shook as he held the match.
“Ed, what went wrong out there?” Bart asked.
“Slow down,” Ed said wiping his hands on a greasy rag.
“Raise my hood so this will look official,” Bart said. “Judd is dead.” The rag Ed was holding slipped from his hand. “You didn’t know?” Bart asked. “You were there…what happened?”
“Judd is dead?” Ed’s hand trembled and he cussed bitterly.
Ed tried to explain, “The plan backfired, and we had to leave fast. I ran by the cabin door and saw Judd getting up from the floor. I don’t know…everything happened so fast. The Baker woman was dead on the porch with Judd’s hunting knife sticking through her chest. I freaked out! I figured he would be right behind me!”
Ed nervously replayed the events of the night as he continued, “We didn’t know, but there were two women in the cabin. Judd entered by the back and I went to the front. The door was locked, and I couldn’t get in. Suddenly the door swung open and the blonde woman knocked me down as she ran out of the cabin. I chased her but she was too fast, so I fired a shot at her!”
“Did you hit her?” Bart questioned.
“No, I had this blasted hood over my head and couldn’t see clear to shoot!” Ed stated.
“You idiot! Burn that thing now!” Bart exclaimed.
“One of the women got a lucky swing at Judd! His throat was cut, and he bled to death. Why didn’t you finish the job? The black-haired woman is still alive!” Bart said.
Ed stuffed the hood in the stove and said, “My shot woke up everyone for miles around and the girl stood out in the field and screamed her head off. Wow! That woman can scream. It wasn’t but a few seconds and I heard people shouting in the field. That big dog of old man Waters or something else was coming after me. I had to get out and quick!”
“Judd is dead! What do we do now?” Bart asked.
“So, Judd is dead! Do you think they will figure this out?” Ed asked.
“You blew this, Ed! Real bad! The mob is not going to like this…at all. We will tell them Judd was working by himself,” Bart stated as if that would clear them with the mob.
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“Beaver, you keep looking over the tracks at that apartment. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off and take Shelby to a movie?” Mr. Benson asked.
Beaver grinned and said, “Thanks, Mr. Benson! I really appreciate this! The movie sounds like a good idea.” A few minutes later Beaver had put away his tools and crossed the tracks.
Carl Benson smiled to himself as he leaned against the office door post. He had lost his son in the war. From this very rail yard, he had watched his son board a train for the enlistment center. Oddly enough, Beaver looked a lot like Joe with that space between his front teeth and that mischievous smile.
Carl and JoAnn had only one son and their world had rotated around that boy. JoAnn had never gotten over the loss of Joe and her dying words were, ‘Carl, I’m going to see Joe.’ With them both gone it had left him void of any purpose in life apart from his farm and the work he did at the little Baptist church. Now he had another hill to climb and this was the last one he would have to face. He had a disease called cancer and there was nothing the doctors could do. Doc Mueller had driven him to Houston and had cried when his old friend had been diagnosed. Believing the treatment to be futile, Carl had returned to Huntsville to get his affairs in order. The only thing of value he had was the ranch. Since word had gotten out of his illness, his brother Bruce had been coming around. Bruce was a drinker and never showed up unless he wanted to borrow money. He and his two sons were his only relatives and after Carl’s death they would legally claim the ranch. He didn’t intend to give his life’s work to that bunch of freeloaders.
Carl had taken a real liking to Shelby and Beaver and hoped Beaver was the kind of man that learned from his mistakes. He wanted a family to have his place. A family with children to play in the barn and fields like his son had done. He would feel them out at supper tomorrow night. Time was short and he wanted to make sure that all his ducks were in a row.
Through the kitchen window Shelby watched Beaver crossing the tracks. When he came closer to the house, Shelby asked, “You're home early today. Is everything okay?”
“I was sent home early to take you to a movie! Mr. Benson said I am the best worker he has. How would you like to go out on a date?” Beaver asked sheepishly.
“I’ll think about it,” she said.
“I think you should take me up on the offer!” Beaver said with a smile.
Shelby leaned on the window seal and looked at Beaver, dirty from head to toe standing there in the yard. A large smudge on his cheek made his grin comical. “Well, I haven’t been to a movie since you took me five years ago. I certainly hope the movie is worth the wait! Why don’t you come in here and let’s see if we can clean you up? A little soap and water just might make you presentable,” she said. The two smiled at each other and Beaver took the steps two at a time.
C22 - Dark Legend
The death of a legend like Judd Smith always brings shock and astonishment. Judd wasn’t in the war long but distinguished himself as a war hero. He was a rancher that was liked by those who knew him. There was a dark sinister side to the tall lanky man a side that only a few knew existed. Those who walked on the dark side knew him to be a different man all together. Over the course of his life there had been a trail of deaths that he had never been suspected of. ‘More dangerous than the street bully is the cougar that crouches in the darkness for its kill.’ Judd’s latest exploits were shocking. He had tried to kill two women and in a freak turn of events had been killed himself.
The Smith ranch was in need of mowing but for the most part looked to have been cared for by someone who loved the land. Cage drove along the lane that was bordered by white picket fences. Cattle grazed in fields along the lane. He had heard all the stories of Judd Smith in the last few days. The place was well kept and fall flowers filled the yard. There was a woman’s touch to the place. Willow turned from her work in the yard to greet the ranger. “I have seen you in town. I remember you from the night I sat with my stepson in the funeral home. Now we meet again under similar circumstances,” Willow said shaking her head in dismay.
Cage responded, “Your place looks nice. It has been well kept.”
“I owe that to Judd. Unlike my dead husband, Judd didn’t mind hard work when he wasn’t out in the woods,” Willow stated.
“I need to take a look at his things,” Cage said.
“After my husband died, Judd stayed away from the house. He lived in an apartment in the barn. I always stayed away from his apartment. He was a private kind of person. I haven’t had a chance to take a look at his apartment. The times I was in his apartment it was cleaner than my house,” Willow said.
As the two walked into the barn Willow said, “When the sheriff brought me the news, I was not surprised about Judd like most people have been. I have seen a dark side of Judd that was kept hidden from most people. My late husband once told me, ‘I may be a drunk but I’m not half as bad as Judd.’ That was just one of his comments that led me to believe he was afraid of his own brother. Judd was a strange man,” she said.
“I’m looking for anything that will shed some light on why he would try to kill the Bakers,” Cage said. Swinging the door open they stood looking around the room to reveal a clean orderly room with few pieces of furniture.
“I’m not sure as to what I’m looking for so we will just look around. Tell me all you care to divulge about Judd i
f you don’t mind,” Cage asked.
“He never bothered me and spent most of his time away or in the woods. Judd was originally from Scrappin’ Valley and all his kin still live back there in the valley. He had some dealings in Houston and sometimes he was gone for weeks. He would come and go at all hours of the day and night. Seldom did any of his acquaintances come here. Occasionally he would go to Houston and I suspect he spent some time with women that would be considered shady,” Willow stated. “It is obvious that he did little more than sleep here. A few days ago, a couple of men showed up. Their accent was strange. One introduced himself to Judd. Without answering Judd got them out of my hearing.”
“Did you remember the name?” Cage asked.
“I did, because it was a strange name. It was Birdie Stein. It seemed they were looking for someone,” Willow said.
On one wall, articles clipped from the papers of the murders in Huntsville looked as if he had a keen interest in the cases. Walking around in the room Cage noticed the gun case that Judd had made from a large clothes bureau. “If he made this, it appears he was good with wood work. This is a beautiful gun case,” Cage said as he picked each gun up and inspected it. “This is quite a collection,” Cage said.
“Judd liked to shoot and was forever tinkering with a gun he picked up from someone. I never could get him into any long conversation. After he said what he wanted to say, that was the end of the conversation and he would walk away. He kept this ranch running smooth and I stayed out of his way,” she said.
Inspecting the guns in the case, Cage noticed the floor had long scratch marks indicating the heavy bureau had been moved back and forth. Willow watched as he moved it away from the wall. Looking at the wall behind the bureau he didn’t see anything unusual at first. A bit of wood had been broken off one of the boards and at closer inspection he saw where a knife blade had been inserted in the crack several times. Taking out his pocket knife, Cage inserted the blade and the board moved out easily. Looking back at Willow he reached into the crack of the wall and pulled a rifle wrapped in a deer hide from the wall. For a few minutes they both looked at the rifle he held in his hands.
Doing Time In Texas, Book 3 Page 11