A Life Restored (14 page)

Caroline shoved aside her disappointment about things not being as she hoped.
 
She was relieved to see Julia felt the same as she did.

“I’ve missed you, too.”

A moment of silence honored their sincerity.

Caroline giggled.
 
“I kissed Jesse Shoemaker and Nathan Finley.”

Julia’s eyes rounded in surprise.
 
“You did not!”

Nodding, she added, “On the same night, too.”

Julia shook her head.
 
“Still getting into trouble?”

“More than you know.”

Then Caroline launched into the story of how she ended up in Wickenburg.
 
She told of how she left her chaperones and caught the stage.
 
She cried when she relayed the events of the robbery and murders.
 
She laughed when she told of how Thomas rescued her.
 
She told Julia everything.
 
Everything except how Thomas kissed her and how she would never forget it.

As the hour grew late, their whispered giggles and tears subsided.
 
Silence reigned.
 
Caroline’s eyes grew droopy, her heart content that she had been reunited with her best friend.

Chapter 16

Traveling with a preacher for two days was a terrible idea—at least that is what Robert Garrett learned on his trip to Prescott.
 
After spending much longer than he wished helping clean up the stage robbery, the preacher tried repeatedly to engage him in conversation.
 
He held back a shout of joy when they arrived in Prescott this afternoon and the preacher parted from his company.

Tying his horse in front of the saloon, Robert walked away from the establishment and towards Zach Drake’s office.
 
Judging by the large number of cattle he spotted headed south, he needed to hurry up and get his paperwork in order and sent off with his associate.

“Robert,” Zach greeted him when he entered the attorney’s office.
 
He offered Robert a seat and closed the door.
 
“Purchase more cattle recently?”

“Yes,” he said.
 
His associate arrived shortly before he did and handed him a slip of paper which included counts of the cattle from each ranch.
 
Robert slid the piece of paper across the table to Zach.

“Hmm.
 
It will take me some time to draw up the necessary paperwork.”
 
Scanning the list he added, “Not sure if I have a signature for Perry Quinn.”

Zach unlocked his desk drawer and opened a file folder, then flipped through it.
 
“Ah, here it is.”

“What about Colter?”

“Had that one for a while now.
 
His is one of the easier signatures to duplicate.”

Robert smiled.
 
What great fortune to find a corrupt attorney who also dabbled in forgery.

“I have something else I could use your help with,” Robert said.

Zach nodded for him to continue.

“I’m looking for someone who might be able to make a connection for an associate of mine.
 
He’s looking to meet someone from Will Colter’s ranch that might be interested in making additional income.”

“Ah.
 
Trent Montgomery is the man to see.
 
He owns the saloon on the end of Montezuma Street.”

“Is he trustworthy?”

Zach laughed.
 
“As much as any criminal can be.”

“Understood.”

“I do know that most of Colter’s men are above board.
 
The few that might be of interest to your friend tend to frequent the saloon on Saturday evenings, though I heard they made a delivery out at the fort today.
 
Might even catch them in town tonight.”

Robert thanked Zach for the information and made arrangements to pick up the paperwork tomorrow morning.

Heading back toward Trent Montgomery’s saloon, he kept an eye out for his associate.
 
He had one more assignment for him before he left in the morning.
 
Despite the early hour—it wasn’t even supper time yet—Robert entered the saloon.
 
He spotted his associate dressed as an old miner, paying for his drink in gold dust.
 
Perhaps he could get the man to teach him a thing or two about disguises.
 
If he hadn’t known in advance what to look for, he never would have recognized him.

Robert did not acknowledge him.
 
Instead he made his way to the bar and ordered a whiskey.
 
The stuff in the West was not as good as what he got back home, but it did its job.
 
A lovely little gal walked towards him, her ample bosom barely restrained by her clothing.

“In the mood for some fun?” she asked.

“A little pleasure in the afternoon might be nice,” he answered, gulping down his whiskey.
 
He pushed back from the bar and followed her up the stairs.

She led him to a room in the back that could not be seen from the stairs.
 
Then she opened the door and motioned for him to enter.
 
The room was not empty, nor had he expected it to be.
 
His associate sat on a chair in the corner.

“Leave us,” Robert said.
 
“But come back in fifteen minutes.
 
He’s not my type.”

The saloon girl nodded.

“Paperwork will be ready in the morning.”

His associate nodded.

“While you’re here, see what you can find out about Colter’s men.
 
Rumor is that some of them are in town today.
 
I need you to get one of them to work for us.
 
Trent Montgomery might be of assistance.”

“How much you willing to pay?”

“You know the rules.
 
Try to get him for as little as possible.
 
Just enough to make him turn on that uppity rancher.”

“I’ll find out who they are.
 
Then give ‘em a spell to get nice and drunk before talking to ‘em.
 
Always seem to be freer with their thoughts that way.”

A knock sounded at the door.

“Good.
 
Sounds like I’ll have plenty of time for the little lady before joining you back downstairs.”

His associate nodded and left as the saloon girl entered the room.
 
Yes, a little pleasure in the afternoon was exactly what he was looking for.

Robert felt much more relaxed as he returned to the bar.
 
He took a seat next to his associate, but did not acknowledge him.
 
He order a whiskey and began sipping it as his associate engaged the bartender in conversation.

“Looking for Trent Montgomery.”

“And you are?”

“Pete Vance,” his associated said.
 
That was a new name—one he hadn’t heard him use before.
 
Good.
 
It was probably better that way.

“Why you looking for Montgomery?”

“Just looking for information that he might know.”

“Well, you’re gawking at him.”

Robert shifted in his seat, pretending not to hear the conversation.

“Know any of Colter’s men?” Pete asked.

“Only a couple of them come here.
 
Happen to have two of them here tonight.”

“Might ya be willing to introduce me?”

“That one there,” Montgomery said, pointing towards a man seated at a poker table, “is Owens.
 
His buddy, Whitten, is the ratty looking one sitting across from him.”

Pete nodded and started to stand.
 
He turned back toward Montgomery.
 
“If I was looking to find one a bit unhappy with Colter, who might I talk to?”

“Owens.
 
Guess there’s some bad blood between him and the horse trainer out at the ranch.”

Pete pulled out some extra coins, more than enough to pay for his drink, and tossed them on the counter.
 
“Thanks for your help.”

Montgomery greedily swiped the coins from the counter and pocketed them.

Robert tossed him a coin for his whiskey and asked about a poker game.
 
Montgomery directed him to the same table that Pete headed towards.
 
Two of the men that had been playing vacated the table.

“Can I join you gentlemen?” Robert asked as he reached for one of the empty chairs.

“If ya like losing yer money to a couple of cowboys, be our guest,” Whitten said.

Robert took a seat, noting that Pete already joined the game.
 
Besides him, Pete, Owens, and Whitten, only one other man played the game.

As the first round was dealt, Pete asked, “Where you boys work?”

Owens snorted and looked at his card.

Whitten replied, “Colter Ranch.”

“Is that the man who supplies beef for the fort?”

“The same.”

Bets were placed and the game began.
 
Pete continued to pump the two Colter cowboys for information.
 
He was good.
 
Every question seemed like the most natural thing that anyone might talk about during a friendly game of poker.
 
Robert was very pleased.

Just when Robert thought Owens might stay tight lipped the entire night, he started venting his frustrations.

“Can’t stand working for that high and mighty Colter.
 
Won’t never let us get out for any entertainment.
 
Works us too hard.
 
An’ he sits there in that fancy house with his pretty wife and makes a fortune while the rest of us can’t even enjoy our earnings,” Owens said, flinging his losing hand of cards across the table.

Owens continued, “Ain’t the only one either.
 
That trainer.
 
He’s something else.
 
Gets treated like family.”

“Maybe if he weren’t marrying the boss’s sister, it’d be different,” Whitten added.

“Naw.
 
He’s been treated better’n us from the start.”

Owens went on for some time talking about how much he hated Colter, Larson, and his family.
 
Robert smiled inwardly.
 
Again, he was the beneficiary of good timing and good luck.
 
He had no doubts that Owens would be more than willing to carry out his plans.

Later that evening, his associate stopped by his room at the Juniper House, no longer looking like Pete Vance.

“He’s in.”

The simple message was all Robert wanted to hear.
 
Now he had someone on the inside at Colter Ranch.
 
His plan was coming together perfectly.
 
He still had another week or so in town to finish securing contacts at the other area ranches.

Soon he would begin taking larger numbers of cattle from these foolish ranchers.
 
He would know exactly when and where to strike—well not him.
 
The rustlers working for him.

Slowly he would take back what Colter stole from him.
 
And the best part was, in a week or so, he would ride into that ranch as a respectable business man, looking to purchase some horses. It would give him the perfect opportunity to see with his own eyes the best way to make Colter pay.
 
Perhaps it would involve harming his wife.
 
Or, perhaps something even better would present itself.

Colter cost him everything.
 
His ranch.
 
His home.
 
His wife.
 
His children.
 
Oh, he wasn’t too upset about being free from the entanglements of family.
 
In some ways that made his life much simpler.
 
But, losing his wealth had been a significant blow—one that almost cost him the only thing more precious to him than money—his life.

He survived.
 
He was rebuilding.
 
Soon enough he would have his revenge.

A brief moment of frustration sprung forward.
 
His associate failed to grab Caroline Larson.
 
He had been too late and now she was here in Prescott, probably already on her way to Colter Ranch.
 
He missed that opportunity.
 
He hated missed opportunities.
 
If his associate had not been so successful in many other ventures already, he probably would have terminated his dealings with him.

Larson might have escaped his wrath for now.
 
Somehow, someway, he would find a way to take his revenge on both Colter and Larson.
 
Neither would escape paying for all they took from him.
 
He never wanted anything so bad before.
 
And he always got what he wanted.