Cotton’s Inferno (23 page)

Chapter 44

R
achael wrung her hands as she tried to avoid looking the sheriff straight in the eye. He could tell she was scared, but of what he had no idea. Although it wasn't uncommon for young folks to be leery of the law, he could discern no reason for this shy girl to fear him. He self-consciously ran his fingers through his hair in case it was in such disarray as to give the appearance of an ogre. Emily, seeing the tension between them, suggested it was time for some coffee or tea. Rachael jumped up, volunteering to make some. Cotton started to say that it wasn't necessary, but Emily put a finger to her lips to shush him.

“That would be fine, dear. There is also a box of store-bought cookies on the first shelf. Bring them with you when you come back. If you'd rather not have coffee, make some tea. You saw where I put the tea, right next to the little ceramic pot, didn't you?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Rachael called from the kitchen.

“What's goin' on, Emily? That poor girl's scared to death. And where
is
this Johnny she mentioned?”

“I don't know exactly. One of the other hands said they saw him riding off in the buckboard with Teddy Olander. He didn't tell me he was going, though. And it isn't like Teddy to let a stranger ride with him without first saying something to me. That's got me concerned.”

“Yeh, Henry asked if I'd passed them comin' here. Are you certain they were headed to town?”

“I assume so. I sent Teddy into Hargreaves' Hardware for some rolls of fencing I'd ordered so we can expand the corral. The old corral can't hold all the new stock I've acquired recently. I asked Henry to give the boy a few chores to keep him busy. I'd told both him and the girl I'd let them stay, feed them, and give them a bed, and in return they were to help out with chores. Looks like he worked faster than I figured. After he'd finished up, he must have spotted Teddy getting ready to leave.”

“Sounds like this Johnny was real anxious to get to Apache Springs. I wonder why.”

“If you can get the girl to say more'n a few mumbled words, you may have your answer.”

“Tall order.”

Rachael returned with a plate of cookies and two cups of coffee. She was carrying them all on a silver tray. Placing the tray on a table next to where Emily was sitting, the girl resumed her own chair and sat silently with her hands folded in her lap.

“Thank you, Rachael. That was very nice. Coffee, Sheriff?”

“Yes, thanks,” he said. “Now, Rachael, can you tell me about how Johnny came to save your life?”

Rachael's nervousness returned. It was clear that if Cotton wanted anything out of the shy girl, he was going to have to be very patient. Her story wasn't going to come easily. That's when he noticed what appeared to be wrappings or bandages showing beneath her simple cotton dress.

“What happened to your arm? Were you injured?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. A mountain lion jumped me. Nearly tore my arm to shreds.”

“Is that when Johnny saved you?”

“Yes . . . the second time.”

“He saved you more than once?”

“Yes, sir.”

“That must have been quite an ordeal for a young lady. Are you pretty much healed up?”

“A doctor in Las Cruces fixed me. He sewed up the gashes and put some stuff on there to help it get better. I still wear some wrappin's to keep the dirt out. He said if it festered I could lose my arm, so I'm bein' real careful.”

“Goodness!” Emily said. “If I'd known all this, I'd have taken you into town to have Doc Winters look you over. Can't be too careful about something so serious.” She was clearly shaken by Rachael's revelation.

“I'm sure it's goin' to be fine.”

“You said that the catamount attack was the second time Johnny saved you. When was the first?” Cotton narrowed his eyes, hoping to draw out more revealing information about the mysterious Johnny.

“That was when he first found me. I was near done in. Hadn't had nothin' to eat for quite a spell. I was sprawled out half in and half out the door to the cabin where I lived.”

“You lived alone?”

Rachael sighed before launching into the story of the man pretending to be her father and what he'd done to her. Emily's expression reflected the terror this young girl must have gone through. She'd never experienced anything so traumatic; even her kidnapping by the Cruz gang had left her with fewer emotional scars than those Rachael was describing. Emily was so disgusted by what she heard, she put her hand over her mouth to keep her anger from showing.

“I wasn't always alone. Just after my ‘father' took off,” Rachael continued. “He said he would come back, but he never did. When Johnny and I went to look for a way to earn some money to live on, that's when we found out he'd been killed. The nice people that buried him kept his horse. When they heard that the horse should rightfully belong to the man's next of kin, they didn't know I wasn't really, so they insisted we take her. While havin' to ride double is kinda hard on the horse, it was sure better'n walkin'. I'd just about worn my legs down to nubbins after several days.”

“So, the two of you left your cabin and started walkin'? Did you have an idea where you were headed and how far it might be?”

“No, sir. We just put one foot in front of the other and let the good Lord guide us. Reckon he did, too. After all, we're here and we're both alive.”

“You've been through a lot of hardship, Rachael. You were lucky to find this ranch. How'd you come on it?” Cotton asked.

“We was headed for Apache Springs. We took a wrong turn and ended up on the road where we met Emily. She was so kind to let us stay and give us food. I have to say, I love it here.” Rachael looked with a sigh. “And, I . . .”

“You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like, child,” Emily interrupted.

“Thank you, ma'am. I'd like that. But I suppose I'd better ask Johnny.”

“Unfortunately he seems to have gotten off somewhere,” Cotton said.

“He left? Without me?”

“I don't imagine he'll be gone long. Appears he hitched a ride into town with one of Emily's cowboys. I'm sure he'll be back this afternoon.”

“H-he went into town? Oh, my god! If he runs into the man he's aimin' to kill, he may not come back at all. He could be dead in the street.” Rachael burst into tears.

“He's aimin' to kill someone? Who?” Cotton asked, his expression turning dark with surprise. “Damn!”

“He's after the man who killed all his friends. Murdered them!”

“Where'd this murder take place?”

“I-I, uh . . .”

“Tell me, girl! Now!”

Emily grabbed Rachael and held her close. She glared at Cotton. “You're scaring her. Don't yell!”

“But if I'm goin' to save a life, I need to know whose life it is. And that boy, I don't need to have him shot down in my town, either.”

Rachael continued to sob uncontrollably as Emily patted her and tried to calm her down. Emily motioned for Cotton to go outside. She mouthed the words to wait and she'd get what he needed. He realized she was probably right. He had no experience with teenaged girls and he guessed maybe yelling wasn't the best way to get answers. He sheepishly went out on the porch and took a seat on the first step to wait for a calmer approach to prevail.

Chapter 45

A
s soon as the buckboard pulled up to the rear of the hardware store in order for them to load their supplies from the dock, Teddy wasted no time jumping down from the spring seat to climb the three steps to the dock. He stopped before entering the back door to look around at Johnny, and was surprised to find an empty seat where the boy had been only seconds ago. He shrugged his shoulders and went inside to tell the owner he was ready to load the Wagner order.

“G'afternoon, Mr. Hargreaves. It's Teddy Olander, and I'm here to pick up some fencing for the Wagner ranch.”

“Ahh, yes, young man. Pretty late in the day for ridin' all the way back to the Wagner place, ain't it?”

“Aww, heck, I've done it plenty of times.”

“Well, as you wish. I have three rolls of heavy-duty fencing on the loading dock. I believe the lady said she wanted a small barrel of ten-penny nails, too. That sound right?”

“Yes, sir, exactly right. I brought someone to help load up, but he seems to have disappeared on me.”

“That's all right, I'll give you a hand soon as I tally up some things for Mrs. Dunwoody.” Hargreaves chuckled. “Be just a minute.”

“I'll just be out back, sir.” But Teddy was puzzled by Johnny's strange disappearance. His curiosity was too much for him, and he wandered down the alley and out to the main street.

* * *

Johnny had no idea where to even start looking for Carp Varner. If he was in town, the most likely place to start would be the saloon. Carp seemed to spend most of his time leaning on the bar, sucking up whiskey, beer, or whatever he could find that was liquid and made him feel tough. Johnny walked around the side of the hardware store and found himself only about five buildings from what he figured to be a saloon. It was a fancy place with a large, painted sign out front, covered in gold leaf and lots of swirly letters. While the fancy lettering was difficult to decipher, he thought it spelled out
Melody's Golden Palace of Pleasure
. The thought struck him that, considering the name, the establishment might cater to those seeking female companionship—for a price, of course.

He hadn't said a word to Teddy about his real reason for coming to town with him, and that was why as soon as the buckboard came to a halt, he hopped off and tore around the building. Of course, if for some reason he didn't return before Teddy found it necessary to get back to the ranch, he would likely be stranded in a strange town. This was beginning to look more and more like a bad idea. As he stood staring at the saloon, he heard a voice behind him.

“You lost, son?”

Johnny spun around, his hand inadvertently going for the handle of his six-shooter. That's when he came face- to-face with a rough-looking man with a serious look on his face, wearing a badge and a Remington .44.

“Uh, no, I-I'm just looking for someone.”

“Well, I know about everybody in Apache Springs. Perhaps I can point you in the right direction. Name's Memphis Jack Stump. I'm the deputy sheriff here. Who is this person?”

Johnny swallowed hard. He was at a loss for words. Just at that moment, Teddy Olander came around the side of the hardware store and, seeing Johnny talking to the deputy, called out.

“Hey, Johnny, there you are! This wire isn't goin' to load itself. Get your scrawny ass over here and help out!”

“Ahh, so you must work out at the Wagner place, too?” Jack asked.

“Uh, yessir. And, er, I better go help Teddy.”

“Sure. Next time you're in town maybe I can help you find who you're lookin' for.” Jack touched the brim of his hat and strolled on along the boardwalk. The two young cowboys disappeared down an alley.

* * *

Carp Varner was beginning to get anxious. He hadn't heard a word from the sheriff on a decision about the gunsmith shop, even though he was pretty sure the man claiming to be Burnside's nephew had arrived on schedule. He'd never been good at biding his time, and this occasion was no exception. He liked to hurry things along. He was running an oiled rag over his Smith & Wesson, trying to conjure up a plan wherein Burnside's nephew might have an accident, a fatal accident. As his twisted mind wrangled with several possible scenarios, the one that appealed to him most was to set fire to the hotel—
burn the damned place down around that scamp's ears
. An evil, self-satisfied grin came over his face.

He knew his plans would have to wait, however, when he heard the door open and in strode Mayor Plume. Varner laid the six-shooter on the workbench and moved to greet the town's highest-ranking official.

“Good day to you, Mr. Mayor. What can I do for you?”

“Been meaning to stop by and congratulate you more fully for your superb handling of the attempt on the bank.”

“It wasn't anything that most folks hereabouts wouldn't have done.”

“Quite the contrary. It was a feat of masterful timing, something I might add is sorely lacking in our fair community. In fact, the whole affair has me thinking. You know there's an election for sheriff comin' up in just a couple days. It seems to me that you might be just the right fellow to give the folks a real choice, for a change.”

“Oh, well, that's something I hadn't ever considered. Sheriff, hmm? I'll think on it. Thank you for the vote of confidence, Mr. Mayor.”

“Now I figure if you'd agree to throw your hat in the ring, a gesture like that might just shake things up real proper,” Plume said. The mayor gave Varner a wry smile and a nod. He thrust out his hand and Varner shook it. The mayor spun around and strutted through the door with a satisfied smile. Varner watched as he went toward his office, stopping briefly at every window along the street. He was greeting each passerby like the true politician he was.

Varner stood, pensively watching the antics of the pompous mayor all the way until he disappeared back inside the building that housed his and his clerk's offices. Varner sat at his workbench to ponder this newest twist to any future he might be considering in Apache Springs.

I wonder how Plume might feel if he knew what happened the last time I ran for an elected office.
He snorted as he thought back to the day when he left Whiskey Crossing nothing more than a pile of blackened charcoal and twisted nails; his ruminations brought renewed confidence that after his handling of the robbery he might, indeed, hold more sway over this town than he'd thought. But he knew
exactly
what the mayor was driving at.

I am impressed by your idea, you pompous fool. And your misguided attempt to get a handle on gaining more control of Apache Springs is an interesting proposition. I believe I will run for mayor.