Hunter's Prize (36 page)

The stranger stood ten feet away, as still as the tree he leaned against, watching them with a lazy smile. His eyes, older than his years, brimmed with wisdom. The warmth in their depths, clearly visible from across the way, eased Pearson’s mind. The man glanced toward the west. “I reckon it still qualifies as afternoon. Won’t be for long though.” He pulled his hat lower and peered at the wall of trees. “You’re a fair piece from civilization. If I were you boys, I’d get where you’re going. This road will soon be thick with critters you wouldn’t want to run into.”

Theo cleared his throat. “Such as?”

“Bobcats. Coyotes. Black bear. You might stumble across a red wolf, though I doubt it. Nearly all of them have been killed out.” He sniffed. “Sadly, your fellow man might prove the nastiest. It’s not unusual to stumble across a no-account up to no good out here.”

Pearson’s pulse quickened. “You know a lot about the area, then?”

He pursed his lips. “More than most, I’d say.”

Staring, Theo lowered his voice. “Um, that couldn’t be—”

“Old Saint Nick himself?”

“Or the next best thing,” he muttered, chuckling under his breath. “Like I said before, you’re the luckiest man in Texas.”

Pearson grinned. “And like I said before, I don’t deserve it.” Climbing down from the rig, he made his way through the underbrush with his hand extended. “Sir, would I happen to be in the company of the infamous Catfish John?”

The man clasped Pearson’s hand, a slow smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “I won’t bother to ask how you know my name. Sorry I can’t offer you the same compliment, mister.”

“That’s understandable. I’m not legendary.”

At this he laughed aloud. “It’s a sad day if staying out of the way and minding your own business makes a man a legend.” He turned to greet Theo, high-stepping over the tall grass. “Mind my asking where you fellows are from?”

“Galveston, originally,” Theo said, “but right now we’re staying in Marshall. We were headed up the way to Tow Head, but our horse fell lame.”

Interest sparked in his eyes. “Up to Tow Head, huh?”

“Yes, sir.”

He cut his eyes to Pearson. “Doing a little fishing, are you?”

Unable to hold his gaze, Pearson looked past his shoulder. “Well, not exactly.”

Deep-throated laughter rumbled in John’s chest. “As it happens, boys, I have heard of you. You’re the two who’ve been asking about me and the
Mittie Stephens
from here to Marshall and back.”

Feeling the warmth of a blush, Pearson nodded. “I was getting to that.” He grinned. “We were hoping to ask you some questions.”

Shaking his head, he brushed past them. “First let’s have a look at your horse. I wasn’t joking when I said you need to be on your way before nightfall.” Catfish John lifted the horse’s foot and placed his palm on the side of the hoof. Three seconds later, he lowered the leg and stood. “You’re in luck. You’ve got a hot nail here, but I don’t think it’s a direct hit.”

Theo shrugged. “What’s that mean?”

“When the smithy shod this animal, he drove the nail too close tothe quick. If I’m right, this one’s not too bad. It’s tender, but not likely to get infected.”

Pearson braced his hands on his knees and leaned to stare at the hoof. “If you’re wrong?”

“Then he’s pricked the horse’s flesh. This can go bad quick. She’ll wind up with an abscess.”

“What do we do then?”

“You shoot her—what else?”

At Pearson’s stricken look, he chuckled. “You’ll have to pull off her shoe. Allow the infection to drain. This kind of injury takes a long time to heal.” He patted the horse’s rear end, and she gave an answering shiver. “But I don’t think it’s that bad.”

“So she can safely pull us as far as the lake?”

John nodded. “I’d say so.”

Standing, Pearson breathed a relieved sigh.

Glancing toward the orange-tinted sky, Catfish John dusted his hands and shifted his gun strap. “I’ll let you be on your way. The sooner you’re camped in front of a fire, the safer you’ll be.”

Pearson tried to think fast. “Can we give you a ride somewhere?”

He smiled and pointed at the mare. “You’re hardly in a position to ask. Besides, I have a mount tethered a few yards into the woods.”

Determined not to let him get away, Pearson cast aside his pride. “Sir, we’ve been slogging through mud and swamp for weeks now and getting nowhere. I’m pretty certain if we’d found you sooner, you could’ve saved us a lot of sweat.” He grimaced. “I know a man like you must be busy, but—”

Catfish John laughed. “I steer well clear of busywork, son, unless it’s something I like to do.”

Thinking fast, Pearson smiled. “That makes your time even more valuable, doesn’t it? So I hate to ask, but could you spare us a few minutes? We’d sure like to ask some questions.”

Chewing the ends of his mustache, Catfish John seemed to stall. “I suppose I should. Maybe once you hear me out, it’ll save you more trouble than you think.”

Pearson’s heart surged. “That’s our hope.”

“Mine, too, but not for the same reason.” He pushed his hat off his forehead. “First, let’s get to your campsite and build a fire.” Stalking toward the trees, he called over his shoulder, “Going after my horse. Be back directly.”

Pearson spun toward Theo, rubbing his palms together. “You hear that, paisan? He’ll be back directly.” He clapped his cupped hands. “We found Catfish John!”

Theo grinned. “No, he found us. You think he’ll really come back?”

“Sure he will. Don’t even suggest otherwise.” He pointed toward the rig. “Shuffle those boxes around and make yourself a place to sit. We can’t ask the famous Catfish John to ride in the wagon bed.”

Laughing, Theo hurried to lower the tailgate. Climbing into the bed, he shoved the parcels aside as he worked his way toward the front.

His hands stilled on a crate, and stunned surprise hit his face like a blow. “Whoa! What the …?” Reeling, he fell on his behind, and his head whipped around. “Pearson? You need to see this.”

Alarm chilled Pearson’s blood. Running for the rig, he held his breath as he peeked over the side.

Ceddy Whitfield lay asleep beneath the seat with both hands curled under his chin. His rounded cheeks were flushed bright pink, and his hair was damp with sweat. He snored quietly, a string of drool from his mouth puddling on the wooden boards.

Tightening his grip until the rail creaked, Pearson gaped at Theo. “I guess you know what this means, paisan. I’m in a world of trouble.”

T
he horrible men had pulled Addie’s canvas bag off the top of her wardrobe and upended it on the floor. Grandmother’s beads were there, kicked across the room like discarded trash, but the jasper pendant was gone. With all her heart, she prayed Ceddy would have it when they found him. If not, her chances of seeing the treasured pendant again were slim.

With greater fervor, she prayed they’d find him. Reverend Stroud had come, bringing men to comb the woods. One look at the mess in the house, and he’d left again, returning with two wagonloads of chattering women. They were scattered throughout the mansion—with Priscilla running herself ragged trying to supervise all their activities at once.

Each time she found herself between tasks, she begged the reverend to take her to find Pearson, so she could see for herself if Ceddy was with him. The reverend talked her out of it by reminding her he was only one person. He couldn’t stay and conduct a proper search and, at the same time, leave to take her somewhere else. He’d finally appeased her by promising to take her at first light.

Addie knelt beside Ceddy’s bed, painstakingly matching shards of wood together like puzzle pieces. The boxes were far from perfect, and the glue would have to dry before he could replace the stones, but at least he wouldn’t have to see them broken to bits. Remembering howthe slightest change upset him, Addie fought the desire to smash the culprits the way they’d smashed Ceddy’s things.

Delilah had helped her sort the rocks the way he kept them, as closely as she remembered at least. Staring at the mounds, Addie wondered how stressful it would be for him, seeing his collection in disarray. Especially when he realized the precious gems were gone. Her shoulders sagged. What sort of man stole from a child? Was any amount of monetary gain worth a single one of his tears?

She considered the missing white stone, Ceddy’s favorite. Delilah confirmed that the intruders were looking for one suspiciously similar. Rummaging through the pile, she picked up a white rock, turning it over in her hand. It didn’t look to be any different from the one Ceddy favored, the one the men tore Priscilla’s house apart trying to find.

It may not look different, but the facts say it most certainly is
.

Realization teased the dark corners of her mind. Ceddy placed his gemstones in perfect order on Aaron’s breastplate on the Bible page. The only one he hadn’t accurately matched was the diamond.

She gasped. Or had he?

Waltzing with the thought, she shook her head. Where would a little boy get a rough diamond of that size?

Struggling to her feet, she stared dumbstruck at the map of South Africa on Ceddy’s wall. “Dear heavenly days,” she said breathlessly. Clutching her skirt, she streaked from the room and barreled down the stairs, nearly tripping in her haste.

Standing beneath the ceiling fan, both hands filled with salvaged possessions, Priscilla turned at the sound of Addie’s footsteps. “Oh my, slow down. It’s very dangerous to run on the steps.”

Reverend Stroud came toward them from the kitchen as Addie reached her. Panting for breath, Addie gripped Priscilla’s shoulders. “I know what those men want—what they tore the house up trying to find.”

“Yes, dear. Delilah told us. They were looking for stones from Ceddy’s collection.”

“Not just any stones. They’re after the diamond.”

Priscilla gave her an indulgent smile. “What are you saying, Addie? Ceddy didn’t have a diamond. Just a few tiny gemstones, gifts from his grandfather. Hardly more than chips, really.” She shook her head. “No diamonds.”

Addie gripped her shoulders tighter. “What if I told you the large white rock he carried about was an uncut jewel?”

Her eyes flashed with disbelief. “I’d say you have a vivid imagination. You saw the size of it, dear. A gemstone that large would be worth a fortune.”

Addie nodded. “Exactly.”

The reverend studied Addie’s face. “How would Ceddy get his hands on such a thing?” He tilted his head at Priscilla. “Could it have been your brother’s?”

“No, Reverend. My brother wasn’t the type to let an object of value go to waste.”

Believing more in her theory by the second, Addie felt excitement rise in her chest. “I’d like to put forth the possibility that Ceddy brought it with him.” She nodded firmly at Reverend Stroud. “When he came from South Africa.”

“Nonsense,” Priscilla said, though doubt muddied her tone. “If he had, his aunt Jane would’ve mentioned it.”

Swiveling to face her, Addie raised her brows. “Not if she didn’t know.”

Priscilla opened her mouth to speak, but it froze into a gape. Her troubled gaze darted from Addie to Reverend Stroud. “It all makes perfect sense,” she finally said. “That’s why Pearson has tormented poor Ceddy. He’s after the diamond, too.”

Addie’s jaw dropped.

Priscilla nodded firmly. “That’s why he hurt my boy … trying to force information from him.”

“Heavens, no. Pearson knew Ceddy kept the rock clutched in his hand most of the time. He even retrieved it that night it rolled across the floor and gave it back. Don’t you remember?”

Priscilla’s brows dipped in an ugly scowl. “He would in front of us, now, wouldn’t he?”

Her heart an anvil in her chest, Addie clutched Priscilla’s hands. “You’ve come to the wrong conclusion again. We’re talking about the men who broke into the house today. Whoever they are, they somehow know what Ceddy has.”

Addie pointed behind her. “I think the poor dear’s out there now, hiding from those ghastly men.” She bit her trembling lip. “We’re going to find him, and when we do, you’ll see that Pearson had nothing to do with his disappearance.”

Priscilla fixed her with a cold stare. “Addie, I know how you feel about him. I was rather fond of Pearson myself, but—”

“Oh please,” Addie interrupted, “don’t speak in the past tense. You must still care about him.”

Priscilla’s mouth narrowed. “I don’t know what those strangers were looking for, but they don’t have Ceddy, and he’s all that matters. I know in my heart he’s with Pearson.” Fisting her hands at her waist, she struck a stubborn pose. “Reverend, I need you to take me out there. I won’t rest until I see for myself.”

Matching her determination, he set his jaw. “Then you’ll spend a restless night. I won’t take a woman to such rough country after dark. If we haven’t found Ceddy before morning, we’ll strike out at first light.”

Rolling from under the seat, the boy sat up and yawned.

Speechless, Pearson watched in disbelief. One peculiar little fellow had single-handedly ruined the possibility of proving himself to Addie.

Sleepy-eyed, Ceddy wrinkled his nose like he smelled something foul and smacked his lips as if he tasted something worse.