Sea Of Grass (35 page)

“Miss Rawlins.”
McComb
shook her offered hand.

“This is Ed Chambers. He can shed some light on the situation,” Jed offered and patted Ed on the back. Ed smiled weakly and nodded.

McComb
smiled slightly. “Ya look a little sick there, pal. Y’all all right?”

“Fine,” Ed said in a dull voice.

McComb
patted his breast pocket. “I’ve got a little something from the Circuit Court of Helena. Seems a concerned citizen offered some information on the death of your son, Mr. Rawlins. I’m here to find out what exactly happened.”

Jed’s jaw twitched as he nodded. “It’s about time, Marshal.”

“I’m sure it is, sir. Let’s have a talk with Sheriff Hayward.”

As they walked into the sheriff’s office, Pat Hayward rocked in his desk hair, his hands clasped behind his head. Tess grinned. Life was good, eh, Pat? she thought. He sat forward quickly when the heavy door closed.

He looked from one to the other. His eyes widened when they stopped at the panic-stricken Ed Chambers.

“Jed, Tess,” he said in a shaky voice.

“Pat,” Jed said evenly. Tess said nothing.

“Sheriff Hayward, I’m John
McComb
, U.S marshal. I have
a few questions for you,” he said professionally. “May I sit
down?”

“Oh, sure. Please,” Pat fumbled and avoided Ed completely.

Tess was glad to see the fine sheen of perspiration forming on his weak upper lip.

“Thank you. I’d like to talk to you about Mr. Warren Telford and his involvement in the death of Stephen Rawlins.”

Tess folded her arms across her chest and looked into his eyes. Jed didn’t flinch. Pat Hayward looked as if he might faint.

McComb
put on a pair of reading glasses. “Now, Mr. Chambers…”

“They threatened me!” Ed blurted out and pointed to Jed and Tess.

McComb
looked up over his glasses. “They did?”

“Y-yes, they said they’d set my stable on fire if I didn’t help them.”

“That is just not true,” Tess said, appalled at the idea.

“Be very careful, Mr. Chambers. What were their exact words?”

“I don’t remember exactly. I…”

“I do,” Jed said. “I told him I was glad his business was doing so well, and I’d hate to see anything happen.”

“Right!” Ed accused and pointed a finger at Jed.

“Then he said last year we had a small stable fire and it’d be a shame if something happened like that when business is so good,” Tess offered innocently.

“Right! That’s what he said,” Ed accused again and pointed at Jed.

McComb
scratched his head. “Seems to me like they’re just being concerned neighbors. Now, Mr. Chambers, why are you here?” He looked right at him.

For the next twenty minutes, Ed spilled his worthless guts. Pat Hayward nervously pulled at his eyebrow; Tess knew his time was up. When Ed finished, Tess stood close to her father, in case he wanted to carry out his threat.

“Sheriff Hayward, I’d like to know what you have to add to this,”
McComb
said evenly. He, too, was trying to control his anger.

In the end, Pat Hayward sang like a canary.

Ethan sat in Warren Telford’s office lounging in the chair by the window. He listened as Telford puffed anxiously on his cigar. Ethan smirked. He’s actually nervous, Ethan thought happily.

“So, gentlemen, we agree. What goes on at the Double R Ranch is not how we want our community represented. We have a fine Christian community that does not tolerate decadence or perverted marriages. If we stand together, Jed Rawlins and his ‘family’ will have no other choice but to see this and go somewhere else… Like California.” He laughed.

“Warren, I don’t know. The Double R has been here from the beginning. Old Ned started it. My grandfather remembers him—”

“Enough with the Rawlins family!” Telford bellowed. “I’m sick to death of them! You’re either with me on this or you’re against me,” he said as he leaned in. “And believe me, you don’t want to be against me.”

Both men shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Ethan was oddly amazed at the control this old man had over people. Well, not everyone. Speaking of which, he looked out the window to see Pat Hayward looking very ill walking ahead of the marshal. Taking up the rear were Tess and Jed. Ethan shook his head once again and smiled inwardly.

They looked like something straight out of a John Wayne movie. Both wearing chaps, they looked like they were ready for the last roundup, which they were. Ethan shook his head. The
Rawlinses
…

“You think about his, gentlemen. I’ll be in touch with you.” Both ranchers quickly stood and walked out. Telford puffed on his cigar, looking like the cat that ate the canary. Ethan preened inwardly. Your day is done, Telford, he thought happily.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Drummond,” he said, dismissing him abruptly as he walked out of his office.

Tess saw Warren Telford as he walked through the bank. She saw the confused glance when he looked at the U.S. marshal and Pat. His confused look turned nervous, and inwardly Tess couldn’t be happier. They all met at the glass double doors.

“Good afternoon, Sheriff,” Telford said evenly.

“Mr. Warren Telford?”
McComb
asked.

“Yes, and you are?” Telford asked as he puffed on his cigar.

“John
McComb
, U.S marshal. I have a court order here, Mr. Telford. It says the state of Montana thinks you might know something about the death of Stephen Rawlins. Sheriff Hayward, Ed Chambers, and I had a little talk, and it seems Stephen Rawlins’s horse didn’t throw him. If you’ll come with me, sir.”

Telford glanced behind
McComb
to see Jed and Tess watching him. Tess grinned and wriggled her fingers in a wave. Pat was squirming.

“I will not. I have nothing to say to you or anyone else. The sheriff and the coroner determined that the Rawlins boy was thrown from his horse. Just try to prove I was anywhere near that south pasture. I have dozens of witnesses who will testify as to my whereabouts that night.”

“Sir, you’d best come with me. I’m bound by the state of Montana to bring you in, and since Sheriff Hayward here will be joining you…”

“You idiot! What did you tell them? Whatever it was, he’s lying,” Warren Telford bellowed as he pushed by
McComb
and headed out the doors.

Jed was quicker than
McComb
was. He grabbed his old nemesis by the back of the collar and yanked him back. Telford reared around and took a healthy swing, catching Jed in the jaw.

All at once, mayhem broke out in the
Silverhill
Bank.

Chapter 27

“I can’t wait any longer, Maria, I’m going into town. I have a bad feeling here.” Claire grabbed for the keys to the Jeep.

“Chuck has the Jeep, Mom, and the old car won’t start.”

“Damn it!” Claire exclaimed.

“We’ll have to ride, Claire,” Maria said. Jack jumped up and dashed to the stable to saddle the horses.

“Maria, I-I can’t ride a horse,” Claire said seriously.

Maria rolled her eyes.

“It’ll be fine. It’s only a short distance. Come quickly.”

Jack led three saddled horses from the stable. “I’ll help you up, Mom.”

Claire tentatively walked up to the horse. “Nice horse,” Claire whispered stupidly. Smelling her fear, the horse snorted and backed up. “Ah!” Claire screamed and backed up, as well.

Jack tried not to laugh. “C’mon, Mom.” He held the horse.

Maria gently took Claire by the arm and held the stirrup for her. “Up you go. For heaven’s sake, Claire, you’re going to spend the rest of your life on a ranch.” She grunted as Claire tried to mount the snorting beast.

She got halfway up poor Daphne while Jack steadied the petrified horse.

“Oh…” she whined as Maria threw Claire’s leg over.

“Now just hold on to the reins and clench your legs to the horse’s side. Don’t you dare fall off,” Maria threatened as she expertly swung up on the mare.

Claire held the reins as if she was holding a soiled diaper. Maria rolled her eyes and slapped Daphne on the flank. As the horse took off, Jack and Maria watched for a second as Claire screamed and bounced horribly in the saddle.

“She looks ridiculous. Come, Jack, before she kills herself.”

Jack laughed as they took off, easily catching up to Claire, who was still bouncing and screaming and bouncing and...

By the time they rode into
Silverhill
, Claire had stopped screaming but was still bouncing. As they trotted down the middle of the street, they heard a horrendous crash.

Warren Telford had just flown through the glass doors of the
Silverhill
Bank. Right behind him was Jed. He angrily reached down and picked up the groaning man as the glass crunched beneath his boots.

“C’mon, get up,” Jed encouraged with a grunt, then lifted Telford to his feet. He punched him again.

“Oh, my God,” Claire exclaimed.

Maria shook her head. “Fighting like two school boys.”

“A real live cowboy fight,” Jack said with enthusiasm.

With that,
McComb
, Pat, and Tess ran out. “Dad!” Tess called as he was about to hit Telford again.

“You and your family,” Pat spat out, and Tess whirled to face him. “Why did you have to come back from California? You should have stayed out there, fucking the female population. Claire Redmond’s no better, her and her bastard son…”

That was it.

Tess reared back, and with a low growl that seemed to come from her soul, she punched Pat square in the face. His eyes crossed and he folded like a bad poker hand. He slid as if he had no backbone at all, which he didn’t, unconscious before he hit the ground.

“Shit! Damn! Shit!” Tess cursed as she wrung and flexed her bruised hand.

Jed had stopped beating Telford, who was slumped against the building.
McComb
held him up.

“I want to press charges,” Telford said angrily as he spat out a tooth.

“Didn’t see a thing,”
McComb
said and hauled him toward the sheriff’s office. He easily picked up Pat by the back of the neck, dragging both men. “Mr. Rawlins, I’m not sure when the hearing will be…”

“Marshal, I’m driving my cattle to Colorado tomorrow.” He looked to see the rest of his family. “I’ll be back in three weeks...” He then looked at a few of his neighbors who were standing there watching the two ranch owners who sided with Telford. Tess came up to him and handed him his hat. Setting it firmly on his head, he put his arm around Tess’s shoulder.

“You know where to find me. On
my
ranch
with
my
family,
” he finished emphatically, then flexed his bruised jaw.

“Let’s go home, Dad,” Tess said.

Jed gave her a sturdy hug and let her go.