The Last Buckaroo (8 page)

CHAPTER
TEN

In
the dead of night two men, with tin badges on their chests, exited the sheriff
’
s
office, climbed into the Model T Ford with the white star on the door, and
eased gently down the street.  Eight blocks up it turned left onto the main
road out of town and picked up speed.  In twilight it returned, and now there
were three that entered the office, one unmistakably in cuffs and leg chains.

Feeling
better this morning, Katie came up the street at nine.  She had every intention
of having breakfast at the eatery and while there visit some with Helmer.  He
’
d
become so complacent with her competence in managing the tavern, she hardly saw
him anymore.  But first she would enter the tavern briefly to deposit the
shotgun, concealed in the rolled blanket under arm.

No
sooner had she entered, however, when Ralph Longley, from the hotel across the
street, burst in behind her.  Alarmed by the surprise intrusion she near had
the shotgun from the blanket before hearing his familiar voice shout:
“
He
’
s
back!
”

“
Oh! 
God!  Ralph!
”
 
She
tossed the heavy gun and blanket on the bar with a thud. 
“
Who
’
s
back?
”

“
Yancey! 
They brought him early this morning!  I saw them from the hotel.
”

At
first a raw ache clutched her belly, followed closely by a faint rush of joy
that progressively became more vibrant as milliseconds whirled by.  Making her
feet work when they didn
’
t want to, she shuffled
toward the door, weak but determined.  Why on earth had that happened now? 
Maybe she needed to re-examine her feelings for Yancey Burke
 — 
had
they turned physical?  So far in life, physical encounters with persons of the
opposite sex hadn
’
t worked out too well
for her.

“
Are
you all right?
”
Ralph
came to her.

Katie
deposited the keys to the tavern into his hand, lifted the frilly yellow dress,
and dashed out to the street.  Pausing only briefly to gauge the flow of
traffic, she continued on, running until her eyes finally settled on the
unpleasant face of Preston Ames, sitting behind his desk looking very shocked
by her sudden appearance. 
“
Where is he?
”
she shouted.

He
simply pointed to the open door to the jail.

Katie
dashed through it going from cell to cell until she came to him sitting on the
bunk, his attention focused on her.  At first sight she screamed,
“
Oh
God!
”
and tears gushed to her
eyes and flowed freely down her face.  She instantly covered her mouth, fingers
trembling
in horror.

“
You
sonofabitch!
”
she
screamed toward the open jail room door.

Calmly
then Sheriff Ames entered the jail room, walked to Yancey
’
s
cell, unlocked and opened it.
 
“
Take
all the time you need, Misses Peck.
”

“
Get
a doctor!
”
she demanded to his back as he
walked away, white hair moving from side to side with each step.

“
Kromwede
was called some time ago, now.  I suppose he
’
ll
come once he finishes up with his regular rounds,
”
was his response to that.
 
“
The
jail is last for a reason, Katie.  The county don
’
t
pay for prisoner care.
”

Ignoring
that, she entered the cell, eased up and dropped to her knees before him.  Her
quivering fingers lightly touched the massive swelling, so purple and blue he
was hardly recognizable.  One eye was swollen completely shut. The left cheek
was so enlarged it twisted his mouth into an ugly snarl. 
“
Oh,
Yancey,
”
she dropped her face
into his lap and began to cry.

“
Katie,
”
he slurred softly and
caressed her shoulders,
“
there
’
s
no need to cry.  In a couple of weeks I
’
ll
be good as new.
”

“
Good
as new?
”
 
This caught her as funny
…
she lifted her head
and laughed. 
“
Does it hurt?
”

He
straightened cautiously. 
“
Only when I
laugh.
”

Putting
that together, Katie demanded,
“
Yance, unbutton
your shirt!
”

He
moved his swollen hands to his chest, fumbled briefly, and then finding it impossible
to work the buttons ... he dropped them in despair.

“
Let
me,
”
she said. 
“
I
see you didn
’
t take your licks lying down.
”
 
Secretly she was happy to see the damaged hands.  It proved he
’
d
at least defended himself, to a point.

“
There
were six of them
…”

“
Oh
my God!  It
’
s a wonder you
’
re
alive
…”
  Then she saw
the rib cage, horribly bruised.
 
“
They
kicked you?
”
she
screamed.  Her hands went to his tight abdomen, but didn
’
t
touch it.
“
You poor man.
”
 
She would dream about this and the muscular chest, she knew, but now wasn
’
t
the time for such nonsense.

“
Break
me out of here, Katie
…
 
I can
’
t
take another day of this.
”

She
looked to his good eye. 
“
Are you serious?
”

“
I
am.  I
’
m
not used to being penned up like a parrot.  I need the wide open spaces.
”

“
I
know
…
 
But in a week or so you
’
ll
be free.  Somebody in town noticed something about Clyde
…
 
His testimony will
surely convince the jury you didn
’
t
do it, Yance.
”

“
Oh,
yeah.  What
’
s that?
”

From
the corner of her eye, Katie saw something move in the next cell.  She glanced
and saw a body on the bunk.  Then, taking a better look in the dim light,
shockingly she saw it was Deputy Striker lying there.  Wondering why, she
noticed he had a black eye.  There was also a wicked gash on his forehead. 
Preston must have pistol whipped him for what he
’
d
done at the prison.  Serves him right!  She would have done worse, had she the
chance.  Bastard!

It
seemed he was sleeping.  Hopefully he hadn
’
t
heard what she
’
d just said.  She wouldn
’
t
want the sheriff to know she had anything that may help Yancey.
 
“
I
’
ll
tell you later,
”
she whispered.
 
“
Have
you had breakfast yet?
”

“
The
sheriff brought it an hour ago.  I ate the oatmeal.
”

Katie
looked around and saw the breakfast basket still on the bunk. 
“
We
have to get your jaw and those ribs looked at.
”
 She glanced to the
chest again, which looked undamaged, thank God!  She got to her feet, figuring
to speak to Ames again about the doctor when, with little black bag in hand, the
man came walking up.

“
Doctor
Paul,
”
Katie greeted the old
doctor she
’
d grown to adore over the years. 
His full name was Paul Kromwede.  But for good reason he preferred his patients
call him simply Doctor Paul.
 
“
I
think he may have a broken jaw.
”
 
She stepped out of the way.
 
“
And
those ribs look awfully sore.
”
 
She snatched another look.

“
Katie,
”
Doctor Paul
acknowledged.
 
“
Oh,
my, what do we have here?  Did Preston do this?
”

“
Nah,
”
Preston said, coming
into the room,
“
but I know who is
responsible for it.
”
 
He walked past on his way to the next
cell down, keys in hand, and opened it. 
“
Get
up
,
Striker!  Go home to your wife.
”

Striker
got off the bunk and came meekly from the cell.  The sheriff followed him out. 
Shortly thereafter there was shouting in the s
heriff
’
s
office for a time, the
n all went quiet.

“
His
jaw
’
s
not broken, Katie
…
but it
’
ll
be awfully sore for a while,
”
Doc Paul said. 
“
Once
the swelling is down in a day or so, that jaw bone should settle back into the
socket, giving him less pain.
”

“
Thank
God!  Did you hear that, Yancey?
”
she said cheerfully.

“
I
see no sense in wrapping the ribs.  They
’
ll
heal just as well the way they are.
”

The
doctor reached into his bag and came out with a brown bottle and handed it to
Yancey. 
“
Sip on that from time to time, for
the pain
…
a tablespoon to start with, then
only as you need it
 — 
every
few hours.
”

“
Thanks,
Doc,
”
Yancey said, and seemed
anxious to get the cork out for the first dosage, using teeth at the good side
of his mouth to pull it.  He then tipped it for a sip, and then another for
good measure.

“
Maybe
you can tell Helmer, soft foods only for a few days, Katie.
”

“
I
will.
”

“
He
’
ll
most likely be asleep before long.
”
 
The doctor closed his
bag and left the cell.
 
“
That
stuff works fast.
”

“
You
’
re
telling me,
”
Yancey
said and worked to sit back on the bunk so he could lie down.

Katie
scurried to remove the food basket and help support his back as he eased down. 
She then gently lifted his legs to the bunk and re-buttoned his shirt.  Once he
was settled, she said,
“
I
’
ll
be back, okay?
”

“
Okay,
”
Yancey returned and
closed his eyes.
 
“
Thanks,
Katie.
”

She
watched him for a while, then closed the cell door and followed the doctor out,
thanking him for coming as they walked.  She would have gone straight out the
door with him had Preston Ames not called her name.

“
Misses
Peck!  Hold up a minute, will you?
”