Chapter Text
Chapter Twenty Eight 28/34
“Oh how I wish I had Esther. I can’t type as fast as her and she is a lifesaver. Handwriting these appeals is slow. I should be out there drumming up support, not in this closet with ink on my white shirt “
Jarrod had only one judge consider his appeal. A longtime friend. “I will take it under advisement for a stay, Jarrod. Just as a courtesy. But for an immigrant? That’s not a popular crusade right now. You know a Slav killed a banker the other day on Eighteenth Street. Robbery. Then the shadows talk——a Scottish soiled dove gave several of our uh colleagues the pox. They could have got it in any whore house but they blame the immigrant.”
“I know I know Fred. But Judge William Mills was way out of his prerogative.”
“He’s a tough nut to crack. But he’s doing a job none of us want assigned—-immigration. I will look at it tonight and see if I can legitimately give you a stay.”
“Thank you, that’s all I ask.”
He hurried down the marble hall hopeful to find another ally in his cause. The lateness of the day was a hindrance.
“Let me check the third floor.”
———&——-
The criminal courts were a bit more late in the day. He went to the clerk’s office to see who was on the late dockets.
Two people were in line ahead of him and his mind raced with possible ways to get the order stayed for Rionach.
“Sam? Sam Wills?”
“How ya doing?”
“Good good.”
Jarrod’s head jerked up at the name. He could see the back of the man at the head of the line. He was dressed exactly as Heath described. All in black. His long curls were tied back with a leather thong.
There was another person between him and Wills. He was signing a ledger and receiving some kind of paperwork.
He had a quick decision to make. He decided to confront the man in the hall.
Wills finally finished his paperwork and slid it into a narrow leather folio. One paper crumbled and he pulled them out. A small picture fell out.
The picture Heath and Sally took a year ago in Arizona with baby Posy. Jarrod went for the picture to pick it up. Wills boot went down on his hand.
Jarrod immediately recognized him from the wedding. The notions salesman.
He pulled his hand away and stood face to face with the man.
“Barkley?”
“Wills?”
Their tones silenced everyone in the busy room.
The clerk looked from man to man, “Is there something I can help you with?”
“No.” Wills said not taking his eyes off Jarrod.
“Let’s take this to the hall.”
The men clutched their leather folios and walked to the marble hall.
“Down there.” Jarrod pointed to two empty benches at the end of the long hall, “No one will bother us there “
Wills grunted and they walked adversarially down the hall—-matching step for step, each sound echoing in the hall.
“So what do you want with my brother?”
“He killed my brother. I want to know why.”
“He drew first. Read the inquisition.”
“I did. I want to know why.”
“Is that why you came to his wedding?”
Wills let his guard down for a moment, “How? Yes. I want answers and that woman has them.”
“That woman is my sister-in-law.”
“I was there,”
“What was her part in this?”
Jarrod hesitated feeling the instability of Wills, “She was on the stage into town with my Mother, my sister and Heath. That’s how they met.”
“How did my brother know her?”
“There was a young boy on the street, Lou. He was harmlessly flirting with Sally. Your brother intervened.”
“That sounds like him. He always protected women.”
Jarrod held his tongue. “One thing led to another and the boy was injured. Not supposed to make it.”
He could tell this was a new part of the story.
“The doctor told the family he wouldn’t likely make it through the night. His father, an old man, was distraught and confronted your brother on the street.”
“He killed him. The man was armed and pointed his gun at him.”
“Yes. But the old man had a decrepit gun and could have never outdrawn him.”
Wills was silent for a moment, “I read the report. Fair fight.”
Jarrod organized his thoughts. Whatever he said next could get Heath killed or Posy taken.
“Go on, you was telling me about the girl.”
“Your brother came to Sally’s hotel room.”
“Only way he would do that is if she enticed him. He turned that whole town away from vice.”
“Yes. I have heard he did a good job in the beginning. I think the stress was wearing on him.”
Wills was surprised by Jarrod’s observation.
“Sometimes who we are gets lost. I know. I went after the criminal who killed my wife.”
“That’s the right thing to do, Barkley.”
“In the process, I almost killed my brothers.”
Wills did a sharp intake of air at Jarrod’s confession.
“Go on. So your brother and Sally went to his house in town.”
“ No one knows what happened that night but them. I respect her and him enough not to ask. I have no desire to sully anyone’s reputation these days. If you asked any witness in Rimfire about me, they would put me in asylum and throw away the key—- We would only get half the story as I see it as an attorney—-we would have to decide if we believed her story or his.”
Jarrod bluffed and he didn’t dare look at Wills to see if it worked.
“I would believe him.”
“Just as I believe Heath.”
He thought about what Jarrod said.
“Then we have witnesses after that. Heath went to get her for the stage. Your brother objected. Offered her a new life with him. Words passed in the street.”
“I saw that. My brother said he could always outdraw your brother according to his admission in the documents. Your brother said he let him win. I don’t believe that.”
“That’s your choice.”
“What about the kid? The one she had when she went back home.”
“Heath’s. I have seen the birth certificate.” he said without a hitch.
“Figured. Knew it wasn’t Tom’s. He was a religious man. And he even told me how it was a sin to touch a whore.”
“Yes I have heard that.”
“I still blame them.”
“Sam, what good will it do Tom’s memory dragging this up. Heath has done right by her.”
“I need to think on this. I do thank you, Mista Barkley. You are a man of the law and I know you put that scoundrel Joshua Cunningham behind bars. The whole state thanks you for that.”
Jarrod nodded. He picked up his folio and realized his hands were sweating.
“Can I ask where you got that picture?”
“No you can’t. But here. Take it back. “
“I will.”
Wills got about ten feet and he collapsed. Blood pooled from his mouth.
“Guard? Guard? I need help here.”
“There is a clinic across the street.” as they rushed to the unconscious man.