The Scales of Justice

It was supposed to be a simple ride through to Warbonnet to meet up with his father and brothers. As far as Adam knew, all three of them would already be there ahead of him and they'd take the horses they'd picked out back home together. It would have been that simple if he hadn't decided to head there via Black Water and run into an angry posse a few miles out of town. Adam found himself staring down several rifles as he slowly raised his hands into the air.

Two days earlier.

Joe was enjoying the sunshine on his back as he pushed towards the next town. He grinned to himself as he considered what day it was. Pa and Hoss should be in Warbonnet by now and he could just picture Hoss' face when he found out his little brother hadn't made it there yet. Hoss wasn't happy that he'd convinced Pa to let him take a side trip, just as Adam had been allowed to head off for his own reasons. Hoss had glowered at him from under his hat and pointed a meaty finger his way.

"You just make sure you ain't late in showin' up, little brother! We ain't drivin' those horses all the way home without you while you're sippin' cold beer in some saloon and losin' all your money at cards!"

"Don't worry, it'll never happen, Hoss." Joe slapped his brother on the shoulder as he climbed into the saddle. "I never lose at cards!"

Joe laughed out loud as he recalled his father's head shake as he galloped away. He had no intention of being late, but it sure was fun to wind Hoss up. Easy too.

Suddenly a single shot rang out nearby and Cochise pranced sideways at the unexpected noise. He pulled in on the reins and had just begun to move again when another horse and carriage came barrelling towards him. He could see it was a woman driving and Joe shouted at her to watch where she was going. She neither responded nor slowed down, but she was gone in moments as the trail twisted out of sight.

It only took a few minutes to find the reason for the gunshot as Joe continued back up the trail. A dead man with a clear gunshot wound lay sprawled on the ground in front of him. Joe slid down from the saddle and reached to check for a pulse. He didn't expect to find one and wasn't surprised as he saw the blood seeping into the ground. He sighed as he pulled a blanket from the man's bedroll and began the gruesome task of rolling the body into it and hoisting it onto the nearby horse.

It was only a few miles to reach the small town of Black Water and Joe felt the weight of the stares as he road into town, trailing a horse and body behind him. He asked directions for the sheriff's office and somebody nervously pointed the way. Before long, he was standing with Sheriff Gideon Yates and one of his deputies, explaining how he came to be hauling a dead body with a hole in it. The sheriff and his deputies were nothing if not efficient in looking for the stranger's identity and sending the body off to the undertaker's office.

Joe glanced around at the dusty little town as he made his way inside the sheriff's office. It looked just like a thousand other little towns that struggled to exist in the harsh reality of mining booms and busts.

The sheriff pointed to a chair as they entered the office and Joe slid into the seat. Truth be told, he was glad to be rid of the responsibility of the dead body and would be very happy to give his story and get back on the road as soon as possible. Any thought of Hoss being annoyed at him was no longer as funny as it had seemed a few hours earlier.

Before he could begin, another man wandered out from the cell area. The smell of sour whiskey hit Joe from clear across the room and it was obvious the man had been left to sleep off a bender. Joe watched with interest as the sheriff spoke with the man and even tucked a few dollars in his pocket before sending him out the door. It looked very much like something Clem would do, having learned well at Roy Coffee's side and Joe smiled slightly as the man sat down beside him.

"Now, suppose you could give me anything more on this woman you said you saw? It may not look like it out there on the streets, but there's a lot of women around these parts that could fit your description."

Joe shook his head as he considered the comment. "Sorry, but I'd know her if I saw her again. I only got a glance at her, but she … well she certainly made an impression!"

Gideon wondered at the tone of the comment, but let it slide. "I'm going to have to organise an inquest and I'll need you here as a witness, I'm afraid."

"Not a problem. I'll just wire my family and let them know what the hold up is."

As Joe stood up to go, the sheriff reached to stop him. "I'm going to ride out there shortly. I'd appreciate it if you'd come with me and show me what you saw."

"Sure." Joe already had his hat planted on his head and was moving for the door.

As he thought back on things later, Joe wished he'd refused the request. Maybe if he had, he wouldn't have found himself bleeding from a serious leg wound and a fugitive from the law. Instead, he did what his father had raised him to do and he helped the local sheriff.

The two men scoured the area that Joe had pointed out. The pool of dried blood was all too clear to both of them. Joe had already handed the sheriff the gun he found along with the dead body and it seemed they had done all they could. Suddenly Joe caught a glimpse of something and he reached for it. A woman's lacey embroidered handkerchief had no business being there in the long grass.

"Hey, take a look at this will ya?"

The sheriff turned as Joe handed him the piece of cloth and he barely held a frown in check as he ran a finger over the embroidered "L" on one corner.

"Well, maybe that helps narrow things a bit. I guess this woman's name begins with an L."

"Maybe."

"First name. Last name. It's gotta be hers. I can't see why it'd be out here otherwise."

The sheriff shrugged as he climbed back into the saddle and Joe stayed silent as he watched the man's reaction. They were a good way down the road before he tried again.

"You got anybody in mind?"

"Huh?"

"The name. Starting with L. Any ideas?"

Gideon shrugged again and stared off ahead of him as if deep in thought.

"Not really."

It was a quiet trip back into town and Joe wasn't surprised when the man cut him loose as they arrived at the edge of town. He was surprised the sheriff didn't head straight for his office and turned up a side street instead.

It was all he could do not to push his horse into a gallop from the minute he'd seen the incriminating piece of cloth, but Gideon nudged his horse into a canter as soon as he was sure Cartwright was out of sight. He pulled up in front of his home and ran for the front door, barely managing to tie his horse off to the hitching rail.

"Lydia!"

Joe was beginning to feel the weight of the day as he pulled up in front of the livery. He'd teased Hoss about taking his time, but he wished he could just get on the road and be in Warbonnet already.

A young Mexican lad walked out of the livery as he was about to call out and he began to ingratiate himself with the new customer.

"Buenos dias, senor! What a magnificent animal you have there. It would be an honour to have such a magnificent one in my humble stable."

"And how much will this great honour be costing me?"

The boy clutched his hat to his chest and grinned as he bowed. "For you, senor … just a dollar a day! And that includes feed too!"

Joe was tugging at the gloves on his hands as he watched the performance.

"I'll make it a dollar and a half, if you will do something for me."

"Anything, senor!"

"Put your hat back on your head, stand up straight and stop with the silly theatrics."

For a moment, the young man stared at him, but Joe just smiled back at him. Finally he grinned back at the stranger as he replaced his hat on his head.

"Better. Now, where's the telegraph office?"

"That way, just around the corner."

Joe nodded as he clapped the boy on the shoulder. "Thanks."

Luis watched the stranger leave before tugging on the horse's reins. It truly was a magnificent animal with its distinctive pinto colouring, but still that wasn't what made him straighten his shoulders. He was used to being looked down upon by the locals, no matter what El Jefe said. It was unusual for anybody to treat him with such respect, especially without wanting anything in return. He glanced again at the beautiful horse and noted the brand on its rump. It wasn't one he recognised and figured the stranger must come from some way away, as he knew all the brands for miles around.

Gideon sat on the lounge beside his wife and listened as she hesitantly filled him in on what had happened hours earlier. Fear clutched at his chest as he realised each word she spoke dug a bigger hole for the both of them.

Harry Loomis was supposed to be long dead, not newly dead with a bullet hole in his chest. His wife had been widowed years before he met her and her no-account husband was a memory best left in the past. Except he wasn't dead and he wasn't content to stay in the past.

"I truly thought he was dead. I could never have done this to you on purpose. I love you!"

"I know that."

Lydia grasped at her husband's hand, fearful he would see something in her actions that would cause him to leave the room, or the house or even to go so far as to have her convicted of murder.

"He tried to force me into the wagon and said he was taking me back with him. I couldn't go anywhere with him! Not again."

Tears trailed down her cheeks as Gideon stroked them away. He knew all he ever wanted to know about Harry Loomis. The man had thought his wife was his property and he had beaten her into submission any time she dared speak her mind. Of course, Lydia had barely been eighteen when her father had made the "good" match and she had suffered through three miserable years until one day the man had been shot and killed in a card game gone wrong. At least that was the story that filtered back to his widow and she had been only too pleased to accept it as truth. He had no idea where the man had really been holed up, but prison would be his best guess.

"We'll think of something. Don't worry."

"But … but everyone will think I killed him on purpose because our marriage isn't legal. We could both be arrested for bigamy!"

"Well that issue is taken care of." Gideon muttered the words to himself, but his wife's face drained of colour.

"Surely you don't …" Gideon wrapped his hand around his wife's fingers and shook his head.

"No, I don't. But you need to stay inside because that Cartwright fella can identify you."

He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead before standing up.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it." He had no real idea just how he would do that, but his first plan was to get the only one who could identify his wife to leave town.

Joe sat at the table in the only restaurant in town and tucked into a good steak. Of course, it was nothing on Hop Sing's steaks, but it would do. He looked up to see the sheriff coming towards him and he gestured towards the vacant seat.

"Cartwright." Gideon nodded at the man as he sat down. He hated what he was about to do, but it needed to be done. The man needed to leave as soon as possible.

"Sheriff." Joe nodded as he cut another strip of steak. "Have a seat."

"I just came to let you know we've got a name on the dead man – Harry Loomis. He's from Denver so I've sent a wire to get any information on why he might be here or who might want to kill him."

Joe swallowed the mouthful of steak and nodded.

"So I just wanted to say there's no need for you to stay for that inquest after all. We know who the victim is and we'll wait on the wire to find out more. No further information you can give us since I've already got your statement."

Joe frowned at the man. Clem would have been only too keen to keep a witness in place until he had his answers.

"I could still identify that woman if she shows up. I don't mind staying a bit to see if she does."

Gideon rubbed at his lower jaw as he considered the man in front of him. Men of integrity were few and far between as far as he was concerned. It was one of the reasons he'd worked so hard to hold his town together and build a community.

"No need."

Something wasn't adding up, but Joe couldn't see what.

"Well, I already wired my father so he's not expecting me for a few days. I think I'll stay a couple more days and see if she shows up."

"Suit yourself."

Joe watched as the sheriff headed for the swing doors. He frowned as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Something certainly didn't add up.