A Day in the Life

Chapter 11 – Six P.M.

The house wasn't hard to find. There weren't too many with willow trees in the front yard. The hardest part had been getting on Noble with one hand. And holding on to the lily.

I was right on time and knocked gently. I heard Laura's footsteps across the floor, headed for the door, and her voice inside. "Remember what I told you and behave."

Sounded like me talking to Pappy. She opened the door and saw only the flower until she looked up and saw my bandaged temple. "Bart? What happened? I mean, come in."

Before I could even get in the door, she turned to her brother in anger. "Billy Sternhagen. You promised – that you - "

"Laura, stop. It wasn't Billy." She finally opened the door the rest of the way and I walked into a comfy, cozy main room. Nice size stone fireplace, hand carved settee and chairs, a friendly looking space. It looked like a family lived there. Her eyes got even bigger, if that was possible, when she saw the sling on my arm. "Don't say another word. Your brother didn't do this."

Even Billy looked shocked. "What . . . . what happened? And how do you know it wasn't me?"

"Because you're not a bushwhacker. Unless I've misjudged you." I handed the flower to Laura. "I don't think I've misjudged you."

She blushed and ushered me into the main room. "Please, come sit down. You haven't, I love lilies. Billy, quit acting like a three-year-old and sit down. Bart, dinner is almost done. Would you like a drink?"

"No thank you, Laura. I don't drink. Well, wine with dinner. Sometimes. But nothing more than that. You don't have any coffee, do you?"

"I do, as a matter-of-fact. I'll go get some and be right back." She turned and glared at her brother before leaving the room but never said anything else.

Billy could barely contain himself until Laura disappeared. "Were you serious? You don't think it was me that shot you?"

I remembered not to nod. "I don't believe it was you. Whoever shot me was a coward . . . . . they hid in a scrub of trees and waited until I didn't see 'em. I don't think you're a coward . . . . . " Billy started to smile until I finished my sentence ". . . . . . dumb maybe, but not a coward."

"Thanks, I think," he replied. He thought about it for a minute, then a slight smile creased his face. "Maybe I misjudged you. You weren't cheating, were you?"

Laura came back in the room, carrying a tray with a coffee pot and three cups. "No, I wasn't cheating. I don't play poker like that, and I don't care for people that do. Like Reggie Grainger."

"Who's Reggie Grainger?" Laura asked innocently while she poured coffee.

I waited just a few seconds after dropping the name to see if I got any kind of reaction. Curiosity seemed to be the only one.

"The card cheat that shot Sandy Jenkins."

Billy stiffened. At last he had a name to aid his search for the man he considered a murderer. Laura glared at me with a 'my brother doesn't need help like that' look.

"That's not all I got," I continued. "I know what he looks like."

"So?" Billy questioned eagerly.

At last I shook my head, gingerly, and had to take a quick swallow of coffee to cover the dizziness that washed over me unexpectedly. "No, Billy, if this is what I think it is, this one is mine."

He slammed his coffee cup down on the table next to him and spilled the black liquid everywhere. "Why?" he shouted, clearly frustrated. "Sandy was my best friend, my brother. I want his killer to pay for it! Why should you be involved?"

Laura hurried out into the other room to get something to wipe up the spilled coffee. I was sorry to cause her work, but Billy needed to know as much of the truth as I could tell him. "Because if I'm right, this is bigger than just one murder. It's at least two, and two more that didn't succeed. Including this," and I raised the sling on my left arm slightly.

That seemed to calm him down somewhat. At least now he understood that I had a personal stake in the whole thing and wasn't just in it for no good reason. Laura came back with a rag and I took it from her and mopped up the spilled coffee. I handed her back the rag and she declared, "Gentlemen, a truce please. Dinner is ready."

Billy pulled Laura's chair out for her before I could get there and I didn't know if he'd made it a competition or he had manners. I didn't care; it was good to see him do something nice for her. She was a superb cook, right up there with Lily Mae Conners, Uncle Ben's live-in housekeeper, and a longtime member of the family. When I ate so much I didn't think I could eat any more, Laura produced my one real weakness when it came to sweets – Texas Pecan Pie. Before momma died she'd make that for dessert if it was a real special occasion, and I hadn't eaten any to rival hers in all the years she's been gone. Laura's was close enough to make a grown gambler happy.

"I can't eat anymore," I finally told her. "Not and still get on my horse. And he may not speak to me as it is."

She smiled and blushed. "Laura's an excellent cook," Billy volunteered. "She'd make somebody a terrific wife."

Laura and I both laughed. I hadn't even flirted with the woman and suddenly her brother had us married off.

"Does that mean you'll let me handle this my way?" I asked. It sounded like Billy understood my way of thinking, but I wanted to be sure.

He nodded and looked sheepish. "I will."

"Then why don't you let me show you some things that might help you spot an actual card cheat?" I asked him.

"Oh dear, I was going to suggest we move back to the other room for more coffee, but I think we'd better stay in here with the table."

"I won't take long," I promised. A few minutes later I'd given Billy a lesson in 'spotting card cheats' that might help him in the future. After that, the only thing he wanted to do was go play poker.

"Leave your guns?" Laura begged, and Billy looked down at the floor.

"Alright," he finally conceded.

"And don't drink?" Laura really was pushing her luck tonight.

"After last night? No problem!" her brother declared.

I looked over at his sister. "Now you know why I don't drink."

"I don't know how anyone can stand the taste of that awful stuff, anyway."

I agreed with her wholeheartedly. And yet even I found times that a shot of rotgut was helpful, if not absolutely necessary.

We all got up from the table and moved back into the other room. Billy put his hat on and shook my hand before he left. "Thanks for everything. See you tomorrow?"

"Maybe," I answered, and Billy was gone. Laura and I walked back over to the settee and she poured fresh coffee.

"Thank you for that," she told me.

"He seems like a good kid," I answered her. "I just think he got turned in the wrong direction. Maybe tonight'll re-aim him."

"I hope so. He's been so lost since Sandy died. Like losing a brother."

I thought about my own brother. I hadn't seen Bret in a while, and I was beginning to think a visit was overdue. Last I heard he was in El Paso. Maybe it was time to do a little southern traveling.