Chapter 36
In the weeks that followed Kid gradually got back into shape. His wounds healed and ten days later he was back on his horse as if nothing had ever happened. During that time Teaspoon had hired a couple of replacement riders, not just because of the extra work that Kid's absence meant, but also because the marshal was employing his loyal riders to help him with Mr. X's business. They had been following the lead that the anonymous letter had left; every single detail there had proved to be accurate, and even though Albert Benson had not been found yet, Teaspoon knew that sooner or later they would catch him.
Once Kid was feeling better, he started paying attention to some other personal matters. Lou was so convinced that he could make his all-time dream of having a horse ranch a reality. There was no other way to reach the destination but by taking little steps along the road. Lou had suggested he get some horses from the same Indians who supplied the station. Kid could break and train them, and when they were ready, he could easily sell them. With rumors of an impending war, many men were traveling to and from the east, and horse selling was sure going to become a lucrative trade. Kid had to admit that Lou clearly had a good eye for business. She was full of ideas and suggestions, and Kid guessed that she must have inherited that trait from her father, who was a prosperous businessman. At least, she had something good from him, thought the Southerner.
Since their property was intended to be used as farmland, the place was not equipped with suitable facilities for too many horses. Therefore, before going along with the purchase of horses, Kid and Lou had worked together to build a corral in the middle of their so-far empty yard, putting off the enlargement of the stables for after the first trading had been undertaken.
It was on one of the posts surrounding the corral where Lou was sitting at the moment. She was beaming broadly as she watched in the short distance Kid and Buck talking to a couple of Indians, who had brought a group of six horses to the farm. Buck had accepted to act as an interpreter for Kid, and from her position, Lou could see their friend moving his hands with different signs to communicate with the two men. The Indians exchanged a brief look, and one of them nodded his head at Kid. Money changed hands from Kid's to one of the braves', and almost instantly the Southerner turned to where he knew Lou was, and lifted his right fist in the air in a clear victorious gesture. Lou responded by clapping her hands enthusiastically, and giving him the brightest smile.
The Indians left satisfied, and Kid and Buck pulled the six horses to the corral. Louise quickly jumped off the fence, and ran to the animals. "Oh they're so beautiful!" she exclaimed, and in her eagerness to come closer, one of the horses spooked, and lifted its hooves in fright. Thankfully, Kid quickly grabbed her by the waist, and got her out of danger's way. "Careful, Lou. These babies are still wary around people, even nice girls like you."
Buck managed to calm the startled horse down, and very aware of Kid's touch around her waist, Louise awkwardly disengaged herself, and her eyes kept admiring the horses surrounding her and the two men. "Oh… I can't stop looking at them," Lou whispered in awe.
"They're worth every cent we've paid," Kid replied, agreeing with his wife. "I just hope they're also worth the economic effort, otherwise we'll be ruined."
"Don't be so pessimistic, Kid," Lou said as she followed the men out of the corral. "You gotta believe in yourself."
"Listen to your wife," Buck added. "The ladies know what they do, so heed her. And like Teaspoon says, you've got yourself a nice lot of horse meat. You won't regret investing in your future."
"Yeah… you're both right. I need to be more positive."
Louise smiled. "And speaking of meat, what about having some dinner?"
"Actually, I'm hungry," Kid admitted.
"And you, Buck? Would you like to stay for dinner?" Louise asked.
"Thanks, but I'm afraid I can't accept your invitation," the black-haired rider replied. "Tonight I'm expected at Jenny's. I'm having dinner with her and her father."
"I see things between you two are getting serious," Kid remarked, patting his friend on the back.
Buck shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. "Yes… it's true. Jenny and I…well… we're in love."
"I meant you and Tompkins," Kid replied teasingly, a goofy grin flashing on his face.
"Kid! Don't be mean!" Lou scolded her husband, and turning to Buck, she added, "I'm really glad for you and Jenny. She seems to be a very nice girl."
"Thanks, Lou, but I have to say your husband's quite right. Tompkins has never liked me, and once he even kicked me out of his store. So I still can't believe I'm dining at his table tonight, and he hasn't raised too many objections to me courting his daughter. I don't know what to expect from this dinner, and I'm quite nervous, to be totally honest."
"Good luck then," Kid wished him honestly. "Tompkins couldn't have a better future son-in-law."
Lou smiled, silently supporting her husband's words, and after bidding Buck goodbye, the married couple went into their house. Louise headed for the kitchen to finish dinner while Kid took it upon himself to set the table. A few minutes later Lou walked into the dining room, carrying a steaming tureen. Her smile did not diminish for a second as she ladled the soup and sat down to eat. Curiously, Kid kept looking at her beaming face, and after a while, he said, "You look very happy tonight."
"I have reasons to be in high spirits. We did something good today, don't you think?"
"Uh… yes, it's exciting."
Lou studied his expression suspiciously. "You don't sound too animated right now," Lou remarked, and her smile faded when it suddenly dawned on her what he was not saying. "Oh… I… I understand. You're thinking about her."
"Her? Who are you talking about?"
"The girl from the portrait… your former girlfriend," Lou elaborated in a neutral voice. "I imagine you'd like to share this thrill with her… it's natural."
"Lou, you're wrong," Kid contradicted her, because in truth he had not given Doritha a thought today. Actually, it had been a while since he had last stopped to think about her. ""I'm just a bit wary… and yes, scared. Things mightn't turn out the way we expect, and all our money went to those horses. I know I still have my job at the Express, but I don't know… Something else might happen, and I could be injured again, and might not be able to work… and…"
"Kid, you think too much," Lou cut him off. "It's gonna be all right."
The Southerner nodded reluctantly, and after a very brief pause, she added, "And I want you to know I'm glad to share this dream… or rather the seed of a dream with you, and nobody deserves this position better than you. You're half the soul of this project, nobody else… nobody else at all."
Lou ignored his whole comment since she was more interested to learn more about the woman her spouse was apparently in love with. "Kid, is there a chance… this girl might leave her husband?"
"I don't think so," Kid muttered with downcast eyes.
"I'm sorry," Lou breathed softly. "In any case, I have to say she's one lucky girl." Kid raised his confused eyes to her, and Louise continued, "Despite what's happening, she has your love, and you have hers, which is more than what many have."
"I guess," Kid muttered uncertainly. Right now he was not sure how he felt for Doritha anymore. His hopes and dreams to be with her were now dead, and his whole self had come to terms with her absence in his life. Lately, he hardly thought of her, and the pain he had thought would be with him forever was completely gone.
"Who knows? Maybe one day you'll find love again," Lou said with a smile. "Hopefully, you'll have got rid of me by then."
"Lou, don't say that! It sounds horrible, and I'm really growing fond…"
"You know, when the time comes," Lou continued, cutting him off bluntly, "we won't have a problem to get an annulment… or a divorce. We can claim this marriage hasn't been consummated, which incidentally is true… and also that our fathers tricked us into it."
Her last words sparked his curiosity. She had mentioned once before that her father had not been honest, and he wanted to know what she meant by that. "Lou, how did your father deceive us?"
"Deceived you…not me," Louise corrected, and as Kid's intent eyes begged her to continue, her cheeks reddened in anticipation for what she was about to say. "Uh… remember what my father told you about my virtue?" Kid nodded, and Lou added, "It… it ain't true."
"What exactly ain't true?"
Lou's face flamed even more as she spoke again. "I'm… I'm no virgin," she stammered, her eyes lowering and focusing on her hands that kept wringing a napkin. "And he knew that. I… I… I was engaged to be married once before, but in the end he broke the engagement." Lou sighed, feeling tears prick her eyes, but she continued regardless, "Later I thought that since I was soiled goods, I'd die a spinster, but my father wouldn't accept that. I'm sorry he lied to you… well, I guess I also lied for not telling you, but that ain't something I feel comfortable telling a stranger. I know it wasn't fair to you, and I'm really sorry."
Kid was flabbergasted by what he had just learned. Now he finally got to know why a well-off man would marry his daughter to a poor nobody like him. If it hadn't been for him, he would probably still be single now. This new piece in the jigsaw would have made him angry before, but now he felt different. The only thought that had stuck on his mind was that Louise had been on intimate terms with a man, and the whole thing disappointed him, and strange feelings overwhelmed him for some reason. "Why did… why did your fiancé leave you, Lou? Did you argue or something?"
Louise lifted her bright eyes to him. "Kid, would you do me a favor?"
"Sure… what is it?"
"Don't talk to me about him. It makes me very sad."
Kid nodded slowly, and without another word, Lou picked up her spoon, and resumed eating her soup. From across the table Kid watched her sullen countenance. A few minutes ago she had looked so ecstatic, so content, and now her face reflected the same grim expression as when they had first met and married. Kid cursed himself for bringing up the matter, and making her sad. What was in her past wouldn't matter. Both of them had baggage, and what she had lived in her life was just her business. What Kid could not understand was how somebody could leave a girl like Lou. She was a great woman; funny, intelligent, hard-working, sweet, and charming. No sane man could be so foolish as to lose her. Who could be such an idiot? Kid stopped, realizing that he knew the answer to that question. The man who he was describing was just before him … he was that idiot… the complete idiot who wanted to leave her.
The following morning Kid was riding through town on his way to the station when he spotted Teaspoon and Noah dismounting in front of the jailhouse. A hand shackled prisoner was on a horse behind them, and once on firm ground Noah roughly pulled the man off his mount.
Kid spurred Katy towards them as he called their names at the same time. The marshal waved at him while Noah lifted his hand to the Southerner once before pushing the prisoner into the jailhouse. "Hey, Kid!" Teaspoon greeted him with a smile when the rider stopped the horse.
"Did you finally catch our man?" Kid asked, tilting his head to the marshal's office which the man and Noah had disappeared into.
"That's right… finally," Teaspoon replied as both men started walking towards the jailhouse. "One of the clues in the letter led us to Cottonwood. It turns out Mr. Benson's family lives there… under another name, of course. After makin' sure he was the man we were after, we arrested 'im. It was shame to do so in front of his wife and children though."
Kid nodded in agreement. Even though Teaspoon might appear tough to the casual observer, the marshal was a soft-hearted and compassionate man. Being a lawman was not easy, a job that involved witnessing people suffering, crimes being committed, injustice being done, and finding yourself at difficult crossroads on more than one occasion. For a man who was as honest as Teaspoon, his job meant many satisfactions but at the same time many more heartaches.
"Welcome, Teaspoon!" I'm so glad you're back!" Deputy Barnett said as the two men stepped into the room.
"Yeah… I imagine you are," the marshal replied ironically, noticing the chaotic heap of papers on top of his desk. Yet, he opted for not lingering on the thought, and walked to the end of the room where Noah was locking the prisoner in one of the cells.
From his position near the door, Kid kept watching in silence. The man behind the bars was probably in his early thirties. A thick, black moustache drooped over his lopsided mouth, and his shiny, sleek hair topped and a slim body. The man had dropped onto the bunk, his flexed right leg resting on the mattress, and his eyes directed to the wall on his left.
Teaspoon bent over before the cell, his hand grabbing an iron bar, trying to call the prisoner to attention. "Hey you!" the marshal called.
"What can I do for you, Marshal?" the prisoner asked sarcastically as he turned his smirking face towards the older man.
"I need information, and you are gonna give it to me," Teaspoon blurted out. "Who's your boss?"
"My boss? I don't know… or I don't remember… my mind's blank," Benson replied, amused that the marshal actually expected him to confess or divulge anything.
"You realize that you're to face very serious charges? Murder, robbery, arms trade… That would mean a certain death sentence," Teaspoon said. "If you were willin' to cooperate with us, the judge might lighten the sentence."
"You don't understand, do you?" the prisoner exclaimed loudly. "Right now I'm dead… either way. Please don't waste your time or mine. I'm not gonna talk… now or ever."
Benson turned his back to the marshal, putting an end to the conversation. Noah tapped the marshal on the back to call his attention. "Teaspoon, we won't get anything from him… we better leave him alone."
The marshal nodded unhappily, and both men walked away from the cells. Teaspoon sat down at his desk, and irritated after his fruitless questioning, his annoyance soared on seeing the chaos his desk had become. "Barnett, what the hell have you been doing with my office all this time I was away? Did you plan to pull it down?"
"I just tried to put your desk and papers in order," the deputy replied weakly.
"You call this order!"
"I didn't finish… that's why it looks a bit messy," Barnett said while Kid and Noah shared an amused look, listening to the usual banter between the marshal and his deputy.
Teaspoon groaned and grunted as he started tidying Barnett's version of order, collected the wanted posters and other documents spread over the surface of the desk. Among the dozens of papers, Teaspoon came to discover a small envelope he had not seen before, on the front of which his name was written. The paper sheets fell from his hand back to the desk as he quickly ripped the envelope open, and eagerly scanned the contents of the letter.
"Teaspoon, your tidying technique ain't too different from mine," Barnett remarked as the desk was again covered by sheets of paper, some of which had also fallen on the floor.
The marshal ignored his deputy's comment. "What's this, Barnett?" he asked, flapping the envelope in the air.
"A letter?"
Teaspoon had to breathe in deeply to prevent a curse from coming out of his lips. Barnett was a good man, but tried the marshal's patience more often than not. "I know it's a letter," the marshal exclaimed in obvious irritation. "I mean… when was it received?"
"That one? Oh… last Friday," the deputy replied.
"And why on earth didn't you tell me?" Teaspoon barked. He had been away for just three days, so when the letter got to them, he was still in town.
"I guess I forgot."
Teaspoon shook his head wearily. "Something else you might've forgotten, and I should know?" he asked sarcastically.
"Another one got here yesterday," the deputy replied.
"Another one!" Teaspoon exclaimed.
"Yes… must be somewhere. God, where did I put it?"
"Think, Barnett, think, for goodness' sake. Pray you find the letter for your own good," the marshal said in an irritated tone.
"What's going on, Teaspoon?" Kid asked, not sure why his boss was so nervous all of a sudden.
The marshal turned his eyes to his left where the cells were located, and noticed Benson looking intently in their direction. Therefore, not wanting to have curious ears around, he rose to his feet, and beckoned to his riders to step outside with him.
"Our friend has written again… twice."
"You mean Mrs. McCloud?" Noah questioned, using the name they all thought the letters belonged to.
"Exactly, and, boys, we have work to do again."