Chapter 37
March came with the hope that spring was close. The cold weather had given way to the much-desired warmth of the new season, and there were days in which the sun reigned in its whole splendor. People welcomed the mild days so that they could leave the shelters their homes had become during the winter months, and everybody eagerly basked in the good weather and enjoyed the first symptoms of spring.
Teaspoon and his riders had been extra busy during these weeks as they had a station to run and rides to cover, and at the same time work multiplied as the anonymous letters kept coming, pointing out the direction their next steps should follow. A bunch of men had already been arrested, but like Benson, none of them had said a word that would bring the law closer to find Mr. X. Some of them had refused to talk, and others simply had no information at all, a situation that was becoming a real frustration, especially for Colonel Adams, who was determined to be the man to find out Mr. X's identity and stop his activities.
That morning, Kid walked into the marshal's office, and found his boss and Colonel Adams, who was in town with his unit, engaged in a heated conversation. "I don't see why we should change our course of action. This lady… whoever she is… she's helpin' us in her own way when she could well have stayed put." The marshal lifted his eyes to the rider in a silent greeting, and instantly shifted them to the army officer when he spoke up.
"Teaspoon, finding out who this anonymous sender is could lead us to the big fish… she knows who he is, and we need to know," Colonel Adams replied as he stood before the marshal's desk, his hands crossed behind his back.
"Even if we discovered who she is, there's no way to know she'd be more willin' to talk than all the men we've caught… by the way, thanks to her."
"I don't like this situation. We are like pawns in this strange game, puppets tied to a string. We get a letter and then follow what's written there like lapdogs!" the army officer exclaimed loudly.
"And what's the big deal?" Teaspoon replied. "We've caught a bunch of long-sought criminals which we might never have done without this woman's help."
"We don't even know if it's a woman," the colonel counterattacked. "This man or woman might have ulterior reasons for this apparently generous offering, maybe revenge on somebody."
"Whatever the reasons are, the bottom line is that we're profitin', and I don't see what difference findin' out her identity can make. Witnesses are never questioned about the reasons why they're willin' to testify. Why should this woman be different? I still think she fears her life could be in danger if certain people get to know she's helpin' us."
"Teaspoon, this matter is too weird, and our main target isn't any closer to being apprehended. I'm sure if we manage to get our mystery letter sender face to face, we will get Mr. X's name at the very least. You know, my superiors are really pressing me."
Teaspoon raised an eyebrow dramatically. "I guess a possible promotion's also pressing," he pointed out, uttering what the man was not saying.
"Maybe," Colonel Adams admitted. "I really appreciate all the help you're providing us, but I'm in charge here, and I want to do things my way."
The marshal folded his arms over his bulging stomach in defeat. "All right. As you wish. So what are your plans?"
"We'll keep watch on your office every night starting today. We think the letters are deposited here sometime in the very early hours of the morning, am I right?"
"Yes, that's probably right," Teaspoon agreed reluctantly.
"One of my privates will be posted in the building opposite the jailhouse every night until our target shows up," Colonel Adams explained. "Sooner or later this woman… if it's a woman… will turn up."
"One of my riders will also keep watch alongside your men," Teaspoon said seriously.
"It isn't necessary."
"Adams, it ain't a request… I'm just tellin' you how it's gonna be. You might be in charge, but this is my town… and I run things here."
"If that's what you want… fine," the colonel replied indifferently. "All I ask you is for discretion, or our plan will fail." Teaspoon nodded, and after bidding goodbye, the army officer placed his hat on his head and walked out with a proud gait.
When Adams was gone, Kid approached the desk behind which the marshal sat. "The day hasn't started very well for you, has it?" the Southerner remarked.
The marshal shook his head. "I don't think this will go well. I have a bad hunch, and I'm afraid we'll be regrettin' this course of action sooner or later."
"There's nothing you could've done, Teaspoon. That colonel didn't give you another option, but to obey his orders. Who knows? Maybe he's right, and we might find out more if we learn who this lady is."
"Yeah…" the marshal replied vaguely. "Anyway, there's no point in grumblin' about somethin' we have no power on. It's what we have to do." He paused briefly, and then added, "Son, would you be the first one to keep watch with Adams's private tonight?"
"Sure. Count on me."
"Good. Don't work at the station today. Just go home, and get some rest. It's gonna be a long night for you."
As Teaspoon had told him, Kid rode home after dropping by the station to let his fellow riders know about the marshal's orders. It was a few minutes after eleven when he made his way into his property. The sound of galloping hooves greeted him, and as Kid's eyes shifted to the direction a horse was neighing, he saw his wife and Lightning leaving the place.
"Lou! Lou!" he called loudly, but Louise did not hear him, and was soon out of sight. For a few seconds he debated with himself whether to follow her, or stay at home like Teaspoon had told him. He needed to rest in order to stay awake all night. Reasoning that he had the entire afternoon and part of the evening to repose, he finally decided to follow his first instinct, and fired after his wife.
Kid spurred Katy, and galloped out of the farm. Thankfully, Lou's tiny figure was visible in the distance, and the Southerner ordered his horse to increase speed. He did not bother to call her name because he knew she could not hear him. Louise disappeared from his sight once again after she had reached the end of the wide prairie, but from the direction she had taken, Kid could guess where she was heading. The road that she had turned onto led to the beautiful spot by the river where they had stopped once after their first and only leisurely ride together.
Not wanting to startle Lou, Kid dismounted at a safe distance from the river, and after tethering Katy to a nearby tree, he started walking towards where he could see Lightning drinking from the river. "Lou! It's me!" he called, but there was no answer from Louise, and he could not see her anywhere either. "Lou!" he called again as he came a bit closer. Once again his summon was unanswered, but suddenly, the sound of something or somebody plunging into the water was followed by a shriek, which Kid knew came from his wife. "Lou!" he called urgently, charging to the place and drawing his gun at the same town. The Southerner stopped dead on his tracks on the edge of the bank as his eyes scanned across the width of the river. Lou's head popped out of the water to the surface, and she started swimming, and happily splashing around, clearly unaware of Kid's presence. "Lou…" he whispered almost to himself, captivated by the beauty of the scene he was witnessing.
This time his soft call managed to reach her perception, and she jumped startled. "Kid?" she exclaimed in a surprised tone, and as the realization that she was stark naked under the water dawned on her, her voice took a sharper quality and she cried, folding her arms over her front, "Kid!"
At her cry the Southerner realized that he was shamelessly gawking at her, even unconsciously trying to make out what the water hid. "Oh… I… I'm sorry," he stammered, swirling around so fast that his voice faltered when his feet skidded in the mud on the ground. His attempts to steady himself failed; his arms violently rotated for a few seconds as if catching a handful of air that would prevent his inevitable fall, but he ended up dropping headlong into the river, water spurting all around him in the collision.
"Kid!" Lou called urgently. His drenched head finally appeared, a jet of water spouted from his mouth, and he started coughing. Lou stared at him for a few seconds in silence, and when it was clear he was fine, she could not help but burst out laughing.
The Southerner turned to look at her with a tinge of irritation, and Louise sent him an apologetic glance, and then started to swim away. "I heard you cry, and I thought you were in danger," Kid said as he struggled to get out of the river. His dripping clothes were ballast to his motions, and he had to push himself up three times to finally land on dry ground.
"I'm sorry," Lou said from behind the bushes where she was drying herself to slip back into her shirt and pants. "Just my reaction to the cold water. I didn't know you were around."
Kid had lowered his wet body onto the ground, his legs splayed out and his hands uselessly trying to wipe his drenched face with a likewise dripping handkerchief. "Lou, you should be more careful. What if somebody else had surprised you? There are some men out here that could do untold harm to a woman."
"Nobody ever comes here, and I love having a dip when the weather is good," Lou replied, still behind the bushes. "I don't intend to stop doing what I like just because it might be dangerous."
"But at least you should put something on to swim in," Kid insisted, looking in her direction as she left her discreet hideout, and walked to him fully-dressed.
"And you should take everything off now… before you catch your death," said Lou, dropping her towel in his lap for demonstration. Kid stared at her standing figure over him, and she added, "Let's make a fire and get you dry. Come on… get out of those clothes."
"Now?" Kid exclaimed in clear refusal. "Can't it wait till we get home?"
"No, it can't. I can't have you fall sick… I don't want to nurse you back to health when it can be prevented," Louise added in an authoritative tone. "I'll pick up some kindling for the fire. You get undressed."
"Yes, Ma'am," he replied sarcastically.
Minutes later a fire was burning when Kid shyly appeared from behind some foliage. The long towel was wrapped around his legs, and he had put on his dry jacket, which fortunately he had left on his horse. Kid placed his wet clothes over a fallen trunk near the crackling fire, and as he sat down on the ground across from Lou, making sure he did not show any of his indecent parts, she started laughing.
Kid sated at her, and among peals of laughter she said, "Forgive… forgive me. I… I ain't laughing at you. I was just remembering the pirouette you took before falling into the river… the fastest body in the west."
Lou laughed heartedly. Kid kept staring at her in silence, and after a while the intensity of his look made Louise uncomfortable, who sobered immediately. "What are you looking at?" she asked in a cocky way.
The Southerner did not reply straightaway. After a shy smile, he replied sincerely, "I've never seen you laugh before, and I like it."
His words made Lou blush, and once again his deep gazed bored into hers, which embarrassed her even further. The young woman lowered her eyes to the ground, and her index finger aimlessly started tracing indefinite figures on the earth. They remained in silence, and even though she was still looking down, she could feel his eyes upon her, which made a tremor course all over her body.
Trying to distract her attention away from his closeness and the strange sensations his presence triggered, Louise tried to find something to say. "And what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working?" she finally asked, lifting her eyes.
Kid then explained about Teaspoon sending him home since he would be keeping watch tonight. As he told her about the conversation he had heard between the marshal and Colonel Adams, Lou's face contorted into every possible expression as feelings of surprise, shock and disappointment shook her. "But… but Teaspoon can't do that!" she exclaimed. "He said he would respect this woman's desire for secrecy!"
"Yes, I know, and he ain't too happy," Kid replied, "but the army's pressing him."
"You told me that thanks to those letters long-wanted men are gonna get their deserved punishment… the law's then winning, and in return for this lady's help, you're gonna treat her like another criminal!"
"I have the hunch Colonel Adams thinks she, or whoever that person is, is a crook," Kid said. "And naturally, he knows she can lead him to Mr. X, and he doesn't seem to care about his minions."
"It ain't fair… it ain't fair, Kid!" Lou exclaimed passionately.
Kid frowned in surprise at his wife's strong reaction about something that was so alien to her. "Lou, this matter has nothing to do with us. I don't understand why you're so upset about it."
His words made her realize she had let her guard fall, and if she was not careful, she might be found out right now, without the need of a scheduled watch. So Louise smiled awkwardly, and trying to look calmer, she said, "Yes… I know that, but… I dunno… if I were in that woman's shoes, I'd feel betrayed."
"Lou, maybe Colonel Adams is right, and this is the way to reach Mr. X. That man needs to be stopped… somebody who benefits from other people's wars and miseries shouldn't get away with it."
Lou shrugged her shoulders, trying to appear indifferent. What Kid said was true, but she could not reveal more than she had already done. "Maybe… but what about her, Kid? Has your colonel thought about the reason why she doesn't want to be found out? She might be in terrible danger."
"I don't know, Lou, but if this woman is at risk, I'm sure Teaspoon will do everything to guarantee her safety."
"Honestly, Kid," Lou continued in a low tone. "I really, really wish you failed." The Southerner gave her a shocked stare, and eager to put a stop to this conversation, Louise rose to her feet, and added, "I'll get some more wood before the fire dies down."
Lou walked away, and as her steps resounded in the silence of the place, Kid kept thinking that Lou was turning into such a surprise. She had nothing to do with that expressionless shadow that he had met and married these months ago. This new person put so much passion in everything that she believed in, and had so much life which astounded him completely. Kid regretted wasting his time and not giving a chance to know her sooner. Right now he felt pleased and at peace with his life, and though their marriage was not grounded in love, friendship might be as good a reason. Things were good for both of them, and he was feeling happy. So what else could he wish for?