Disclaimer: I do not own the Big Valley or its characters. I am making absolutely no money from this story.

Thanks for the Beta off BVGal. I don't have use of a beta for this story but will let you know if I need one in the future.

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Chapter 11

Two days later Sheriff Mike Jenkins rode out to the Barkley ranch to speak with Tom. Tom was speaking to one of the ranch hands when Jenkins rode up. Tom walked up to Jenkins as the sheriff dismounted his horse.

"Well Mike, you must have some news if you would ride all the way out here," Tom greeted as he shook the sheriff's hand.

Jenkins took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. It was another hot day in the Valley. "Yes Tom, I wanted to let you know that I received some replies to some telegrams that I sent out. I followed up on the rumors that had been circulating around Stockton about Jacob Mosley's whereabouts."

Tom stepped up onto the veranda in front of the house and motioned for Jenkins to sit down in one of the chairs.

Jenkins sat down and took a glass of cool lemonade which Silas has offered. "I wired his relatives and business associates asking if he had visited them lately."

"I take it you've gotten a reply," Tom guessed, sitting down in the chair opposite Jenkins.

Jenkins took a gulp of lemonade and turned to Silas. "That's mighty fine lemonade Silas. Thank you. "

Silas smiled and discretely went back inside the house, leaving the other two men alone. Silas had enough experience as a butler to know when to leave and let his employer speak to a guest alone.

Sheriff Jenkins leaned back in his chair and crossed his long legs. "I got two replies from the telegrams I sent Tom. One was from Mosley's sister. She hasn't heard from him in almost a year. However, Myron Priest, a business associate of Mosley's in San Francisco had more interesting news."

Tom Barkley perked up and leaned forward. "So what did this Mr. Priest have to say Mike?"

"Myron Priest wired back that he had scheduled a meeting in San Francisco with Jacob Mosley on a date that was shortly after Jarrod and Nick saw the argument between Mosley and the stranger. Mr. Priest said that Mosley never showed up for the meeting."

"Well, that definitely means something Mike," Tom remarked.

Yes it does. But I'm not sure what. I still don't have positive proof that the corpse Farmer Miller brought in is Jacob Mosley. I casually asked Mosley's sister if he had any scars or other marks that would make it easier to identify him."

"So what did Mosley's sister say?" Tom asked, barely able to hide his impatience.

"Jacob Mosley broke his left wrist when he was a boy and the bone didn't quite set right," Jenkins answered, setting his glass of lemonade down on a small table in front of him. "I went over to Doc's office but he was out helping Mrs. Sorensen give birth. I left a note for doc asking him to check the left wrist of the dead man."

Just then Nick and Jarrod came running out from the house, followed right behind by Audra. The little blonde girl was trying to get her older brothers to come to her tea party. Jarrod abruptly stopped upon seeing Jenkins and smiled at the sheriff. Nick kept running but stopped when Tom grabbed Audra and picked her up. Tom put his young daughter on his lap. Nick finally spotted Sheriff Jenkins and stopped near the sheriff.

"Now what's all the commotion?" Tom questioned.

"Audra wants us to come to her tea party," Nick answered with a scowl. He detested such girlish games.

Tom and Jenkins chuckled but felt sorry for the two boys. "Okay, you children run along and play. And try to get along,' Tom instructed. As long as his children weren't yelling or hurting each other, Tom wasn't about to get involved in their little dispute. He felt it better to let his children work things out themselves.

Sheriff Jenkins took the interruption as a cue to leave. He had other work to do and really had to get going. "Well, I must be going Tom. I just wanted to stop by and have a chat. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright Mike. Thank you for coming by," Tom said as the two men walked back to Jenkins's horse.

A rider arrived at the Barkley ranch with a message from Sheriff Jenkins. The rider handed the paper to Tom who quickly read the note. The note was simple and to the point. "It's Mosley," was all it said.

"Now we know the identity of the corpse," Tom thought to himself. "But who killed him?"