Chapter 5

In which Johnny overhears the plans of another murder

"Hurry up, Ian," Van called up the stairs. "Get your stuff and let's go."

"Here's the hat," Ian said placing it firmly on his head as he came down. When he reached the bottom he added with a grin, "But I didn't find no horse."

"Come on, Ian," Sean laughed. "It's probably down in the stables somewhere."

The four climbed back down the stairs with their gear and took it outside to their horses. Then they went to the stables to look for Dynamite. It was there that they met their two cousins.

"What are you lookin' for in here?" Rusty demanded, a mean gleam in his eye.

"My horse," Ian said almost as harshly.

"What horse?" Jame scoffed.

"Dynamite," Ian replied.

"Oh yeah, him," Rusty sent an obvious wink at his brother. "You can have him. If you can ride him."

"Weather I can er not," Ian said, his grin very tight, "Dynamite's mine." He said this with such seriousness that his two cousins were taken aback. "Now where is he?" The two Lees could only stutter and point awkwardly to one of the stalls. Ian walked decidedly over to the stall and looked inside. What he saw was a small pinto dozing in the back corner.

Slowly, Ian opened the door and stepped inside. He saw the horse open his eyes and slowly raise his head and he noted his ears which were laid back almost flat against his skull. Sure he looked calm but underneath the peaceful exterior there dwelt a volcano ready to explode.

"Hey there, Dynamite," he said quietly, carefully reaching his hand out towards the horse's head. "I know you're just aching to do somethin' to me, but I'll tell you right now. You so much as bruise me an' you'll find yerself on the next train to a dog dish." The horse blinked once.

"Yeah," Ian continued quietly. "I hear dogs feast on horse flesh twice a day back east."

Ever so slightly Dynamite's ears started to rise. "I'm not afraid of you. And I know my will is stronger than yours. Now you can cooperate and be treated well, or not and be eaten." By the end of this little speech Dynamite's ears had come up completely and he'd dropped his head slightly.

"That's a good boy," Ian was all but whispering now and his hand was resting on the horse's neck. "Hand me the bridal," he whispered and Sean quickly handed him his old one. Dynamite took the bridal like an old eighteen-year-old; the saddle too. When Ian proudly rode out of that barn, he was sitting on the most peaceful Dynamite Rusty and Jame had ever seen.

"He's an excellent animal," Ian said to his cousins with a grin. "You just gotta know how to handle him."

"Okay, Ian," Johnny said, his voice a mix between serious and humorous. "Enough showing off."

"You can get down now," Van added, though a lot more chastising.

"Well, uh," Jame said to Johnny a lot more respectfully. "What were you fellas plannin' on doin' now?"

"We thought instead of wastin' our money at the hotel we'd set up right here," Johnny replied.

"How about you?" Sean asked.

"Mom's already packin' and gittin' ready fer the trip up to town," Rusty answered.

"She figured you would want to stay here," Jame added.

"She did ask Pa if Andria could stay with you guys a couple days, you know, to show you around and maybe keep house fer a while."

"Well, that was very kind of her," Van said with a wide grin.

"Sean's the only one of us with any kind of cookin' sense and not very much of that," Ian chuckled.

"When are you leaving?" Johnny inquired.

"Mom was hoping to get to town by supper time," Rusty mused.

"Well, come on," said Sean. "We'll, help you pack up."

The six cousins made their way back to the big house where they met Olivia piling up boxes and suitcases on the front porch.

"How's it comin' Ma?" Rusty asked.

"Almost finished I think," Olivia huffed. "All I need is some help gettin' a few pieces of furniture."

"We'll get 'em, Aunt Olive," Ian said with a smile.

"Olive," Jame stared at his cousin.

"It's a term of endearment," Johnny explained.

"Why, Ian, I haven't been called that since your mother went away," Olivia said with a tear in her eye. "It's what she always called me."

Leaving their aunt to reminisce over old times, the four brothers went inside where they found an old dresser, vanity, and a couple rocking chairs.

"Guess that's everything," Olivia said after they'd loaded everything up on the wagon.

After helping his wife into the wagon Wes turned back to his daughter. "Andria, you don't have to stay here. These boys have been watchin' out for themselves for a couple years now."

"I know, Dad," Andria replied. "But it's always nice to have hot meals for a change. And they're not used to the place."

"You're father's right, Andria," said Sean. "We will live without you."

"But on the other hand," Van added. "We could use her help starting out the first couple days or so."

"And I'm certainly tired of cold meals," said Ian.

"It's up to you, Andria," Johnny finally pronounced.

"If you do," Jame offered, "I'll be glad to hang around with ya."

"All right, then," said Andria. "I'll stay."

"Okay," Wes sighed getting up beside his wife. "Come on, Rusty. Let's hit the trail."

By the time the Lees' wagon had disappeared from their sight, the sun had started to set beyond the purple mountains behind the ranch. "Well," Sean said turning back to the house. "Guess we better start settling in."

"I'll start supper," Andria offered.

"I'll show you guys around upstairs," Jame added.

It was after the sun had pulled the blanket of night up over its head that the four Jackson Brothers and two Lee siblings sat down to supper. Johnny for one was very pleased with their lodgings and looked back on the past happenings with a satisfied air. If only the matter of their murdered uncle could be cleared up just as easily as the reading of the wills had been. With a reluctant sigh, he turned back to his meal, which, he silently exclaimed, was delicious, and tried to think of better things.

The first few days on the ranch were uneventful and soon a week had passed. The only thing unusual, and that Johnny only found so, was the two visits of Varick Braden. Both, the man had explained, were visits for Wes to make sure Andria was all right. Johnny accepted this the first time and the second. But when Varick rode up not two days after his last visit, Johnny began to feel a little suspicious.

He did not believe a man such as Wes to be all that anxious over his daughter, and if he was he would probably have gone himself instead of sending somebody else. But Varick was persistent. Wes was worried and what with the arrival of Olivia at the hotel, there wasn't really much for him to do now.

Only a day or two after their arrival, Johnny had started a habit of taking his horse out after sunset and riding around the ranch. It was a time when he could think and get an idea of just how much he and his brothers owned. It was a Wednesday when Varick stopped by for the third time, and being hospitable as usual, the brothers had invited him to stay for supper. He'd accepted as usual, and started back for the town just as the sun was setting.

As was his habit, after it was relatively dark and the moon had come out, Johnny saddled up his horse and rode out into the night. He realized now just why he'd hated the city so much and loved the west even more. A man could breathe out here without all the smog and noise of the city. The bright stars almost made it as bright as day. No artificial city lights hid them from view. And it was clear. So clear you could hear a cricket a mile away and see the light of a candle almost twice that distance.

It was after the moon had joined the stars in the sky and there were no more hints of sunlight when Johnny turned his face back in the direction of the ranch. He took less time returning than going but made it back to the stables in good time. It was there, while in his horse's stall rubbing him down, that he overheard something that made his blood freeze.

He had just finished currying the big black when he heard the sound of a woman's voice. She was speaking quietly, but whoever it was, was coming closer and closer to the stable. By the time she'd reached the doorway she'd finished whatever she'd been saying and another voice, that of a man, answered her and they moved farther into the stable.

It was dark. Johnny knew his horse blindfolded and after going through the same routine six times in a row knew exactly what he was doing and had had no need for a light. The two people were obviously well acquainted with their surroundings as well. Either that or they did not want to risk being seen by anybody.

After listening a few moments, Johnny decided on the latter.

"You can't keep coming back like this," the woman, who Johnny now recognized as Andria, was whispering desperately.

"I told you to stay in town," the man countered, also in a whisper. It was a young voice, slightly gruff but that was all Johnny could discern about him. "Only a few more days and our plan will be complete. I was beginning to think they'd never get around to the wills."

"That's something I wanted to ask you about. How did you know that Brett was going to leave all of his stuff to your father?"

'So this man is another one of my cousins,' Johnny mused silently. 'It looks like Andria and I are the only ones who now know about him though.'

"My dad told me so. Even though Buck and Olivia hated my father for running off and-you know-Brett's love for my father was so strong that he sent him a note explaining the situation. That's why my dad moved us back here."

"I didn't know that. I thought you just wandered in and that nice old man who ran the mill took you in."

"He did. That nice man was my father."

"Well, Brett must not have told you the particulars," Andria said after a pause. "All you got was half of the Black Deck."

"Brett would probably have been just as shocked as we were at the news of Buck's boys inheriting."

"Didn't anybody know about them?"

"Only Brett and Olivia I think but they probably thought since his wife left him that he'd forget about them."

"Well he didn't. What are we going to do?"

"We deal with them later. Right now we concentrate on the property in town."

"Isn't there another way?"

"No, you know there isn't. You're not pulling the second thoughts routine on me are you?"

"No!"

"Because if you are I'll be coming after you next. You're in my way too you know."

"All right, all right. Tomorrow then."

"You'll be in town?"

"I will."

"You know who to bring, and what to do?"

"I know."

"Don't be late."

Like a shadow the man ducked back out of the stable and Johnny could hear him running along the back side and then out into the woods. Andria waited a few seconds not moving. Johnny held his breath, waiting for her to go. Suddenly she cried out weakly, "Oh God, forgive me! Forgive me!" Then to Johnny's shock and somewhat horror, she collapsed right there on the floor and burst into tears. Being the sensible man that he was Johnny used this to sneak out of the barn unseen.

Halfway to the house he turned around again and started back towards the barn at a fairly noisy walk. He reached the door and stepped inside coming to a halt. Andria had obviously heard him long before he'd entered but had only just managed to choke back a sob.

"Andria," Johnny made his voice as surprised as possible. "What are you doing here?"

"Johnny!" she gasped tearfully. "You-you scared me." Johnny looked so deeply into her eyes he himself thought he could almost see the face of the man she'd been talking to. But before he could even try she dropped her head and started to cry all over again. "Oh God forgive me!" she cried. Johnny knelt down by her side and tentatively reached his hand out to pat her shoulder. Without warning Andria suddenly fell into his arms and sobbed her heart out. Johnny had never had much experience with women but he did have the sense to put his arms around the girl. After about three minutes or so the sobs began to subside and then stop altogether. She sniffed once or twice then hesitantly turned her face up to look at him. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay," he said. "Um, what are you doing out here?" he asked again.

"I-I wanted a breath of fresh air. It was so stuffy in the house."

"Andria," Johnny pulled her face up to look at him and barely stifled a gasp. Sure he'd thought her very pretty when he first saw her but now, now with her face streaked with tears and her eyes red and puffy she looked beautiful. 'She's your cousin, Johnny,' he scolded himself. 'Not really,' he silently retorted. 'Her father married my aunt. There's no relation at all.' She was there, all he had to do was move his head down one inch and-

But before he could give in to the temptation the saner side of him said quickly, "Is anything wrong?" and the mood was broken.

"N-no, nothing," she murmured in a voice that almost sounded disappointed.

"Okay," Johnny sighed. "Come on, I think we've had enough fresh air." He helped her to her feet and back to the house. Everyone else had gone to bed, no one saw them. Johnny was glad of that. He wasn't sure if he should inform his brothers of what he'd overheard yet or not. One thing he was certain of though. He would be making a trip to town tomorrow. He was going to keep a very close eye on Andria Lee.