Chapter Eleven
When a knock came on Nick's bedroom door, he quickly went from sitting on the edge of his bed to lying on it. "Come in!" He hollered only to sit back up after Heath had entered the room and shut the door. Seeing the telegram in Heath's hand made him both excited and nervous. "Is it from Jarrod?"
"Yeah," Heath looked at the paper in his hand. "No matter what, he'll be home by next Friday." He then asked how the visit with the doctor went. The whole time he was talking, his eyes were laughing.
"I think you're enjoying this a bit too much." He pointed to the splints and bandages which had been his companion for three long, boring weeks. Nick was sure the only reason he hadn't lost his mind is because he and Heath had talked McColl and Barrett into moving him into the living room once a day for a few hours. 'If the doctor finds out, we'll answer to him not you' had been Heath and Nick's exact words to the two men. They'd told Silas the same thing. "As far as Dr. Merar goes, I don't know why the man bothers coming. It's not like I'm letting him change the bandages or anything."
Heath, who had glanced towards Nick's dresser, looked back at Nick. "He left a bottle of pain medicine. What happened to the other one he left the first day he came here?"
Nick grinned. "I dumped it down the sink. I mean, I couldn't have him see a full bottle could I? "
Heath shook his head before proceeding to tell Nick everything that the men on the ranch were doing. "McColl told me to tell you you're not allowed to break anything once you're back on your feet. Well, not for a long time."
A look full of regret appeared in Nick's eyes. How he hated allowing everyone to believe he'd really been hurt. Heath didn't have to ask what the problem was. "McColl and everyone else will understand when everything comes out. Though, I admit, I wish you could have thought of something else."
"Me too only there wasn't any time." Nick then asked if Jarrod had said anything else.
"Read it for yourself." Heath handed the 'injured' rancher the telegram.
Nick took the paper and read 'Talked to Sheriff STOP Still asking questions STOP Be home next Friday no matter what STOP Jarrod Nick frowned and handed the paper back to Heath. "Of course, he has to be home by next Friday; the women are due in next Saturday." The frustration he felt came out in the tone of his voice. "I wish he'd get definite answers. I don't want Theresa to be the woman Jerusha thinks she might be." He paused and then asked how Jerusha was. "I assume you've talked to her since Jarrod asked you to keep an eye on her."
Heath nodded. "Rode out a few times; always in the early morning, using the excuse I have some fences to mend as a cover." Since there always seemed to be a fence or two to fix, it had aroused no one's suspicions. "She feels bad as badly as you do about this, says that-if she'd just taken the time to really think- she's sure she could have come up with something else."
Nick couldn't help but smile wide and start laughing. "Sure is nice to know I'm not the only one who acts before they think."
Heath laughed as well. With the seriousness of the situation they were dealing with, it felt good to find something to laugh at.
While Heath and Nick were talking, Jarrod was making his way to a small tavern in Bodie. Actually, it was a huge canvas tent put up by one of the miner's brothers. The man made it loud and clear he thought Bodie's main saloon overcharged and watered down a good share of their drinks. Jarrod wouldn't have even thought about stepping inside the place only the sheriff had cornered him just as Jarrod walked out of the town's bank.
"After you started asking questions, I had Beulah O'Conner come to me. She's the Reverend Johnson's sister. Anyway, she told me she wasn't sure only she thinks she saw Lynn Marlow a few blocks away from the mercantile the night of the fire. She said she didn't say anything because she only saw him a few seconds and he didn't seem to be in any hurry. The thing is, if he was in the area, he's not going to admit it to me. No, he's not one of our major troublemakers, and he's never spent a night in jail. However, he has had to pay a number of fines…and he won't go near any man with a badge unless he down right has to. Maybe, if you talk to him-make sure he knows you don't view him as a suspect. You have a knack of knowing whether or not you're being lied to, Jarrod. See what he says, see what you feel about what he says. Please."
Jarrod had agreed because, so far, he had only learned what Bill had…. the fire was suspicious because of the two things that were bothering the sheriff only there was no way to prove it.
Once inside, Jarrod looked around for a gentleman standing six feet seven inches, sporting long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and broad shoulders. It didn't take long for Jarrod to spot the man; he was sitting in the far- left hand corner of the huge tent. 'I hope this visit will prove fruitful.' Jarrod thought as he headed for the table.