Chapter Thirteen
Heath watched as the train pulled into the train station. 'It's about time' he thought – as everyone had been given a scare when the train had not arrived on time. It didn't take long before Jarrod was descending the iron steps attached to the 'Iron Horse'.
"About time you arrived," Heath gave Jarrod a lopsided grin as his eldest brother walked up to him. "I was half afraid something had happened."
"Something did only it's nothing that the engineer and other workers on the train couldn't deal with." Jarrod assured him.
So?" Heath kept his eyes on his brother. "What did you find out?"
"If you don't mind, I have to talk to Judge Parker. Since I'll be telling him everything I'd be telling you, do you mind waiting until we get to the judge's chambers? It's going to have to be bad enough to have to repeat everything twice, I don't' want to have to do it three times." He started walking towards town. As he did so, he asked how Jerusha was doing. "No one's bothering her are they?"
Heath didn't have to ask why Jarrod would have to repeat anything a third time. Nick had been biting at the bit ever since Jarrod had left for Bodie. That being the case, he didn't press the issue and answered Jarrod's question. "She's fine. I've checked on her a few times. She is wondering why she needs to stay. That is, she figures if she's right, you will have been able to find other people who can be out in the public to identify Theresa. That is, if Theresa is guilty of using aliases and committing crimes under them."
Jarrod shrugged his shoulders. "It was more of a security issue. I mean, the young woman took great risks traveling from Bodie to Stockton just so she could warn Nick. It doesn't matter whether she is right or not. I didn't, and don't, want her to have to take such risks again. After this is all cleared up, we can arrange for her return back to Bodie-if that's what she wants." Nothing more was said until the two brothers were knocking on Judge Parker's door.
~oOo~
Nick, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, watched as Jarrod and Heath, who had traveled straight to the ranch immediately after talking to the judge, sat down on chairs that the two brothers had brought into the room. 'So, is Theresa the same women that was Jerusha's sister in law?' 'Has the judge's godson arrived yet?' These questions were just two of a few questions Nick started throwing out only to have Heath tell him to slow down.
"Jarrod can't answer anything if you don't give him time to." Heath gave Nick a look that dared his hot tempered brother to tell him different.
"Sorry, Jarrod. It's just that I feel like I'm going crazy. I just want some answers." His eyes added, "I just want to know if the wedding is off or not.'
"If Theresa is guilty, we'll know next week. Judge Parker's godson, Richard, is coming to Stockton. If you remember, I told you before I left that Richard knew Michael Page's wife as Elaine Hunter." Jarrod then proceeded to tell Nick of his talk with Bill in Bodie and the details that bothered him, along with his talk with the man called Lynn Marlow. "Mr. Marlow admitted he heard oeople arguing in the basement of the mercantile only – since he had just paid a fine for some other minor trouble he'd caused earlier that week- he didn't want to find himself having to pay for something else. It's not like he could see into the future and know about an impending fire. Anway, let's say he had more than once occasion to deal with Jerusha's sister-in law. He's consented to travel from Bodie Stockton as soon as he wraps an urgent business matter he is dealing with. He should be arriving around the same time as Richard. Both are due to come in at night. The judge has assured me that Richard will be staying at his house, unseen, until we need him. Mr. Marlow has been told to go directly to the sheriff's office. Fred has agreed to take the gentleman home with him and give him a room there while he's here. Both Richard and Mr. Marlow will know the minute they hear Theresa talking if she is the woman they knew."
"And just when will you have them do that? I won't want her traumatized if she's innocent." Nick still held onto the hope Jerusha was wrong.
"If she's innocent, we have a bigger problem. Someone who obviously looks like her is using the other aliases, marrying men and then killing them for their money. If that is the case, Theresa can't be traveling outside Stockton until the Pinkertons, or someone, can find that woman. As far as what we will do as to avoid traumatizing anyone unnecessarily goes," Jarrod did his best to relax as he told his brothers the idea he'd come up with.
After Jarrod finishing explaining, the three brothers fell into silence until Nick asked them to leave. "I've got to get myself together before Mother, Audra and Theresa get home. If Theresa is guilty, the last thing any of us need to do is tell her what's going on and scare her off."
Jarrod and Heath agreed and left the room, though not before telling Nick they sincerely hoped he'd have no reason to call off his upcoming wedding.
While Nick fought the mood swings he was feeling, his mother, Audra and Theresa were boarding a train that would carry them back to Stockton.
"While this trip has been great," Theresa smiled as she and Audra sat down in their seats; Victoria sat in front of them. "Nick better not break anything else."
"If he does," Audra giggled, "he'll find a preacher in his bedroom?" The statement had both girls laughing hard.
While Victoria did smile and chuckle at the thought, she let her mind wander to the last conversation she'd had with Clara.
"Are you still feeling uneasy? I thought we had that solved." Clara stood in her backyard looking at her sister.
"I just can't shake the feeling there's something I'm not being told." She admitted it made her wonder if her sons were hiding something from her.
"I wouldn't worry about it. Enjoy your stay here…and lay into your sons later if you must."
Victoria forced herself to change her train of thought, telling herself to simply be happy there would be a wedding when they arrived back in Stockton.