Chapter 12

Jarrod and Nick spent the afternoon at La Rue, but not just drinking Sazeracs. DuMont and a few other police officers came to question them, to question everyone who had been there, and to check out the scene. When the afternoon was mostly gone, one of the local prosecutors appeared, and gave them the news that Jarrod, at least, had to stick around town for a while. The hit man would be arraigned the next day and the trial set, and Jarrod would be a witness, since he was the only one who could connect the man who came out of LaValle's office with the man who was arrested on the street as the hit man.

"How long do I need to stay in town?" Jarrod asked.

"I can't say until after the arraignment," the prosecutor said. "We try for speedy trial around here, but it doesn't always work out so speedy."

Jarrod gave a sigh. "Well, we better get on over to the train station and have them cancel attaching our car to tomorrow's train. What time will the arraignment be tomorrow?"

"Arraignments start at ten," the prosecutor said and gave them the address of the proper court.

"Well, it might not be so bad," Nick said as the prosecutor left and he and Jarrod finished their latest Sazerac. "It gives us a little more time to play, maybe make the races tomorrow, maybe have another night with Louisa and Caroline."

"And another trip to the annex?" Jarrod asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Nick didn't know Jarrod knew he had already been there.

Jarrod and Nick got up. "We'll check things out with Michael after the arraignment tomorrow, when we know how long we'll be here," Jarrod said. "Let's go get the rail car straightened away."

They walked the many blocks to the train station and canceled the next day's hook-up. By then it was getting late in the afternoon, so they went to the hotel to leave their gift purchases at the safe and change clothes, and then they went off to the gentlemen's club for cigars and conversation. Nick couldn't resist asking Michael again if there was any chance for another evening with Louisa and Caroline anytime soon, but he dashed Nick's hopes. The ladies were booked for every night they were available for the next week. Michael said he could find another couple of companions for the Barkleys, but Nick said, "I don't know. It might be tough to recreate the magic."

"We'll see how you feel about things after the arraignment tomorrow," Jarrod said.

"Arraignment?" Michael asked. "Are you two in trouble?"

"No," Jarrod said. "We just helped nab a hit man today."

"Oh!" Michael said. "At La Rue, the man who tried to kill Monsieur LaValle!"

"Heard about that already, did you?" Nick asked.

"My ear to the ground," Michael repeated his words from the night before and opened the door for the Barkleys.

The Barkleys settled in with cigars and coffee, and before long the same ladies who had shared conversation with them the first evening they were here were back again. It wasn't the same, though. The lovely evening they had spent with Louisa and Caroline had spoiled them. They were gentlemen and enjoyed the company, but that was all.

It had been a long day. Jarrod and Nick went for dinner to the saloon next door to the hotel, where they enjoyed the music and some prawns and yet one more Sazerac before they went back to their room and settled in.

"Ten o'clock, huh?" Nick said.

For the hit man's arraignment. "You don't need to be there, Nick," Jarrod said. "It might not be first on the docket. There's no telling what time it will actually take place. You can entertain yourself if you want."

"No, no, I better go with you," Nick said. "Somebody better have your back, just in case."

"There won't be any need. The only dangerous man is locked up."

"I'll still go," Nick said. "We can plan our day out while we wait for the case to be called."

"I thought we already decided we'd have the day we were planning on today – races and the Absinthe House for dinner and gambling."

"Yeah," Nick said.

He sounded less than enthusiastic. "What's the matter?" Jarrod asked. "Looking for another night like you had with Caroline?"

"In a way," Nick admitted.

"You know, when Heath and I were in New York, we had a similar evening with a couple of beautiful women," Jarrod said. "We decided to treasure the memory and let it go. I suggest you learn to do the same."

"I will," Nick said. "Tomorrow."

Jarrod chuckled. "Tomorrow it is, then. We'll plan on the races and the Absinthe House and fill in the holes as we go along, and if you decide you want a visit to the annex, we'll work that in, too."

"What about you?" Nick asked.

"If I feel the need for the annex, I'll work it in, too," Jarrod said.

But Nick knew he probably wouldn't. Marrying had changed his big brother. Commercial relationships – to the extent they had ever meant that much to Jarrod – just didn't anymore. He had found something special once and knew the commercial transactions many men enjoyed weren't good enough now. He'd strayed into casual affairs for a while, but places like the annex or Big Annie's back in Stockton just didn't seem to hold the same satisfaction as they did for Nick. "Fair enough," Nick finally said and started to head off to the wc, "but I'm going with you to court. Not that I think you'll get into any trouble from your hit man. I'd just like to see what happens to the that low-life myself."

XXXXXXXX

The arraignment was a complete shock. The hit man pled guilty. Guilty to the charge of assault with a deadly weapon against LaValle, on which he immediately received a sentence of twenty years in prison, and there were no other charges. Jarrod could figure out what was going on, but Nick was flummoxed. After the prosecutor they had met the day before was finished with his arraignments, Jarrod and Nick followed him out and met him in the hall.

"What happened?" Jarrod asked. "You reached a deal?"

The prosecutor nodded. "We don't have enough on him for anything else. In exchange for twenty years for attacking LaValle, we've closed the book on everything else. It will get him off the streets. It's what we wanted most."

"And I'm free to head home, as far as you're concerned?" Jarrod said.

The prosecutor nodded. "And thanks," he said as he went away.

"So it's over," Nick said. "That fast, it's just over."

"That fast, it's just over," Jarrod said. He took a deep breath and said, "Why don't we head to La Rue and see how LaValle is, get a bite to eat, and then head for the races?"

"You want to head home tomorrow?"

"Do you?"

"Yeah, I think I do want to get back to the ranch. And get out of here while the getting is good."

"And before Darby shows up," Jarrod said.

"Definitely before Darby shows up."

They headed for LaRue, and when they went in, they were astonished to find LaValle there in the dining room, taking charge as if nothing had happened. All that showed the day before had been a near disaster was a bandage on his temple.

"You're up and around!" Nick said.

LaValle smiled. "A slight headache, no more," he said. "I'll head home after the noon rush and rest a bit before dinner, but I'm fine. And you gentlemen, how are you?"

Jarrod explained where they had been and what happened. What happened at the arraignment wasn't a surprise to him. DuMont had come to see him about an hour earlier and told him what was going to happen. "And how are you with that?" Jarrod asked.

"It gets the man off the street," LaValle said. "I'll take it."