Chapter 15 – Just Call me Warren

They were up early, since neither had slept last night, and decided to eat breakfast in town. Bart hitched the horse to the buggy, then put on his sling and let Doralice drive. They went straight to Sawyers and drank endless coffee until their breakfasts arrived. Bart didn't have much of an appetite but Doralice did; she ate hers and half of his.

They still had time to waste, so they walked down the boardwalk to Smithson Talbet's office, looking in shop windows as they strolled past. Several of the shop owners emerged to wish Bart well. Most of them had known him his whole life, and they were all on his side.

It was near nine o'clock as they reached the attorney's office, and the door was unlocked. Smithson came out of his office to greet them. "I was wondering when you were going to get here. Glad to see you left plenty of time." He paused for a moment and said, "Ah, Doralice. . . "

"I know, Smithson. I don't care. The judge can't keep me from being with my husband."

"No, he can't. Well, come in and lets' talk."

Once the Mavericks were seated, Smithson began. He reiterated everything he'd told them the other day at the ranch, with the addition of one directive. "When the judge asks you a question, hesitate before you answer. That way if he asks something I don't want you to answer, I'll have time to stop you before you do."

Bart looked bewildered at first, until Smithson told him, "There may be things I don't want you to answer just yet. I think that's about it, do you want to walk back?"

"I'm ready if you are."

"Good. Better to be a little early. Shows an innocence; a desire the get this over with as quickly as possible."

Bart held his wife's chair and the three of them left Smithson's office, and then he locked the outside office doors. They made their way up the other side of the street and the greetings and well-wishes were repeated. When they entered the jail, a great roar went up from the shopkeepers and townsfolk in the street, the judge even got up to see what was going on. "Just the people that live and work here in Little Bend, Judge. Most of them have known Bart since he was born. They just wanted to show their support and belief in him."

"Well," was all the judge said, but secretly he was impressed. Hard to believe that a man so well-liked could be a cold-blooded killer, even twenty years ago, much less now. He would just have to keep that opinion to himself until he had all the facts. "Mr. Maverick, I asked you to come alone, with the exception of your attorney, of course."

"Sorry, Judge, when I said 'to have and to hold, forever and ever,' I meant in all circumstances. That includes before judges. Mr. Maverick goes nowhere without Mrs. Maverick."

"I see, well, please take seats, the both of you. Now Mr. Maverick, this is an informal question and answer session, so I'm not going to swear you in. I'm just trying to get 'the lay of the land,' so to speak. Mr. Talbet, you can object or stop Mr. Maverick from answering any time you feel like it. Are we ready?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Just call me Warren."

"And I'm Bart."

"Alright, Bart, when was the first time you ever met Travis Cole?"

"The day my brother and I arrived in Silver Creek for Jody's and his wedding, June twelfth."

"Did you shake hands when you met?"

"Yes."

"And what were the first words he said to you?"

"I'm sorry, I don't remember."

"Alright, let's move on. When was the first time you suspected all was not well between your cousin and her fiancé?"

"Within a few minutes. I walked across the hall to my brother's room and told him somethin' wasn't right."

"And just when did you find out what that something was?"

"The day after our arrival."

"From whom?"

"From my cousin, Jody."

"And what was it?"

"When she'd agreed to marry Cole, she'd also agreed to sell the saloon. But she'd changed her mind; she didn't want to sell the saloon."

"She told you this?"

"Yes."

"Had she told Cole?"

"No, she wanted to talk to me first."

"To get your advice?"

"Yes."

"And what did you tell her?"

"If that was what she wanted, to tell Cole."

"Did she?"

"No, she was afraid he'd call off the wedding."

"What came next?'

"She struggled with the decision for a couple days."

"Struggled how?"

"She talked to different people, and slowly came to the conclusion that to keep the saloon she was going to have to call off the wedding."

"And did she?"

"Yes, finally."

"And how did the Marshal react?"

"He flew into a rage and blamed it all on me."

"And how did you react?"

Bart shrugged. "I figured it was his problem, not mine."

The judge looked at his watch. "My goodness, it's past time for lunch. Let's take a break, shall we. Say two hours for lunch? We can resume at three o'clock. Sheriff, would you join me for lunch?"

"Uh, sure, your honor. We can go to Sawyer's, right up the street."

Bart turned to Doralice. "Mamacita's?"

Doralice nodded. Bart held her chair and they followed the Judge and the Sheriff out the door. Bart was glad for the break; from now on things could be difficult. He stumbled on the boardwalk and Doralice grabbed him to steady him, then they continued to Mamacita's. They took a table in the back and ordered coffee.