Chapter 3

Jarrod was sullen and virtually silent for the next two days. On the third day, he decided to go out onto the range with his brothers, to help move one of the herds to the winter range. Luckily, none of the Barkley men seemed to believe that Jarrod was part of any conspiracy to kill Robson. They knew the Barkleys too well, and if they were inclined to believe Salazar's side of the story, they kept quiet about it. A day of hard work helped Jarrod clear his head and his soul.

About a week after the inquest decision was rendered, the sheriff came out to the ranch and surprised Jarrod completely. He said that Salazar had never left town. He was still around, still spinning his story about a hidden assailant and a secret conspiracy. "Why?" Jarrod found himself asking. "What can he possibly gain by doing that?"

"He's looking to get appointed to Senator Robson's seat in the Senate," the sheriff told him.

"What?" Jarrod said. "Even if that's true, why is he doing it here? He should be in Sacramento."

"Oh, he's gone there, too," the sheriff said. "The word on the street is that Sacramento isn't going to appoint anyone who doesn't have the support of the voters here in the valley, since this is where Senator Robson came from. So Salazar is here trying to drum up support."

"Unbelievable," Jarrod said and wandered to the mantle in the library. He kept thinking and thinking and asked, "Is anybody else after the job?"

"Nobody I've heard of," the sheriff said. "But one or two people have suggested you."

Now Jarrod was flabbergasted. "Oh, no, not me. That would get me lynched so fast you wouldn't have time to come to my rescue."

"Well, I'm afraid that's another lie you're going to have to deal with," the sheriff said. "The mere suggestion of you taking the job is making a lot of men believe you want it. And you had Robson killed to get it."

"My God, I don't believe this," Jarrod said, utterly confused. "I've known these people all my life! I grew up here! How can they possibly believe I'd have a Senator killed so I could get his job?"

"I don't understand it either, Jarrod, and if it helps there are people becoming more vocal in your support. It's just that they're still getting drowned out by the people who want to believe the worst of you."

Jarrod eyed the sheriff. "I hope you're never one of those people."

"Not me. I know who you are, and I know the last thing you'd ever want to be is a U.S. Senator, which makes the whole yarn even more preposterous."

"But some people will believe what they want to believe, no matter how thick it's being laid on," Jarrod said, and he shook his head. "People I've known all my life. That's the worst of it – thinking I had their trust and their friendship and it turns out I've had neither."

"I'd tell you not to let it get to you, but I know it's punching a big hole in you, and in your legal business," the sheriff said.

Jarrod nodded. "I can't go into the office with all of this going on. Even my regular faithful clients will have to leave me."

"Maybe you ought to go to San Francisco for a while."

Jarrod shook his head. "No, not just yet. I have to be here to see how this is going to play out. Things like this can turn around fast, when you least expect them to. If this turns back in my favor, I need to be here to nail it down."

"If it can ever be nailed down for good," the sheriff said. "I need to get back. Just one more thing. If this keeps up, if people keep buying what Salazar is selling, at some point they're going to start yelling for me to arrest you on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. You know that."

Jarrod knew it. He nodded. "Let's cross that bridge when we come to it. But I swear to you, Steve – I was never any part of any conspiracy. There was never any conspiracy to be part of. It was all in Robson's sick mind."

"I believe you, Jarrod. And I have no trouble telling people that. I just hope it makes a difference."

XXXXXXX

"So, what are you gonna do?" Nick asked when, before dinner, Jarrod told the family everything the Sheriff had said.

"Nothing at the moment," Jarrod said.

"You can't just let Salazar keep bad mouthing you!" Nick said. "Steve out and out said it could get you arrested for conspiracy to commit murder!"

"I know that's a concern, but I don't think it's a realistic one, at least not yet," Jarrod said.

"You know, Jarrod, Nick and I can't avoid town much longer," Heath said. "We've got banking to do and supplies to round up."

"I know," Jarrod said, "and I won't ask you not to go, but I will ask you to stay out of trouble, and I mean that. If you lose your tempers because somebody is bad mouthing me, it will just make everything worse."

"Maybe Audra and I should try paving the way first," Victoria said.

All of her sons looked at her like she was crazy. "No, Mother, I'm not going to risk you getting hurt," Jarrod said.

"I really don't think the people of Stockton are going to take their anger out on your mother and your sister," Victoria said. "It seems to me there may still be some uncertainty in their minds, enough to let them see me and Audra and calm down, even against you."

Heath shook his head, too. "It's too risky, Mother. What's likely to happen is a crowd will form around you and somebody will get hurt by accident."

"Well, we have to do something," Audra said. "Jarrod will lose his law practice if something isn't done, even if he doesn't lose anything worse."

Jarrod had been standing by the mantle with his arms crossed. He was not drinking any liquor today, and he pretty much decided to give it up for a while, just in case. Staring at the floor, he said, "I wonder what would happen if I put an ad in the paper, setting out my side of the story."

"He'd respond by repeating all his lies," Nick said.

"Yes, but at least I'd have my truth out there for everybody to read," Jarrod said. "How can that make anything worse?"

"It could stir people up even more," Victoria said. "If they want to believe Salazar, it will make them feel attacked."

"I am attacking them," Jarrod said. "I'm attacking their gullibility. I'm attacking their lack of good sense. And I'll be appealing to their morality and their history with me and with this family. It's bound to make some people think."

"I think you put too much faith in people who are showing they don't deserve it," Nick said.

"Maybe," Jarrod said, "but if I let this thing continue to snowball without responding to it in any way, only the lie will be out there, and it will get too entrenched to respond to."

"You must be very careful with what you say, Jarrod," Victoria said.

Jarrod looked at her and nodded. "I know. My life may depend on it."

Even Nick finally nodded. Heath said, "You write it up, Jarrod. Nick and I will deliver it, and probably make Mr. Tuttle at the Eagle a very happy man."

Jarrod finally smiled. "He'll have extra editions to sell for a while, won't he?"

"Maybe you can get him to write an editorial in your favor," Audra suggested.

Jarrod said, "We'll see. He might not want to take sides, especially if he's selling plenty of papers because of the back and forth between me and Salazar."

"It's a dangerous plan, Jarrod," Victoria said.

"But doing nothing may be more dangerous, Mother," Jarrod said.

XXXXXXXX

Later that night, long after everyone else had gone to bed, Jarrod sat himself down in the study with pen and paper. He did a lot of thinking before he even started to put words down. What he said here, how he phrased it, was probably going to be the most important and the most dangerous brief he ever wrote. He knew his future was at stake – and the future of his family, too. Everything would change if the sentiment in town against the Barkleys were allowed to grow. More friends would be lost, more trust would be lost, and business could be lost, too. The stakes would be even higher if it turned out he was eventually arrested in Jud Robson's murder.

But he couldn't let his concern – yes, his fear – about what might happen because of what he wrote down here affect his resolve to do it. He had to fight back somehow, and the way he always fought best was with words. That was his talent and his gift, and he never needed to use it more than he needed to now. After about half an hour of planning, Jarrod took a deep breath and began to write.