Chapter 5
After leaving the newspaper office, Nick and Heath went to the sheriff's office and found the sheriff in there at his desk. They were hoping for a smile. They didn't get one.
"Sit down," the sheriff said.
"I think I'd rather stand up," Heath said.
Nick stayed standing too. "What's going on, Steve?" he asked.
The sheriff sighed a big sigh. "The mayor was in here a few minutes ago. He doesn't like all this business about Senator Robson's shooting. He wants me to work with the DA's office and do a complete investigation."
"Well, maybe that'll help," Heath said. "You'll find out Jarrod's been telling the truth and that Salazar shot Robson."
"I wish it was that simple," the sheriff said. "They mayor said someone came to him and said they were in the vicinity when Robson was shot, and Salazar didn't shoot him."
"What?!" Nick blurted.
"The mayor wouldn't tell me who it was, but this other so-called witness said he saw somebody else under cover way behind Salazar do the shooting. Says Salazar probably doesn't even know the shooter was there."
"Let me finish the thought. Jarrod did know the shooter was there."
"So far, no, he isn't saying that. The mayor wants me and the DA to question this new witness, and then Salazar and Jarrod again."
"Did this new witness say who the shooter was?" Nick asked.
The sheriff shook his head. "I don't know yet."
"Does this new witness have any connection to Jarrod or anybody at the ranch?" Heath asked.
"I don't know," the sheriff said. "And I don't know if he has any connection to Salazar or Senator Robson. I don't know who it is yet. But I'm gonna head over to the DA's office in a couple minutes. They mayor says he's expecting me."
"Steve, we had a so-called witness crawl out of the shadows when Robson shot that fella last week, and it turned out he was no witness at all, just a yahoo trying to get some attention," Heath reminded the sheriff.
"I know, and I'm wise to that sort of thing happening. We're gonna be pretty darned careful with this one. I won't let any phony witness get much of a foothold, I promise you."
"Steve, we just took a letter from Jarrod over to the newspaper office," Nick said. "He's gonna tell his side of the story in the paper. You're gonna find he's saying exactly what he's always said about this, and if you question him again, he'll say the same thing."
"I don't doubt that, Nick," the sheriff said. "None of this is my idea, and I hope you know that personally, I'll take Jarrod's word over anybody else's in town, but I have to talk to this new witness and see if it leads anywhere. I don't have any choice."
"I want to know who this new witness is," Nick said.
"And I'll tell you as soon as I can," the sheriff said. "But once this news hits the street, you know it's gonna stir up the people who want to be stirred up even more. And if Salazar can make any use of it, he will."
Nick seethed. Heath took him by the arm. "Come on, Nick. I think we best get our supplies and get on home before the fat hits the fire. We'll figure out what to do when we know more."
"I'll be coming out to talk to Jarrod," the sheriff said. "I'll tell him what I can then. For now, just keep him out of town, all right? And maybe you two and your mother and sister ought to stay at the ranch, too. If you need anything, send somebody else."
Heath nodded and tugged at Nick's arm. "Come on, Nick. Let's get on home."
XXXXXXXX
"That's not possible," Jarrod said flatly when Nick and Heath told him about the new witness. "I know what I saw, and I saw Salazar kill Robson. Salazar knew he killed Robson. There was no other witness around and no other shooter."
"We told Steve you'd say that," Heath said, "but he has the mayor breathing down his neck and he has to investigate the claim."
"When did Steve say he'd be out here?" Victoria asked.
"He didn't, but I got the feeling it would be this afternoon sometime."
"Steve doesn't want this, Mother," Nick said. "He said he's aware this witness might be a phony. He'll get rid of it as fast as he can."
"That depends on who this new witness is," Jarrod said. "Depending on what he says and whether he has any credibility at all, we might be back into another inquest."
Victoria moaned at that, but she said, "Let's wait and see who we're up against. Steve should be able to tell us when he gets here."
Jarrod wandered to the mantle, shaking his head. "There was no other shooter. Salazar certainly acted as if he were the shooter, at least on the spot he acted that way." Jarrod bit his lip against the swearing he wanted to let loose.
"You're absolutely sure of that?" Heath asked.
"Yes, I'm absolutely sure!" Jarrod said. "Are you gonna start doubting me now too?"
"I'm not doubting you, Jarrod," Heath said. "I'm just wondering if in the heat of the moment you couldn't missed seeing somebody."
"I didn't miss seeing anyone," Jarrod said. "There was no one to see. I heard one shot, and it came from Salazar's rifle. There was no one else anywhere around."
"I wish I knew how we could get Salazar to tell the truth," Victoria said.
Jarrod said, "We can't. He's sunk too much into this fairy tale he's spinning. Going back on it now would cost him getting Jud's seat and send him to jail for perjury."
Nick said, "We need to get back out to work, unless you think you need us here."
Jarrod shook his head. "No, I don't need you here. Steve will want to talk to me alone anyway."
XXXXX
Jarrod was right about that. As soon as the sheriff arrived, he asked to talk to Jarrod privately. Jarrod took him into the library, and Jarrod sat in an armchair there while the sheriff sat down on the sofa.
"I'm really sorry to drag this all out, Jarrod," the sheriff said, "but here's the way it is. Ben Jones is the witness who says he saw someone else shoot Senator Robson."
"Ben Jones," Jarrod said, thinking. He didn't know the man well, but he'd heard the name. "Doesn't he work at the pharmacy in town? What the heck would he have been doing out on our property at that hour of the morning?"
"A very good question that Jones didn't have a very good answer for," the sheriff said. "And he couldn't identify the shooter he says he saw, so neither the DA nor I put much faith in his account of what happened."
"What did Salazar have to say about it?"
"He didn't change his story at all."
"He didn't suddenly decide he saw Jones or another shooter?"
"No, he's not that big a fool. If he changes his story like that, he loses a lot of credibility."
"So you would think," Jarrod said, "but many a political career has been built on lies built on top of other lies, not to mention stories suddenly changing."
"You're absolutely sure it was only you and Robson and Salazar out there?"
"Yes, I'm absolutely sure. Not a doubt in my mind. But you didn't come all the way out here for that, did you?"
The sheriff sighed. "No, I didn't. With you and Salazar both saying there wasn't anybody else around, the DA is walking away from Jones and his statement, but Jones isn't walking away from it. He's still telling people he was there and saw another shooter."
"I can't see anybody believing it if Salazar isn't buying into it," Jarrod said.
"Jarrod, we've got a bunch of het up people in town who are willing to believe everything and nothing. That's the problem. With all the lies flying around, people are getting afraid of their own shadows."
"Is Salazar making stumping speeches in town?"
"No, not formal ones, anyway. Little ones in the street here and there, but so far nothing big. I think he knows if he stirs up something that gets out of hand, I'm gonna run him out of town for the safety of the community, and he's gonna have to eat it."
"Did my letter make the paper today?" Jarrod asked.
"It wasn't out yet when I left town," the sheriff said.
"Well, maybe my letter will give some of the more sensible people something to work with when talking to their neighbors, but frankly, Steve, I don't know what else I can do to convince people of the truth. All I can say about anything is what I've already said."
The sheriff rubbed his forehead. "I'm afraid the mayor might want to call a town meeting on this, and he'll want you there."
"Then I'll be there."
"Jarrod, I can't ensure your safety if you come back into town."
"Steve, I'd never ask you to. I know you're in a bind with all of this stupidity running around, and I know what really worries you is what worries me – that some innocent person will get hurt if things get out of hand."
The sheriff nodded. "You read me exactly right."
"Neither one of us can ensure that doesn't happen. We can only do the best we can with what we're handed. You can try to talk the mayor out of a town meeting, but if it doesn't work, then I'll have to come, and I will continue to tell the truth, just as I've been doing."
The sheriff stood up, so Jarrod stood, too. "I just thank the good Lord I can trust somebody to do that, Jarrod. I'll stop out here tomorrow, let you know what the mayor is asking for, and let you know how your letter is going over."
Jarrod offered his hand. "Thanks, Steve. Thanks for everything. I know I can trust you with the truth, too."