Chapter 11
The next morning Jarrod went to Michael Quinn's office first and told him what the voice in the bar the night before had told him about Bonnie Henderson and Pauly Eaves. Quinn said, "Huh," and then looked very thoughtful.
"Have you run into that name before?" Jarrod asked.
"No," Quinn said, "but I always had a feeling that there was more to this than an assault. I couldn't put my finger on anything, but something just said that something else was going on."
"Like what?" Jarrod asked. "If I'm gonna look into this, I ought to know."
"A while back I read about a case up in Sacramento," Quinn said. "Young girl of about 16 claimed to have been raped, and it turned out she was sleeping consensually with a boy about 18. She blamed somebody else because she didn't want her father to shoot her boyfriend. This whole thing with Archer just struck the same chord with me, but I have absolutely nothing to base it on, and I didn't want to color your investigation. But now – "
"Now it might be worth looking into, because it looks like there was never any incident of any kind in that alley," Jarrod said. "Heath plays poker with this Eaves guy some Friday nights. Didn't see him last night, though. I'm wondering if I can get the sheriff out there to talk to Bonnie Henderson again. See if she'll shake loose if he asks her about Eaves straight out."
"Might work. She won't give if you go out, that's for sure. Talk to Fred. See if he'll do it."
Jarrod got up. "I'll go do that. I'll see if he'll question Eaves, too."
"If you think you need to, there's nothing to stop you from talking to Eaves, if you can get him away from the Hendersons."
Jarrod nodded. "Let me talk to Fred first, see what he can come up with."
"Let me know. But don't let Archer know anything yet. He'll be a pest about it."
XXXXXXX
"I'll talk to the Hendersons about it," Sheriff Madden say, "and this Eaves fellow if I can find him. Don't you go talking to them just yet. Better if they fess up to anything to me."
Jarrod nodded. "That was my thinking too, though Quinn tells me I can talk to Eaves if you don't have enough luck."
"Well, he's looking at it from the legal standpoint. I'm looking at the best way to get the truth out."
Jarrod nodded again. "There's the chance this wasn't consensual. That if Eaves is involved, he might have actually raped her."
Sheriff Madden made a face as he strapped on his gun. "I don't know why Bonnie Henderson would protect Eaves if he raped her. Blaming Archer I can understand – Henderson detests the man for prosecuting him."
"If Eaves threatened her if she told – " Jarrod said.
"Maybe," the sheriff said. "You never know what a young girl is going to do if she's afraid."
"I'm gonna head back out to the ranch," Jarrod said. "I got some harnesses to mend out there. I'll come back into town later this afternoon and see what you've found out."
"All right," the sheriff said as they went out together. The sheriff yelled to his deputy coming back from making rounds, asking him to keep an eye on Archer and the office. As the sheriff mounted up, he said to Jarrod, "If this doesn't lead anywhere, you're gonna have to work harder. Archer's trial date is coming up."
"I know," Jarrod said.
XXXXXXX
The leather on the harnesses Jarrod was going to fix were beyond repair, so he replaced it and had the whole chore done by early afternoon. He started inside to clean up and get some lunch, but ran into Nick and Heath coming in on the way. Jarrod waited for them.
"A bit early today, aren't you?" Jarrod asked.
"Things are quiet out there," Nick said as he dismounted and he and Heath handed their horses off to Ciego. "Thought we'd get some lunch and head into town for some supplies we need. Ciego, would you get a wagon ready?"
"Si, Senor Nick," Ciego said and took Nick's and Heath's horses away.
"I'll go with you," Jarrod said. "I need to check in with Fred Madden about some things."
"Are you getting anywhere with Archer's case?" Heath asked.
"Maybe," Jarrod said as they went into the house.
They all greeted their mother and sister in the kitchen, then headed up the back stairs to clean up. In 20 minutes or so, lunch was on the table and they were eating together, idly chatting about this and that until Jarrod said he needed to go into town himself.
"Again?" Victoria asked. "You just got back."
"Something might shake loose on Archer's case today," Jarrod said. "I have to see the sheriff."
"Expecting any trouble?" Heath asked.
"Not really," Jarrod said.
"I trust you'll all be home for dinner," Victoria said.
"Fully expect to be, but if I'm not, I'll send word with Nick and Heath," Jarrod said.
A loud knocking at the front door sent Silas whizzing past them and into the living room. A few moments later, he was back, saying, "Mr. Jarrod, that was the sheriff's deputy. The sheriff needs you to come into town right away."
Jarrod wiped his mouth and got up. "Sounds like something shook loose."
Nick and Heath eyed each other and then also got up. "Think we'll be right behind you," Nick said.
They all kissed their mother and their sister on the way out the door. Victoria and Audra were left looking at each other, exchanging just a bit of concern. But they let it pass, Audra saying, "Just another day at the Barkley ranch."
That made Victoria smile.
XXXXX
Jarrod made it into town on horseback more quickly than his brothers, who were riding the wagon. Jarrod dismounted and hitched his horse outside the sheriff's office and hurried in. Sheriff Madden was there behind his desk. He got up in a hurry when Jarrod came in.
"We were right," Sheriff Madden said. "Bonnie Henderson let go of that story of hers when I started asking about Pauly Eaves."
"What did she say?"
"Well, it took a little bit of prodding and some threats by her father, but turns out she was letting Pauly Eaves have his way with her, and she's gotten herself with child. Bonnie made up this story about Archer to protect Eaves. She was pretty convincing, too. Poor girl really fell for Eaves but it looks like he didn't want anything but a cute little girl to play with."
"Did you arrest him? She's only 15 – even if it was consensual, can't he be prosecuted?"
"That's the problem. I can't find him. He wasn't around when I got there. They said he was out on the range."
"He'll bolt when he finds out you were there talking to the Hendersons."
"That's what I'm afraid of. I sent one of my deputies out the range where he's supposed to be, but he came back and said Eaves hadn't been out there all morning. Nobody knows where he is now or if he's gotten wind that he's in trouble."
"Have you checked around town? He wasn't in here last night. He might just have come in here for a little fun and not told anybody."
"I've got my deputy looking. If he's here, I'm betting he's holed up out of sight at Big Annie's, enjoying the afternoon."
"Something like that would be in our favor. Nick and Heath should be here anytime. We can keep scouring for him, but if he's not here – if he's just run – "
"I'll have to put out a poster on him, but in any event, Archer's in the clear. I'm gonna wait a bit before I let him out. I don't want him getting in the way of us finding Eaves if he's come into town."
Jarrod nodded. "A little more time in the cell might actually do him some good, but I'd better at least tell him things lok promising. Let me in?"
The sheriff let Jarrod into the cell block. Archer jumped up from his cot. He was beginning to look downright surly, and afraid. Jarrod said right away, "You can relax a little bit. I'm making some headway."
"How? What's happening?" Archer asked.
"I can't really say yet. Still got somebody I need to track down, but things are looking better for you than they did. Just sit tight. I might get lucky today."
"You gotta give me more than that, Jarrod!"
"Archer, I can't yet. I will as soon as I can, but for now you just need to calm down and know that I'm getting somewhere. All right?"
Archer eased up, but he said, "I'm scared, Jarrod."
"I know you are," Jarrod said. Then something in the look on Archer's face made him suspicious. "Is there anything you want to tell me that we haven't talked about?''
Archer hesitated but then shook his head. "Nothing I can think of. But I didn't rape that girl. I swear it!"
"I believe you," Jarrod said. "Just give me a little more time, and if there's anything at all you need to tell me..."
"Well, maybe one thing."
Archer waved Jarrod closer and told him something in a barely audible, very embarrassed voice.
Jarrod nearly flipped. "Why didn't you tell me or Quinn or the sheriff that before now?"
"How could I? Could you tell anybody something like that?"
Jarrod sighed, understanding but exasperated with his client. Archer had told him something about himself that was embarrassing and painful. "I won't be telling anybody unless we need it, but I don't think we're going to need it. If we do, though, Phil - you gotta use it."
Archer nodded, hanging his head.
"Sit tight," Jarrod said. "I'll talk to you later."
Jarrod hit the cell block door, and Sheriff Madden let him out. As the sheriff closed the door again, Jarrod asked, "What about Henderson? Has he come into town looking for Eaves?"
"Not that I know of. I told him to stay at his place and let me do my job, and Bonnie was pretty upset, so maybe he'll stay with her long enough for us to catch up on where Eaves is."
Jarrod sighed, nodding again, then he looked at the sheriff with a slight smile. "Are things around here always this lively?"
"No, thank heaven," Sheriff Madden said, "but somehow you Barkleys seem to make things happen when it's been too quiet."