Chapter Twenty-Six
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil
is for good men to do nothing."
~Edmund Burke
Through the dark of night, a man rode a dark horse swiftly across the prairie. He was wearing dark clothes and, if one wasn't looking for him, one probably wouldn't spot him. He prodded the horse to move faster. As he recognized the street heading into Coal Valley, he slowed the animal and directed it off the path. The horse and the man looked like shadows as they moved behind the buildings along Main Street. They moved along quite stealthily until the man pulled the horse to a stop behind the jailhouse. He tied the horse to a post before climbing the stairs to the back door of the jailhouse.
He placed his ear to the door and listened for a moment. Then, he leaned back and slowly cracked the door open slightly, peeking through the opening. He spotted Jack, sitting at his desk and typing a report. The man slowly opened the door wider, stepped into the jailhouse, and took a couple of steps into the room. That part of the jailhouse was not well-lit, so his face was obscured by shadows.
The movement caught Jack's attention, prompting him to look up from his work. He quickly realized someone had entered through the backdoor. . He reached for his gun as the man suddenly rushed toward the desk, his arms raised. "Jack, no! It's okay," Bill Avery assured.
Jack looked up, surprised. "Bill?" he asked, incredulous. "What on Earth are you doing here?"
Bill stepped toward Jack, his hand extended. Jack stood and shook Bill's hand.
"What brings you back to Coal Valley?" Jack questioned Bill.
"I'm the answer to your telegram," Bill told him.
Jack was taken back. "What?"
"The newcomer to Coal Valley you wrote about?" Bill asked.
Jack nodded. "Edmond Allen?"
"Actually, his name is Allen Lowery," Bill informed Jack.
"Allen Lowery? How do you know that?" Jack inquired.
Bill walked over to the chair opposite Jack and sat down. "Your description of him and him being in Coal Valley makes sense."
Jack, too, sat down and his eyebrows lowered in confusion.
"He's a Mountie, Jack," Bill said. "Or rather he WAS a Mountie. He's now a deserter. He left his unit about two weeks ago. Isn't that why you sent the telegram?
Jack shook his head . "Actually, I was sure he was a thief. Then, when parts of the Mountie uniform started showing up, I figured he might have stolen the it from a Mountie," he admitted.
"Well, he stole, too," Bill interjected. "Before he deserted, he robbed his fellow Mounties and then assaulted his commanding officer."
Jack frowned. "Now it's all making sense. The piece of red serge that Rip found... how he quickly wrestled Wiley to the ground... the collar badge that Albert found... and, of course, the saddle blanket."
"Saddle blanket?" Bill asked.
Jack nodded. "Yes, he has a horse hidden in a shed behind the barn. When I was checking it out, I spotted the blanket. It has the Mounties' insignia, the MP, on it." Jack exhaled sharply and shook his head again. "How did he end up in Coal Valley?" he mused aloud.
"Where is he now?" Bill queried.
"I just left him at the saloon. He's working as a barkeeper for Trevoy. Someone's been robbing Trevoy and I suspected Allen. Now, I'm sure of it," Jack replied.
"He's dangerous, Jack. We need to plan his capture very carefully so no one else gets hurt," Bill cautioned.
Jack nodded, looking quite stern, as he contemplated the best way to capture Allen.
P.S. Yes, these were two very small chapters. I apologize! These chapters actually almost wrote themselves and are key parts of the story. More to come soon! I hope you're enjoying it!