Chapter 5

There was a lot of activity at the courthouse when Bromley went there at about ten minutes until ten in the morning. A lot of people were gathering. George Allison was waiting outside and hurried up to him right away. "Mark, are you involved in this case again?" he asked quickly.

"I'm assisting Mr. Barkley," Bromley said.

"What's going to happen?"

"I think you should talk to Jarrod about anything else," Bromley said. "Is he here yet?"

"No, not yet." But even as he said it, he saw Jarrod coming.

Bromley saw him look up, and he looked. Nick was pulling up in a buggy, Jarrod beside him and a horse tethered to the back. Bromley went down to help Jarrod out, and as he did, Nick climbed out, saying, "Mark, can you bring Jarrod back to the ranch whenever you're done? I don't know how long you fellas are gonna take, and I need to be getting back there."

"Sure," Bromley said.

Nick said, "Good luck, Pappy. I'll see you at dinner."

Nick hitched the buggy to a rail, untethered his horse, and mounted and rode off. As he did, George Allison approached Jarrod and Bromley, saying, "Jarrod, do you have a minute?"

Jarrod recognized his voice. "Not now, George. I'll talk to you after we're finished in here."

"But you're all right?"

"I'm fine," Jarrod said.

Bromley kept hold of Jarrod's arm and led him into the courtroom. Once in there, Jarrod knew exactly where he was and could move around easily. He led Bromley to the prosecution desk and asked quietly, "Has the jury been led in yet?"

"Not yet," Bromley said, but as soon as he said it, they were entering. "They are now."

"Every one of them probably knows what happened," Jarrod said.

"They're looking at you like they do," Bromley said.

"Is Sanders here?"

"Yes."

"How crowded is the room?"

"Very."

"Is anybody looking surprised to see you instead of my brothers?"

Bromley looked around, and sighed. "Yes, practically everybody."

Jarrod smiled. "Good. They need to know you're back."

Bromley and Jarrod hadn't even sat down when the court clerk came in and ordered everyone to stand. Everyone did as the judge entered, and sat when the judge sat and the clerk told them they could be seated.

Jarrod remained standing though, and he quietly told Bromley to stay standing too. Bromley saw Judge Farnum look their way and then say, "Mr. Barkley, you have another assistant today?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Jarrod said. "Mr. Bromley will be assisting, but this won't take long. I have a motion."

"I think everyone in this room thought you might have one," Judge Farnum said.

"As everyone probably knows, the defendant, Joshua T. Cunningham, was killed on Friday evening," Jarrod said. "Therefore, the prosecution moves the case against him be dismissed."

Straight, brief, simple. Judge Farnum looked at Marvin Sanders, Cunningham's attorney. "I assume there's no objection, Mr. Sanders."

Sanders stood up. "No objection, Your Honor," he said, and that was all he said.

"The defendant being deceased, the case is dismissed, and the court dismisses the jury. Thank you for your service, gentlemen."

The judge banged his gavel and left the bench, and that was it.

At least as far as the formal proceedings were concerned. Sanders left very quietly, but several members of the jury came to Jarrod and told him how much they admired him for the work he'd done, and how glad they were that Cunningham hadn't gotten to him. Several people from the gallery did the same. George Allison approached after the room had cleared quite a bit and asked Jarrod for a statement.

Jarrod said, "I won't discuss what happened at my home Friday night, George. Suffice it to say that Joshua Cunningham is no longer here."

"And you're not hurt?"

"I'm fine," Jarrod said.

"Nothing else to say?"

"Only that Cunningham's men, Corell and Mason, are still on the loose but were seen heading south out of Modesto. I'm confident they'll be caught and what happened Friday night at my home will be brought out in the trial against them, when it happens."

The court clerk came up to them at that point, saying, "Mr. Barkley, Judge Farnum would like you and Mr. Bromley to come back to his chambers."

"Of course," Jarrod said. "Excuse us, George."

Bromley kept Jarrod by the arm as they followed the clerk back to the judge's chambers, since Jarrod hadn't been there since he'd been blinded and hadn't been schooled in it like his brothers schooled him in the courtroom. When they got there, the clerk left.

Judge Farnum had removed his robe but was still standing. He pointed to the chairs in front of his desk and said, "Please sit down, gentlemen."

Bromley helped Jarrod to a chair and sat down in the one next to him.

Judge Farnum sat down behind his desk and said, "Jarrod, I hope you know how happy I am to see you. I was alarmed and angered to hear that Cunningham had come after you at your home."

"Not as alarmed and angered as I was, Judge," Jarrod said. "But I'm fine."

"Thank God for that," Judge Farnum said. "I have to tell you, on Thursday when you took this case over from Mark, I was plenty worried."

"I can understand why," Jarrod said.

"But on Friday you were as masterful as ever. How in the world did you do it?"

Jarrod had to chuckle. "You know my mother, Judge. Her little pep talks are more like commands. She had at me, and my brothers helped me learn the courtroom and get my confidence back."

"I saw you boys working together out there," Judge Farnum said. "I commend you and them for your efforts. Cunningham wouldn't have come after you if he didn't know you had his goose cooked."

"I know he had Jim Scanlon killed, Judge, and he had my office dynamited too," Jarrod said. "I don't know who he hired to do it. I don't know if it was Corell or Mason or someone else, and we probably never will know. But we will get Corell and Mason for trying to kill me Friday night. I'll be a witness, and Mark will be trying the case."

Judge Farnum looked at Bromley then. "It's good to know you're back in the picture, Mark. I hope you're stronger for the experience you've had."

"I am," Bromley said. "Working with Mr. Barkley has helped me get a lot stronger and a lot wiser."

"You may not know, but Joshua Cunningham is to be buried in the town cemetery tomorrow morning," Judge Farnum said. "Reverend Johnson will hold a brief graveside service, but if anyone at all comes, I'll be surprised."

"Only Mr. Corell and Mr. Mason might be interested," Jarrod said, "but I sincerely doubt they will be anywhere near Stockton."

What Jarrod didn't know was how wrong he was.