Chapter Thirty Four

A/N *=actual characters off The Big Valley

Heath had his fill of Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing, before making his way out of the house headed for the corral for one main reason…John had bolted from the party the Barkley's were holding for their friends and neighbors.

John could be seen near the barn breaking every board he could get his hands on. Heath's thoughts turned to what he'd seen a few minutes ago. He'd been standing just inside the front room when he'd seen *Wally Miles talking to *Henry Marvin, who was standing behind John. Heath had no clue as to what had been said between the two men, but he had seen a simmering fury begin to burn in John's eyes. The next moment his brother had made a beeline for the door. It didn't take someone with a college diploma to know whatever had been said had more than upset his brother. That's when Heath had decided the party was also over for him.

"Wait for me!" Jarrod, who had turned away from the guests he'd been talking to, just in time to see the same scene as Heath had witnessed, had quickly excused himself and followed his brothers. That is, after assuring his mother and sister who looked more than alarmed, that he would find out what was happening.

"Do you know what went on in there?" Jarrod asked Heath, as the two men hurried to reach their brother before John busted everything in sight, something they had both been unprepared to see. Sure, John had shown his temper in the past, but never to the point of breaking everything he could get his hands on.

"I'm as clueless as you are." Heath answered as they reached John, who was now simply standing looking at the scattered boards, almost as if he was trying to decide whether or not he was dreaming.

Not knowing just what set their brother off, or if he was even in his right state of mind, Jarrod and Heath took a cautious step forward. "John?" Jarrod spoke quietly, not wishing to startle his brother if his mind was indeed 'elsewhere'.

Half of John wanted to tell Jarrod and Heath to leave him alone; the other half said that-after what he'd just done-he needed to talk to them. "I came out here, did this, to keep from causing a scene at your party." John started talking as he clenched teeth, "When Victoria said you all had neighbors who had been away for awhile, but were back, I had no idea one of them was *Wally Miles!" He then added, in an even sharper tone of voice, "I'm not going back in there! I'll sleep in the barn before I do that!" He then shocked them even more when he said, "The six months I promised are up after Christmas; I'm leaving after that!" His eyes grew even colder than before as he added, "I have business to take care of!"

Heath felt his heart skip a beat. He didn't want John to leave the ranch. Besides that, he didn't like the look in his brother's eyes when he spoke about having business. He looked at Jarrod; his eyes sent the silent message 'we have to find out what this is all about!' He couldn't think of anything that Wally Miles could have said to Henry that would warrant such a strong reaction from this particular brother.

Jarrod on the other hand, felt a cold chill run down his back as a hint of a memory from the past came back. Latching onto the memory; along the impressions he'd gotten while talking to John in the bedroom, and John's strong reaction at the train station, Jarrod took an educated guess and said, "Does this have anything to do with the Miles' late son, *Evan?"

Heath's eyes widened, and John whirled around; the angriest look either brother had ever seen appeared in their brother's eyes. Both brothers braced themselves as John snapped as he doubled up his fist and shook it in the air, "The only reason; and I mean ONLY reason, Mr. Miles is still standing is, like I just said, I didn't want to ruin your family's cele…" he stopped his ranting abruptly as his eyes widened; he looked at Jarrod as if he, John, had just heard Jarrod's question for the first time. "Did you say late son? What happened?"

Jarrod and Heath exchanged quick glances towards each other. Heath nodded ever so slightly, and Jarrod looked at John. The famous Stockton attorney gave John a brief summary of the dealings the family had had with the Miles' family while Evan was alive; Jarrod took a deep breath and then said, "Mother shot Evan after he attacked Audra; it was ruled justifiable homicide."

By the time Jarrod was finished talking John was sitting on a crate that sat next to the barn. Turning his eyes towards the house, he snarled, "It's his father's fault. Always made excuses for his son's behavior, paid the boy's fines, and bribed someone when things looked like they were actually going to the law." He then turned his face towards Jarrod and Heath, "He tampered with evidence as well." When stunned looks appeared on Jarrod's and Heath's faces, John added grudgingly, "No, I can't prove that to the point where it's beyond a reasonable doubt, but no one can tell me he didn't at least have something to do with it! As it is, Evan only lived to return to Stockton because…." His voice trailed off as he buried his face in his hands; scenes from the past, ones he'd thought he'd moved past, ran through his mind.

Jarrod and Heath again looked at each other…each repeating their earlier message to each other; they had to find out what John was talking about, and the sooner the better. Jarrod made his way to another crate and, pulling it away from the side of the barn, sat down while Heath remained standing. When John lowered his hands, Jarrod laid a hand on his brother's shoulder and said, "Tell us exactly what you're talking about. Tell us everything." He paused and the added with a quiet urgency in his voice, "please."