Chapter 2

Jarrod sent a telegram off to Bishop's attorney in Sacramento asking for an explanation about what the sheriff had told him, but then he went to his office and got to work on his case in San Francisco. Esther was already there and greeted him with a finished retyped brief on the Bishop case.

"Thank you," Jarrod said. "Let me read it over."

It didn't take long, since there were only five pages he had made changes to. He did the reading right there in front of Esther's desk.

"Perfect," he said. "Now, if you will take this over to messenger service and have them get it filed in Sacramento by tomorrow, I'll have one less thing to worry about, and I'll be eternally grateful."

Esther smiled and laughed a little. Jarrod left her to get the brief ready to be sent out and went into his inner office. He was getting his file on the San Francisco case out and open when Esther poked her head in to say she was off to the messenger service. "Do you mind if I take lunch while I'm out?" she asked.

"Lunch?" Jarrod said, surprised, thinking it was awfully early for lunch, but then he checked his watch. It was half past eleven. "Wow, I really am running behind today. Of course, take lunch and I'll see you back here at about one."

"Are you going to go out, or shall I bring you something?"

"I had a late breakfast. I'll go out after you get back," Jarrod said.

Jarrod went to work preparing for his San Francisco case and had no idea what was going on in the world or how much time was passing until suddenly someone burst in the outer door of his office, yelling, "Barkley!"

Jarrod jumped to his feet. A moment later Jed Bishop came in, hopping mad. "What do you want, Jed?" Jarrod asked, trying to be calm and polite.

Bishop was a man a few years older and a lot unhappier in general. Right now he was livid. "What are you trying to pull, sending the sheriff out to me about some cockenbull story of me trying to blow up my own orchard land?"

"It's not your orchard land, and I didn't send the sheriff anywhere," Jarrod said, starting to scowl. "Your man Lynch came up with the cockenbull story and the sheriff went to check it out. So while we're at it, is it true? Did you tell Lynch to get dynamite and blow up my orchard?"

"Of course not!" Bishop barked. "What kind of idiot do you think I am?"

"Until Lynch told that story, I didn't think you were any kind of idiot, just mistaken," Jarrod said. "You're just lucky the sheriff picked Lynch up before he had the chance to use that dynamite, regardless of whoever came up with the idea to do it."

"Well, it wasn't me," Bishop said, "and I'll thank you to talk to me through my lawyer!"

"That's what I was doing, Jed. That's why I wired Jorney and didn't come out to your place with the sheriff," Jarrod said.

"Jorney wired me all het up over this ridiculous charge. He's about to cut me off as his client over this."

"That's your problem. I contacted the man I was obligated to contact and that was Jorney," Jarrod said. "The sheriff arrested Lynch on a disorderly charge and found the dynamite. Of course he had to check it out. If you've got a complaint about the sheriff asking questions, talk to the sheriff, not me, and if you've got a beef with your lawyer, talk to him and not me."

Bishop gave a mad huff, turned and walked out.

Jarrod sank down in his chair once he was sure Bishop was gone, but now concentrating on that San Francisco case was going to be hard. It was times like this he wondered why he ever agreed to be a lawyer in the first place – all right, because it was a good idea for the family and he really did find the law interesting and rewarding both intellectually and financially, but on days like this…

He got up, poured himself a drink, sat down again muttering to himself.

"Mr. Barkley?"

He almost jumped at the sound of Esther's voice. She was back already? He looked at his watch again, and it was one o'clock.

"I just saw Mr. Bishop tear out of here," Esther said. "Is everything all right?"

"Just a misunderstanding," Jarrod said. "Did you get that brief off all right?"

Esther smiled. "Yes, sir, it'll be in Sacramento by tomorrow."

"Then that takes one load off my mind," Jarrod said, getting up. He got his hat and his coat from the hat tree and almost left his gun behind intentionally, but then thought maybe he ought to have it with him. "I'll get some lunch and be back in an hour or so."

Jarrod left his drink on his desk, untouched, and went out to get some lunch. He wasn't sure where he was going to go, but by the time he made it to the street he had decided on the Stockton House and headed that way.

He took his time and had a relaxing lunch, not bothering or being bothered by anyone. It was just what he needed to get his thinking straight again. After an hour or so, he headed back to his office – but ran into his brothers in the street.

"What are you doing in town?" Jarrod asked when they stopped him.

"We got here about an hour ago and came to fetch you to buy us lunch," Nick said, "but Esther said you'd gone out and she didn't know where you were. She said you have some kind of noisy misunderstanding with Jed Bishop."

"You came just to get lunch out of me?" Jarrod said. He doubted that. Something was going on.

"You didn't mention the Barkley name was getting tossed around the Empire last night," Heath said, "but one of our new hands was in there and told us this morning about it when he said he was glad you got home okay."

Jarrod sighed. "That. Nothing happened with me last night, but this morning I found out the sheriff arrested one of Jed Bishop's hands for disorderly and found dynamite on him. The boy claimed Bishop told him to blow up the orchard."

"What?!" Nick blurted. "Why didn't you tell us that?"

"I didn't know until I got into town today," Jarrod said. "I sent a wire off to Bishop's attorney but Bishop got angry because his lawyer threatened to drop him about it."

"Did Bishop really tell his hand to blow up the orchard?" Heath asked.

"I don't know," Jarrod said. "Bishop claims he didn't and it does sound too stupid even for him, but anyway that's what Bishop came to my office yelling about. The whole thing will probably settle down this afternoon. If Bishop was stupid enough to order his man to blow up the orchard, he won't order it now because the cat is out of the bag."

"Yeah, well, we went over to the Empire looking for you," Nick said, "and Harry said Bishop came over there after he was finished yelling at you and Bishop was still hopping mad."

"Which baffled Harry because Bishop himself hardly ever goes in there," Heath added.

"Look, I don't know what's eating Bishop right now," Jarrod said, "and frankly I don't have time to worry about it. I've got another case to prepare for. The brief on the appeal is on its way to Sacramento and Bishop isn't gonna try anything now, IF he was trying something yesterday or not."

"Are you gonna be home in time for dinner tonight?" Nick asked.

"I don't know," Jarrod said, "but if I'm not, come on in after me if it'll make you feel better."

"It will," Nick said and started away.

Heath gave Jarrod a little crooked smile and followed Nick down the street. Jarrod saw them reach their horses, mount up and head out of town. He was never so glad to see his brothers go away.