Chapter Four

Previously:

Jim shrugged his shoulders and started walking towards the house. "Can't right say on either account. It's been so long ago. I don't think they were here for more than six months, maybe eight. They didn't come into town very much at all...even then it was usually just Mr. Barton that came in long enough to get a few things and leave. Strange, he was friendly enough to me when I was with Bradley. They all were. Only, when he was in town? He simply got what he needed and left. Hardly said a word to anyone. Well, anyone but the Hutchings. And don't ask me what they'd talk about. I never asked."

Jarrod frowned slightly, even as he became more determined to pay a visit to Bradley Hutchings. He just hoped that-in the man's condition-Mr. Hutchings could still tell him something.

Jarrod stood at the foot of Bradley Hutchings' bed. The man's wife sat in a chair that sat near the headboard with her brown hair pulled up in a bun. Jarrod guessed if she stood up, she'd be close to his mother's height. Though, Mrs. Hutchings' build was slightly bigger than Victoria's. She was sitting with her back touching the back of her chair, and her eyes screamed volumes...if Jarrod pushed any lines she felt shouldn't be pressed, she wouldn't be afraid to let him have a piece of her mind.

Jarrod glanced around the room. Besides the full sized bed Mr. Hutchings lay in, there was a tall, plain, brown dresser sat near the door. It had a huge mirror attached to it. The only chair in the room was the one Sarah Hutchings was using. She'd apologized when they'd entered the room, saying she could get him a chair if he wished, only Jarrod had politely declined. "I appreciate your seeing me." He spoke to Bradley, even as he threw a glance towards the gentleman's wife. "Especially as late as it is getting." He'd meant to visit hours earlier only one of his uncle's employees had accidentally started a fire on the ranch his uncle owned. It had taken every able bodied man on the ranch to get it out.

"What do you want?" Sarah laid her hand on her husband's arm. "When your uncle sent word you wanted to talk to Bradley, all he said in his message was that it was important." It had her both curious and a bit concerned that; maybe, 'the other shoe' as it were' – was about to drop.

"I had a visitor in my office a few days ago." Jarrod recited everything-including the fact that 'Badger' was only looking for answers, nothing else.

"Why come here? It's not like Bradley is his father." Sarah stiffened as she spoke.

"I didn't think he was, only..." Jarrod paused and looked straight at Bradley. "The handwriting in the letter that was left in the cabin is yours. I was hoping you could tell me something...somehow."

Sarah started to open her mouth only to be shocked Bradley spoke first. "Y...yes." As he said 'yes', Mr. Hutchings pointed towards his dresser. "B...book."

Jarrod looked at Sarah, only to have her shrug her shoulders. "There's books in the bottom drawer." She looked at her husband. "Which one does he need?"

"Bl...ue b...ook." Bradley, who had continued to point towards dresser, let his hand rest on the bed. 'How I hate this stroke. Would simply tell you everything if I could' Bradly thought silently to himself.

Jarrod walked over to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer. Sure enough, there were five books that lay at the front of the drawer, only one was blue. Jarrod pulled it out and looked it. It wasn't a large book when it came to the length and height only it was rather thick. The word JOURNAL stretched from one side of the book to the other. He walked back to the bed. "Am I going to have to read this whole thing to get my answers?"

Bradley inwardly sighed. 'M..idd...le." He silently cursed as he managed to get the one word out. Someday, with a lot of work, he was going to be able to talk better than this.

Jarrod might have asked more only Sarah stood up. "You have what you came for. If my husband says your answers are in that book then they are. We need to leave the room now." She started for the door; Jarrod followed after thanking Bradley and wishing him the best. Once he and Mrs. Hutchings were in the hallway, and the bedroom door was shut, Sarah again began talking.

"It is getting late. Let me warm up some supper for you." She led him down the hallway and turned into the living room which was connected to the kitchen-the two rooms were separated by a single, rather large, archway. "After supper, you can sleep in that room if you wish." Sarah pointed to a door in the left hand corner of the room.

If it wasn't getting so late, he'd have turned down the offer. As it was, his uncle had told him the Hutchings were famous for letting visitors use the spare room. 'Unless I don't see you by ten in the morning, I won't worry.' Those had been his Uncle Jim's exact words. "I appreciate it." He sat down on the couch as Sarah disappeared into the kitchen.

Jarrod looked at the book in his hands. Once again, his eyes read the single word on its cover. Journal. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd been wrong about Bradley. Oh, not that he was doubting the fact that Bradley Hutchings was a good man only he had been single for more years than he'd been married. The minute Jarrod silently voiced the thought he was startled to have the strongest impression his original feelings were right, and that Bradley was not Badger's father. 'Middle' he frowned slightly and opened the book, hoping he wouldn't have to look to long in order to find the answers his newest client wanted Jarrod to find.