Chapter Eighteen-The End
The Deadly Sins
the sins of pride,greed, lust, (wrath), gluttony, envy, and sloth.
Wrath-The End
Note: Here we are back at the prologue ...
The sheriff arched his eyebrow as Jarrod walked through his door. "Don't tell me you got stuck with this case, Jarrod?"
"I believe so, Sheriff Madden." Jarrod shook the sheriff's hand. "How is he doing? Is the prisoner causing you trouble?"
"No. Actually, it is the opposite. The boy hasn't said two words to me." Sheriff Madden pushed back his hat from his eyes.
"Boy?" Jarrod questioned in confusion.
"You better come with me, Jarrod." The sheriff stood up and retrieved the keys as he did. "See for yourself."
Jarrod was taken aback by the young boy in the jail cell. He couldn't have been no more than sixteen or seventeen. He didn't look like the hardened criminal Jarrod had read about in the file. Actually, if anything, the boy looked almost angelic with his cherub face and blonde hair. Even his blue eyes sparkled with innocence as he looked up from the cot he was lying on.
"I'm Jarrod Barkley. I was assigned to be your lawyer." Jarrod reached his hand out between the bars of the jail cell. He placed his hand back down to his side when the young man refused to take it.
A small chuckle could be heard from the boy as he glanced up at Jarrod. It was then that Jarrod noticed the soft blue eyes harden into anger. The boy spoke quietly surprising both Jarrod and Sheriff Madden.
His slow southern drawl accentuated his words. "This is going to be fun."
Heath didn't know why seeing this Barkley brother caused him a sudden anger to rise up. It was probably the fancy suit the man was wearing. Then Heath reminded himself it wasn't this man's fault he had a bastard half brother. He couldn't help but think about the irony of it. His feelings went from anger to a sudden amusement.
Jarrod looked curiously at the boy. He cleared his throat. "I'd like to speak to my client alone. Please."
"Certainly." Sheriff Madden nodded towards a chair that sat along the wall opposite the cell. "Use that chair, Jarrod."
"Thanks." Jarrod stated before watching Sheriff Madden walk away. Once Madden was out of earshot, Jarrod pulled up the chair next to the jail cell. He pulled open the file he was holding.
"That about me?" Heath asked as he nodded towards the file as he stood up.
"Yes. As a matter of fact it is." Jarrod was glad the young man was talking to him even if he was confused by the first words exchanged between them.
"Don't believe everything you read." Heath slid his hands up and down his jeans. He was thankful he had taken a bath before being captured. It made being in a cell much more tolerable. Heath also admitted to himself that he didn't want this fancy half brother thinking he was a dirty tramp even if the man had no idea he was his brother.
"Fair enough. How about I ask you a few questions about the information in the file and you tell me if it is true or not?" Jarrod pulled a pencil from his pocket to make notes.
"Reckon I can do that iffin I want to." Heath sat back down on the cot and crossed his legs at his ankles. "Shoot." A grin formed on the young blonde's face. "Not the best choice of words."
"No. I guess not." Jarrod was trying to be professional but he was taking an instant liking to the young gunman. "First question. How old are you?"
"How old does it say?" Heath arched his eyebrow. "That there file. How old does it have me?"
"Well it says you joined the army at age eighteen. You were one of the elite of division known as Calvin's Crew, a sharpshooting unit. You were in the war a little over a year before being captured and spending seven months in Carterson Prison. Then another four months in an army hospital. The war has been over three years. That would make you around twenty-two or twenty-three years of age." Jarrod fiddled with his string tie. Maybe a new suit wasn't a good idea for this particular client. The boy didn't seem to be impressed easily with material things. "I'd like the truth, Mr. Thomson."
"I'm sixteen." Heath admitted. He figured why lie about it. "I joined the army at age twelve. Needed the money. But the rest is true but the age. I don't want to talk about that though."
Jarrod knew the kid was young. He couldn't help but to be taken aback even if he knew the facts staring him in the face. The boy was only sixteen and was going to hang or spend his life in prison. Jarrod could tell the kid wasn't wanting to say anymore. The boy laid back on the cot and covered his eyes with his arm.
That didn't stop Jarrod from questioning the boy. He needed the information from the young man to help his case.
"Where were you born?" Jarrod once again questioned the boy trying to pry out more information.
Heath wanted to say for Jarrod to ask his daddy but he refrained. This man wasn't like the other brother. He'd not react to the barbs or jabs that Heath could make. Therefore, Heath decided to answer once again with honesty.
"Strawberry, California."
"Do you have family I need to contact?" Jarrod pulled his string tie loose and let it hang around his neck. He knew the boy was studying him earlier. He wanted the young man to feel at ease.
Heath quirked his mouth sideways then propped his head up with his elbow. "You'd do that for me? I didn't realize that is a lawyer duty."
"It's not. However, I'm sure your family would want to know where you are." Jarrod could tell the boy was thinking hard about something. Jarrod wasn't sure what.
Heath sat up again to look at Jarrod. He decided this man deserved his respect rather than his obstinance. "I'm mighty obliged. I have no family though. My mama is dead. Never had no pa to tell of."
"Friends?" Jarrod was hoping for a name to contact in Strawberry.
"I have a few but they know where I am." Heath sighed out as he stared down for a moment trying to think how to act around this brother. The other one was an easy read. This brother was all professional and kept his character in check for his client.
"Did you have your evening meal, Mr. Thomson?" Jarrod thought he would rethink how to treat this case. The boy was so young.
"Yes. Mr. Barkley, there are mitigating circumstances about my life." Heath didn't know why he decided to tell this man the truth. He admitted to himself part of him wanted to impress this rich brother of his. Part of him wanted to pique Jarrod's interest. "Like I said, this is going to be fun."
Jarrod's head snapped up at the use of the term by the boy. He was intelligent. There was no question about that.
"Before we get into that. Is there anything you'd like for me to do?" Jarrod wondered if the kid needed a change of clothes. Maybe a shave or haircut.
Heath sat up. He reached inside his vest pocket. Heath wasn't sure why but he trusted Jarrod Barkley and this was his way of telling him."Could you read this for me? I can't read."
Jarrod took the letter from Heath's outstretched hand. He could see the boy seemed ashamed of being illiterate. It wasn't unusual for people being illiterate in the west. However, the boy seemed to not want to admit that. Here was a cold blooded killer ashamed of not being able to read.
"Certainly." Jarrod pulled the paper from the envelope. He immediately noticed the scent of honeysuckle waft into the room. He knew it was from a female. The scroll on the letter was obviously from a person who was new to writing.
Dear Heath,
I sent you some food you might like. Miss Rachel said your mama used to make those kind of cookies for you for your birthday. We missed your birthday but Ward doesn't come around the hotel often when he visits. He mostly is courting Nora Garland. So the cookies are real late getting to you. But this is a fresh batch.
I'm getting better at cooking. The hotel looks real nice. We changed the name from Strawberry Hotel to Leah's and Hannah's Boarding House. I painted the sign and Jeb Lycan's hung it for me. We figured you'd like that. I hope we make you proud.
It took awhile to write this. Miss Rachel checked over and changed my spelling for me. She still comes and goes. Some days are good but some days are bad. I hope you find someone to read it to you. I know you'd have caught on quick to writing and reading. You're that smart.
I miss you. I miss how we feel together. I think about making love to you sometimes when I sit in the porch swing at the front of the hotel. I had Mr. Barker help me move it from your old house. I haven't let another man touch me just as I promised. I don't expect the same faithfulness from you because you never promised the same to me.
I love you. I always will.
Faithfully yours forever,
Johnna
Jarrod placed the letter back into the envelope. He looked up at Heath as he handed the letter back to him. He couldn't help but notice the boy was blushing a bright red. A gunman was blushing over a letter from a girl. Things didn't fit with this kid.
After placing the letter back into his vest pocket, Heath whispered barely loud enough to hear. "Sorry. I didn't know she was going to get all personal like."
Jarrod started to say something but was interrupted by a loud booming sound. Then he ducked as brick flew through the air. Heath threw himself under the cot as bricks scattered around him. He peered out from under the cot to see a gaping hole in his cell leading to outside alley behind the jail.
Hank and Cotton stood peering through the hole. Both had bandannas over their faces.
Hank yelled through the settling smoke."You okay, Heath?"
Sheriff Madden came rushing from the front of the jail. He stopped in shock at seeing a hole in his jailhouse. Before he could react, Heath Thomson stood with a gun in his hand given to him by Cotton.
"Best toss that gun this way, Sheriff. No use anyone getting hurt." Heath nodded towards the sheriff then to the floor in front of him.
Sheriff Madden knew Jarrod was in the line of fire. Therefore, he tossed his gun towards Heath Thomson. Heath picked up the gun and placed it in the front of his pants as he kept his gun trained on the sheriff and Jarrod.
Heath backed out the open wall as he continued to hold his towards the sheriff and lawyer. Fred had heard stories of how quick the boy could kill a man. He didn't feel up to dying today so he was glad he had discarded his own weapon. That was until Heath dropped the sheriff's gun in a water barrel outside of the jail.
"Ya could've killed me." Heath said to Hank as he backed up. "I told ya to worn me somehow."
"Naw. Ya was fine. That little gal from the restaurant told me your cot was far side of the cell. She sure was charmed by ya. She did just as you asked. Poor girl didn't know why you told her to tell me where your cot was though. Besides, I know how to use one stick. I worked the mines too, Heath."
Heath grabbed Charger and lept into the saddle without using the stirrups. He held his gun with one hand but gave a two fingered salute to Jarrod.
"Well, can't say this wouldn't have been an adventure, Mr. Barkley. But seein' as I have to talk to a friend about his greed, I best be on my way."
Jarrod stood up staring after the quickly retreating trio. He looked at the sheriff.
"What just happened, Jarrod?" Fred scratched his head in disbelief.
Jarrod shook his head with a chuckle before answering. "I do believe I lost my first client in a criminal law case, Fred."
The End-Wrath
Author's NOTE: Thanks for all those who have read and reviewed this fanfic. I appreciate it more than you know.