Chapter 8

Jarrod came downstairs after another few minutes and headed for the scotch, saying, "Audra is helping Mother finish getting into bed. The doctor's not here yet, huh?"

"Should be here any time," Nick said.

Jarrod took his scotch to the vacant armchair.

"Maybe you ought to wait to see the doctor before you start drinking," Nick said.

"Nick, I'm fine," Jarrod protested. "I never lost consciousness once. I don't have any nausea, no dizziness, and I know who everybody is. I didn't do any more damage hitting my head that you do running into one of those cabinet doors you're always leaving open."

"Then you'll go with us tomorrow," Heath said.

Jarrod nodded. "And if we don't get as far as I think we ought to get, I'll take off for Merced and see the DA as soon as we're done, so don't expect me to be coming home with you."

"You don't think we're gonna get anywhere with Wright," Nick said.

"I think he's gonna sweep what we want to see under the rug."

"You want us to go with you to see the DA?" Heath asked.

Jarrod shook his head and sipped his scotch. "I can handle it, and you two need to get back here and take care of this ranch. With any luck, I'll see the DA and get things rolling and be back the day after tomorrow. If he needs me longer, I'll wire."

"I don't know, Jarrod," Nick said. "I don't really like the idea of you being up there in this mess all by yourself."

"I won't be in any danger at the DA's office, and Wright will never know I'm there," Jarrod said.

"All right, then," Nick said, "as long as Doc Merar says you're all right."

Jarrod took a big, exasperated breath, but a knock came on the front door before he could say anything. Heath got up and headed for the door, thanking the Barkley gods for interrupting what might have turned into another disagreement between his older brothers.

"Doc, come on in," Heath said and let him in the door.

Dr. Merar came in. "I understand your mother came home with a broken leg. What happened?"

Nick and Jarrod came into the foyer from the living room. "A wheel came off the buggy and she got hurt when the buggy fell on her," Jarrod said.

Dr. Merar looked at the bandage on Jarrod's forehead. "Looks like you got hurt, too."

"Bumps and scrapes, but this is actually from a second bump on the head. Nothing major."

"Check him out anyway, Doc," Nick said. "We need to head out tomorrow. I want to be sure he's all right and I'm not taking his word for it."

Jarrod glowered while Dr. Merar chuckled. He looked Jarrod over right there in the foyer, checking out his eyes, looking at the lump on his forehead. "Any dizziness?"

"No," Jarrod said.

"Nausea?"

"Never," Jarrod repeated.

"Headaches?"

"None."

"What's my first name?"

"Thomas."

"What year is it?"

"1879."

"You look fine to me, Jarrod. Quit worrying about him, Nick. His head may not be as hard as yours, but he's not that delicate either."

Jarrod gave Nick an "I told you so" look before he said, "No one's head is as hard as Nick's. Mother's upstairs. I'm sure her leg is broken, but I don't know about anything else."

"Well, let's go see," Dr. Merar said and headed up the stairs.

Heath turned to his brothers and said, "I guess it's the three of us and a couple men tomorrow. Who do you want to take, Nick?"

Nick thought for a moment and said, "Why don't I check with McCall? He'll know who we need around here tomorrow and who he can spare."

Nick and Heath headed for the door. Left alone, Jarrod headed back to his "thinking chair" and his glass of scotch, and then he started considering what was going to happen tomorrow. He was certain he'd be heading for Merced and the DA, because Wright was not going to let them see anything fishy at his ranch. He decided that he'd better see Dr. Lane, too, to make sure the old man was all right and to get a better read on his story. He would do that after they saw Wright. Done In was not that big a detour from the route to Merced.

Of course, Nick would not like him doing that alone at all. He might even insist on going along, but something told Jarrod he'd be far better off going alone than with Nick and Heath as company. The three of them together might draw too much attention from Wright, if he saw them head for Done In. Jarrod figured if he pealed off alone, anybody Wright might send may be more likely to follow the herd of Barkleys and Barkley hands leaving, rather than follow one man going off in another direction.

Jarrod decided he'd give his brothers a detailed itinerary of his plans. That might suffice to quiet their worries, especially if they agreed one man was less worrisome to Wright than a whole herd of men. If anything happened to him while he was out there alone, they would know where he was. Satisfied he'd done enough thinking about it until he talked to Nick and Heath, Jarrod heaved a sigh, finished off his scotch and went in search of an apple or something. He was hungry.

Silas was in the kitchen, so busy cleaning in there that he hadn't heard people come home. "Mr. Jarrod! I didn't know you were back!"

"How are you, Silas?" Jarrod asked. "Better than us, I hope."

"What's happened?" Silas asked, and he noticed the small bandage on Jarrod's forehead. "Did you get hurt?"

Jarrod nodded. "The doctor is upstairs with Mother. She has a broken leg."

"Oh, my word!"

"Nothing to worry about. Everything's under control. But would you get some food together for her? She kept breakfast down just fine, but go easy on her for lunch, all right? And do we have an apple around here?"

Silas immediately fetched an apple from a bowl in the corner and gave it to him. "I'll make some good beef broth with a couple of carrots."

"Sounds good," Jarrod said. "I'll let you know what the doctor says when he comes down."

"I'll get some lunch ready for Miss Audra and you men, too."

"Silas, I do believe I love you," Jarrod said with a smile and went back into the living room.

Nick and Heath were coming back in through the front door when Jarrod sat down in his "thinking chair" and munched on his apple. They came to join him, Nick saying, "All right, we're taking Sloan and Ewell again tomorrow. We'll be ready to stay overnight in Millertown if need be."

"All right," Jarrod said, and he filled them in on his plans to see Dr. Lane before he went to see the DA in Merced.

Nick frowned. "I'm not much on the idea of you going into Done In alone."

"I don't think it'll be a problem, Nick," Jarrod said. "It will be in the daylight, and given that we're breathing down his neck, Wright won't try anything risky tomorrow, probably not even for some time to come. Besides, if he worries about anyone, it'll be the crowd, not one man."

Nick grumbled an agreement.

Jarrod nodded. "I'll either be home the day after tomorrow or I'll wire you. You'll know where I am."

"Wire us when you see the DA, too, Jarrod," Heath offered.

"All right. So we're agreed, we have plans," Jarrod said.

"You know," Heath said, "we're just assuming Wright will clean up his place and this trip out there tomorrow will be for nothing. But what if we do find something?"

Nick and Jarrod eyed him. Jarrod said, "Are you worried there might be a fight?"

Heath said, "I think we better consider it might happen."

"We'll go well armed," Nick said.

"With the sheriff and five of us," Heath said. "That still ain't much."

"What are you suggesting?" Jarrod asked.

"That maybe we ought to have some reserves waiting back behind the lines," Heath said.

Nick and Jarrod looked at each other. "How many, you think?" Nick asked.

Jarrod said, "From what Dr. Lane said, another five men might be enough."

"That leaves McCall a bit short handed," Nick said.

"Still, Heath has a point," Jarrod said. "We ought to be prepared for the unexpected to the extent we can, just in case."

"All right," Nick said with a sigh, and started for the front door. "I'll talk to McCall."

"I don't really think there will be a fight," Heath said, "but I got this itch."

"Yeah, you've given it to me, too," Jarrod said. "Got any other itches?"

"No," Heath said, shaking his head. "Do you think you'll be able to talk that DA into investigating Wright?"

"I don't know," Jarrod said. "That's why I want to get more from Dr. Lane. I'll do my best, though, with whatever I have."