Chapter Eight
"State your full name."
"Jacob Alan Kyles, Sr."
"We have your statement. It was given to the county clerk orally. May we read it to you and you confirm these are your exact words."
"Yep. I never learnt to do much 'cept sign my name."
They read the statement and he agreed. Jarrod had been with him and confirmed them himself.
"So the bloody clothes and rope in your shed were from?"
"Slaughtering. Hides, coons, birds. Whatever we need to eat."
"Where were you the week Mr. Doolin disappeared?"
"Home. Don't leave since I was in jail this last time. Told Barkley here the same. Only doing right, right in my own eyes from here on out. Got two boys to get straight."
They frowned at his choice of words and Jarrod did a mental intake of air.
"What does that mean?"
"What?"
"Right in your eyes? Not the law's?"
Jarrod cautioned him with his eyes.
"Right the ways I see it and of course, the laws. I have turned a corner with the law."
"Mr. Kyles, did you threaten Peter Doolin in jail? Mind you, we have witnesses."
"Course I did. Wanted him dead, that skunk. Got my boys killed moving that gold of his."
"Why do you think it was Doolin that moved the gold to the Barkley property?"
"Who else? My boys did work for him. They was strong as ox's."
They scribbled down his words.
"And one more thing you ain't asked. No ways Nick killed my boys. Leaving his gun? Nope that was pure horse crap. Nick is the fastest gun in the state. He could killed them with one shot. No need to bullet them full. Everyone in jail agreed. I would like to see him and Miz Barkley shoot it out long distance. Heard about the dogs? And that bear? Wouldn't that be the damnedest thing, beaten out by a woman. Old Nick losing his bollocks."
Jarrod and the panel shook their heads at his observation.
"Any more questions?" Jarrod finally asked.
"Not at this time. Please stay available for more questions if we need it."
"Did they believe me?" Jacob Kyles was heard asking Jarrod in the antechamber.
The panel shook their heads.
"If he did it, he would have to be a lot smarter than he looks."
"Amen."
—-&—
The panel reviewed the depositions and testimonies so far. "Plenty of motives and opportunities but no witnesses or anything past circumstantial."
"No need to further question Jack and Zella Darby, either. Letters came from Roseville poker tourney and Modesto confirming their whereabouts. The sheriff confirmed he was at the tables—winning as usual."
"What about this Anson Gregory Jr.—-he's next."
"Heard in the saloon cursing Doolin. Said he killed his Pa. Came into town to avenge him and get his part of the gold. Big hulking strong man. Hauls freight."
"What does the statement say?"
"He was staying in their family home, cleaning up the possessions. Found some Knights of the Golden Circle papers and gave those to us. Confirms they had been taking small shipments of gold for the Confederacy. No one knows where they ended up. Said his Pa when he was in his cups, would blame Doolin. Said Cyrus wouldn't tell them where it was."
"But it was confirmed in the first investigation multiple times that Doolin was in San Francisco when the gold went missing."
"True. I saw that too."
"Ok bring him in, bailiff."
"Anson Gregory Junior?"
"Yes sir."
"You know why you are here."
"Yes. Should have not spoke my mind in the saloon. Too many beers. Surely you men have done that."
They smiled condescendingly at him.
He testified and confirmed all the information in his deposition.
"Do you have any witnesses to confirm where you were the three days Doolin was missing?"
"No. I am from Lodi. Haven't lived here in years. Most folks don't recognize me with my beard."
"Did you see Peter Doolin before his death?"
"Yep. Asked for my Pa's part of gold. He spat on me. I put my hands around his throat and let the life leave him for a few minutes then sat the sputtering, gagging fool in a heap on the floor. He was literally crying."
Stewart underlined the bruised marks on the throat on the mortician's report and slid it down to the marshals.
"That was two days before he disappeared."
"Yep, I mean yes sir."
"Please stay in town in case we need any more information."
"Yes sir."
—-&—-
McColl and Rory were the next to be called. Jarrod came in to represent his foreman and worker.
The panel shook their heads at Jarrod's appearance as counsel. Again.
They gave their names and confirmed their depositions.
McColl and Rory described the scene they found with the murdered Kyles and the gold under the cliff. They were both involved in transporting the bodies and gold back to town. McColl told of discovering the body with young James Barkley and identifying Nick's gun.
"Mr. Smith? A few more questions."
The boy looked stricken.
"Did you and your departed wife visit the Doolin home?"
Rory looked over at Jarrod in terror. McColl's head went side to side trying to discern what was being conveyed.
The boy swallowed and McColl spoke up, "Tell them the truth, boy."
Jarrod's eyes bored into Rory.
He swallowed and almost whispered, "My wife did some business with him. Took notes to him for her. About the Barkleys I figured."
McColl looked at him in disappointment and Rory shook his head and put it in his hands for a few minutes. The panel allowed him time to compose himself.
"We started sneaking round seeing each other. We was in love. Mr. Barkley, here caught us and fired her and me. Nick gave me a job back and a line shack since she was carrying our child. Nick got a justice of the peace to marry us. Mr. Jarrod wouldn't let Eugenie back to the big house since she was 'derelictical' or something like that in her duty watching his kids. He was real mad and now that I am a father, I understand, I am real sorry Mr. Jarrod."
Jarrod's eyes continued to bore into him. McColl wanted to shelter Rory from the look and moved to block it with his body.
"Go on, Mr. Smith."
"The day he disappeared, I took a small rig and drove her to his house. She was big with our child and I didn't want her riding alone. I loved her—-didn't want no answers to any questions. Just wanted it to be over and her stay home and be a wife to me and mother to Maggie. She didn't want to be a mother. Said so a many a time. I didn't believe it. I'ffn she had just met Maggie, she would loved her like I do."
The young held his head down, exhausted and broken. McColl patted his back as Jarrod stared stonily.
"So you say, you do not know what happened in the house?"
"Nope, but Miz Doolin did. Saw her look out the lace curtains several times."
They jotted that observation down.
"Thank you. Mr. Smith and Mr. MColl. Please stay in town or the ranch in case we have any further questions."
Jarrod stormed past Rory and McColl. He headed back to the office and pulled the papers from his safe. He read every word again.
"There's not enough scotch in the world to stomach this,"
He sent a message to the ranch that he would stay in town tonight to catch up on work.
"I can't stay up all night again with that crying child."
—-&—-
Dr. Merar, Sheriff Madden and the mortician were the last of the day. Howard detailed the night that Jock McClain died and Nick's head injury. He also confirmed the findings of the multiple guns used to kill the Kyles. He agreed with the observations of Eugene Barkley about the crime scene. Sheriff Madden gave a third vote of support to the report.
The mortician detailed the injuries to Doolin's body, "In my opinion along with the Sheriff Madden and Doc there, it's impossible to tell what killed Peter Doolin. Decomposing and rigor mortis had set it along with animals and insects—-I can't prove it but I believe his fingernails behest arsenic poisoning over days—-a skull fracture, the stuck bullet in his ribs, the animal meat roped to his leg, large animal wounds with a bear, throat bruises. It's the most intricate case I've ever seen."
"And the apothecary has no one buying arsenic this month for rats or anything else?" The lieutenant colonel asked.
"No sir. checked everywhere you can buy it in town. No bottles at the Doolin's or Gregory's or the ranch either—-or at the Kyles."
"Thank you, sheriff, for your thorough investigation."
"Anything else sticks out?"
"Not to mention, him all propped up at the entrance to the mine all unnaturally."
"His eyes wouldn't close. Like he was still scared to death."
The panel shared unnerved looks as they adjourned for the day.