Chapter Eleven 11/12
The coroner's inquisition reconvened. The five members: the Lieutenant Colonel, Councillor Stewart, two federal marshals,for and Sheriff Fred Madden met at the Cattleman's for a private session.
Each had slept on the facts for two nights and gone through all the depositions. The federal marshals traveled out to the Star Mine and looked it over. They inspected the woods connecting the mine and the ranch; they estimated all the shortcuts back to the ranch. The army representatives went by Doolin's house and the chandlery several times for any ideas—-none occurred. They sent several messages out with clerks to answer questions that came up.
—&—-
Fred spent several hours in private time with Reverend Stacy, the afternoon before.
"I ain't Catholic but you ain't either. Is this still confidential time?"
"Yes, you are a member of my flock."
"First time, I been called a sheep." Fred nervously laughed.
"What troubles you, a let's say a ram, my friend?" the Reverend joked.
They both laughed heartily and relieved the tension.
"What if I know people—-really know people but think they could have committed a crime—-but that crime was necessary for them, the town, pretty much everyone."
"That is a conundrum, friend."
"A what?"
"A problem that doesn't have an easy answer."
"Yep, I got one."
"In the Bible, Joshua cast lots for the guilty and the innocent. Jonathan and Saul, too by David."
"Sounds like a good idea with this mess."
"Let's pray to ease your mind and for justice—and mercy."
"Amen."
—-&—-
The five men sat down with two pots of coffee ordered up and blank paper in front of them.
"Let's go around the room and give our findings, hunches, opinions, legalities—-anything a jury would do."
The lieutenant colonel pointed at the first marshal.
"Ok, the way I see it. I think the Barkley woman shot him. Intentional or not. I think her husband disposed of the bullets. Jarrod Barkley messed with the ammunition. I think the Kyles man roughed him up and tied on the animal meat and tortured him. Bear caught the smell and went after him. Think Heath Barkley found him and punched him, probably for mouthing as everyone testified he did—-and cracked his head, left him—-then I think the men following him dragged him up to the mine as a warning. Did you see the look on his face? Pure guilt. And the servant poisoned him. But didn't work so do we have a charge for attempted murder with no evidence but blue nails—-looked it up and blue nails can cut off circulation. Like the Gregory fellow did choking him. Coulda happened then if not arsenic."
"Good to know about the nails," Paul noted thinking that Jarrod would find that fact quickly too in a medical book.
The second marshal shook his head, "Too obvious. I think the deer hunt was a cover for Nick or Heath or both to shoot him and hurry back. Doesn't make sense they would come home and report on deer to their brother. They woulda known they just pass through an them shortcuts, they could have done and no one know. They would have shot some themsleves. Barkley and his wife covered it up. I sent a message to the taxidermist for the bullet. Said it weren't there. That was strange to say the least. Have any of you ever taken a bullet out of something you sent to get stuffed? Two bullet holes with no bullet. No, you let them so not to mess up the hide. I agree on Kyles and the animal. Didn't prove it killed them though. I think the Mexicans coulda done, it cracked his skull and dragged him."
The Councillor said, "I have a different scenario. I think the lady and her butler hired someone. The arsenic wasn't working for them quickly enough. Maybe the Mexican revolutionaries who I bet left the snakes in the drawer. Glad to oblige her? Maybe the Kyles man? I can't see a Barkley doing it with as many threats as were out there."
The lieutenant colonel weighed in, "I suspect the Gregory fellow. Did you see his arms? He could have crushed Doolin's skull with one blow. And dragged him off for the animals and meat. Don't think Kyles is smart enough to do any of it. Would have left more evidence. I think the woman and her butler put the arsenic in his food without the maid knowing."
"And remember most of the horse tracks left had a livery mark on the shoe. Plus a buckboard in the area with homemade shoes. None with the Barkley hitch."
"Well, Barkleys are smart enough to sweep their tracks into drag marks."
"True."
The sheriff sighed, "I think Eugene Barkley had something to do with it."
All the heads turned at Fred.
"He's smart and woulda known how to do this with no evidence. All college-educated in animal science and medicine. Did autopsies up at school."
"Eugene would know all the shortcuts on the ranch and to the mines. Kid spent his whole life riding it." Fred added.
"Hmmm," several of them wrote down his name.
Fred added, "Eugenie Smith was indebted to Doolin. She was feeding him information about the family she worked for—-until Jarrod fired her. She died a few days ago in childbirth. She was a wanton and greedy wench. Maybe Doolin cut her off. We still don't have his wallet. None of the other suspects 'cept Kyles were needing money. I think if we find the wallet and his watch fob, we find the last person who saw him alive or at least came upon the body."
"What did the watch fob look like?"
"That's a rub. Single gold nugget on a gold link chain. Seen lots of folks with them. Pretty common in gold country. Sometimes it is first nugget and passed down by a couple of folks."
The men jotted it down.
"Any more ideas?" The colonel asked.
"Nope. Just giving you my thoughts."
"I got some intelligence this morning that confirmed our previous reports. Doolin was working with the coup leaders. The gold is showing up all over the country recruiting men."
"He gave away the gold?" The marshal asked quizzically.
"Who the hell knows? Every bank in this state has been wired and wired back—-no accounts in the name of Peter Doolin or his wife. Even checked the butler's name. Nothing but the one account in Stockton."
"Where do you hide hundreds of thousands of dollars?"
They all shook their heads in frustration.
"And one more thing, Washington doesn't want our intelligence leaked. Let the revolutionaries think they have gotten away with it. General Ruiz is aware and has plans to reclaim the gold—-sigh, for his cause."
"Let's make a list," Paul suggested.
"I will say the name and you tell me what you think they possibly could have done. Just a possibility they did it,"
Jarrod Barkley-shot PD 2 votes, destroyed evidence 3 votes
Tessa Barkley shot PD 3 votes, destroyed evidence 1 vote
Jacob Kyles-animal meat to leg 3 votes, stole wallet 2 votes
Heath Barkley- crushed skull in fight 2 votes, shot PD wartime sniper 1 vote, set him up at mine 1
Nick Barkley-crushed skull in fight 1 votes, shot PD 1 vote
Victoria Barkley-covered up for family 1 votes
Anson Gregory- crushed skull 2 votes, dragged him 2 votes, asphyxiated him during choke for blue nails 2 votes
Eugenie Smith- argued with him, stol wallet, crushed head on fall 2 votes
Rory smith- crushed skull or animal meat possibilities 1 vote
Mexicans rattlesnakes 5 votes, dragged to mine and animal 5 votes
Melanie DeLand arsenic 1 vote
Sammy Lincoln 3 votes, wallet theft
Unknown tails. All of the above 5 votes
Eugene Barkley any or all of the above 1 vote
"Well gentlemen, we have a hung jury. We have only enough votes to convict nameless Mexican revolutionaries."
"Think about it one more day and we will meet back. No charges will be brought without a majority vote as per our state law. Three votes outta five. Probable cause goes out the window in this case. Maybe we should interview people who didn't hate Peter Doolin. It would have been an easier choice."
"I woulda laid money on Jack Darby. Had dealings with him the past. But the sheriff in Roseville said he was playing poker in his town."
Paul agreed, "All of these people could be convicted or found innocent by a jury of their peers depending on the jury and choice of legal counsel."
The federal marshal added, "And all could argue that their actions could not be proven to be the cause of death. If any could ever be proven."
"Let's go get some lunch and talk about something less judicial."
"Agreed. Is the army or the federal government picking up the tab?"
"Flip ya for it."
—-&—-
Jarrod knocked at the Doolin residence. Sammy came to the door with a surprised look.
"Mrs. Doolin, please."
Melanie came downstairs in a house dress. A sea chest was open on the stair landing. She closed it as she passed.
"I am sorry, Jarrod. After this ghastly inquest, Sammy and I are traveling to San Francisco. My novella is to be published.
"Congratulations."
She poured him a drink from a new decanter and took a small one for herself. His presence shook her and she needed not to show her nerves.
"Melanie, I will be brief. I thank you again for the papers. I have destroyed them."
She smiled, "I am glad they are gone."
"One more matter has come up. As you probably heard, Eugenie died in childbed. Tessa and I are taking responsibility for the little girl."
"You are a very gracious and generous man."
"My wife has tempered my anger in this matter. We will help Rory raise the child as her father. Our Mina has agreed to help in the nursery with our two young ones and the baby. We will educate her and give her a better future than her mother had."
"You are a good man."
"Well to my task. Eugenie only had three possessions given to her by my wife: a shawl, a valise and a writing desk. Rory asked we keep them for the child. Tessa moved them to the armoire and opened the desk. In the false bottom, she found this."
He handed her Peter's wallet.
She bit her lip, "I saw her take it from the parlor table the day she stormed in here asking for money and threatening to expose him. She was so slight and big with child and yet so ignorant, I think Peter would have eventually killed her."
Jarrod could not keep the surprise from his face.
"I find myself questioning all things these days," was her cold response.
"I understand," was all he could muster.
She took the wallet from Jarrod's hand. She took the five hundred dollars out of it.
"Keep it for the child. My anonymous gift to her."
"Thank you, I will."
"Did she have the watch fob?"
"No. As far as we saw."
"His watch was shattered. The fob was gone. May have fallen off in his demise in the woods."
"If I find it, I will return it."
"Don't. Put it in the mission aid box or the orphanage."
"I will."
"Melanie, I wish for you the best. A new life."
"Thank you, Jarrod. Did you give the apology note to Nick?"
"Not yet. They are keeping close to home to protect their unborn child. I don't want to add any emotions to her recovery."
"I am sorry Peter killed their child. It is one of my many burdens I wish to leave in Stockton."
"Leave them here. Start over."
"I plan to." as she accidentally dropped the wallet.
Jarrod went to pick it up, "New floors?"
"Yes. We had a lot of rot in this home."
He looked at her, understanding her double meaning. He walked over and kissed her on the cheek.
"Bon voyage, Melanie. Will you be back?"
"Will see. I have this house set to sell but I kept the newspaper. I am interviewing the new editor in San Francisco."
"I hope to meet him soon."
"I will have him make acquaintance when he arrives."
"Good day, Melanie"
She waited until he walked down the path.
"Sammy, destroy this wallet please."
"Yes mam"
She took an envelope with a thousand dollars in it from her apron. She had addressed to Anson Gregory II.
"Tell him Doolin left this to him in his will. In regard to his long friendship with my husband and his father,"
"I will. You shore are generous."
"Blood money is hard to hold in one's hand. Ask Judas or Pilate.I cannot bathe enough for my choices."
—-&—-
Jarrod passed the group eating lunch at the Cattleman's.
Paul came over and told him," Decision tomorrow."
"Thanks, friend. I plan to represent anyone charged." Jarrod responded.
"I assumed."
He got Jingo and headed back to the ranch, his mind racing with scenarios.
Tessa met him at the door with the baby in her arms, JT toddling behind her and Rosemary grabbing his legs in joy.
"Mam said we get to keep Maggie and Rory. A new brother and sister."
"Not quite," as he ruffled her auburn curls.
He kissed Tessa on the mouth and swatted her backside as Rosemary ran ahead. He rubbed his thumb on tiny Maggie's forehead and picked up JT.
"What's left from lunch? I am famished."
—-&—
After spending several hours with the family, he walked to the big house. He opened the Barkley safe in the study. He took an envelope and wrote Miss Margaret Tess Smith, on occasion of your birth. He placed the money inside and sealed it.
He shuffled some more papers and cash around.
"The whole family has this combination but not one of them keeps it orderly," he hmpfed.
He pulled a tray out with some doubloons, old coin, loose gemstones, and gold nuggets. He looked over the contents. He began to sort it.
A gold nugget watch fob on a gold link chain.
He shook his head and frowned.
"For the mission aid box on Sunday. I guess."
A thousand questions raced through his mind.
"A scotch right now would be helpful." as he shut the door and spun the dial.