Chapter 11

With all that she had to do today, Linda got right to it. The first stop was to the grocer to get some food sent over to her house. The second was the hotel to check out and have their luggage taken to her house, too. Third, she went to the telegrapher and sent Victoria's telegram to her family. Fourth, to family car at the railroad station – Victoria had given her the combination to the safe and she fetched Jarrod's gun there. Still in its holster, she wondered how a widow in black was going to look toting a gun around.

Linda decided she was not going to tote it very far. She took it straight back to her house and gave it to Jarrod. Jarrod gave the sheriff's gun to Victoria and told her to hold onto it until the sheriff or one of his deputies asked for it.

"You're running yourself ragged," Jarrod said to Linda.

She smiled. "I'm a lawyer. That's part of what we do, isn't it?"

Jarrod managed a smile. "Sometimes."

Linda next went to the courthouse to put together the list of attorneys and politicians Jarrod wanted. The attorneys didn't take long and neither did the politicians who actually held office, but she knew she would have to give some thought about those would-be politicians who were still would-be. Next, she went by the sheriff's office to find out where his investigation stood.

"I talked to the hotel people this morning, and here – they gave me this," Sheriff Chase said and handed Linda a small envelope, addressed to Jarrod Barkley.

Linda looked at it. The envelope was still sealed. "You didn't open it?"

"No, I figured I'd see you before long and you could take it to Mr. Barkley," the sheriff said, "but I did get a description of the man who delivered it. Tall fellow, thin in the face, dark hair and blue eyes and dressed like he worked a cattle ranch. Smelled that way too, I'm told."

"But you didn't get a name?"

"He didn't give one. The clerk said he just left that and walked back out."

Linda thought hard for a moment. If this had something to do with Jarrod being beaten up, they needed to know fast, but if it didn't – if it was something neither she nor the sheriff had any business knowing…

"I'll take it to Jarrod right away," Linda said, "just so we can be sure of what it's about. I'll get back to you as fast as I can. Did you find out anything else at the hotel?"

Sheriff Chase shook his head. "Nobody seems to know anything about the attack on Mr. Barkley."

"I asked at the railroad station when I went to get Jarrod's gun and the manager there said the same thing. Who found him?"

"My deputy, Horace Rhodes, while making his rounds. He didn't see anybody in the vicinity. I hate to say it but unless Mr. Barkley can remember something, we're not gonna figure out who attacked him."

"It sounds that way," Linda said. "Let me go on home and let Jarrod read this. I'll be back in half an hour or so, and if it's all right, I'll have them hold onto your gun until you can come for it."

For some reason she couldn't explain even to herself, Linda thought this envelope contained something important about what happened to Jarrod and wasn't anything that involved any other business he was working on. This thing was hand delivered. Anything that pertained to his work would have come via telegraph, and this envelope was not one the telegraph office used. This one was a little beaten up, like someone had carried it in a pocket – someone like the man who delivered it to Jarrod at the hotel.

Nobody at the hotel knew the name of the man who left it, but that didn't mean no one in town knew him. Who was he, and how did he know Jarrod was in town and staying at the hotel?

When Linda got to her home, she found the groceries and the baggage from the hotel had been delivered. The scent that wafted through the living quarters signaled that Victoria had made herself at home in the kitchen. Linda went straight there.

"Mrs. Barkley, I see you found all the utensils we left behind," Linda said right away.

Victoria was soft-boiling some eggs. "Jarrod was hungry, a little disappointed that I would only fix him some eggs, but for dinner maybe I'll see if he can eat some chicken. The grocer delivered ice for the ice box too, so the chicken should keep."

Linda showed Victoria the envelope. "Someone delivered this to the hotel for Jarrod."

"A telegram?" Victoria asked.

"No, just some hand delivered message."

Victoria scowled. "Who around here even knew who Jarrod was and that he was in town, except for Mr. Bonner and Mr. Michaels?"

"I don't know," Linda said. "That's why I brought it right over for him to look at. Neither the sheriff nor I opened it, in case it's confidential. Is he awake?"

"The last time I checked on him he was," Victoria said. Then she looked at what she was cooking.

Linda said, "Go ahead and finish that. I'll show this to Jarrod and see what he thinks it is."

Victoria nodded, and Linda went to the bedroom. Jarrod was sitting up and had a legal pad in front of him, his briefcase lying next to him. He was already getting back to work. When Linda came in, he looked a little sheepish. "The hotel delivered our things, and I dug some of my work out of my briefcase," he said.

"I think you should look at this," Linda said and handed him the envelope. "The sheriff got it from the hotel but neither one of us has looked at it, in case it's something confidential."

"Is it a telegram?" Jarrod asked, looking at the envelope.

"No," Linda said. "Someone who looked and smelled like he worked with cattle delivered it to the hotel, so the sheriff said."

Now Jarrod was very curious. Who around here who worked with cattle would even know he was in town? "Did the sheriff get a name?" Jarrod asked as he opened the envelope.

"No, just a description – tall, thin-faced, dark hair, blue eyes – "

She stopped when Jarrod seemed to freeze, reading the note inside the envelope. Linda didn't say anything, but Jarrod's eyes were always a giveaway, and the one open eye still had that way about it. He didn't like what he was reading. He handed her the note. "Look at this," he said.

Linda took the note and read it.

I hope your ankle heals. My regards to your mother.

It was hand-written. There was no name to it.

Jarrod was frowning, thinking. "Do you think this came from whoever attacked you?" Linda asked.

"I don't know," Jarrod said. "You said the man who left it was tall, thin-faced, blue eyes and dark hair, dressed like a ranch workman."

"Yes," Linda said. "I can't imagine how any ranch hand around here would know you or would know you were in town."

"Ranch hands can get around," Jarrod said. "Someone who worked for us before might be working here now."

Victoria came in with a tray carrying the soft-boiled eggs she had made for Jarrod.

"Mother, look at that note," Jarrod said quickly.

Victoria put the tray down and took the note from Linda. She frowned when she looked at it, too.

Jarrod said, "This was delivered to me at the hotel, by someone who looked and smelled like a ranch hand. Tall, thin in the face, blue eyed, dark haired – can you think of anyone who might have worked for us who would leave that – especially someone who would want me to give you his regards?"

Victoria sat down, looking at the note, thinking.

"Mother," Jarrod said, "assume for a moment that this comes from someone who attacked me or knows who attacked me – maybe wanted me to be attacked. Someone who would think of you too – "

"Oh, my heavens," Victoria said, in her mind's eye suddenly seeing a face she hadn't seen in four years. A face she had slapped pretty viciously. "I don't see how it can be, though – "

"How what can be?" Jarrod asked.

"The break in your leg now," Victoria said. "It's not your ankle, is it?"

"It's above the ankle," Jarrod said. "I only broke my ankle that time I stepped in the bear trap while I was chasing Keno Nash – " It suddenly dawned on him too. Thin faced, dark hair, blue eyes.

Victoria looked up and said the name. "Jack Follet."

"Why would he want me to give you his regards?"

"You were in so much pain when Keno got you back to the ranch, and Nick threw Follet off even before you got back," Victoria said. "I never thought to mention it to you. When we realized Follet was the one who sent Keno after you, you had already gone off after Keno. Follet realized we had him cold and he said, 'I hope he finds him and they kill each other.'"

"He hoped Keno and I would kill each other?" Jarrod said.

"Yes, and I slapped him hard across the face," Victoria said. "We never knew what became of him after Nick threw him out. This must be from him. He had to have attacked you and thought he broke your ankle again. Giving his regards to me was sarcastic."

"If wanted me dead, when he attacked me, he would have just killed me," Jarrod said.

"Maybe he thought he had," Linda said. "You were hit pretty hard in the head as well as in the leg. In any event, I can find out by asking around if there is a Jack Follet working in the area."

"It may be more like 'was' working in the area," Jarrod said. "If he thought he had killed me and gotten away with it but then found out I wasn't dead – Jack Follet would run away. He wouldn't stick around to try again and maybe get caught."

"And he left this note to taunt you," Victoria said. "I know we're assuming like crazy, but Linda, if you can, find out if Jack Follet is or was in the area when we arrived."

Linda nodded. "I'll get right on it, and I'll let the sheriff know too. It's possible he might have run into this Follet, if he's around, and he should know about this. You have two guns now – will you be all right together?"

Victoria said, "I know how to use a gun. We'll be fine."

Linda thought of something else and gave Jarrod the list she had drawn up at the courthouse. "These are the local lawyers and politicians – just in case we're wrong about this Follet fellow, you should look this over."

Jarrod took the list, nodding. Linda headed for the door, and Jarrod stopped her. "Linda, you need to be careful yourself out there. We still don't know this isn't about you."

Linda gave him a nod. "I understand, and I will be careful. I'll be back as soon as I find out anything."