Chapter 14

No one slept very well that night, so they were all a bit weary in the morning. "Let me cook breakfast," Linda suggested. "Not that you're not a good cook, Mrs. Barkley – you're an excellent cook – but I haven't had a chance to cook for you and Jarrod yet."

Victoria had to smile. "You don't need to pamper us as guests. You're awfully busy otherwise."

Linda laughed, just a little. "Not too busy to show my other talents. I think both of you would like to know if I can cook at all, and I can. AND it's my kitchen, at least for now. I might not get much more of a chance to cook here."

"What more do you have to do here in Los Angeles?" Victoria asked.

"Go over my will with Jarrod," Linda said. "Make sure that there's nothing about Adam's will that needs to be probated, but get probate started if there is. And maybe even rest a bit."

"You had a very busy day yesterday," Victoria said. "And I notice you're not wearing black today."

"I only had the one black dress, and it had a rough day yesterday too," Linda said. She looked down at her plain, dark beige dress. "This is going to have to do for modesty and respect today. Frankly, I doubt I'll need to be going out and about as much as I did yesterday."

"Does your black dress need to be dry scoured?"

"No, just carefully hand washed in gentle soap. I'll wash it today and it will have all night to dry. Have you heard Jarrod moving around yet?"

"Yes, I heard the clunk-clunk of his crutches," Victoria said. "Dr. O'Dorsey said he'd be by today. I'd like to talk to him about when it would be safe to take Jarrod home to Stockton, assuming the sheriff is all right with us leaving."

"He'll be out trying to track down this Follet fellow today," Linda said. "He may not be back today to ask."

"Well, we'll see what Dr. O'Dorsey says. If you want to cook, I'll go check on Jarrod."

"Ask him how many eggs he wants," Linda said with a smile.

Victoria went into the bedroom, found Jarrod sitting up in bed with his legal pad on his lap, and with some papers on top of it. "Linda's will," he said, knowing his mother was going to ask. Then he put it aside and said, "Mother, I intend to ask Dr. O'Dorsey if I can get around more today, and that will mean putting clothes on, and that will mean cutting a good-sized slit in my trousers BUT – not the good trousers. I want my suit to stay intact."

"I'll take care of it," Victoria assured him. "I've slit many a pair of trousers to accommodate a splint. Linda wants to know how many eggs you want."

"Three, scrambled," Jarrod said. "And some potatoes. I'm more hungry today than I was yesterday."

"She wants us to see if she can cook well," Victoria said.

Jarrod chuckled. "I hope she doesn't feel like she's auditioning as a wife."

"You've started to see her that way, haven't you?"

"Yes," Jarrod admitted. "We're becoming very close, Mother. I know it's not really proper so soon after her husband's death, and believe me, I will not let it get out of hand, and neither will she."

"But you've talked about it," Victoria said.

"She knows my feelings are growing, and I know hers are," Jarrod said. "And I've been impressed with all the work she did yesterday, trying to investigate what happened to me. She has a work ethic I want to see in my legal partner. She's been very good with the family matters we discussed on the way down, and today we'll deal with her will and with estate matters, but Mother – I think she will make a good legal partner and ultimately – well, if things go the way they've started to go, maybe you'll have a daughter-in-law further down the line."

"When you're both ready," Victoria said. "She's not the only one who lost a spouse."

"I know," Jarrod said. "Believe me, I'm remembering that too. Do you like her, Mother – as a legal partner, or a spouse, or both?"

"I like her very much," Victoria said. "I think you'd do very well having her as either, or both."

Jarrod couldn't help but smile. "We'll work on her will today and on Adam's will. I'll work on getting around once you have my trousers prepared. We'll aim to go home as soon as we can. Obviously, we'll skip San Francisco until I'm able to deal with it."

"I'd say you have everything planned out," Victoria said.

"I know it hasn't been much of a holiday for you."

Victoria shrugged. "I seem to remember the last time I planned a holiday on a trip with you, our stage was held up and you and Heath and I were cast adrift in the desert. I think perhaps I'll plan my holidays differently in the future."

They planned for a quiet day of work for Jarrod and Linda, and reading for Victoria. Dr. O'Dorsey came fairly early, saw Jarrod moving around with his crutches and said he could get around the house as much as he felt the energy for but shouldn't go outside yet. "Maybe tomorrow," he said.

"I'd like to go home as soon as possible," Jarrod said. "We have a private railroad car."

"The railroad can jerk you around a bit," the doctor said, "but as long as you stay seated or in bed for the most part when it's moving, I think you can go home the day after tomorrow."

"I can go over to the station tomorrow morning and arrange to have the car attached to the morning train the day after," Victoria said.

"Let's decide on that tomorrow," Jarrod said.

Victoria sat reading for a long time after that. She could hear Jarrod and Linda talking legal talk, wills and estates and probate. She could hear them laugh a few times too.

It was late in the day when Linda decided to prepare dinner – one of her favorites, a beef stew with wine that she hoped the Barkleys would like. Jarrod was able to sit down at the kitchen table with Linda and Victoria, keeping his leg elevated on a chair with a pillow.

"This is delicious," Victoria pronounced as she ate.

"I second that," Jarrod said.

They had scarcely finished when a knock came at the front door. Linda got up to answer it, and was surprised to see Sheriff Chase was there. He looked very tired, very trail worn, but also very relieved. "We found Jack Fowler," he announced.

Victoria and Jarrod could hear him, and Victoria got up to come into the living area, but as she did, Linda brought the sheriff in. "He didn't get away?" Victoria said, unbelieving.

"He ran his horse too much and it threw a shoe on him about fifteen miles north of town," the sheriff said. "Mrs. Barkley, I was hoping you could come over to the office with me and see if this is the man you knew as Jack Follet."

"Yes, I can," Victoria said right away and headed for the door.

"Sheriff, please walk her back over here when you're through," Jarrod said.

"It shouldn't take long," the sheriff said, nodding.

They were out the door in a moment, leaving Jarrod and Linda alone. Both of them were silent for a long minute before Jarrod said, "I hope it's him. I'd like to close out this wondering about who attacked me."

"You know," Linda said cautiously, "if he doesn't confess, we don't have much evidence that he was involved."

Jarrod nodded. "Just the note. I know. And the fact that he stole a horse and ran. But he stole a horse, the evidence on that is clear. He'll be going to jail."

"True," Linda said, "but it still makes me wonder. What if he didn't attack you? What if all he did was find out about it and leave the note just to irritate you?"

"And then think better of it and run," Jarrod said. "It's possible, but stealing a horse to do it – that makes it sound like he thought he was running away from something serious." He looked more seriously at her. "I know there are still open questions – including the one that the target in this might have been you, not me."

"Are you really still worried about that?"

"Yes, a bit," Jarrod said. "Even if you're not the target, you are the one who's been out there looking for who attacked me. There is a disadvantage you have, as a woman, nosing around like that."

"I know. I can't fist fight my way out of trouble. But I know how not to put myself in situations that might get me into trouble. I've never once needed a man to beat someone up for me. You needn't worry, Jarrod."

"I know. You know what you're doing out there. But San Francisco is bigger and more dangerous and it will take us time to get you familiar with the territory and with my contacts."

Linda smiled a little. "Was that a job offer?"

"Yes, it was," Jarrod said. "I'd like to have you as my partner in San Francisco, and depending how things go – in Stockton too."

"I accept," Linda said.

Jarrod motioned her toward him. She bent. They kissed lightly. "I think it's going to be a wonderful partnership," Jarrod said.

XXXXX

Victoria was extremely anxious to get to the sheriff's office and see if this Jack Fowler was Jack Follet. She fervently hoped it was and that the sheriff would lock him up. She had never expected him to be a problem when Nick threw him off the ranch, and she definitely did not want him to be a problem ever again.

Victoria and the sheriff were in his office in only a few minutes. There was a tall man in the office, a deputy with him and another man who was saying, "That's him. That's Fowler."

Fowler was not locked up yet. Victoria got the impression that the man doing the identification was the rancher whose horse had been stolen. The deputy looked up at the sheriff coming in with Victoria, and that made the rancher and Fowler turn and look.

Victoria stopped and stared at Fowler – and did not have to look at him for long. Fowler tried to turn away a little. Victoria remembered how he took his hat off and greeted her years ago, trying to worm out of what he had said about hoping Jarrod and Keno Nash killed each other.

"That's Jack Follet," Victoria said. "I assume you'll have the desk clerk from the hotel identify him as the man who left the note for my son."

"As soon as I can find him," Sheriff Chase said. "Lock him up."

"Just a moment," Victoria said. She stepped closer to Fowler/Follet. He looked as sheepish as he had that day four years earlier when she slapped him hard across the face back then.

Victoria slapped him hard across the face again.

"All right, all right," Sheriff Chase said quickly, taking her by the arms and pulling her back. "Thank you, Mrs. Barkley, I'll take you back to Mrs. Desmond's now."

Victoria turned and walked out the door.