Chapter 15

"Fowler is Follet," Victoria said as soon as she came into the kitchen, where Jarrod still sat and Linda was starting to clean the dishes.

The sheriff was still with her. "I'll be locking him up for stealing the horse, but you all realize something."

"That we don't have any good evidence that he's the one who attacked Jarrod," Linda said. "Jarrod and I were talking about that."

Victoria looked a little surprised, but then lost the look. "I suppose you're right. All we have is that note and Follet's history with the family."

"And if he didn't do it, then whoever did is still on the loose," Jarrod said.

"But Follet knew about the attack and what it did to Jarrod," Victoria said. "And he knew that Jarrod had broken that ankle before."

"Once I get the hotel clerk to identify him, Fowler or Follet or whatever he's gonna call himself won't be able to deny the note," the sheriff said, "but by the time he left it, a lot of people knew what Mr. Barkley's injuries were, and that note didn't really say the writer knew he'd broken an ankle before."

"The sheriff is right," Jarrod said, "the evidence is pretty flimsy."

"I don't know if I can even charge him," Sheriff Chase said.

"Can you get a district attorney over there fast?" Linda asked.

"I got my deputy on it already," Sheriff Chase said. "What I suggest you all do is get a good night's sleep and go back to whatever brought you here in the first place, to the extent Mr. Barkley is up to doing it."

"We're pretty much done," Linda said. "Dr. O'Dorsey said Jarrod can travel home in his family car the day after tomorrow."

"Then I'd go ahead and plan to do it," Sheriff Chase said. "We'll see what kind of confession we can get out of Fowler, but if we don't get one, I don't think we'll be charging him and we won't need you here anyway."

"Unless it becomes clear that someone else was behind the attack," Victoria said.

"We'll know more tomorrow," the sheriff said. "For now, I'll just wish you all a good night – and keep that gun I gave you, just in case."

As the sheriff left, Linda said, "I don't think anybody's gonna bother us here, tonight or tomorrow. If they were, they'd have done it by now."

"If it was Follet, he won't be trying again," Victoria said.

But then Jarrod said, "If it was someone else, we still don't know who or why. We still better be careful."

Victoria said, "I still intend to go the railroad station in the morning to arrange for our car to be attached the next day."

"Maybe I should go," Linda said.

Jarrod got up from the table, on his crutches. "I don't like the idea of either one of you going alone."

"You're not leaving here," Victoria said flatly.

Jarrod said, "No, clearly I'm not. But the two of you can go together. It shouldn't take you more than half an hour or so, and I can look after myself for that long. I'll put myself in bed and stay there until you get back."

"And keep your gun in your hand," Linda said.

Jarrod thought that was a bit much, and it showed in his eyes – twice as effective now that the swelling had gone down and both eyes were open again. But he said, "Leave both guns, and I'll keep one in each hand. How's that?"

"Deal," Linda said with a slight smirk.