Title: Mystery of the Oxbow
By: greygoose70
Summary: "Why are you being so god damn stubborn!" Castle yelled.
"Because I'm god damn good at it!" Kate yelled right back.
DISCLAIMER: Own nothing associated with the show, AWM, or ABC.
Chapter 3
Day 6
It was just past 9am when Castle parked in front of the Canmore County Gazette building. He exited and went inside, Trip right on his heels. After giving Gladys what he wanted, he watched her turn and head into one of the back rooms, returning shortly with a stack of over-sized booklets, eighteen inches across by twenty-four inches long. "Here you are Mr. Castle, every issue from 1900 to date."
Castle took the bundle from her and set them down on a nearby table. "Thank you, Gladys," he said then sat down and started flipping through each page, scanning it for stories about people that went missing in the Oxbow. By 1pm he had a list of seventeen names, but he had one story that was more interesting than all the rest. It was the story of a young Indian boy captured by a couple railroad workers. Not knowing what to do with him they took him back to town where he was locked in a jail cell. They called him Jacko.
Castle closed the book he was in, placed it with the others making sure they were in their proper order, and returned them to Gladys, again telling her "thanks." He then went out, got in his vehicle and headed for the Pines Retirement Home, where he knew a few railroad retirees resided, and hoping one of them could supply him with a bit more information.
Nurse Parker led Castle down to the lake where an elderly gentleman was in the process of attaching a hook to his fishing line. "Mister Hollis," Nurse Parker said. She was instantly greeted by gruff voice. "When they put some damn fish in this lake?"
"Mr. Hollis, the games people have assured me the lake has well stocked with fish." After receiving a disgruntled grunt from Mr. Hollis she said, "Mr. Hollis this man is going to sit with you a while." She then gave Castle a nod letting him know it was okay.
"Who are you?" Hollis asked without taking his eyes off from what he was doing. "Names Richard Castle."
"Hand me one of them nightcrawlers," Hollis ordered.
Doing as he requesting, thinking the whole time how unfriendly this guy was Castle decided to get right to the reason he was here. "I understand you used to work for the railroad."
Hollis stopped what he was doing, turned his head to face Castle and said, "Not just any railroad, boy, but the Great Northern Pacific Railroad, fifty-seven years."
Castle removed the article from his shirt pocket and said, "then you must know the story of Jocko."
"Know it. I caught the little runt," Hollis said quite authoritatively as he took the article from Castle and reached for his reading glasses. "Jacko," he mumbled. Following a brief moment or two, Hollis began telling his story. "It was 1935, me and Tom Morgan were out on a routine inspection and maintenance run when we spotted something jumping across the tracks. As we got closer we could see it was a boy but not just any boy, but an Indian boy. Me and Tom jumped down from the railcar and took off after him finally catching him in the tall grass. We didn't know what to do with him, he was cold so I put my coat around him, and we took him back to town where we turned him over to the sheriff. He didn't speak a word of English. Sheriff Kenner put him in a cell for the night, would figure out what to do with him in the morning. Next morning when the sheriff went to get him he was gone. Sheriff Kenner figured the boy was able to squeeze through the bars of the window and escape."
Again Hollis paused then said, "so tell me Mr. Castle, what was a young Indian boy who didn't speak a word of English doing roaming around in the wilds of Montana."
"Your guess is as good as mine," Castle replied. Castle thanked Hollis then returned to his vehicle. It was time to pay another visit to the lovely professor.
Ninety minutes later Castle passed through the gates of Big Sky University, found a place to park, then along with Trip barged through the large oaken doors to the main building. He stopped a student asking him where he could find Professor Beckett. The student informed Castle that the professor was giving a lecture in the auditorium located at the end of the hall.
Castle continued on, determined in his stride. Reaching the doors to the auditorium he pushed through and proceeded down the incline toward the stage, receiving strange looks from the multitude of students assembled there. Castle stepped right up on the stage, then directly up to the podium where he put his right hand over the microphone, stared Kate in the eyes and said, "we need to talk."
The somewhat stunned professor opened her mouth to speak but Castle shook his head negatively. Castle removed his hand from the microphone. Beckett leaned forward and told the audience she would be back shortly, then spun around and led Castle out through a rear entrance to her office.
"Castle…" she began but was immediately interrupted. "No, no, no. You need to hear what I have to say," Castle said. Castle then removed a sheet of paper, laid it down in front of her. "You want some proof, well here it is. That is a list of seventeen people that have ventured into the Oxbow since 1900 and never came out, and that doesn't even include the three convicts."
Castle then handed Kate the newspaper article. "In 1935 a young Indian boy was captured, didn't speak a word of English, escaped and was never seen again. Do you want to explain that to me? Add that to the things I found, and what I think I saw, then I believe there's something out there worth investigating. So, I'm going back in and I want someone with me that speaks Cheyenne."
Kate gives Castle a knowing look telling him she'll have someone meet him.
Day 7
"Right on time," Castle mumbled to himself when spotting the dark green Jeep pull up and park. He was standing at the designated meeting location, Montana Route 21, the spot where the prison transport bus had been forced off the road and rolled down the embankment. The professor got out as did the driver who went to the back and retrieved a large duffle bag. The driver who Castle perceived to be a student brought the bag down giving to Castle who then packed it on the pack mule. The student then turned back toward the Jeep as Kate made for the additional horse Castle had brought along. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" Castle shouted.
"Going with you," Kate replied as she began checking the cinches of the horses saddle.
"This isn't going to be no picnic, doc!" Castle retaliated.
"You said you wanted someone who speaks Cheyenne. Well I'm your best bet, and really only choice," Kate replied climbing into the saddle.
Castle just shook his head, mounted Lady and with the pack mule in tow headed down the embankment to the ravine and into the Oxbow.
They travelled steadily only stopping a couple of times to rest the horses, then as dusk was about to set in they set up camp for the night. Castle started a fire and began preparing supper while Kate filled the canteens with water from the creek.
"What you fixing there, Castle?" she asked capping the last of the canteens.
"Rick Castles wilderness stew," he replied.
"Smells pretty good, what's in it?"
"Rabbit, some mixed veggies and special spices. Here, try some." He handed Kate a spoon with some which she took a bite of. "Good. A little salty for me, but still good," she commented.
"Probably from the rabbit. I can fix that with some additional spices and cooking it a little longer."
After supper they sat around the fire sipping whiskey from a flask Castle brought with him. "It's not mineral water but it will help keep the chill off."
Kate took another sip then handed the flask back. "You're really in your environment out here, aren't you?"
"It runs in the family. My father was a tracker, as was his father. It was only natural that I would follow in their footsteps. So, what about you, Kate? Why Indians?"
"Because I admire them. They are a very proud and self-sufficient people, never asking for anything from others. And it's horrible what our government has done to them, forcing them to live on reservations, indoctrinating them in the white man's ways."
Castle looked at Kate with a new found admiration. "Well, I'll have to agree with you, particularly that last part. But it's late, and we have a pretty hard ride ahead of us tomorrow, so let's get some sleep.
"Goodnight Castle," Kate said as she curled up into her sleeping bag.
"You're not gonna traipse around naked in the morning," he responded with a snicker.
"I'll try to restrain myself," she replied.
End of Chapter