Family Dispute Chapter Six
"Candy? Who is Candy, sweetheart?" Suzanne asked.
"She is my…" Jeremy stopped speaking. He saw Marvin in the doorway behind Suzanne shaking his head no.
Jeremy tried to remember what happened that led to him being here now. He recognized the cabin of course, but who were these people? Why was she calling him Stevie? Maybe the fever was causing him to be forgetful. His headache wasn't helping him any. His best plan was to play along until he could remember what happened.
"Well, sweetheart, who is Candy?" Suzanne asked again.
"I don't know. I guess I was having a bad dream because of my fever, honey. I'm still feeling pretty bad. I need you to take care of me, please." Jeremy answered.
"Of course, I will take care of you, Stevie. You are my husband. That's a woman's responsibility." Suzanne kissed him gently on his lips.
"Thank you for loving me and taking care of me. May I have some of that broth? It smells great." Jeremy said sweetly.
"Certainly, dear. Lie back a bit and I will feed you. I put tiny pieces of rabbit meat in the broth for you." Suzanne smiled.
"That was kind of you, thank you, honey." Jeremy replied.
Jeremy propped up his pillow behind him and placed his head on it. Suzanne fed him slowly and carefully. The broth tasted good, He hoped he wasn't being foolish to eat it since this woman was a stranger. And for some reason she thought, or she was pretending that he was her husband. Jeremy couldn't eat much of the rabbit broth due to his fever. He felt bad. He was burning up and his headache wouldn't go away.
"Honey, the broth is delicious, but I can't eat anymore right now, I'm sorry." Jeremy apologized.
"Stevie, you hardly had any. You must eat to regain your strength. I love you, darling. I wouldn't want to lose you." Suzanne was on the verge of tears.
"You won't lose me, honey. I'll be alright." Jeremy replied.
"No, you won't be alright." Suzanne turned grim.
"What are you talking about?" Jeremy got up slowly from the bed. There was a shotgun in the chifforobe if he could get across the room.
"I'm going to kill you, Jeremy. That's right, I know who you are and I'm not crazy. Stevie was my husband. He was murdered two months ago in a stagecoach robbery. Stevie was the driver. It was his job to protect the money that the robbers wanted. My precious husband died for a stupid box of money!" Suzanne fumed.
"I'm very sorry. But what's that got to do with me? Why do you want to murder me?" Jeremy inched his way to the chifforobe.
"Oh, I'm not going to kill you because of my husband. I'm going to kill you because you murdered my father!" She replied vehemently.
"Your father? Are you talking about N-N-Noah T-T-Todd?" Jeremy asked.
"Yes, J-J-Jeremy, I am." Suzanne laughed at her cruel mockery of his stuttering. "You took away the last person I had in the world. So, I'm going to take you away from your family. Your brothers came by here earlier today searching for you. They seem to love you very much. That's good because the more they love you, the more painful your death will be for them."
"Jason and Joshua were here? I suppose you made sure they didn't come in here." Jeremy frowned.
"I didn't have to make sure. They never tried to look around. They didn't even come inside. Their own cabin and they didn't come in!"
Suzanne laughed again. "Your brothers bought my story about me being a frail little expectant mother with a sick husband without any trouble at all. They even offered to do chores for me before they left!"
"That's the kind of men they are. They will help anyone they can." Jeremy told her. He was almost to the chifforobe.
"Jeremy, do you think I'm blind? I realize you are trying to get to the chifforobe to get the shotgun. I had Marvin search the cabin for weapons when we first got here. The shotgun isn't in there anymore." Suzanne said.
Jeremy sighed. "I didn't want to kill your father. It was self-defense. I only wanted to talk to him about how he hunted me down like an animal to kill me. For some reason he changed his mind and killed a dangerous bear instead of me. But when I went to talk to your father, he got angry and was going to kill me right then. I had no choice but to kill him."
"All I know is that Daddy is dead and you're going to pay with your life. Even though from the looks of you, nature might kill you first. Say, that's an idea! I can let the elements do my dirty work for me. It's cold outside now and it was looking as if we are going to get some rain tonight." Suzanne was pleased with her ominous plan.
"You know they hang women too. If you kill me, my brothers will figure it out. They won't let you get away with it. Tell me something and if you give me the wrong answer, it will be over for both of us very shortly. Did you or Marvin murder Candy?" Jeremy shuddered.
"Why, Mr. Bolt! You are not as chivalrous as your brothers. I can't believe you are accusing me of murdering a lady. No, neither Marvin nor I killed your sweetheart. Marvin made sure she was still breathing before we left your cabin in town." Suzanne answered.
"I'm relieved to know that Candy is alive." Jeremy rubbed his forehead with his fingers. The splitting headache would not go away.
"Marvin! Come take care of Jeremy!" Suzanne yelled.
The ranch foreman had stepped outside to check on the weather. When he heard his boss calling, he came back inside.
"What do you want me to do with him, missus?" Marvin asked.
Jeremy looked Marvin over. He looked strong and sturdy like Jason. His face was somewhat weather beaten. That was to be expected for a ranch foreman who spent his workdays outside. Jeremy knew he could not win in a fight with Marvin. He would try his best, but Marvin would be the victor.
Suzanne walked over to the chifforobe and opened it. She took out some rope, a pair of handcuffs, and a pair of leg irons. She set the items on the dresser.
"Marvin, I want you to take Jeremy out into the woods and tie him to a tree. Put these handcuffs and leg irons on him to make sure he cannot get away. I want you to leave him there to freeze to death." Suzanne explained.
"Missus, when someone finds him like that, it will be too obvious that he was murdered. Don't forget Jeremy's brothers know that you and I are here. We will be the first ones they suspect." Marvin reminded her.
"I understand that Marvin and I don't care. I want it to be glaringly obvious that someone wanted their precious baby brother dead." She gloated. "Take him outside now, Marvin."
Marvin looked imploringly at Mrs. Blackerby. He started to say something, but he changed his mind.
The hired man walked over to Jeremy. The youngest Bolt picked up a chair to hit Marvin. Since he was weak from the fever, he fell to the floor when he tried to swing the chair at the guy's head.
Marvin picked up Jeremy in his arms. Suzanne put the rope, leg irons, and handcuffs in a burlap sack. She toted the sack while Marvin carried Jeremy. They went outside. Marvin laid Jeremy in the back of the buckboard. The horses were already hitched to the wagon.
Jeremy roused a little. "Take me to my parents' graves. Let me die close to them."
"Alright, we will do that, Jeremy. You can rehearse what you are going to say to them when you see them in a short while. And just think, when you see your mom and dad, you won't stutter anymore!" Suzanne said.
"Which way?" Marvin asked.
"Go to the left. Then off the road to the right." Jeremy said weakly. Trying to swing that chair had cost him what little strength he had.
Suzanne followed Jeremy's directions driving the buckboard. Marvin sat in the back holding Jeremy at gun point. Johnny and Maggie Bolt's graves were about one-half mile down the trail. There were two pine trees a few feet behind the Cross markers on the graves.
Marvin tied Jeremy to one of the trees with the rope. Then he handcuffed Jeremy's hands behind him on the back of the tree. After that, he made Jeremy sit down at the base of the tree and he put the leg irons on the youngest Bolt's ankles.
"Thank you, Marvin. You have always been dependable. Stevie liked that about you." Suzanne told him. "Goodbye, Jeremy. Perhaps you won't suffer too long. If you do, I don't care. You're getting what you deserve for murdering my father. I had entertained the idea of hunting you like Daddy did, but with that fever, you wouldn't be able to run two steps. So, this is the best idea, you tied to a tree in the cold freezing to death." Suzanne smiled wickedly.
"My b-b-brothers will g-g-get y-y-you." Jeremy shivered in the cold damp night.
"Missus, maybe we could leave him a blanket or a jacket." Marvin said.
"No, Marvin. He stays out here just as he is wearing his brown plaid shirt, corduroy pants, socks and boots." Suzanne replied.
The two got in the buckboard and headed back to the Bolt home place. Jeremy watched the wagon roll away and wondered how much longer he had to live.
Some time went by. It began to rain a slow steady rain.
Jeremy suddenly heard what sounded like music. He looked at Mom and Dad's graves. He thought he saw them dancing inside the front room of the old cabin. He could hear them talking.
"Oh, Johnny! I'm so happy! Are you happy? Don't frown, darling. The baby and I will be fine just fine. This time will be different, I just know it and you will have three beautiful sons to carry on the Bolt name." Maggie smiled brightly.
"Don't you want a girl, sweetheart? A pretty little girl with your hair and your eyes. A daughter to dress up and teach fine manners to?" Johnny Bolt asked his wife.
"A girl? Phooey! I want another boy. Another son to grow strong and be kind and loving like his father." Maggie kissed Johnny softly on his lips.
"Well, my dearest, we shall see how The Good Lord chooses to bless us." His eyes were shining with tears.
Jeremy was getting colder. He knew that what he was seeing and hearing wasn't real. He wondered how long it had been since he had taken any Laudanum.
Time went by in reality and in Jeremy's hallucination or imagination. Mom and Dad were in their cabin in the bedroom. Mom was in bed. She was crying and upset.
"Johnny, I'm sorry! I thought this time things would be different. I thought everything would be alright. I want our child so much! We can't lose him!" Maggie cried.
Johnny stroked his wife's blonde hair. "Don't fret, dearest. He's a Bolt. He hasn't come this far to be lost to us. He will be fine. It has been long enough for him to be born and stay with us. He's just a wee bit early. He is ready to meet his beautiful mother."
"I love you, Johnny Bolt. I'm blessed to be the mother of your children." She smiled in spite of her tears.
Johnny held his wife's hand and gently kissed her fingertips. "I love you, Maggie Bolt. I'm blessed to be the father of your children. May the Good Lord allow us to grow old together to see the future generation of hale and hearty Bolt boys."
It was getting colder. Jeremy was burning with fever and shivering from the cold. His clothes were getting soaked from the steady rain.
As he continued to look at his parents' graves, Jeremy saw Jason and Joshua as boys in the bedroom with Mom and Dad. Lottie was there too.
Mom and Dad were smiling and laughing as they introduced their two oldest sons to their baby brother, Jeremy Shaddix Bolt. Jason grinned from ear to ear. Joshua frowned. After the introductions, the parents kissed their newborn gently on his head. Mom handed him to Lottie. She took Jeremy and placed him carefully in the family's old cradle which had been their father's when he was a baby. Lottie gave him a tiny kiss and whispered,"We love you, Jeremy."
Jeremy was getting sleepy. He knew he needed to stay awake as long as possible. He prayed that someone might find him before it was too late.
To help him stay awake, Jeremy looked intently at the Cross markers in front of him. He could see himself as a five-year-old child standing by the first of the two graves which was his mother's.
Jason was reading a prayer. Dad was standing between Joshua and Jeremy with an arm around each of them. Jeremy had cried when Jason told him and Joshua that Mom died. Right now, he was too sad to cry. They had put Mom in a box and now her box was in a hole in the ground. Mom was gone forever.
"Son, say Amen." Dad whispered patting his shoulder.
"A-A-A-m-m-m…" Jeremy and Dad looked at each other.
"Son?" Dad was surprised.
Jeremy tried again. He stuttered again. This had never happened to him before. He began to cry. Dad took him into his arms. "Shush, sweet boy, shush. It's alright. You're upset about Mama. It's alright."
Jeremy raised his head from Dad's shoulder. Jason was looking at him with concern and worry in his eyes. Jeremy stretched his arms out to his oldest brother. "J-J-Jason!" It happened again when he tried to say his brother's name. It wasn't just the prayer word that kept him from talking right, it was his brother's name too. Jeremy cried harder as Jason reached and took him from their father.
Jeremy couldn't fight off sleep any longer. He was too tired, too sick, and too cold to try any more. As he fell asleep, he murmured, "J-J-Jason, help."
"I'm here, Jeremy. Thank God, we found you!" Jason said.
Jeremy thought he was still imagining or hallucinating until he felt strong arms and a blanket going around him. He felt himself being lifted from the cold ground. His head fell against his brother's broad chest. Jeremy heard the reassuring bah dum, bah dum, bah dum which was Jason's heartbeat. Jeremy tried to take a deep breath and it caused him to whimper in pain.
"You're going to be alright, Jeremy. Joshua and I have got you now. No one and I mean no one is ever going to hurt you again." Jason whispered as he placed Jeremy in the back of the buckboard with Joshua.
Jason drove the buckboard as fast as he could toward the old cabin. Joshua held Jeremy close to him to give him more warmth.
When they arrived at the old home place, Jason and Joshua got Jeremy inside fast. Jason placed Jeremy on the cot by the fireplace. Candy came rushing from the bedroom with another blanket.
"Jason?" Candy asked.
"Jeremy's alive." Jason answered.
Candy burst into tears. "Thank God! I was so frightened!"
"Candy, Jeremy is very sick. We must see to him quickly or we could still lose him." Jason spoke seriously.
"Yes, I understand, Jason. This is not the time for tears." Candy was trying hard to calm herself.
"Lottie! Please bring us several towels. Josh and I have to get Jeremy into some dry clothes immediately." Jason called to her.
Lottie hurried in with several towels. Jason picked up his brother from the cot and carried him into the bedroom. Joshua followed with the towels.
The two brothers got Jeremy's clothes off and dried him with the towels. They dressed him in long johns, a long johns under shirt and a pair of pants.
Jason placed him on the cot in the front room by the fire once more and heaped blankets on top of him. Candy sat on the side of the cot wiping Jeremy's face with cold wet cloths to bring down his fever. Lottie warmed quilting squares by the fire. She rubbed menthol camphor ointment on Jeremy's chest and then placed a warm quilting square on his chest to help ease the congestion.
On their way back from Clearwater, Jason and Joshua stopped to get Doctor Wright to come with them. She was out of town delivering a baby. They left a note for her to come to their old home as soon as she returned. Jason spoke to Big Swede at the saloon when he and Josh went to get Candy and Lottie to come to the home place. Big Swede agreed to bring the doctor up the mountain. Aaron was in Lottie's. He offered to help. He accompanied the Bolts and the ladies to the old cabin.
While Jason and Joshua went to their parents' graves to rescue Jeremy, Aaron held Suzanne and Marvin at gunpoint.
Knowing that Jeremy was in good hands with Lottie and Candy, Jason and Joshua sat at the table to confront Suzanne Blackerby once again.
"Mrs. Blackerby, I'm going to tell you something. If our brother does not live, I am going to string you up from the highest tree on Bridal Veil Mountain!" Jason bellowed. "The fact that you're a woman won't stop me!"
"Jason, I understand that you are worried and upset about Jeremy, but it might not be in your best interest to be threatening the lady again." Aaron advised as he continued to point his gun at her and Marvin.
Jason stood up from his chair. "I don't care, Aaron! I'm tired of people trying to kill Jeremy as if it's the newest parlor game in town! Aaron, I apologize. I shouldn't have yelled at you. Please forgive me."
"There's no need to apologize, Jason. I understand. I was just thinking when these two go to court for attempted murder, you don't want her saying that you threatened her." Aaron replied.
"Thank you, Aaron. I'm going to sit with Jeremy for awhile." Jason walked across the room and sat down in a chair by the cot.
"He's going to get well, Jason." Lottie patted him on the shoulder.
"I pray so, Lottie. I can't imagine what life would be like without Jeremy and I don't want to find out." Jason stroked his youngest brother's hair.
"Neither do I, Jason." Joshua walked up behind him. He put his hand on Jason's shoulder.
"Jason, you and Joshua haven't told us how you found out where Jeremy was." Candy said. She was seated in a chair at the head of the cot.
"We had looked all over Clearwater and had spoken to lots of people. No one knew anything about Jeremy. Then Josh and I went into the Black Hawk Saloon. We were asking around and one of the ladies employed there approached us when she heard Jeremy's name." Jason explained. "I believe the lady's name was Charlotte."
"That's right, Jason. Charlotte told us that she had overheard a woman a few days ago talking about Jeremy Bolt. She said the conversation caught her attention because the woman was talking about killing Jeremy because he killed her father. The woman said she had lost her husband, Stevie and her father within three months. We knew from what we had heard from Suzanne earlier that she was the woman,Charlotte was talking about." Joshua told them.
"So, we rushed back, and you all heard us threaten Suzanne and Marvin if they didn't tell us where Jeremy was." Jason added.
"When I saw those two, I remembered what happened to me and Jeremy." Candy said. "When we woke up from our nap, Jeremy didn't feel well. He had a fever. We went into the front room. Jeremy sat at the table while I prepared some Willow Bark tea for him. I tried to convince him to go back to bed, but he didn't want to. About the time, I got the tea fixed, the front door burst open. It was that man, Marvin. He just about broke the door off the hinges. Marvin had a gun. Jeremy jumped up from his seat and tried to get to the cedar chest to get the shotgun. But Marvin punched him in the face. Then Marvin grabbed me and held the gun to my head. He told Jeremy he would kill me if he didn't cooperate."
"Of course, Jeremy cooperated." Lottie interjected.
"Yes. Then Mrs. Blackerby came inside the cabin. She told Jeremy that she was going to kill him. I tried to get away from Marvin. That beast told me to be still, or he would kill me. Jeremy yelled at me to do what Marvin said because he was serious about shooting me. So I stood there and watched Mrs Blackerby tie Jeremy's hands behind his back. Then Marvin forced him out of the cabin at gunpoint. When they got Jeremy into the buckboard, Marvin came back in and closed the door."
Candy stopped talking. She bent down and kissed Jeremy's hair.
"Candy, you can tell us the rest later if you want too." Joshua said kindly.
"No, that's alright, Joshua. I'm almost finished. It was just so frightening." She replied.
"I hate to even imagine how scared you and Jeremy were, sweetie." Lottie said tearfully.
Candy nodded at Lottie. "When Marvin closed the door, I thought for sure he was going to kill me. He pointed the pistol at me and then turned it up toward the ceiling and fired it. Jeremy screamed my name from the buckboard. I ran toward the door because I wanted to let him know I was alright. Before I could get to the door, Marvin hit me on the head with the butt of the gun. I woke up later here where Jeremy is now." Candy sighed.
It was getting late. Everyone was tired. Lottie had been wiping Jeremy's face with cold cloths while Jason, Joshua, and Candy were talking. She said his fever had gone down a little. Jason and Joshua said they would sit up with Jeremy. Aaron agreed to keep watch over Mrs. Blackerby and Marvin in one of the bedrooms. Candy and Lottie would sleep in the other bedroom.
After everyone was settled for the night, Jason told Joshua he would sit up with Jeremy first until midnight. Joshua agreed and laid on the sofa to sleep.
Jason made some coffee. He sat by the cot drinking a cup. Jason smiled as he caught himself watching Jeremy breathe. Joshua had teased him about it in the past when their youngest brother was sick or injured.
Jason finished his coffee. Satisfied that Jeremy was breathing alright and resting well, he turned his attention to the fire for a moment. Memories of growing up in this cabin stirred in his mind as he watched the dancing flames. Before long, Jason was asleep in spite of his late cup of coffee.
"Jason! Wake up! Jason!" Joshua shouted.
"What is it, Josh?!" Jason was so startled he almost fell from the chair.
"Jason, Jeremy is gone!" Joshua yelled.
"Gone?" Jason stared at the empty cot.
"And that's not all, Jason. Jeremy took the shotgun with him." Joshua pointed to the open cedar chest across the room.
The two brothers looked at each other in disbelief.
"Great God in Heaven!" Jason prayed.
