Chapter Seventy Eight
"Sheriff? Found this."
The deputy walked over to the sheriff who was watching the Barkley crew drain the pond on the hotel property. Two Mexicans were scooping the new crappie fish they had dumped yesterday into a net in buckets.
Fred looked over and walked to the grove of trees next to the sea wall.
The deputy handed him a felted wool hat that he found.
"Looks like the one he wore about town " Fred sighed.
"Where did you find it?"
"Sea wall. Some food leftovers there too. And a pair of work gloves."
"Hmmmm they's standard issue at the mercantile. Both of them."
"Anyone found his horse and buggy?"
"No sir."
"Well, the hat in itself could have been planted or lost some day. Let's see what dredging this pond finds us. Jarrod is going to be fit to be tied when he finds out. It's two weeks until Nick's wedding and two months until they are trying to open this place. All over some rumor that wench over at Big Annie's think she heard. I talked to her twice and she changed the story three times. She is touched in the head iff'n you ask me."
"But sir, we did find the hat."
"Yes you did," Fred sighed thinking of the rumors that would be unearthed today and that hat would put a rope around Heath Barkley's neck in some people's eyes. He didn't believe for a second that Heath killed the preacher—-"beat the daylights out of him fer sure" but he wasn't stupid enough to bury him on Barkley property. "And his brother's hotel to boot."
The drain was unearthed at the sea wall and the water was slowly inching down. It would be midafternoon before the bottom of the pond was visible. It had taken two days to fill the pond with a pump from the river in the first place and weeks to dig out the pond and set the drain. A crew had worked on the site from the first day of clearing the land. It had been an undertaking and now the landscaping would be delayed again due to the excavation.
Fred shook his head at the mess his men and the workers were making of scooping crappie, shoveling mud and propping up the pond sides from collapsing into the muck.
"Well hopefully Jarrod won't be too mad iff'n it clears Heath's name."
He pulled out his bandana and dipped it in the clear cool water of the fountain. He sat on the side of it and watched the work. The Mexican stonemason had asked him permission to continue to tile the large structure as the men searched. He gave it. The fountain was set in stone and masonry and intricately done by the craftsman. It was separate and apart from the stock pond.
Two hours later, Jarrod's meeting with the engineer from Sacramento was interrupted by news that the sheriff was disrupting the construction site by emptying the pond. The mud had created havoc with wagons trying to deliver wood to the framers.
He and the engineer rode quickly to the site less than a mile from his office.
"What the hell, Fred?"
"Now Jarrod—let's talk. Sorry about the mess. We will help get it all sorted back right but we have to investigate."
"Investigate what?" Jarrod's voice boomed.
"Hold your horses. Come over here." and he explained the rumor from the young girl and how the parishioners of Brother Jehu were headed over with shovels to dig up the hotel.
"I stopped them but I brought Carlos to translate and the deputies out to check. Interviewed all the men. Heath dropped off pay that morning. Nothing outta the ordinary. Nothing but we have to check Jarrod. You know that."
"Do you have a warrant?" he asked peevishly.
Fred narrowed his eyes, "Will take less than an hour and you know that."
Jarrod let out a few curse words and rubbed the crick in his neck. He was worried about Lisette, Heath, and now the disruption of the construction plan. This would add several days of labor to the crews and set them back.
He explained to the engineer the delay and the rumor.
"Well, let's look around as they work. Before I leave, I will make sure the pitch of the drains are right and aligned with the sea wall. We talked about river levels—-drought and flood seasons."
It reminded Jarrod of the foreman's new addition.
"Come see the fountain. Our head guy figured this out." and he walked the engineer over.
"He surprised me with it Monday and I have to say it makes a lot of sense."
He walked him over and showed him a leg of the drain that ended at the fountain, now covered with stones.
"An emergency cut off. His pump uses forced air to clear the drains in heavy rain. The rest of the time it serves as a fountain."
The engineer inspected the large area and small pipe tied to the underground drain.
"Ingenious, Jarrod—-ingenious. Your man is top drawer. I may take this idea back to the drawing room for the future."
"He said he worked in Mexico City on a project with a safety valve like this. Just did it. Let me introduce you. He is tiling it himself."
Jarrod spoke Spanish and introduced the men. Miguel frowned at the engineer, took the compliments Jarrod translated from Spanish and crossed himself. He immediately went back to work giving an angry glare to the pond draining close to them.
The engineer and Jarrod let him get back to work and they walked to the sea wall.
"Contrary old coot."
"Yes, only speaks usually to Heath. But he's good at what he does and his men listen to him."
"Jarrod, the sheriff's men don't understand drainage. It's going to be worse putting it back together."
"I figure but if it clears my brother from these asinine accusations, it's worth it."
"Let's grab some sandwiches and head back." the engineer suggested. He read the look on Jarrod's face.
"Second thought, I will go get some box lunches and a keg. I will bring them back to you. It's going to be a long evening."
Jarrod just nodded and mouthed "Thank you" as he bit off the end of his cigar and stared at the muddy pond ahead of him.
"Damn."