Chapter Seventy Nine
"I am looking for a job," the ranch hand from Modesto asked at the bunkhouse. He had rode out at the boss's request from Big Annie's.
"Well come back maybe Friday. Everybody that hires is out of pocket. You can try the hotel site in Stockton or come back," Brahma told him.
"Thanks sir,"
"That's a nice horse for a cowpoke. And a fine saddle."
The young hand frowned for a second, "My brother gave it to me."
Brahma furrowed his brow, "Good sort of brother I guess. Anyhows ain't no one here."
"Thanks again" and the hand rode out of sight.
Butch came around the corner with the boys, "What was that about?"
"Wanting a job. Told him nobody here. Nobody but old Brahma and Ciego, my nursemaid. Mighty fine horse he was riding. I know horseflesh too. Did I ever tell you about that black stallion?"
"Yes sir you did," Butch said abruptly.
He had listened to the old man's stories since he arrived and knew he was in that last stage of life, "reliving the past." It was another reason he respected Nick. Caring for the old man who had served his father well.
But at this moment, his senses were heightened by a visitor to the ranch. The brothers trusted him to keep their family safe and that was what he was going to do.
Brahma started the story anyway and Butch told the boys to listen to him and not leave his sight. He got on a horse bareback and rode stealthily in the direction the man went. He took the shortcut to the main road but couldn't find the man. If the man had ridden at a normal pace, he should have come upon him on the road to Stockton. It didn't set well with him.
He doubled back and went to the bunkhouse. Brahma was still talking and sweeping to the boys.
"Thanks Brahma, come on boys." he spoke softly with urgency, "Up to the house." and he checked his sidearm and consciously checked his boot with his mind for his knife. And his coat pocket for the braided rope.
"What about the quails?" Kai asked.
"Later," in a tone without room for argument.
Butch stopped and told Ciego to be aware and about the hand he found talking to Brahma.
—&—
He found all of the ladies in one place. The rose garden—-it was a warm and humid morning in the valley. Lisette was painting, Anna and Grete stitching hems in the boys pants. Audra was embroidering a handkerchief and Victoria was pruning roses.
She alone arched an eyebrow at Butch and the boy's appearance.
"Want to play some pins?" he asked.
The boys happily agreed to bowl with the Indian; he kept his eyes peeled with all his charges in his eyesight. Ciego came up unseen with his rifle and stayed at the fence line in the trees, watching and keeping the family in his sights.
Victoria kept a quiet watch on Butch and got a glimpse of Ciego in the trees. She excused herself and went for the small pistol in the study desk drawer.
She slipped it in her gardening apron next to her shears, "Just in case."
—-&—
Nick got word from the runner from town, Need you in town. Leave Heath at ranch.
Jarrod sent him a note to come and make sure Heath stayed put at the ranch. He jumped on his horse and left orders with his men at the line shack.
"Glad I sent Heath to the hills for strays. Won't see him and his crew until dusk."
—-&—-
Nick made it out to the hotel construction site after lunch.
Several of Fred's guards were stationed at the property line keeping about twenty of Brother Jehu's followers with shovels and blankets at bay. They had made a makeshift memorial cross and wildflower bundles were starting to were ladies but Cousin Adolf and two elderly men were with them. The women were singing and praying and crying with their hands held high. Cousin Adolf stood to the side with a pained expression and nodded to Nick. He touched his hat at the gesture. He wondered for a moment why Grete's cousin was watching the group.
He rode onto the land and was astonished to see the disarray of the hotel. When he was here several days ago, landscaping was going in, the kitchen and hall were perfectly framed with a pond in the center and a half-built fountain. Now he saw leaning frames around the kitchen, two Barkley timber wagons stuck in the deep mud, the contents of the pond draining onto the grounds making mud and unstable foundations—-buckets sloshing of crappie and several dead fish on the grounds. Armed deputies in waders fishing through the pond with rakes and buckets.
And—Jarrod and a man he recognized as the engineer under a grove of cottonwoods with sleeves rolled up and cigars in their mouth. A small keg of beer was between them and box lunches. They looked frustrated beyond measure.
He tied up his horse at the tree and walked to his brother. He stopped to unstick his boot from the mud.
Nick looked puzzled at them.
Jarrod responded in a strange voice, "Have a beer. You are going to need it. Or we may start on the bottle of whiskey soon."
"What the hell, brother?"
"Hell pretty much describes it."
The engineer laughed at Jarrod and took another drink, "Are you sure Nick? You are going to need it."
"I want to know what's going on."
"Well, where do I start? The little chambermaid at Big Annie's started a rumor that Heath hid Jehu's body in the pond. Fred couldn't stop it and his folks headed out here to dig him up."
He took another sip of beer and continued.
"Deputies stopped them but started poking around. Then Judge Owens, a faithful member of Jehu's church, issued a warrant. They are draining her now. Then the drain got broken by those oxen stuck in the mud —flooded the rest. Men tried to save as many crappie as they could. Then the timber wagon got stuck in the mud and they tried to push it out—-it came out too fast and hit the framing on the kitchen. That about sums up this hell of a day."
"They found his rig and horse about two miles from here in a field. Nothing untoward."
"You forgot the palms." The engineer chuckled in disgust, "four are in the river floating away when they knocked the part of the sea wall down with the oxen."
"Thanks for reminding me," Jarrod chuckled.
Nick sighed, "You two are taking this well."
"The beer helps. This keg was full when we started."
"Do these idiots think our brother is stupid enough to bury a body on our land?"
"Obviously,"
"I would stake my life on the fact that Heath didn't kill that preacher. But iff'n he did—I would bet money we wouldn't be finding a body. He is one smart man."
"Agreed. For what it's worth, Fred doesn't think he did it either."
A crash interrupted the conversation as another side of the kitchen framing fell.
Jarrod shook his head in anger.
The engineer looked over, "Looks like that fountain will be the only survivor today."
"Yep. Pour me another one Jarrod."
And he spilled half of it on Jarrod's pants.