Winter's Refuge
Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Seven
HEYES
Turns out we were able to find Dr. Oliver and his bride easily and we caught the earlier train. I was surprised by a familiar voice as we walked through the passenger car looking for two seats together.
"Heyes, Miss Chrissy, how nice to see you. Come join me, there's two seats opposite me," said Colin Apperson, the governor's aide and nephew.
As we made ourselves comfortable opposite him, I was suddenly nervous. Something was wrong. He got right into the purpose of his trip.
"Terrible thing about Stanley, isn't it," he said, shaking his head.
Alarmed, I put my hand on Chrissy's arm, leaned forward and asked, "What happened?"
"OH, you don't know. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but he's in Sheriff Birde's jail," Colin answered.
I leaned back in my seat and made my expression blank. If I get emotional, so will Chrissy and I need to hear what happened and how Rocky ended up in jail. "What are the charges?" I asked.
"Parole violations, and a charge of theft from one of the customers in the blacksmith shop. He took money from a horse's saddlebags when he was shoeing him. I'm sorry, but I'm probably going to have to end his parole and send him back to prison."
Chrissy sniffled next to me and searched in her pocketbook for her handkerchief. But something was sounding the alert in the back of my mind. I think Rocky's father had been charged with the same thing. "What's the name of the man he is supposed to have stolen from?" I asked.
"Not sure of his name but he claims the boy took one thousand dollars and wants Phoenix to make it right," Colin spoke softly so our conversation stayed between the three of us. "Theory is the boy stole the money, violated his parole by leaving the ranch and going into Three Birds unsupervised, got someone to buy him a bottle of whiskey saying Jed had sent him in for it, and got drunk. Sheriff's new deputy found him walking out of town, the opposite direction from Phoenix. He punched the deputy when he arrested him. Gave him one hell of a shiner from what I hear." He looked at Chrissy. "Sorry for the language, ma'am."
"I can't believe that Rocky would steal money like that," I said.
"Glad we met. We can go into Three Birds together and talk to Sheriff Birde." Colin seemed relieved.
"First, need to go by Phoenix and get Chrissy home. We have horses waiting in Bridgeport for us..."
"I'll rent a horse there and ride with you."
JED 'KID' CURRY
The train ride in the stock car to Yuma was hot and smelly. I left the door open and stood in the doorway all the way rather than sit down. I can feel where the sharp rocks cut my back when I fell. Seein' that prison fade into the distance and disappear felt good…except I'd left a good friend there to suffer through a decade more of imprisonment. It hadn't changed him yet that I could tell except to get him to stop drinking. But I'm sure it will…prison always wins.
We had a twelve-hour stopover in Yuma before the train left so we got a room and went to a bathhouse there. I needed to get the smell and sweat of that place off me. Preacher and Paddy had a private discussion before we left that both kept private. It seemed to reassure Preacher but leave Paddy shaken. I'll ask him tonight if it's somethin' he wants to talk about.
The closest place to eat to our hotel that time of day was one of the many saloons. As we walked there, Paddy asked, "Lom, I know you don't drink. Would it bother you if I had a shot of whiskey with our dinner? Seen a lot today."
"Fine with me. Go right ahead, Paddy. Is it still Paddy or should we go back to Father Patrick?" Lom responded.
"Paddy's fine. I don't hear it enough anymore."
I could tell by Lom's voice he meant what he said. "Kid, I'm fine if you have one, too."
"I'll get the drinks and it looks like they have bowls of beef stew. You two get a table," I told them.
I carried the drinks, but a pretty blonde saloon girl smiled at me and insisted on carryin' the tray with the stew.
I smiled back and told her, "I'm married, ma'am, and I'm true to my wife." She gave a pretty sigh.
As she served the stew to Paddy, she said, "I see wedding rings on your friends but not you. How about a trip upstairs after you eat?" She brushed her bosom against Paddy's head and rubbed his arm. "I'll see that you enjoy it."
He looked straight ahead, his eyes dartin' from me then Lom. Finally, he said, "You're very beautiful, miss, but I'm afraid I've made vows, too, and I intend to keep them."
She sighed. "Well, your wives would never know if you did. Let me know if any of you handsome men change your mind."
"Don't think so," I told her and gave her a generous tip on the now empty tray.
When she was gone, Paddy lowered his voice. "Go ahead, laugh, I can see you both want to."
With a small laugh, I shook my head. "Just appreciatin' the well worded reply."
HEYES
I questioned Colin but he didn't know anything more. None of the things he said sounded like Rocky. I wished the Kid was going to be at Phoenix when I got there, but knew he was probably just leaving the Yuma prison. But maybe it was better that he didn't know. Maybe I can do something about it.
At Phoenix, Chrissy hugged the little girls before going upstairs to check on the napping little twins. I asked Auntie and Angie what was going on with Rocky. They could not tell me much more than Colin. When Juan came in, he told me he didn't remember Rocky shoeing any horses, much less a big gray, that day. That gave me an idea. At least I had something to do that might help.
"Come on, Colin, let's go to the blacksmith shop. We got something to do, and you are going to be my witness," I told him.
"Can Auntie and I help?" asked my darling wife. And Juan volunteered himself and Vince.
I looked at all these people who wanted to help Rocky and I smiled. Whatever happens, we'll make sure Rocky knows he's got our support. "Juan, can use your help. Auntie, maybe you could put together some food for Rocky. I know he'll be fed, but that boy's always hungry."
ASJ*****ASJ
While I looked through the work log in the Blacksmith shop, I watched Colin and Juan inventory the horseshoes. I told Colin how many horseshoes were there before the Kid left. Rocky doesn't write very well, but he has the customers print their name in the log and he knows how to spell his colors so enters what color the horse is and how many shoes he used. There were only two entries. Both were names I knew, and they totaled 3 shoes. Both horses were black.
When Colin and Juan were finished, I had them recount them once more to be sure. Then I called Colin over to review the log with me. He gave me the count of remaining horseshoes. Only three were missing.
"Is this man that claims Rocky stole from him while shoeing his horse still in Three Birds?" I asked.
Juan answered, "The sheriff asked him to stay until Mr. Apperson came, in case you had any questions."
I went over to the pile of horseshoes and picked up the top one. "Want to show you something. The Kid doesn't tell no one, but he puts his mark on each horseshoe he makes." I studied the shoe until I found it. "See this tiny C with a Colt? That's Kid's mark."
"May I take one of these into town?" Colin asked, squinting to see the tiny mark. He picked up another and satisfied himself the mark was there. "I'll even mark the book that I took one for evidence. Does every blacksmith do this?"
"Don't know. Kid said that the blacksmith books Lom sent him said that the best smithies always took pride in their work and marked it."
JED 'KID' CURRY
We was surprised when Paddy joined us at the poker table. He smiled at me and whispered, "Learned to play poker when I was five from an uncle that was in the navy. I enjoy it. Don't really have the opportunity to play much anymore. The good ladies of Three Birds get in a huff if they look in the saloon and see me playing."
"Well, now that you know me and Heyes, we'll invite you to play when we're in town."
Out of habit, I was alert, on guard, while we played poker, but I didn't recognize any of the men in the room as threats. Yet, I was jumpy and, after an hour or so, I threw in my cards and picked up my winnings. "Done for the night, fellas." I threw some coins on the table. "Buy another round of drinks on me."
I was surprised when Lom and Paddy did the same. When we got outside, Lom asked, "Kid, you alright?"
I started to say 'I'm fine,' but those words used to just add to my depression. And I promised these two to be honest. "Prison got to me. Tearin' at me inside, even now that I'm miles away from it. Couldn't sit still any longer."
Paddy had more drinks than me and he slapped me hard on the back. He didn't notice that I stumbled forward a bit. My back's healin', but I got new cuts from when I flew on the mountain so a slap like his hurts. "Jed, you play an impressive game of poker!" Paddy said to me.
Lom was watchin' me, waitin' for an answer. And I had a positive one ready. "Heyes taught me real good."
We laughed and for a second that darkness that was tryin' to get me disappeared. But in the quiet of our room, when my friends were asleep, the pain in my back hurt and the despair came back. I got up and sat in a chair and leaned forward, elbows on the table with the lamp low and tried to read. But this was a book I had first read in the railroad camp. I fell into a nightmarish sleep of shackles and hot sand and little water, and the feelin' of the whip across my back. I couldn't stop the pain. "OWW!" I screamed in my dream.
"Jed, Jed, wake up! You're dreaming," Father Patrick said urgently. Why was he at the prison railroad camp?
"Kid, open your eyes," demanded Lom, and I felt him pull the book out from beneath my head.
Blurry eyed, I looked around the room. Lom was beside the table with a worried look on his face. "That must have been some dream," he said. "About the prison?"
"Worse, the prison railroad camp," I answered, still tryin' to shake the dream out of my thoughts.
Father Patrick was slightly behind me and had fallen silent. When I looked at him, he said, "Jed, you're bleeding through your shirt by your shoulders."
HEYES
Colin took a horseshoe and the blacksmith log and put them in his saddle bag. "Good thinking, Heyes. This might clear the stealing charge, but I'm afraid the parole violations will send him back to prison for at least six months. If he keeps his nose clean, he can come back here, if Jed is still willing to sponsor him. Sheriff thought stealing the money was what started him to break his parole. Now we don't have a reason."
"I'm sure Rocky will have one," I answered, with more confidence than I felt. Colin had lifted the shackled at night codicil when he was here last time and Rocky was doing so good. "If we agree to shackle him at night again, can that six be reduced to three months?" I asked. But even a return of three months to prison was enough to break a young man like Rocky.
"Maybe bring it down to four, depending on what he tells us. Still thinking of recommending six," Colin answered.
We were quiet all the way to Sheriff Birde's office in Three Birds. The door was open and a deputy I didn't recognize was sitting behind his desk reading…with a very noticeable black eye.
"Gentlemen," he said. "I'm Deputy Bill Preston. Can I help you?"
Colin walked to the desk to introduce us and shake his hand, but I was drawn to the wooden door that led to the cells. I knew Rocky was in there. But I couldn't see inside so gave Colin my attention.
"Colin Apperson, from the Wyoming Governor's office, and this is Hannibal Heyes. We're looking for Sheriff Birde."
Deputy Preston slid the book he was reading under a wanted poster with a guilty look, but I caught a look and saw he was reading a dime novel. "Hannibal Heyes?" he said, with hero worship in his tone.
"Nice to meet you, Deputy Preston. Where's the sheriff?" I asked. I want to get in there and talk to Rocky.
"Giving the prisoner his dinner. Should be out any minute," he told me, just as the wooden door opened and Frank came out. I tried to look around him to get a glimpse of Rocky, but Frank blocked me.
"Boy's got a helluva hangover. Let him sleep a while longer," Frank told me with a solemn look.
"Never known him to touch alcohol," I said.
Frank noticed Colin. "I remember you, Mr. Apperson; you're the governor's aide."
"Yes, sir. Is there somewhere the three of us could talk in private?" Colin asked.
"Deputy go do a round of the town. And don't come back here until I leave the door open," Frank ordered, as he gestured us to the two seats in front of his desk. He listened attentively to Colin as he presented the evidence we had gathered at the blacksmith shop. He locked the log, our count, and the horseshoe in his safe. "Let's go talk to Norman Honmeyer," he said. He stood and opened the door and Preston was there quickly.
"You see Honmeyer while you were chicking the town?" Frank asked, looking down the street.
"In the saloon, sir."
"Good Deputy, come with us," he said, walking with purpose out the door.
"Mr. Honmeyer," Frank called, as we found the man in the saloon. "A moment, please."
"What more can I do for you, Sheriff. I gave you my statement," Honmeyer answered. He smiled but there was something slick about this man I didn't like.
"This is Colin Apperson, from the Wyoming Governor's office, and Mr. Heyes, representing Phoenix," Frank explained. He didn't introduce his deputy.
"Ah, Mr. Heyes, I do expect you to make good the money your employee stole from me," Honmeyer said indignantly.
"I don't believe theft has been established yet," I said with a courteous smile.
"Mr. Honmeyer, we'd like to see your horse. Is he at the livery?" Colin's tone was all business, and the man didn't like it.
"Yes, he's at the livery, but why do you want to see him? It's getting late. I was going to go get dinner," Honmeyer complained to Frank.
"Just tying up all the loose ends. You know the judge will be here tomorrow," Frank answered, friendly-like. He put his arm on the man's shoulder as if they had been friends for years. "Let's go see that horse and I'll treat you to dinner afterwards. How does that sound, my friend?"
The man smiled at Frank. "Sounds good to me. Think I'd enjoy having dinner with a Sheriff and Hannibal Heyes."
At the livery, Honmeyer found his horse in the third stall, happily eating a bucket of oats. "This here beauty is Gray Amber."
"Gray Amber?" I asked.
"Yeah, heard gray amber was in real expensive-like perfumes and I liked the sound of it," he boasted.
"Which shoes were replaced?" asked Colin. He wasn't interested in chatting about the horse's name. He wanted to get down to business.
"Let's see. It was the two on the left."
Sheriff Birde lifted Gray Amber's front left leg and examined the new shoe, showing it to me, then Colin and the deputy. He did the same with the rear leg. We leaned in closely. It was a shoddy job of shoeing. Rocky takes pride in his work. The Kid wouldn't trust him to shoe horses until he did it to his standards, and those standards are high. And the Kid's mark was not on either shoe. Instead, there was an X near the back of each of them.
"Thank you, Mr. Honmeyer," the sheriff said. "Think we need to get some things cleared up before the judge comes. Where was this horse shoed?"
"You know where, Sheriff."
Colin took over. "For the record, Mr. Honmeyer, where was this horse shoed?"
"Told you at Phoenix by that boy that stole my thousand dollars," Honmeyer said, but a hint of nerves was in his voice.
"This horse was not shoed there. It does not bear the mark of the blacksmith there. So, I will ask you again, where was the horse shoed?" Colin had taken a threatening step toward the bigger man, but his question intimidated him.
"Ahh…it was shoed at Phoenix by that thief Stan Rocke's son," Honmeyer blurted out. Colin stepped closer, backing him against the stall wall but not saying anything. He glared at the man.
"Alright, outside Laramie. But that boy stole my money just the same," Honmeyer said.
Now that he had admitted that Rocky hadn't shoed the horse, I took over the questioning. "Was it YOUR money, Mr. Honmeyer?" I asked, trying to sound casual. The man was nervous, looking for a way to escape, but the four of us had him surrounded.
Deputy Preston's hand wavered above his gun.
"No, not really. Belongs to the owner of the ranch I work at. Delivering it for him in payment for some cattle…but it was in my care, so I said it was mine." He was near whining.
"Mr. Honmeyer, are these your saddlebags?" I asked, pointing to them half covered by straw in the corner of the stall.
Now the man was sweating. "No, never saw them before," he said, and we all knew he was lying.
Frank went over to the half-buried saddlebags. "Then you don't mind if I look in them, if they're not yours."
Honmeyer's eyes grew wider. We were all looking at Frank as he withdrew a stack of bills from the saddlebags and counted it. "One thousand dollars exactly," he said.
"That boy must have felt guilty and returned it. But he stole it. He's a thief, just like his pa," the trapped man declared.
"Sir, how do you know his pa's name and that he was a thief?" asked our deputy.
"Er..read it in the paper. Recognized the name when he introduced himself when I stopped for directions at Phoenix. He and that other guy must have stole the money then." The man was grasping for reasons.
"Other guy?"
"Yeah, Chris something. He was bringing mail out there."
Colin leaned closer. "False accusations will land YOU in prison, sir. Did you get off Gray Amber when you asked for directions?"
Suddenly the man looked resigned, sullen. "No."
I stepped toward the man and found my outlaw voice. "Mr. Honmeyer, I think we have settled that you did not get your horse shoed at Phoenix. The boy did not steal the money and the money has been recovered. Is that right?"
He nodded.
"Then I propose you go over to the sheriff's office right now and withdraw your complaint before he charges you with filing a false claim. Tell him your boss's name. Then take your boss's money and go pay for his cattle. The deputy here will follow up with your boss that you did just that. Do you understand?" I was direct and I knew I sounded strong, in command of the situation.
"Yes, sir. All a mistake. I'll do that right now, sir," he said following the deputy out of the livery.
Frank let out a big sigh of relief just as Gray Amber released some gas.
I looked at Frank and Colin with a smile. "You know that gray amber he was talking about to make perfume? I remember reading it comes from the vomit of some whale," I told them. The quick laugh was stopped by the serious look on Colin's face.
"Well, I'll see that the robbery charges are erased, but there's still the issue of his parole violations. If he didn't leave Phoenix because he stole the money, why did he do the things he did?"
"And how did he know about Rocky's pa?" Deputy Preston answered. "I didn't believe his reason that it was in the paper."
Colin's somber words upset me. I need to do something to help Rocky…but what?