The Lawman
Page 3
He looked at the door but paused before going in. The last Isaac had seen of his old friend had been two years ago. Not having Lucy come visit was one thing, then having his parents disown him was another, but when Gerald stopped coming, his heart had shattered, as he was now alone in the world with no one he could turn to. After experiencing the ordeal in the courtroom with Everett, he suspected the reason Lucy never came to visit, but there wasn’t anything holding Gerald back, he thought. So why did he stop, and then why have him freed suddenly? He had many questions, and in order to get answers, he needed to find his old friend.
He climbed the steep steps of the building and entered. The cries of babies and howls of aggravated parents hit his ears, followed by a stale odor that sent his senses into overload. He immediately darted up the stairs, skipping every other step until he reached the fourth floor. He hurried to Gerald’s door, passing several curious people in the hallway, who gave him suspicious looks. Standing at the door, he exhaled deeply then rapped on the door.
A voice called out from inside, but Isaac couldn’t make out if it was Gerald.
Straightening out the wrinkles in his stained clothes as best he could, he stood upright, spine stiffened, and waited for whoever he had heard to answer.
The door unlocked and creaked open just a slight bit. A man peeked around the door. “What do you want?”
“Gerald?” Isaac asked.
The man opened the door fully. His eyes were wide with surprise. “Isaac?”
Recognizing his old friend, Isaac replied, “Yes, it’s me.”
“What are you doing here?” Gerald asked, stepping out of the way and inviting Isaac into his small six-hundred-square-foot apartment with a motion of his hand. “Hurry, get inside.”
Isaac stepped across the threshold. He scanned the apartment and instantly took notice that Gerald was apparently living destitute by the amount of garbage and filth that littered the space. “Why?”
Gerald peeked outside to see if anyone was looking but saw the hall was now empty. He closed the door and locked it. Turning around, he scoffed, “What are you doing here?”
“To find answers,” Isaac replied.
“I gave specific instructions for you not to come here. You’ve just escaped prison and now you’re here? You should be heading out of the city.”
“I need to know why?” Isaac said.
“Why what?”
“Why did you stop seeing me then out of nowhere have me released?” Isaac asked.
Gerald scrunched his face and scurried to the small coal stove in the middle of the room. He opened it and tossed in a couple of pieces of coal, then, using a poker, stirred the fiery contents inside. “Sorry it’s so cold in here. I’m a bit short on funds these days,” he said, closing the door. He cinched a blanket around his shoulders tighter and said, “It’s a long story and one I’d rather not be addressing. You need to leave this apartment and the city immediately.”
“No, I need answers.”
“Are you cold?” Gerald asked.
“I’m fine. Now please tell me why you had me released?” Isaac said, bringing the conversation back to his recent escape.
“It was the right thing to do,” Gerald replied before heading to a tiny table butted up against the wall. “Can I offer you something to eat, a piece of bread maybe?”
“No, Gerald, I don’t want anything to eat,” Isaac replied.
“Then something to drink? I have some brandy or maybe a glass of port?” Gerald said, snatching two bottles from a shelf and heading back to the main living space, where two chairs sat.
“Why didn’t you come back?” Isaac asked point-blank.
Gerald set the bottles down and mumbled something unintelligible.
“Two years,” Isaac said, reminding Gerald of the time since he’d last seen him. “I thought the worst had occurred to you, that maybe you’d died.”
“Almost died would be the correct thing to say,” Gerald said, pouring a glass full of brandy and swigging it. He wiped his mouth using his sleeve and poured another glass full.
“Is that why?” Isaac asked.
Putting the glass to his lips, Gerald answered, “No, that’s not why.”
“Then tell me; you owe me that much,” Isaac said.
Gerald tossed the glass back, turned and replied, “I was told in no uncertain terms not to see you again. And if I did, I could possibly lose my position at the shipyards.”
Isaac gritted his teeth and seethed. “It was him, right?”
“I don’t know who did what, but when the foreman warned me to stay away from the prison and you, I had to, you must understand,” Gerald pleaded, a look of agony written all over his face.
“I understand completely,” Isaac said. “But why risk it all to help me escape?”
“Like I said, it was the right thing to do,” Gerald answered. He lifted the bottle of brandy and said, “Are you sure you won’t take a glass, it’s quite good.”
Isaac waved off the drink and answered, “Where is she?”
“You won’t find her in the city. She’s gone,” Gerald said.
“Where is she?” Isaac asked.
“I read in the paper…” Gerald said but cut himself short for fear that what he’d say would upset Isaac.
“Go on,” Isaac urged.
Taking a seat in one of the chairs, Gerald looked down at the floor and said, “She was married to a man, a businessman who had some affiliation with her father, about a year after you were imprisoned.”
“And you chose not to tell me during one of your visits?” Isaac asked angrily.
“I didn’t think you needed to hear that. For Christ’s sake, Isaac, you were living in hell already; I thought telling you would only make your emotional state worse. I thought the worst, that you might hurt yourself or even, God forbid, kill yourself,” Gerald explained.
Isaac instantly thought about the time he had tried to end his own life.
“You look well…enough,” Gerald said.
“Why did this happen to me?” Isaac asked himself, his head now buried in his hands.
“You know why,” Gerald said.
“I know why, but why would God do this to me? Is he testing me? Why torture me? Have I done something wrong? Do I deserve this?” Isaac said, asking the same questions that he’d asked himself over and over during the last four years.
“I don’t think God had anything to do with this; sounds more like the devil, if you ask me,” Gerald replied.
“You said she isn’t in the city. Where is she?” Isaac asked, lifting his head from his hands and looking directly at Gerald.
“Out west, her husband purchased a silver-mining town. Can you believe that? The man is so rich he bought an entire town.”
“Where?” Isaac asked.
“A mining town in Nevada—”
“What’s the name of the town?” Isaac asked, interrupting Gerald.
“I can’t quite remember,” Gerald said.
“Think hard.”
“Why? Are you planning to go there? And if so, why would you do that? She’s married, Isaac, don’t be a fool,” Gerald said.
“I need to know. She owes me that,” Isaac answered, his tone filled with spite.
“She might owe you, but do you honestly think she’ll tell you? Her husband will have you arrested or, worse, killed. He’s a rich and powerful man,” Gerald blared.
“I don’t care, my life is gone. I can no longer practice law, as the state bar has revoked my license. I’m ruined. My parents have disowned me, and for a while I even thought my best friend had given up on me,” Isaac said.
“I told you what happened. What would you expect me to do?” Gerald asked.
Looking around the apartment, Isaac asked, “Have you lost your job?”
“No, but the shipyard has cut back my hours. If you haven’t heard, we’re in an economic recession; things are bad. Some say the economy could collapse,” Gerald replied.
“I�
��m sorry to hear that, and, no, I hadn’t heard about what’s happening in the country. I didn’t get much in the way of news while imprisoned,” Isaac said.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Gerald said, referring to his earlier question about why Isaac would go out west to find Lucy.
“I need to know. I need to see her again, just once more,” Isaac said, his tone now shifting to sadness.
“You still love her, don’t you?”
“I never stopped though I had some dark moments. I just feel that it was her father; he orchestrated this entire thing all because he didn’t want us to marry. He had me put in prison, and if I were a betting man, I’d guess he prevented her from seeing me.”
“Or maybe she thought you were a criminal,” Gerald said.
“Regardless, there’s nothing for me in New York. I want to go out west. There I can start a new life,” Isaac said. “And who knows, maybe she still loves me. Maybe we have a chance.”
“Don’t be a damn fool. You have one thing correct, there’s nothing here for you, and there’s nothing more I can say that will bring you solace. I need you to leave, not because I want you to go, but because they may find you the longer you linger.”
“Now tell me, where is she?” Isaac asked, sensing that Gerald knew the specific town.
Gerald sighed loudly and said, “A town called Bane. I don’t know where it is specifically. All I know is it’s a silver-mining town.”
“And who is her husband?” Isaac asked.
“A Mr. Mortimer Corrigan, by all accounts I’ve heard, he’s a decent man,” Gerald answered.
“Lucy Corrigan, hmm,” Isaac mused.
“This is a mistake. I shouldn’t have told you anything,” Gerald growled.
“I need a horse if I’m to make the journey,” Isaac said, ignoring Gerald’s last comment.
“You’re really going no matter what I say?”
“You’ve known me your entire life, you know I’m going,” Isaac said.
“Then take the train,” Gerald said.
“I thought about that, but I’ll need a horse once I get to Missouri…”
“Take the Transcontinental Railway, it goes from coast to coast. They’ve just opened it up,” Gerald said, informing Isaac of the monumental transportation achievement.
“There’s a train that goes from one side of the country to the other?” Isaac asked.
“Yes, there is; isn’t it marvelous?” Gerald said, smiling.
“Where do I catch it?” Isaac asked.
“That I don’t know, but I’m sure you can find out easily,” Gerald said. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“I’ve never been surer of myself. I need to go see her; then after, I’ll find a new place to live, under an alias. I’ll begin anew.”
Gerald got to his feet and shuffled to the shelf where he’d gotten the bottles of brandy and port. He took a jar down, opened it, and removed a wad of cash. He turned to Isaac and said, “There’s one hundred fifty-five dollars here.”
“I can’t take your money,” Isaac said, waving him off.
“Take it. If you’re to take that train, you’ll need it, and you’ll need to buy a horse once you get there, some new clothes and even a firearm,” Gerald said, sticking the cash in Isaac’s face.
“I won’t take the last of your money,” Isaac said.
“This isn’t the last. I have other jars in here,” Gerald answered.
“Then why live like this if you have all this money?”
“I’ve always been one who saved my money; plus most of it came from my parents’ estate,” Gerald explained.
“Your parents are dead?”
“Unfortunately, yes, they are. They died of typhoid last year and left me with a little over six hundred dollars after I had a plot of their land sold off. I still own the house and plan on moving there later on, but until then it sits. I’d move back to Albany, but there’s no work there for a cripple like me,” Gerald said, referring to his deformed leg. “So take it. I’ve got more to live off of.”
“But the economy? You’re only working half the time you used to,” Isaac said.
“Economies go up and down, this recession won’t last forever, and as you can see, I live frugally,” Gerald said, motioning around the sparsely decorated and furnished apartment.
Knowing he needed the money, Isaac took it and said, “Consider it a loan. I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”
“It’s not a loan—”
“It is a loan and I’ll pay you back,” Isaac insisted.
“If that’s what you need to tell yourself so you’ll take it, then fine. I consider it payment for being a horrible friend the last two years,” Gerald said.
Isaac got to his feet and embraced Gerald. “You’ve always been a dear friend. I understand why you stopped coming, and you paid it all back and then some for having me broken out. I have to say that was easier than I thought it would be.”
“It wasn’t easy to coordinate,” Gerald said.
“I have you to thank; otherwise I would have rotted in there for another sixteen years,” Isaac said.
“Can I say anything to convince you to stay away from her?” Gerald asked.
“I’m afraid not,” Isaac said. He pocketed the money and headed for the door.
“Will I ever see you again?” Gerald asked.
“I’m not sure. I’d like to think so. If things don’t work out, maybe I’ll go overseas, to the Orient or the Caribbean.”
“I like the sound of that,” Gerald said.
“Take care, my friend,” Isaac said.
“Take care,” Gerald said.
Isaac opened the door, turned and said, “I’ll try to stay in contact, so look for a letter sometime in the near future.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Gerald said with a smile. “And do stop by a tailor shop along the train ride west.”
“Why?” Isaac asked.
“I think you’re due some new clothes,” Gerald said, pointing at Isaac.
Isaac looked down at his old clothes and said, “Good idea.”
“Goodbye, my friend,” Gerald said.
“Goodbye,” Isaac said then stepped out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.
CHAPTER TWO
OCTOBER 21, 1869
CORRIGAN MINING COMPANY OFFICE, BANE, NEVADA
Mortimer jumped to his feet when one of the deputies burst through the door, blood streaming down his face. “Mr. Corrigan, Mr. Corrigan!” the deputy howled.
“Deputy Wallace, what’s the matter?” Mortimer asked, his face showing concern.
“Sir, they’re dead. They killed them…all,” Wallace blared.
“Killed them all? Who? What are you talking about?” Mortimer asked.
“Those bandits, they killed the other deputies. It was horrible,” Wallace replied.
“Where?”
“Outside town. We had gathered some credible information that they were planning to hijack a shipment of silver headed to Carson City. We’ve lost it all, everything, the silver, everything, and all the other deputies are dead.”
“They’ve taken the silver shipment?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Didn’t Deputy Mace hire some security for the shipment?” Mortimer asked. Mace had been the new deputy in charge until the new sheriff arrived.
“He did, sir. We had the deputies assist in riding out with the shipment, and we had another five men, all heavily armed, but they ambushed us and killed the deputies and all the hired security.”
“You’re telling me these bandits killed eight well-armed men?” Mortimer asked, shocked by the news.
“That’s correct, sir,” Wallace replied.
Mortimer could feel the weight of despair and defeat hanging on him. He slowly sat back in the chair and looked at the papers lying there. “The silver, it equaled…” he said but paused before uttering the words of the true value of the loss he’d just experienced.
“I need you to go and recruit additional men. We can’t let the town be taken over and become lawless again. It’s too important; I have someone special coming out to visit soon. We can’t let news of the hijacked shipment to also get out. Do you understand?” Mortimer asked.
“How am I supposed to keep that quiet? We both know that it was all Wilkes’ men,” Wallace said, confirming to Mortimer that Wilkes was the number one suspect behind all the troubles.
“Just do as I ask. As it pertains to Quincy Wilkes, I’ll have a word with him concerning this. It’s about time I have a formal sit-down with him,” Mortimer said.
Wallace stood staring at Mortimer and waited for further instructions.
“Go, do as I said. Go find some additional men to hire, and make sure we keep the streets of my town safe,” Mortimer barked.
Wallace turned and rushed off.
When the door shut, Mortimer lowered his head and placed it in his hands. He was now faced with having to deal with the one man everyone believed was behind the bandits and all the robberies, a man by the name of Quincy Wilkes. Wilkes was the owner of several businesses in town, and his reputation as a hardnosed cutthroat preceded him. The troubles in and outside of town began after his arrival; however, no one could prove it, nor did anyone have evidence. With a major shipment of silver being stolen, this elevated Wilkes’ operation and now made him not just a nuisance but a real threat to the future of the town and Mortimer’s investment. It was one thing to have food or wares stolen, but silver—that was something that could destroy his enterprise there and prevent him from securing the additional funds from Mr. Wagner, who he had scheduled to come out in eight days’ time.
Mortimer looked up at a calendar on the wall and saw the date. He needed his new sheriff more than ever. If Mr. Travis’ letter was correct, he’d be in town within four days, and hopefully he’d bring with him the ability to temper this rowdy town and finally stop the bandits and robberies.
He stood up, determined to face Wilkes and deal with it in his own way. Grabbing his hat and coat, he stormed out of the office.