Jake

by C. J. Petit

  Dave had already been gone a week, so he could be almost anywhere by now, but Jake didn’t believe that he’d left the territory yet. He was also convinced that he didn’t take the road south to Meagher County. One of the few things that Jake knew about Dave’s past was that he seemed more familiar about the land west of Fort Benton than the south. It was only a few comments Dave made when the foreman had talked about Woman’s Breast. Teenage boys remember those things.

  He soon reached the town and pulled up before Redmond’s Funeral Parlor. Most of the businesses in town were already closed for the day, but he knew the mortuary would be open.

  After entering the office side of the mortuary, Jake had to wait for a couple of minutes before Mister Redmond stepped out of his back room. Jake hadn’t just stood idly by the desk waiting but had taken a sheet of paper and written his instructions.

  So, when the mortician appeared, Jake held out the paper and said, “I wrote down all of the instructions and what I’d like on the memorial stone. I told the men that we’d have a memorial service at three o’clock tomorrow afternoon. Is that alright?”

  “We’ll be ready. Do you want me to notify a minister to be there?”

  Jake shook his head as he replied, “No. My father wasn’t a religious man.”

  Isiah quickly read Jake’s instructions then said, “We’ll take care of everything. You can settle the bill when you have the time. I already found the slug and sent it to the sheriff.”

  “Thank you.”

  As the mortician returned to the embalming room, Jake walked through the front door, then untied Mars, mounted and turned him toward the jail. The sheriff might have gone home already, but Jake hoped he would still be there so he wouldn’t have to ride to town in the morning.

  He spotted the sheriff’s horse tied at the hitchrail near the jail, and soon dismounted and tied off Mars beside him. He entered the sheriff’s office and found Arv Zendt at his desk writing. He assumed his two deputies had already gone home for the day.

  The lawman looked up and said, “I was going to leave after I finished writing my report if you didn’t show up. Glad you could make it.”

  Jake was removing his hat as he stepped to the desk and replied, “I appreciate that you waited, Arv. Isiah said that he sent the slug over.”

  As Jake sat in front of the desk, the sheriff said, “It’s a .44, so that doesn’t help much. I stopped by and told Mister Jones and he’ll issue a warrant for Dave’s arrest for murder tomorrow morning. I’ll send out wires to all the law offices in the territory with a description. Can you add anything that will help them find Dave?”

  “Sure. I’ll write it down while you finish your report. Can my statement wait for a couple of days?”

  “That’s not a problem now that we’ll be issuing that warrant.”

  Jake nodded as he slid a sheet of paper from the sheriff’s box and snatched one of the pencils from a Mason jar. He didn’t include anything about Dave’s personal appearance because Arv could handle that on his own. He did add the description of the two horses he’d taken, including the distinctive gray gelding that looked like General Bobby Lee’s famous horse. As a warning, he added that Dave was carrying a long-range rifle that had an effective range of a thousand yards.

  The sheriff was still writing his report when Jake slid his short addendum across the desk.

  Arv stopped writing, picked up the paper and when he reached Jake’s last line, his eyebrows peaked.

  “He took one of your father’s long guns? It was that British rifle; wasn’t it?”

  Jake nodded as he replied, “The Martini-Henry. It’s a nice gun, but I liked the Sharps better, so I took it with me. I figured if anyone did find him, then they’d like to know that they were probably outgunned.”

  “You got that right. Let me ask you something. If we don’t find him after a while, do you want to put a price on his head? It would attract bounty hunters if it’s big enough.”

  “I already thought about that, but let’s give it a couple of weeks. I don’t believe that he left the territory yet and I’d lay odds that he headed west rather than east or south.”

  “Do you think he was trying to ambush you?”

  “No. But he seemed more familiar with that part of the territory and if he was worried about being chased, he’d know what to expect ahead of him.”

  The sheriff nodded and said, “I’ll make sure that my counterpart down in Helena is aware that his county is the most likely place for Dave to hide.”

  Jake stood shook the sheriff’s hand and said, “Thanks for your help, Arv. I’m going to head back to the ranch. I have my new bride at home, and I feel as if I’ve neglected her.”

  Arv smiled and watched Jake leave the jail. He was surprised and pleased that Jake was able to recover so quickly. He was even more pleased that he had let the law find Dave Forrest. Of course, the law wasn’t interested in pursuing his missing father, so Jake had to do it. It was just a horrible place to find him.

  He spent another ten minutes finishing his report before he blew out the lamp and left the jail.

  _____

  The summer sun was setting when Jake turned down the Elk’s access road. He could see light streaming from the ranch house’s windows and smoke drifting from the cookstove pipe.

  While the sheriff may have been pleased with Jake’s rapid return to normal behavior, Jake wasn’t. He knew how angry and saddened he was when he learned of his mother’s death and how distraught he’d been when he first stood by her grave. Aside from the nausea and shock he’d experienced when he’d discovered his father’s hidden burial site, he hadn’t felt any measure of grief. He knew it wasn’t just because he was numbed by the realization of what lay below the pine-covered ground. It was because he had spent so many years believing his father to be a cold, heartless man and simply didn’t feel any sense of loss.

  Yet Mrs. Kemper didn’t see him that way, and she didn’t spend nearly the amount of time with him that Jake had. He suspected that the ranch hands probably respected him more than his own son had. As he turned Mars toward the barn, he wished that he could feel some measure of sorrow for the loss of his father but wasn’t about to pretend to be the mourning, dutiful son at the burial. He wasn’t even sure if he would say anything after his father was laid to rest in his proper grave.

  Before he reached the barn, Big Tom stepped through the wide doors and waited.

  When Jake stepped down, the farrier said, “I’ll take care of Mars, Jake. You head in and get some chow.”

  As he handed his reins to the big man, he said, “Thanks, Tom,” then turned and headed to the house.

  His foot had just touched the back porch when the door opened, and Sara smiled as she said, “Your supper is ready.”

  Jake returned her smile as he walked through the open door behind her. He closed the door then hung his hat on a peg and stepped to the table where he took a seat.

  Sara quickly set his food and coffee on the table before she added a second cup for herself then sat down.

  Before he touched a fork or knife, he said, “Everything is set for the burial tomorrow. I didn’t ask for any clergy because my father wasn’t a religious man. and it would seem hypocritical.”

  Sara nodded then asked, “Did you get a chance to see the sheriff?”

  Jake cut into the pork chop as he replied, “Yes, ma’am. They’ll issue an arrest warrant for Dave tomorrow morning and the sheriff is sending telegrams to all of the law offices in the territory.”

  “Do you think that they’ll find him?”

  “I’d be surprised if they did. The sheriff asked me if I wanted to put a bounty on him if they don’t find him in a few weeks. What do you think?”

  “We should wait to see if they find him. You don’t believe that he’ll come back to the Elk; do you?”

  “No. There are too many eyes on the ranch and he’s riding a very easily identified horse. He could trade it somewhere, but I still don’t think he’ll tak
e the risk. There’s nothing for him here anyway.”

  Sara just nodded to let Jake enjoy his supper.

  _____

  After satisfying his stomach, Jake helped to clear the table then said, “I think Charlie will be jealous of your cooking talents, Sara. I know it’s getting late, but I really need to take a bath.”

  “I’ll wash the dishes while you wash yourself. I’ll take my bath in the morning.”

  Jake kissed her softly before turning and walking down the hall.

  He stopped in his bedroom to get some clean skivvies before crossing the hall to the bedroom. After pumping it half full, he stripped and after taking a deep breath, sat in the cold water and erupted in goosebumps.

  As he scrubbed off the dirt, which wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been when he’d returned from the long ride, Jake revisited Sara’s question about the possibility of Dave suddenly reappearing on the Elk. While he’d answered it quickly because it seemed logical, he was basing it on how he perceived Dave Forrest. It was that same perception that made him so readily accept Dave’s story about his father murdering his mother.

  Dave apparently was a very effective liar, so now Jake had to wonder just how badly he had misjudged the man. He’d also failed to understand his father. Then there was Kay. Was he so easily duped? Ironically, the one person that even he admitted to being difficult for him to comprehend was also the one person he trusted without question. He may never fully understand what Sara is thinking, but he had absolute confidence in her honesty.

  He continued to rub the soap over his torso and legs as he attempted to predict not only where Dave would have gone, but what he might do. When he told Sara that Dave had stolen the Martini-Henry, her first question was if Dave intended to kill him. He’d quickly dismissed the notion, just as he had now rejected the possibility of his return. Now he wondered if both of his instant answers were right. It was difficult trying to imagine that Dave would return just to kill him, but he hadn’t believed Dave had murdered his mother for a moment until he saw the toes of his father’s boots at the bottom of that dark hole.

  By the time he stepped out of the tub then let the dirty water drain, Jake still hadn’t been able to conceive any reason for Dave to return. As he dried himself with a clean towel, he finally decided that he had to at least allow for the possibility. He’d talk to the men tomorrow morning to let them know. He’d want them all to be alert.

  After pulling on his clean underpants, Jake used the damp towel to clean the tub for Sara’s bath, then wrapped it around his dirty clothes and dumped them into the hamper. He picked up his boots, then opened the door before blowing out the bathroom lamp.

  When he left the bathroom, he realized that the only light was coming from his parents’ bedroom, so he turned down the hallway and soon reached the doorway.

  Sara was tucked under the covers of the big bed and smiled as she said, “You’re going to get cold standing out there in your underwear, Mister Elliott.”

  Jake smiled then stepped to the bed, set his boots on the floor and pulled back the quilts. He blew out the lamp and slipped between the sheets and laid his head on the pillow.

  Before he could ask Sara why she decided to move into the big bedroom, she slid onto his chest and kissed him which left no room in his mind for anything other than Sara.

  CHAPTER 10

  When Jake’s eyes opened early the next morning, he had to take a couple of seconds to remember where he was. Then he looked at Sara as she slept peacefully beside him and wanted to kiss her awake but didn’t want to risk spending another hour in bed.

  He slowly slid out of the bed, picked up his discarded skivvies and his boots then tiptoed out of the bedroom. Once he reached his bedroom, he hurriedly pulled on his underpants, then opened a drawer and began yanking out his clothes. He dressed quickly and after pulling on his boots, he hurried to the kitchen and after going out he back door, trotted along the brick path to the privy.

  As he stepped along the hard surface, he smiled when he recalled why it was there. He was ten years old, and his mother had just returned from using the small house after a passing thunderstorm. His father was at the breakfast table when she entered and without saying anything, she turned to the cookstove, exposing the back of her mud-covered dress.

  His father hadn’t said a word as he drank his coffee. So, when his mother set her cup of coffee on the table, instead of sitting down, she turned and sat on his father’s lap, transferring some of her mud onto the front of his shirt.

  She then stood, picked up her coffee and walked down the hallway to change. His father still didn’t say anything, but two days later, the safe walkway to the privy was completed. The privy had moved a few times since then, but it was always one step away from the brick path.

  When he returned to the kitchen, he started a fire in the cookstove, then washed and shaved at the sink. After drying his smooth face, Jake stepped down the hallway expecting Sara to be stirring, but when he reached the big bedroom, he smiled when he realized she was still sleeping. He had to admit that he’d kept her awake a little longer than she’d probably expected, so he let her sleep and headed for the office.

  He soon opened the door and saw his father’s dirty Stetson on the desk. When he reached the desk and picked it up, he could tell that Sara had tried to clean it as best she could, but it was beyond salvage. He had planned to bury it with his father anyway, but as he looked at the hat, he decided to keep part of it.

  He set the hat back onto the desk and turned to look at the rifle rack. His Winchester ’76 now occupied the spot that had been used by the Martini-Henry and Jake wondered why Dave had taken it. Sara had captured his complete attention when he found her in the big bed, so he hadn’t spent any more time trying to figure out that question.

  He half-sat on the desk as he stared at the gun rack.

  “Where are you now, Dave?” he asked quietly.

  _____

  If he knew the answer to his private question, Jake would have been more than just surprised. Dave Forrest was having breakfast in the same town where Jake had been six days earlier. He even had a room at the Flanagan Arms Hotel where Jake had spent his one night in Helena. With more than fifteen hundred dollars of Elliott money, he had no intention of returning to the Elk, either.

  Dave was relieved yet frustrated. He had come so very close to his prize; not once, but twice.

  What he’d written in the letter he left behind was partially true. He had worked on a small ranch with his brother near Judith Creek in Meagher County. His brother’s young, pretty wife had certainly attracted him, but he soon discovered that she wasn’t receptive to the idea of an affair. She told her husband and he’d given Dave half of the ranch’s money and ordered him to leave.

  He’d drifted north from ranch to ranch, but never stayed very long. At each of the spreads, he’d improved his behavior and by the time he was hired by Chet Elliott, he’d learned to disguise his ambition. He’d engineered a very different personality that was merely a well-constructed façade.

  When he started working at the Elk, it didn’t take long for him to notice the divide between Jake and his father. He worked hard to impress Chet but worked even harder to befriend Jake. It was all part of his ultimate goal of owning the Elk.

  After he’d been made foreman, things got even better. He was making good money and had his own house. He spent more and more time with Jake and had become his friend and confidant. He had to walk a fine line between earning Jake’s friendship and trust while avoiding angering his father to the point of firing him.

  But then he made his first mistake. He accepted a teenager’s opinion of his father. It wasn’t much different from his own anyway. Chet Elliott was a cold, hard man who never displayed any emotion, so Dave believed that Chet treated his wife the same way, if not worse.

  He’d been infatuated with Rose Elliott almost from his first day, but he’d learned his lesson at his and his brother’s ranch. His was a long-range plan any
way, so whenever he was close to losing control, he visited one of the two brothels in town. But it was always Rose Elliott who inspired him. She was not only a handsome woman; she was elegant and good-hearted.

  For eight long years, Dave waited for the right moment. Then an opportunity dropped into his lap just a few months too early. Jake wasn’t going to muster out of the army for a few months, but when Dave suddenly found himself alone on the ranch with just Chet and Rose, he knew he’d have to act.

  He’d told the boss that he spotted a large grizzly tracking the herd near the forest and knew his Winchester ‘73 couldn’t stop him. Chet had grabbed his ’76, mounted Emperor and ridden out with Dave to the forest just outside of Jake’s sanctuary. As soon as they entered the trees, Dave pointed his cocked Winchester at Chet’s back and fired from fifty feet. He’d left Dave’s body in the trees, then led Emperor back to the house.

  He didn’t even knock but walked through the back door. He found Rose standing in the kitchen and expected her to thank him for saving her from her cruel husband. He never had a chance to tell her that she was now widow or finally express his long-held desires. Rose had heard the gunshot and seen him riding from the north leading Emperor. So, when he walked through the doorway, she released her fury. Dave was stunned, but after her short tirade, Rose suddenly turned and quickly walked to the hallway. Dave hurried behind her telling her that she was free now and he would treat her right.

  It was when she turned toward the office that Dave realized she was going to get a gun. He had to race to catch her and just as she reached for the door knob, he grabbed her arm. Then everything just happened. It was still a blur in his mind, but within seconds, Rose Elliott was dead and lying in a small pool of blood near the large fireplace.