The Marshal of Denver

by Judge Rodriguez

  John grimaces in sympathy. Of all the things to do to a woman, this has to be the worst. Not only did the man take liberties with her, but he left her out of her head, and with child? All things considered, John understands the young man’s rage. He knows what he has to do, what is right. “You know I can’t condone you going out on your own to kill the one who did this, right?” John folds his arms. “Much as I agree, you have a family to look after. Now, more than ever, they need you here to provide for them.”

  The young man squares his shoulders and glares at John. “Whatchoo think I’s goanna do? Jus stan by ‘n let this insult go?”

  John holds his hand up in a placating gesture. “No, not at all. I just ask you tell us everything you know, ya know? Make our jobs finding the monster that did this that much easier.”

  The young man glares at the Marshal a long moment. “Whatchoo goanna do when you kitchim?”

  John’s smile is wolfish. “I’ll make sure he gets a good trial, before we hang him. Maybe a firing squad. Depends on how much trouble he gives us trying to catch him.”

  The young man sighs, crosses his arms and shifts his position. “I’s gotsa look atta one, but I’s not thinkin you be happy ‘bout it.”

  John levels a look a the young man. “I don’t care if it was President Benjamin Harrison himself. I need to know so I can bring him to justice.”

  “It was a white man. I’s heard what happens to guys like me that tell ‘bout you white folk.”

  John shakes his head. “I don’t know any other way to reassure you. Just that I didn’t care about your color when I helped give you business to help keep you in food.”

  The young man look as his mother for a little while before apparently coming to a decision. In a low, shuddering voice, he says, “It was Jeff Jacobson.”

  John is actually not surprised by this news. In response, he just blinks. He looks at Junior and says, “I don’t doubt your word at all. How do you know it was him, though?”

  Junior’s look goes from one of fear, to one of disbelief. Once again, he crosses his arms and shifts how he is standing. “You havin’ troubuh thinkin’ I’s goan be abuh to know a white man when I’s seen one?”

  “Nope. Just wanna know how you recognized him was all.”

  He sighs in agitation. “Hesa come in a few times ta give muh pa some troubuh.” He shakes his head. “Momma gots his hood off while she’s afightin’ him.”

  John nods. “That’s what I was hoping to hear. Now, we have something to go off of. Mind you, I don’t want to you to testify. It won’t hold up in court anyhow. I just wanted to know why you were saying you recognized him, was all.”

  Junior just grunts in response.

  John looks at David questioningly, who is just standing there with a bland expression on his face.

  David returns the look John gives him with a questioning look of his own. He seems to get the hint and motions to the teenager. “Junior, would you mind helping me move your mother to her bed, in the back?”

  Junior grunts in annoyance. He reaches down and picks up his mother as if she weighed less than that of a rag-doll. Although he feels he shouldn’t be, John is impressed with the young man’s immense strength.

  John waves to both the younger men, saying he’s needing to check into a few things and then leaves the livery.

  He goes next door to check in on the saloon. Josiah agreed to hold on to and give John his Guinness anytime he wants in exchange for helping to provide security for the saloon. John looks around in the slightly darkened room to see Caleb tending bar, with just a few local farmers drinking and quietly talking.

  John waves to the young man, who waves in return. Having made sure everything is as it should be, John leaves and heads back over to the Marshal’s Office. As he heads over there, he begins mulling over the problem of Jeff. He’s unsure what to do from here. He has the needed evidence, even though it’ll be inadmissible. He is pretty sure this will be settled at the end of a smoking barrel.

  Just outside of the Marshal’s Office, John hears the loud sound of snoring. He opens the door and smiles at the sight of the Indian with his feet propped up on the desk, one eye closed, one eye watching the door, and a loud snore emanating from his mouth.

  Knowing how his oldest living friend sleeps, John says quietly, “So, it appears Mary Johnson is with child.”

  Red-Feather sighs and shakes his head. “Jacobson?”

  John nods. “Yeah, Jeff.” He goes over to the stove and pours himself a cup of coffee, more for something to do than anything else. “Junior knows it was him. We just can’t take that to the courts, given Junior’s race and age. I was able to talk him out of seeking revenge, but it took some doin’.”

  Red-Feather looks at John seriously. “I’m afraid that boy is gonna cause us some trouble.”

  John snorts in derision. “Which boy? Jeff or Junior?”

  “Yes.”

  John nods. He has a point. If finding Jacobson takes too long, Junior is probably gonna hit the trail himself. That poor kid most likely wouldn’t survive a blood-quest. He looks at Red-Feather directly. “Do you have any ideas about how to find Jeff?”

  Red-Feather shakes his head. “Other than tracking him down ourselves. I don’t think we can, can we?”

  John shakes his head. “We can’t go outside our jurisdictional boundaries. When I get to Norman, I’ll talk to Marshal Blackwolf about it. We might be able to figure something out then.”

  That evening, while sitting on his bed in his room in the hotel, John overhears a discussion between David and Rebekah about David going back to Norman the following day.

  John is trying as hard as he can not to listen to their argument, but the thin walls between his and Rebekah’s rooms make avoiding eavesdropping impossible.

  Rebekah says, voice thick with emotion, “I don’t care how dangerous it could be! I’m going with you, and that’s final!”

  David’s voice is conciliatory. “Sweetheart, please be reasonable. We will only be gone for about a week or so. If you go along, who will take care of the hotel?”

  “Ben will. He’s responsible enough. He treats the people right.”

  “Love, I don’t know if there’s gonna be enough room for both of us to have a separate room each. Didn’t we agree to wait until the wedding night?”

  “You can bunk with John, or this Marshal Blackwolf you’ve been telling me about.”

  John just about laughs out loud, hearing that comment. He struggles so hard, he barely registers David’s very uncomfortable cough.

  It sounds like David chokes, then coughs before clearing his throat. “Uh, I don’t think he would like that. Marshal Blackwolf is extremely private. He most likely wouldn’t want to bunk with me and you know, John has been having trouble sleeping at night as well.”

  John hears the sound of the bed creaking, like someone just sat down on it.

  David says, “Is there no way I can convince you to stay behind?”

  “Nope. I promised you I wouldn’t let you take off like that without me again.”

  John hears the bed creak again. Then Rebekah says, “Are you ashamed of me? Why don’t you want me with you?”

  Another creak of the bed. “My love, I don’t want you in danger.” Another creak. “I trust John can keep us safe, but Jeff is still out there, and he could be trying to hunt John or I. I don’t want there to be even the most remote possibility you could get hurt while we’re traveling together.”

  “So you’re saying there’s a chance you might not make it back? If there were ever a chance I was going to let you go alone, that statement just killed it.”

  “I was afraid you were gonna say that.” David sighs. “I figured I wouldn’t be able to talk you out of it. We will deal with whatever comes up from it, together, yes?”

  Rather than listening to anymore of the conversation, John leaves to go across the street to the saloon for a Guinness, glad he can have some almost any time day or night.

 
; Mid-morning the following day, the three riders ride out at a canter to an uncertain future in Norman. David and Rebekah ride side-by-side confident their love will see them through whatever life brings their way. John rides confident he can stop any threat that comes their way.

  Chapter 57

  It is the tail of a hot afternoon that sees the three riders coming up to Paul’s livery on the west side of Norman. They are met at the door by the gigantic man himself.

  “Well, guten abend, Marshal! What brings you to our neck of the woods?” the large man greets John.

  “We’ve got a day or so before the trial and though we would enjoy a stay at the hotel just a little longer.”

  “So you want the three horses and packmule to stay here, what, a week or two?”

  John nods. “Sounds about right. I’ll let ya know better, once we get things going. Same charge?”

  Paul nods and takes the reins of John’s horse as he dismounts.

  David dismounts and helps Rebekah off her horse as well.

  Paul sees the slight woman and smiles charmingly at her. “Well, aren’t you the pretty little fraulein?”

  Rebekah’s face takes on a dark look and Paul bursts out into laughter. He says, “Don’t worry, ma’am, I like my women with a lot more heft to them. Grow another six inches and a good eighty pounds and then maybe we’ll talk.”

  David’s smile is wide as he says, “Paul, this is my fiancé, Rebekah. Bekah, this is Fritz, but for some reason, he goes by Paul.”

  Rebekah curtsies and Paul smiles wide, then looks to John. “If ya folks want, I can unload your pack horse and have it delivered to the hotel for ya.”

  John nods and says, “Tack it on to the bill, if you don’t mind.”

  Paul smiles again. “Of course,” then bustles his charges inside.

  John leads the way across the street and up into the hotel. David and Rebekah follow closely behind, hand-in-hand.

  Once inside, all three are greeted by Joseph. His melodic voice calls out, “Well, hello Marshal, Doctor. An who is t’his t’hat has a det’ grip on ya’r han’, David?”

  David takes a step forward, bringing Rebekah forward even more, and says, “Joseph, this my fiancé, Rebekah. Bekah, this Sean’s dad, Joseph Mallory.”

  Once again, Rebekah curtsies. Joseph laughs in delight. “A polite one, isn’ she?” He bows his head a bit. “’Tis a please-ure, ih ‘tis.” He looks at John. “Take it t’hat’ll be three rooms?”

  John nods.

  Joseph grins. “’Twould say ‘tis a ‘sprise, but ‘tisn’t.” He reaches under the desk and pulls out a folded piece of paper. “T’his came fer ya earlier taday, Marshal.” He hands it over to John.

  Not entirely sure he wants to read it in front of everyone else, John thanks the man, then puts the message into his vest.

  David steps up and asks, “Is there some way we can get Rebekah a bath set up?” He puts his arm around her waist. “I’ve told her all about it. She’s eager to get one.”

  Joseph smiles wide. “’Tis tha wonder of engineerin’, ih ‘tis.” He crosses his arms and smiles wide. “We dunnae e’en need ta use tha pails anymore. I kin show ya all how t’work it, iffin ya want?”

  John and David both nod, Rebekah looks fearful. John smiles, “You’ll be able to bathe in privacy. I promise. I’ve guarded women bathing here before, and no one has tried to interrupt. It’ll be fine.”

  Joseph’s grin is wide. “’Tis true. Only people t’hat know bout it are resi-dents we have here. We have a strict policy t’hat only people stayin’ here can use tha bathhouse.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, she nods and Joseph leads the three to the back end of the hotel and into the bathhouse. It only takes Joseph a moment to show them how to work the water mechanisms. John is impressed by the Irishman’s ingenuity. He mentions being hungry to the other two, and David agrees they should get some food.

  Rebekah says in an off-hand tone, “I think I’ll try the bathhouse first, after all. It looks sublime.”

  John and David both look at each other and start laughing.

  David puts a hand on the back of his fiancé and gently propels her toward the door of the bathhouse. “Come on, love. You’ll need your clean clothes at the least.”

  By the time they get back to the lobby, their bags are already waiting for them. It takes them a very short amount of time to get their keys and bags figured out, then upstairs to their rooms.

  John is surprised to see he has the same room as the last time. Since he was last here, three months ago, they have added furniture and more lamps. Before, the room was warm, even inviting. Now, it is absolutely comfortable.

  It only takes a moment to put his bags down and get a few things organized. The telegram crinkles as he pulls it out of his vest. He quickly reads the note, and sees that it is from Joey saying she’s going to be arriving on the 1 p.m. train the following day. He gets done reading it, puts it back in his vest and steps out into the hall, to hear David and Rebekah talking.

  She says, “Look, sweetheart, I know you’re hungry. Go get some supper. I’ll take a bath and join you when I’m done.”

  David says, “I want to share the meal together, though.”

  “You’re being sweet, but dense, dear. Go get food.”

  They both come out of her room, which is the room Judge Logan had during their last trip out here. She is carrying a bundle of clothing and he is following closely behind her. John leads the way down the stairs.

  At the base of the stairs, David and Rebekah share a chaste kiss goodbye and separate. He and John going to the restaurant, she to the bathhouse.

  As the men pass Joseph at the registration desk, the Irishman says, “We dunnae ‘ave allat o’ people in t’here, so ya kin seat yerselves. Our new waitress will get ta ya soon as she kin.”

  David looks to Joseph. “Oh? Do you have a new employee?”

  “Aye. A sligh’ wisp o’ a girl, but an absolu’ sweetheart. I t’hink I’ll ledder intro-duce herself, t’hough.”

  David nods and both men enter the restaurant. Their usual table is open, so they seat themselves in their usual manner. John has his back to the wall, with a clear view of all entrances. David has his back to the kitchens.

  They are there less than a minute and a half, before the table is approached by a beautiful young woman possessing a slight figure, with her long brown hair in a single braid.

  As she approaches the table, she says, “Good evening, gentlemen. Welcome to the Emerald Fields. May I get you something to drink, while you decide what you want to eat?”

  Wanting to give her the chance to show off a little, John asks, “What do you have?”

  She lists off several whiskeys, beer, tea, lemonade, hot chocolate, and of course sarsaparilla.

  John orders a Guinness and David, a regular beer.

  “I’ll get it right out to ya.” As she takes a step away, David holds up a hand.

  “And go ahead and give us three of your renowned . . .” He looks up, and the blood drains from his well-tanned face.

  John surreptitiously undoes the safety from his holster.

  “roast . . . beef . . . plates . . . ”

  “Roast beef for the, three of you?” Her look is a study of confusion. “Of course, I’ll get it to Mrs. Mallory, then bring you your drinks.”

  David shakes his head. “Two now, and a third when my fiancé gets here.”

  “Someone else will be joining you?” she asks.

  David nods. “My fiancé, she’s coming along in awhile.”

  “Okay, do you know what she wants to drink?”

  David shakes his head.

  “Okay, I’ll get your drinks to you shortly.” She walks off, shoulders squared as if she just took insult at something that had been said.

  Just as she steps away, Sean comes in from the foyer. Seeing them, he exclaims, “Well, bless my soul, glad ta see ya! What are ya doin’ back in town?”

  John smiles. Sean is genuinely ple
ased to see them. “Well, we’re expected to testify on Monday. We just thought we would have an extra day to enjoy your wonderful hospitality here.”

  “An’ where is yer lovely lass, Doc Bakker?”

  David grins. “My fiancé is enjoying a soak in your bathhouse.”

  Sean guffaws, slapping his thigh. “OH! T’his is quite tha cause for celebration!”

  John nods. “Yeah, the doc here seems to be quite smitten with her. She does seem to help keep him from woolgathering too much.”

  Sean chuckles at the comment. He turns at the creaking of the wooden floor as the waitress approaches. He takes the glasses from her saying, “T’hank you, my dear.” He turns and hands the glasses over to the men. “Here ya go, gentlemen.”

  John lifts his glass in a salute to Sean. “Thanks, Sean.” He drains half his Guinness in one swig, then sighs in contentment.

  David, voice low, asks, “Brigit?”

  Chapter 58

  Both the young woman and Sean turn to look at the young doctor. John studies his young friend’s face. This is quite the surprising revelation.

  Slowly, the young woman steps up next to Sean. “Yes?” she asks with uncertainty in her voice.

  “How . . . how long have you been in Norman?” he asks, suspicion thick in his voice. He shakes his head, and rubs his face in self-dismissal. “I’m sorry. I tried for months to check in on you, while you were in White.”

  Sean’s smile is wide as he says, “Well, t’hat’s where I found her, was in White.”

  David’s voice is concern mixed with wariness as he asks, “What do you mean, found?”

  Watching curiously, John notices that Brigit does everything with a sensual grace. Even frowning as she is now, she is still quite beautiful. After a quick glance at Sean’s face, it’s clear the young Irishman is quite taken with her. He suppresses the desire to grin at his young friend’s expression. Oh, Sean is in for quite a time.

  Brigit says, “I apologize, gentlemen, but who are you and why do you want to know about me?”

  Sean holds up a hand in a placating gesture. “Oh, I’m sorry, my dear.” He turns and pulls two chairs from a nearby table, offering one to Brigit and seating himself in the other. David moves over to a different side of the table, allowing them to seat themselves at the table.