“Are you ready for Christmas?” Carrie asked.
Joshua laughed, leaning toward the five-year-old and tweaking her nose with his fingers. “Yeah, it’s not even spring yet and you’re asking about Christmas. You’re a silly kid, aren’t ya?”
“I hope you will be here!” Carrie bounced in her seat, sounding excited. “I want you to be here! You should stay here!”
Joshua laughed. “I don’t know, Carrie. We’ll see.”
“That is a long time away,” Adam said. “But if you’re back in Louisville, you are always welcome with us. You are a part of this family too and we’re glad to have you here.”
“Louisville is a beautiful place in the wintertime, but it’s close enough to here that I would think it would be just as beautiful here,” Joshua said. “I just might take you up on that. If I go back before then.”
“Are you planning to stay? I thought you were just here for a visit?” Alice gave him a curious look.
“I don’t know. I’m thinking about what I want for my future. I am very happy, you know, with the work that I’ve been doing. I’m very happy to be who I am and accomplish what I have. But I… well, maybe you and Ma are right. I need a woman. A family. I don’t want to wait until no woman will have me.”
“That won’t happen any time soon,” Alice said, shaking her head. “You are still a very handsome man.”
“I told you my wife was out to get you.” Adam laughed when Alice took a light swing at him.
Joshua shook his head, chuckling. “That’s the very reason why I’m considering staying. I may be handsome now – and I only say that because that’s how you feel now – but I won’t be forever. I’d better find a wife soon or I’ll be old and wrinkled.”
“Being married and finding a woman isn’t always about looks, Joshua,” Alice said. “Women need to be attracted to who you are. I know you have a hard time driving the women away. I know you don’t want to make a mistake, especially when there are so many women who want you. You have to choose wisely.”
Joshua shook his head. “I don’t want to get old and gray alone. I… I am only thinking about it. I love my life. I really do. So…I’ll just have to think about it.”
All three adults turned when the front door was thrown open and a woman came through, her head in her hands. Alice was immediately on her feet, crossing to the woman. “Laura! Laura, what’s happened?”
Joshua was covered in chills. This was such a familiar scene to him; he suddenly realized he might not have the peaceful vacation he had been hoping for.
“Laura…” Adam stood and met her in two steps, holding out his arms to her.
“There’s something wrong with James. He’s not responding to me. I am worried about him. I left him to take a nap and when I came back, he, oh Alice, it really looked like he might be… he might be…” She couldn’t continue. She was lost for words.
Adam look up at his wife and then sympathetically at Joshua.
It was almost like Joshua could read the regret on his face. His vacation wasn’t going to be peaceful. He was needed once again.
“Joshua, I hate to ask. But will you come with me and see to the man?”
Joshua nodded. “I’m not doctor, Uncle. Isn’t that what’s needed here?”
“Doc Brown is on his way,” the woman said quickly. “I sent my boy to fetch him.”
Adam looked at her approvingly. “Good job, Laura. Let’s get to your house right now.”
Alice knelt down and wrapped her arms around her. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Maybe it will be okay. Maybe you won’t need to worry and he’s just in a deep sleep.” She looked up at Adam and then at Joshua. Their faces were both dismayed.
Joshua watched the scene with apprehension. His hopes for a peaceful vacation dashed, he braced himself for yet another adventure.
CHAPTER THREE
JOSHUA AND ADAM LOOK AROUND
JOSHUA AND ADAM LOOK AROUND
It’s the strangest thing I’ve seen in a long time.” An old man with a balding head looked up from the body lying on the long red couch. “There doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with him. He just isn’t breathing.”
“No marks on him? Nothing to indicate that he was hit with anything?”
“None at all.” The old man stood, his eyes still on the body of James Youngblood.
Joshua and Adam had left Alice and Laura at home, going to Laura’s house in town to see for themselves what was really happening. On the way over, Adam apologized to his nephew for what looked like ruined poor excuse for a vacation.
“Uncle Adam, don’t apologize. This kind of thing happens to me all the time. How could you possibly have known? I would never blame you. I like adventures. And I don’t mind having one with you.”
“I like the way you look at things, son,” Adam said. “I’m glad you’re here, even if you have to go through this with us.”
“Why aren’t you sheriff here, Uncle? It seems like you do a lot of the sheriff’s work.”
Adam laughed. “I suppose I do. But that’s just because everyone trusts me. And I’m glad they do. It makes me feel good.”
Joshua nodded. “It would for me, too. I understand. Were you friends with this man?”
Adam shrugged. “I only knew Mr. Youngblood in passing. I can’t tell you much about him, or his wife. You would have more luck asking Alice. I think she and Mrs. Youngblood are in a sewing circle together. They have spoken on many occasions.”
Joshua nodded. “I don’t mean to take over this case, Adam, in case you’re wondering. I’m sure your sheriff can do a fine job.”
Adam nodded. “He can, but he’ll need your help, I promise you that. He’s a good guy, but he’s not as sharp as you are. You’ll solve the case in half the time.”
“If there is a case. The man could have died from something natural. We’ll have to wait and see.”
The Youngblood house was one of the bigger ones on the block. Behind the house was a long field. The animals looked well fed and cared for, by all appearances. There were horses in the pasture; dogs, cats and other small animals enjoying the evening air.
“James must have hired the best landscapers. Look how beautifully this is kept up.” The house looked clean and in need of no repairs. Joshua scoured the area around him, hoping for clues.
“He was a gentleman, not frequenting the saloon much, from what Alice says,” Adam replied, reaching forward to open the door and let Joshua go through first. “He and Laura often attend local events, like the festivals and fairs that are set up here in Wickenburg. They get along well. They rarely fight. I’ve never heard them fighting or arguing about anything. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad thing about either of em. Then again, I don’t know them well. Alice does.”
“What did he do?”
“He makes his money writing articles and offering advice to other people.”
“Advice?” Joshua looked impressed.
“Yes. Like a psychiatrist or something like that. I don’t really know.”
Joshua nodded. “Okay.”
A man poked his head out of the doorway to their left. “Adam. I’m glad you are here. Is Laura at your house?”
“Yeah, she is.” He looked at Joshua to make the introduction. “This is Mark. He’s a good friend of mine.”
The two men shook hands and Mark held the door open for them so they could go into the room where James Youngblood lay on the couch.
”Should I be here, Uncle Adam? None of these people know me.”
“They know me. That’s all that matters. They call me when something strange happens. These are his butler and housekeeper, and a couple maids. Doc Brown is right there. They’ll get to know you. You have a great mind for solving problems like this, Joshua. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Adam. I’m not surprised they called you.” The doc glanced up at him. “This one’s got me, Adam. I can’t put my finger on why this man is dead.”
“So he’s dead then?”
“Yes, this man is stone dead.”
Adam shook his head. “They didn’t call me. Laura came to my house. She and Alice are friends. Alice is still there with her. She’s pretty broken up. This is Joshua Crawford, my nephew.” Adam nodded in Joshua’s direction. “He works in Louisville with the sheriff.”
“Sometimes,” Joshua added. “Just to help out. I’m smart that way.”
Doc Brown raised his eyebrows. “Oh? Glad to meet you, sir.” He leaned down to look into Mr. Youngblood’s staring eyes. “I am Gerald Brown. I am the doctor here. And the mortician. It’s not an easy job.” He looked up at Joshua. “But someone has to do it, don’t they?”
Joshua nodded. “I suppose so, sir.”
“Call me Doc. Everyone does.””
“Does this kind of thing happen often?” Joshua moved his eyes to his uncle. “I have always thought it was very peaceful here. That’s why I’m here on vacation.”
“Vacation? Well, I’m sorry. You don’t need your vacation interrupted by this mess.” Doc didn’t seem to care much about Joshua’s dilemma. “There usually isn’t a lot of crime here. The sheriff keeps everything quite calm when he can, but some things happen that he can’t do anything about. That’s when Adam steps in.”
“That’s true, Doc,” Adam replied, nodding.
“I try to help as much as I can,” Doc Brown said, pressing two fingers on various spots of Mr. Youngblood’s body. “I’ve been studying the human body and doing a lot of reading. I used to work with Mr. Youngblood. When he was just a young man, in his teen years.” Doc ran his eyes over the hefty man lying on the couch.
“Doing what?”
“Studying people.” Doc looked sad. “People can be forgetful. Mr. Youngblood and I used to help people recover lost goods or sort through personal problems.” He looked at Adam. “You’ve dealt with this kind of thing before, haven’t you?”
Adam nodded. “Yes, unfortunately.”
“Not too often, I hope,” Joshua said softly.
“No. Not nearly as often as you, Joshua.”
“It seems adventure goes wherever you are, Joshua. Isn’t that what I told you before, Doc?”
Joshua shrugged. “It happens.”
“Would you like to look at the body?”
“Yes.”
Doc took a step back and let Joshua step up to where he had been standing. Joshua ran his fingers around James’ neck and looked carefully at his face. “Looks like he was strangled. Look at these pupils. Look at the tint on his face.”
“What does that mean?” Adam asked. “I think I’m an intelligent man. However, I don’t see how someone can be strangled without us being able to see from here? There would be bruises. How can you close someone’s throat and block off their airway without constriction?”
“Some people have allergic reactions that close the throat. He may have had a heart issue. On the other hand, there may be other issues we don’t know about. The only way we’ll know is after you take a closer look in the morgue.” Joshua glanced over his shoulder at the doc. “You do have a coroner’s office, don’t you?”
“Yes, we do. It is not like the one you have in Louisville, I’m sure.”
“It will be fine. There will be a lot of questions asked here. The first thing we gotta do is find out what killed him. Then we’ll know who to look for.”
“He may have been killed by another person,” Doc stated. “Or he may have had some kind of medical issue. I’ll determine that when I get him back to my clinic.”
Joshua raised his eyebrows. “I’d like to know what happened when you find out, if you don’t mind telling me.”
Doc looked up at him. “I always tell Adam. He likes to stay on top of what’s going on here in Wickenburg.” Doc looked at Adam and half-grinned. “Don’t ya?”
Adam nodded. “I sure do.”
“I can’t imagine what happened,” Joshua said and looked at his uncle. The two of them walked away from the body and stood by the window.
Adam shook his head. “People just don’t fight a lot here. When something happens,” he glanced down at Mr. Youngblood. “It tends to be something big. Like this. Most of the residents of Wickenburg are friends. It is a peaceful town.”
Joshua glanced back at the body. “I guess not always, Uncle.”
Adam sighed. “I suppose not. It might have been a health problem though. Maybe he just ingested something that didn’t agree with him.”
Joshua watched the doc move James’s head from side to side, pushing aside his hair to look closely at his scalp. “He’s doing a pretty thorough examination right here. That’s kind of strange, if you ask me.”
“I think we should talk to Laura,” Adam said in a low voice. “She’ll know what he ate last and stuff like that.”
Joshua looked at him. “Do you think… if he did die of unnatural causes, do you think she did it?”
Adam shook his head. “I’ve known that woman for years. I don’t see it happening.”
“We should talk to her now, shouldn’t we?”
”I think we better give her a little time first. She’s gonna need to recover from this. She was fooling herself thinking he wasn’t dead yet. That man is obviously dead. We usually have gun wounds and people getting stabbed…”
Joshua raised his eyebrows. “Usually? This is one heckuva town, Uncle. Maybe I don’t want to stay here after all.”
Adam chuckled. “Not usually. I just mean I haven’t seen anything like this before. Not here.”
Joshua nodded. “I understand.”
“We gotta get the sheriff, obviously. I’ve talked to him about you before,” Adam said.
“You have?”
“Yeah, I’m proud of you, son. I like to tell people how much you do for other people, how smart you are.”
“I do like to get answers. It’s the only way to know what I can do to help.”
“Is that how you deal with people in Louisville?”
Joshua nodded. He watched as several people came in from the other room. If he had to bet, he’d say this was the housekeeper and the butler. He glanced over at Adam. “Can’t figure out what to do if you don’t ask questions. You think any of these people know anything? Should we wait for the sheriff?”
“We can wait. Probably should. Unless you think we should question them.”
Joshua grinned. “This is your town, Uncle. You get to call the shots.”
“Do you remember Holly, my first wife?’
Joshua shook his head. “I must have been too young when I met her, if I ever did.”
“You were at our wedding, but you were young. And no, you probably don’t remember.”
“I know my parents discussed what happened with Holly, though. I do remember that. They argued about it.”
”They did?” Adam looked confused. “Why would they argue?”
“I have no idea.”
“Let’s look around. See what we can see. I’ll have to ask Laura if there were any visitors here recently. Someone who might have gained access to their house while they were away, maybe. This could be a case of poison. To me, it does look like he was poisoned. The lack of exterior damage is puzzling, but the obvious cause of death is suffocation. Something made his throat close. It had to be something internal.”
“It’s a big ranch house,” Joshua said as they left the room. “Did they have kids?”
“No, I don’t think so. Alice never mentioned any.”
“They were married for how long?”
“About six years, I guess.” Adam looked up as he tried to remember when the Youngloods were married. “I can’t say that I really remember. I know everyone here in Wickenburg, but this couple, they were closer to Alice.”
“Do you think…?” Joshua hesitated. “You don’t think Laura would be capable of this, do you?”
“I really don’t think so, Joshua. They may not have been my friends, but… well, we really need to wait and see what Doc says actually killed him. Maybe there was somethi
ng wrong with his heart.”
Joshua shook his head. “It looked like he was strangled to me. That blue around his mouth--I’ve seen that before when I helped the sheriff. I’m telling you, Adam, somebody killed that man. If you think Laura didn’t do it, I’d sure like to know who did.”
“If you came to know Laura, you’d understand,” Adam said. “Come on, let’s look around the house.”
“Let’s look around the house.”
Adam, wondering what Joshua was thinking, turned toward the door and away from the dead body, following Joshua out of the room.
CHAPTER FOUR
SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS
SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS
As they walked through the long brick house, peering into different rooms to see if anyone was in there, Joshua spoke in a low voice. “I remember this one time when one of my neighbors lost her little boy in the woods.”
“What was he doing in the woods?” Adam asked. Joshua gave him a startled look.
“Did you never play in the woods when you were growing up?” They both laughed. “No, he was a real little boy and she just couldn’t find that tyke for anything. She came to me for help…”
“Like they always do.”
Joshua grinned. “Yeah. Anyway, ended up findin’ the boy down in a hole. And he was just a couple feet from a bear trap. That would probably have sliced off his leg.”
Adam shuddered at the thought. He immediately pictured his daughter Carrie stepping into a bear trap with her little five-year-old legs. “It’s a blessing that you found him. I don’t know how you do it.”
“I don’t know. Things just fit into place in my mind. It’s a lot like putting together a puzzle. It’s…it’s kind of fun, to be frank with you, Uncle Adam.”
“That’s terrible!” Adam shook his head, opening a drawer and sifting through the contents. He looked up at Joshua. “I don’t really know what I’m looking for here, Josh. I mean, we don’t know what’s really happened.”
An Unexpected Dilemma Bride_Family of Love Series_A Western Romance Story Page 3
