Bittersweep

by Wareeze Woodson

  His chest rose with a deep breath. Back to business. He frowned down at the document, not fully focused on what was in his hand. Instead of perusing the paper, possible suspects tumbled through his mind. His throat tightened with anger when he considered the bank robbery. The crooks must have known the exact day the gold would arrive at the bank. Someone with that knowledge had planned the entire caper.

  Rubbing his hand around his neck, he stared at the ceiling. Was the murdered bank clerk somehow involved? Someone had inside information.

  Hudson strode into the room. “JP, there’s trouble brewing. That blame Walt has been in town drinking and stirring up folks. The deputy got word the sheriff has taken a turn for the worst. No telling when he’ll be able to leave his bed to catch the killer.”

  JP motioned to a chair across the desk. “Take a load off and tell me all about it.”

  Hudson sprawled back into the seat. “Franklin was murdered after the robbery and since he worked for the bank, folks are thinking his death is somehow connected to the theft. Chester is listening to Walt. With the sheriff laid up, he may try to arrest Elizabeth again, especially if he can’t figure out what else to do to show he’s in charge, even temporarily.”

  “That pompous, arrogant bully,” JP growled. “I’d like to show him in charge. Elizabeth no more killed Franklin than I did.”

  Hudson raised his brows. “Did you?”

  Exasperated, JP scowled. “It’s a good thing there’s a gleam of amusement in your eyes or I’d black both of them for you.”

  Hudson’s expression became serious. “Are you planning on sitting there all day, or are you gonna do something to protect Elizabeth?”

  “If I can talk her into it, I’m going to marry her. Chester won’t dare try his shenanigans when her name is Honeycutt.”

  “You sure and certain of that?”

  JP shook his head. “No, but we shall see what we shall see and be damn to that idiot.”

  Chapter 24

  Footsteps, slow and deliberate, pounded heavily down the hall and halted directly outside JP’s office. He could smell the remnants of a cigar and the lingering odor of horse when the housekeeper tapped and opened his door.

  “It’s the deputy come calling,” she announced, stepping aside.

  Chester pushed into the room and removed his hat, inspecting the sweaty hatband. He cleared his throat and glanced up. “One of the robbers shot the sheriff.”

  JP straightened in his chair. “Sit down and tell me all you know. How badly is the sheriff hurt?”

  Chester took his time to settle in the chair in front of the desk. “He’s laid up in a little town on the border. It’s serious enough. He can’t catch no more crooks. Least not for a while. Now, the federal marshal and his men is after the bank robbers.”

  “That’s too bad.” JP leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs beneath his desk. Disturbed by the sheriff’s injury and what that might mean for Elizabeth, he clutched the arms of his chair. “Thank you for bringing the news.”

  The deputy rolled his hat around in his hands, restless, casting his eyes down. “I might as well get to it. I came to arrest Miss Campbell again.”

  JP bolted out of his chair nearly exploding with wrath. “The devil, you say!”

  Just as he suspected, the deputy was bent on causing unnecessary trouble. Taking a threatening stance, feet planted apart, hands balled into fists, he glared at the deputy, intent, determined. He wanted the man at a disadvantage.

  Chester slowly pushed out of his seat, puffed out his chest, and made a soothing motion with his hand in a rather belligerent manner. “I got my duty to see to.” In a reasoning tone, he continued, “Ain’t nothing been solved about the murder of one Franklin Plunkett and it looks like it’ll be yet a while ’til the sheriff can take a hand.”

  JP gritted his teeth and tried to administer the right amount of intimidation into his voice. “Deputy, that’s balderdash and you know it. There is no call to haul her off to jail. She’s perfectly safe here.”

  “I wasn’t talking about her being safe.”

  JP frowned and deliberately allowed his tone to sink to a new menacing level. “If not for her safety then, why are you concerned?”

  Chester pointed his finger at JP, his expression disgruntled. “I ain’t aiming to let her make a beeline out of here, so don’t be thinking it.”

  “Keep your powder dry, Chester, and stop stewing about nothing. She isn’t going anywhere,” JP assured him, stepping one threatening foot closer to loom over the shorter man. “Why do you think she might try to leave simply because the sheriff is delayed? That’s nonsensical.”

  “I reckon it might be a fool notion, but I got my duty to see to.” Chester glanced at JP from beneath his brows. “You keep close tabs on her, do you?”

  Chester, the yammering fool, couldn’t be serious, so what was he really planning? JP scowled. “What do you think? When I’m out on the range, Aunt Maude is here in the house.” Exasperated with Chester’s belligerent stance, his attitude, even the frown on his face, JP added in a reasonable tone, “That’s the reason you allowed her out of a cell in the first place. When she’s not here, she’s teaching school. Me or one of my wranglers drives her to school and picks her up—her and Amy Brumbelow.”

  The deputy lost his frown. “What do you think I should be a doing to catch the killer?” Chester had the look of a mournful puppy in hopes of finding a scrap tossed in his direction.

  Oh! So the deputy needed advice. Why didn’t he simply say so instead of all this tomfoolery? JP exhaled a long breath. Of course, Chester’s pride and his longing for power prodded him into action like nothing else could. At all cost, he wanted to appear in charge of the situation. He’d always been a pain to deal with, but this was ridiculous.

  With a hopeful expression, Chester added, “I done looked over every soul in town and can’t find a hair out of place, if you know what I mean.”

  JP wanted to laugh in his face. He’d be surprised if the deputy could find his own butt with both hands. JP slowly drawled, “I intend to marry her, so she has no call to leave town.” In a lowered tone as if imparting a great secret, he added, “That’s between you and me.”

  Chester’s eyes glinted, narrowing as if storing information while relishing thoughts of fresh gossip. “Natural-like. You can depend on me.”

  “I’m counting on it.” JP hoped Chester didn’t notice the irony in his voice. What an idiot, and to think the deputy was in charge until the sheriff recovered.

  Still, if the rumor spread, Elizabeth would have little reason to avoid marriage. Then and only then could he keep her safe from this pompous windbag. At least, JP reasoned, he would tell her the threat of another arrest was the renewed reason for the marriage. Maybe she would be more approachable on the subject.

  JP shook his head. Knowing he would find Elizabeth hovering in the parlor, he headed in that direction. Pushing the door inward, he studied her standing at the window. Sunlight tangled in her dark hair, her shoulders were stiff, and her hand clutched the edge of the curtain. Her features were filled with fear.

  She spun around at the sound and stared at him, questioning, with a touch of dread mixed with hope in her eyes. JP rubbed his hand over his hair, down to his neck reluctant to cause Elizabeth distress. “The deputy just left. For now, I talked him out of arresting you again.”

  “Why is he fixated on me?” Moisture filled her eyes. “I could never kill anyone.”

  “I think you might if your life was threatened. Or someone you hold dear is in grave danger.”

  She ducked her head. “Maybe. I hope I never need to find out.”

  Trying to offer comfort and encouragement, he said, “We must discover evidence to clear your name.” He paced across the room to her side and captured her gaze. “I wan
t you to show me the exact spot where you found Plunkett. I doubt if the deputy searched for evidence of any kind. He was too het up to do more than take a quick look around.”

  “I-If you think it will help,” she stammered, her eyes wide and distressed.

  “Tarnation, woman, haven’t I been saying exactly that?”

  Her lips trembled and she half lifted a hand. “You want to go now?”

  “Now would be excellent.” He managed to refrain from a growled reply. She seemed so bewildered, helpless, and unable to make a decision. He wanted to wrap her in a protective embrace, but that would come later. Now was the time for action.

  “Get your wrap and meet me at the front door,” he commanded his voice curt in his own ears.

  He strode out to the stables and ordered his buckboard readied. In a matter of minutes, he drove around to the front and halted. Climbing to the ground, he waited with a vast amount of restlessness while glancing at the heavy front door several times. Women had no notion of time. He started up the steps an instant before Elizabeth finally emerged. Helping her into the buckboard, he leapt up beside her and urged his horses forward.

  ~ ~ ~

  A soft breeze stirred the tree tops, but the chilled air nearly took Elizabeth’s breath away or perhaps her breathlessness came from dread. The woods crowded to the edge of the lane in places with a clearing every now and then along the way. The rattle of the wheels kept time with the heavy strokes of her heart. She shrank from returning to the place she’d found Franklin, but she had to help JP search out any evidence.

  She craned her neck to search up ahead. Peering into the woods, she said, “It was along here. I’m certain.”

  JP pulled the wagon to a halt and helped her down. “Which side of the road?”

  The sun disappeared behind a bank of clouds for a moment adding to the gloom. She shivered. The atmosphere seemed cold and empty strewn with fallen leaves. Not even a bird twittered overhead.

  Reluctant to move forward, she pointed. “I found him on the left side, almost certainly close to that big, live oak over there.”

  He took her elbow and said, “Watch where you step. Don’t tread on anything out of place. It might be a clue.”

  “Then I’ll follow you. That way you’ll be the one to destroy any evidence.”

  “Very funny.” He very carefully inspected the area as to where his next footfall should land. “I noticed prints leading in that direction.” He shook his head. “Carelessness as I suspected.” He grumbled, “This is probably where the deputy blundered along regardless, not trying to preserve the scene one wit.”

  Elizabeth caught her breath. A faint odor of blood and death lingered near. “He died there. His blood is still on some of the leaves.” She took a tentative step forward and halted while JP circled the spot where Franklin had fallen. Something caught her attention—a shiny object.

  “There, JP.” She pointed, her hand trembling. In her mind’s eye, she could still see Franklin lying there, not moving, blood on his shirt. “That must be what I saw reflecting in a beam of sunshine. A buzzard flapping its wings caused me to glance this way.”

  JP picked up the object. “It a ring. More than likely a class ring from his college.”

  Elizabeth’s heart pounded in her chest. “Could it have been Franklin’s?”

  JP brought the ring over to her for closer examination. “What do you think?”

  She shrugged. “It looks like the one I noticed him wearing. Betty would probably know. Franklin was sweet on her and she led him a merry dance. She was interested, but her mother didn’t encourage the connection.”

  “Can’t say I blame her.” JP tossed the item in the air and caught it again. Halting, he bent and scooped up another object. “It’s Franklin’s shiny, new bank tag. That blasted deputy did little or nothing to find a single piece of evidence.” JP slipped both objects into his pocket. After searching every inch of the surrounding ground with no results, he headed back to the wagon, his steps determined, forceful, and hurried. “We need to examine Franklin’s belongings. Perhaps he left some information behind in his room. More about his life might help. Anything to point to a reason someone wanted him dead.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Elizabeth followed tentatively lifting her skirt to avoid the thick underbrush. “It couldn’t hurt. Mrs. Ledbetter wouldn’t have thrown anything of his out. Besides, I don’t want to linger in this place of death, decay, and ghosts.” She shivered.

  He glanced over at her. “Ghosts?”

  “Yes, Franklin waiting for vengeance.”

  JP raised his brows but let the topic drop. “There’s no time like the present to visit his room. Tramping around the woods where he was killed didn’t tell us a thing. Especially after Chester and his helper stomped all over any signs the murderer might have left behind. The blockhead,” JP muttered and took her arm to help her over a rough patch of ground.

  “I need more of my belongings and since you’ve decided to bring the buckboard, I can collect as many as I want. I must pay my rent as well.”

  He halted beside the wagon, his hand still on her arm. “Aunt Maude will understand about your need to marry. You are in danger. It’s time we face facts regardless of the problems.”

  “No.”

  He grinned at her. “There’s always tomorrow.”

  Her heart picked up speed, and a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. If only she could marry him, she would accept his offer in a heartbeat, but she couldn’t. She glared at him over her shoulder and boarded the wagon.

  He took up the reins and urged the horses into motion. With a thin smile, he changed the subject, as if the thought of marriage had never entered his mind. “What do you know about Franklin? Even rumors. All of it.”

  Disappointed with his apparent faded interest in marriage, she shrugged carelessly. “He was friendly enough. Ordinary, polite. A hard worker, conscientious.” The wagon rattled over a bump in the lane. “He mentioned his family live in Austin. I suppose the deputy sent a wire to his parents.”

  “I hope he had that much gumption.” JP slapped the reins to keep the horses pulling together.

  “Franklin seemed young for his age. Too young to die.” Elizabeth hesitated for a moment to gather her thought. After several minutes, she grabbed JP’s arm in her excitement. “He always carried a blue ledger with him. Surely it wasn’t with him at the crime scene or the deputy would have said something. Perhaps there is something in it to help us.”

  “It sounds promising.”

  Chapter 25

  Elizabeth pressed her hand against her stomach to ease the churning of excitement. She could hardly wait to reach the boardinghouse. A cool breeze brushed across her face. “It seems such a lovely day. It’s sad he died so young.”

  When JP pulled to a halt in front of the boardinghouse, a mockingbird fluttered from a branch of the sweetgum next to the porch. Elizabeth glanced up and missed her footing.

  JP caught her by the elbow steadying her. “It’s a good thing I’m around to catch you when you fall.”

  Elizabeth twisted her head around and glared at him. Her face heated, but she managed to control her voice. “Yes, and thank you for that.”

  He chuckled. “That was hard for you to say.”

  Ignoring him, she stepped inside. She needed a second for her eyes to adjust to the dimness of the hallway. “I’ll get the key from Mrs. Ledbetter. At this time of day, she’ll be cooking. I smell bread baking from here.”

  Elizabeth poked her head into the kitchen. “Hello, Mrs. Ledbetter. JP and I would like to inspect Franklin’s room. There may be a clue to help catch his killer.”

  The landlady dried her hands on her apron. “If you think it might help.” She led the way to Franklin’s room. “I keep thinking he’ll be here for supper.” She sniffle
d. “He was such a nice boy, neat, and never caused anybody a mite of trouble.” Grumbling, she added, “That deputy is a toad. Chester, deputy or no, don’t know his head from a hole in the ground.” Mounting the stairs, she continued to mumble, “Always has his feathers ruffled like a game cock. Can’t depend on him to do things right. Not him. Land sakes, all Chester did was to glance around and him standing in the doorway. Nothing like any good lawman would have done.”

  Elizabeth fought back a spurt of laughter. She glanced at JP and nearly lost the fight to keep her amusement silent.

  The landlady continued to grumble. “He strutted out of here like a rooster in a hen house, his chest puffed out till he nearly tripped and fell down the stairs. He didn’t look. I suspect he had his mind set on whether it was time to crow or not.”

  She fished a key ring out of her apron pocket and unlocked the door. “His room is still just like he left it. I couldn’t find it in my heart to touch a thing.”

  Pushing the door open, stale air swept out into the hall. She opened the door wider and exposed the chaos inside. Bright sunlight pierced between the curtains exposing the extent of the destruction. The bed had been stripped, the mattress ripped to shreds, and the dresser’s drawers dumped among the clutter.

  Mrs. Ledbetter covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide in disbelief and dismay. “Land sakes, what happened here? Who could have done such a thing?” She wrung her hands. “It’ll take a month of Sundays to straighten out this mess.”

  JP patted her on the shoulder and gently helped her out the door. “Why don’t you let us straighten out this muddle? Without so much disorder, it’ll be easier to decide what you want to do next.”

  The landlady gazed up at him, her expression full of distress. She seemed overwhelmed and at a loss to make a decision. “I think I’ll brew a nice kettle of dandelion tea. It always soothes the nerves, you know.”