Pearl River Junction

by Robert J. Randisi

  63

  When they came within sight of the sheriff’s house, they saw three figures in the backyard. One was Belinda, one was obviously the boy, Little Matt. The third was Jeb Collier.

  “Where’s Marion?” Cotton said. “If he’s done anything—”

  Shaye grabbed Cotton before he could rush the yard.

  “Let’s go in the front,” Shaye said. “We’ll probably find Marion inside, safe and sound.”

  “But what about—”

  “He’s not going anywhere for a while. Come on.”

  Shaye practically dragged Cotton around to the front of the house, where the sheriff opened the front door and they went inside.

  “Marion?”

  “In the kitchen,” she replied right away.

  They went into the kitchen and found her sitting at the table, hands clasped in front of her.

  “They’re out back,” she said.

  “Did he force her to talk to him?”

  “Not at all,” she said. “He knocked on the door, I answered, he asked to speak to Belinda. He was very…gentlemanly. Belinda went out back with him willingly and carried Little Matt with her.”

  Shaye went to the back window and looked out. Jeb Collier was down on one knee, talking to the boy. Belinda was watching them and the look on her face was anything but frightened. She seemed calm, content, even. Shaye was suddenly dead sure that the boy was not Matthew’s, but Jeb Collier’s.

  Cotton came up next to him and looked out.

  “What are they doing?” he asked.

  “Just talking,” Shaye said. “She doesn’t look like she needs any protecting.”

  “They’re going to take the baby away, aren’t they?” Marion asked, her hands clasped so tight the knuckles were white.

  “We don’t know that, Marion,” Cotton said, turning to face her.

  “I’m going to go out and talk to them,” Shaye said. “Why don’t the two of you wait here?”

  “All right,” Cotton said. “Since he might be your grandson…all right.”

  Shaye didn’t bother pointing out that he had just decided the boy was not his grandson. Instead, he simply opened the door and stepped outside…

  “Another deputy just came in,” Tanner said.

  “I see him,” Delay said. “Looks like another brother.”

  Tanner looked over at the other men. They had also noticed the two tin stars in the room.

  “The men are gonna get antsy.”

  “Go around and calm them down,” Delay said. “Tell them nothin’s gonna happen today. Tell them we’re still gonna wait right here for Jeb to get here.”

  “Got it.”

  Tanner got up and started moving around the room.

  When James entered he took a few steps sideways to get out of the doorway and remained there, his hands clasped in front of him. He saw Thomas standing calmly at the back of the room and they exchanged a nod. One by one he located the strangers who had ridden into town, starting with the man dressed in black, who was seated not far from where Thomas was standing.

  He settled in, decided he’d take his cue from his brother.

  When Shaye stepped out the back door, both adults in the yard looked over at him.

  “Mr. Shaye,” Belinda said, “this is Jeb Collier.”

  “I figured,” Shaye said, approaching them.

  “Yeah,” Jeb said, “I saw you in front of the saloon.”

  “The rest of your men are inside the saloon,” Shaye told him. “I guess that’s where they’re supposed to meet you, huh?”

  “I got men?” Jeb asked. “That’s news to me.”

  “I’ve already had a talk with Vic Delay.”

  Jeb didn’t react.

  “Don’t know him,” he said.

  “We’ll see.” Shaye leaned down and said, “How are you doing, Matt?”

  The little boy looked up at him with wide eyes, then looked at his feet.

  “That’s not his name,” Jeb said.

  “It’s not?” Shaye asked, straightening.

  “Well, it has been till now,” Jeb said, “but it’s gonna change.”

  Shaye looked at Belinda, who just shrugged.

  “What gives you the right to change his name?”

  “Didn’t she tell you?” Jeb asked. “He’s my boy.”

  “No,” Shaye said, “she’s been telling me that he’s my grandson.”

  “Naw,” Jeb said, “just look at him. Can’t you tell? He’s my son.” He looked at Belinda.

  “Ain’t that right, sweetie?”

  Again, all the young mother did was shrug.

  “Well, if you’re so sure he’s yours,” Shaye asked, “what are you going to do about it?”

  “I’m gonna take my woman and my boy and leave town,” Jeb said. “We’re gonna go somewhere and live together.”

  “And would that be before or after you and your men hit the bank?” Shaye asked.

  “The bank?” Jeb asked, looking puzzled. “Mr. Shaye—Deputy—if you know anythin’ about me, you know I just got out of Yuma Prison. I ain’t lookin’ ta go back.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yeah, that’s so.”

  “I’m glad to hear it, Collier,” Shaye said. “That will put a lot of minds at ease.”

  “I only came here to see my woman and my boy,” Jeb said. “You know what it’s like to know you got a son and you ain’t ever seen him?”

  “No,” Shaye said, “I don’t. I raised my three sons.”

  “Then you’re a lucky man, Mr. Shaye,” Jeb said. He looked at Belinda. “Sweetie, I got to go and get myself settled in, but I’ll come back to see the both of you.”

  “Tonight?” Belinda asked.

  “The boy will be going to sleep soon,” Shaye pointed out.

  “Well,” Jeb said, “I wouldn’t wanna be a bad father and wake him up, would I?” He directed his attention back to Belinda. “How about I come and take you to breakfast in the mornin’? Huh? How would that be?”

  “Fine,” Belinda said, “that’d be fine, Jeb.”

  “Good,” Jeb said, “good. Deputy, it was real nice to make your acquaintance.”

  “Same here,” Shaye said.

  Jeb left the yard and walked back toward town. Shaye looked at Belinda, who gave one last shrug before picking up the boy and going back inside.

  64

  The sheriff and his wife came out the back door and approached Shaye.

  “She just walked past us without a word,” Marion said, “took Little Matt upstairs. What happened?”

  “Collier says the boy is his,” Shaye said. “He says he’s going to take them away with him.”

  “I knew it,” Marion said, pressing her face against her husband’s chest.

  “What did Belinda say?” Cotton asked.

  “Nothing,” Shaye said. “She just shrugged.”

  “She’s afraid of him.”

  “I don’t think so, Riley,” Shaye answered. “I didn’t see any sign of fear in her.”

  “So…when did he say they’re going to leave?”

  “He didn’t. He said he’ll be back to take her out for breakfast in the morning.”

  “You think he’s headed for the saloon now?” Cotton asked.

  “That’d be my bet.”

  “Honey,” Cotton said, “go back inside. We’ll try to work this out, don’t worry.”

  “We’re going to lose the baby, Riley.”

  “Not if I can help it,” he said. “Come on, come inside.”

  Cotton looked at Shaye, who motioned that he would wait out front while the sheriff took her inside.

  When Jeb Collier entered the Wagon Wheel Saloon, he spotted James immediately.

  “Hello, Deputy,” he said, turning his head.

  James just nodded.

  “Nice town.”

  James nodded again.

  Jeb walked to the bar, ordered a beer, and—when he had it in hand—turned his back to the bar and studied the room. H
e located each of his men and saw Thomas standing against the back wall. He’d picked Delay out as soon as he entered and now walked back to his table, where he was seated alone. It didn’t matter to him that he had told the deputy that he didn’t know him.

  “You’re late.”

  “I know.”

  “Went to see the woman first, didn’t you?”

  “That’s right.”

  “The boy yours?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So what are you gonna do?”

  “When we leave, I’m takin’ them with me.”

  “And when are we leavin’?”

  “After we take the bank.”

  “You saw the deputies, right?”

  “I see ’em.”

  “You hung us out here so you could see the woman without any interference.”

  “It didn’t work,” Jeb said unapologetically. “I met a deputy named Shaye at the sheriff’s house.”

  “They’re all named Shaye, near as I can figure,” Delay said. “At least, these two are.”

  “Father and sons?”

  “That’s right.”

  Jeb frowned.

  “Dan Shaye?”

  “That ain’t the half of it,” Delay said and told Jeb about Shay Daniels. He also told Jeb about his conversation with Thomas Shaye.

  “You been busy.”

  “I’ve had my mind on business, Jeb.”

  “Don’t worry, Vic,” Jeb said. “My mind is on business.”

  “With all this attention we’re gettin’, you still want to hit the bank?”

  Jeb smiled and said, “More than ever. I got a family to support now.”

  65

  When Sheriff Cotton and Dan Shaye returned to the office, Thad was still seated out front, eager to do what he was told and make up for his mistake.

  “I didn’t hear no shots, Sheriff,” he said.

  “Good, Thad,” Cotton said. “Just stay out until you do.”

  “Sure, Sheriff,” Thad said, “but what do I do then?”

  “You’ll figure it out, son.” He turned to Shaye. “Shall we go into the saloon, Dan?”

  “I guess that’s a likely next move,” Shaye said.

  “What other one could there be?”

  “To wait for them to make a move for the bank.”

  “And leave them to the bank guards?”

  “No, I don’t think so,” Shaye said. “I don’t know the training of the bank guards, but I do know the reputations of Jeb Collier and Vic Delay. They’ve done what they do many times before.”

  “You don’t think the guards would be able to handle them?” Riley Cotton asked.

  “I doubt it.”

  “So if we just keep watching them,” Cotton reasoned, “they won’t be able to make a move.”

  “There are eight of them and five of us,” Shaye said. “If they split up, three of them can hit the bank.”

  “But if we watch Collier and Delay, they’d have to do it without them.”

  “No,” Shaye said, shaking his head, “they won’t be able to do that. They’ll need Collier at least. He’s the brains. And they’ll need Delay, because he’s the killer. So they’ll need both of them.”

  “So we’re back where we started,” Cotton said. “Why don’t I just order them out of town? That’ll force them into a move.”

  “Yeah, it would.”

  “So?”

  Shaye turned and looked at Thad, at his bruised face.

  “Maybe we got another way to force their hand,” he said, “and change the odds at the same time.”

  “How?”

  Shaye told him.

  Cotton nodded and said, “Okay. Let’s go do it.”

  “We’ll take Thad too,” Shaye said.

  “Why?”

  “He can identify them,” Shaye said, “and he owes them.”

  Cotton turned to Thad.

  “You wanna go in, boy?”

  “Yes, sir!” Thad said eagerly.

  “You gonna do what you’re told?”

  “Every step of the way, sir.”

  The sheriff looked at Shaye and said. “Let’s go, then.”

  66

  Cotton entered the saloon first, followed by Shaye and then Thad. James and Thomas both stood up straight at the sight of them, knowing something was about to happen.

  From the back of the room Delay and Jeb saw the three extra lawman enter and also knew something was in the air.

  “Jeb,” Delay said, lacing his hand on his gun.

  “Wait,” Jeb said.

  “We got a lot of cover in here,” Delay told him. “Lots of people. The lawmen’ll try not to hit innocent bystanders. We don’t have that problem.”

  “Just wait, Vic,” Jeb said. “Let’s see what they’re after before we go off half-cocked.”

  Delay sat back, moved his hand away from his gun.

  “Pick ’em out, boy,” Cotton said to Thad.

  The place grew quiet as the lawmen moved among the patrons. At the bar Tanner looked over at Jeb, who shook his head. Ben Collier was standing next to him and also saw his brother shake his head.

  Samms and Leslie were playing poker at the same table and didn’t notice anything until the place grew quiet. Samms looked around, noticed all the lawmen in the room, and got nervous.

  “Stay calm, boys,” Jeb said under his breath.

  It was Wilson and Roberts, though, who were the object of Thad Hagen’s attention. They were seated at a table with drinks in their hands and girls in their laps when the place grew quiet. Now they watched as the lawmen approached them, the young deputy in the lead.

  “These are them,” Thad said.

  “What is he talkin’ about?” Wilson asked the two older lawmen.

  “You ladies move along,” Cotton said.

  The two women got up and hurried to the bar, where they huddled together.

  Roberts looked over his shoulder to where Jeb and Delay were sitting, but neither man moved or signaled.

  “You men are under arrest,” Cotton said.

  “Arrest?” Wilson asked. “For what? We just got to your town today.”

  “And you couldn’t even get out of the livery stable without getting into trouble,” Shaye said.

  “What are you talkin’ about?” Roberts asked.

  “You assaulted my deputy,” Cotton said. “You’re both comin’ with me—with us.” He turned to Thad. “Get ’em on their feet, Deputy.”

  “You heard the sheriff,” Thad said. “Up.”

  Wilson and Roberts stared at the young deputy, then at Shaye and Cotton. Beyond them they could see James. When Roberts turned his head to look to Jeb for guidance, he saw Thomas standing behind them.

  Thad produced his gun and said, “Up!”

  Wilson and Roberts slid their chairs back and got to their feet.

  “You young pup,” Wilson said. “You didn’t get enough—”

  “Deputy Shaye,” Thad said.

  “Yep?” Shaye answered.

  “Take their guns.”

  “Yes, sir,” Shaye said, but it was Thomas who moved in behind Wilson and Roberts and plucked their guns from their holsters before they could make a move. He then tossed one to his father and the other across the room to James, who surprised himself and everyone in the room by catching it one-handed before it could sail through the window.

  “Deputy Hagen,” Cotton said, “take them over to the jail and lock their asses up.”

  “Yes, sir,” Thad said. “You boys heard the sheriff. Get movin’.”

  Wilson and Roberts were still waiting for Jeb or Delay—or both—to make a move when Thomas put his hand against each of their backs and pushed.

  “You heard the man!”

  Both men staggered forward and then kept walking. Thad fell in behind them. When they went past James, he fell in behind Thad.

  “We gonna let them do that?” Delay asked.

  “You see that deputy’s face?” Jeb asked.

 
“Yeah. So?”

  “I told everybody to stay out of trouble,” he said, “but those idiots couldn’t do it. Let them sit in a cell for a while.”

  “But we’re gonna need them for the bank.”

  Jeb turned his head to look at Delay and said, “No, we ain’t.”

  “Those fellas have any friends in here that object to them being arrested?” Cotton asked.

  He, Thomas, and Shaye looked around. Shaye’s eyes fell on Jeb Collier and Vic Delay, but neither man made a move.

  “Then I guess you folks better go back to having yourselves a good time,” the sheriff said.

  “Pa?” Thomas asked.

  “You leave with us, Thomas.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Cotton went out the door and both Shaye and Thomas backed out, watching his back. Slowly, activity started up again in the room and then the piano started and things were in full swing again.

  67

  Thad came down from the second floor, hung the cell keys on a wall peg, and told Cotton, “They’re tucked away nice and safe.”

  “In the morning you’ll bring them breakfast from the café.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And you’ll stay here and guard them.”

  Thad hesitated a moment, then said, “Alone?”

  “No,” James said, “you won’t have to stay alone. I’ll stay with you tonight. We can take turns sleeping.”

  “That sounds good.”

  “All right,” Cotton said. He looked at Shaye. “You think they’ll come for these two?”

  “They didn’t look all that upset when we took them,” Shaye said. “Collier will probably come and talk first.”

  “You think they’ll try for the bank with six men?”

  “Maybe,” Shaye said. “We’ll have to see.”

  “I can stay tonight too,” Thomas said. “Just in case. James, will you make some coffee?”

  “I will, just to keep you from making it,” James said.

  “Riley,” Shaye said, “why don’t we go and talk to Belinda? Maybe it’s time she told the truth…all of it.”

  “Okay,” Cotton said. “Then let’s do it.”

  At the saloon Jeb and his men gave up the pretense of not knowing each other and congregated around one table.

  “What do we do now?” Samms asked. “We’re down to six men.”