by Ken Farmer
“H. G. Wells had it right with his novel, The Time Machine…Same place, different times…Wells’ actual description of his machine was fairly close to that of an electromagnetic wave generator.”
“Huh?…Who knew?…So, just what are we going to research?”
Padrino had slipped on his computer glasses and looked over the top of them at St. John. “Bone.”
“Do what?”
“We’re going to search for Darrell Ulysses Bone and Loraine Rodriguez throughout history.”
“So, you’re saying we may be here a while?”
Padrino grinned. “Maybe…Maybe not.”
VILLA DE LA VEGA
1898
Sophia opened the thick carved mahogany door, hung by iron strap hinges, of the villa for the group. “I’ll show you to your rooms and let you all get settled in.
“That will be fine, Miz Vega,” said Bone.
“Please call me Sophia.”
“Sophia, it is then.”
“Did you have breakfast on the train?”
“We had a little something we brought. That train didn’t have a dining car,” replied Fiona.
“Well, I’ll fix up a little brunch then, as soon as you come back down.”
“Be fine…uh, Sophia,” added Mason.
Thirty minutes later, the four came back down the stairway and turned into the spacious dining room.
There were four bowls set on the table along with a side plate of some sliced sausages and glasses of iced tea.
“That looks scrumptious,” said Fiona as she took a seat at the table. “What’s it called?”
“It’s called gazpacho, Fiona,” replied Loraine. “It’s a traditional Spanish cold soup made with fresh vegetables.”
“That’s correct, Loraine,” commented Sophia. “The sliced sausage on the side plate is chorizo, a fermented, cured, smoked pork sausage…also a traditional Spanish dish, and, of course, the Mexican staple of corn tortillas to use to dip into the gazpacho.”
“I think I could get used to this,” said Bone as he took a spoonfull of the gazpacho followed by a bite from a rolled up buttered tortilla.
“Loraine, you mentioned that Don Felipe Diego de la Vega was your great grandfather, then your great grandmother was his first wife…she died of cholera in ‘60. Her name was Mamie. The Don and I married in ‘65.”
“One of the things my mother didn’t know was where Don Felipe Diego de la Vega was buried,” commented Loraine.
Sophia looked down at her glass of tea, and then looked up at Loraine. “Don Felipe Diego de la Vega was a hard, abusive man.” She looked out the window into the large atrium in the center of the hacienda for a moment. “I had him buried out back, behind the hacienda by the arbor.”
“I understood he died of old age,” commented Loraine.
Again, Sophia stared out the window and without turning back, said, “He was hung for beating a child to death with his cane on the street for begging him for money.”
Loraine gasped. “My grandmother apparently didn’t know.”
“How horrible,” said Fiona.
“Hanging was too good for him,” added Bone.
“I agree…I didn’t erect a headstone. He was a hateful, evil man and I’m glad they hung him…Killing that child was the last straw.”
Mason looked at her. “He abused you, then?”
She nodded and pursed her lips together.
“What about the suicides?” asked Bone.
Sophia took a deep breath. “He put a curse on the judge who passed the sentence on him, all his relatives and descendants.”
“Then you’re saying that all the suicides have been relatives of the Judge?” asked Mason.
“What about the one last week…Clayton Armstrong?” inquired Fiona.
“Apparently he was too. According to his widow, Anita, her husband was a third cousin…I didn’t know that when they booked their reservations.”
“Whoa, that’s reaching out a ways,” said Bone.
“What was the judge’s name?” asked Loraine.
“Judge Barton James McLain,” Sophia replied.
“Uh-oh,” responded Mason. “My mother’s maiden name was McLain.”
“You don’t think…”
“She never mentioned much about her family, so I don’t know,” said Mason.
BONE’S RANCH
2018
“We’re going to focus on north Texas, since according to Tesla and others, like I said, if they were transported from that cave…they came out in that cave.”
“What time period are you going to search?” asked St. John.
“Going to start with the last two hundred years.”
“Why two hundred?”
“Gut feeling. If there’s nothing there, we’ll widen the search…If I know Bone, and he’s back in time, history will most likely mention him.”
The captain shook his head. “You and Bone…Every time he’s working on a case, he says, ‘Always follow your gut’.”
Padrino grinned. “Right more often than wrong.” He keyed in Darrell Ulysses Bone.
A page appeared on the monitor.
“Hmm, hate it when this happens. It’s like trying to find a book on Amazon. Shows you everything but what you asked for…‘Bone - …rigid body tissue consisting of cells embedded’…”
“Well, duh,” commented St. John looking at the screen.
“Bone - The Complete Cartoon Epic…” read Padrino.
“That sounds close.” St. John grinned.
“Does, but it’s modern.”
Padrino punched in Detective Bone.”
The screen showed books and TV shows with the word Bone or Bones in the titles. Padrino scrolled to the next page.
“Wait, what’s that?” asked St. John.
“Huh…Say’s ‘Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt, helped to foil his own kidnapping by Spanish operatives while on a hunting trip in the Kiamichi Wilderness in the southeastern corner of the Choctaw Nation. He assisted the legendary Deputy US Marshal Bass Reeves, Deputy US Marshal Fiona Miller Flynn, the only female marshal in the Nations, in addition to Deputy US Marshals Selden Lindsey, Jack McGann, Brushy Bill Roberts, and Sheriff Mason Flynn of Jack County. Also assisting in the disruption of the dastardly plan were a Detective Bone and Inspector Loraine Rodriguez of Cooke County, Texas’…”
“Holy Mother of God!” exclaimed St. John as he sat down heavily in a chair. “When is that?”
“November, 1898,” answered Padrino.
“Well, you might know Bone and Loraine were going to get involved in something…Anything else?”
Padrino chuckled. “Here’s more…’Sheriff’s deputies D.U. Bone and Loraine Rodriguez of Jack County, instrumental in solving a string of killings of law officers in a four county area of north Texas, Jack County, Clay County, Wise County and Montague County’…” He looked over at St. John. “Mid November, 1898.”
“There’s got to be more,” said St. John.
“Uh-huh…and ‘Sheriff’s deputies of Jack County foil stagecoach robbery in northern Jack County when four road agents tried to holdup the Henrietta to Jacksboro stage. Deputy Bone was asked who the brigands were. He replied, “Don’t know, don’t care…they shot my partner…they didn’t survive to be interrogated.” Deputy Loraine Rodriguez is back in Jacksboro recuperating.’ I’ll be darned,” said Padrino.
“Anything else on Loraine?”
“Nope, nothing.”
“Well, I’d say that pretty well narrows it down, don’t you?”
Padrino nodded and then got a huge grin on his face. “You are not going to believe this one.”
St. John leaned over to see the monitor…
§§§
CHAPTER NINE
ROSA’S CANTINA
“What has happened to you Señor Vernon? You have been in my cantina before, but only drank coffee with your meal,” commented Rosa as she set a plate of huevos rancheros and tortillas in fr
ont of him.
Vernon played with his food for a moment, and then looked up at Rosa. “One of our guests, Mister Armstrong, hung himself last week.”
Rosa put her hand to her chest and then made the sign of the cross. “Sweet Mary.”
“I’m the one that found him hangin’ there…Seen too much killin’ an’ death in the Injun wars in Arizona an’ north Texas…Jest couldn’t handle it, Miz Rosa…Jest couldn’t handle it.”
“You poor man, I weel say the rosary for you…I have a bed in the storage room in the back. You will stay here until Rosa can feex you. You see.”
VILLA DE LA VEGA
“I understand you told Ranger Hickman you felt something wasn’t right, Sophia,” said Bone. “Can you give us some information that might help us? I think the ranger told you that we were all law officers.”
Sophia nodded. “Si, Señor Bone.” She glanced at Loraine and the others. “Señor Armstrong was very happy that morning. He and Vernon played chess and drank tea out in the garden, and then he said he was going up to his room to take a nap until his wife, Anita, returned from shopping.”
“Did he win or lose the chess matches?” asked Loraine.
“Oh, no, Señor Armstrong won all four games. He was a master, you see. He apologized to Vernon for not telling him before.”
“And that’s when he went up to his room?” inquired Fiona.
“Si, Señora.”
“What happened then?” asked Mason.
“I took their tea glasses and Vernon and I went to the kitchen where I washed them, and then stirred the marinara sauce I had on the stove. Vernon got a chicken leg from the ice box and I told him not to ruin his supper. He smelled of the sauce…” She smiled slightly. “…and said there wasn’t much chance of that.”
“What happened next, Sophia?” inquired Bone.
“The signal bell from his room rang, but stuck in the sideways position and I had asked Vernon to fix it and he said he put a brand new rope inside the velvet sleeve, so, I sent him up to see what the problem was.”
“He knocked on the door, I imagine,” said Loraine.
“Si…I could hear him knocking and calling for Mister Armstrong from downstairs and I went up…The door was locked from the inside and I told Vernon to push the key out with his screwdriver and use his master key.”
“He opened the door, and then…” asked Mason.
She nodded and wiped her nose with her handkerchief. “Vernon opened the door a little and looked inside. He cried out and fell to his knees…I peeked over him into the room and saw poor Mister Armstrong hanging from the bell pull rope…He was dead.”
“Were there any signs of him struggling?” Bone looked at Sophia.
“Oh, no, no…His hands were bound in front of him and his feet were tied together…both with drapery sashes…The stool from the piano in the room was beside his feet…It just didn’t seem right.”
“I agree, Sophia. I see several things right off.” Bone glanced at Loraine, she nodded. “You said his hands were tied in front of him. Two, his feet were tied, and three, the stool wasn’t turned over…Correct?”
“Si…si.”
“Three or four legged stool?” asked Loraine.
“Three…Oh, what a terrible tragedy. He was such a nice man. I really don’t understand…”
Loraine interrupted her, “Yes, Ma’am. But, I just would like to get your observations on his demeanor…”
“I do not understand word, ‘demeanor’.”
“His state of mind, his mood, when he and his wife…”
Oh, si, si. Very outgoing, happy. Love to talk. He love to play chess with my hired man, Vernon, They played all afternoon…I just don’t understand why Vernon up and quit the very next day…”
“Yes, ma’am. Uh…He quit the next day?” Bone interrupted.
“Si. Actually he just never came back…even to collect his pay.”
“Really? That’s interesting,” commented Fiona. “Did you notice if he and Clayton had any arguments or disagreements at all that afternoon?”
“No, no, Sigñora, they were very, how you say…congenial, that is except when Vernon ‘checked’ Mister Armstrong and the very next move, Mister Armstrong ‘checkmated’ Vernon…But, they then just laughed it off.”
“And Vernon didn’t leave the kitchen until you both heard the bell from Armstrong’s room?” asked Mason.
“No, not at all.”
“Which room were the Armstrongs in?” asked Bone.
She looked at Fiona and Mason. “Yours.”
BONE’S RANCH
2018
“I don’t believe it!” exclaimed St. John. “Bone and Loraine married!”
“What the article from the Gainesville Daily Register, November 28, 1898, says…‘Ceremony performed at Skeans Boarding House on Lindsey Street by Doctor Winchester Ashalatubbi from Ardmore in the Chickasaw Nation. The bride was given away by the legendary Deputy US Marshal Bass Reeves’…”
“Lord, Lord…The US Marshals Service still considers Reeves as the greatest marshal in their history…Served over 3,000 felony warrants…and never failed to execute one he was assigned. One bad dude and one hellova lawman…Even arrested his own son once.” St. John chuckled. “One time, he had paper on one Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr…Better known in history as Belle Starr. She turned herself in to Marshal Bud Ledbetter in Muscogee, when she found out Reeves had paper on her…saying she didn’t want Bass Reeves on her tail.”
“That’s funny…Read about him. Lot of folks think he was the inspiration for the fictional character of the Lone Ranger.” Padrino grinned. “You know, the Lone Ranger always gave out silver bullets to citizens that helped him and Tonto and Bass Reeves gave out…silver dollars.”
“Didn’t know that, now,” said St. John. “But, you might know that Bone and Loraine would get to know him…and to have Bass Reeves to give her away…Wow! That means they are…or would you say, were, pretty close.”
“Either or both…Yeah, even I didn’t see that coming. Their relationship has always been like oil and water…Kind of remind me of Tracy and Hepburn in Adam’s Rib…Apparently she finally knocked his wall down.”
“What about her wall? I always felt she just tolerated him and his antics.”
“Good question,” said Padrino.
“Who else was at the wedding?” asked St. John.
“Well, Sheriff Mason Flynn of Jack County was his Best Man and, get this, her Matron of Honor was Deputy US Marshal Fiona Miller Flynn…Cooke County Sheriff Walt Durbin was there, and so was Texas Ranger Bodie Hickman.”
“Damn, would have loved to been there.”
VILLA DE LA VEGA
1898
“Are you concerned that you are in the same room?” Sophia asked Mason and Fiona.
They exchanged looks.
“I don’t think so. Give us a good chance to go over the room carefully, looking for any possible clues that your local people might have missed,” said Fiona.
“Oh, the local deputies didn’t look for anything. They just assumed it was a suicide and left it at that.”
“Not surprised,” commented Bone.
“What can you tell us about the other suicides?” inquired Mason.
“Well, they began about six months after Don Felipe Diego De La Vega was hung. I had started taking in boarders and visitors to San Antonio shortly afterward…Since the hacienda is so large.”
“And you think each one was related to the judge in some way?” asked Loraine.
“Si, it was several years before I noticed the connection.”
“Was there anything else special you noticed?” asked Fiona.
Sophia glanced at her and Mason and finally nodded. “Interestingly enough, they all hung themselves…and all in the same room…Yours.”
“Oh, my,” said Fiona.
“Could we see the burial site?” asked Loraine.
“Of course, follow me.” Sophia led the way out into the atrium
garden and out the back gate.
“Over there by the arbor.” She pointed.
“That dead area?” asked Mason.
“Si, nothin’ will grow on it. I have planted, fertilized with chicken manure, watered over and over…”
“Is there rock underneath?” inquired Bone.
Fear started to show in her eyes. “No, we buried him very deep and put a concrete slab over the coffin, and then filled it back in.”
“Why a concrete slab?” asked Loraine.
She glanced around fearfully again. “Because, as I said, he was an evil, evil man, Señora…Plus I had the local priest do an exorcism over the site.”
“You feared him that much?” Fiona looked in her eyes.
“Si, Señora. I think he was possessed by a demon…possibly Satan himself…And still, nothing will even germinate there, not even weeds…I finally put a bird bath on it…and…and the birds won’t drink from it or even bathe in it…I think the very ground is cursed.”
“Anything else, anything at all you can think of?” asked Bone.
“Well, I have had some of Don Felipe Diego De La Vega’s relatives stay here on occasion and they’ve sworn to me they’ve seen him roaming the halls.”
“Only his relatives?” asked Fiona.
“Si…The local priest feels that only the descendants of Don Felipe Diego De La Vega, can see the spirit that roams the hacienda…He performed an exorcism on it last year…” Sophia looked at Loraine with a slight degree of pity. “You are the first relative that has stayed here since…I would understand if you wanted to stay elsewhere.”
Bone and Loraine exchanged glances…
§§§
CHAPTER TEN
VILLA DE LA VEGA
The four law officers sat around the parlor, drinking iced tea.
“Well, before we get started on the cop stuff…don’t think it’s going anywhere…what say we take a stroll and see some of the sights?” said Bone.
“Excellent idea, Bone,” replied Mason.
