“Mrs. Henderson?”
“Yes.”
“We haven’t met before. I’m Sheriff Jesse Smith.”
“I know who you is, Sheriff. I seen ya around.”
“Well that’s good ma’am. Then it won’t be as uncomfortable if I ask for entry inta your home for a time.”
“What did you need?”
“Just have some news I need ta speak ta ya bout.”
“Is it bout my daughter?”
I was quiet a spell. “Yes, ma’am. It is.”
She the opened the door and walked away from it. I took off my hat and came inside. Three young boys was runnin’ round the house and she told em ta skedaddle and pointed ta two wooden chairs at the table. I sat down cross from her.
“I had a daughter,” I said. “Have a daughter. Somewhere. She ran off when she was sixteen. We was livin’ out East and that was bout the worst thing I coulda done for her. Take her out there ta the cities. She got all kinds a crazy notions bouncin’ round her head. We used ta fight bout it but I was workin’ in the factory some damn near fifteen hours a day and it was just she and her mother. One day I come home and Betty tells me that Amanda’s run off. I looked for her for almost a year. Didn’t work, didn’t do nothin’ else. We were near destitute cause I didn’t work. I just searched for her.”
“What’d y’all do for money?”
“Betty did odd jobs here and there. Sewin’ shirts and cleanin’ houses. When I crawled outta my whiskey bottle long nuff, I would do some work for a few days fore crawlin’ back.”
“J’you ever find her?”
“No, ma’am. After a time I saw the toll it was takin’ on Betty. She’d lost a daughter and now she was losin’ a husband too. I didn’t see it till one day she just collapsed. Exhaustion, the doctors said. So, we packed up and moved out West. I was deputy out in Magdalena few years fore comin’ out here.” I leaned forward, placin’ my elbows on the table. “What I’m sayin’ is that no one can know what you goin’ through. But I come damn close.”
She nodded. “Thank you, Sheriff.”
“Was there anybody Missy was seein’ that mighta piqued your curiosity at the time?”
“Not that I know of. But she kept to herself. She didn’t tell me nothin’.”
“What bout her daddy?”
“Her daddy run off with some whore fore she was born. She ain’t never met him.”
I nodded. “You see Missy the day she passed?”
“No. But I saw her the day before.”
“She say anythin’ unusual ta you?”
“Like what?”
“Oh, I dunno, anythin’ that seemed strange?”
“No, not at all. She talked bout wantin’ to go out to California. She said they got rivers a gold out yonder and she was goin’ to be a rich woman. A businesswoman. You think that’s true, Sheriff? Bout the rivers a gold I mean?”
“Well I’ve come ta learn in my years that if sounds too good ta be true it is. I doubt there’re many folks gettin’ rich out there.”
“You’re right I reckon. Twas a nice dream she had though.”
“Mrs. Henderson, what did Missy do for money?”
“She was a seamstress. She worked with Suzie down at—you know Suzie?”
“I certainly do.”
“She worked with her. I don’t know what I’m gonna do now. She provided for us, what little she could. Don’t know what I’m gonna do now.”
She began ta weep and I put my hand over hers and told her she was goin’ ta be just fine. I stood up and saw the boys lookin’ over from cross the room and went over and talked ta em a bit, just askin’ em what they like ta do.
“Can I hold yer badge?” one a em asked.
“You sure can.” I placed the badge on his chest and he got the biggest smile I ever saw. “Boys, your mama’s goin’ through a rough spell right now. You need ta be good ta her, do what she says and stay on your best behavior. She ain’t got the strength right now ta be lookin’ out for ya so you boys gotta behave. You’re the men a the house and the men a the house take care a their women.”
“Yes, sir,” they all said. I rose and patted their heads fore headin’ out. I turned ta Mrs. Henderson and said, “You think a anythin’ that can help me, you let me know.”
“I will, Sheriff. Oh, what bout yer badge?”
“Keep it. I think em boys’ll get a lot more use outta it than me.”
CHAPTER 3
I waited round all mornin’ at the office for Suzie ta come by but she never did. So I took one a the badges outta my drawer and began polishin’ it. But there’s only so much polishin’ a man can do and I’d go outside and talk with folks fore goin’ back in. There was never much goin’ on in Cosgrove other than some neighbor disputes and fights at the saloon. Sometimes we’d get a con man come through and try and hustle the old timers and I’d run him off. I liked it nice and quiet. I’d seen just bout enough chaos and death in the War ta last ten lifetimes. I didn’t want it here too.
When I realized she wasn’t comin’ I locked up the office and headed over ta Doc Stevens’. He was just up the street a bit. Most docs had ta do somethin’ else pay the rent other than practicin’ medicine but he was the only one for a hundred miles and he was doin’ just fine. He practiced outta his house and a room on the first floor was his office. It looked like the room outta a hospital complete with the smells and I hated goin’ in there.
I went up ta the door and it was already open. I saw a sheet coverin’ a metal table in the room he saw patients in. Underneath was the outline of a body. I saw the Doc in the other room speakin’ ta his wife bout somethin’ and he saw me and walked over.
“You here ta see the body, Sheriff?”
“Guess so.”
“Well come on over, she’s right here.”
We walked inta the room and he shut the door. I stood by the table and waited until he put on his glasses and what looked like an apron.
“Lord all mighty Doc how is Helen all right with dead bodies in her livin’ room?”
“She ain’t never complained to me. But this ain’t exactly a frequent occurrence. Eh, you sure you okay with dead bodies, Sheriff? This ain’t pretty.”
“I’m fine.”
He pulled off the sheet and I’ll be damned if he didn’t do it quick like a magician ta see if it shock me. And he was right if he thought it would.
I remember a butcher’s shop back in Texas where I was born ran by this young Jewish fella. I went in there once when I was round ten years old ta pick somethin’ up for my mother and he had out a sheep. The thing was still alive, just a little lamb. He put it up on a table and slit its throat and let the blood run inta a bucket. While I was waitin’ for the assistant ta get what I’d come for, he began cuttin’ up the sheep on account a it was already trimmed.
That’s what this body looked like.
Her skin was white as marble and covered with wounds. Her face had been cut up some too and it looked almost like she’d been scalped as the top part a her skull was comin’ off.
“This is new ta me,” the Doc said. “See right there that her breasts have been removed. I ain’t never seen that before.”
“Well, you were right, this ain’t no animal attack.”
“I can see why you thought that though. Look at the right arm. It’s been nearly cut clean off. Must a been one helluva sharp knife.”
“Ain’t no knife,” I said. “I seen wounds like that in the War when the docs’d get ta amputatin’. This here was a saw.”
“I was wonderin’ bout the jagged edges on the flesh. That makes sense.”
I took a deep breath. “Well, anything else you can tell me?”
He shook his head. “Ain’t much else ta tell. Other than I think she was probably stabbed first and then strangled and then stabbed again.”
“After she was dead?”
“Think so. Some of the wounds didn’t bleed which means they happened after she was already dead.”
&nb
sp; “What kinda man stabs a corpse?”
“Don’t know, Sheriff. This is a bit outta my expertise.”
“Well, cover her up and get her ready for burial.”
“We wasn’t goin’ ta do a burial.”
“Why not?”
“Family can’t afford it. We was just gonna burn the body and give em the ashes.”
“No, give her a good Christian burial. I’ll pay for it.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” I began walkin’ out and turned ta him at the door. “Doc, if a man is capable a this, he’s probably capable a anythin’, wouldn’t you say?”
“I would reckon. But you never know. Could just be a jilted lover. Love and hate are sometimes hard to tell apart.”
I nodded. “Thanks for your help.”
Walkin’ out inta the sunlight I stood there a while and was bout ta turn away and head back ta the office when I saw a man ambulatin’ up the walk. He was dressed in a gray suit with black hat and had the prettiest young thing on his arm. The mayor and his latest item.
Mayor Thomas Ford was bout the handsomest man I’d ever seen but with an edge ta him that some people mistook for arrogance. He was just serious was all. He wasn’t no good at jokin’ with folks or pattin’ em on the back. He was educated back East, a college man, and sometimes with uneducated folks that could rub em wrong.
“Sheriff, glad I ran into you.”
“Mayor.” I tipped my hat. “Ma’am.”
“Sweetheart why don’t you go on over to the mercantile and get us some candy for tonight.”
She smiled ta me and walked off as we both stared at her. The mayor shook his head and said, “I tell you, sometimes I just have to thank the Lord for not giving me the opportunity to get married. But then sometimes when I’m alone at night I curse my lot, so who knows?”
“Not me.”
“I had something to discuss with you. It’s this business with Missy Henderson.”
“It’s a real shame. Everyone tells me she was a nice girl. I just visited her mama and—”
“I have no doubt she was a nice person. But what about her death?”
“What bout it?”
“Do you know what the cause was?”
“Well the cause was em some odd fifty knife wounds she got in her.”
“But you don’t know that for sure. I heard from some people that it could’ve been a wolf.”
“Doc say it weren’t.”
“Doc’s old, Sheriff. I want you to consider the possibility that it could be a wolf.”
“I’ll consider any possibility that’s credible, but right now that don’t sound very credible. I just saw the body and it looked like knife wounds ta me. She had her arm almost removed with a saw.”
“Did you find any metal teeth in the wound?”
“No. Don’t know if the Doc’s checked though.”
“I’m just saying, Sheriff, that an animal attack is one thing. People can go about their business. But you start shouting that there’s a murderer with us, and people have a hard time concentrating. Things begin going lopsided.”
“Lopsided?”
“Yes. I just want you to look at all angles.”
“What’s this bout, Tom? This bout the fact that you sellin’ land round this town and you scared nobody’s gonna buy with a murderer round?”
“Now that is a hell of an accusation coming from you. Don’t forget who hired you for this position.”
“I ain’t forget, Tom. I’m grateful. I’m just sayin’ all we got is a dead body with a bunch a stab wounds. What am I supposed ta think?”
“You’re supposed to consider all the possibilities. That’s all I want.”
“Well, I can promise you I’ll do that.”
“Good,” he said. “Then we’ll be just fine.”
I watched him walk away over ta the mercantile and pick up his pretty young thing. She was strikingly beautiful. I tried ta remember if Missy had been as such in life.
CHAPTER 4
I finished up the day sweepin’ the cells and the office. Andy was out settlin’ a dispute tween two land owners just outside a town. Them two had been fightin’ since the days a Adam. They told themselves it was over water that came right smack in the middle tween their properties but that weren’t the real cause. One’s son was datin’ the other one’s daughter.
I closed up the office and stepped outside. The sun was urinecolored and I wondered if it had somethin’ ta do with a comin’ dust storm. But the weather wasn’t as hot this time a day and it felt nice just bein’ out. A wagon went by with some folks I didn’t recognize, two ladies and a man. I tipped my hat ta em and they stopped.
“You the sheriff?” the man said.
“Yessir I am.”
“Sheriff, we just passin’ through yer lovely town on the way ta California. Might ye recommend a place where we can lay our heads for the night?”
“Sure can. Gunner’s right over yonder. Saloon on the first level and rooms upstairs. He got rooms rangin’ from fifty cents ta five dollars a night dependin’ on what you lookin’ for.”
“Gunner’s?”
“Yessir.”
“Well I appreciate the recommend, Sheriff.”
“Welcome.”
I watched them turn up the road and then come back toward Gunner’s. The man went inside a while and left his two women. I looked round ta see if anybody was watchin’ em. They received a few stares and a couple a hoots, but nothin’ out a the ordinary. The man returned and they pulled their wagon out round back.
I walked down the street and kept my eyes open, just lookin’ round. I said hello ta everyone that would listen and glanced inta Gunner’s once. I walked past Ted’s barber and considered goin’ in and gettin’ a shave but thought it best ta go home as I hadn’t told Betty I’d be late for supper.
I got home and went and checked on April. I handfed her some meal outta a sack and filled the trough with water. I took a brush out and brushed her coat and talked ta her. A horse wasn’t no dog and you couldn’t just ignore em and hope they’d be just fine. You needed ta spend time with em and let em know they cared for. I rubbed her muzzle and then walked on in ta the house.
The house was filled with all the delightful smells I expected comin’ in. I could smell biscuits and the vegetable stew Betty knew I was fond of. A pie was coolin’ there on the counter and I wondered why she decided ta make pie tonight. That was more a special occasion than just a random Monday.
I came up behind her and put my arms round her and kissed her on the cheek and the neck. She was my younger by fifteen years and beautiful as the day I met her. I was always worried that my affections would be rebuked as one day she would just up and find me revoltin’. But they never were. She always smiled and held me and kissed me back.
“To this day,” I said, “it surprises me that you’ve stayed with me.”
“Now why would that surprise you?”
“Just does, that’s all.” I kissed her cheek and went upstairs ta wash up and change. When I was done I came back down and rolled up my sleeves and sat at the table as she dished out the food. We said a blessin’ and then began ta eat. I took some biscuit and dipped it in the stew. It was hot and tasty.
“How was your day?”
“Oh, fine I suppose. Ran inta Tom and he give me an earful.”
“Bout what?”
“He wants me ta consider that Missy was attacked by a wolf.”
“Was it a wolf?”
“No, it wasn’t no wolf. Least I don’t think so. The Doc don’t seem ta think so neither.”
“Well, we all got our reasons.”
“That we do.” I spooned some stew inta my mouth. “What you been up to?”
“I cleaned the house and went out with Gloria to the mercantile before we went for a nice ride up Pat’s Creek.”
“By yourselves?”
“Yes. We always go by ourselves. What’s the matter?”
“Nothin’
. Just two women out by themselves in the wilderness.”
She smiled warmly and put her hand over mine. “You worried about me, Jesse Smith?”
“Well hell a course I am. Can you just do me a favor? Can you just come and get me or Andy ta come up with ya ta Pat’s Creek? We’ll ride in the back. Won’t bother you ladies at all.”
“Sure, Jesse. If it makes you feel better.”
“Thank you.”
I exhaled. She’d been takin’ rides up Pat’s Creek for six years. Not once was I ever scared or nervous a her doin’ it neither. Now, just the thought of it filled me with dread. I hoped that this wouldn’t be my natural state.
After dinner, I went out on the porch with my pipe and filled it with tobacco. Betty came out with two glasses a whiskey and sat down and we watched the sun set over the horizon which was split like a razor between heaven and earth. I smoked and the sweet tobacco filled my lungs as night came and the chair was comfortable and rocked gently.
“You ever think bout her, Jesse?”
“Ain’t no use talkin’ bout such things.”
“I know. But I think bout her a lot. On May sixteen I cry. I just sit in my room and cry and I can’t control it no matter what I do.”
May sixteen. It was my daughter’s birthday. Ain’t no date in all a God’s Creation I fear more. I reached over and held Betty’s hand.
“Ain’t no use talkin’ bout such things.”
“Do you think she’s still out there somewhere, Jesse? What if she needs us? That’s what I think about sometimes. That she is calling for me and I can’t get to her.”
“The Good Lord’s lookin’ after her now.”
“What a horrible thing to say. Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true. Either she’s makin’ her way round someplace or she’s passed. Either way, ain’t Jesus goin’ ta let her go on by herself.”
“Suppose your right.”
“I am.” I was quiet a long while and watched the sun dip below the horizon. “And yes, ain’t a day that goes by I don’t think bout her ten times.”
CHAPTER 5
Black Sky (A Mystery-Thriller) Page 2
