Beaver thought for a moment and said, “Willy never got close to anyone, but I guess I was as close as he would let anyone get. He buried himself in books and passed his time reading. He asked me a lot of questions about Chicago and the people running the mob there. The day he got out of prison he left for Chicago.”
“You are from Chicago and he wanted your contacts in the mob, am I right?” Cage asked.
“Yes,” Beaver replied.
“You have any idea if Baker is tied to the killings here in Huntsville?” Cage inquired.
“I heard about it in prison. If I knew who did them I would tell you, but that don’t sound like something Willy would do,” Beaver stated.
“Willy Baker came back to Huntsville the day the shootings occurred,” Cage said.
Beaver responded, “Like I said, I don’t think Willy would kill anyone. He had something in his past, but Willy didn’t seem that cold hearted.”
“Don’t leave town. I will need to talk with you again,” Cage stated.
“I’m not going anywhere! I plan on staying right here,” Beaver said.
Grady O’ Hara came back to the table leading a very sleepy girl. Shelby smiled and said, “We’ve had a long bus ride the past three days. We changed busses a lot last night…she didn’t get much sleep. I need to put her to bed.”
Katie’s eyes had settled on Beaver and for a long time they just grinned at each other. Katie held out her arms and said, “Daddy.” Beaver took her in his. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she laid her head on his shoulder and went to sleep. Carrying her with one arm he picked up the suitcase with the other. At the door Shelby turned and pointed to a help wanted sign in the front window.
“Do you still need someone?” she asked.
“Since you are the mother of the only official candy taster in Texas, I reckon you have the job. Come to work Monday morning around nine for training,” Grady said with a big smile.
For Beaver, this was beginning to be the best day of his life as the three headed down the street.
“I sure hope he realizes what a great opportunity he has,” Grady said.
“I believe he does. I just hope he keeps the spirit,” Cage said.
“We will give him the benefit of the doubt and help them if we can. Remember we serve the God of the second chance and I’ve had a lot of second chances. Haven’t you?” O’Hara asked.
“True…do you have any candy I can taste for you while Katie is not around?” Cage said.
“Well, I guess I didn’t make it plain enough. You have been fired, but because I’m such a nice guy I will treat you to an ice cream cone. Did you pay for that coffee I saw you pour a while ago?” Grady asked grinning.
ααααααα
Saturday Night...“I was almost caught; I dropped down and crawled under the cabin porch before Doc saw me! You two have let this thing get out of control and you brought me into a bad situation!” Judd said.
“I can tell you, your man hasn’t talked to anyone yet. He’s in a bad way.” Bart said while pacing back and forth in Ed’s office and chain smoked as the three talked.
“How could they have gotten out of the barn?” Bart asked.
Ed stood on the side of his office leaning against the wall. He was uncomfortable with Judd in the room. Judd didn’t put a high value on life and didn’t have the capacity to be scared. He had been deadly in the army and tales of his sniper exploits were legendary in the bars around Huntsville.
“I bought in this game late. How much money did you boys get for the trucks?” Judd asked.
“We were double crossed. The people we were selling the trucks to stole the trucks from us at gun point. They took the trucks and all but a few thousand of the money,” Bart replied.
“If you want me to help, you better cough up some of that money.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you are in real deep right now, right?” Ed asked.
C12 - The Legal Side
George Ford sat at his desk searching every drawer for a letter opener. He was a neat freak and hated to tear open an envelope. This was a registered package mailed from Houston. After a few more minutes lapsed with no success, he reached in his pocket and produced his pocket knife to open the package. Dumping the contents on the desk he found two letters and a key. One of the letters was addressed to him with READ FIRST, written across the front in big print.
Straight to the point, the letter stated that if he was reading the letter then the sender was dead. The letter had been sent by a second party, because the sender had not been contacted before a certain date. The first instruction was not to disclose any of the contents to the local sheriff. He was to contact the Texas Rangers, specifically the one working on the Huntsville case. The second letter was addressed to George. He was to represent his client in court to make sure fair and accurate assessments of the facts were presented. The client did not want absolution, but wanted justice to prevail.
Staring at the letter, George adjusted his glasses. He wanted to open the second letter but decided he'd better find the ranger before proceeding. Shoving the letters into an old tattered briefcase, he embarked down the street. George had seen rangers around town and knew at least one of them was staying over the diner.
Like most small Texas towns, the courthouse was the center of town. It was the seat of government by the people and for the people and on every corner of the square a road entered representing all points of the compass. Ancient oak trees adorned all four corners of the courthouse lawn and often became the meeting place for farmers and merchants of the community. The oaks provided shade and refuge from the hot summer sun. Under these trees, men past the workable age gathered for domino games. Local news was discussed. Land and livestock was bought and sold, and ailments were always a topic.
This Saturday morning a domino game had already started, which was unusual. The games were a weekday activity when these old timers were looking for something to do. Bart Wells stood watching the players with distracted interest. The news from Judd had brought him to a higher than usual level of anxiety. He could not get Judd to go after the Bakers without paying him most of the money he had left. The whole mess was going to bust wide open and he would be caught in the middle. The rangers had kept from him the fact that the Bakers were alive. ‘What did they know? Did they suspect me of involvement?’ he asked himself.
Walking around the courthouse, George spied the players around the tables and asked, “Have any of you men seen the rangers this morning? I have a letter from a client for the rangers.”
“I’m the law here in Huntsville, let me see the letter.” Turning, he saw the man who had spoken. He had a star on his chest and George knew it was Sheriff Bart Wells.
“The letter is addressed to a Ranger Cage Cruise. It will have to be opened by him,” George stated as forcefully as he could. Remembering that the letter had warned him not to involve the sheriff, he backed away from the crowd.
“Just a minute, You! If you have something that involves the case here in Huntsville, you better turn it over to me!” Bart barked.
“Sheriff, it is against the law to open someone else’s mail,” George said.
“Young Fellow, the ranger you are looking for is in the candy store across the street,” one of the players said.
Bart realized that all eyes were on him as he stepped back and watched as George hurried across the street. Near panic Bart wondered, ‘Who was this client? Had Baker written a letter in case he was killed?’ Upset and in a high state of anxiety, Bart headed back to Ed’s with the news of the letter. “We are in big trouble! Baker mailed a letter to a local lawyer. I would have killed that kid for a look at that letter,” Bart said.
“What are you talking about?” Ed asked. “You are raving like a lunatic!”
Bart stopped pacing and looked at Ed and said, “Baker must have written a letter to a local lawyer and had it mailed yesterday by someone else.”
Ed wiped his hands on a greasy towel and said,
“Calm down! As it stands now all we can be charged with is hijacking a couple of trucks and that’s it. We got to protect each other! Now let’s get our story straight,” Ed said.
Bart sat down hard in a chair and said, “The letter will be just hear-say and I bet it can’t be used as evidence against us in court!”
“Not if Baker lives. His wife knows who was in the barn,” Ed said.
“I know she didn’t see me or hear my voice in the barn. I made sure of that! I reckon we will know what’s in the letter soon enough,” Bart said.
“The letter couldn’t have anything to do with the barn fire. What we need to do is get in touch with McDonald,” Ed said.
“Ed, we don’t want McDonald to know we were involved in the hijacking. They would do for us real quick! Baker is the only one that can throw suspicion on us. I made sure Baker’s wife never saw me in the barn,” Bart said.
“We need to get a message to McDonald that they are still alive,” Bart said.
“Why don’t we get Judd to ease in to the cabin and finish the job?” Ed suggested.
“You willing to give him half of what you got left to get the job done?” Bart asked in return.
“We didn’t get anything from those trucks but grief! I guess we don’t have any choice. Get in touch with him and get it done,” Ed said.
“He will want me to go with him,” Bart said.
Ed thought for a minute then said, “I’ll go. I want to get even with Baker anyway! Did you give Judd the rifle he used on Baker?”
Bart thought for a minute and said, “Yes, why do you ask?”
“Has that rifle got a history?” Ed asked.“Yes,” Bart replied.
“Bart, that was stupid and you better hope Judd never finds out. He will kill you for sure!” Ed stated.
“What are you getting at, Ed?” Bart asked.
“I’m just thinking of the possibilities… Judd is a real mean man. You crossed him…and if he finds out, you will get dead faster than the mob would do it,” Ed said.
“When you are desperate, you do desperate things. Judd needed a powerful rifle and I had the best ever made,” Bart said.
“Tell that to Judd when he finds out that rifle was used in a murder before he got it!” Ed exclaimed.
“Ed, I have my traveling bag packed. I say we hit the road tonight and just disappear,” Bart said.
Ed responded, “The van is parked back of the parts lot over on Sycamore. No one will suspect any of those old clunkers are drivable. I have a hidden cash box where all the money I have is stashed. We will leave together, so you might as well add what you have left to the pot. The gas tanks are full of gas. They will get us halfway across South America. We won’t leave tonight. It would look suspicious. But we will be ready.
C13 - Dead Man Letters
Beaver stood in the doorway watching his little girl sleep. “Shelby, you need to catch up on your sleep, too! Why don’t you try and get some rest?” he said. “I work for Mr. Benson on his ranch outside of town on Saturdays, so I need to be going. You take the main bed room and I will stay in this one…I’m used to small rooms. Make yourself at home. I won’t be back until dark.” Shelby didn’t have anything to say so he just turned and left for work.
Down the street Cage sat in the candy store, rubbing his eyes and said, “I never thought becoming a ranger would cause so much sleep loss. My first case and I am losing weight, have a new girlfriend I never have time for, and it looks like I’m about to lose my prime witness!”
“What prime witness would that be?” O’ Hara asked. Cage realized what he had said. He straightened up and took a sip of his coffee. The information about the Bakers had to stay quiet.
O’ Hara was getting ready to grill him when a very nervous boy entered the store clutching an old briefcase tightly to his chest. Looking back through the glass window, he watched the square.
Cage and Grady looked at each other and wondered what the boy was so nervous about.
George stood looking around the store until his eyes fell on Cage’s star and he headed in his direction. “Are you a Texas Ranger?” he inquired.
“A very tired Ranger! What’s on your mind, Boy?” Ranger Cruise asked.
“I’m a Lawyer! Don’t call me boy!” George responded quickly.
“You don’t look old enough to be a lawyer,” Cage replied.
“You don’t look old enough to be a ranger,” George retorted.
“Okay, I’m Cage Cruise what’s on your mind?” Cage asked.
George signaled the girl behind the counter for a cup of coffee and sat in the chair opposite Cage.
“Yesterday, I hung my shingle and went into law practice. My first day I received a letter from my first client, my only client, so far,” George stated. “The letter gave instructions as to whom I represented. Today I received another letter addressed to me and one addressed to you.”
“You received a letter addressed to me?” Cage questioned.
“Yes, my letter said, I was not to go to the local sheriff…I was to deal with the Texas Rangers; namely you,” George stated.
“Me?” Cage was out of his sleepy haze and listening intently.
“Yesterday, I met my client. He hasn’t said much and resides in the cemetery up the street,” George said.
“He’s the caretaker?” Cage asked.
“No, I mean he is buried there,” George stated.
Cage looked at the young lawyer and said, “You are trying to be funny, right?”
“Not in the least! This guy evidently setup someone to mail letters at intervals in the event he was killed,” George said. Handing Cage the letter he sat back to drink his coffee.
The reading of the dead man’s letters began.
Ranger Cruise:
‘It is my hope that you can use this information to clean up my affairs. I have retained Lawyer George Ford. The two of you must work together to handle this business.’
‘If you are reading this letter, I am dead. These are the facts clearly and accurately. What I am about to say comes hard for me and through much grief I do so. The clock cannot be turned back. Once a heart has stopped beating there is no starting it again and life is over. This was not supposed to have turned out the way it has. Thomas Taylor is dead because my instructions were not followed, and I deeply regret that.’
Cage looked up and said, “Looks like the Captain is right. We do have another murder to contend with.”
George sat up and considered what Cage had said, “Hurry up! I need to read that letter, too.”
“Hold your horses,” Cage said as he read on.
‘Taylor’s life was in danger for several reasons. We had devised a plan to save Thomas Taylor and every means to do so was covered. What happened to him was not expected. Three weeks ago, I took three men whom I had recruited on a night raid. We hijacked two trucks that were heavy laden with stolen goods from Europe. My intentions were motivated by revenge, I was stealing from a man who had done me great harm. The theft could not be reported to the police, so my recruits were interested in this proposition. Only I was supposed to be put at risk. I was the inside man and the only one that knew where the trucks were hidden. No one was supposed to be armed and all the risk taken was on my part.’
Handing the first page to George, Cage read on.
‘I had worked my way into the Chicago underworld. The mobster I worked for trusted me and my money-making schemes. The contraband from Europe was my idea and the guarded trucks were hidden at a farm I had used before in a smuggling operation. After the guards were asleep, I was able to lock the door to their sleeping quarters. When we started the trucks, gun fire erupted from inside the shed. The men locked in the shed tried to shoot their way out. One of the men I had brought with me produced a gun and began to fire at the door intended to discourage the attempt. The door was secure and would have held, but the lock mechanism was shot away allowing the men in the shed to break out.’
‘The second truck, which I was in, t
ook all the fire from the men escaping the shed. One single shot hit its mark and Taylor, the driver of my truck, was mortally wounded. In the last few minutes of his life I found the dark secrets that were driving him. First, I must tell you that Thomas Taylor was not there of his own accord; he was being blackmailed. I found this out after it was too late. After he was shot, he made me promise I would talk to his grandmother. I dreaded to do so and now the responsibility must be passed on to you. Thomas never fit with the other two men. They were evil; he was not. Unlike the other two, he was not driven by greed and wanting something for nothing. I found in the last few minutes of his life a different person hid deep in Thomas. He had a depth in him his grandmother and God had cultivated, and this one thing has simply amazed me. It was super natural in what it produced in the dying moments of Thomas’s life. I am afraid I do not understand it and it has caused me much consternation. At his last breath I envied him. Thomas wanted desperately to correct the wrong he had done in his short life. He realized the direction his grandmother had given him had been out of a pure love that he didn’t want to accept. In the final moments of his life he made peace with his maker and resolved all conflicts in his soul. The hidden thing that drove him was resolved and he faced death with confidence. I brought Thomas back to Huntsville and buried him in the cemetery out west of Huntsville where the men were killed. I found it necessary to do so until this time. I had a stone engraved and set for him and I left money in the funeral home for the casket he is buried in. It is up to you to relate this to his grandmother.’
‘The man that shot Thomas was a gangster by the name of Chubby Hawkins. He is probably running for his life because he lost the trucks he was assigned to guard.’
‘I guess I will leave it at this. More can be added by the Medicine Man if he chooses to do so. I don’t blame him if he keeps silent. His testimony will incriminate him in a mess of my making.’
Handing the last page to George, Cage sat back in the chair. Cage stated, “I guess I better visit the cemetery and identify the grave. You come with me. We will gather the doctor on the way out of town. The body will have to be exhumed and identified, but first I have to contact the Captain and bring him up to date. The Captain will want to talk to you.”
Doing Time In Texas, Book 3 Page 7
