Authors: Ralph Compton
Demon's Pass (30 page)
“It is,” Thurman said, and several others around him nodded in agreement.
Clay shook his head. “I would have gladly accepted that offer,” he said. “The offer Talbot tendered was five thousand dollars for the entire load. That's less than I paid for it back in Missouri.”
“That may be, but that's still no reason to kill him,” the sheriff said.
“That's not why I killed him,” Parker said. “Our association goes back long before now. Anyway, he drew first.”
“I know you say he drew first. But other than the word of your own friends, there is no way we can prove that. Even if what you say is true, that still leaves the question as to why? Why would he draw on you, a mere boy?”
“Because I recognized him as the one who killed my mother and father,” Parker said.
“Young man, are you making the accusation that this man killed your mother and father?” Brigham Young asked.
“Yes I am.”
“How? Where?” Young asked.
“In Kansas. My mother, father, sister and I were on our way to Oregon. We were attacked by Indians, and he was with them,” Parker said, pointing to Talbot's body.
“Oh, how awful,” a woman in the crowd said.
“Talbot was riding with the Indians?” another asked.
The sheriff held up his hand to silence the now buzzing crowd. “This leaves us right where we started,” he said. “Talbot isn't here to dispute you. You can say that this man killed your parents, but you can't prove it.”
“I can prove it,” a woman's voice said from the crowd.
“Elizabeth?” Parker recognized her voice immediately. He looked around in astonishment, craning his neck over the crowd.
“Parker!”
A young woman dashed out of the mob and embraced Parker. A murmur of surprise and curiosity rippled through the crowd.
“That was you! I thought I saw you when we rode in, but I couldn't believe it. Clay! Clay, she's alive! Elizabeth is alive!” Parker shouted excitedly.
“I can see that,” Clay said, smiling happily at his friend. Clay's smile was mirrored in the faces of Parker's other friends as well.
“You're the girl that's workin' for Dr. Cooley, aren't you?” the sheriff asked.
“Yes.”
“What's your relationship to this boy?”
“He's my brother. I thought he was dead. I thought he was killed when Talbot murdered our parents.”
“And I was afraid she was dead,” Parker said. “When Talbot and the Indians took off with her, I thought I would never see her again.”
“She
was
took by the Indians. I heard that from the Lamberts,” someone in the crowd said.
was
took by the Indians. I heard that from the Lamberts,” someone in the crowd said.
“You know, she was found by the Sargents, and they brought her into town.”
“Miss Stanley,” Brigham Young said as he turned to her.
“Yes, sir?” Elizabeth replied.
“You say you can prove that Colonel Talbot was with the Indians when your parents were killed?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How can you prove that?”
“Does Talbot have a gold watch on him?”
The sheriff nodded at one of the men closest to Talbot's body, who then bent over and started going through Talbot's pockets. He took out a watch and held it up. Again, there was a murmuring response from the crowd.
“Look there, he does have a watch!”
“And it's gold.”
“Look on the inside cover,” Elizabeth said. “It says, Elizabeth Gaye Stanley, 10-9-48, and Parker John Stanley, 6-15-52. That's my birthday, and my brother's birthday. Pa had his watch engraved on each occasion.”
“What does it say, Earl?” the sheriff asked.
“Just like the girl says,” Earl replied.
“Sheriff, I think that is sufficient proof,” Brigham Young said. “This case is closed.” He looked over at Talbot. “Get the body of this sinner out of here, and let's get on with the business of trading with our guests.”
Epilogue
“Come on, Jason,” Pecorino called to him. “California's a long way from here.” Tobin and Pecorino were mounted on fresh horses, bought with their share of the money. Jason was standing beside his, talking to Parker, who had come to see them off.
“Yeah, I'm coming, just a minute,” Jason said. He turned back to Parker. “You sure you won't come with us? We make a pretty good team.”
“We do make a good team,” Parker said. “But, I've found my sister now, and we're all the family either one of us have. I think we'll stay together for a while.”
“I can understand that,” Jason said.
“Jason, you comin', or what?” Tobin asked.
“I'm coming,” Jason said. He shook Parker's hand. “It's nice knowing you, Parker,” he said. Jason swung into the saddle.
“It's been nice knowing you too,” Parker said. He looked at the other two. “All of you.” He recalled what Penny had said to him when he had left her back in Pueblo. “I hope the three of you have a good rest of your lives.”
Having sold the mules and wagons at a profit, Parker and Clay would be taking Thursday's stagecoach back to Missouri. That was still two days away, which gave Elizabeth time to say her good-byes and make arrangements to go back with them.
For today, though, Elizabeth packed a picnic lunch for them and, borrowing Dr. Cooley's buckboard, the three drove out to the Great Salt Lake. During the trip out to the lake, Clay and Parker were telling Elizabeth about the men who had made the wagon trip with them.
“They were good men, all of them,” Parker said.
“That's the truth,” Clay agreed. “We couldn't have made it with lesser men.” He turned in his seat to look back at Parker, who was riding behind himself and Elizabeth. “And I would have never made it with a lesser partner.”
“Clay, stop here,” Parker said a few minutes later, when the buckboard reached the edge of the lake.
Clay stopped the team and set the brake.
“I'll just be a few minutes,” Parker said. He hopped down, then reached under the seat to get a hat.
“Where in the world did you get that?” Elizabeth said, seeing it for the first time. “What an awful beat-up hat that is.”
“You're wrong, Elizabeth,” Parker replied. “This is a fine hat. This is as fine a hat as I've ever seen.”
“You have to be teasing.”
“No, I'm not teasing, am I, Clay?”
“That sure is a great hat,” Clay said knowingly.
With the hat in his hand, Parker walked down to the edge of the Great Salt Lake. He stood there for a long moment, looking out over the lake. Then he looked at the hat.
“What's he doing? Now he's talking to that hat!” Elizabeth said.
“He's not talking to a hat.”
“Of course he is. I can see him.”
“No. What you see is Parker saying good-bye to Marcus Pearson, an old friend,” Clay said.
Â
“Well, Marcus, here is the Great Salt Lake,” Parker was saying aloud. “I can't see you, but somehow I've got a feeling that you are right here, with us.”
Parker threw the hat out over the lake. It sailed for several feet before landing on the surface of the water. There, it floated high and serene. The lake was just like Marcus said it would be.
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