Stained Snow (3 page)

The man stepped out of one of the stalls. “Hey, Will. What’re you doin’ here?”

“Brought the family in to get some supplies. I had something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Well, come back to my office.”

William caught the grin as the man turned away from him. Al’s office was an empty stall with a couple chairs and a table constructed out of a long plank and two barrels. He followed the older man to that stall and took one of the chairs. “What did ya want to see me about, Will?”

“Breeding horses. Pa has always been fond of your studs. I’ve got a mare I’m looking to breed.”

“I’m sure we can work something out. It’s a bit past breeding season.”

“I wanted to get terms started. Mare’s not quite ready for it yet. Next year, she will be.”

Al brought his hand down to William’s shoulder and squeezed. “My terms will be easy. I’ll bring the stud you want out and if the mating is successful, you’ll pay me for his use. It’s that easy, Son.”

William nodded. “Pa always said you were easy to work with.”

Al laughed, the sound booming in the barn. “I’m not sure everyone would agree with him. If you work with me, I’ll work with you. How is Patrick anyway?”

“Good,” he said even though he knew his stepfather was as worried as him about the trouble Thomas brought to them. If it was him. Not that Will had many doubts about that.

William stood from the chair now that their business was done. “I’ll be seeing you. I need to speak with the sheriff and gather up my family before I get those supplies.”

“Come see me when you’re ready, and you can choose which stud you’d like.”

William nodded and headed out of the barn. He walked down the street to the sheriff’s office. The door opened easily under his hand and he stepped inside. The large man behind the desk looked up at him. “Hey, Will, I’d heard you were in town. Figured I’d be seeing you.”

Will sank into the chair on his side of the desk. “Have you heard anything else?”

The sheriff shook his head. “I told you it didn’t look like anything more than a wandering bandit. No one even recognized those two men. Whoever killed them probably didn’t think they’d be found there, and they seem to have moved on. There haven’t been any more bodies found.”

Will shook his head. “It wasn’t a wandering bandit, Carl. It wasn’t just one body. They were dumped just off my ranch.” He took a breath. “Does that sound like something a bandit would do? It does sound like something Tommy would do.”

“Stop, Will. You can’t blame everything on your brother. I know there’s bad blood between you, but-”

Now, William stopped him. “It’s not bad blood. He’s tried to kill me. Who else would bring this kind of trouble right to my door?”

The sheriff sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. “I don’t know, Will, but you can’t assume things like that. It could ruin his life. Even end it.”

“He’s never cared about mine.”

Before the sheriff could respond, a shout came from across the street, and William lunged for the door. He didn’t know what was happening, but Anna and David were out there. As he burst outside, his gaze swept along the street. His wife and son stood down by the mercantile. He nearly let out a breath of relief, then the reason for the commotion drew his gaze.

A man ran out of the bank, holding a sack in one hand and a pistol in the other. It only took a moment for William to process what happened. Even in that time, the bank robber had time to reach his horse tied at the rail.

William jumped into action at once. He drew his gun from the holster as he crossed the street. “Stop right there,” he yelled. He didn’t have his deputy’s badge pinned to his shirt right now. He usually didn’t unless he needed it, and he hadn’t thought he would today.

The other man didn’t even hesitate at William’s order. He jumped onto the horse’s back and turned it in the opposite direction.

William shoved the gun back into its holster as his fast walk became a run, he didn’t want to risk hitting anyone standing by. The man kicked the horse’s sides as William cleared the rear end of the horse. He grabbed for the stirrup leather, but missed. Instead he almost fell flat on his face. The outlaw laughed as he raced out of town.

Chapter 4

“David, you’re not coming.”

The sheriff had already started forming a posse. Even if William hadn’t been a deputy, the responsibility to join it would have pulled at him.

“I can ride a horse, too. Why can’t I go, Pa?”

“Because you’re too young. I said you’re not coming.” Had he ever been so hard-headed? Where else could David have gotten the trait from? “It’s too dangerous.”

“You’re going.”

This boy would be the death of him. “You’re not going. You’re going to stay here with your Ma. That’s the end of it.”

Anna put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Don’t argue with your father, David. Go on in and tell Alice we’ll be staying a while longer.” They watched as he ran down the street to the sheriff’s house to let the woman know.

William turned to Anna. “I don’t know what to do about him. Why couldn’t he understand this isn’t something he can do?”

Anna stepped closer to him and ran her hands up to his shoulders. “Because he wants to be with you. You usually let him ride with you on the ranch.”

William shook his head. “That’s different.”

“I know. He doesn’t, though.”

The sheriff and the other men who made up the posse waited down the street for him. One of Al’s sons, Jesse, stood next to the sheriff. William knew the other son, Jacob, better. He wasn’t there, so that meant he was probably off to some poker game somewhere. Al, himself, wasn’t with the posse. He knew a few of the other men as well, the gunsmith, and the clerk from the mercantile. A couple others he wasn’t nearly as familiar with.

“I’ve got to get going.” He reached up to take her hands from his shoulders. “I don’t know when we’ll return.”

“It’s all right, William. I could drive the wagon back home. I know the way.”

He shook his head. “Not with whoever’s been causing that other trouble still out there. I won’t risk you. You’ll be safer here.”

“It’s been quiet for a while. Maybe he’s moved on.”

“I won’t chance it. Just stay here. I sent Carl’s boy out to tell Patrick what’s happening. He’ll take care of the horses until we return. You and David stay here in town.”

“All right, William. If that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll do.” She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss. “Come back to us safe.”

“Always, Anna. I promise you.”

He left her with one last kiss then turned and walked down the street to where the sheriff held onto the reins of one of the horse’s borrowed from the livery stable. “You finally ready?” the sheriff asked, a note of impatience in his voice.

William nodded then slipped his foot into the stirrup and swung up into the saddle. “Let’s get this done.” He turned back once more to look at Anna and mouthed,
Be back soon.

She smiled as if she heard the words and lifted her hand in farewell.

William rode in front of the pack with the sheriff as they left town. He didn’t think tracking down this man would take much of his skill. The tracks were plain on the ground in front of them. The thief’s horse likely wasn’t a fresh mount. He already saw signs of the horse’s fatigue in the pattern of the tracks.

The group remained silent as they rode on. William was glad for it. He wasn’t interested in any chatter when he wanted to be back with Anna and David. Wanted to be sure they were safe. Thomas might still be out there.

This man ruined all of William’s plans, but he couldn’t let him get away with the town’s money. He still had so much to get done before the first drive of the summer. He didn’t want to have to put it off and risk the livelihood of the ranch.

The sheriff had asked him, and he couldn’t say no. He might not keep his money in the bank, but this was his town too. He wouldn’t let someone get away with stealing from it.

He noted a difference in the tracks when they’d ridden for nearly an hour and shifted his focus back to them. The horse was tiring but his rider pushed him on. The tracks changed again, lightened. The horse no longer had a rider.

William glanced up, uneasy now. He wouldn’t try to hide and pick them all off, would he? He wouldn’t put it past him. Men had done stupider things. He brought his horse up, and put up a hand to stop the other men.

“What is it?” the sheriff asked him.

“Something’s not right. I’m going to take a look around.”

“I’m coming with you.”

William shook his head. “I can move a lot quieter on my own.”

“It’s my job to bring him in.”

“And you brought us to help you do that. If I need help, I’ll signal you.”

He didn’t wait for the sheriff to argue anymore but slipped from the horse and left the trail. The horse wouldn’t move far with the reins trailing on the ground, and if he did, William trusted the sheriff to hold on to the animal until he returned. He loosened his pistol in the holster and moved into the brush. He knew how to walk quietly, and was glad the sheriff hadn’t insisted any more on coming with him because it would be harder to hide the approach of two men. Most people didn’t know what to listen to out here. He doubted this man was any different. He’d assume a snapped branch or rustle of loosened stones would be an animal.

He moved parallel to the trail, keeping low in case the man did look around. There were several large boulders scattered off the trail, which gave him plenty of cover. Of course, it also meant the thief had the same cover.

When he came upon him, he realized his first thought had been correct. The robber hadn’t expected his ruse to be detected. His horse stood in the middle of the trail, but he didn’t stand with him. The top of his hat stuck above a large boulder.

William circled around so he could come up behind him. He drew his gun from the holster as he approached the man and stuck it into his back before he said a word. “Hands up. I’m a deputy sheriff, and you’re under arrest.”

“I didn’t do nothin’,” the man protested.

“Nothing, huh,” William said as he reached around and took the rifle out of the man’s hands. “Robbing the bank isn’t nothing. Attempting to ambush a sheriff and posse isn’t nothing, either. Now, walk to your horse out there.”

When they reached the horse, William kept his gun on his prisoner while he grabbed the rope coiled around the saddle horn. The insignia branded on the leather of the saddlebags caught his eye. “Army, huh? Are you a horse thief, too, or a deserter?”

The man kept his lips pursed tight, refusing to answer.

“Well, we’ll find out soon enough.”

He holstered his pistol again and turned the man so he could wrap the rope around the man’s wrists, leaving a length for him to hang on to. He climbed into the saddle and led the man back toward where the posse waited. When he came in view of them, the sheriff’s shoulders slumped forward. “Should have known better than to worry ‘bout you, son,” the sheriff said when he reached the group. “You always seem to get the job done.”

William slid down from the saddle and handed the reins to one of the men waiting with the sheriff. Then, he walked back to his own horse. Two of the men helped the prisoner into his saddle then tied off the end of the rope around the saddle horn. The ride back to town was silent besides the prisoner’s intermittent insistence of his innocence and pleas to release him.

William was glad to see town come into view again. He urged his horse faster as they reached the edge of town, scanning for sight of his wife and son. Maybe they could even be on their way home tonight. Although with the way the sky darkened, it would be better to stay in town for the night. He didn’t want to be driving through the dark.

He stopped in front of the sheriff’s office and helped one of the other deputized men to get the prisoner down from the horse and into the building. They locked him in one of the empty cells and headed back toward the front of the office. Carl waited for them by his desk. William was glad he’d have his hands clear of this man now.

“Checked my wanted posters,” Carl said before William headed for the door. “He’s there.”

William’s stomach twisted. Only one reason existed for the sheriff to tell him this right now. “For what?”

“Desertion and murder. He could be the one who left those bodies, Will.”

“I’ve never seen him before. He’d have no reason. I’m telling you it was Thomas.” He adjusted his hat. “I need to get my supplies and get back to Anna and David. We need to be getting home.”

“I need you to take him to Fort McKinney in the morning, Will. They want him back.”

“Why can’t they come get him?”

The sheriff lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “The telegraph I got back from them said to bring him there.”

William bristled. Why did it have to be him? Did the other men with the posse have families to get back to or a ranch to run? Part of him knew that was unfair. Most of them did at least have families. “Why not ask someone else?”

“You’re the one I trust the most, Will. I know you want to get home, but I need you to do this. I’ve done you plenty of favors.”