Tender Trust (18 page)

Alex asked to see the signed and dated report, and then showed it to the men who came with him to witness the event. When the men dispersed, Alex went straight to Andrew’s office at the bank. “Andrew, is the business bureau position still open?”

“Yes. We haven’t voted. Holloway’s true colors are showing and some members have changed their opinions. I can guarantee the position will be yours if you want it. What made you change your mind?”

“Holloway.” Alex’s tone was hard and uncompromising. “He needs to be stopped at any cost.”

14

The very next day Thomas ran an editorial in
The Bodie Reporter
about the confrontation of two ladies by a “prominent” Bodie citizen, and Sheriff Andersen’s lack of response.

The Daily Tribune
, took up the cause and followed with a report of other incidents involving Andersen’s inappropriate behavior.

The articles spurred an emergency meeting of the city council and an inquiry into Andersen’s dereliction of duty.

After the meeting, the results appeared in both papers.

That night, several newcomers showed up at The Copper Penny. Drunken and rowdy, they bickered with each other and the other patrons.

Alex saw one of the newcomers exchange a look with Brady Calhoun and suspected the men had come from The Crown Jewel.

He warned Penny and Jewel, so Penny was prepared when one of the men put his arm around her. She pushed him away, anxious to keep the peace and make light of it, but the man grabbed her arm and persisted.

Before Alex could get around the bar and come to her aid, Bart, the tall, outspoken miner rose from his table, and his friends followed him. He grabbed the man’s arm and punched him square in the face. Bart was a big man and packed a powerful punch. The troublemaker fell flat on the floor. Bart turned to the man’s friends. “Take him and get out. Don’t come back. We don’t like your kind in here.”

The men scrambled to pick up their wobbly leader and headed out the door.

Alex turned to Brady. “You can go with them. Your days of selling information to Holloway are over.”

Brady said nothing. His gaze darted around at the other patrons’ hardened features, and he hurried out the door.

“Are you all right, ma’am?” Bart asked Penny.

Penny assured him she was fine, and she went back to work with a glow inside. Knowing they had so much support amongst their customers was gratifying, but it didn’t ease her fears. She sensed they were headed for more trouble, but was powerless to stop it.

Later that night, a fire broke out in Alex’s warehouse. Fortunately, the flames were discovered and extinguished before everything was destroyed, but enough was damaged to create a substantial loss for Darnell Lumber.

Concern turned to outrage amongst townsfolk when the metal remains of a kerosene lamp was found near the lumber. The fire had been purposely started.

Sheriff Andersen’s inept investigation of the crime didn’t go unnoticed.

After an emergency city council session, Andersen was fired. The council appointed a deputy as sheriff until a new one could be elected.

It was agreed that Andrew and Alex would ride down the mountain to Bridgeport where they would meet with the county sheriff and ask for his support.

The sheriff was cooperative, but lacking any strong proof of Holloway’s involvement, his hands were tied.

Alex related the details of the visit to Penny the night he returned. She lay in his arms, listening to the steady thump of his strong heart.

“So I need evidence, strong evidence. I’ll start asking around. Maybe someone can remember something, anything we can link to Holloway or Red,” he said.

“Providing evidence against Holloway will put that person in danger. I’m not sure you’re going to find anyone willing to do that. We don’t all have your courage.”

“We have to stand together, stand strong.”

“Standing up for what’s right doesn’t make you invincible, Alex. It just makes you more vulnerable. We both know that.”

Alex had tried to be a voice of calm in the craziness after the war had been declared. He’d been driven from their home by a mob. He’d tried to stay neutral in Los Angeles when Southern sympathizers fought the Federal troops for control of the city. He was forced to run then, as well. Those memories washed over both of them as they lay in their bed.

“Penny,” he murmured, his voice full of regret, “I didn’t mean to start another crusade. I—”

She rose above him and her loose hair flowed down around them. She placed her fingers on his lips. “Shhh…I know you didn’t have a choice. I know you’re doing this for us. I can’t bear to watch Jewel walk around here like a shadow, frozen in fear. Deep down, I know Holloway has to be stopped, but I’m still terrified. I told you, I don’t have your courage.”

“It doesn’t take courage to stand up to Holloway. Righteous anger will do that.” He gave a slight shake of his head. “Courage is standing up after the dust clears. Courage is going on, day after day, providing for our daughter…living.”

“You called that surviving, not living.”

“True, but then you didn’t have the Lord. Now you have His strength to draw on.”

“I’m not so sure.” Penny grasped his hand and pressed it to her lips. “Alex, pray for me. My faith is hanging on a thread. It’s so young, but I’ve had a lifetime to develop my fears.”

“My love, I should have done this long ago.” He kissed her and with his lips still against hers, he said, “Lord, You know how I’ve prayed for this woman, to be united with her, to once again hold her in my arms. I thank You, Lord, for answering that prayer, and now, Lord, I invite You into our union. I ask You to pour Your blessing into our marriage, to grow our faith together, and make us one with You.”

Tenderly he kissed both her eyes. “Lord, I pray that You make me a good husband, one who shows her how to see others through Your eyes.”

Alex touched his lips to the sensitive spot near her ear. “I pray that she always hears Your praise and glory from my lips.”

He rolled and leaned over Penny. Smoothing her hair away from her face, he traced the curve of her jaw with his fingertips. “But most of all, Lord, I pray that You use me as Your instrument to show my sweet wife that she is Yours, beloved and cherished.”

As Alex kissed her that was exactly how Penny felt.

****

After a week of sunshine, winter exerted its force again. Dark, billowy clouds full of snow scudded across the sky and gathered on the peaks. Another storm was on its way, not only in the sky, but on the ground as well.

Holloway had been oddly silent. No more incidents had disrupted daily life in Bodie.

But instead of reassuring Penny, it frightened her. She could feel Holloway’s malevolent presence.

As if he was watching and waiting.

She prayed over Alex constantly, invoking everyone in the house to do the same. In the evenings, she listened to all the customers’ conversations to glean any information about Holloway.

The Crown Jewel had not prospered. Andersen had taken up residence there, drinking and nursing his grudge against Alex.

Holloway’s already nasty temperament was volatile and most customers chose to spend their evenings in other places…usually The Copper Penny.

Tom assumed the burden for these extra customers. He played almost every night, for long hours, rousing the crowd and entertaining. He even introduced hymns and managed to get the crowd to sing with him.

During one of those rousing sing-alongs, Penny noticed Brady Calhoun. He hadn’t been back since Alex had kicked him out, so Penny was surprised when he walked through the door.

His gaze darted around the room. He didn’t seem to find who or what he was looking for, so he hurried to the bar to speak to Alex.

“Where’s the boy?”

“The boy?”

“Jann. Where’s Jann?”

“He’s not back from the stable. He gets off just about—”

Brady spun and hurried out before Alex could finish.

Penny was by the window. Puzzled, she watched him hurry down the street. When she turned back, she saw Alex’s frown.

It took her several minutes to serve Bart and his companions. When she was able to approach Alex, she only had to look at him before he nodded.

“If you’ll take over here,” he said, “I’ll go see what’s going on.”

Penny set down her serving tray and had just taken the towel from his hand when she heard Jewel cry out.

Brady Calhoun stood in the open door, Jann’s arm draped over his shoulder as he half dragged, half carried the semi-conscious young man inside. Blood dripped down the front of Jann’s shirt.

Alex leapt over the bar and ran across the room.

Penny grabbed more towels and followed.

Chairs were shoved aside and tables pulled together.

“Someone get the doctor.” Alex lifted Jann’s arm from around Brady’s shoulder.

Others took his legs and helped Alex lift the boy onto the tables.

Penny placed the towels beneath Jann’s head.

He was bleeding profusely from his nose and he gagged.

“Turn him to his side.” Alex took command.

Penny ran for more towels and told Jewel to wake Inga. She hurried back and pressed the towels to the bridge of Jann’s nose, wincing at the dark purple bruises already forming on his chest beneath his ripped shirt.

“Is he gonna be all right?” Brady stood near Jann’s head.

“It don’t look good.” Bart shook his head.

Brady made a small sound of anguish. “It ain’t right. It just ain’t right. That boy never hurt nobody. Never!”

Inga shoved her way through the men and cried out when she saw her son’s battered face. Besides his broken nose, his lips were both split open and one eye nearly swollen shut. In seconds, Inga gathered her wits. “Get me ice. Someone get me ice. Jewel, I need boiling water and more towels!”

Bart returned with a large icicle he’d pulled off the covered boardwalk. Inga had Penny hold it to Jann’s nose as she cleaned the other cuts.

Doctor Hennessey arrived within minutes, and after examining Jann, determined his leg was not broken.

Inga was able to staunch the flow of blood on most of the facial wounds, but the doctor had no way of gauging the internal damage.

“All we can do now is make him more comfortable and wait and see.”

Using the long, narrow kitchen table, several of the men helped carry Jann upstairs to his bed, leaving a litter of muddy and blood-soaked towels on the table and the floor.

“I want to know who did this.” Venom coated Bart’s voice with poison ice.

“I think we know who did it,” another man said.

“Somebody oughta make them pay.”

The escalating emotions frightened Penny. It reminded her of the mobs who drove her husband away years ago.

Alex stepped into the center of the room. “Going after Holloway and his men will only get more of us hurt. What we need is proof, proof that Holloway is responsible. Then we can let the law take its course.” He looked at Brady. “You knew Jann was in trouble. How?”

“I was sittin’ in The Crown Jewel at a table back in the corner and I heard ‘em talkin’. Red seen Jann workin’ at the stable and told Holloway they could make you pay through him.”

Penny felt as if a knife pierced through her, and she stared at Alex.

The pain on his face was all too obvious.

“Andersen didn’t want to do it. I thought they gave up the idea until I seen all three of them was gone. Then I got scared. I hightailed it over here, hopin’ the boy was already home.”

“Will you tell that to Deputy Harris, Brady?”

The older man looked with blurry, red eyes at the stairs, and then back at the table. “Yeah.” His voice was low. “I’ll do it. That boy didn’t deserve this.”

Alex rose. “Some of you men can come with me. I’m going to get the deputy.” He took his coat off the rack. “Tom, I need you to stay here with the women. Brady, you stay, too. I don’t want to come back and find you in the same condition as Jann.”

Brady nodded and raised a shaky hand to wipe his face.

Tom gripped his shoulder. “You know, you probably saved Jann’s life. If he’d stayed out there much longer, he might have frozen.”

Tom’s words seemed to comfort the older man and he nodded.

A silence settled over the room.

In spite of all Penny’s hopes and faith, here she was again, waiting as Alex marched off to some unknown fate. She couldn’t bear the thought. Closing her eyes, she tried to pray, but the words were slow and faulty and elicited little comfort. She opened her eyes.

The bloody mess was still there. Penny picked up the towels and carried them to the kitchen. She used a pan of hot water from the stove to scrub the table and the floor.

Brady and Tom helped her shove the tables back into place.

She had a pile of dirty towels that needed to be soaked and boiled, but she didn’t want to use the last of the well water. The doctor might need it for Jann. Clean, fresh snow lay in mound just outside by the outhouse. Grabbing her heavy cloak and a bucket to fill, she stepped outside.

A break in the clouds revealed the moon. It shone silvery on the white drifts and everything around her sparkled. The beauty of the stars and bright snow comforted her as she crossed the alley to the small privy.

The drifts were high and soft. She bent and began to scoop snow into the bucket. When a shadow floated across the glistening white surface, she glanced up.

A blanket slipped over her head and muffled her scream.

15

Alex sent one of the men to Andrew’s house with a message to wire the sheriff in Bridgeport.

Sheriff Harris was in his office. It took all of Alex’s persuasion and the angry resentment of the men to pressure Harris to action.

Alex quietly pointed out that if Harris didn’t do something, he might have a vigilante mob on his hands. Harris finally relented, insisting he was only going to The Crown Jewel to question Holloway.

“Make us all deputies.” Alex said with steel in his tone.