Trego, page 28
Harry came back, he said it smelled like a skunk, so it must have been a skunk. I gave up my throne and wandered back down the street. They were still in Bayard’s Saloon. Only setting at a corner table, still jawing away. I went over and pulled out a chair and sat down.
I listened awhile, they were talking about clothes. At the first lull, I cut in: “Say I bet that dress you’re wearing is the latest fashion, did you buy that in Philadelphia?”
“Why yes I did.” She said, then caught herself. She was looking at me with a stricken look on her face. I winked at her. She relaxed. Brie looked back and forth at us both. “What was that all about?” She asked us both.
“Oh, Blythe has a secret, she’ll tell you when she gets around to it, its not all that important, the past lies in ashes around here.” I said, then, “its lunch time I’ll have Bayard order us some food.” As I walked toward the bar, the two women had their heads together. Janie and Melinda, along with Mae and Almund were setting at another table playing cards. I stopped by their table, “Hey Mae and you too Al, why don’t the two of you tell Bayard that all of us are hungry, then help him bring some food over.” I said. They both jumped up, good kids. It took me about thirty seconds to fill the girls in on what I had learned. They were empathetic with Blythe’s problem.
Bayard joined us for lunch, the four of us at one table and the children with Janie and Melinda at another table. Turns out Blythe had already told Bayard all about it. So the topic was generally discussed at the table.
Yes, Blythe had killed Charles Turnblood. She had caught him trying to molest Mae. Also he was an abuser. He was a prominent business man, and he did have a lot of money. None of which Blythe had gotten. And I was right in assuming that his family had taken control of his fortune. Blythe was saying: “There was no love lost between Charles and his siblings, even his Father didn’t like him. I don’t understand why they involved the law, at first they didn’t want me to tell the law what he was doing when I shot him. They were the ones who gave me the money to leave on. Why would they later tell the law?”
“Well they probably had to blame someone, especially if the funeral parlor told that he died of a gunshot. It was probably just a matter of expediency. Since also, I suppose his will went into probate. They had to blame you for the killing, so you wouldn’t get any of the proceeds. I wouldn’t worry too much about them following up on the warrant, since they probably got his estate.” I said, then added, “But to be on the safe side I would stay here till the hoopla all went away, you’re pretty much at the ends of the earth here.”
“Oh, I think we will stay here, Bayard has asked me to marry him and I’ve said yes.” Blythe said, taking hold of Bayard’s hand.
Now life’s a funny thing, most people think its one continuous thread from birth till death. But its not, it’s a bunch of tiny threads all tied together, with some sticking out here and there. Its not such a pretty package. But it is life and the only other option that you have is death, and who wants that?
Now these tiny threads sticking here and there are different people and things that happen in your life, they come and go and some are even forgotten, but they make us what we are: human.
“Trego, quit your daydreaming and wake up. Come on I need to talk to you about the mine.” Brie said, punching me on the arm. We were the only ones still setting at the table. “I swear, you can be so rude at times, you didn’t even say goodbye to Blythe. You just sat there staring straight ahead when she got up and left.”
“I’m sorry sweetheart, I was somewhere else I guess. What do you want to talk about, you said the mine?”
“Yes, there is this eastern combine that wants to buy the mine. They will be here in three days. When they do come, I need you there. That kind of man always tries to take advantage of a woman. Not that they can with me, but it will just save time having you there. We won’t have to go through all of that crap, they’ll get right to the point.”
“Well, what am I supposed to say, I don’t know anything about the mine and what its worth?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you what to say. I’ll say something like, isn’t that what you told me to say Honey? And then all you have to say is, yes, that’s right, sweetheart.”
“Crap, any sane man can see right through that. You just tell me what you want for the mine and I’ll take care of the rest. And if they get smart I’ll shoot them.”
“Trego, you can’t be serious, you can’t shoot them, people know that they came here, there will be questions.”
“Of course not, where’s your sense of humor?” I said.
“Oh, I don’t know, I’ve been under such stress. It seems like we have been on the go ever since we got married. We need a vacation.”
“A vacation? What’s that?”
“We need to get away and do nothing but have fun. We need to travel, maybe go to Europe or somewhere.” Brie said.
“Vacation? I’ve never heard that word before, it’s a unique thought though. Where does it come from? Wait I know, maybe from the word vacate. To vacate where you’re at and go somewhere else.”
“Trego, will you get serious. There’s important stuff going to happen and you’re playing word games.” Brie said, almost stomping her feet.
“You don’t like word games? Well I know another type of game we can play, do you have time?” She looked at me, a bit taken back. She licked her lips, “you mean?” She said. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I mean, if you don’t have the time maybe we can make the time?” I said.
Brie got up and took my hand and led me out of the saloon. It didn’t take us long to get home, she was almost running. Shucks, she was in a hurry, it had only been a week, you would think it had been a month.
“We lay there in each others arms. I pushed her damp hair away from her face, she looked up at me. “Honey”, I said, “what do you want to do? Not just now, but where are we going after you sell the mine, what do you want to do?”
“I don’t know, I guess we could do just about anything, we have enough money. I think though that I would like to see some of the world, but I want to come back to Montana, this is where I want to live. I do like the Fox Cattle Company Ranch, I was thinking that we could build a big house over by that hot and cold spring. A house with enough bedrooms, maybe about ten. What do you think?”
“Wow! Sounds like you have been giving it some thought, you’re way ahead of me. But heck I always liked the view from back here, I guess I’ll just ride drag and see where that beautiful rear end of yours takes me.” With that, she rolled over on top of me and we took another trip, without ever leaving the bedroom.
Brie got up and pulled the chamber pot out from under the bed, she left the lid off for me. Then she padded barefoot over to the pitcher and basin, she poured water in and took a wash cloth and started to wash herself. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, she was so beautiful. She turned and looked at me, “I was just thinking, those eastern guys are from Philadelphia. Do you think they might know about Blythe?”
“Hmm, it is a thought. We will tell Bayard to keep her under wraps while they are here. No use taking any chances, is there?”
“But what if they buy the mine, they will be here all of the time?”
“We’ll cross that mud hole when we get to it, don’t worry.” I said, “But really Honey, what are the odds that they would even know about Charles Turnblood?”
“Odds? You know I don’t gamble. But I just have this feeling,” she said, then shivered a little bit. Goose Bumps were standing out on her naked body. Somehow they made her even more appealing to me.
“Alright, don’t get all worked up. Did you get the names of these guys that are coming?” I asked, as I went over to hold her.
“Yes, the three main ones, none of them were named Turnblood. But I am sure more than just those three are coming, they’ll have assistants and stuff.” She said, hugging me tight.
“So, I have an idea, why don’t we have Bayard take them out to the Specter ranch? But maybe Bayard better stay here, we’ll have Janie and Melinda take them out there. Janie and Melinda can stay out there with them, to just to be on the safe side. How’s that?”
“Yes, I think that would suffice. Do you want to go back to bed? Oh goodness me, but maybe you’re not ready yet?” She said, with a devilish twinkle in her eye.
“Honey, you have never seen the day that I can’t keep up with you! And I proved it….”
Janie and Melinda were more than happy to take them out there and stay with them. I had forgot about those two boys, Charles and Robert Ringer. But Brie hadn’t, she laid down the rules to the girls. I stopped the tirade half way through.
“You don’t have to worry about Janie and Melinda, no cowboy is going to get in their britches, unless they are married. Isn’t that right girls?”
“That’s right Pops,” They said, looking down at the floor. (like I was embarrassing them, like so much, I knew these girls, they would do what was right.)
Chapter Fourteen
The big wigs stage arrived right on time two days later. We were at the stage stop to meet them. I had on that black broadcloth suit that Brie had bought me. Brie had on a dress with a modified bustle, modified to hold her two revolver’s, that is. Of course, as you well know, I had my twin .44’s. But I did polish them up right smart.
They had ran a special stage for them, being that there was six of them. The three we were expecting, plus a woman, a high toned bitch, the likes of which I had only seen once or twice. The other two? Yeah, that’s right, gunnies both of them, the eastern type. I seen the bulge of their guns in their shoulder holsters. Plus, I was willing to bet, they had hideouts on them. These guys were a lot more dangerous than any gunslinger west of the Mississippi. Why? Cause the western bad man lived by a code of sorts. These eastern guys had no scruples.
All I knew if any trouble started I was going to plug those two right off, and then watch my back, that high toned bitch was just as deadly as they were. A shiver ran down my spine, a black widow for sure. I glanced at Brie, then cocked my head toward the woman. Brie nodded.
When Brie had got dressed, she had put her stiletto’s up her sleeves. At first I had thought she wouldn’t need them, but after seeing this woman, I was glad she had them. Cause, this woman had puffy blouse like sleeves. You remember I said, that I had seen some like her once or twice before. Well that woman had a spring loaded holder up her sleeves that held .41 caliber derringers. All she had to do was trip that spring and those guns would pop right into her hands. I know, I had a small scar on one shoulder where one of their bullets had scratched me. When Brie had asked me what caused it, I told her a tree branch had did it. Who wants to let anyone know that he had been suckered by a woman. I didn’t kill her, but I wanted to put that derringer where the sun didn’t shine.
Are you a psychic? You must be, since you have already figured out what I am going to tell you next. Yep, that’s right, it was that same woman. A little older and maybe a couple of pounds heavier. But it was that same one, and was she ever mad. If looks could kill, I would sure enough be dead.
Brie seen how the woman was shooting daggers out of her eyes at me and gave me a quizzical look? I just gave her a shrug and mouthed, I’ll tell you later. The man who seemed to be taking the lead said, “Mrs. Brie Shelby I take it,” as he reached out to shake Brie’s hand. “My name is Harold Finn, I represent Mr. and Mrs. Hector Fogerty.” He said as he turned to introduce them. I sort of shrank back a little ways, to give myself room to react if I had to.
Brie was being the proper hostess, I was sizing up Mr. Finn and the other gunny. Mr. Finn was coming off all smooth and slick. But I knew what he was, a shyster. But also that bulge under his jacket, told another story. Fogerty’s wife’s name was Helen. I never did know her name before, when she tried to kill me.
The Bitch, known as Helen Fogerty had stopped giving me killing looks and now, I guess since she had time to get over her shock, her eyes were worried. Probably worried that I was going to blow her cover.
Brie had finally noticed that I wasn’t part of the conversation, she turned and said, “This is my husband, Trego.” Now that caused a little crack in the armor of Harold Finn and his gunny buddy. Their eyes became wary, like maybe a Coyote looking at a leg trap and trying to figure out how to trip it without getting caught.
I stepped forward and shook Hectors hand, then took Helens in mine and sort of gave a little bow, then I slipped my hand toward her elbow, sure enough she still had her guns. I gave her a big smile and said to Hector, “You have a fetching wife Hector, how long have you been married?” I kept hold of her hand, even though she made a covert effort to withdraw it.
Brie gave a gasp and said, “Trego, that’s impolite, heaven’s sake please forgive my husband, sometimes he can be so direct.”
Hector Fogerty cleared his throat and said, “Why, how did you know we were newly weds, so to speak?”
“Oh, just by the way she looked at you, love fairly jumps right out of her eyes when she does.” He put his arm around Helen. I released her hand, but not before I gave it a bone crushing grip. I had to give her credit, she’s didn’t let any pain show in her face.
Harold Finn said, “Uh, perhaps you could show us to our rooms. I think Mr. and Mrs. Fogerty would like to freshen up and rest before dinner.”
I said, “Yes, of course, my wife will take you over to the boarding house. I’m afraid I have to make the rounds, you see I’m the marshal in Coolidge.” I flipped my coat back to show the badge on my vest. Harold and his buddy didn’t like that one little bit. Besides I wanted to get to the office and go through my stack of wanted posters. I could swear I had seen the buddy in one of them. They hadn’t bothered to introduce him.
I settled into my office chair and started checking. About half way through the stack, I found him. That bowler hat he was wearing was a tip off. Arlin Boyle, he was wanted for various crimes in New York City, an ex gang member.
Brie came breezing in the door, “What the hell was that all about?” Was the first thing out of her mouth. I leaned back in my chair and put my feet up on my desk, then I flipped the poster at her.
“That’s part of it,” I said, the other is I know that Helen Fogerty. You remember that scar on my shoulder that I told you a tree limb did it?”
“Yeah, so what? What I’m upset about is you acting like you just fell off of the turnip wagon. We’re trying to sell this mine, don’t you want to sell it?”
“Yeah, but I have scruples. And so what about this scar is, she did it.”
“How, what, when? Have you had sex with her?” She was getting red in the face.
“Now hold on Honey, you’re jumping to the wrong conclusion. No, I have not had sex with her, exactly…”
“What the hell does that mean?” I got up and sat her down in my chair, then I told her the whole thing. How, “I was in this poker game in Denver and she was standing behind a slick gambler, that was dealing from the bottom of the deck. It was late at night and there was only four of us in the game. Turns out those other two were in on it, as well as her. Anyway I called him on it. He went for his gun, I put one in his heart, those other two hauled their hog legs out and started blasting at me, hell I was setting right there and they still missed, I didn’t. I sat back down and was collecting the pot, when this bitch starts screaming at me, then out pops these derringers out of her sleeves, she was a better shot than those other two, at least she winged me. I was tired and out of sorts, so I took them away from her and almost stuffed them where the sun doesn’t shine.”
“You mean up her rear?” Brie gasped.
“Yeah, but I stopped myself. I also took her little spring getup, When I did though her blouse came off with them.”
Brie sat there with her mouth open, then she started to laugh, she laughed so hard she almost fell out of the chair. When she got control of herself, she said, “No wonder she almost had a heart attack when she seen you. How do you think she got to Philadelphia?”
“By the train I suppose,” I said, rather drollery. “But it looks like she got herself in a high stakes game this time.” As I was talking, I was still flipping through the wanted posters, I found flyers on those other two men that were with them. They were both wanted out of St. Louis. Henry James and Frank Turlock, murder as well as various other crimes. I showed those flyers to Brie, she said, “Shit! Three of the bunch are wanted men, how does that reflect on Fogerty and Finn?”
“Depends on who hired them. I would suspect it was Finn. And I also suspect he knew about their past depredations. As far as Fogerty, I don’t think he does, of course his new wife might know all about it.”
“Do you really think so? I sort of got the impression that she really loves her husband.” Brie said, as she started to take off her dress with that bustle. She put her guns on the desk. Then went over to the wardrobe in the corner and got out her extra set of clothes that she always kept there. It was an hot August day, when she dressed this morning, she left off her underclothes. Which didn’t bother me in the least. I watched as she pulled on her pants and buttoned her shirt, then she strapped her guns back on. Now she looked normal.
“So, are you going to take them around the mine?” I asked.
“No, Sam Benbow is, and Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, but they hit another vein of silver, looks like this mine has some longevity anyway.”
“You’re not going to change your mind about selling it are you?” I asked, as she was standing in front of the mirror messing with her hair.
“Goodness Sake, No. Of course not. Even without selling the mine, we have enough money to last us. I think I will put a clause in the contract that when the mine does play out, that the new owners have to give every miner two thousand dollars severance pay.”
“That sounds alright, but why don’t we set up an account for them out of our profits?” I said.
