“Seems like those three will get along,” Shaye said outside. “Your deputy doesn’t seem threatened.”
“He ain’t,” Cotton said. “I explained the situation to him and he knows we need the help.”
“And he’s ready to use his gun—if he has to?”
“He says he is,” Cotton said. “I believe he thinks he is. We won’t know til the time comes, though.”
They started for the telegraph office.
“Sheriff, you mind if I ask how often you’ve had to use your gun?”
“A time or two,” Cotton said, “but if you’re asking if I’ve ever had to kill a man, the answer is no. That doesn’t mean I won’t, though.”
“I’m just asking—”
“No need to explain,” Cotton said. “I know your life depends on knowing who you’re dealing with—on both sides of your gun. I’ll watch your back, Dan—yours and your boys’.”
“Okay,” Shaye said, “that’s good enough for me.”
After they finished sending telegrams to sheriffs of other towns, Cotton asked Shaye to take a turn around town with him.
“Might as well let folks see you with the badge on,” he said.
“Fine with me,” Shaye said, “but what about your mayor? And the town council?”
“I’ll introduce you and your boys to them later, but I’ve got the power to swear in deputies when I need to—especially in case of an emergency.”
“Well,” Shaye said, “this just may qualify.”
39
Once Thomas, James, and Thad had their shifts figured out, Thomas asked the deputy what the highest building in town was.
“That’s easy,” Thad said. “Right next door. City Hall.”
“James,” Thomas said, “you better get your ass up there, then. First shift’s yours.”
“Why don’t we all go up?” Thad asked. “I can show you how to get up there.”
“Good idea,” Thomas said.
They followed Thad into City Hall and up two flights of stairs. Then he showed them how to pull a ladder down from the ceiling that led to a hatch. Once they were all on the roof, Thomas saw that they had a fine view of the entire town and the outskirts.
“Sure be able to see a passle of men ridin’ up to town from here,” James said. “What do we use as a signal?”
“I don’t know,” Thomas said. “A shot, I guess.”
“Won’t we need more’n one?” Thad asked.
“Not if we’re all listenin’ for one,” Thomas said. “We’ll hear it.”
“Look there,” James said, pointing to the street. “Pa and the sheriff.”
They all looked and saw Shaye and the sheriff coming out of the telegraph office.
“Looks like they’re gonna take a walk around town,” Thomas said, “let folks see pa wearin’ the deputy badge. Reckon we ought to do the same thing, James. I can do it now and you can do it later, when I relieve you.”
James looked up at the sun.
“Reckon one of you boys can bring me a canteen?” James asked. “Might get hot up here.”
“I’ll bring one right back,” Thad said.
“And each one of us who comes to relieve the other can bring a fresh one,” Thomas said. “Good thinkin’, James.”
“Just don’t wanna die of thirst up here and have one of you boys find me with my tongue all swole up.”
Thomas slapped his brother on the back.
“I’ll see you in a while.”
He and Thad went back down through the hatch and James closed it behind them. He then took up a position at the front of the building. Before long he saw his brother and Thad leave the building and cross the street. He wished he had told Thomas to bring a rifle up with him, but made a bet with himself that his brother would think of that on his own.
He remained at the front of the building for a few moments, then decided it would be better to move around, make sure he could see on all sides. He started walking in a circle around the roof, found himself thinking about Belinda Davis, and shook his head to dispel thoughts of her. Like his pa said, that kind of thinking at the wrong time could get a man killed.
“What happened at your house last night?” Shaye asked. “I mean, between you and your wife and Belinda.”
“My wife doesn’t want to confront Belinda just yet,” Cotton said.
“Why not?”
“She’s afraid she might get mad and leave and take Little Matt with her,” the lawman explained.
“Doesn’t seem to me Belinda’s all that loving toward the boy,” Shaye said. “Every time I’ve seen him, it’s your missus that’s holding him.”
“You’re right about that,” Cotton said. “Seems we never had any young ones of our own. My wife does everything for that boy, from dressing him and feeding him in the morning to putting him to bed at night.”
“And what does Belinda do?”
“She goes out mostly. Does some shopping. Does…well, I don’t know what she does.”
“Where does she get money for shopping?”
Cotton hesitated, then said, “From my wife.”
“Man,” Shaye said, “that girl has been taking advantage of you and your wife long enough.”
“I know it,” Cotton said. “I see it now and so does my wife, but—”
“I know,” Shaye said. “You don’t have to try to explain.”
They continued walking, nodding to men they passed, tipping their hats to ladies.
“Has Belinda got a man?”
“What?”
“A beau?” Shaye asked. “Somebody courting her?”
“Not that I know of.”
“She can’t be shopping all the time,” Shaye said. “Where does she go when she goes out? She got friends in town? Other girls?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Sounds…doesn’t sound right,” Shaye said, shaking his head. “What if she’s got a fella?”
“And?”
“She’s using you and your wife to live off of, to take care of the baby while she goes and sees this fella, maybe on the sly. Maybe he’s a married man.”
“Well, most of the men in town are kinda stuck on her,” Cotton said. “I see the way they watch her when she walks around town.”
“Could be she wants you to take care of her baby, my boys and me to protect her from Jeb Collier, and then maybe she’ll go off with this fella she’s seeing.”
“If she’s seeing one.”
“Right.”
“I guess we’ll find that all out in due time,” Shaye said, “if we’re not going to confront her now.”
“I’ll…talk to my missus about it.”
“Fine,” Shaye said. “It’s your call, Sheriff.”
They walked a bit more and then the sheriff said, “By the way, the town will be picking up the hotel bill for you and your boys while you’re here. Won’t cost you a cent.”
“Well,” Shaye said, “at least that’s good news.”
40
It was several days later when the newly formed Collier gang rode into a Texas town called Highbinder. It wasn’t much of a town, really, but it had a lawman and a telegraph office. The lawman had received a message from the sheriff of Pearl River Junction to be on the lookout for a gang of men led by one Jeb Collier.
Sheriff Tate Coffey had no deputies and spent most of his days seated in front of his office, watching the street. Highbinder only had a few streets and there was rarely any trouble there. When this group of men rode in—eight in number—he knew it had to be the gang Sheriff Cotton had contacted him about.
Highbinder also had one hotel and one saloon and the eight men headed for the saloon first. If they went to the hotel next and checked in, he’d be able to take a look at their names. He decided to wait on sending a telegram to the sheriff of Pearl River Junction until he knew for sure that this was the gang in question.