“Yeah.”
“Okay, you’re gonna take us home with you.”
“I ain’t gonna—” the man started, but Thomas jabbed him in the back with his gun even harder.
“I’ll take you to my shop.”
“Okay,” Thomas said, “get to walkin’ then. James?”
“Right.” James took one last look at the sheriff’s house and fell into step behind his brother and the other man.
They had to walk all the way through town, almost to the livery, before they reached the man’s hardware store. He used a key to open the front door and they all went in. James found a lamp and lit it.
“Let’s find a seat for that gent that ain’t near any hammers or pry bars,” Thomas said.
James looked around and found a chair. He set it in the center of the floor and they made the man sit there, out of reach of any potential weapons.
“Now what’s your name?” Thomas asked, still holding his gun.
“Alvin Simon,” the man muttered.
Simon was in his late twenties, it looked, about Thomas’s age. He had dirty blond hair and was powerful through the chest and shoulders. He also had very large hands. The size of his torso made his legs look too short for him.
“And you own this store?”
“Yes.”
“Why were you tryin’ to kill me?” James demanded.
“Wasn’t tryin’ to kill you.”
“It sure felt like it.”
“I was…mad,” Simon said. “I lost my head.”
“Why?”
“You were with Belinda.”
“So?”
The man stuck out his jaw and said, “She’s my woman.”
“Is that right?” Thomas asked. “Does she know that?”
“Of course she does!” the man said. “We’re in love.”
Thomas and James exchanged a look.
“How long has this been goin’ on?” Thomas asked.
“About six months.”
So it wasn’t possible that this man was the father of her baby.
“So you were followin’ her tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“And you saw her with my brother and got mad.”
“Yeah.”
“Why?” James asked. “We were only talkin’. We had supper and we talked.”
“She kissed you!” the man accused.
“That was just…that was nothin’,” James said angrily. “Sure wasn’t enough for you to try to strangle me to death!”
“Settle down,” Thomas said.
“‘Settle down’?” James repeated. “He damn near killed me. He woulda killed me if you hadn’t…what were you doin’ there?”
“I happened to see you two leavin’ the café and him followin’ behind you, so I followed too.”
“So you were there the whole time, outside the house?”
“Yes.”
“And it took you that long to get him to let me go?”
“He never woulda sneaked up on you if you didn’t have your head in the clouds, James,” Thomas said. He hadn’t planned on berating his brother in front of Simon, but James opened the door. “And another thing. You let that gal hang on to your gun arm the whole time. You’re double lucky you ain’t dead right now!”
James glared at his brother, then switched his glare to the man that deserved it and kept quiet…because Thomas was right, damn him.
54
Thomas and James decided not to bicker in front of Alvin Simon. They told him not to move and went to the other end of the room, where they could still cover him.
“Okay, so he claims to be in love with Belinda,” Thomas said. “I can believe that.”
“So can I.”
“Obviously.”
“Whataya mea—”
“But,” Thomas said, cutting James off, “is Belinda in love with him?”
“She could be.”
“I don’t think so,” Thomas said. “I think he’s just another fella she’s tryin’ to use. He’s got his own business, so maybe he’s got some money.”
“Why do you have to think the worst of her?” James asked.
“Because,” Thomas said, “she’s tryin’ to convince us that her son is Matthew’s. Why do you think she’s doin’ that?”
“To get some help—”
“To use us, James,” Thomas said, “just to use us.”
“Thomas—” James started, but Thomas could see the argument coming and wanted to head it off.
“James, we could argue about this all night,” he said. “What do you want to do about this fella?”
James looked over at Alvin Simon, who was staring at the floor glumly.
“Leave him alone,” James said.
“He tried to choke you to death.”
“We’ve got enough to worry about without adding him,” James said. “Let’s get back to what we’re supposed to be doin’.”
They both turned and walked back to the center of the room, Thomas holstering his gun.
“Mr. Simon, we’re gonna leave now,” Thomas said. “We’re both deputies, as you can probably see, so if you should attack my brother again, we’ll have to throw you in jail. Do you understand?”
“I understand very little, I fear,” Simon said. He looked up at the two of them. “Why won’t she look to me for protection? Why does she have to look elsewhere? The sheriff? Now you and your father?”
Thomas looked around the shop. Plenty of hardware, but there were no guns in sight.
“Mr. Simon, can you handle a gun?”
“Not very well.”
“Well, that’s your answer,” Thomas said. “Against the likes of Jeb Collier you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“That’s what she said.”
“Well, then,” Thomas said, “for once I have to agree with her. Come on, James.”
They started for the door, but Thomas stopped and turned to look back at Simon, who was still sitting slumped in the chair.
“Is this a thriving business, Mr. Simon?” he asked.
The man looked at him and said, “Why, yes. I do very well here.”
“You’ve got money put away?”
“Quite a tidy sum, I think,” Simon said. “I’ve told Belinda that I can care for her and Little Matt—at least, financially.”
“Is that a fact?’ Thomas asked, looking at James.
“Oh, come on,” James said, opening the front door and barreling through.
Jeb Collier and his men were camped an hour outside of Pearl River Junction. He got them all situated around the fire with their beans and coffee and explained what was going to happen the next day.
“Clark, you and Dave will ride in first. Get yourselves a hotel room and then just hang around town. Don’t go near the bank. Do you understand?”
“Got it, Jeb,” Clark Wilson said and Dave Roberts nodded.
“Samms, you and Leslie will ride in next. Don’t check into a hotel. Find a rooming house and get rooms. Then get somethin’ to eat, walk around town, but stay away from the bank. Also, the four of you…stay out of the saloons. We’ll all meet in a saloon later on in the evening.”
“Which one?” Roy Leslie asked.
“I’ll tell you in a minute.” He looked across the fire at his brother. “Ben, you and Tanner will ride in next. Get rooms in a small hotel somewhere, have somethin’ to eat and stay out of trouble.”
“Sure, Jeb.”
Jeb looked pointedly at Lou Tanner, a look that said: Keep him out of trouble. Tanner nodded that he understood.
“Vic and I will ride in last,” Jeb said. “We’re all gonna meet at dusk in the biggest saloon in town. That’s so we won’t stand out. But look…when you get to that saloon don’t talk to each other until Vic and I get there. Don’t sit or stand at the bar in a group. Two of you sit, two stand, or play some poker, whatever, but stay away from each other, stay out of trouble. Everybody understand?”