The Valeron Code Read online

  ‘Yeah? What kind of agreement?’

  ‘I have to give her half my daily wages for each day we are gone.’

  Shane laughed heartily at the news.

  ‘Besides that,’ Cliff lamented, ‘she demanded ten dollars extra, in advance, so she could take Nessy to town to do some shopping. She thinks I haven’t provided enough decent clothes for my little orphan.’

  ‘That’s my little sister.’ Shane grinned. ‘Tish has always been money conscious.’

  ‘I’ll be pinching pennies for months,’ Cliff admitted. ‘Sure wouldn’t want to be the guy who takes her for a wife.’

  ‘You could have asked Darcy.’ Shane mentioned his other sister, still living at home. ‘Unlike Tish, she can be dealt with.’

  ‘She’s staying in town for a few weeks, working with Brett and Desiree. They are putting together the necessities for a town charter. Don’t know what all she has to do with it, but Darcy has always been good with numbers and writing.’

  ‘She’s the smart one in our family,’ Shane concurred. Then he asked: ‘Any news from Jared or Wyatt so far?’

  ‘Nothing yet, but they’ve only been gone a coupla days,’ Cliff replied. ‘What do you say? Are you ready to go with me?’

  ‘Try and stop me!’ Shane declared. ‘I’ll need a few minutes to get something to eat. I had hoped to make it home before breakfast.’

  ‘You eat and I’ll get the horses ready to go.’

  ‘Did you already settle up with Tish?’

  ‘Locke is in on the agreement – at your sister’s insistence! He’ll give her the money and deduct it from my pay.’

  Shane grinned. ‘Did he rib you about letting Tish get the better of you?’

  ‘Not in so many words, but his eyes were laughing out loud!’

  ‘Cliff,’ Shane grinned, ‘for a hound who used to woo everything wearing a skirt, you have become a family pet. Nessy runs you ragged, and now Tish has you giving her money and doing her bidding. If you’re not careful, you’re going to become as housebroke as the family cat.’

  ‘Aw, go stuff some chow in that big mouth of yours!’

  Shane continued the mirth. ‘Rod would laugh himself sick if he knew about this setup.’

  ‘Hurry up!’ Cliff barked the order. ‘I’ve already got supplies packed for the trip.’

  ‘Saddle Domino for me,’ Shane instructed. ‘He’s in the corral back of the barn. Which mount are you taking?’

  ‘Bonnet,’ he replied. ‘She’s got the stamina for a hard ride.’

  ‘Good choice,’ Shane approved, starting for the house. He cocked his head and called over his shoulder: ‘Meet you out front in fifteen minutes.’

  It was early afternoon and the saloon only had a few patrons, mostly town drunks, a lone card player, and a couple men waiting for the stage. Landau’s eyes adjusted to the dark interior lighting and he was surprised to see Bernie was the fellow at the table. He wandered over and pulled out a chair.

  ‘Didn’t figure you to keep such early hours, being that you are up until closing time every night.’

  Bernie’s eyes were red from lack of sleep, but he managed a weary smile. ‘Special duty today, keeping watch for the boss.’

  ‘He go somewhere?’

  ‘Not that I know of. I’m keeping a lookout for Three-finger Markum and his men.’

  ‘Never heard of him.’

  Bernie shrugged. ‘He’s small-time, most often rustles a few head of cattle or horses.’

  ‘Your boss think he might try and run off a few bottles of red-eye, or swipe a keg of beer?’

  That brought a chuckle. ‘Actually, he wants his gun hand, Baron Dent, to be the one to tell them about the Barkley brothers. I’d wager that’s so he can be sure his own involvement isn’t part of the story.’

  ‘I heard about the shooting,’ Landau said. ‘I can tell you one thing, I sure wouldn’t go after anyone the Valerons are protecting.’

  Bernie looked around, making certain no one was within ear-shot. ‘If I was a bettin’ man – like I used to be – I’d wager my next month’s earnings that Dealer intends to sic Markum on the Valerons.’

  ‘Be a quick way for them to join their pals in the bone yard,’ Landau said, careful to hide his keen interest.

  ‘I don’t like the idea one bit,’ Bernie confided. ‘Something smells to high heaven about this whole thing. I mean, how did the Barkleys think kidnapping Brooks would get them a pile of money? After all, the guy works at a bank, but that doesn’t mean anyone is going to fork over a wad of cash to save his hide. Not to mention, the bank is several hundred miles away. And, if they intended to exchange him for Lafferty, who would pay? Lafferty earns his keep as mayor, but he doesn’t have the money of Dealer or Rutherford. Besides, what would keep the ex-mayor from being tossed right back in the hoosegow, if he was traded for Brooks?’

  ‘You’re right, Bernie. This deal has the aroma of a hermit’s outhouse.’

  ‘Another thing,’ the casino manager continued his inquest, ‘how did they learn about Brooks himself so quick? Until he showed up, I didn’t even know the lady editor had a brother.’

  ‘I happened to arrive just after the shooting,’ Landau told Bernie. ‘I overheard Jared Valeron say he saw the two Barkleys approaching town from the hills. He was suspicious because they had an extra saddled horse and were sneaking around. How is it that Dealer showed up at the same time?’

  ‘There’s another puzzle,’ Bernie said. ‘Dealer was sitting at my table and we was talking some. Then he suddenly jumps up and runs out of the saloon. A minute later, there are shots from down the street. How the devil did he know what was going on? He was facing me, with his back to the street.’

  Landau knew Bernie was basically honest, except when playing cards for money. He decided the man could be useful and was in the perfect position to keep his eyes and ears open.

  ‘Listen to me,’ he spoke in a quiet, earnest tone of voice. ‘I don’t want it known just yet, but I’m a friend of the Valerons.’ He watched for a reaction, but Bernie showed only a keen interest.

  ‘We think Dealer and Rutherford killed the banker,’ Landau informed him. ‘And Mike Lafferty has been exhorting money from the businesses since taking over as mayor. I sent a wire to the law in Texas, and found out there are outstanding warrants for Rutherford and all four of his pals.’

  ‘So what does this have to do with the kidnappers?’

  ‘That much doesn’t make sense. If Dealer hired or encouraged them to do the job, why would he show up to kill one of them?’

  A light of understanding entered Bernie’s eyes. ‘Hot-damn!’ he said firmly. ‘I think I know the answer to that!’ And he explained how he had just commented to Dealer about the reason the Valerons took on the town of Brimstone – due to a kidnapping of one of their kin.

  ‘Makes perfect sense,’ Landau applauded his logic. ‘It all fits, right down to you trying to set up a meeting with Markum. Dealer wants to avoid any blame for the Barkley brothers’ deaths.’

  ‘I reckon we’re right on track,’ Bernie said. ‘This is fixing to be one big mess.’

  ‘Unless you and I intervene.’

  Bernie’s eyebrows arched with a incisive interest. ‘What do you have in mind?’

  ‘You play this hand right,’ Landau told his friend, ‘and you’ll either end up dead or running this place.’

  The statement put a frown on his face. ‘Don’t go shovelling sugar with your proposal. Getting dead don’t interest me none. But,’ he added quickly, ‘running this saloon definitely has my attention!’

  Jared entered the sheriff’s office to find Julia and Wyatt standing at the desk, watching Richard go over the bank records. Julia offered a smile in greeting, while Richard continued to study the ledger in front of him.

  ‘Interest fraud will be a snap to prove,’ Richard announced. ‘Rutherford didn’t bother to cover his tactics. He simply incorporated a new interest rate on every loan on the books. The payment remained
the same, but hardly anything was deducted from the principal amounts. Anyone who signed a contract or loan agreement with Walters will have a case against him.’

  When Richard finished explaining his findings, Wyatt asked Jared: ‘What’s up?’

  ‘Trouble.’

  Wyatt pulled a face. ‘Can’t you ever bring good news?’

  ‘Landau just told me that Three-finger Markum is in town, Cuz. He arrived with four men and is going to come gunning for us. Especially me.’

  ‘Five of them, huh?’ Wyatt frowned. ‘That could pose a problem.’

  ‘Landau thinks they will set up a trap. I told him to stay out of sight and do whatever is necessary to even the odds, if it comes to a fight.’

  ‘What on earth is fair about five against two?’ Julia wanted to know.

  ‘Three!’ Richard corrected.

  Wyatt began to check the loads in his Colt. ‘I’m guessing they don’t know Dealer was involved with the killing of the Barkleys.’

  ‘Landau said Dealer’s gunnie, Baron Kent, is the one who spoke to Markum. You can bet he claimed I did the shooting.’

  ‘They won’t take us on while we’re in here. I’d guess they will wait until we are outside and vulnerable to attack from a door or window.’ Wyatt shrugged. ‘From what we know of them, they are rustlers and bandits. I don’t expect them to try us head on, not even with five against us two.

  ‘Three!’ Richard put in a second time.

  ‘You have to watch the jail,’ Wyatt told him. ‘Rutherford might try to send someone here to break out his pals, while we are busy dealing with Markum and his men.’

  ‘I can watch the jail,’ Julia volunteered.

  ‘We won’t risk your life, Mayor. We might need you to patch one of us up.’

  ‘What’s the play, Wyatt?’ Jared inquired, having also checked his gun. ‘You’re the one with experience as a town tamer.’

  ‘If we don’t show ourselves, Markum might grab Miss Brooks or even a store owner to force us out into the open.’

  ‘On the other hand, they might simply challenge you on the main street of town,’ Julia remarked positively, looking past Jared and out the single front window.

  Wyatt took a step around the desk so he could see clearly. ‘I hope Landau isn’t taking a nap. There’s only three of them out there.’

  ‘Makes it look like a fair fight,’ Jared observed. ‘Fair, that is, if you consider the two of us against three of them.’

  ‘The other two are no doubt lying in wait, probably with rifles.’

  Julia said: ‘You don’t have to step out in the open. Make them come to the front of the building; don’t give a sniper a clean shot.’

  ‘We’ll wait until they call us out,’ Wyatt made the decision. ‘That should give Landau a chance to get in a position to help against the two missing assailants.’

  Jared bared his teeth, squelching his ire. ‘Dirty, lowdown rat-maggots! Five of them against two of us, yet they don’t have the guts to take us on without a couple hidden shooters! Any we don’t kill outright, I’m gonna hang!’

  ‘You certainly have a hankering to stretch a man’s neck,’ Wyatt teased. ‘I sometimes wonder what Uncle Locke missed in your upbringing.’

  ‘He often read to us from the Good Book,’ Jared quipped back. ‘You know the part I remember best – “an eye-for-an-eye”.’

  ‘What about turning the other cheek?’ Julia queried.

  ‘Mayor,’ Jared said dryly, ‘I don’t think that sentiment was intended for anyone living west of the Missouri river.’

  Wyatt grinned, but remained deadly serious, mentally preparing for a life and death encounter. ‘Test your holster,’ he instructed Jared. ‘Make sure your gun comes out easy. If this turns to gunplay, don’t hesitate.’ Sternly, his voice as cool as a January breeze, ‘And don’t try anything fancy, like trying to hit your target in the shoulder or gun hand. In a stand-up gunfight, you shoot to kill, and keep shooting until your opponents can’t return fire.’

  ‘I’m with you, Cuz,’ Jared returned, his aspect a mask of earnest concentration. ‘I’ve never been in a scrap like this before, but you can count on me.’

  Lynette looked up from editing an article as Landau rushed through the door. ‘We need to get Mason out of bed!’ he exclaimed, out of breath.

  ‘Mason? Who are—’

  ‘Lady,’ he interrupted hastily, ‘I came here with the Valeron boys. There’s a gunfight coming and I need Mason’s help. I mean like right now!’

  ‘Yes! All right!’ she declared emphatically, accepting his word. ‘Tell me what you need.’

  ‘There’s two shooters setting up to bushwhack Jared and Wyatt. I’ll take care of the one on the roof of the mercantile store, but the second one is across the street, in the alleyway between the barber shop and the cafe. Mason has got to get around behind him and stop him from getting off a shot. From atop the building where I’ll be, I won’t be able to cover both men at the same time.’

  ‘I’ll get him there. I promise!’

  ‘Hurry!’ was his last word, as he spun about and raced back out the door.

  Lynette took the stairs two at a time and burst into the bedroom. Mason had been asleep, but her sudden entrance awakened him.

  ‘What is it?’ he asked, making an attempt to sit up. He grit his teeth and strained to rise, using both hands to push himself to a sitting position.

  She took one look and knew he would never get dressed, out of bed, down the stairs, and then across the street and around a building or two in time to help the Valerons. She grabbed his gun from its holster, which had been hooked over the bedstead.

  ‘Is this weapon ready to fire?’

  Mason stretched out a hand, as if he would try and stop her. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘Is it ready to shoot?’ she shouted sternly.

  ‘Yeah,’ he replied. ‘Just cock the hammer back and pull the trigger. It’s got six loads ready to fire. But what—’

  Without a word of explanation, Lynette swirled about and sped from the room.

  Chapter Nine

  Three men, dressed in cow puncher garb, had their hands on the butts of their guns, primed for a gunfight. As they approached down the centre of the street, the people, sensing what was about to happen, cleared the sidewalks. Spectators took up viewpoints from the shelter of nearby businesses, none of them wanting to get hit by a stray bullet.

  ‘Jared Valeron! I’m Three-finger Markum.’ The one in the centre ejected the words like a growling dog. ‘Yuh killed two of our friends. Come on out and take yore medicine!’

  Wyatt pushed the door open, paused for a moment, then exited the sheriff’s office. He took only one step and stopped, regarding the trio of men with a critical eye.

  ‘I’m Sheriff Wyatt Valeron, the law in this here town. You start any trouble, Markum, and I’ll toss the lot of you in a cell.’

  ‘Wyatt Valeron.’ The man sneered the name. ‘Yeah, we done heard of yuh. Big man with a gun is the story.’

  ‘The Barkleys were trying to kidnap one of our citizens,’ Wyatt told him. ‘If they hadn’t been killed in the act, I’d have dragged them before a judge and they would have hanged. That’s the law in this country – kidnapping is a hanging offence.’

  ‘Talk don’t change nuthen,’ Markum drawled. ‘Killin’ our friends be a dying o’fence.’

  Wyatt issued a second warning: ‘Up till now, the only wanted poster on your gang is for rustling cattle. If me and Jared step out to meet you, we will have no option but to kill the three of you.’

  ‘Yuh talk real big, law-dog,’ Markum scoffed. ‘Reckon yuh can tell yore story tuh the devil. We aim tuh put yuh toes-up, with a shovel full o’ dirt in yore faces.’

  Jared moved out next to Wyatt and spoke under his breath. ‘You think Landau has had time to take out the two other shooters?’

  ‘The polite conversation seems to be over,’ he answered back. ‘Guess we’ll soon find out.’

  ‘Landau lets u
s get killed,’ Jared muttered grimly, ‘and he’ll never win Scarlet’s favour. I’ve always been her favourite brother.’

  ‘Small comfort, if we end up dead.’

  ‘Which one is my meat?’

  ‘I’ll take Markum and the one on his right. You take the one on the left and then help out if I need you.’

  ‘Let’s get to it, Cuz.’

  Wyatt started forward, with Jared in step with him at his side, facing the trio of gunmen. They didn’t get too close, stopping sixty feet away – near enough to hit their target, yet far enough to force their opponents to take aim. He and Jared readied themselves, both in a gunman’s crouch, hands over their guns, ready to kill or be killed.

  ‘Don’t fret the rifleman up here, Sheriff!’ Landau’s voice sounded off from a short way off. ‘He’s out of the fight.’

  Markum stiffened at the news and cocked his head to glance upward at the mercantile roof. Before he could react to losing one of his ambushers, there came another shout, that of a woman.

  ‘Same over in the alley, Sheriff! I got this one!’

  Wyatt grinned his satisfaction. ‘All right, Markum. It’s almost an even fight. You want to drop your irons, or do we kill the three of you?’

  Markum didn’t pause to consider options, he cemented his fate – making a desperate grab for his six-shooter!

  Jared considered himself a fair hand with a gun, but he barely cleared leather before Wyatt’s pistol had fired twice. Fortunately, Jared’s antagonist had been caught flatfooted by Markum’s sudden reaction, making him a tad slow to react. The result: Jared’s first bullet hit him in the chest, followed by a second slug that ripped a path through his heart.

  Wyatt had taken Markum with such quickness that the man next to him didn’t try to draw. Instead of reaching for his gun, he reached skyward, throwing his hands up in the air. From such a pose, he watched Markum crumble to the ground.

  ‘Don’t shoot!’ he cried. ‘I ain’t no gunfighter.’

  ‘Who put you up to killing us?’ Wyatt demanded to know. ‘Who hired you?’

  The frightened man shook his head. ‘We was aiming to get even for the Barkley brothers. A guy told us Jared Valeron done the shooting. Far as I know, weren’t no one trying to hire us for anything.’