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“We’re not sure yet.”
“You mean to say he’s still alive?”
Wade nodded.
The constable did not move immediately but stood there at the bottom step staring up at the house. “He in there?”
Wade frowned. “Who?”
“The boy,” he snapped, irritated.
“He is, why?”
“Hell, Haddock, you’ve just killed two men. We’ll need some evidence to prove you had just cause.”
Wade felt his anger being rekindled. “I just told you, the one pointed a rifle at me. It’s lying out there next to him, probably still cocked. I imagine that’s all the evidence you’ll need.”
The constable dug into his shirt pocket and removed a folded paper of tobacco before putting it in his mouth to chew. “Some might think that sounds like a set up.”
“Now wait, just one second.” Prescott stepped forward. “What are you trying to imply? That Wade killed those men on purpose? For whatever reason?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he said, but sounded more like he had a few good ideas up his sleeve. “Perhaps they wanted something our Earl here wasn’t prepared to share.”
In that split second, Wade felt the constable’s resentment toward him and knew for whatever reason he had been harboring for years. It also became clear he knew of Anna’s identity. His eyes narrowed as he met the man’s cold gaze.
“I think, Constable, you best leave.” Prescott looked unusually testy.
“Afraid I can’t do that. Seeing there’s been a murder committed on this property.” He smacked his gums as he chewed the tobacco.
“Then you’ll just have to take a seat in the house and wait until the RCMP arrive.” Prescott’s education of the law was coming into practice. “After all, our land is beyond your provincial jurisdiction and matters of such crimes are handled by the Royal Mounted Police. I sent a message to their office while I was in town. ”
The look on the constable’s face clearly reflected his displeasure in this latest development. Anger shot across his brow, but he at last relented and took a step back. “Suit yourself. Though I intend to keep a watchful eye on this ranch. It seems there is an awful lot of suspicious activity going on.”
Wade’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t make any other comment. He stood on the porch and waited until the constable remounted his horse and turned him toward the exit of the Circle H. He shot Wade a parting look before kicking his horse into a canter. The lawman left Wade feeling uneasy. Not because of his unwarranted threat regarding the ranch, it had more to do with something in his eyes. There was something definitely devious about the lawman.
As soon as he disappeared over the distant ridge toward Lantern, he turned and went back into the house. Behind him, Prescott said, “I think I’ll take some coffee up to the doctor and check on the situation upstairs.”
Wade made no reply.
“Unless you would prefer to go instead.”
He felt a sickening sensation in the pit of his stomach and turned away from his brother. He couldn’t look Prescott in the eye when he reluctantly shook his head. The heavy feeling hovering over his heart refused to allow him to go. He had failed her when she needed him most. It was best to leave her with those that could help.
Prescott gave an understanding nod, then headed for the kitchen and left Wade standing alone at the foot of the staircase. Automatically his eyes shot to the top landing and listened for any sound from up above. There was silence. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but as his mind reeled back to the earlier events one thing in particular came to mind. Something that he had completely forgotten amidst all the trauma. When Anna had cried out from the river she had spoken for the first time. It was his name she had called.
* * *
From the back porch, Wade watched an RCMP officer dressed in a simple red serge jacket and donning an unofficial slouch hat on his head to shield him from the harsh sun, load the bodies onto the back of a wagon. The sun was beginning to dip beneath the western horizon, causing the surrounding mountains to cast a somber shadow over the valley. The scorching heat at last began to ebb and become more tolerable by the time the officer gradually make his way up from the riverbank. Wade straightened away from the porch rail as the wagon neared the house.
“The gun was cocked just as you said, Mr. Haddock.” The officer confirmed, looking up at Wade. “It’s fairly clear what happened here this afternoon.”
Wade asked, “Do you know them?”
He nodded and climbed down from the wagon. “They’ve caused quite some trouble in other towns along the border.”
He led him back into the house where Prescott had fixed three mugs of coffee. Wade gestured to a chair and the officer removed his hat before taking a seat. Prescott and Wade flanked the officer on either side.
“Who are they?” Prescott asked.
