AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The sheriff in Tucson will form a posse to find the killers. They’ll be brought back, tried, and a jury will decide their punishment.”
“Will they be hung?”
“Possibly.” She wondered if it was wrong for her to want Winston and the others to pack up and go home. She didn’t have it in her to pretend that all was well and go on with her day. More than likely Rhine and Kent would be joining the posse, and with Blanchard’s ranch house burned to the ground, she had no way to entertain them even if she wanted to. Granted, she’d been looking forward to knowing Ada better, and although her interactions with Winston had been minimal, she’d enjoyed his company as well. Maybe they’d return sometime in the future, but at the moment, she didn’t care.
Portia put off the urge to run inside when they finally arrived at the hotel because her duties came first, and so she called on Luz Salinas. “Can you go in and tell my aunt and uncle what happened?”
Luz dismounted and hurried off. As a grim-faced Cal led the mounts back to the stables, Ada stepped up. “Thank you for your hospitality, Portia, but we’ll be going home in the morning. This has been an awful experience. I doubt I’ll ever get over the sight of those poor men.”
“I understand.”
“Come, Winston. I need to lie down.” He offered Portia a stiff nod of farewell and escorted his mother away.
“We’ll be expecting a refund.”
Portia took in the widow’s angry face. “I’m sure that can be arranged.”
“Make sure it is. I’m going to have nightmares for the rest of my life.” She stormed off.
Phillip watched his sister go and sighed. “We certainly got more than we bargained for. I’m sorry we arrived too late to help those men.”
“So am I.”
“I’d like to come back, maybe next spring, but I’ll leave Venna at home. Thanks for your hospitality and for putting up with her tantrums.”
Portia offered a small smile. “You’re welcome. Let the others know that I’ll have the maids bring lunch to their rooms.”
“Will do.”
Her duties done, Portia hurried inside.
Rhine looked up when Portia walked into his office, and she could tell by the anger and distress in his eyes that Luz had already passed along the story. He was in the process of putting on his gun belt. She assumed he was on his way to Tucson to notify the sheriff. Luz and Eddy were seated in chairs near his desk.
Eddy stood and scanned Portia anxiously. “Are you all right, dear?”
“A little shaken but I’m okay. Kent and Matt stayed behind to put the fires out.”
One of the maids stuck her head in the door. “Mr. and Mrs.Fontaine, the sheriff’s here.”
Tucson sheriff, Zeb O’Hara stepped inside. He was a redheaded, brown-eyed Irishman of average height, but much of the red had been replaced by gray. He’d been the sheriff for as long as the Fontaines had been in the territory.
Rhine said, “I was just on my way to see you.”
“Then you’ve heard?” O’Hara asked.
“Yes. Portia just got back. My foreman is still there making sure the fires are out.”
The sheriff’s brow furrowed with confusion. “What fires?”
“The ones out at the Blanchard ranch,” Portia replied.
“First I’m hearing of it.”
Portia and Eddy exchanged a look of surprise as Rhine asked, “You don’t know about Buck and Farley being murdered?”
His astonishment gave them their answer. “Okay. Start from the beginning.”
Portia told him the story. When she finished, he swore, then hastily apologized to the ladies for his language. Eddy waved him off.
