Deadly Is the Night (19 page)

The next morning before Thomas arrived, while his men were getting the saddle horses, Chet asked Knowles about the Colby guy.

“I talked to him with two witnesses. We all had shotguns across our laps and we never dismounted. He said he was on his own place at the times I listed concerning the murders. He yelled that I had no right to question him and to get off his ranch property. I really think he told the truth. Why would he kill people he didn't even know? His neighbors can mark the times he rides in and out of there. They dislike him and watch any activity he does real close. They had not seen him ride in or out except once every month or six weeks when he makes trips to town for supplies. And those times were not the times of the murders.”

“Well, there goes another theory.”

Knowles agreed. The two of them rode to another scrubby place where a man, his teenage son, and his wife were all murdered the same way as the others. Beheaded and her violated. Nothing outstanding showed up. The others had no reports on number four where a widower and his grown daughter were murdered in the same style.

Jesus said it was as shabby as the rest of the sites.

“It is almost like he was cleaning up the countryside,” Miguel said. This time he had gone with Jesus and Thomas.

“That's right,” Thomas said. “I wonder who else he plans to cull out.”

“No telling, guys. Grady Burton is a well witcher. I talked to him last night about coming out and doing a search at one of the sites. He says he once found a ring for a woman but promises that there may be no results. Where do we start?” Knowles asked.

“Number one place. Let's scour it tomorrow. What does he cost?” Chet asked.

“He is superstitious about that. He won't charge us a thing.”

“That is pretty nice.”

“He's like most of the residents up here. They want this madman captured.”

“What else can we do, Knowles?”

“I have no idea. But I would think that after all that slaughter the killer must have had blood all over his clothing.”

“Right,” Jesus said. “Like a butcher has.”

“Yes,” Chet agreed. “And if he took them home, his wife, if he had one, would notice.”

“But if he had control over her, she'd never say a word.”

Chet agreed with him.

More unending thoughts about the situation that led nowhere.

Back at the house, Edie handed Chet a letter from Liz. It had been forwarded from Holbrook.

“Is everything okay?” Edie asked, putting a full plate before him.

“Yes. No word on the telegraph starting yet.”

“Good,” Jesus said, and began eating.

“Oh, Miguel, Lisa sent word she is fine. Liz never mentioned Anita, but she's in town.”

“She doesn't write, either. I can send her a letter and they will get it to her,” Jesus said.

“Maybe write one for me please?” Miguel asked.

“We can do that,” Chet said between bites of delicious food.

“Someone can read it to her?”

Miguel smiled. “No. Lisa can read. She is the one teaching me, but I am not that good at it. Besides she doesn't know where I am.”

All four laughed.

* * *

Late the next morning they met the gray-haired short man, Grady Burton.

“We appreciate your agreeing to help us find a needle in a haystack,” Chet said, and introduced his men.

“I don't know if I can do you any good. But we can try. This killer must be stopped.”

They went to the Forester property and started going over the ground. Nothing.

Chet brought sandwiches and more cookies Edie had made for them. They ate them for lunch and then went back to searching.

“Hey,” Jesus shouted. “We found something.”

He stood with Burton in an open spot in what Chet considered part of the side yard.

“What is it?”

“Someone burned a coat here. We have a small piece of material that did not burn. And a gold ring.”

Chet looked hard at it. “It is tarnished gold.”

“Forester never had a gold ring in his life,” Knowles said. “Or he'd have pawned it.”

“I don't know what it will point to, but I think it's the killer's clothing that was burned here.”

“I saw the spot when I first came here and thought that this was where they burned their trash.”

Miguel had polished the ring some. “There is writing inside.”

“What does it say?”

Knowles held it toward the sun to better see it. “E-m-i-l-y.”

“Emily.”

“Who is that?”

Knowles shook his head. “There are some women in our community named that.”

Burton nodded. “Several women, old and young, that I know of. But how did it get here?”

“Using the traces of burnt material I'd say the killer burned the bloody coat, forgetting he had that ring in his pocket.”

“I was over it twice,” Burton said.

“Up there, on that rim, it is grassy and weedy. I bet when the killer was here he stood there watching. Try it next, Grady,” Chet said.

Knowles was still polishing the ring. “Somewhere, someone knows this ring and who it belongs to.”

“Well, the killer won't tell you. That's for sure,” Chet said as he headed up after Jesus and Grady.

Grady stopped and Chet did, too.

“What is it?” Chet asked.

Jesus was on his knees digging carefully with his jackknife. Then dangling on a chain, he held up a dirt-packed pocket watch.

“Oh, my God,” Knowles said, joining Jesus who was polishing it on his pants. “How did it get there?”

“The earth must have been cracked open here. It fell in the crevasse and the monsoon rains closed it up again,” Grady replied.

Knowles shook his head. “I know the owner of that watch—James Jennings. How do we prove it?”

“I am thinking he knew that watch was here somewhere, couldn't find it, which is why he wanted to buy the place.”

“How does the ring fit in?” Knowles asked.

“I am not worrying about that for now. What we need is a confession out of him to cinch this case.”

“You're right. A good lawyer in court could twist this around saying he simply lost it here.”

With all of them gathered on the steep hillside, Chet warned, “We must be quiet about our finds. He can't know a thing ahead of time that we have these two items. This is good evidence, but we still need his confession to close the case.”

“If I'd have lost this good of a watch, I'd been on my hands and knees looking all over for it,” Thomas said, and laughed. Then, sober faced, he said, “But for the life in me I can't imagine anyone murdering those children. They did no harm.”

“Will his wives testify about him coming home with his clothes being bloody at any of those times?” Jesus asked.

“If he can't reach them to shut them up,” Chet said, “I bet they would talk.”

“They damn sure don't talk in public now,” Thomas said.

Burton nodded. “You'd think they don't have tongues.”

“If you arrest him, would the bishop go with you to talk to them about testifying against him?” Chet asked Knowles.

“I think he would. He wants these crimes solved and the thing put to rest.”

“Keep looking. Knowles has the evidence. We will ride in quietly to see the bishop. No shouting when you return later even if you find more evidence.”

Chet shook their hands. He saw both his men had relaxed a lot. Even Thomas and Burton looked relieved. But they still had some narrow bridges to cross before they had Jennings locked up forever. A lot would depend on his silent wives' help—Chet knew they would be hesitant to testify. Maybe the ward leader or bishop could convince them to overcome the fear that talking could get them hurt or even killed.

The whole thing was fragile.

They stopped at the bishop's house. They found him working on his business books. He removed his reading glasses and stood to shake their hands.

His wife closed the doors to the study. The winter sun beamed in the southern windows as he showed them chairs.

“How is the investigation going, Knowles? Nice to have you here, too, sir. I understand you are here to help get to the bottom of our murders.”

“We made a find today.”

“Good. What is it?”

“Grady Burton witched at the Forester place for any item he could find. I know we didn't need water up there. He had some luck finding some jewelry wrapped in burned suit material. It is a tarnished ring with the name Emily engraved in it.”

“Who lost it?”

“Let me show you the second find.” He drew out the watch. “This was found at the same site above the house in a crack in the earth that we think the monsoon rains sealed. These rains I understand came some weeks after the first murder.”

The bishop nodded, looking somberly at them. “I know who carried that watch. Is he your suspect?”

Chet and Knowles both nodded.

“Sir, we think if we arrest him, you could help us convince his wives to testify that he came home bloody or he brought bloody clothes home after one of the murders.”

“You are certain your evidence points to him?”

“Yes, sir.”

The bishop shook his head. “Well I know this from before. Emily was his first wife. Her disappearance in Utah made some people in Salt Lake, ten years ago, suspect he was involved in her disappearance. If that ring was not on her finger, then she didn't disappear with her ring on, did she?”

“They never found her body?”

“No trace of her. I have thought for years she might have run away. That ring is grim truth that she didn't. Yes, I will speak to his wives. We know they have lived under his thumb for years. If he is guilty and they knew they could escape his hold, they might testify.”

Knowles nodded. “Then I will arrest him and charge him with murder.”

“He may hire some big lawyers?”

“Without a doubt. But with good evidence and, hopefully, testimony from the wives he will be found guilty.”

“Amen. Why would anyone do such a horrible thing?” The bishop shook his head.

“He could think God empowered him to do it.”

“I guess so. But your hunch, finding that ring from his dead wife, really makes me sick. If people had checked more and found out what really happened to her, we'd never have had this horrific disaster here.”

Knowles nodded. They stood up and shook his hands.

Chet and the deputy rode over to Jennings's house, hitched their horses at the yard gate, and went to the front door. They knocked. It took a long time for a woman with gray-streaked hair to answer.

“We need to talk to Jim Jennings.”

“What for?”

“The matter is with him. Is he here?”

“No.”

“Stand aside.”

“I won't.”

Knowles took her by the shoulders and moved her aside. “Better tell us where he is at.”

Tears began to spill down her face. “He said not to.”

“Where?” He shook her.

She glanced at the staircase. “Up there. May God protect me.”

“He will,” Knowles said. “Better draw your gun, Chet.”

He nodded and did so, then moved a little to the right as they started up the staircase. At any minute he expected a door to open, a handgun to stick out belching lead, fire, and smoke.

“I am unarmed. My hands are high. Knowles, your enforcing federal law about polygamy will end your career in law enforcement I promise you.” Jennings was standing at the top of the stairs.

“James Jennings, my warrant is for the murder of the Forester family.” Knowles handcuffed him. “Now march downstairs.”

“Murder? I never murdered anyone.”

Chet knew Knowles could not resist his next words. “Your late wife Emily may finally rest in her lonely grave when you hang for her murder.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The ring you removed from Emily's finger when you put her in her grave.”

“Huh? I never killed Emily.”

“No, you killed her and removed her ring at the burial site in Utah.”

“Damn you. She was my wife. I loved her.”

“You killed her and then knew they'd hang you, so you went looking for a shallow grave to put her in but you saved her ring.”

Jennings looked around. “Where are we going?”

“We are walking to the jail. You will be transferred to Holbrook and then to the Preskitt court. There is no bond for murder.”

“But my business; who will run it?”

“You won't need to worry. You won't see the outside of prison except on your walk to the gallows.”