Under a Texas Star (21 page)

She was warmed by the compliment. Jase warmed her further by placing a blanket around her sore shoulders and handing her a hot cup of coffee, generously laced with Jezebel's best brandy.

She took a cautious sip. "What about Locke?"

"I've wired El Paso and Presidio. The border companies can look for him and I'll send a posse out in the mornin'. We've got other fish to fry."

Marly nodded.

"First we'll have to find you a new horse," he said, pulling a chair around to sit beside her.

"I still haven't paid you for the last one," she replied wryly.

"No, you earned Trouble a couple of times over."

Marly smiled. Then the smile dissolved into tears.

Jase gathered her in his arms and pulled her close. She felt his warmth comfort her, easing her sobs of grief. They remained like that until her tears were spent.

She must have dozed because she wasn't aware of being picked up, only that Jase had carried her to the bedroom. He put her in his bed and tucked her in, kissing her forehead.

Maybe he will climb in beside me, she thought.

Exhausted, she drifted off.

Jase watched Marly until he was sure she was fast asleep.

"If you had any sense," he whispered, "you'd have taken her to The Oasis tonight."

Of course, if he had the honor he always laid claim to, he wouldn't think those thoughts.

He got ready for bed and glanced ruefully at the cot. With a sigh, he crawled between the covers, hoping the damn thing wouldn't turn over in the night.

Sleep came easier than he expected.

He dreamed of Marly's head on his shoulder, her hand over his heart.

Chapter 16

First thing in the morning, with Mr. Winters' blessing, Jase sent Troy Riley and Hugh Birke out with a posse. He didn't hold out much hope they would find Locke, but he had to try. The telegraphs he sent out the night before were more likely to be productive.

Next, he went to The Oasis where the first order of business was smoothing Jezebel's ruffled feathers. She had roused herself from her room early because of the shocking rumors and required a full explanation of the events before she would let Jase leave. If Egan hadn't shown up, she would have kept him longer. Instead, she had to bow to his greater claim on the marshal's time.

When Jase got back to the office, Marly was awake, sitting at the edge of the bed.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I was sat on by a dead horse," she said, forcing a smile. "Everything seems to hurt."

"Understandable. Think you're up for breakfast? Egan's gonna meet us at the hotel."

"Egan?"

"Yep."

She sighed.

"You don't have to," he said quickly.

She smiled weakly. "If he doesn't treat me like a deputy, can I shoot him?"

Jase laughed. "With my blessin'."

"Then I'll come."

Matt Egan looked worse than Marly felt. His eyes were pouched and he kept running his hands through his hair, causing it to stand on end. Regrettably, she wasn't required to shoot him since he barely paid attention to her.

Nelly, her usual friendly manner subdued, kept their coffee cups filled as Jase explained what happened the night before. With what Marly considered extraordinary forbearance, the young woman didn't linger or eavesdrop either. She just seemed to know when cups were empty and when there was a lull, she came to take their breakfast orders.

"I'm not in the mood to eat," Egan said.

Marly, on the other hand, ordered steak, biscuits and chili, all the things she knew Cookie prepared well. She was famished.

"Make that two," Jase said. "And bring some biscuits right away, Miss Nelly. A little food might do you some good, Egan."

Egan shook his head and pushed his coffee away. "It had crossed my mind that one of Gabe's men might be responsible for Strothers' death. I hoped I was wrong. It never occurred to me that my friend would order someone's death."

"Mr. Baker was obsessed with your sister," Marly explained. "He had every intention of pressuring Miss Amabelle into marrying him and he had no compunction removing the obstacles to his end."

Egan shot her a murderous glare. "He should never have gone after you. You should never have given him cause."

"If not me, then it would have been someone else. At least I was expecting trouble and I knew Marshal Strachan had my back."

Egan gave her a look that hinted at his own obsession.

She suppressed a shiver.

"Baker was your friend," Jase said. "It's understandable that you should find it hard to accept his death, even if it was his own doing. I assume you will wanna take care of his burial arrangements?"

"I've talked to Purvis already," Egan said. "I told him I'd take care of Parker's burial as well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to compose a telegram to Mrs. Baker telling her that her son is dead."

After breakfast, Marly and Jase went to check on Jed McKinley. With the doctor's permission, Jase took the young man's statement. McKinley was cooperative, but not as helpful as Marly would have liked. Having shot a man, she wanted to know beyond all doubt that he was the one responsible for Strothers' death.

"I never talked to Mr. Baker," McKinley insisted. "Ray let it slip that they were doing this for the boss, then Locke shut him up. To be honest, Tom Tyson suggested me as his replacement and I was truly honored. I really didn't think about what I was getting myself into. Not that I'm making excuses. I suppose I got what I deserved." He wagged his shoulder.

"What did they tell you?" Jase asked.

"That we were giving a bit of payback for Tom. I should've known they would have roughed Landers up." McKinley tapped his forehead. "I was damned stupid. And I'm lucky to be alive. But I got to say, I don't want to die at the end of a rope."

Jase rested a hand on the young man's shoulder. "If Tyson didn't tell you the attack was with intent to kill, and he'll swear to that, you might still die of old age."

Once they left the patient, Marly said, "Is there really a chance that Jed will hang?"

"No. Locke told me Jed had no knowledge of their plan to kill us. I believe his story and I think he's learned something."

"I'm glad. Still, I think you should let him worry a bit longer."

McKinley had been willing to rough her up and for that he deserved some punishment.

"What about Tyson?" she asked.

"I'm gonna bring him back in as a material witness. He's got charges against him already. With this, he might rabbit and we don't want that. I'll head out now, if you're okay."

Marly didn't really feel she was okay, but she waved him off anyway.

Little more than an hour later, she returned from a very slow patrol of the town and found Grandee and a second horse hitched to the rail. The office was empty, but the door to the jail was ajar. She found Jase guarding, while Doc bandaged up Tyson's left forearm.

"That was quick," she said to Jase.

"As it happened, I met Tyson on the road. Curiosity got the better of him. He was on his way into town to find out what happened to Parker, Locke and McKinley. When he saw me, he panicked. Drew his gun and yelled out that he wasn't gonna be taken alive." He gave her a self-satisfied smirk. "He was."

"Now he's up for attempted murder of two lawmen," Doc said, staring the wounded man in the eye. "Sounds like he better be very cooperative when he gives his statement."

"That's 'bout the only hope this fellow has," Jase said.

When Doc left, Marly retrieved a notebook and dragged a chair to the cell door. Jase said nothing and Tyson watched, while tapping his foot with noticeable unease.

Sitting, she readied the pencil. "All right, Tyson, what's your story?"

Tyson was not nearly as cooperative as McKinley. Aside from saying that he didn't know anything about the attack the night before, he wouldn't talk.

She turned to Jase. "If he doesn't cooperate, there's no reason for showing leniency in the two attempted murders, right?"

"Right."

"Well, that's all right by me. How about the murder of Marshal Strothers? Is the circumstantial evidence sufficient to hang him?"

"If McNelly wires me to go ahead with the trial, then it's up to me. I might just go for a life sentence. If he sends a judge, chances are he'll hang."

"In that case, can we skip this and go have lunch? It's been a long morning."

"Fine with me."

With rising concern, Tyson watched the play and almost rose to the bait. Then he scowled and clamped his lips.

Marly was disappointed he hadn't felt more pressure to talk.

Damn. They were so close.

Marly preceded Jase out of the cell hallway. When she staggered slightly and leaned against the wall, he could have kicked himself. How could he be so stupid to not notice the pain she was in?

"Here, let me help you."

Jase put an arm around her waist and half carried her to their living quarters.

"Hang up your gun belt, strip off your pants and tuck up in my bed." Even to him, his voice sounded gruff. He attempted a calmer tone. "I
'll be back in a couple of minutes to check that leg."

It took more than a few minutes to do what was needed, but he returned with the news that Fred would be bringing over lunch and a liquid painkiller―namely Jezebel's best brandy.

While he was gone, Marl
y had changed into her original, vastly oversized shirt. So far as he could tell, that was all she was wearing.

Her face reddened. "I thought if you needed to look at my leg, you'd better be able to get at it."

She shifted the covers so her legs were exposed. One was muscular, curved and pale. The other was mottled purple and swollen.

He swore. "Look, I gotta check..."

"I understand. It's not like we can call Doc."

Jase gently manipulated the swollen leg, feeling for any shift in the bones or lumps in the tissue.

"We need to do somethin' about that leg," he said, covering her again. "I'm sure nothin' is broken, but that swellin' ain't good."

"Hurts like the devil," she admitted between clenched teeth.

He smoothed a stray hair from her forehead. "I bet it does."

Pulling a chair to the bedside, he sat with her until Fred arrived, then was shooed out with the suggestion that he take care of the horses.

Fred met him in the office when he returned.

"I've seen this kind of injury before, Master Jason. Recovery requires a delicate balance between rest and exercise. Too much of either could leave her with a permanent limp."

Jase was unable to find the words he wanted.

"I've wrapped her leg with liniment," Fred said. "She had a little broth and I gave her some laudanum. She's asleep now."

"Just tell me what I have to do."

"For now, eat lunch and think on how you will charm Miss Jezebel when she inevitably complains of my repeated visits here."

Marly woke up and found Fred sitting beside the bed. He was reading Shakespeare by the light of a lantern.

"Sorry," she said, "I must have dozed off."

"For several hours. The marshal has been sitting with you for most of the time. I returned so he could do his evening patrol." He set the book down on the table and stood. "I have some supper for you, but before Master Jase returns, I think you should try a little exercise. Though you need to rest, your leg should not be allowed to languish. A short walk will do it good."

Marly didn't argue about getting up, but she did object when Fred held out the silk robe Jase kept at The Oasis. She hadn't seen it since their first night in Fortuna and she would have been happy never to see it again.

"It's only a robe," Fred pointed out. "A very nice one."

She let him help her into the hated garment and the silk caressed her skin.

Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

After a brief, pain-filled stroll about the room, she was happy to get back into bed and have liniment and fresh flannel applied.

As a reward for her effort, Fred brought her a new book.

"This is from my own library, one of the few books I brought with me when I came to this country. It should make your stay in bed more enjoyable."

Marly read the cover. "
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen."

"Master Jason read it when he was convalescing with us. My personal favorite is
Persuasion
." Fred held up a second book. "But I am currently in the midst of that novel myself. Now, if you will excuse me, I will go warm your soup. If you need anything, please call."

With a bow, he left the room.

Marly opened the book and started to read. Before she had finished a chapter, she had fallen asleep again.

The next day, Jase conferred with Fred.

"The swelling has gone down, Master Jason, but except for brief turns about the room, Master Landers still needs another day of bed rest."

When Jase told Marly, she didn't argue, which concerned him until he noted her reading material. Besides, he had bigger problems to deal with
―like keeping Doc from visiting after rumors spread that Deputy Landers was injured.

That night, after almost two days of being mostly ignored, Tom Tyson decided he wanted to make a statement.

"I can't speak to whether Baker hired Locke to kill Strothers," he said, "but I was present when Baker arranged the ambush of you and your deputy. Parker, McKinley and Locke were supposed to distract you. The boss wanted to deal with Landers his self―without you around to interfere."

"Like Birke interfered when you dr
ew on my deputy at The Haven? Was that Baker's idea too?"

Tyson sniffed. "The boss might have mentioned that he'd bail us out of any trouble we might get into if we made trouble for Landers. The boy was treading on the boss's turf. Anyway, you have no proof I was going to draw on Landers because I didn't. I was just trying to scare him."

"You managed to convince Duke and Birke you were gonna draw," Jase said. "Let's leave it at that. Tell me about McKinley's involvement."

"Tell you what?"

"Baker went to you, Parker and Locke to arrange the ambush. How did McKinley get involved?"

Tyson flapped his broken arm. "I couldn't ride and shoot with this, so I got McKinley to take my place."

"That was taking a risk. What if he turned you in?"

"Hah! He was so excited to be one of the gang he practically peed himself. 'Sides, if I didn't know Baker was in a killing mood, I couldn't very well pass it onto McKinley, could I? If he's saying I roped him into something more than a night-time chase, he's lying."