‘Why not? She needs help, he needs a home, it’s a perfect match,’ he said.
Though the idea took me by surprise, the more we talked about it the more it made sense. I wasn’t so sure Ma Bingham would see it that way but if she knew how hard things have been for Plato, I figured she just might be agreeable. I said I’d ride out and talk to her.
‘No, I’ll go,’ said Emmett. ‘In the first place I’ve known her a lot longer than you, and in the second place you haven’t got a horse. Not a word to the kid though. We’ll hear what Ma has to say first. Meantime I want you out questioning the womenfolk about their whereabouts on Wednesday afternoon. I don’t expect anything will come of it but it’ll take the heat off us if we’re seen to be doing something. Take the kid some breakfast and then get to it; I want to see a list of every woman in town when I get back.’
Me and Plato were playing checkers in the office when Emmett returned. He didn’t say a word; he just had a good long stare at the checkerboard and then started mooching around. Course I was itching to know what Ma Bingham had said, but mindful not to blab in front of Plato, I kept my mouth shut.
Emmett helped himself to coffee on the stove and then sidled up behind me. ‘I thought I told you to get out there and question the womenfolk?’
‘I did. Cordelia and her girls were at the Parlor all day; Annie was busy at the steakhouse; Hattie Wendell was working at the store; Miss Sweet was at her saloon; Jeannie Peters was getting measured up at the dress shop and Mrs. Johnson was having treatment at Doc’s place… I didn’t care to ask why. The list’s on your desk. The only one without an alibi is old Martha Peg Leg, but I reckon you can rule her out.’
‘You didn’t see Granny Applegate then?’
‘I forgot.’
‘Well done Plato!’ said Emmett, as the kid wiped out my last four pieces.
‘Looks like you met your match, Deputy.’
‘Only ‘cause you put me off. How am I supposed to concentrate with you breathing down my neck?’
So I’m a sore loser. I wasn’t to know Emmett was pushing things along so he could get Plato out of the way, but I latched on quick when the sneaky cuss said his horse needed some feed and grain, and he got Plato to take care of it. Well, the kid was only too willing and as soon as he shut the door behind him, Emmett spilled the news.
‘Ma Bingham’s agreed to take him on trial for a month.’
‘On trial?’
‘It’s a start. She hasn’t had a man around the house since her youngest enlisted, and when she heard about the kid, well, you know what women are. I told her I’d come by regularly to see how they’re getting on. I just hope everything works out. You’ve spent enough time with Plato, what do you think?’
‘I think he’ll be fine. Reckon you know it too, or you wouldn’t have trusted him with your horse.’
‘Are you sure he’s go no kin, apart from his father?’
‘Not that he knows of. His whole world’s been a shack in the middle of nowhere and the jasper he called pa ain’t his father at all, I found that out this afternoon. He’s just a fella his ma took up with, a fella called John Smith… and if that’s his real name then I’m Flora Mundy.’
‘Who’s Flora Mundy?’
‘I don’t know; it’s just a name that came into my head. And another thing…’
Emmett wasn’t listening. He was browsing the list I’d left on his desk. ‘I thought you said you’d checked all the women in town? Mrs. Jenkins isn’t here, or Mrs. Oberholtzer, or Mrs. McLeary.’
‘They don’t live in town, do they?’
‘Maybe not, but they’ll be here anytime soon to meet their kids from school. If you hurry now you just might catch them.’
I got to the schoolhouse just in time to question a whole bunch of women. Talked to Miss Henderson the teacher, too. Each and everyone of them could account for were they were on Wednesday afternoon, and not too many were average height and slim built, but I had eight more names for the list I was full of boop-de-boo when I arrived back the office. Emmett was sure to be pleased, I figured, only there was no sign of him… or Plato.
It’s funny how quiet a sheriff’s office can be when there’s nobody around. Lonesome too, when nighttime creeps up and the echoes in your mind get louder. I passed the time blowing smoke rings and when I finished one cigarette, I rolled another. Reckon I did and awful lot smoking and thinking before I heard footsteps at the door.
‘Sorry,’ said Emmett, when he came in. ‘I’d have got here a lot sooner if I hadn’t been called to a fight at Miss Sweet’s place.’
‘He’s gone then?’
‘Yeah, he’s gone.
‘Did he ask where I was before you left?’
‘He did.’
‘I wish I could have said goodbye to him.’
‘I know,’ said Emmett, as he rested his hand on my shoulder. ‘In two days you did more for that kid than anyone ever did. I wasn’t going to take him till tomorrow but when I saw you two this afternoon… well, since there was daylight to spare it was better to get it done, and you being here might have complicated things. I hope you understand that. Ma Bingham’s his future now. She’ll be good for him and he’ll be good for her, and they both seemed pretty happy about it when I left. If it makes you feel better I told him you were out chasing our bank robber.’
‘Thanks’
‘One more thing,’ said Emmett, as he took something from a drawer and placed it on the desk. ‘I believe this is yours.’
No comments:
Post a Comment