Hallowville, a vibrant little town of 56 inhabitants. Nick had asked Heath to take a trip there to discuss a business transaction with a potential client, a store merchant who was interested in the Barkley farm produce. Since Heath knew the man’s son, who better to clench the deal.
Audra joined Heath on this trip. Victoria was against it until Heath reassured her that the town folk were friendly and harmless. Besides, he wouldn’t let anything happen to his sister.
Heath halted the wagon in front of a hotel where he entered to register a room for the three-night stay. Audra waited outside and browsed through store windows. She caught the eye of a young dark-haired cowboy standing a few feet away. He gave her the once over before walking up to her.
“Hi!”
“Hello.”
“I haven’t seen you around.”
“I’m just a visitor.”
“What’s your name?”
“Audra Barkley”
“I’m Jim Mulligan. Are you in town long?”
“Three days.”
“Would you like me to show you around?”
“It’s okay. I’m here with my brother and he knows the town pretty well.”
“Well, would he object if I asked you out to dinner?”
Audra smiled. “I don’t think so.”
“Pick you up at seven?”
“Okay.”
“Where are you staying?”
“At this hotel.”
“Great! Then I’ll see you tonight.”
“Bye!”
The man walked away, keeping his eyes on Audra as she locked eyes with his.
Heath exited the hotel.
“Bow Howdy! I tell you it’s mighty hard to get a hotel room if you’re a stranger in this town.”
Audra didn’t budge, her eyes still riveted on the handsome suitor.
Heath continued unaware of Audra’s state of mind. "But I managed to get us the last available room in exchange for a little something extra.” Heath realized Audra wasn’t listening. “Audra?”
“Yes!”
“Are you alright?”
“Oh yes.”
“Okay, I have to go meet with this prospect and tonight I’m treating my favorite sister to a fancy dinner.”
“Oh tonight. Heath I’m sorry. I have a date.”
“A date? And I thought I was the fast worker in the family. Who is he?”
She pointed to Jim to the livery stables across the street. “That gentleman over there.”
“Who is he?”
“Jim Mulligan. He seems like a nice man.”
“Yeah, seems like.” Heath answered dubiously.
“You worry too much.”
“Can’t help it. I’m suspicious of every guy I see swirling around you.”
“And I love you for it.” She kissed him on the cheek.
Heath blushed. “Most men are only interested in your wealth, you know.”
“Listen, it it’ll ease your mind, I’ll ask Jim to take me to the hotel restaurant. That way you can keep an eye on us...Mother,” she teased.
“I appreciate. I told our mother I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
“You said this was a friendly town.”
“Last I was here. But it’s been awhile.”
“So you lied.”
“If I hadn’t she never would have agreed to let you come with me.”
“You’re the best, Heath Barkley.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“And humble too!”
“Come on, sis. Let’s get settled.”
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At night, Audra donned her best dress and was escorted to a table by her charming knight. Heath was sitting at the bar, glancing at the couple from time to time but making sure not to appear overbearing and annoying.
While watching Audra and Jim together, Heath couldn’t help but get the feeling he’d seen the man before. His mind was a complete blur. He was incapable to recall the time or the place. It troubled him. Was he a friend or a foe? He decided not to let Audra out of his sight for one minute until he could finally put a name to the man’s face.
Jim stood from the table and took Audra by the hand. After paying the bill, he gallantly escorted her out of the restaurant. Heath gulped down the last of his beer and followed them.
Arms entwined, Audra and Jim strolled down the street. They appear to be enjoying each other’s company but Heath was still suspicious. For some reason, he didn’t trust the man. Was it a brother’s instinct or was he just overprotective of his gullible sister? He cut them some slack, blending in the background to avoid being spotted.
Jim invited Audra to come look at his horse, a magnificent Pinto. They entered the livery stables. Heath stood across the street, eyes bolted on the barn door. He was to give them a few minutes then he would barge in with some dumb excuse.
“This is a beautiful horse, Jim,”
“His name’s Jingo.”
“Jingo? My eldest brother’s horse is also called Jingo.”
“What a coincidence.” Jim appeared uneasy. He looked around the stables to see if anyone was there. While Audra was occupied with petting the horse, he inched towards the doors and quietly closed them. Heath reacted. He knew what the man had in mind and he couldn’t let it happen. Audra was too young and innocent.
Inside the barn, Jim began groping Audra, trying to kiss her.
“What are you doing, Jim?”
“I want to kiss you. Don’t you want to?”
“Well, yes, but...” Before she could finish, he planted another kiss on her lips. She managed to wriggle herself free.
“What’s the matter?”
“You’re hurting me.”
“Okay, I’ll go slowly.”
“No! Stop it!”
He grabbed her and tore up her sleeve. She screamed.
Alarmed by her sister’s shriek, Heath burst inside the stables, gun drawn on the man.
“I knew you looked familiar to me, you son of a bitch!”
“Heath Thomson?”
“It’s Barkley now, and you’re hurting my sister. Audra, come with me,” Heath gestured.
As Audra walked passed Jim, he grabbed her and stabbed her in the side. She slumped to the ground.
“Audra!” Heath exclaimed. With fury in his eyes, he shot Jim dead.
Heath sheathed his gun and rushed to Audra’s side. “Audra, no!” The wound was seeping blood. He frantically searched for a pulse. “Hang on, girl,” he said, lifting her gently in his arms. He carried her out of the barn and across the street to the doctor’s office.
Little did Heath know the stable boy who hid behind some haystacks had witnessed the entire scene.
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Heath was asked to wait in the doctor’s outer office while he was treating her. Tormented by the tragedy that had befallen his sister, Heath couldn’t sit still. He ploughed a furrow from one end of the room to the other, wriggling his sweaty hands, playing over and over in his mind what he could have done different to prevent this tragedy. Feeling faint from all that pacing and worrying, Heath sank into a chair and breathed deeply to avoid passing out.
“Please let her be all right,” he implored the heavens above.
The doctor drew the curtains aside and walked up to Heath. He jumped to his feet and tried to read the expression on the man’s face.
“Is she?”
“She’s going to be just fine, “ assured the doctor to a terrified brother.
“Thank God!”
“Luckily the blade only grazed her side. The gash required a few stitches.”
“How is she?”
“Weak from the loss of blood but she’s young and appears in very good health. I predict a full recovery within two or three days.”
“Can I see her?”
“Try not to disturb her. She’s sleeping.”
Heath walked into the doctor’s cabinet where Audra was settled on a small cot. She was lying deathly still and ashen, but Heath knew she would bounce back fine.
He gently took her hand, hunched forward and whispered to her ear, “ That’s my girl. Strong as steel. I love you, sis.” He kissed her on the forehead.
Meanwhile, the stable boy who witnessed the killing rode to his house. Jim Mulligan was his dearest uncle he had always admired since he was five. He was kept in the dark about his lifestyle for obvious reasons. The man was a rustler and had many entanglements with the law. Heath recalled him from Strawberry a few years ago when racist Mulligan manhandled Hannah for no reason other than her skin color.
The boy embellished what he had seen, raising his father’s ire. Harry Mulligan had the highest praises for his brother Jim he admired for not letting anyone step on his toes. His wife, however, despised him and tried her best to prevent him from corrupting her son.
Harry grabbed his rifle and rode into town with his son to check it out. Already, the sheriff and his deputy had carried the body over to the undertaker but without any witness to the crime, or so he thought, he dismissed it as an unfortunate casualty.
Billy, Harry’s 21 year-old son, led him to the barn but there was no corpse, just hay smeared with human blood. They went to the sheriff’s office where Billy gave his account of the murder. He said that the woman was threatening Jim with a knife and that she accidentally stabbed herself when this stranger burst in and shot his uncle in cold blood.
Knowing the woman he spoke of must be at the doctor’s office, all three marched there. They entered and asked if there was an injured woman in his examining room. He confirmed her presence and her type of injury. The doctor mentioned that her brother was with her and forbade them to go in. The sheriff said that they needed to identify the man as the one who shot Jim Mulligan.
That said, the doctor led them to the room in question where Heath was sitting by Audra, holding her hand.
“That’s him!” cried Billy.
“Are you positive son?”
“Yes daddy. That’s the man who shot uncle Jim.”
“What’s going on?” asked a confused Heath.
“Sir, this boy says he saw you shot a man in the livery stables last night, is that correct?”
“Yes, I did. The bastard was hurting my sister.”
“You son of a…”
Harry poised ready to spring on Heath but was stopped by the sheriff from going any further.
“Harry, let me handle it. What’s your name, son?”
“Heath Barkley.”
“Barkley Ranch?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“He shot my uncle!” Billy interjected.
“Billy, we need to hear both sides of the story,” The sheriff explained calmly.
“The man had dinner with my sister and he brought her to the livery stables for the obvious reasons. Since she is still very inexperienced, I decided to go peer at what they were doing before it went too far. When I got to the barn door, I heard my sister scream. That man was forcing himself on her. I aimed my gun at him, warning him to let her go. When she walked past him, he took out a knife and stabbed her with it. Them I shot him.”
“Billy, that’s not what you saw?”
“No.”
“Well, your son is lying, mister.”
“Don’t you call my son a liar, Barkley! You may be powerful in your valley but not here. Your name won’t get you off the hook.”
“Harry, please! Enough! I’m the sheriff, I’ll handle it. I’m sorry mister Barkley, I’m going have to lock you up until we can clear this matter up.”
“I can’t leave my sister.”
“The doctor will watch over her. Come on.”
Heath kissed Audra on the cheek and promised to be back soon. “Take good care of her, Doc,” he told the doctor, giving him a handshake.
“I will let you know if her condition changes in anyway.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Come on, let’s go.”
“First, I’d like to telegram my family in Stockton, let them know what’s going on.”
“Sure.”
Heath followed the sheriff out of the doctor’s office. Harry wasn’t pleased with the arrangement. He wanted Heath dead for killing his brother and was planning to stir the town people’s anger to rebel against the innocent man.
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The next morning, Audra awoke. Her side was still very painful but she was more fearful to see that Heath was nowhere around. She was lost, didn’t know where she was. She tried to get up but the smart convinced her to remain still.
The doctor walked in. “Hello, young lady. How are you feeling this morning?”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Dr. Kahn. You’re in my office.”
“What happened?”
“You were stabbed but you’re going to be just fine.”
“Where’s my brother? Is he all right?”
“He’s okay.”
“Well, where is he?”
“In jail. The sheriff arrested him last night for shooting a man.”
“What?” Audra sat abruptly on the table. Her face contorted with pain.
“Easy, young lady. Lay back.”
“I must go to him.”
“Not now. You’re liable to aggravate your injury.”
“I have to see him.”
“I’ll go to the sheriff’s office and tell him you’re all right.”
“God, why would he kill a man?”
“So far there are two sides of the story. Your brother’s and the victim’s nephew who apparently saw the whole thing.”
“Heath would never hurt anybody unless it was in self-defense.”
“Or to protect his sister.”
“He shot this man on account of me?”
“That’s what he said.”
Audra was in turmoil. She felt guilty that her dearest brother, a man she was proud of and had the highest regards for would be forced to kill for her.
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Later that day, a riled up mob gathered outside the sheriff’s office requesting that Heath be handed over to them for immediate hanging. The sheriff called on his two deputies to guard the prisoner while he stepped outside to try to calm down the irate town folk.
“What’s going on here, Harry?” the sheriff asked.
“We want Barkley. Hand him over to us.”
The crowd joined in concert.
“You know I can’t do that. We’re waiting for the circuit judge. This man is entitled to a fair trial.”
“He killed my brother in cold blood.”
“Maybe, from what Billy told you. But the man said that’s not what happened.”
“What about his sister? Could she recall what happened?” asked a neighbour of Harry’s.
“No. She was unconscious.”
“Very convenient for him.”
“Sheriff, let us take him off your hands.”
“No Harry. You’ll see him only when the judge gets here and not before.”
The sheriff walked back inside.
At that moment, Audra was escorted to the jail by Dr. Kahn. Harry stopped them.
“Where are you going?”`
“The young lady wants to visit with her brother.”
“Does she? Sorry, no one’s allowed to see the prisoner.”
“I’m his sister. The sheriff won’t mind.”
“Maybe, but we do. If we can’t get to him, nobody can.”
Audra tried to thread her way to the sheriff’s office with the help of Dr. Kahn but they were outnumbered. While one man grabbed the doctor’s arms, Harry took Audra by the waist and carried her away with him. Her screaming brought Heath to the window.
“Audra!” Heath shouted.
“Heath!” she shouted back. She was on the verge on collapsing from the pain radiating in her side.
Harry was kidnapping Audra in order to force Heath out in the open where they could grab him and hang him, but the sheriff wouldn’t let him out of his cell. Heath was desperate but what could he do? He hoped his family got his telegram and that Nick and Jarrod would hurry getting here.
“Hey, Sheriff! Come out here we want to talk to you,” Harry shouted in the middle of the street.
The sheriff grabbed his rifle and walked outside. He stood on the porch. “Harry, release the girl now.”
“Give us the prisoner and we’ll hand her over to you.”
“No deal. You know I can’t do that.”
“We don’t want to have to hurt her.”
“I’m warning you, Harry, you touch one hair on her head and you’re the one who’s going to hang.”
“That Barkley killed my brother in cold blood. He deserves to hang.”
“No, he doesn’t. His faith will be determined in court when the judge gets here. Remember, there are two sides of the story.”
“Then the girl will have to stay with us until then.”
Heath listened in on the conversation from his cell window. Gnawed with worry for his sister, he decided to make the ultimate sacrifice and surrender to the angry mob in exchange for Audra’s freedom.
“Sheriff!” Heath called out from his cell.
The sheriff walked back inside and went to the cell where Heath was jailed.
“No, I’m not letting you out if that’s what you wanted to ask me.”
“They’re going to hurt my sister if you don’t let me out.”
“No they’re not. I know better. It’s just idle threats.”
“Then you don’t know the Mulligans like I do.”
“I knew Jim Mulligan by reputation with his numerous entanglements with the law and I sort of lean towards your version of the facts because of it.”
“Harry Mulligan worshiped his brother and I killed him.”
“Son, hang tight until the circuit judge comes in the morning.”
“In the morning? I can’t wait that long!”
“Sorry. That’s all I can do.”
Desperate, Heath grabbed the sheriff by the neck as he turned to return to his office. The adrenalin rush coursing through his body doubled his strength. He knocked the back of the lawman’s head hard against an iron bar, rendering him unconscious. Heath reached for the key and opened his cell door. He pulled out the sheriff’s gun from his holster and walked outside as the mob was slowly dispersing.
“Mulligan!” Heath shouted to attract Harry’s attention.
“Barkley. So you convinced the sheriff to let you out.”
“Never mind how I got out. Release my sister and I’ll go with you.”
Harry beckoned one man to return to the hotel where they were keeping Audra.
While waiting, Heath and Harry stood across the street, staring at each other as if ready to fight a duel.
...Continued