Jacob thanked him. “Sentencing will be at eight a.m.”
Chet promised him they would stay to hear the punishment.
With his wife in tow they all sat in the courtroom and rose when Judge Kimble arrived. When all were seated, Kimble asked each prisoner to rise, and individually asked each if they were innocent or guilty of breaking the law concerning white slavery. They pled guilty.
“The crime you are charged with is a dire one. Many of America's finest men died fighting so that this rule became the law of the land. The law says no man shall enslave any one, black or white, and anyone breaking the law, including accomplices, and found guilty will serve up to fifteen years for violating that law. You three have admitted you broke this law. I accept your plea and sentence each of you to ten years but no less than six for good behavior.”
A woman wailed and Chet thought she was Arnold's wife. Two lawyers tried to object to the length of sentences.
“Your objection is out of order. Their sentences will stand. Their destination to federal confinement is being decided in Washington, D.C.”
“Your honor, may they have a few days' bail to settle their businesses?”
“Absolutely not. I consider them as severe risks of running away, and such action is not a practice in federal court after a guilty plea. Court is dismissed.”
Chet hugged Liz, Della, and a teary-eyed Cary. His men were smiling. Jacob and his two assistants shook his hand and congratulated him.
“Supper tonight at the fancy restaurant where the banker took us.”
“Can we go like we are?” Della asked.
Jesus squeezed her arm. “They will take his money I am certain.”
She laughed. It didn't matter; Liz, Cary, and Della went shopping anyway. He knew that Liz wanted to help Cary all she could, and they were going shopping for warm clothes for the girl to wear home.
They were at the Mexican café eating lunch when the Chief U.S. Marshal Bruce Cline came to find him. The man had been out of town on government business and never had met Chet in person.
After Cline explained his absence, he told Chet how pleasing the convictions were to the service. This had been a very hard law to prove in the past, but his accomplishment would make more cases work for prosecutors.
Then he showed him three letters.
Chet read them quickly. There was a murderer, or a gang, killing ranchers across the state for their valuables. They struck mainly isolated ranches where the crime was cold by the time anyone found the victims.
“After I get home, I will investigate the matter.”
“Thanks. Your Force works well, too. Keep the letters; they may help you.”
“What did he ask you to do?” Liz asked.
“Here are the letters. Maybe you have an idea.”
“I don't have to read them. My husband has a new assignment.”
He kissed her forehead. “I guess so. Let the men read them.”
“More work for you?” Della asked.
“Yes. U.S. marshals must find the jurors and set up courtrooms. They do little but serve federal warrants. My job is to support local sheriffs and work on cases that cross county lines. I don't draw a salary. They pay my deputies, not me. But I keep working at it in the hope that, in the end, Arizona will become a state.”
Della nodded.
Liz hugged his arm. “Can we go home tomorrow?”
“We can send everyone home. Cary can go with the men and meet her family at the Ferry. We will put Della on a stage home and you and I can go by and look at Apache Springs if you want.”
Jesus interrupted them. “One of us rides with you two. That's the rules.”
“To keep us out of trouble, right?” Liz said.
“Yes. Miguel will go with Cary. I will ride with you.”
“Okay, that is settled. Jesus, you better find us some solid horses and two packhorses plus the gear and supplies we will need.”
“When do we eat tonight?” Jesus asked.
“Seven at that fancy place Nye took us to.”
“Come on, Miguel, it is past one now. We have lots to acquire, huh?”
“Can he do all that?” Liz asked.
“Yes. Good thing Della is going home tomorrow. Doc will think we kept her for good.”
“Oh, no,” Della said. “I have written Doc letters every day. I am so grateful to you, all of you. And Cary, my dear, good luck. Sounds like you will soon be home.”
“Yes. I will write you. You have been like a mother to me.”
“I feel like that, too. Doc and I never had a single child live, so you have been like a daughter.”
Liz took Cary aside. “Don't worry, Cary, if things get too upsetting at your home, come to my house. If we are not there, just explain to Monica. She will look after you.”
“I will be fine. You all are my family, too. I thank God a lot.”
Chet then told her, “I am certain you would like your family to meet you at the ferry. Miguel can wait there if you don't feel secure.”
“I think it will be all right. I have your wife's offer if I can't.”
“Fine. We will wire your parents when the stage will get there and they can meet you,” Chet told her.
“Thank you very much.”
“No problem. We will be back up there at Preskitt in a few days.”
“She isâyour wife has been so nice to me.”
“She's a great lady.”
“Miguel told me about his wife, Lisa, and all she did for her.”
“You would like Lisa, too. We are a big family.”
She nodded, choked up by it all.
Jesus and Miguel had the horses, supplies, packsaddles, a saddle for Liz, and the gear to camp along the way ready to go. They all met at the restaurant and were seated in the back, which did not bother Chet or anyone. They had a very nice meal together.
Della said she'd make Doc bring her to this restaurant on their next trip to Tucson. Everyone cheered her on. After an enjoyable meal, they went back to the hotel. Early breakfast at the café, Cary and Miguel went to the stage stop with Della who was sad at leaving the group.
Liz, Jesus, and Chet went to the livery stable and soon rode out north for Oracle. Chet figured it might take over a day to get to where Spencer was camped with his bride. The weather was pleasant but cool enough for jackets, and they made good time trotting the horses, all well broke ponies. She agreed with him that the rolling country was fine-looking rangeland.
Near dark they started up into the canyon and he told her they'd make it all right. The lamps in Spencer's camp appeared and Chet shouted, “Hello, Spencer.”
He ran out to the edge of the light and waved them in. “Come on in. Lucinda, the
patron
is here.”
Hugging his new wife's shoulders, Spencer Horne beamed his welcome. His men unloaded the packhorses and helped set up the two tents under Jesus's instructions. Spencer helped his wife at the fire to fix more food. Her two children were bright eyed and excited about the company.
Spencer took a lantern and showed Chet the framework for the bunkhouse they had assembled so far. He had lots of the needed material, including the roof shakes, already on the site.
“I have the house framing ordered, but it will take a while to get that lumber up here. I have two sawmills on Mount Lemon cutting lumber for us, but they have to keep up the mining needs at Tombstone and that area first. Mining timber is their first order of business.”
“I savvy. Liz wanted to see the area. Today she saw lots of the rangeland and agreed it would make a fine ranch. These headquarters will make it a property worth a lot more. I can't believe the ranch's developer's wife lived in Oracle and not up here.”
Spencer agreed. “I am in love with this ranch. And I agree it is going to be a real good one.”
“Well, I know you are working hard. Take a day off for her. It will be built in plenty of time.”
“She is my source of energy. She loves it here.”
“I believe in you getting this done. You have nothing to prove to me, but stop, take a breath, and enjoy this project. Have some festivals, do some things that are fun, and it will save you. Hear me?” Chet waited for his answer.
“I will. I have been wound up. I wanted this to be my work and I guess to show the world what I could do.”
“You are. You can. Slow down. I saw you in Tucson rushing around. Next time, take her with you. Stay overnight in a hotel; have a nice meal. Let her shop. I will pay. It will be worth it. This place will be here waiting for you. Build some faith in your foremen and let them manage the crews. It won't all get done as fast as you might want, but it will be fun, not fury.”
Spencer put his hand on Chet's shoulder, then dropped his head. “I will do that like you suggested.”
“Good. I smell food. I am hungry. Let's join them.”
“How did your trial do?”
“The three men pleaded guilty to the white slavery charges. They will be in a federal pen for no less than six years.”
“What did their lawyers do?” Spencer was shocked that they actually pleaded guilty.
“I guess the lawyers explained that if they were found guilty of all charges, without pleading guilty, they would have to serve consecutive years and never get out.”
Spencer laughed. “I never heard of that before.”
“It was not done as a rape case. Those lawyers could make her out to be a whore in the trial. She wasn't one. But the law on slavery is tough all the way down including accomplices to it. Their raping her was a test to buy her. They never reported it to the law, so they were a part of the slavery crime. No matter how hard those lawyers might have talked down poor Cary in a trial, the law excluded no one from being held in slavery, black, white, or even prostitute.”
“Thanks for explaining. I learned a lot riding with you. I will get this job done someday, but keep a spot open for me with you when I am done.”
“I will. Take my advice, too.”
He quickly agreed. “I can do that a lot easier knowing you are waiting on me.”
Later at night on the side-by-side cots, Liz asked him what he thought.”
“I spoke to Spencer, told him he was working too hard. I told him to slow down. He'd get it built and needed to enjoy it along the way.”
“Good. He will listen to you. I am impressed he has so much done already.”
“It will be done but he needs to smell the roses, take her to Tucson shopping, go to a hotel overnight, not go at breakneck speeds.”
“I thank you for bringing me by here. I agree it will be a great ranch someday.”
He rose up and kissed her good night. Even sleeping in a cot was nice with her around. They'd be home in a week. Then this mystery killer business reported in the letters could be investigated.
C
HAPTER
14
The trip home took them cross-country. They were floated across the Gila River by a ferry above the San Carlos Reservation, skirted Superstition Mountain on the third day, and cut northwest for the stage road to Preskitt. Three days later they rode out to the Valley Ranch.
A boy rang the school bell on the post, and everyone came on the run to greet them. Liz dismounted, laughing, and hugged the women there to greet her back one by one. Chet gave his reins to the stable boy and shook Raphael's hand.
“Miguel told us you found the girl and those men are going to jail.”
Just then he saw Lisa run out of the main house to greet them. She was talking a mile a minute to his wife about how happy she was helping Monica. Lisa then came over and hugged Chet. “Oh, Miguel is so proud of getting to ride with you. I may not be able to make him as happy as you do.”
Chet laughed and kissed her on the forehead. “He will come back to earth.”
“Maybe. No matter. I am really very proud he made such a good trip with you and Jesus. Everyone looks up to him. I thank you, but you know we love your wife even more.”
That was Raphael's plan. He wanted Miguel to be in a higher place than simply being a ranch worker so that when he retired, Miguel could take his place as foreman. Chet saw how the plan was working and it made him smile.
In the house at last, he took out the letters and reread them. The oldest one came from a rancher's wife who wrote to the head marshal that someone needs to stop these killings. Parties unknown had murdered ranch families on both sides of her place and no one did a thing. She lived up near Snow Flake. Her name was Clara McClure.
He stopped reading and looked at his map of eastern Arizona. He had her area picked out. Then he read the next letter. This man lived north of her, closer to Holbrook. He wrote about a ranch murder near him. Then the last letter was a man living south of Holbrook, named Elliot Downing. He asked for help on the frequent murders in his area. As many as four incidents happened over in his part of the territory.
Maybe he'd write Susie a letter and Sarge could go investigate the situation. The other two were too far away for Sarge. He knew the deputy at Holbrook, Randall Cates. He met him on his last trip to Holbrook. He'd write him and ask about the situation.
“You reading those letters again?” Liz asked, joining him.
“Those people are so far away over there I'd hate to ride over there for nothing, especially at this time of year.”
“I know my husband very well. The telegraph building is not starting or he'd have wired you. If you need to go see what you can do, get your men and go.”
“I will consider it all.”
“Good, I am taking a bath.”
“You suggesting I do the same?”
“It might not hurt.”
“I am coming up right behind you.” He laughed. A bath might be wonderful.
The next morning he and Miguel rode into town and met with Jesus at his house. Chet read them the letters and asked what they thought should be done about it.”
“I think we better go and see about this,” Jesus said.
“I am with whatever you two want to do,” Miguel added.
Chet nodded his head. “Today is Tuesday. Let's ride out Thursday morning. Tomorrow, Miguel can fill your list, Jesus, with what we will need for two weeks to ride over there. Then Thursday we can head out unless it is snowing. In that case we can put it off for a few days.”
Jesus turned to his partner. “Bring a buckboard in tomorrow and I will help you get everything.”
“No problem. I will be here about ten?”
“Good.”
Chet stood up at the kitchen table. “Anita, I am sorry. We are taking him away again.”
“Oh, I knew that when I married him and from before. He has plenty of stove wood split for me. Being with you is how he makes a living. And we have reunions every time he comes home. Have you heard anything from the girl you saved?”
“Cary is fitting in at home she wrote in a letter to Liz .I don't think her folks have much of a farm. But she will find herself.”
“How many of the women who came through here can say that Monica taught them how to cook? I can.”
“We all love her.”
Anita nodded. “Please tell Elizabeth I miss her company.”
“Come any time and visit her. She's home.”
“She won't go with you this time?”
“I'd rather she didn't. It can turn bitter cold this time of year.”
“She loves to go though.”
“She never complains about it.”
With a smile she hugged his arm. “She has you and she really is happy with you. She is a different person now than she was before you two married. She no longer has to be the boss like before you came along. And she likes that role. Some women would never like it.”
“You sure hit the nail on the head. She likes being a wife.”
“No. Being your wife.”
Still smiling at what Anita said, Chet told them he'd see Jesus Thursday morning. Then he and Miguel headed home.
Miguel slapped his mount and they started off to the ranch. “I did not know Anita before she married Jesus. She was house help, but she talked more today than I ever heard her talk before.”
“She was Liz's maid then. Today she is Jesus's wife and she is fitting into that role well.”
Miguel nodded. “My wife came out of a shell, too, after I married her. She worked hard before. Now she works hard and leads the others. I guess being my wife moved her a station up?”
Chet nodded. “I am glad she did that.”
“Oh, me too. She is fun. She is what you callâshe lets her hair down when we are alone.”
“That's why you smile a lot.”
“
Si
. That is why.”
“How lucky we are to have the great women we both have.”
“Oh, yes. For Thursday, when we go, do you have any idea who these murderers over there could be?”
“Mean men that must be stopped or they will kill more.”
Thursday morning the temperature was above freezing but not by much. One of the packhorses acted up some and Chet was about ready to trade him off before they left, but Jesus said he'd settle down and be all right. As they rode out under the cross bar for the Verde, he turned back for one more long last look at the ranch house. They might be gone a while on this wild goose chase looking for some murdering robbers who left no witnesses. They have to be mean devils. Hitting isolated ranches, they must have cased their victims carefully to make no slips, and not leave any trace of their identity but the dead people. Chet thought they might be matching wits with a smart person despite the cold killer mind-set.
They stopped briefly to see his son Adam, and Tom rode over to visit for a minute and then they rode on. Nothing was wrong at that place and while they'd not make Susie and Sarge's Windmill Ranch by dark they'd be up there before noon the next day. Camping out went well and at dawn they had eaten breakfast, saddled horses and the pack ones, and rode on.
His sister, Susie, came out on the porch, and the north wind swept her long black coat against the jeans she wore covering her legs under a dress.
Some hands came and took the horses as she hugged Chet and Jesus, then shook Miguel's hand. “Nice to meet you. You are married to Lisa, right? I met her at some of our get-togethers over there. She's a smart girl.”
“I am proud of her.”
“I know why. Everyone, come in. Sarge has gone to check on something, but he should be back soon. I will fix everyone lunch. Chet, how is Liz doing?”
“She is almost over our losses. Of course it hurt her. It is too cold for her to come along especially since we are looking for killers over east.”
“It would be too cold for me. How are Bonnie and JD?”
“She's having another baby and she's really a good wife, making him a good husband. They will have fruit growing next year. And the ranch is already covering their expenses. Ortega was wounded by rustlers but he's getting well and they got the cattle back. The rustlers were killed.”
“I guess it's tough going in lots of places. Sarge said he sees lots of desperate people, who have nothing, on his drives to the Navajos.”
“I agree, but that is never an excuse to rob and murder anyone.”
“Oh, no. That is who you are looking for?”
“Bad cases of murder. No details, either.”
“Good luck. I'll fix lunch.” She left shaking her head.
“You really provide your foremen nice houses. I saw Cole's at Center Point. I saw JD's, Lucy's, Tom's, and now this one. Oh, Robert has a good one, too.”
“They're all hard workers. I felt they deserved a good home.”
Miguel added, “Hey, I am happy at the ranch, so is Lisa, but maybe someday, huh?”
“Someday.” Chet could see that Miguel didn't miss a thing.
When Sarge returned the two men sat before the fireplace and talked about snow and cattle drives.
“I know we didn't get the snow depth you did, but we did get snow and had our work cut out to feed the cattle. It was a good thing those places we set up came to good usage. Whew. Heck. Many of the Navajos couldn't get to any of those points.”
“Good thing you started early.”
Sarge agreed. “And now we have the cattle in place. I wondered if Windmill was a luxury to have. It's not. It was well planned and Bo keeps finding us homesteads to fence and use for our hay raising. If we can afford it, I'd like two more complete hay mowers. I can get part-time help to mow and stack it.”
“I'll have Ben at the mercantile order them. I hope they can get them here by the time you need them. It isn't easy, but he's a top dealer he says and they try their best to serve him.”
“I should have told you last fall. We have most of the land fenced and they make good places to cut and stack hay. I may be able to sell some hay if this winter keeps up.”
“That is not bad.”
“Tell me about all the other folk.”
“Robert and Betty have a girl. JD and Bonnie are expecting again. They also expect some oranges and lemons next year. Lucy had a boy and Shawn, with Spud, have that place under control. May's also expecting and Hampt's getting along.
“We have come a long ways since we fed those starving Indians on the Verde River, haven't we? You even had to talk to General Crook about those people not getting food.”
Then Chet told them about rescuing Marcella and Cary. Sarge knew about all the past things they'd accomplished since he'd been there, and even before when they had to take the Verde Ranch away from the crooked foreman who held it.
“You know anything about the ranch murders?”
“Only what I heard. They must be animals is all I can say. The deputy from over there came here and asked us if we knew anything. I told him only what I heard. We never saw anyone we might suspect. I don't even know anyone you could talk to about it who would know firsthand who they were or anything else in that situation.”
“We may have a dead end but we'll look.”
“I bet you find them. You're pretty damn sharp at solving those things.”
Sarge leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “Who is that woman that drove Reg crazy?”
“A rich woman who married and divorced Buster Weeks. She drove him to drink before she even met Reg. Her father is very rich and they have a big ranch over by Hackberry. I heard her name but I don't remember it. She was the same one anyway.”
“He must have lost his mind?”
“I agree.”
“Susie wondered about him and his first wife. She thought that ended strangely. What happened? I caught a rumor about him on one of the drives, and the guy that told me acted like he knew all about Reg and her.”
“Guess with him dead we may never know.”
“I just wondered. We don't even live in the area but I knew him, and, of course, Susie knew him so much better. She said he was somehow different when he came out here and it wasn't all about the wife he lost, either.”
“Susie would know.”
“I was thinking, I need to send her over to your house more often. My schedule doesn't give us time to do much.”
“This place will run without you for a few days. You have a good man under you. Use him and take her somewhere.”
“Okay. But we are kind of far from all but Preskitt.”
“Fine; come over to our house.”
“You'd probably be gone.”
“More than likely, but Liz and Monica and a whole bunch of others you know will be there. It will be a good break. Oh, how's that son-in-law of Tom's doing?”
“Cody Day's a good worker. He sees things before they happen. I hope Tom don't call him back.”
“Where does he and his wife, Sandy, live?”
“Over the hill at the closest homestead. It had a house we fixed up some for them. Being newlyweds they wanted some privacy.”
“I will stop by and see her, and him if he's there, since I am the cause they are married.”
Sarge laughed. “I heard the story.”
Susie called from the kitchen. “Cody is bringing her over, Sarge.”
“That will save you a trip.” Sarge winked at him.
When they arrived, he visited with Sandy and Cody. They sounded happy about being there, liked the arrangements made for them, and Sandy thanked him again for all he did.
Chet reflected on how, at that boy's age, he'd run their Texas ranch's operations and, how he always complained, to himself, that he had no time to court a girl. He sure made up for it later. Life dealt some strange hands.