“Madam Sara Sue,” he called through the kitchen door.
“Yes?”
“Tell Duff that he will be needed.”
There was enough urgency in Wang’s voice that Sara Sue didn’t question him. Instead she started back into the house to summon Duff.
After giving Sara Sue the order, Wang put the bucket down, vaulted easily over the porch rail, than ran to meet Poke Terrell.
“Poke, why have you come here in such a way? Why do you not ride your horse? Is there trouble?”
“They’re dead, Mr. Wang. Ma ’n Pa are both dead. Some men came in the middle of the night and shot ’em. They burned the barn and the house down, too.”
As if it had taken all his strength to make that pronouncement, Poke collapsed into Wang’s arms.
* * *
It was midmorning when Elmer and Wang returned from the Terrell ranch.
“They’re both dead, like the boy said,” Elmer said. “The barn ’n house has both been burnt down, ’n all the cattle has been took.”
“Where are the bodies?” Duff asked.
“Steve ’n Percy went over to get ’em. They’ll be takin’ ’em to Mr. Welsh. How’s the boy doing?”
“Mrs. Gaines is with him,” Duff said. “The lad is having a hard time, but Mrs. Gaines is very good with him.”
“Did Poke see any of the men who did this?” Elmer asked. “Will he be able to tell us who it was that done it?”
“I asked, and he says that it was dark and he dinnae see anyone close enough to identify them.”
“Whoever the sons of bitches is, they’ve been damn busy,” Elmer said. “They killed Ollie ’n Sam, ’n burnt down Percy’s place, ’n they killed Asa Hanlon ’n his wife and took all their cows, they kilt Cecil Gibson, ’n now they’ve kilt Poke’s ma and pa ’n stoled their cows, too.”
“Cecil Gibson was killed by Houser’s deputies,” Duff said. “’Twas reported that he drew on them when the deputies confiscated Spivey’s herd.”
“Yeah, well, how do we know they ain’t all the same?” Elmer asked.
“That is a very good question, Elmer,” Duff replied. “And ’tis one that we should investigate. I’ll be for taking a ride over to Twin Peaks.”
“Good, I’ll be comin’ with you.”
“You can both come,” Duff said, referring also to Wang.
* * *
It was Shamrock who saw the three riders approaching Twin Peaks, and he stepped into Houser’s office to report it.
“Three riders comin’,” he said. “One of ’em is MacCallister.”
Houser nodded. “I was wondering when he might show up. All right, as soon as they get here, show them in.”
In one part of Houser’s ranch office there was a comfortable sitting area consisting of a leather sofa and two overstuffed leather chairs. The sofa and chairs were separated by a low-lying table, onto which Houser spread a white tablecloth, then he got out a bottle of Scotch and four shot glasses. He had just put the bottle and glasses on the table when the front door opened, and Shamrock brought in the three men.
“You said you wanted me to bring ’em in, so here they are,” Shamrock said.
“Thank you, Captain Harris. Would you excuse us please, so I can talk to these gentlemen alone?”
“Yeah, all right. I’ll just be outside, if you need me.”
“Drinks, gentlemen?” Houser offered after Shamrock left.
“Aye, thank you,” Duff replied.
“I do not wish a drink of whiskey,” Wang said.
“I’m sorry, I’m not better prepared to be a host,” Houser said. “But I must confess that my knowledge of the drinking habits of Chinese is quite deficient.”
“He drinks wine,” Elmer said.
“Now, I am really embarrassed, for I have no wine to offer.”
“Be not concerned,” Wang said.
Houser poured the drinks, handed a glass to Duff and Elmer, then took one for himself.
“And now, gentlemen, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”
“There is no pleasure in this visit, I’m afraid,” Duff said. “Last night some brigands visited the Diamond T.”
“Oh? And the Terrells?”
“They were both killed.”
“Both? But, wasn’t there a third? Their son, I believe?”
“Aye, he survived. ’Twas a costly mistake the murderers made, for young Terrell saw them.”
“He . . . he saw them?” Houser asked.
“Aye. He can give no names, but if he sees any of them again, he will know.”
“Where is the boy now?” Houser asked.
“He is in a safe place.”
Houser shook his head. “It is just as I have been saying. Ruffians running wild, killing innocent people like the Hanlons so they can steal the herd. I may have been wrong in suggesting that the small ranchers are guilty, because the implication was that there were several involved. Now I’m thinking it may only be one, who is plying his evil trade upon not only the large ranchers, but the smaller ones as well.”
“How did you know?” Duff asked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“How did you know that the Terrell herd was taken?”
“Why, you, yourself, just said that the herd was taken.”
Duff shook his head. “I made nae such a remark.”
“Oh. Well, I suppose that because the Hanlons were killed and their stock taken, I naturally assumed that Terrell’s herd was taken as well.” He forced a laugh. “As a lawyer, I should know better than to assume anything. I hope you will forgive my mistake.”
“There is nae to forgive.”
“Tell me, Captain MacCallister, was there any other purpose for your visit, other than to inform me of the unfortunate fate which fell upon the poor Terrell family?”
“Aye. I’ve come to tell you that I’ll be investigating the murder, and to ask your cooperation if I need to question any of your men.”
“You’ll be investigating? I don’t understand. Have you set yourself upon a personal mission for some reason? Why would you be investigating?”
“Oh, I dinnae tell you? I’m a deputy sheriff, ’n though your deputies have preeminent authority with regard to the cattle rustling, the county sheriff has the responsibility for investigating murder. And, in the last two months we have had eleven murders.”
“Eleven murders? I am aware
