“Right, right,” Oliver said, bobbing his head. “My sister and I were eating breakfast at Higgins Trading Post in Hellgate on the day Cousin Charles was due to come for us.”
“What day was that?” the sheriff asked
“Sunday, June fourth,” Charles answered.
Bill gave Oliver an encouraging look. “Go on, son.”
“There were three men sitting at the table directly behind us. They were discussing plans to ambush two prospectors here in Garretsville—two prospectors rumored to have recently struck gold. Their informant had told them the partners always brought their haul to the assayer on Monday mornings.”
“Can you guess who the two are?” Charles shot a wry look the sheriff’s way. “Most bring their hauls to town Thursday or Friday. Over the weekend they drink, gamble, and whore their way through their profits.” Charles glanced at Meredith. “Excuse my language, Meredith.”
“It’s fine.” She waved a hand in the air as if brushing away the mention of whores.
Charles crossed his arms over his chest, a look of disgust suffusing his features. “Too many drunks staggering around, and too many fights break out over the weekends. Dan and I like to steer clear of that nonsense. We prefer to head into town while the hungover fools are heading out.”
“You don’t have to tell me. Who do you think hauls the drunk and disorderlies off to jail to sleep it off?” Bill grunted. “So, you believe those three are planning to ambush your cousin and his partner here?” he asked Oliver, canting his head toward Charles.
Oliver nodded. “Who else could it be?”
“We’re the only two we know of who bring our haul to town on Monday mornings.” Daniel leaned forward. “I’m guessing you’ve heard we recently struck gold.”
“I had heard the rumor.”
“Whoever told those three about Charlie and Dan also described exactly where to ambush them. Obviously their informant knows the area well, because they mentioned landmarks.” Oliver straightened in his chair. “I’ve checked the area they described, and I can show you exactly where they plan to do the deed.”
“Hmm.” Sheriff Ramsey frowned. He opened his mouth to say something, and Meredith cut him off.
“The one who did most the talking mentioned they had business elsewhere to take care of first, so they’ll likely commit the crime on Monday the nineteenth, or on the twenty-sixth,” Meredith said, her gaze going to Oliver. “Isn’t that right, Ollie?”
The lad nodded, and Daniel had to squelch the grin threatening to break free. The two had done incredibly well with their parts, and even he was convinced it had happened exactly as they’d described the scene.
“Charles and I believe the three they overheard are the same men who robbed and murdered poor old Gus out by his sluice, as well as Eddie Hague, whose claim lay just beyond Cross Creek. Those probably aren’t the only two victims either.”
“I don’t need convincing, Dan. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn they’re the same outlaws who’ve been preying on the prospectors around Moose Lodge. That might be the business they’re attending to now. Got a letter from their sheriff a week ago, asking if we’d had any trouble. He was looking for information about who the culprits might be.”
The sheriff leaned forward in his chair. “Come to think of it, did either of you catch a name while they were discussing their plans? Can you give me physical descriptions?”
Meredith and Oliver both shook their heads. “No names were mentioned. We didn’t want them to know we could hear what they were saying, so Oliver never turned around, and I only glanced at them once,” Meredith said. “Two of them had their backs to us, and the third had his head tilted down and a cowboy hat on. I tried, but I couldn’t see his face. All I can tell is that one of them is very tall.”
Meredith had gotten that information from him, the only thing he could share with her with any certainty. He had no memory of their faces. The one who’d stopped them wore a bandana, and the other two had snuck up on them from behind. He had no memory of their features in life, and that had remained true in death. The three were a menacing, hostile presence, and that was about it.
“All right, what we need is a plan.” The sheriff’s features held steely determination as he looked at him, then Charles.
“Here’s what we were thinking,” Daniel volunteered. “We gather a group of men we trust and swear them to secrecy. We don’t want the thieves to catch wind that we’re on to them. Charles and I pretend to bring our haul to town on Monday morning as usual, while you and the others hide at the ambush site. We’ll give a signal when we’re entering the area, a joke and loud laughter. Then you and your men arrest them the moment they make their move.”
“Six men ought to be enough to form a net.” The sheriff cocked a brow at Oliver. “You’ll show us where they plan to make the ambush?”
Oliver’s gaze flickered to Daniel for an instant before returning to the sheriff. “I will.”
“All right. I’ll gather the men, and we’ll meet you here next Tuesday afternoon. I’ll have the others stagger their departures from town so as not to cause any notice. We’ll go to the site, and plan our strategy once we see what we’re dealing with.” He looked steadily at each of them, including Meredith. “Carry on as you normally would. Don’t do anything that might draw attention to yourselves.”
Meredith frowned. “I’m afraid my trip into town with Daniel yesterday may have already—”
“Oh, we drew attention all right, and that’s a fact.” Daniel smiled and covered her hand with his. “I don’t believe that’s the kind of attention Bill is talking about, Meredith. Sheriff Ramsey doesn’t want us to suddenly change our routines. Doing so might lead the gang’s informant to speculate that we’ve been tipped
