“It wasn’t Coatins,” David affirmed. “He showed up after I knocked our gunman to the ground.”
“As a matter of fact,” the former detective said, “I’ve been keeping an eye on you two ever since David here had his accident. I told you this whole thing never sat well with me. Something was missing, and I couldn’t put my finger on it.”
“So you followed us up here?” Susan’s brain felt fuzzy, but she tried to focus.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get down the trail, my old knees aren’t what they used to be. If I had gotten here a few minutes sooner, I might have caught that miscreant before he accosted either of you.”
Susan grasped David’s hand pushing the coat from her knees and letting him help her stand.
“Tell me what happened,” she demanded. “I seem to have missed all of the most exciting parts.” She paused, turning to look into a darkened corner where another man sat tied and gagged, his dark eyes glinting with malice.
“It’s all in the journal,” David began. “This man was a revenuer, but he was taking a cut of the moonshiner’s profits in exchange for not bringing them in.” The young man paused listening as new voices echoed down the darkening path.
“Sounds like we have company,” Coatins said. “It’ll be the welcome committee,” he added turning and heading back outside.
Susan shrank in close to David, wondering who else was arriving, and if they had more to fear.
“Our benevolent bodyguard seems to have called the police already. They’ll be arriving any moment. I’m sure they’ll want statements.”
“Not before you explain this to me.” Susan glared at the man, even while wanting to fall into his arms.
“This man’s name is Clark. He worked for the revenue agency back in the day, but instead of turning moonshiners in, he shook them down for half of their profits. The sheriff for the county had his suspicions, so he approached my grandfather to help him find out who was on the take. With my family’s reputation in town, they figured he was the perfect fit for the job.”
“How long have I been out?” Susan gaped. “Did you read the whole journal while I was senseless?” She ran a hand over the bump on the back of her head, scowling at David.
David wrapped an arm around Susan pulling her into his side. “No, we, Coatins and I, just scanned the later entries. Clark there started to suspect that someone was hunting him, so he in turn became the hunter.”
“You mean.” Susan swallowed hard. “He killed your grandfather.” She swayed into David’s warm embrace, sorrow, fear, and anger mingling in her chest.
“He hasn’t confessed, but I’m pretty sure he did. When he discovered that I was digging into the story and that I had joined up with you, he must have gotten worried.”
“I think he’s the one that smashed into my truck as well,” David continued. “I found this in his pack.” David brandished his own journal as Coatins walked back inside accompanied by two uniformed officers with large, bright flash lights.
“That’s your man.” the former detective pointed at Clark who now huddled into the wall.
“Are you the two who were attacked?” one officer asked breaking away from the trio. “I’ll need your statements.”
The other officer moved to the old man huddled on the dirt floor, pulling him upright by one arm and slipping the gag from his mouth.
A string of obscenities filled the little cabin as Clark blasted both David and Susan with his ire. “You two meddling kids!” he bellowed. “You should have kept your noses out of this mess. The past was dead and buried. It should have stayed that way. What does one grubby moonshiner mean in the grand scheme of things?”
“He was my grandfather,” David shot back. “He had a wife, a family, a life.”
Coatins patted David on the shoulder. “Save your breath son,” he drawled as the officer began reading the other man his rights. “It won’t do any good.”
David nodded, pulling Susan closer as he turned his back on the man being led from the cabin.
“Coatins, if you’ll accompany me, we’ll see this fellow to the car at the head of the trail.” The officer added.
“We’ll all go,” Susan interjected. “I want to see him cuffed and in the car before I go home.”
David squeezed her shoulders knowing how badly she wanted answers.
“Suit yourself,” the first officer said as handcuffs clicked into place on the stooped old man.
A half hour later the small group stood at the trail head bathed in the red lights of the police car.
Susan felt drained and her head buzzed with questions. They had given their statements and watched as the officers prepared to leave.
“Son, you up to driving to the Holmes house?” Mr. Coatins slapped a hand on David’s shoulder. “We can talk this thing through there.”
“Yes, sir.” David’s answer was brief as he led Susan back to her Jeep extending his hand for the keys before helping her into the passenger seat.
“Thank you,” Susan said meeting his eyes as she climbed wearily into the Jeep, buckling her seatbelt.
“What happened?” Alan Holmes opened the door, taking in Susan’s ashen face.
“Mrs. Holmes,” Coatins called over David’s shoulder. “If we could come in, we’ll explain everything.”
Alana looked up at the man’s face. “Aren’t you that police man that came to see me when I first found the horses?” she asked then nodded pulling the door wide as David and Susan headed for the kitchen.
“Yes ma’am,” Coatins grinned, “and it looks like I finally got my answers.”
“I’ll start the coffee.” Alana said. “Come on back to the kitchen where we’ll be comfortable.”
“Make it strong,” Susan said with a halfhearted smile a she sagged into her favorite chair. “David will you please explain?”
David sat, twining his fingers with Susan’s as her grandmother placed cups and cookies on the table as if they were having a friendly visit. “I don’t
