Page 9 of Cade’s Quest (The McIntyres #1)

“Only four hundred dollars? Not much to risk being hung for.” In fact, that was pitiful little. Cade rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn’t help wondering if Jess had been in on that.

Dan chuckled. “Crime doesn’t pay much at times.”

“Nope, it sure doesn’t.” Cade rose to look out the window. Now that he could see again, he wanted to look at everything. Two blue jays were fighting over a worm. “Dan, what’ll happen to George and his boys?”

“They’ll go before the judge next week. He could choose to fine them and send them on their way or throw the book at them. It just depends.”

“Will you need me to give testimony?”

“You’re not thinking of going back this soon,” Summer protested.

“I have things to do at home, Sis,” he answered quietly.

“But you’re not well,” she spluttered. “I don’t know what Doc Perkins will say.”

He turned. “They have doctors in Clarendon.”

“I know.” She rose and stood beside him. “We need to go over and let him check your eyes and the wound on your shoulder.”

“I will in a few minutes. Dan, will they need me to testify?” Cade asked again.

Dan finished his coffee and set the cup down. “Not until the trial if there is one.”

“I can always come back if I need to.”

“We’ll have to see what the judge says.” Dan rose and set his cup in a dishpan. “I need to be going. With the sheriff out of town, I should check on the prisoners.” He gave Summer a quick hug. “I’ll see you later.”

Dan left and Cade brought up a question he’d been pondering. “Summer, what do you think about me trying to talk to George about Jess?”

“I think that’s a good idea. Of course, he might not tell you if he’s mad about being arrested, but it’s worth a try. I could make them something to eat.”

“Butter them up?” Cade laughed. “I’ll tell you anything if you make me a pie.”

“Apple, I think. Mrs. Buchanan told me she had a bushel of apples set aside for me. I can make several. Can you help peel them?”

“For a pie, I’ll walk barefoot across a briar patch under a blazing sun.” He couldn’t help the grin. He hadn’t had a pie in such a long time.

“You’re such a beggar.” She put their cups in the dishpan with Dan’s to wash later.

They were walking down the street toward the doctor’s within a few minutes.

Doc Perkins glanced up when they entered his door. “Cade, I heard about the shooting. Come and let me examine your eyes.”

“I’m sorry, Doc. When the bullets started flying, I had to see.” Cade sat down on an examining table.

“I understand.” Doc Perkins reached for a magnifier and asked Summer to hold a lamp up close. “I’d much rather work on a live person than a dead one.”

Perkins was silent as he peered into first one eye then the other. Finally, he stepped back and returned the magnifier to the table.

Cade willed him to speak, to say what he found, but he didn’t. Was it so bad he hated to break the news? “Doc, I can take whatever it is,” he said softly. “If it’s not good, I’ll find a way to live with it. I always have.”

He met Summer’s grim face. She reached for his hand and squeezed hard as though willing everything to be normal.

Cade held his breath, watching the doctor’s facial expressions. He had to see. He just had to. He looked down to see white knuckles as he gripped the edge of the table. Slowly, he forced his hand to open.

“Your eyes look surprisingly well,” Doc said at last. “Let’s find out what you can actually see. Nurse, stand over by the door and hold up these numbers.”

When she was in position, he told Summer to hold up the first one.

“That’s an eight. I feel sure that’s right.”

On the next number he studied it for a long moment. “I think that’s a one…no, a seven. It looked like a one at first, then I saw the top.”

“Correct. Next.”

“A six.” When Summer flipped another card, it threw Cade. “That’s not a number. That’s an A. You were trying to trick, me, Doc.”

“Can’t fool you, can I?” The doctor chuckled. “Cade, your vision is still coming back. Is it blurry?”

“A lot but not so bad I can’t see what I need to.”

“We’re going to leave the bandages off your eyes, but I want you to rinse them twice a day. I’ll check them again day after tomorrow.” Perkins gathered up his things. “How is the shoulder?”

“It’s fine, sir. No pain, but it’s sore when I move it.”

“Perfect. I think you’re doing well to have survived the shooting.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Cade glanced at Summer. “Are you ready to go bake a pie?”

She nodded. “Let’s go make one.”

They made their way home and a while later, carried the apple pie to the jail.

Dan glanced up when they opened the door. He got to his feet. “What are you doing here?”

It was time to tell him.

Cade took the lead. “When those three in the cells were at Summer’s house, George and his boys were talking and mentioned our older brother’s name—Jess McIntyre. We’re looking for him and we want to find out more.”

Summer straightened and added, “We really need to find Jess and if they know where he is, I’ll bake a hundred pies.”

“Jess McIntyre?” Dan held up a wanted poster. “You need to see this.”

Scowling, Cade took the poster and held it so Summer could see. It stated that Jess had been involved in a train robbery with the Dakota gang and there was a five hundred dollar reward out for him—dead or alive. “Those men in Clarendon hadn’t lied.”

The name was right, but the drawing of Jess was very poor quality.

“Oh, Cade. Breaks my heart. It sure doesn’t look much like him,” Summer remarked.

“But it’s good enough to tell it’s our brother.” And now, they needed more. Cade laid it on the desk and pointed to the cells. “Can we see the prisoners now?”

“Guess it won’t hurt to see what they say.” Dan lifted the ring of keys and they followed him through the door into the row of cells. “This is your lucky day, gentlemen. You have visitors.”

“We don’t want—” George’s attention went to the pie and his eyes widened.

“It’s a pie, Pa,” John whispered loudly.

“I can see, boy.”

Summer stepped closer and Cade put a protective arm around her and said, “We’ll give you the pie in exchange for information about Jess McIntyre.”

George closed one eye and gave them a suspicious side-look. “Jess? What’d you wanna know about him?”

“Where can we find him?” Summer asked. “This pie is baked to perfection, and it smells absolutely divine.”

The three men crowded to the bars, staring and licking their lips.

Anticipation stretched like a rubber band. Cade held out the wanted poster. “He’s our brother and we need to find him.”