Page 50 of Return to Telegraph Creek

“Do you think she was lyin’?”Oscar asked.

Trick spat in the dirt.“Sure, she was.I don’t think everythin’s fine at all.”She scuffed her boot in the dirt and handed me the reins of her horse.“I’m goin’ after her.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I said, worried we might scare Cal off and she’d hide herself away even more than she already was.“I know you want to find out what’s what, but I think we need to give Cal the benefit of the doubt.’Tis possible she was telling the truth.”

“I wanna see where she goes, so’s we can find her another time,” Trick said, stepping away from us.“I promise I won’t get close.I’ll only see what direction she takes when she heads away from town.”

“Fine,” I said.“Don’t let her see you.She’s bein’ cagey, and I don’t know why.She must have a good reason.”

Trick bobbed her head once and walked in the direction Cal had taken.

“We ain’t gonna just go back to The Angel, are we?”Oscar asked, his expression showing concern.

“Well, we need to give Miss June the message from Cal and see what she makes of it.At least we found her.We know she lives around here someplace.”

“Sure, but where?”

“She was on foot, so it can’t be too far.Trick’ll find out the general area and we’ll ride out there tomorrow, see what we can see.

“All right.”

After about ten minutes, Trick rounded the corner of a building and came toward us.

“Did she see you?”Oscar asked.

“Nope.I said I’d be careful.”

“So?”I asked.

“She went East, toward Wildman’s Creek.”Trick shrugged.“I could have followed her all the way home.”

“I know.But let’s give her the respect of believin’ her for now.Tomorrow, we’ll start searching, and if we find her and everything’s as she says, then perfect.”

“And if it ain’t?”Oscar said.

I shrugged and exchanged a look with Trick.

“Then we’ll have to figure out what needs to be done,” I said.“If Cal is lying, I’m sure ’tis not because she wants to.’Tis because she feels she has to, and I wanna know why.”

* * * *

Miss June was thrilled to hear we’d found Cal, but she was as concerned as we were, when we described how Cal had been acting and what she’d told us.

“I don’t like this one bit,” she said.“It doesn’t seem like Cal at all.I wonder if that man who took her and married her is keeping her under his thumb.Especially since he knows Cal has a secret to keep, it gives him something to manipulate her with.I believe that if Cal was free to do as she pleased, she’d have come and paid us a visit.And she would have been happier to see the three of you, and maybe even invited you over to show you her ‘big house and fine property’.Hmph.I don’t like this at all.”

“Me neither,” Trick said.“Doesn’t seem right.”

Miss June glanced at me.“How are you feeling, Jimmy?”

“Fine.You got magic hands, Miss June.”

“You’re not the first person to tell me that, Jimmy.”

Oscar got her meaning and whooped a laugh, slapping me on the back.“Now, now, Jimmy.Don’t you go seducing Miss June.You got your hands full already.”

’Twas a good break from the serious events of the day, and we laughed.

“Well, you rest now, Jimmy,” she said, “since you’re back early.And tomorrow the three of you can ride out and see if you can find Cal’s homestead—maybe have a talk with Mr.Webster.”