In a Round About Kind of Way

In a Round About Kind of Way
No soul alone on mother earth has saw a more colorful sight
Than the living eyes who rise to greet the morning's light

Clive and Mallard had left Hovington as soon as Edison had sent them.  Before they arrived in the presence of Gaston LaFeu they came upon some strangers moving through a clearing of the woods just north of the Lochlan home place.  Mallard was familiar enough with the area there but not with the residents and figured all those fellows creeping around through there were Riverton citizens.  Which of course they weren't but it wasn't until he and Clive had made it to the Langston's old barn that they were told different.  Thorton was the one who saw them approaching the barn but he waited to open the door until Gaston LaFeu identified them.  Once they were inside they saw that Mr. LaFeu and Thorton weren't the only ones present as Edison had said they would be.  More than six other men were now inside the barn but LaFeu himself didn't take the time to introduce any of them besides Thorton. 
Clive spoke first, "Edison said he'd be on his way as soon as he finished checking on West Grove."
LaFeu rubbed the thick stubble growing on his chin and jaw line.  "How many trucks got through?"
"About half at last count" Clive did the answering.  "Another dozen or so were half way there, about ten miles out or so.  Wouldn't take much to get them the rest of the way in though.  As long as those fellows with the paper work get out of the way.  The roads up that way aren't nearly as rutted as these are."
Gaston nodded quietly.  "Is that breakfast?"
Mallard handed the bag to him.  "Yeah, everything we could get together any ways.  The kitchen was closed."
"Thorton, are you hungry?"  Gaston asked.
"Yes, sir" Thorton answered.
Gaston tossed one of the satchels to Thorton.  "Go on and eat then.  I need you to get into Riverton today and find out what's going on there.  You can drive Clive and Mallard in that car of yours.  You boys can leave your horses here." 
Mallard reached into his coat pocket and retrieved the tobacco Edison had sent to Thorton.  "Edison said to give this to you."  Thorton took the bag, the tobacco and thanked Mallard and Clive.  He went to a set of steps that led up to the barn loft and sat down to eat.  While Thorton went on in search of his meal Gaston asked, "did you fellows have any trouble getting through to here?"
"No, but the trail sure was crowded today" Mallard answered him. 
"Crowded?"
"Yes sir, them woods is crawling with Riverton people.  I suppose that's the only way they can get in this far."  Gaston grinned and looked at the others who had joined him and Thorton during the night.  Something about that grin made Clive nervous.  He backed up a few steps in the direction of Thorton to take the other food bag off his shoulders.  Gaston noticed Clive move before he reached Thorton then raised his voice ordering Clive to stop.  "I'll take that.  He don't need that much.  When he gets finished eating you three get on to Riverton.  Don't talk to anyone you don't know and stay out of sight.  Let Thorton there find his friend Hanes so we know what's going on between Madison Longfellow and the good mayor then get your selves back to here.  If somebody tries to stop you, keep your head down, your names to yourself and keep moving.  You got it?" 
Mallard, Clive and Thorton all nodded their agreements in silence.
"Mallard, you think that car of Thorton's will make it all the way through?"
"It should, from here to Riverton is all paved, ain't it?"
Gaston sat down on the hood of the car and started rummaging through the sack for something to eat.  While he did he went on talking.  "And if some of those fellows with papers start waving them in your face what are you going to do?"
"Tell them I'm on my way to Pembrook."
"Uh huh" Gaston pulled out a sandwich, unwrapped it and took a bite.  His mouth was still full of food when he asked, "and you're from where?"
Mallard looked at Gaston then to the unintroduced congregation standing in silence.  "I'm from Pembrook" Mallard answered.  "I've been away working on the railroad in the next state, just trying to make it home to the wife and kids." 
Gaston snickered half heartedly.  "Good answer; alright, well, Thorton get these two on out of here.  Thorton there's going to drop you two off in Riverton and I don't want to see you again until I send word for you."  Gaston slid off the hood of the car, pulled a twenty dollar gold piece out of his pocket then flipped it.  The coin landed between Thorton and Clive's feet.  "Put some gas in this old jaloopy of yours Thorton; Edison will be around in a day or two to pay you, Mallard." 
"You want me and Clive to" Mallard started to ask a question.
"I want you to shut up and take Clive there, get in that car and get out of here.  I don't answer questions from people who work for me."  Mallard could smell the stale smell of liquor still eminating from Gaston as he spoke.  Being a man of strong drink himself, he knew better than to mess with a man who had a hangover.  So he took a step back and waited for Thorton and Clive to move toward the car.  Thorton didn't hesitate.  As soon as he heard Gaston's comment he gathered himself together then started preparing to leave.  Clive followed Thorton's example without speaking at all.  The other group stood watching without moving an inch in any direction.  Thorton told Clive to open the doors while he took the drivers seat to start the car.  Mallard watched the car back out of the barn then started out the door.  "Somebody needs to water them horses" Mallard spoke to the crowd still standing in the barn.  Gaston waved his hand to Mallard then Mallard walked outside to help Clive close the barn doors.  Clive got in the passenger front door, Mallard crawled into the back seat.  A few minutes later the three of them were back on the main road making their way towards Riverton.  Clive was the first one to talk in the car.  "Do you know them fellow's in there with LaFeu" he asked Thorton. 
Thorton kept his eyes on the road but answered the question.  "No, they showed up there just before daylight."
Clive wasn't satisfied with Thorton's answer.  "You ain't ever seen them before?"
"No" Thorton answered again.  "But I ain't ever seen you before either.  I just do what Mr. LaFeu tells me do." 
Clive looked in the backseat at Mallard.  Mallard looked at Clive then decided to join the conversation.  "Well my name's Mallard.  That guy in the seat next to you is Clive.  We've been helping Mr. LaFeu move his freight through over in to West Grove, right outside Hovington."
Thorton kept his statement brief.  "My name's Ari Thorton."
Clive and Mallard looked at each other briefly again.  Clive eased into another question once he realized Thorton wasn't much on conversation.  "Have you worked with Mr. LaFeu for very long?"
"A few months" Thorton returned a reply.
"Do you do transport, driving and such I mean" Mallard continued hoping for some kind of information. 
Thorton answered with a simple, "no."
Realizing that they weren't going to get much of any answer out of Thorton they both settled down for a few minutes as the car moved along the road towards Hovington.  Clive stared out the window watching the landscape pass by then unable to keep his mouth shut he turned to Mallard and said, "I got a bad feeling about this."  When Thorton heard what Clive said he took his foot off the accelerator and glanced towards Clive then back to the road.  Mallard wasn't much on keeping his mouth shut either when it came to being in a bad spot.  "I don't either; them fellows in there looked like they weren't from any where around these parts.  What did Edison say to you about it?  Anything?"
"No, he just said get you and that stuff to LaFeu and he would be on his way later.  He didn't look right when he said it though.  Something ain't right."
Mallard went on to ask, "didn't look right?"
"Said he'd been in his room all day.  But I knowed he wasn't.  Went by there twice looking for him.  No answer at his door.  Not even a squeaky floor board.  Said he's drunk.  Edison ain't no drunk.  Drinks when he eats or don't drink at all.  He was sweaty, had mud on the inside of his pant legs and his boots, smelled like all of outside, supposed to been in his bed all day.  That horse next to mine in the hitching stables was a sweating and stinking and Gaston and them other fellows in that barn were a grinning like a pack of hounds running a rabbit.  I'm telling you Mallard, something ain't right."
Mallard spoke up and ordered Thorton, "Stop the car, Thorton."
Thorton did what he was told without saying a word.  Mallard got out of the car; Clive did the same.  Thorton sat with both of his hands on the wheel looking around wondering what in the world was happening to him.  He and Hanes had only been hired to keep order and delivery messages going through Riverton to find out if Mr. LaFeu had any competitors bidding a lower price.  But yesterday had changed all of that.  He'd pulled a gun on a man who was accusing LaFeu of swindling him.  He'd ran off with LaFeu and Edison leaving his life long friend, Hanes, behind to be shot at.  He hadn't slept a wink since the day before and he hadn't spoken to his wife back home in Rock Flatts since the night before that.  All kinds of things started playing around in his weary mind until he caught the sound of Clive saying, "what if we get into Riverton to find out those boys in that barn pulled some stunt there and want us to do their jail time for them.  Huh?  Edison said to wait for him, LaFeu said 'get out of here until you hear from me', and them old boys in that barn looked way to onry to be there for a business meeting in Hovington."
That's when Mallard said, "They were kind of dressed like them fellows we saw there in the woods too, weren't they?"
That's when Thorton opened his car door to speak up.  "I heard where them fellows were from."  Clive and Mallard looked at Thorton surprised he was talking to them.  Thorton waited for a split second to speak then cleared his dry throat before he said,  "when they got there last night, I stood back like Mr. LaFeu said but I could hear 'em talking."
"Where?"  Mallard asked.
Thorton looked down the road toward Riverton then back to them.  "It maybe better if we go on down the road here a piece to talk.  If you two and them's both moving around in the woods they could be more of them keeping watch on us."  Clive and Mallard looked at each other then agreed with Thorton to get back in the car.  Thorton put the car in drive but didn't bother putting his foot on the accelerator at all.  He just let the car pull along the pavement at it's own speed.  Thorton asked, "you all don't trust Mr. LaFeu, do you?"  Mallard leaned up over the front seat from where he was sitting in the back.  Clive didn't hesitate to answer Thorton's question at all.  "I've got my doubts about him, yeah.  How about you, Thorton?  Do you trust him?" 
"I did, until last night" said Thorton.  "I heard you say something back there outside the car that those boys in the barn might have caused some problems in Riverton and we're all going to get blamed for it.  I think you're right.  Except it wasn't them boys in the barn, it was Mr. LaFeu and I was there too.  So was Edison but we wasn't the one who started the fight, LaFeu was.  He was drunk and madder than a wet hen then this Longfellow person showed up with some sort of papers, and a bunch of guys with guns, and then everything just went crazy." Thorton continued to tell Clive and Mallard all the parts of the story they didn't know, including Edison's role in the whole thing including the conversation where LaFeu had told Edison that he was going to disappear for a few days.  Mallard and Clive didn't really interrupt Thorton much as he was telling them the story but when Thorton mentioned that LaFeu had brought in some other bunch to handle Longfellow instead of himself and Edison then Clive got curious.  "You think it's them fellows that showed up in the barn then?"  Thorton saw a car approaching them on the road so he kept his eyes straight ahead but answered, "I know it is.  Like I said I couldn't tell you their names but they knew LaFeu.  They were talking about how nobody around these parts had seen them coming in and how there was more of them coming in after this bunch.  All of them using the woodland trails, and old mining camps instead of the roads.  Then I heard Gaston say he needed to get rid of all his baggage in Riverton and Hovington too.  That was going to be their job after they finished up with Longfellow and his bunch."
"Did he call any of them by name?  That bunch in the barn I mean?"
"Just one, called him Stokely."
"Stokely?"  Mallard said out loud wanting to clarify that he had heard the name correctly. 
The name meant nothing to Clive so he asked his own question.  "Baggage?  As in?"
"Didn't say" Thorton answered.  "Look fellows, I don't know what all of this is about.  Swear to god I don't.  But after last night, I don't want to either.  I just want to get my buddy Hanes, get back to Rock Flatts and get my family out of there before LaFeu decides me and Hanes are baggage, if you know what I mean."  Clive and Mallard understood perfectly.  And after hearing Thorton's extended story of the events in Riverton they agreed with Thorton too.  The next thing you know Mallard asked, "so this Longfellow probably knows what you look like, right?"  Thorton didn't even have to think about it.  "Yeah, he got a good look at me and Edison both.  But common on, what would you have done if the man who had been paying you was looking down the barrels of that many guns.  I didn't know all of this stuff was going on between LaFeu and Longfellow.  LaFeu fooled everybody there.  Me, Hanes, that Longfellow guy."
"I'd probably did the same thing" said Clive, "if I carried a gun.  Which I don't.  Why were you carrying a gun Thorton?  Was that part of some body guard duties or something?"
"No, no I'm not anybody's body guard.  I told you I only worked as a look out for prospectors trying to get in on Mr. LaFeu's business.  Thought it was easy money making sure no one else was making bids through Riverton for his business.  That's all."
Mallard knew what Thorton meant.  "So LaFeu was just paying you and your buddy to be nosey." 
"Yeah" Thorton sighed.  "The gun, I've always carried since I was a kid.  Rock Flatts ain't as big a place as Riverton and some of these places around here.  It's got a whole lot more wild life roaming around out there; snakes, bears, foxes, wild boars.  Most folks carry something on them in case they have a run in with something like that."
"Even the women?"
"Yeah, hanging laundry on a wash line ain't as problem free out there as it is around here.  We don't have any of these fancy clothing stores or supper shops like Riverton."  Clive and Mallard looked at each other when they realized that Thorton might be the young naïve type, but he sure wasn't stupid plus he knew his way around Rivertown a whole lot better than they did.  "So how do you propose we ride into Rivertown if we're walking into one of LaFeu's tricks?" 
Thorton thought about it.  "Longfellow don't know you two does he?"
"I've never met him" Clive said.  "Edison hired me."
"So you didn't know LaFeu?" Thorton was surprised by Clive's answer.
"I knew him, well I met him a couple of times.  But just on different job sights.  I've known Mallard there longer and a whole lot better than I ever knew LaFeu.  We just get paid as security envoys to bring the supplies in.  Trust me, no one was more surprised than I was when our suppose to be security envoy was handed papers signed by the state's governor to stop all transportation of supplies immediately.  I've been working with Edison and LaFeu for five years doing this kind of work and we ain't never had anything like this happen before.  We just go in, check the roads, scout the routes to make sure they can support the trucks then bring them in.  Some of these small town roads ain't as stout and as wide as other places."
"Ain't that the truth," Mallard's voice spoke up earnestly from the back seat.  "Hey Thorton, Clive, do you two see what I see?"  Clive looked ahead and saw the road in front of them, less than half a mile a way, blocked by a barricade of cars.      
"I see it" said Thorton.  "What do we do?"
"Think you can slow this car down long enough to trade places with me" Mallard asked. 
"I can if Clive holds the wheel." 
"Then don't waste time, get to moving."  So Clive took the steering wheel with his left hand while Thorton slipped from the drivers seat in the front over into the back seat next to Mallard.  He felt his foot kick something and offered an apology.  "Sorry about that." 
"Don't be" said Mallard as he made his move over the seat to the front.  "I'll probably kick you when I" about that time Clive wiggled the wheel slightly because Mallard's body bumped his arm causing the car to swerve.  Mallard struggled to get to the wheel but when he did he straightened him self up enough to drive.  After the small bout of excitement Mallard took a deep breath then said, "Thorton, you still got that gun on you?"
"Yeah" he answered. 
"Alright, cover up with your coat and act like you're asleep.  We'll see if we can get through here with our good looks or not.  Smile Clive, maybe the nice men will think you're pretty."
Now don't think that while Clive, Mallard and Thorton were making all of their adjustments inside the car that the men holding the road block didn't notice the car swerving because they did.  So when Mallard finally eased the car into their presence one of the first questions asked of Mallard was, "what was all that swerving going on back there" from one of the state's deputies sent to help secure the roadways of Riverton.  Mallard didn't have to think before he spoke, "had a hornet fly in the car.  I don't much care for 'em."  The deputy beside his door leaned over and looked into the car.  "Is that why you were driving so slow" he asked.  "Yes, we were trying to get it on out the window before it had the opportunity to remind us it was a hornet."  The officer stepped to the back window and looked at Thorton who was stretched out pretending to be asleep.  "You could have stopped the car" he said.  Mallard was starting to get a little nervous, "I didn't really think about it that way but yeah, you're right. I could have."  A few of the other men standing nearer the parked cars in the road block began walking toward Thornton's.  "You're friend there in the back, is he alright?"  Clive decided he should speak up.  "He's a little hung over.  Went to a bachelor's party last night before we left on our way."  Mallard looked at Clive quickly.  "On your way to where" the officer asked.  It was then Clive noticed the others approaching their car.  "Rosedale, it's up the road some from Pembrook" Mallard answered the question. 
Two of the other men now stood around the officer who had been questioning them.  Three more were standing in front of the car.  "So you boys are from Rosedale, huh?"
"Yes sir.  Work on the railroad lines.  Been over in Springville next to the state line inspecting the new lines through."
"Springville?  I have a few cousins who live over that way; that's quiet a drive from here."
"It sure is" Mallard scooted up in his seat. 
"Well, I'm going to let you boys move on your way then.  But you'll probably have another road block or two to go through before you get home, just so you know."
"Oh that's fine" Mallard answered.  "We ain't in no hurry."
"Alright, drive on then" the officer stepped away from the car and motioned for the others to clear out of the way.  When they did Mallard waited, watching them closely until they had moved their cars out of his way.  Clive was still half way holding his breath as Mallard eased past the assembly of cars and men still standing in the road.  Once they had eased a good ways away from the road block Mallard let out a deep sigh of relief.  Clive looked at him and gulped slightly trying to ward off his anxiety.  "Are they following us?"  Clive asked.  Mallard looked in his rear view mirror, "no, they're all still huddled around their cars." 
"Good" Clive sighed, "I wasn't getting a very good feeling from them were you?"
"Not necessarily no.  Hey Thorton, you can sit up now if you want.  I think we're alright now."  Thorton sat up and looked out the back window.  The view of the road block behind them faded into the land scape as Mallard drove around a small curve.  "Alright boys we need a plan" Mallard said to Clive and Thorton.  "What are we going to do now?" 
"We're going to Riverton and get Hanes out of there" Thorton answered as a matter of fact.  "Then me and him's getting on out of this place before any more bad can happen that we don't know about.  I can give you fellows a ride where ever you need to go too if you want.  I don't mind helping you."  Clive looked at Thorton who was now leaning over the seat of the car to talk.  "I appreciate that Thorton but if things in Riverton are as bad as you said they were last night how do you propose getting your buddy out of there?"  Thorton looked straight ahead out the front windshield.  "I don't know, I guess I'm going to have to sneak in there and find him.  Hopefully he ain't been locked up in no jail or" Thorton let the rest of his thoughts go unspoken.  Mallard glanced in the rear view mirror at Thorton whose eyes were fixated straight away on the road in front of them.  "Them fellows in Riverton don't know me and Clive.  We could get in there and find your friend if we need to."  Thorton thought about it for a few seconds, "yeah, you could but you guys don't know what he looks like or, wait, you could couldn't you?"  The sound of his voice grew excited, "you and Clive could go to the hotel and find out where he is."
"Yeah" Clive answered.  "Just tell us who to ask for and where to look.  It shouldn't be too hard to find him." 
"But what if them folks with Longfellow" Thorton started to question Clive. 
"How about this" Mallard interrupted him, "You can stay out of sight while Clive and I go into Riverton.  We'll snoop around, find your friend, then get on out of this place all together.  We got through that road block didn't we?  I'm pretty sure we can think of enough to find your friend.  What's his name again?"
"Hanes, Phillip Hanes.  We've been staying there at the hotel during the evening and over at the diner and around the post and telephone office during the days."
"Alright then here's what we'll do.  Them folks around there probably know this car don't they?"
"Yeah" Thorton answered Mallard.
"Me and Clive will leave you and the car back out of town a ways and walk in there to find Hanes.  Then we'll meet you back at the car and we can all get on out of here."  Thorton thought about the idea for just a minute then reached into his pants pocket and took out a book of matches.  He pulled four of the matches loose from the center then closed the book and handed it to Clive.  "When you find him, give him that and tell him that's what his momma's smile looked like the day he got married.  He'll know it's me you fellows are with."  Clive took the match book, opened it, and chuckled then showed it to Mallard.  Together the three of them had a good laugh. 
Hanes was sitting in the diner with Elmer Reese and a few others when Mallard and Clive walked in.  Thorton had gave them a good description of Hanes' looks and clothing so when they saw him sitting at the back table, where Thorton said he usually sat, they didn't bother talking to anyone else.  They made their way to the table.  Mallard handed him the match book.  "Somebody told me that's what your momma smiled like on the day you got married."  Hanes knew immediately who they were talking about.  He looked at Reese and the others then said, "do you fellows mind giving me a few minutes with these guys?"  Reese looked Clive and Mallard over with a strong glare then told the other two seated across the table from him and Hanes to move out of the way so Clive and Mallard could sit down.  They did as they were told but Reese refused to leave the table even after Hanes suggested he go with the others.  Reese more or less growled his words when he protested, "I'd rather sit right here."  Mallard didn't pay Reese any attention at all and sat down immediately.  Clive followed him doing the same.  Once the others were away from the table Hanes leaned slightly towards them across the table to lightly speak, "who gave you that?"
"Thorton" Mallard lowered his voice to almost a whisper.  "He's worried about you.  Sent me and him" he nodded towards Clive, "to make sure you were alive and to get you out of Riverton."  One of the diner's waiters approached the table, "good day gentlemen" he spoke as he sat two cups of iced water on the table in front of them.  "Would you like to see a menu?" Clive answered first, "I would."  The waiter removed a flat sheet of folded paper from under his arm handing it to Clive.  "And you sir" the waiter addressed Mallard.  "I'll just look at his, give us a few minutes will you?"  The waiter smiled politely said "of course" then made his way back across the dining room floor.  Clive opened the menu paper while Mallard spoke to Hanes.  "He's just outside town there in the car but he don't plan on staying around here any where.  What ever happened last night got his nerves messed up and he plans on going home this evening.  Wants you to go with him."
Hanes stared at Mallard, "why didn't he come in to town?"
"I told you, he said he left under bad circumstances and didn't want no body asking him any questions about it.  Just wanted to get you, then get out of here.  Mentioned a place called Rock Flatts." 
Hanes nodded slowly then looked between Mallard, who was looking him right in the eye, and Clive who was eyeing the food menu.  "I don't know if I can get out of here without some of these locals calling Longfellow on me."  Mallard raised his eye brows then sat back away from the table.  "That's why we're here.  He helped us out of a bad spot, we're just trying to return the favor.  You can follow us out the same way we came in.  Your friend knew a little place around the corner next to the post office where he said you two use to wait for it to open.  He's parked up that way a piece waiting for you.  Lots of Mulberry bushes up there.  Said you probably had a stain on your coat pocket from them."
Hanes smiled ever so slightly with relief.  "Yeah, yeah I do." 
Mallard finally relaxed knowing Hanes trusted him.  "Yeah well, we're all kind of hungry right now so we're going to get something to eat then go on back that way.  He's giving us a ride home so we said we'd buy him something to eat." 
Reese looked at Hanes to ask, "you're leaving out then?"
"Yeah, you can go with us too if you want" Hanes replied.
Reese looked back at Mallard, "I got my own friends I came in with.  You say there's a way around town to get out without being seen?"
Mallard nodded yes then looked at Hanes, "you're friend there is suppose to know the way."  Hanes looked at Reese confirming what Mallard said, "yeah, just up over the hill back there.  How many road blocks that other bunch got on the roads," he asked Mallard.  "We only saw two as we were on our way here, but now that was from over towards Hovington.  Don't know about the rest of the roads going the other way."  Hanes listened closely then said, "well Longfellow told us fellows that stayed in the hotel last night that we were free to go.  But Thorton took off with LaFeu; Longfellow's bunch is looking for who ever ran out of there last night including Thorton and Edison.  Put some of his men to drawing up pictures of them to hunt them down.  I ain't so much worried about me as I am Thorton.  If we get stopped and they got a picture of him they'll get all of us."  Clive handed the menu to Mallard, "we can fix that" he said as Mallard took the menu from him.  "We passed two of them road blocks on the way here, no body had any pictures when we had to stop to talk to them, and we can dirty him up some if we need to to make him look like somebody else before we leave.  That way if we do meet up with somebody with his picture we can get through.
Reese spoke rather solemnly, "you sure about that?"
"Yes, I am" Mallard injected his opinion quickly.  "It'll be better than sitting around here waiting on LaFeu to start fingering us for all his shenanigans and illegal activity.  I'm not sure what's really going on around here but I know enough to know that when somebody like Mr. Longfellow gets his family to call out their state boys to do their muscle work, there's going to be a mess and somebody in trouble is going to blame everybody but theirselves for what ever's wrong; and you know that too.  We all do.  Were you there last night when LaFeu jumped Longfellow's men?"  Reese nodded quietly.  Mallard didn't really wait for him to talk again.  "Well, was that the plan LaFeu had you working on?  Or were you like Hanes and Thorton, just thrown into some big scandal that you still don't know any kind of fact giving details about?  Because I'll tell you something mister, Gaston LaFeu has a brand new bunch of boys sitting up the road there towards Hovington looking like they're fixing to blindside anybody and everybody Gaston LaFeu tells them to; and that ain't no joke.  We saw them ourselves in the woods staked out all over the place.  Now if you want to wait around here to see what kind of work you can find when things settle down, I wouldn't advise it.  Gaston has too many spoons stirring the pot for any of us to really know what he's cooking."  Reese didn't say anything else.  Neither did Hanes outside of, "well, let's get some food and get on out of here then.  I'll buy Thorton's, we got a long ride ahead of us." 
The next time any of them said anything besides, "pass the salt," was when they were walking back towards the car where Thorton was waiting on them.  Hanes didn't even bother to go back to the hotel for his clothes when he left the diner.  Rather he told Reese he could have the room him and Thorton had been staying in until the end of the week when the rent was up.  Hanes allowed Reese and another friend of his, Jose Sanchez, to follow them so they would know the way out of town the back way.  However they followed behind Clive, Mallard and Hanes by a few yards as to not draw any unwanted attention to themselves as they went.  Hanes left a paper trail behind him as he walked with napkins he brought from the diner.  Once they made it to the car they skipped the goodbyes and loaded up to leave.  Hanes took the driver's seat because Thorton was so tired from not sleeping that he really didn't want to drive.  Mallard and Clive seated themselves in the back seat.  Hanes waited until he saw Reese and Sanchez making their way up from the bottom of the hill before he started the car to leave.  Reese and Sanchez watched as the car moved out of it's position and disappeared.  They walked on up to where it had been parked.  Hanes left a napkin on the ground with a note written on it that said, "take care, keep the clothes in the room if you can wear them."  Reese showed the napkin to Sanchez then scouted the lay of the land in front of him noticing that the road was still a good seventy five to eighty yards away from where the car had been parked.  Sanchez didn't speak.  Reese didn't say much either except for, "well, that's that.  Let's get back to town."
By the time they had made it all the way back the sun was just starting to touch the top of the trees well on it's way to sunset.  Reese really had no plans of staying to the end of the week knowing that Madison Longfellow and his group had now taken over the entire Riverton area.  Reese wasn't going to hold his breath waiting for Gaston LaFeu to show back up either; especially since Mallard had told him about the neatly formed militia wondering around at LaFeu's command.  His only plan was to get a good nights sleep, cut his loses, and get on back to the Bridge Port area before anyone else could make plans for him.  He had made a good living as a carpenter in those parts and knew that he would have better luck there finding work than he would anywhere near Riverton or Hovington for the next year or more.  Thinking about it almost made him chuckle out loud as he walked.  There he had been, tired of the big city bustling noises of it's highways and byways looking for a nice small town to move to,  settle down, do some nice work, possibly find a wife and enjoy a nice open view of the country side.  Found an add in the evening news paper, applied and was hired.  Packed up his apartment, left his dog with his brother and his family and headed to Riverton to wait on the rest of his work crew and foreman.  Now he'd be lucky to get the approval of Madison Longfellow to leave town because he pulled a gun on him and his entourage thinking they were there to rob Gaston LaFeu of his work crew and enterprise.  He felt like a fool right up until he and Sanchez started to round the corner by the post office and he saw Edison Saville walking across the road from the diner on his way toward the auto livery garage.  Reese grabbed Sanchez's arm bringing him to a stop.  "Sanchez, isn't that LaFeu's main man there?"  Sanchez looked better in the direction Reese mentioned, "from here, could be" Sanchez answered.  "Let's get a better look" Reese instructed him then changed directions following Edison at a safe distance.  Sanchez wasn't as keen on the idea as Reese was.  After a couple of steps Reese realized Sanchez wasn't following him.  He stopped to look back, "no" he asked.  "No" Sanchez answered, "I'm going to room."  Reese didn't say anything else neither did Sanchez.  Sanchez walked away first then Reese looked back in the direction he had last saw Edison Saville.  By that time Edison was on the side walk on the opposite side of the street going in the direction of the hardware store.  Reese moved as quick as he could across the street having to stop twice to avoid being hit by oncoming cars.  One of the drivers who stopped blowed their horn as he crossed in front of them and shouted, "go home trouble maker!"  Reese shook off the startling event then turned to see the door to the hardware store closing.  He didn't bother responding to the driver who shouted at him.  He simply put his hands in his pockets, ducked his head and moved on through the traffic to the sidewalk behind the city square.  He thought about the direction Edison would probably take next after the hardware store then decided he would wait to see what Edison did first before trying to confront him.  A small newspaper stand sat at the end of the side walk so Reese made his way to the stand, bought a paper then went to a bench in the mid town square to wait.  After he sat down he began wondering about what he wanted to say to Edison knowing everything Mallard and Clive had told him earlier.  In all honesty he wasn't looking for a fight, he only wanted to know if Edison and LaFeu were still intending on reimbursing him the money he had paid out of his own pocket for the hotel and travelling expenses like they had previously agreed.  His small savings had dwindled over the past few days and he needed the money he was supposed to be paid to make his way back to Bridge Port.  He propped the newspaper up as though he was reading but kept his eyes intently set on the hardware store.  He took another look around trying to guess which way Edison would go then figured his location was good enough to catch up to him either way.  However, from the way Edison Saville had be skulking through town as he walked Reese figured he himself was sneaking around Riverton trying not to be noticed; and would probably make his way back the same way he went first.  A warm breeze picked up moving a few stray pieces of paper across the grass in front of him.  He looked up at the sky to see more rain clouds gathering above him.  "Is that all it does in this place, rain" he heard his own voice ask out loud.  When he did he looked around to see if anyone else might have heard him.  But no one but himself was seated or walking any where close to him.  He fixed his eyes on the hardware store and waited.  An hour past, then another twenty minutes ticked away.  The heavy traffic that had been there before was now at a slower, lower pace. The stores around town were either cleaning up their front sidewalk displays to close, or turning on their sidewalk and porch lights to alert would be potential shoppers that they were still open for a few more hours.  A few minutes later the sidewalk lights lit up all at once highlighting Riverton's small town by night.  Only minutes later did Elmer Reese see the person he believed to be Edison Saville exit the hardware store carrying a large bag in his left hand.  Reese kept the newpaper in his hand but folded it up to take along with him.  He watched Edison walk down the sidewalk in the same direction he had watched him walk up it but this time Edison walked across the road towards the car garage one street away from the square.  Reese watched intently as Edison disappeared behind the building on the dimmer lit side of the street rather than the main street that lead through town where all the street lamps were brightly shining.  The livery showed no signs of any life inside or out.  As a matter of fact that's when Reese remembered that the car garage had been closed for the past two days since he had been there.  He tucked the newspaper under his arm.  He crossed the road as quickly as possible then made his way to the sidewalk on the side of the garage.  Just before he rounded the corner of the building he stopped to make sure no one would see him.  He peeped around the corner at the same time he heard the sound of shattering glass.  Reese stepped back quickly hoping that he hadn't been seen by whoever was trying to get into the building.  He held his breath to smooth his breathing from panting loudly then let out a controlled, slow, even breath.  From where he was standing he could hear the shuffling sounds of what sounded like boxes being dragged across the pavement then he eased himself carefully to look back at the scene happening behind the garage.  There he saw a pair of legs flailing from the side of the building indicating that whoever was trying to break into the garage had found a partial success.  Once the legs had cleared away from the outside of the building Reese began to rethink his decision to follow whom ever they belonged to.  For one, he wasn't sure that it was in fact Edison Saville from the distances he had viewed him from.  Then secondly, if it was indeed Edison Saville and he was pulling another scheme off for Gaston LaFeu, there's no telling what he would do to Reese if Reese confronted him.  Reese waited a few more minutes then gathered his courage and went on around the side of the building.  He eased himself past the window, crouching down, moving as quietly as he could to find a hiding place among a stack of used tires piled behind the building between the building and a wooden fence that seperated the car livery from the next street behind it.  Once there, he waited.         
On the inside Edison Saville was sure enough making his way through Charles Samuels business.  He held a small flash light in one hand and the bag of tools he had purchased earlier in the other hand.  The room he had entered, once he crawled through the window, was filled with crates of everything from motor oil to transmission fluid to brake fluid.  Edison stopped long enough to realize the door to the room he had entered was locked with a key and had no interior knob on the inside of the door to unlock the door from where he was.  Neither did it have a window to break.  But that didn't stop him from making progress.  He reached into the bag of items he had purchased at the hardware store and pulled out a small crow-bar.  It took him a few minutes in the room that was alit by the flashlight, to position the bar appropriately between the door and the wall frame. When he applied the first pry of pressure, the door popped loose from it's locked position easily.  He raised the flashlight in his hand then stepped carefully into the next room where a car sat on the inside surrounded by a wall shelf covered with various belts, a grease gun, and several large wrenches.  Edison made his way over to the shelf shining his light over the various items hanging above and scattered along the flat surfaces.  He stopped momentarily to shine his light around the rest of the room.  When he did his light pierced through my vision surprising me and him both.  "Hold it right there" he sternly commanded.  "Now" he lowered his voice trying not to sound as threatening as the situation appeared to be.  "I ain't trying to hurt nobody.  I thought this place was closed up and I need a part for my car.  Thought you might have it in stock over here.  Was going to leave some money for it on the counter."  I wanted to answer him somehow but in all honesty my voice had stopped right in the middle of my throat and I couldn't say a word.  He lowered his light from shining directly in my face then said, "my alternator is out.  I came by a couple times and this place was locked up.  I ain't got no other way to get one so if you could help me out I'd sure appreciate it.  I'll pay you double if you just help me out so I can get my car fixed." 
Talk about feeling like a deer caught in somebody's headlights.  There I stood with Edison Saville's light shining right in my face and Bryce Thatcher underneath the garage waiting on me to return with the tool kit Charles told him to get from the shop.  However I was the one standing in Edison's light because Bryce didn't know anything about Charles' shop so I was the one who volunteered to go up to get it while Bryce gathered the other items Charles requested from the safe room underneath his place.  "What's your name" Edison asked.  I didn't know whether I should answer him or not.  But I knew one way or the other I was going to have to answer him because if I tried to get back to the hatch in the next room he could follow me.  "Take what you want.  Just go" I said as clearly as my voice would allow.  Edison raised his light back to my face then scanned it down my clothes.  "Say that again" he said.  Once was enough I thought.  His light landed back in my face again then he lowered it so he wouldn't interfere with my vision.  "My name's Edison, Edison Saville.  What's yours?" 
"Penelope Lochlan" I finally managed to sound like my normal self.
"Well I'm real sorry about this Penelope" he started walking slowly towards me lowering his flashlight as he walked.  "Like I said I'm just looking for an alternator for my car.  Had a brand new battery go out because the alternator wasn't charging it right.  Now my car won't even turn over enough for the headlights to shine.  Lochlan you say?"  He stopped a little less than three feet from where I was standing and I could see his face for the first time from the light in his hand.  "Do you work here Penelope?"
"No" was all I said in response to his question. 
"Well then what are you doing here?"
"My friend Charles is out of town.  This is his place.  He asked me to stop by and get some things for a friend of his and feed the cat."
"Cat?"  Edison seemed surprised or was just biding his time and I wasn't sure which it was.  About that time Bryce's voice sounded from the other room.  "Penelope!  Are done up here yet?  I think I got everything from down" when Bryce stepped into the room Edison made one quick move and grabbed me by the arm jerking me into a grappled hold with my arm behind my back.  He wrapped his other arm around my neck and shoulders applying pressure to my chest at the same time.  "Hold it right there"  Edison threatened Bryce as soon as he walked through the door where we were.  Bryce stopped solid in his tracks.  "Turn the lights on" Edison ordered.  "Turn them on!"  Bryce held his hands out slowly and turned his face away from the blinding light Edison was shining in his face.  "Easy mister," Bryce pleaded.  "I can't see anything with that light in my face."  Edison lowered his light slightly.  "Find the lights" he commanded Bryce again.  "I don't know where they are.  Honest mister I don't."  Edison then tightened his grips on me, "alright, Penelope, where's the light switch?" 
"I don't know either" I answered him. 
"What do you mean you don't know?"  He was starting to lose his calm demeanor from when we first caught sight of each other. I could feel him growing nervous and angry, breathing hot breaths down my neck and shoulder.  "I don't know" I calmly replied again.  "That's what I was looking for when you made all that noise over there.  I have a light there, on the floor.  I dropped it when you startled me."  Edison looked around on the floor and saw my small flashlight laying there just as I had said it was. 
"You, get her flashlight and find the light switch." 
Bryce stepped over to where my light was laying on the floor and picked it up.  He began shining it along the walls beside the door he was standing next to.  He finally saw the power box on the wall and pushed the lever up turning on two large lights inside the garage stall.  "Alright, now, let Penelope go" Bryce requested.  Edison didn't offer to loosen his grip.  "I don't think so" he said, "not yet any way.  You're going to help me find an alternator then I'll let her go.   Is anybody else in there" Edison looked toward the office door that Bryce had just entered from.  "No" Bryce said, "it's just me and her." 
"Just you and her" Edison pried again with a hint of sarcasm seeping into his voice.
"Yes, just me and her.  Let her come over here with me."
"I don't think so" Edison's voice sounded much louder now.  "Close that door."  Bryce did what he said without hesitating or replying.  "Now where would somebody like Charles keep an alternator" Edison queried Bryce.  Bryce looked me in the eyes, his own worry plainly showing, then looked at Edison.  "Look mister, I don't know who you are, I don't know what you want or why you're doing this but I'm telling you right now I don't know anything about what's under the hood of any car.  I know how to put gas in them, I know how to drive them.  But other than that I couldn't tell you what an alternator is or what one even looks like.  So if you want one you need to let her go then go on and find what you're looking for because I couldn't help you find one even if I wanted to."
Edison didn't like his answer.  "Well ain't that just too bad for you.  Because she's going to be right here with me until it's found or I'm going to drag her out of here myself until you can come up with one.  Now, open the door of that car there."  Bryce walked over to where the empty car was sitting in the stall and opened the door.  Edison asked him, "are there any keys in it?"  Bryce leaned into the car then stood back up.  "No, I don't see any." 
"I know what an alternator looks like" I spoke up quickly.
Bryce's eyes turned to me.  Edison spoke, "you" he huffed out loud when he spoke.  "Penelope Lochlan knows what an alternator is" he taunted me as if he didn't believe what I was trying to tell him.  "It's mounted on the side of the motor" I continued ignoring his mockery.  "It's shaped kind of  like an oil filter, only bigger, with a pulley on it.  Has a belt on it and a cable that attaches to a relay that goes to the battery."
Bryce looked pleased with my answer and grinned. Edison was surprised.  I felt him slightly loosen his grip on my arm before he asked me, "how'd you know that?"
"My father taught me.  He use to let me help him fix things." 
"Did he teach you how to dress too?"  Edison wasn't giving up his superiority complex.  But in all honesty I wasn't very intimidated by his mouthing off either.  "I'm wearing his hat" was the answer I gave to his question.  "Alright then, since you know what I'm looking for I'm going to let you go a little bit and you're going to help me find it.  You" he turned his attention to Bryce, "you're going to go over there by that big sliding door and you're going to stay out of my way; and you're not going to do anything stupid or this little woman right here is going to be in a whole world of hurt.  Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
Bryce had had enough of Edison's mouthy threats.  "I understand, but you better understand that if you do anything to hurt her you'd better be ready for more than you think I can do and what all those people on the other side of that door would want to do to you if you did."
"Oh, all those people.  People like Charles Samuels?  Is this his place?"  Edison's anxiety was starting to get the best of him.  I could feel his hand starting to turn sweaty on my forearm that he held behind my back.  "Wasn't he the one heckling her in the city hall building the other day?"  Edison stopped talking then turned his face towards me.  "With friends like that I wouldn't waste my time trying to protect their property.  Now, me and you are going to go over here to look for an alternator."  He started to move turning me in the direction of the car he had had Bryce inspect for keys.  His grip on my arm relaxed but he tightened his hold on my chest sliding his arm up higher closer to my neck and collar bone.  "You, get over here and open the hood on this car."  Edison commanded Bryce.  "You know how to do that don't you?" 
Bryce started walking back towards the car.  Edison instructed him on how to open the hood then told him to go back to where he had been standing before.  Bryce did exactly as he was instructed.  Edison positioned me between himself and the front of the car.  "Alright, do you see an alternator on this thing?"
"Yeah but unless you have the same type of car it might not work."
"Ah, very good Penelope.  You do know a little something about cars don't you.  Well today must be my lucky day because that's the kind my car needs and you, you're going to help me take that one off of there."
I tried to change his mind.  "Why don't you just jump start the car?"
"What?  What do you mean jump start the car?"
"If you don't have any keys all you have to do is use a screw driver to unlock the steering column then roll the car off and pop the clutch.  It should start right up."  As soon as the last word left my mouth I saw Bryce lunge at us both from the side of the car.  Edison and I both hit the floor hard with Bryce landing on top of us both.  When I felt Edison's grip on me loosen I scrambled to get up off the floor.  Bryce was on top of him wallowing him on the floor.  While the two of them struggled on the ground I looked for something to pick up for protection in case Edison was the first one to get back up.  A sharp pain traveled across the top of my shoulder across my collar bone.  I saw a claw hammer laying on a small shelf next to the wall and went to grab it.  "Penelope, run!"  Bryce shouted while still trying to hold Edison to the ground.  I looked at Bryce then at the hammer I had in my hand.  We needed help.  "Go!"  Bryce demanded again.  This time I did what he said.  There was a small door at the back of the room so I made a straight dash for the back of the building.  It took me a couple of seconds to get the door to unlock.  My left shoulder was starting to throb with pain.  Just as I turned the handle and pushed the door open I felt someone grab me around the waist trying to drag me down.  I used my right foot to kick whoever was behind me then pushed the door open but fell to the ground when I landed outside.  My face hit the pavement but with all the adrenaline running through me I barely felt it.  The next thing I knew two more bodies landed on the ground beside me.  I got on my knees in the dark night air and tried to stand up.  When I did I stumbled and fell against a stack of tires piled behind the building.  Then in one sudden moment I felt someone else pull me backwards and cover me with their arms.  I could hear Bryce and Edison struggling. I heard something fall and crash against the building then I felt the arms that had hold of me move off of me and a voice say, "stay right here."  A dark shadow of a man rose to his feet and approached Bryce and Edison who were still mauling each other on the ground.  I felt something warm running down my lips and chin then tasted my own blood.  The male shadow waited for a minute then pulled one of the men up off the ground.  The light from the open door spilled into the back alley where we all were.  When Bryce stepped into the light I could see his surprise at the stranger who was there.  The man picked Edison up to his feet by his collar then threw two solid punches to Edison's face.  I watched Edison's knees buckle under him and he dropped like a sack of walnuts to the ground.  Bryce and the unknown shadow stood completely still, neither of them flinching a muscle, until the man said, "check on your friend there, get 'em inside in the light.  I'll drag this one in behind you.  Then we'll call for help."  Bryce didn't wait a second before he came to my side. 
"Penelope?  Dear God, are you hurt?"  He put his arm around my shoulders.
"Yeah, a little" I answered.  "Alright, it's alright, I'm going to get you inside.  Here, can you walk?"  He put his arm around my waist and helped me back to my feet.  "Yeah, I can walk.  Are you alright?"  Bryce put my right arm around his neck then gripped me around the waist and picked me up off my feet.  "I'm fine" he said as he carried me through the back door.  "Who is that?"  I asked about the man who had helped him stop Edison Saville.  "I have no idea" he answered.  "Never saw him before a day in my life." 
Once we were inside he carried me to a chair that sat next to the office door.  He put me down on my feet then told me to sit in the chair.  "Oh no, you're bleeding, alot.  Sit here, I'll get something to stop that."  As Bryce moved out of my view I saw Edison being dragged in through the door by our helpful stranger.  The man laid Edison out on the floor then looked around long enough to find a small chain in the corner of the room.  He picked up the chain then went to Edison and proceded to wrap it around him.  Bryce came back in the room with a small first aid kit.  He squatted down in front of me as I watched the stranger tangling the rope around our prowler.  "This might sting a little" Bryce said to me as he began softly dabbing my check around the side of my mouth.  "Wait here, hold this here.  Tilt your head back, you're nose is bleeding too." He put my hand on the wad of cotton gauze he was trying to clean my face with then he left the room again.  When he did the man who had helped us started walking toward me.  I turned my head away from him.  Bryce came back in the room, "we need to let you lay down.  Here, stretch out on the floor," he helped position me to lay down.  "Put this under her head" the man told Bryce.  He handed Bryce a jacket that had been rolled up to use as a pillow.  Bryce put the jacket on the floor and eased my head softly onto the pillow.  He handed me a cold rag, "hold that on your nose and apply as much pressure as you can stand.  But don't hurt yourself to do it, just a little squeeze will do."  None of us spoke again for several minutes while Bryce cleaned my face.  His kind eyes kept looking into mine as he did looking to see if his touch was hurting me.  I noticed the side of his nose and left eye starting to swell underneath.  I reached up with my hand to touch his face gently.  "Thank you" I whispered softly.  He smiled at me then winked.  After a few more minutes the strangers voice interrupted the silence.  "Is there a telephone here so we can call the authorities?"  Bryce turned his attention to the stranger.  "Yes, there in the office on the desk."
"Well if the young lady there is alright you should probably go on and call them before that fellow over there wakes up.  I'd hate to have to knock him back out just to keep him shut up.  Men like him get fussier than a baby when they wake up in the mess they made."
Bryce looked at me, "here, let's check this nose."  I moved my hand away from the cloth and he gently removed the rag from my nose.  Then he took some cleaning gauze to softly wipe my nose and top lip.  "There now, that's much better.  It's stopped."  He smiled slightly.  "Here, let's try sitting you up to make sure."  I lifted my head up off the jacket to sit up.  My shoulder and collar bone area protested my moving them with a jolt of discomfort.  When I responded to the pain Bryce noticed.  "What is it?  You're head?" 
"No, my shoulder.  I landed on it pretty hard when you jumped us." 
"I am so sorry" he said, "I didn't want to hurt you but I didn't know what else to do. Even if we did everything he said he wasn't going to let you go.  He was going to drag you out of here for protection so I wouldn't call for help." 
"It's alright, Bryce, really.  I'll be okay and I'm not mad.  I thought the same thing you did actually."
He looked at my face intently inspecting every aspect of it.  He raised the cloth back up to the side of my mouth pressing it softly.  "Try not to talk, your lips are still bleeding.  Can you hold this?"  He placed my hand on the gauze.  "I need to make that phone call.  If your nose starts bleeding again lay back down, alright, and hold this rag on it again.  I'll be right back."  He stood to his feet then went toward the office.  I noticed him moving rather tenderly on his right foot as he moved into the office.  I looked down at my clothes noting that my shirt was now probably ruined because of all of the blood from my mouth and my nose.  I had ripped the right knee of my pants when I fell outside and they too were covered with blood from the obvious skinned knee underneath.  The unknown man who helped us squatted down in front of me, "this is probably cleaner than" when I looked up to view his face he stopped talking.  My head felt a little swimmy and my eyes took a few seconds to adjust to see him clearly.  His mouth opened slightly.  His eyes stared deep into mine.  Neither of us spoke at first then he handed me a clean handkerchief, "take this" he said with a lightly strained voice.  I took the cloth from his hand but still couldn't look away from his gaze.  "Thank you" I replied not only for his offering but for helping Bryce and I.  "For everything."  His countenance turned softer.  "If you don't mind me asking, what is your name" he wanted to know.
"Penelope" I answered.
"Penelope what?"
"Lochlan, Penelope Lochlan sir." 
He smiled kindly.  "Penelope Lochlan, that's a very pretty name.  My name is Elmer Reese." 
There was something so familiar about his face that it mesmerized me.  I guess some people might have been uncomfortable in that situation but for a few minutes the both of us just sat there in silence searching each other's face as if we had known each other for years.   
"It's nice to meet you Mr. Reese."
"The pleasures all mine Penelope.  I take it you're from the Riverton area."
"Yes sir.  Grew up here, lived here my whole life."
"And your folks, what are their names?"
"Percival and Glenda Lochlan" I answered. 
"So you're not married to that scrappy young man who's nursing you?"
I couldn't help but laugh a little before I answered him, "no, that's just Bryce.  We went to school together when we were kids.  We're just friends."
Mr. Reese eyes wrinkled around the corners when he smiled, "well he's a good friend to have around then ain't he?" 
"Yeah" I replied to his comment.  Then again the two us just sat there looking at each other's faces.  I wanted to tell him that I had seen him somewhere before, I was almost sure of it, but in my mind I just couldn't recall any logical time when that might have been or even where.  Bryce re-entered the room and spoke breaking my attention away from Mr. Reese.  "I called my father, he's going to let everyone know what's going on over here.  Someone should be here in a few minutes."  
Mr. Reese stood back to his feet.  "Ms. Penelope here tells me that your name is Bryce."
"Yes sir, Bryce Thatcher" he extended his hand to Mr. Reese as a formal greeting.  Reese accepted his greeting with a firm handshake and then introduced himself.  "Elmer Reese, Mr. Thatcher.  It's a pleasure to meet you although I wish the circumstances had been different." 
"As do we" Bryce looked down at me.  "How are you feeling?"
"A little tender in places but I'll be alright.  Help me up will you?"
"Sure" Bryce stooped down by my side, "put your arm around my neck."  I did as he said and seconds later I was back on my feet standing.  It was then that I notice Edison Saville moving around across the room.  "Bryce" I nodded in the direction where Edison was sitting all tied up on the floor.  Bryce softly moved my arm away from his neck and released me.  "I have half a mind to knock him around until he falls back out." 
"No" I said before I thought.  "Enough blood has been spilled around here." 
Bryce looked at me surprised at what I'd said.  "Yeah but that was yours, not his."  He didn't even try to hide the anger that he was feeling.
"Then leave it that way" I looked at Edison again who was starting to struggle against the chain Mr. Reese had bound him with.  The next sound we all heard was a loud knocking on the door in the office.  Then Allan Thatcher and Russell Martin came through the back door that had been left open.  "Bryce!"  Allan ran towards his brother.  Russell stopped next to Edison who was still sitting on the floor.  Allan grabbed his brother in an embrace then stepped back.  "Are you alright" he asked.  "Yeah, yeah I'm fine but" Bryce looked at me, "she's not." 
"I'm fine Allan" I rebutted.  Allan looked at my face, which I hadn't saw since my tumble out the door.  "Damn" he said when he looked at me.  "Did he do that?"  Allan pointed towards Edison.  "No" I tried to answer him but Bryce had something different to say about it.  "Yes he did.  She was trying to get out the door there and he dragged her down before she could get out."  Mr. Reese looked at me then at Allan and Bryce but didn't say anything.  "Who's that?"  Allan asked when he noticed Mr. Reese wasn't someone he knew.  "That's Elmer Reese.  I'm not sure where he came from but if he hadn't have showed up that guy over there would have probably got away from me and dragged Penelope off to God knows where."  There was another loud pounding on the front door of the garage before Allan said, "I'll get that.  Let her sit down over here in this chair."  Bryce took me by the arm and offered me the chair.  I sat down.  Mr. Reese stood where he was at watching all the commotion.  Only seconds later Allan returned with a few others.  Bryce did all of the talking while I sat listening.  Most of them greeted me asking how I was feeling then spoke to Mr. Reese about his part in the event. 
Mr. Reese's story was thus, he had been hired as a construction worker by Edison Saville on behalf of, he believed when he arrived in Riverton, Madison Longfellow.  However he had learned otherwise last night from Mr. Longfellow himself at the hotel.  As I listened to his story I couldn't help but wonder how many others had been swindled by Gaston LaFeu's masquerade as a prominent member of Madison Longfellow's businesses.  Mr. Reese went on to say how he had happened upon our scuffle with Edison Saville this very evening.  He even went as far as to describe what he saw of the fight himself.  That is when I learned that it was him that had pulled me away from the tires that had been knocked over when I fell trying to get away from Edison.  Allan, Bryce and the others listened as close as I did.  They thanked him for his intervention into the matters of this evening then asked him to please stay in town, at their expense, until they could clear up all the details properly.  Mr. Reese cordially agreed stating that he still had a room at the hotel until the end of the week.  He gave them the room number and left an open invitation with them to check his story.  After everyone was satisfied with all the information they had gathered Allan and the others decided to take Edison Saville to the city hall building until someone could arrive to handle the situation better.  According to Russell and Allan most of the local deputies were still assisting the state officers control the road situation in and around the Riverton, Hovington areas and all points in and out of the county.  Then they took Edison out the back door, still wrapped in the chain Mr. Reese had wrapped him in, and left the garage. 
"Well, thank you again Mr. Reese" Bryce addressed him.  "I need to get Ms. Lochlan here over to the doctor's house to have him take a look at her.  Father was suppose to call him and let him know we would be arriving as soon as possible."
"Bryce, I don't need a doctor" I interjected into his statement because I didn't like the idea.
"Father insisted" Bryce replied.  "Besides if you could see you right now you'd be saying different.  Dad was going to contact your mother as well so she could meet us there.  Allan and the others are going to come back here and secure the building for Charles.  But I'm suppose to take you on to see Dr. Garrett. Now come on, it's been a long day for all of us and I know you must be exhausted."
"I'll help you get her there" Mr. Reese insisted.  "Looks like you could us a little help yourself young man." 
"Thanks" Bryce said.  "Now that you mention it, my foot don't feel as good as it usually does.  I think I might have sprained it outside there." 
"Alright then, you lead the way and I'll assist Ms. Lochlan along." 
Allan had left his own car for Bryce to use to go to Dr. Garrett's.  Bryce's foot was really bothering him so he asked Mr. Reese to do the driving.  I was seated on the passenger side of the car in the front seat and Bryce crawled his way into the back.  It took less than five minutes to pull around the town hall and find a parking space in front of the good doctor's house.  Dr. Garrett was sitting on his front porch with his wife, Mrs. Hazel Garrett, when we arrived.  He stood to his feet immediately then made his way towards the car.  Bryce was the first one out of the car to greet him.  Dr. Garrett opened my door and looked inside, "oh my dear yes, you have had a rough go of it haven't you.  Alright, Hazel help me get this young lady inside.  Bryce you don't look very good either, can you manage yourself?"
"Yes, just a little slower than usual."
"Alright well then, let's go, you have her there Hazel?  On three, ready, one, two, three" and with their help I stood up easily.  The discomfort in my shoulder and collar bone were more intense when Dr. Garrett  tried to move my left arm where he could help me walk.  I resisted his help and told him that it hurt too much to move.  "I fell on it" I explained.  "Rather Bryce, and the man he was trying to tackle fell on me when I fell on my shoulder."  Dr. Garrett grimaced.  "Oh well then, let's try this" he readjusted my arm closer to my body telling me to put my hand and arm inside my shirt until we were inside.  He helped me make the adjustment and the pain started to ease.  "Better that way" he asked.  "Yes sir" I answered.  "Okay, let's get you inside there so I can get a better look at you."  The rest of the way into the house was uneventful.  I was escorted into a large room with a small examination table on one side of the room that sat between two tall glass door shelves.  A large bright light hang above the table and was already on when we entered the room.  "Do you think you can sit up here for me?  There's a step there if you need it." 
I moved up the step to sit down on the table.  "Hazel, get her a clean gown so I can look at that shoulder better.  I'll take a look at Bryce then be right back.  Oh and uh, clean up her face some there if you can."  He examined the rest of me visually through his thick black frame glass lensed glasses. "Looks like that leg there might need washed out too" he said then turned and left the room closing the door behind him.  I heard him speak to Bryce on the other side of the door, and Bryce introducing Dr. Garrett to Mr. Reese.  Mrs. Hazel opened one of the tall cabinets.  She took out a long gown, a thick white blanket, and a wash pan from the bottom shelf.  Then she went to the other cabinet to find a bottle of peroxide, a long towel, a wash cloth and a box of cotton gauze.  "Here darling, let me help you change out of that shirt.  You look a fright.  I can't believe the nerve of some people these days" she talked while she unbuttoned my shirt and helped slip it over my arms and back.  When she saw my collar bone near my shoulder she made a strained face.  "I suppose that does hurt" she said rather compassionately then proceeded to say, "I'll need to remove your bra too dear one" then went around to unfasten it in the back.  "You've lost a lot blood haven't you?  Soaked clean through to your skin looks like."
"I'm not sure what I look like" I told her.  "I haven't saw my face since it all happened." 
Before she removed the shoulder straps of my bra from their position she offered me the blanket she had retrieved from the cabinet earlier.  "Here sweetie, let's put this around you so you don't get a chill."  She helped me cover up with the blanket then slipped the straps of my bra off my shoulders, down my arms then out from under the blanket.  "Would you like to see a mirror" she asked "to see what's happened?  It might help you understand people's reactions later.  With scraps and bruising like that your face will probably swell a little under your eyes and mouth; probably around your jaw there too."
"Sure" I said curious as to what I would see. 
She went to the cabinet again to find a mirror.  When she stepped back in front of me she looked at me gently, "when you're ready" she said.  "I'm ready" I responded then she lifted the mirror and stepped to the side of me where she could keep the mirror in a place that I could view it.  One glimpse of my face was enough to make any body gasp.  "It looks worse than it feels" I said out loud.  She lowered the mirror held in her hands.  "Ease the blanket down there some and I'll show you your shoulder."  I did as she said then took in the sight.  It had turned a dark blue color and the bone that use to look straight had formed a large knot on the top of it.  "Alright" I said then she took the mirror away.  "Waylon can tell you more than I can" Mrs. Hazel referred to her husband the doctor "but you might have broken your collar bone or dislocated your shoulder."  Her calm voice made all the information she was giving me much easier to hear.  "Let's get you washed up some more.  As I understand it your mother will be here soon.  Don't want to give her a worse fright than she needs after hearing such news."  What could I say at that point besides, "alright."  Then Mrs. Hazel went about pouring the peroxide on several clean wash gauze in the wash bowl, and washing my face and chest as delicately and discreet as she could manage.  After she finished she assisted me with slipping the gown on over my head then inspected my pants.  She asked if I would like a clean pair of pants from the cabinet stating that they had just received a new shipment of pajama pants this week that hadn't even been opened yet.  In all honesty I was more than ready to be out of the clothes I had been wearing.  Once I said yes she helped me remove my shoes then my socks, which revealed how much blood had been issuing from the bump on my leg, then we removed my ripped trousers.  When we pulled them past my knees I could feel that the fabric had already dried to the blood that had been leaking from the wound on my knee cap.  After that was accomplished she cleaned the dried blood from my foot and leg then helped me put on the pajama pants.  "There now, I'm sure that feels much nicer than the ones you had on." 
"Yes they do, thank you."
"Glad to do it, now then, I forgot to bring some water so I'm going to the kitchen for just a minute then I'll be back" and with that she made her way to the door of the room and left.  I sat there thinking about everything that had happened that evening.  Then I thought about what my face looked like and somewhere between one set of those thoughts and the next I thought about Mr. Reese.  I still couldn't get rid of the feeling that I knew who he was.  I went over every detail of his face that I could remember: the color of his eyes, the shape of his nose, the tone of his skin, even the sound of his voice, being careful to take into account the very slight but still present accent that lingered in his speech pattern.  As I thought about him I heard the sound of feet just outside the door of the room I was in.  I looked again to see the shadows of feet moving around underneath the door then I heard a light knock.  The door opened, "your mother's here Penelope" Mrs. Hazel announced.  Part of me wanted to see her, the other part would have rather waited until I had visited with the doctor.  "Alright" I responded.  Mrs. Hazel stepped away from the opened door and mother walked in. She stood at the door for a brief moment looking at me then eased the door closed behind her. 
"How's Bryce" I asked her to start the conversation. 
She walked over to the table where I was sitting.  "He has a sprained ankle, a couple of loose teeth, a series of abrasions and several knots and bruises that will probably look worse in a day or two than they do now.  His mother's here too."  She ran her fingers through the side of my hair, "how are you" she asked softly. 
"Better than I look" I tried to smile but my mouth had swollen making it difficult to do so much.  "Can't say what I'll look like in the morning though, I might scare Boris off" I tried to make her smile to ease the worry I saw on her face.  "Oh I doubt that" she leaned near me kissing me on the forehead.  Then we heard a knock on the door.  My mother answered, "it's open."  Mrs. Garrett opened the door carrying a large pitcher of water in her hand.  "I brought some water for you.  Best to have a good drink of fresh water after loosing that much blood."  She poured a large glass full of the water from the container then handed it to me.  "Here dear, let's rinse your mouth out good and get all of that out of there that's possible.  Take a small sip of this and roll it around your mouth as best you can."  I took the glass from her hand to do what she instructed me to do.  Mother watched me closely, "Hazel, you said she lost a lot of blood?" 
"Oh my yes, look there, there's her clothes.  I cleaned her up as best as I could before you got here.  She was a sight.  I'm not sure I would have known it was her if Bryce hadn't said so."  Hazel handed mother a small plastic dish from the medicine cabinet.  "Have her spit in there Glenda.  You'll see what I mean."  When I spit the water back out of my mouth the front of my lip started stinging.  The water I spit out was tinged a bright pink color from the blood in my mouth.  "There see" Hazel said, "another sip dear, same way, small sip then rinse your mouth."  The next time I spit the water out my lip started to bleed again.  "Oh dear" Mrs. Garrett said, "thought that would happen.  Look at me now" she instructed then held up a small bottle.  "This is bees wax.  It will help stop the bleeding on the inside of your mouth.  She took a long cotton swab in hand then dipped it in the jar.  "This might pinch a little when I put it on but it will help.  Open as wide as you can without stretching your mouth too wide, don't want to open the wound back up."  I did as she said then watched my mom's face as Mrs. Hazel applied the wax to the inside of my jaw and gums in my mouth.  "There we go, all done.  We'll let that sit just a minute then we're going to rinse your mouth again alright."  There was a knock on the door two knocks long.  "That's Waylon, are you ready" she asked me.  I nodded yes.  "Alright, have a smaller sip of the water this time, rinse, and spit.  If it's clean then have a couple of sips to drink."  She turned away from me and went to the door.  Mother stepped back closer to me.  "Easy darling" she whispered, "try letting the water spill out instead of spitting."  I did as she suggested.  The water looked clearer this time.  Doctor Garrett entered the room greeting my mother first, "Glenda, it's good to see you."  Mother returned his greeting, "you too Doctor."  He smiled generously, "wish it were at the diner or the church for one of those fine pies you make on fellowship Sunday" he said.  "That would be much better circumstance wouldn't it" she graciously accepted his manner.  "It would indeed" he said then turned to me.  "My goodness Penelope, Bryce told me quiet a story in there about this.  I'm glad you're both still with us.  Now, Hazel tells me you have a pretty bad bump on you collar there.  I need to look at it to see what I can do to fix it if I can and if I can't then we'll find someone else who can.  I understand your mother and father know some pretty good doctors there in Bridge Port."  I glanced at mother then back to him.  "But hopefully it won't be that bad" he said as he stepped closer to me.  "Hazel's going to loosen your gown there some on the back where I can get a better look, alright?"  I nodded yes but  kept my eyes fixed on my mother who gave me an encouraging smile.  When Mrs. Hazel lowered my gown off of my shoulder I saw my mother's face squinch ever so gently.  "Oh my" Dr. Garrett said out loud, "that's quiet a bruise there.  I'm going to have to touch around a few places alright, I apologize if it hurts but I need to know if it's broken."  Hazel stepped aside offering my mother her position next to me.  "Take a deep breath for me first then let it out" he said.  I didn't bother looking at any one but mom.  When I felt him first gouge my shoulder I couldn't help but whimper.  He stopped immediately.  "Yes, I knew that would be painful.  Now" he said, "I'm going to lift your arm to check your range of motion.  Again, this isn't going to be comfortable at all but bare with me as best you can."  Mother reached for my right hand and gripped it tightly with both of hers.  "Deep breaths darling," she encouraged me to think about my breathing rather than the uncomfortable situation my shoulder was in.  "Please stop!" I couldn't stand him moving it any further.  Dr. Garrett didn't move it again except to return it to a more comfortable position.  "Hazel, we're going to make a splint for this, and until I get it ready make a sling for this arm.  Make it a short one.  Alright Penelope, look at your mother again for me.  I'm going to ask you a few questions then we'll be finished okay."
"Okay" I answered him trying to sooth my own breathing.  Mother petted my jaw softly with the back of her fingers then pushed my hair behind my ear. 
"Penelope, without looking, tell me what part of your arm am I touching right now."
"My fingers" I answered.
"Ah, good, good.  Now, which part of your arm am I touching?"
"You're not."
"Alright, fine, how about now?"
"I don't feel anything." 
Mother's eyes widened glancing from me to Dr. Garrett then back to eye contact with me. 
"How about now" he asked once more.
"My wrist."
"Okay, Hazel, we're going to keep Ms. Penelope here with us tonight to make sure we get this bleeding to stop.  Penelope I'm pretty sure you have a compound fracture here in this shoulder.  Glenda, we'll have to send her either to Bridge Port or Pembrook I'll let you two decide that.  As I understand Percival had an excellent doctor there in Bridge Port when he broke his back and shoulder years back.  I'm sure they'd be able to fix this better than I could.  But for tonight I would like to keep her here in the house to keep an eye on her.  She's going to be rather uncomfortable without something properly assembled for her to rest on and I don't want to give her any aspirin or anything else for the pain until we can get the bleeding around her nose and mouth to stop.  With a fracture like that there could be some broken blood vessels inside as well so we'll need to keep a close watch on her."
"Alright Doctor, I'd like to stay with her as well."
"Of course, of course" he patted her on the shoulder to reassure her.  "I'm sure Percival would like to see her as well and he's more than welcome at any time; day or night."
"Thank you and yes I'm sure he will as soon as he hears about it.  He's out helping secure the tunnels.  We, Penelope and I, only arrived this evening around supper time."
"Through the tunnels" Hazel asked, "all the way from your home place?"
"Yes" mother answered.
Hazel responded without as much as a thought nearly in a whisper, "dear god" she looked at me then back to mother.  "You both must be exhausted.  That's quiet a walk from here.  Twenty miles is it?  Have things gotten that bad out there?" 
"Eighteen miles and yes they have" mother answered.  "Has no one told you what's going on out that way?"
"Only in small detail" Dr. Garrett joined their conversation.  "We've had a lot of disruptions around here in town as well.  Bryce and Penelope were our eighth and ninth patients today from fights and scuffles going on around here.  Didn't know any of the rest of them, they were all out of towners.  All except Edwin Langston's new employee at the store, Arty Sholes, poor kid nearly sliced his finger clean off his hand trying to shave a ham."
Mother replied, "why don't we make Penelope as comfortable as possible first then I will fill you both in on what's going on."  She looked at me, "I'm sure you could use some rest."
"I'll get the guest room ready" Mrs. Hazel said to mother and Dr. Garrett then she added, "Glenda, there's an extra bed in the room too so I'll make up the bed for you to stay with her." 
"Thank you Hazel" mother responded.
"More than welcome Glenda."
"Don't forget to make that sling first Hazel" Dr. Garrett insisted.  "While you do that I'm going to see what I can find to make a splint.  Penelope, Glenda, if you two will excuse me I need to check on young Bryce there first then I'll be right back, alright?"  Dr. Garrett left the room leaving the three of us in the room together.  "Hazel, I can make a sling for Penelope.  Why don't you let me do that why you prepare the room?" 
"Alright" Hazel answered her then opened the cabinet door one more time.  She handed mother a long white cotton cloth.  "Make sure it fits short enough to keep her shoulder from drooping.  Maybe about here" she used me as a chart for my mother's instruction.  "Oh dear" she said then reached to the table for some more gauze, "looks like your nose is starting to drip again.  Here Glenda, hold these on there while I find some ice for an ice pack."  Mother took the gauze holding them to my nose.  The look on her face had changed from her normal compassion to concern.  "Lay back darling, let's see if that helps."
"I'd rather not" I said looking at my shoulder so she would understand what I was implying. 
"Oh, right, okay, well then tilt your head back for me.  I'll be as soft as possible."
I'm not sure how much time had passed before Mrs. Hazel and Dr. Garrett had finished splinting my shoulder and patching my facial wounds.  All I was sure about that when I was finally taken to their guest room to rest all I wanted was something cool to drink and for everyone there to stop talking.  My head was hurting, my mouth was hurting, my nose was hurting, and my shoulder, well needless to say, the discomfort was much worse than better.  Before he left Bryce wanted to see me but I asked mother to make him wait.  I had saw all the people I wanted to see the rest of the evening.  She made my apologies for me.  After everyone else had went on their way mother returned to the guest room with a tray of iced water and a collection of various food items.  I wasn't really hungry but I was thirsty so I drank two glasses of water.  "Dr. Garrett sent these for you but you need to eat something when you take them."
"What is that?"
"Aspirin, it will help ease some of the pain.  Maybe even enough for you to get some sleep."
"What should I eat?"
"Well, there's some roast chicken, a nice soft biscuit, some cheese, and a bowl of pistachio pudding."
"Can I just have the pudding?" 
"Sure" mother said then gathered the bowl from the tray with a spoon then sat down on the bed next to me handing me the spoon.  "I'll hold the bowl so we don't spill it all over your bedcovers."  After I finished the pudding I took two of the aspirin with some more water.  Mother turned the lights down in the room then went back to the kitchen to return the tray and refill the water pitcher.  I fell asleep before she returned.  The clock on the wall said it was one thirty in the morning when I next opened my eyes.  Mother was still awake sitting on the small couch next to the window.  A small light on the table beside the couch lit the book she held in her hands.  When she saw I was awake she came to my side, offered me some more water, gave me some more aspirin then sat down on the bed next to me with the book she had been reading.  We only talked for a few minutes, long enough for her to describe the book she was exploring, then she started reading to me.   I wasn't awake very long before I fell back to sleep.  I woke again later at first day light.  Mother was asleep on the small couch with the book she had been reading earlier in her lap still opened.  I heard deep voices mumbling just outside the guest room door.  Then the door opened and my father walked into the room quietly.  When he saw me he removed his hat from his head and eased the door closed.  He made his way to my bedside and stood there looking down at me with his hat in his hands.  Then he asked in a deep whisper, "how are you feeling?"
"Honestly?  Not very good."
He forced himself to grin.  "Have you slept?"
"Yeah, just woke up."
"I'm sorry I woke you."
"You didn't.  I was awake a few minutes ago.  Was just sitting here wondering where the bathroom was."
"Do you need some help?"
"Maybe a little getting up.  I'm kind of sore."
"Yes, I guess you are. Alright, let me find out where the bathroom is then I'll help you."  He looked at mother who was still sound asleep.  "Looks like she sat up all night."
"Probably" was my only reply. 
Father left the room then returned with Mrs. Hazel.  The two of them helped me from my bed then out of the bedroom to the bathroom down the hall one door.  Mrs. Hazel assisted me with my clothing then stepped outside so I could pee.  When I finished she returned, helped me adjust my clothes then asked if I wanted to wash up some.  I saw my face in the bathroom mirror again.  The swelling had increased some but all the bleeding seemed to have stopped.  She helped me wash my face then gave me a small spoon of peroxide to help clean the inside of my mouth followed by a small cup of water to rinse the peroxide out.  Once we had finished up there she helped me back to my room.  Mother was awake now.  Her and father were on the couch talking when I walked in.  When they saw me they both came to the door and relieved Mrs. Hazel.  "Here, we can do that" father insisted.  Hazel stepped away allowing mother and father to assist me the rest of the way back to the bed.  Just as father was finishing easing me back into position on the bed I heard Hazel say, "I was going to make some breakfast for Waylon and I.  What can I make for you folks this morning?  I have some eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, coffee, juice, tea." 
"Penelope" father asked. 
"Coffee would be nice if it's alright to have."
"How about some scrambled eggs" Mrs. Hazel recommended.  "I would offer you some bacon or sausage  but I'm afraid the salt from the pork might hurt your wounds there on your mouth."
"Do you have any more of the pistachio pudding" I asked her wanting something soft to swallow rather than something to chew.
"I do, yes of course.  I'll bring you a nice big bowl.  Percival, Glenda, what can I make for you?"
Mother told Hazel that she would go with her to help in the kitchen stating that father was particular about his breakfast then the two of them smiled cordially and left the room together.  Father sat down on the bed next to me gently and asked, "can you see alright?"  I went through the motion of checking both eyes.  "Yeah, as good as usual."  He nodded his head silently looking at the splint Dr. Garrett had made for me.  "Why did you ask" I wondered.  He looked at me raising his eyebrows, "you're eye looks a little red on the inside of the lids." 
"Must just be from the swelling on the outside" I said. 
"Probably" he spoke with a low even tone in his voice.  "I'm going to make arrangements to send you to Bridge Port today.  Dr. Garrett said that your shoulder couldn't wait much longer or it would start to reheal itself in whatever shape it was bent in.  Isabella and Matilda told me to tell you they were thinking of you in their prayers."
"Where are they" I wanted to know.
"They're at the Thatcher's place; very concerned about you I might add.  I told them I would send someone to fetch them before I sent you and your mother on to Bridge Port."
"You're going with us aren't you?"
"Not today no.  I'm going to be here until everyone is out of all immediate danger then I'll be on my way.  Shouldn't be no more than a day or two though.  Long enough to help our friends get theirselves organized.  The Whittenburgs are going to send someone to stay at our house on the inside to keep it safe until things return to normal."
"Have you saw Boris? Is he alright?"
My question brought a genuine smile to his face.  He leaned forward and kissed me lightly on the nose.  "Yes, he's just fine; walking the floors wondering where you were but he's inside and safe with the others."  After that a few minutes of silence passed between us.  Father looked around the small guest room then toward the window where the morning sun was starting to shine through much brighter now.  His gaze stopped there.  "How did this happen Penelope?"
"I figured Dr. Garrett told you" I replied.
"No, he said he'd let you and your mother tell me."
So I did, as best as I could any way.  Adding that he would probably get a better detailed version from Bryce.  He looked at me sincerely wondering, "so some man from out of town stopped that Saville fellow from running off with you?" 
"Appears that way, yeah.  Like I said Bryce can tell you more."
"I'll talk to him" father ended the conversation when the bedroom door opened again.  Mother and Hazel returned with the items they had gathered together for breakfast along with another dose of aspirins. 
Father stayed with mother and I long enough to have a small breakfast then left saying that when he returned to Dr. Garrett's we should be dressed and ready to leave.  He told mother to stay away from the tunnels so she would be seen in town.  His plan was to send Isabella and Matilda to Dr. Garrett's via Mr. and Mrs. Prat.  Mr. Prat's son would be the one driving us all to Bridge Port.  After father left mother stepped out of the room to use the telephone to call the Prat's house.  It was then I remembered what I had been at Charles' car livery for in the first place.  It was also then when I remembered that I had never had a chance to recover the box from under the bunk as Charles had requested.  Edison Saville had ruined my whole evening.                
Across town Edison Saville had been taken to a small holding cell inside the local constable's office.  To be honest the local jail wasn't much of a jail at all.  There were no bars for doors, or even a retention cell made of block and mortar.  There were only two small rooms without a window in them equipped with a thin mattress cot in each room, along with a toss pot for people to use as a toilet, a wooden chair to sit in and small table big enough to hold a lamp and a book.  The only part of the whole thing that even resembled a regular jail was a small opening in the door that could be lowered on the inside enough for a dinner dish to be set on.  Other than that the place looked more like a closet with a cot, a chair, and a table stored on the inside.  Edison had had a long night.  As the story was later told to me Allan and Russell locked themselves up inside the small hall way just outside the holding cells with Mr. Saville and gave him a whooping no man should have ever had to take by himself before they had even put him in the holding room.  After they were finished with Edison someone else had told Madison Longfellow's friends where they too could find Mr. Saville and as sure as it was thought to go the next man to walk through the doors to visit Mr. Saville was Madison Longfellow himself.  Mr. Longfellow, as you could imagine, wasn't very interested in how Edison had ended up in Riverton's constable's office, nor did he give two flips about how the Riverton citizen's had responded to Mr. Saville's attempts to bully two of their locals.  He only wanted to know one thing, "where's Gaston LaFeu?"  Saville, as you can imagine, wasn't very interested in talking to Mr. Longfellow until he knew what options Mr. Longfellow would extend to him if he helped him find Gaston LaFeu.  Mr. Longfellow didn't bother beating around the bush with Edison for one minute.  "You tell me where he is, I'll send my men to see if he's there.  If he is, I'll take you into my own custody until we all get back to Pembrook and you testify as to what you know about Mr. LaFeu's dealings in my businesses; including his plans and transactions in Rock Flatts.  If I send my men there and he's not there, you can sit right here with these Riverton people until I'm done locking that sorry devil up for the rest of his life in a top security prison upstate."
"There's just one thing you're forgetting Mr. Longfellow," Edison grumbled, "Gaston LaFeu don't answer to me, he don't answer to you, or to anyone else; including his high class society family.  He does what he wants without telling anyone anything he plans that don't involve them.  Now you're sitting here with me wanting me to tell you where he is so you can go out and round him up like you attempted to do the other night in the hotel.  But if you do, you'll probably be doing exactly what he expects you to do.  Which means he has a plan to blow your head clean off your shoulders the minute you show up to do it.  But if you really want to know the last place I saw him, I'll tell you."
Madison looked across the table at Edison Saville whose face was swollen, and bruised every where there was skin.  His lips were busted, his nose looked broken, his eyes were almost swollen shut.  Madison spoke up, "why should I listen to you?"
"You shouldn't.  You should go on out there to that barn below the grist mill where I last saw him, and his newly arrived mini militia, and let him fill you full of bullet holes so you can sit at heaven's gates before you go in and listen to him tell your family how he tried to save you and he got there too late.  I'm sure it will be a very convincing story that will bring tears to your family's eyes, and earn Gaston one of those fancy honorary medals into your family's good favor.  So you might want to watch your mouth when you hear it because that might just get you kicked right back out of God's saving grace before you can step one foot into eternal paradise."  Madison Longfellow's temper flared under his tie wrapped shirt collar at Edison's smugness.  But then again Edison's words found a way to make sense once they were said.  Longfellow looked at Edison thinking about what he wanted to do with him.  At that very moment he had LaFeu's number one man sitting in front of him that he was sure could tell him much more about LaFeu and his pending plans than he himself could figure out on his own.  "A mini militia you say?"  Edison touched one of the sore spots on his top lip before he answered, "I didn't even know they were on their way until I met them."  Madison himself made an educated guess next, "that's when LaFeu told you that he didn't need you anymore wasn't it?"  Edison turned his head and spit bloody wad of spit out of his mouth to the floor.  "Yeah" he answered Longfellow honestly.  "Well" Longfellow tilted his head back looking down his nose at Saville.  "He might not want you, but I'm putting you under arrest right now because whether you want to or not, you're going to give me the answers I need.  Who knows, I might just end up saving your sorry neck."
"I'm not afraid of Gaston LaFeu Mr. Longfellow."
"I'm not talking about Mr. LaFeu Mr. Saville.  I'm talking about keeping you alive so the nice folks of Riverton don't kill you before I can get you out of town or LaFeu's militia don't decide to follow his order to kill you before you can talk to any else like me.  My guess is that's why he let you just wonder off from his company.  Decided to let his new crew dispose of his old loses."  Longfellow turned around and walked back to the door to leave.  "I'll send you some fresh clothes and something to eat.  Hopefully I can get you out of here before that girl's father finds out you're here and decides he don't want you to leave town before he has his turn to teach you some manners concerning women."  Longfellow chuckled to himself then exited the room.  Edison watched the door close then flipped the table sitting in front of him over breaking the small glass lamp that was the only light in the room.  He heard the locks on the outside of the door lock into place then a voice say, "you'll have to pay for that lamp yourself, Edison.  Destruction of city property isn't tolerated around here."

Not Just and Everyday When