Too Tired To Care
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The next morning, after a good night’s rest, Tom woke up feeling like he’d had three cups of coffee. He was ready to go back at it and finish the job as soon as possible so they could get on their way. But he couldn’t help but wonder about the woman who’d been in his room last night.
It wasn’t every day that you got an invitation from another man’s wife. And she seemed very determined to see him again—she even asked if they were going to be staying long.
“She was very persistent,” said Tom. “I’m sure there must have been some other reason for her to ask me out.”
He shrugged and thought maybe he should tell his father what happened since his father would probably want to know anyway. His mother didn’t need to hear this story. She’d already warned him about the dangers of women.
As they rode along, Tom remembered how the woman had looked when she first came into his room. The softness of her skin and her warm, inviting eyes had captivated him. Her hair was silky and thick.
When he ran his fingers through it, he felt the weight of the strands and wanted to feel more. He knew that kind of attraction could only lead to trouble. A married woman shouldn’t be interested in someone else’s husband. Yet the idea of being with the mysterious woman made him hard all over again.
His father noticed something was wrong because Tom kept glancing around the woods instead of concentrating on riding his horse. After several minutes, he turned and faced his son.
“You’re not thinking about those outlaws anymore are you?”
Tom shook his head. No, he hadn’t forgotten about them. In fact, he wished they’d come back so he could kill one of them. That might take care of his desire for the mysterious woman. Or maybe he’d just shoot both of them and be done with it. He’d never killed anyone before and wondered if he could pull the trigger. If not, he could always claim self-defense.
After they reached town and stopped at the bank to draw money, Tom went straight to the saloon to find the sheriff and report his findings. They had a few hours left until dark. By then, he hoped to have found out exactly where they lived or worked.
But he ended up waiting two whole days for the lawman. Finally, the sheriff called him to his office.
“It seems we’ve got ourselves a bit of a problem here,” said Sheriff Williams.
Tom leaned forward. “What do you mean by ‘we’?”
“Well, I’ll admit to having my own suspicions, but I can’t prove anything yet. We’ve got a really ugly situation brewing down at the courthouse. Two men have filed charges against your brother-in-law and your sister’s friend, claiming they beat them up.”
“Beat them up? How did that happen?” Tom asked. “And why aren’t they arrested yet?”
Sheriff Williams rubbed his chin. “They say the two men walked right into the jailhouse and told us they had evidence against the pair of them.”
“Evidence?”
“Yeah, they say they saw the woman leaving the house with the men and heard her call the men names.”
“That doesn’t sound like much evidence,” Tom said.
“No, nothing really does except for the bruises on the two men’s faces. And they’re saying that the men beat them up themselves.”
“Are you serious?”
“Very. Now, if it were any ordinary citizen, I wouldn’t worry too much about the charges. But these two are pretty well known in town. Your sister has friends everywhere and people love your brother-in-law. You don’t think they’d lie about this, do you?”
“Of course not,” Tom replied. “I think it’s ridiculous. What kind of evidence is this? Are you going to arrest the two men now?”
“I’ve sent word to the governor to appoint a special judge to handle this case. Maybe he’ll listen to me and order the arrest. Until then, we can’t make any arrests. Not unless I find something concrete to put them away with.”
“Why can’t you charge them with assault, which sounds like the crime committed against my brother-in-law and the stranger?”
“The two men claim that they weren’t even in town when it happened. It wasn’t until later when they returned home from their jobs as ranch hands that they realized they had been beaten. So I’m stuck trying to figure out who the attackers could have been.”
“I don’t understand.”
“If I could prove the woman helped the men attack your family members, then maybe I could get an indictment for assault and battery. But I can’t prove that without her testimony.”
“So you’re saying I won’t see my brother-in-law tonight?”
“Unless you go after him yourself and bring him back.”
“Is there no way to force the woman to testify?”
“Not yet. I wish I could do something, but there’s not enough evidence to arrest her.”
“Do you believe them?” Tom asked.
“Believe what?”
“Those two men who claimed they were attacked. Do you think they actually hit those men?”
“Probably not, but it doesn’t matter. As long as the governor appoints a special judge to handle the case, it will go on and on. My guess is that she’ll tell us everything eventually. She may even confess herself once she sees how bad things are getting for her.”
“How bad?”
“We’ve already lost a good chunk of our cattle herd due to rustlers. The sheriff’s worried that if this goes on another day, some of the ranchers will pack up and leave. Then we’ll have nothing else to offer other than gambling and prostitution. There are only so many places in Kansas that have more than a few saloons, brothels, and gambling halls.”
Tom knew all this because he’d done plenty of research while searching for clues about the woman. He couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt his brother-in-law or his sister’s friend. Neither one was violent nor greedy. In fact, both were very generous and never expected anything in return.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “My brother-in-law and my sister’s friend didn’t deserve to be assaulted. This isn’t fair. If they did something wrong, I hope the judge throws the book at them.”
“Me too, son. Me too.”
***
“This isn’t fair!” Laura shouted as she stomped around the small room.
She sat on the bed, still dressed in the clothes she wore the night before. Her hair looked wild, probably from being pulled and twisted around the man’s fist.
“You know it’s not fair,” said Frank. “It doesn’t seem to bother you anymore.”
“Don’t remind me.”
Frank knelt next to her on the floor. His face was red with embarrassment and anger. He tried to hold himself together, but he just couldn’t keep quiet anymore. “What happened to you last night? Why did they come here? Don’t you realize that if someone finds out where we live—”
Laura interrupted him. “Just forget it. Just forget it.”
“Forget it? Forget what happened to me? I almost died.”
“Stop talking nonsense. They didn’t mean to kill you. That’s what happens sometimes when people fight. Besides, you’re alive. Isn’t that enough?”
“Enough! I can’t believe that you can say such a thing.”
“Well, you should. You heard what the doctor said. You got lucky. One punch to the stomach could have killed you. Another to the head could have knocked you into tomorrow.”
“They beat you up. How dare they do that to me. To you.”
“There’s no point in arguing over something that’s already happened.”
“But they nearly killed me.”
“That’s right, they nearly killed you. Now stop acting crazy. You’re safe now. Everything is fine. We’re going to move forward.”
Laura turned away from Frank and stared out the window. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the yard. The horses were grazing peacefully; the sheep stood in their pens and watched them with curious eyes.
The birds flitted through the grassy field, singing sweet songs. It seemed strange that the animals could be content despite having witnessed such violence. Maybe it was better to ignore it and pretend like none of it ever happened.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Frank asked. “Maybe we could order some food from the restaurant.”
“No.”
“Then you need to eat something. Your body needs nourishment.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Are you sure? Because I saw bruises on your arms and legs. And you haven’t moved much since yesterday morning. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather eat something?”
“I’m sure.”
“Very well, then.”
“Yes, very well.”
The door opened quietly behind Laura and Tom stepped inside. She hadn’t noticed him because she wasn’t looking anywhere but straight ahead. She hadn’t seen him enter the house until he closed the door and walked toward her.
“I thought maybe we could talk,” he said.
Laura jumped off the bed and hurried to put her clothes back on. She had been afraid that he might find out what really happened to her last night, so she hid the marks on her skin by wearing loose clothing. But she had no choice but to face him now. No matter how hard she tried to hide the truth, sooner or later it would catch up with her. Sooner would be easier than later.
“I don’t think there’s anything to discuss.”
“Is everything okay between us?”
“Everything is fine.”
Tom reached for her hand and held it tight. “Do you mind telling me exactly what happened? I’m sorry, but I didn’t get much sleep last night. My wife called me early this morning. When I arrived home, I found you lying on the floor unconscious.”
“I told you—”
“Please, Laura.”
Her heart pounded in her chest. There was no way to deny the truth any longer. She had no choice but to tell Tom. He deserved to know. Even if it meant losing his friendship. “Last night, after the show, the three men came to our hotel room. They demanded money. They threatened to harm everyone if they refused. Then they forced me into their car and took me outside town.”
“How far away are we?”
“Not far. About ten miles from here.”
“Why didn’t anyone call the police?”
“Because one of my brothers works for the sheriff’s office. He knows these men. In fact, he used to date one of them.”
“So why didn’t he arrest them?”
“He didn’t want to cause problems.”
“Didn’t you want to help me?”
“Of course, I wanted to help you.”
“And you knew about all of this before today?”
“You mean knowing that they intended to hurt you? Yes, I knew. As soon as I learned what they planned, I warned you. If I hadn’t done that, they probably would have beaten you badly. They certainly could have killed you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you warn me earlier?”
“It was too dangerous. What good would it have done for me to try to save you if they discovered where we lived? If they followed us home and murdered us, what would happen to your family?”
“My family doesn’t live at the ranch anymore. I sold it last year.”
“I never heard.”
“What difference does it make now anyway? Nothing has changed. These men aren’t going to come here again. I’ll see to that personally.”
“If you’d only told me.”
“Now isn’t the time to argue. Let’s just forget about it and start fresh.”
She stopped herself from saying more. Her stomach twisted when she imagined what those three men would do if they found out she had escaped and was talking about what happened to her. But she couldn’t keep silent. Not anymore. Not while Tom stood beside her, listening intently. “They were going to take me somewhere and kill me. I’ve got to go.”
“Where?”
“Someplace else.”
“But you can’t leave! I won’t let you!”
Laura glanced down at the gun in her hand. She needed protection; otherwise, those men would track her down and finish what they started. It would be better if she left right away instead of waiting around to give the villains a chance to follow her trail. “This is important, Tom. You must trust me on this.”
“Who are these men?”
“Let’s say they’re dangerous criminals who will stop at nothing to satisfy their lust for power.”
“These are not the kind of people you should be associating yourself with. Especially since you work for me.”
“That makes it even more urgent. I need to stay away from you.”
“Why?”
“Those men have a grudge against me.”
“Are you sure? Because I saw you kissing each other.”
“No—that was a mistake.”
“A mistake? A mistake like this?”
Laura turned quickly to avoid seeing his expression. She lowered the gun slightly and aimed it at him. The barrel pointed straight at his heart. “Don’t ever threaten me or anyone close to me again.”
“Okay,” he said softly. “Just calm down and listen to me. We’ll figure something out. Maybe you can send your husband over here to meet me tonight. That might convince you that I’m not a bad person.”
“No. Please don’t ask me to do that. And please don’t come back. Don’t come near the ranch either. Do you understand me?”
“Yes. I hear you loud and clear.”
“Good. Now promise me you won’t mention anything to anyone about last night’s events.”
“As long as you promise not to involve me further. Besides, you don’t need to worry about me telling anyone.”
“The last thing I need is for someone to think I’m involved with organized crime. Or that I hired killers to attack innocent people.”
“I won’t talk to anyone until after tomorrow afternoon.”
“Fine. But you’ll owe me a favor later.”
“What sort of favor?”
“We’ll discuss it later.”
“All right then, but you know I can’t keep any promises made to you.”
“Then I guess you’d best get back to town so you can get your wagon ready for travel. I’ll be there early tomorrow morning to fetch you.”
***
After Laura rode off in silence, Tom watched her disappear into the distance. He thought of asking her to marry him, but he wasn’t sure how she would react. For one thing, she would never believe he loved her, no matter how much he tried to explain himself.
His own doubts kept him quiet. Could he love her? Did he really feel the way she felt about him? He knew what she wanted to hear, but what did she expect? How could she possibly know how he truly felt about her?
He shook his head. He refused to think about it. Instead, he concentrated on getting things ready for the trip south. When he looked up, he noticed a rider coming toward him on horseback. At first, he didn’t recognize the man, but then he remembered.
“Hello, Mr. Griswold.”
“How are you today?”
Tom smiled. “Well, considering that my wife ran off in the middle of the night without warning me or explaining why, I suppose I could use some cheering up.”
“Is that what happened?”
“I wish. No, she actually shot me in the chest before she took off.”
“You’re lucky she missed your heart. What happened afterward?”
“Nothing. Nothing happened. There was only one bullet.”
“And she disappeared.”
“Yeah. I chased after her and called out to her. But she just rode off.”
“Did you catch up with her?”
“Nope. By the time we reached the edge of town, she was gone.”
“It sounds like she’s hiding out somewhere.”
“Maybe. She may even be dead by now.”
Mr. Griswold chuckled. “She’s probably already found another husband.”
“Ha! I doubt that very much. Why don’t you go see for yourself? Make sure she isn’t lying around anywhere.”
“I will. As soon as I take care of some business.”
“Make sure you bring her home.”
“I will.”
When Tom returned to the barn where the wagon waited for its cargo, he had trouble finding it. Then he heard voices nearby and stopped to listen. One voice belonged to Laura; the other sounded vaguely familiar. It was the same woman who had been riding in the front seat when they left town. Was she trying to find out where Laura went?
With caution, Tom approached the horses and climbed onto the driver’s seat. With his hand on the reins, he moved slowly closer to them.
“Excuse me—”
Laura turned around and jumped to grab the gun hidden under the seat. “Get back!”
“Please put down your weapon,” the woman said gently. “Or else you’ll have more than bullets flying through the air.”
Laura hesitated, still holding the gun.
“Now give me the gun,” the stranger demanded. “Give it to me and walk away from it.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I’m going to kill her if you don’t.”
“Kill her? Who are you talking about?”
“Myself.”
A sudden sense of dread filled Tom’s gut. Had the stranger killed Laura? Would she shoot herself once the gun was in her hands? The thought terrified him. He couldn’t let that happen. He needed her alive.
“No, please don’t do this,” he whispered softly.
“Just leave us alone.”
“Let me try to reason with you. Don’t make me regret trying to help you.”
“Don’t waste your breath. You’ve got nothing to offer except an apology. And you can forget about that.”
“I want to apologize.”
“For what? For leaving me behind?”
“Yes, that too.” If so, Tom might be able to save her life. That is unless he was too late. He stepped forward.
“Whoa!”
Laura fired three shots at him. The second bullet struck him in the arm. A third hit the ground between his feet.
“Damn you!” Laura yelled. “Are you trying to kill me?”
“No. Just get out of here.”
“Don’t touch me again! You bastard!”
The woman leaned over to grab the gun. “That’s enough! Give it to me!”
As the woman picked up the weapon, Laura lunged for her, grabbed hold of the saddle horn, and swung herself onto the horse. Before anyone realized what happened, she bolted away.
“Stop her!” Tom shouted. “Someone stop her!”
He leaped off the driver’s seat and followed her trail until he caught sight of her on a ridge above the road. They were almost two miles north of town. He could see her running down the side of the hill and knew he would never reach her in time. She had too far to travel to the next bend in the road.
He watched helplessly as she disappeared into the trees. All hope vanished. This wasn’t how he imagined their trip together ending. How did everything end up like this?
The End