Chapter 47: Specters of the Past

~The past is never dead. It's not even past.~ —William Faulkner

“Jake!” The expression on her face seemed surprised. For a few seconds the two of them stared at each other.

“Uh,” Bessie said at last, running her hand through her hair. “This is unexpected.”

“Is it?” Jake taunted.

“Who would have thought I would find you here,” Bessie rambled on. “Where the devil have you been all this time, Jake? You just disappeared. I was waitin’ and waitin’ for you, and you never came.”

Her voice became sad and confused.

“I couldn’t understand why you did that. Why did you just abandon me? We had so many plans, and you threw them all to the wind.”

Her words were like a match lighting a fuse.

It was all Jake could do to keep himself from exploding. He was about to tell Bessie just everything he thought about her when he realized that she didn’t know he was aware that she worked for Calhoon, and perhaps it would be better for him if he kept quiet about that part for now.

“I threw them all to the wind?” he asked, looking her square in the face. “I distinctly remember hearin’ you talking with some man. I don’t know about you, Bess, but I don’t like to be cheated on. You were the only person keeping me in Wichita, and when I found out you were being unfaithful, I took up and left.”

“I was being unfaithful?” Bess looked at him with apparent disbelief. “Whatever put that into your head?”

“I told you, I came to your house and heard you speaking with another man.”

“Did you hear what we were speaking about?” There was a hint of alarm in her voice, even though she tried her best to hide it.

Jake didn’t quite know how to answer, but he had to come up with something quick so he wouldn’t give himself away. “I saw the other man through the window, and it was enough! It’s all or nothin’ with me, and since you went with nothin’, nothin’ is what you got!”

“Jake, foolish Jake, you always had a bad habit of rushing into decisions.” She shook her head. “That man was my brother.”

“Oh, and since when did you have a brother?”

“Since I was two years old. He is the only family I have, and he got in trouble with the law and crawled to me for help. What was I to do, turn him away?

She shook out her hair and went on, “You could have at least tried to get to the bottom of everything instead of abandonin’ me. And now, meeting you again, all you can do is accuse me of cheatin’ on you. Why do you always have to make me the villain?”

Jake fought to keep his cool. “Well how about next time you don’t keep such secrets, and that will save your next—~friend~ from such misunderstandings.”

“You still don’t believe me?”

“No! I think you’re just makin’ the story up to try and make me the villain.”

She shook her head, annoyed at his accusations. “I can prove it to you. Let’s go over right now and meet him.”

“Oh, he’s here with you?”

“Of course! Since the time he got in trouble, I keep him with me to make sure he stays out of harm’s way. Without me, he would be lost.”

“How kind of you, Bessie,” Jake patronized, trying hard not to sound too sarcastic.

“I’m serious, Jake. He on the edge of town, waitin’ for me. We’re headin’ off to California and stopped here for supplies. I’ll introduce you two, and he can confirm that I was as faithful as any wife could be. Maybe you could join us. Why hang around this dump?”

Jake took a deep breath. Meeting up with her “brother” was most likely just a trap. He thought hard on what to do. The thought did cross his mind that the “brother” could be Calhoon himself. Maybe, if he played along with the game, she’d lead him to the nest. Only, he had to somehow get word to the sheriff.

“My partner is waitin’ for me at the bank. He’ll be upset if I just run off without him knowing. We agreed to meet here before the hour is up.”

“Just tell him you’re busy and will get back to him later,” Bessie shrugged indifferently. “He can drop by the saloon if he’s bored. Go tell him, I’ll wait.”

Bessie didn’t realize she was giving Jake the chance he needed.

“Fine. I’ll go meet this sorry brother of yours who showed up at the wrong time in the wrong place. Let’s see if he’ll confirm your words. Be right back.”

Jake quickly walked into the bank and bumped into Sam just as he was heading toward the door.

“Ah, Jake!” Sam grinned, but Jake shook his head urgently.

“Listen, I need you to get to Sheriff Grant as quick as possible and tell him I’ve walked off to the edge of town with Bessie. Have him get his deputies and hurry there.”

“Bessie?” Sam was confused. “Who the hell is Bessie?”

“Just do it,” Jake hissed. “Either that, or go dig me a grave.” With that, he hurried out of the bank.

For a few seconds after Jake left, Sam stood thunderstruck. The look in Jake’s eyes and the urgency in his voice told him that something was terribly wrong.

“What did that boy get himself into?” Sam wondered with concern as he left the bank and hurried off to the sheriff’s office.

“Ah, Sam,” Sheriff Grant greeted him. “Lookin’ for Jake?”

“No, Sheriff, Jake just came to me and said to tell you he’d gone off with Bessie to the edge of town, and that you should hurry after him.”

“Dagnabbit!” Sheriff Grant leaped to his feet. “Speak of the devil, and he comes right around. We’ve got to hurry or Jake is a dead man.”

“What the blazes is going on?” Poor Sam was alarmed and confused.

Grant paused and looked him up and down. “There’s an outlaw after Jake, and we’ve got to catch him. Here,” he shoved a badge and a shotgun into Sam’s hand. “You are now a US deputy. Now, let’s catch up with Jake. We can’t let them get away!”