Pearl River Junction: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

50

Belinda Davis had heard Riley Cotton telling his wife how the deputies were going to split up their shifts to make their rounds of the town, and how the next day they were going to start taking turns on the roof of City Hall again. The only name she was really interested in was James Shaye’s. She had seen the way the youngest of Dan Shaye’s sons looked at her the day they met and she knew he was the weak link among the Shaye men. Thomas was the one she would have been interested in if she was simply looking for a man, but she didn’t think she’d be able to control him any more than she would his father. Both of those men seemed immune to her charms, which was quite a new experience for her.

When Riley came home for supper, Belinda knew that James would be making rounds of the town. She told the Cottons she’d be having supper with a girlfriend in town and that she might be home late. With that she left the house in such a hurry that she slammed the front door behind her.

“What do you think she’s up to?” Marion Cotton asked her husband.

“I don’t know,” Cotton said. “I don’t know what goes on in that girl’s head.” He looked at Little Matt, who was sitting in Marion’s lap, being fed. “Sure ain’t you, is it, little fella?”

“I’ve been having some horrible thoughts, Riley,” Marion said.

“What kind of thoughts?” Cotton couldn’t imagine his wife having horrible thoughts of any kind.

“I was thinking that if those outlaws came here and they killed Belinda…I was thinking then Little Matt could be ours.”

“Oh.” Well, he thought, those were horrible thoughts, all right, but not any he hadn’t already thought himself.

James came around the corner and ran right into somebody—someone soft and sweet smelling.

“Oh!” Belinda Davis said, staggering back from the impact.

“Oh God,” James said. He reached out for her, grabbed her shoulders to steady her. “I’m real sorry, ma’am.”

“‘Ma’am’?” Belinda asked. “Don’t you remember who I am, Mr. Shaye?”

“Oh,” James said, releasing her. “Course I do, ma’am. You’re Belinda.”

“And there’s no need to apologize,” she said. “I believe I ran into you.”

“Oh no, ma’am—”

“Please,” she said, “call me Belinda.”

“Uh, Belinda,” he said. “I ran into you. I’m just…clumsy.”

“Well, then,” she said, “if you insist on taking the blame, then you must make it up to me.”

“Ma’am?” he said. “I mean…Belinda?”

“You must let me treat you to supper.”

“Oh, but I couldn’t,” he said, “I’m on duty.”

“Aren’t you to be relieved within the hour?” she asked. “Or have I memorized the wrong schedule?”

“Um, you memorized my schedule?”

“Shamelessly,” she said, “I admit that I did. I heard the sheriff telling his wife.”

“Why would you do that?”

“So that we could have supper together,” she said. “You see, I must talk with you, James. I simply must!”

“Easy, ma—Belinda,” he said, moved by her agitated tone. “Everythin’s gonna be all right.”

“I don’t think so, James,” she said, a single tear rolling down her smooth cheek. “I’m so afraid it won’t. Can’t you…please let me buy you supper and…and talk with me?”

“Well…”

“Oh, I knew you would,” she said, “I knew I could count on you. Do you know the café down the street?”

“Yes,” he said, “I was there this mornin’—”

“Please meet me there when you’ve been relieved.”

“Well…all right.”

She grabbed his arm, her strength surprising him.

“Please don’t tell your brother or father,” she said. “They don’t like me or approve of me.”

“That ain’t so—”

“Oh, it is,” she said, “but you’re different. I could tell that from the moment we met.”

“Belinda—”

“Please,” she said, lowering her voice, “don’t tell anyone. Promise!”

“All right,” he said. “I promise.”

She released his arm, said, “Thank you,” and hurried off.

Belinda ran to the other side of the street, stepped into the shadows, and then covered her mouth with both hands and laughed. James Shaye would prove so easy to manipulate, indeed.

James watched her cross the street and lost her in the shadows. He knew he shouldn’t have agreed to meet with her, but there was just no way he could refuse her.

Thomas was to relieve him soon. He thought about breaking his word to Belinda and telling his brother, but in the end decided not to. At least, not until he heard what she had to say.