Pearl River Junction: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

69

Thomas was awake when the sun came up the next morning. James and Thad were both upstairs in empty cells, sleeping. He stood up from the desk, stretched, and walked to the front door. He opened it and took a deep breath, wondering what the day was going to bring. What he wanted was for this whole business to come to an end so he and his brother and father could get on with their lives. They all had decisions to make when they left Pearl River Junction, which couldn’t happen soon enough to suit him.

Sunlight came through the cell window and a stripe of it struck James right in the eyes. He woke and sat up on the pallet, rubbing his face vigorously. In the next cell Thad was snoring. Across from them, in another cell, the two prisoners were also sawing wood.

James pulled his boots on and stood up. It was Thad’s responsibility to go to the café and get breakfast for the prisoners, but James decided that since he was awake and Thad was not, he would do it. He could also bring back breakfast for everyone else.

He made his way out of the cell and down the stairs without waking anyone.

“Thad up?” Thomas asked as James came down.

“No,” James said, “but that’s okay. I’ll take a walk to the café and bring back some breakfast for all of us.”

James came up next to his brother at the open door and they stared out at the street together.

“What do you think is gonna happen today?” James asked.

“I can only tell you what I hope will happen.”

“Yeah,” James said, touching his brother’s shoulder, “me too.”

He stepped outside and headed for the café.

Belinda woke early for her breakfast with Jeb Collier. Nobody was going to tell her that she shouldn’t think of herself first. She’d gone to bed with that thought and woke up with it also. It was time to make the final decision and everyone else could pay the consequences for her decision. She was tired of always paying. It was time for her to collect.

As she prepared to leave the house, she could hear that someone else was up, probably the sheriff. It was going to be a big day for him too.

A big day for everyone.

Shaye woke in his hotel room, stood up, and walked to the window. From there he could see the sheriff’s office across the street, where his two sons had spent the night. He was proud of both boys, wondered what they’d decide when this was all over. Stay with him or go their own ways? There was no point in even thinking about it, though, until they were ready to leave Pearl River Junction.

He was about to turn away from the window when the front door of the office opened and James stepped out. He crossed the street and walked out of sight. Shaye assumed he was on his way to the café to pick up breakfast.

This time he did leave the window. He walked to the dresser, where there was a pitcher and basin. He poured water from one into the other and began to wash, hands, face, neck, chest, armpits. When he was done with his whore’s bath, he picked up a towel and walked back to the window. He saw Belinda walking down the street, past the sheriff’s office, where she crossed over. She was probably also on her way to the café for an early breakfast and that meant that Jeb Collier would be there also.

Shaye hurriedly dressed, strapped on his gun, and left the room.

James was waiting for Connie to bring out the food when the door opened and Belinda walked in. She stopped short at the sight of him.

“Oh, James,” she said.

“Good mornin’, Belinda,” he said, trying to ignore the usual flutter he felt in his stomach when he saw her. “I’m pickin’ up breakfast for the jail.”

“I see.”

Connie came out of the kitchen with a tray she had covered with a towel.

“Oh, Belinda,” she said. “Good morning. Take any table and I’ll be with you in a minute.”

“Thank you, Connie.” The place was empty, so Belinda had her pick.

“This should feed all of you,” Connie said, handing the tray to James.

“Thanks.”

He tried balancing the tray with one hand, but realized it would take two to get it across the street to the jail. At that moment the door opened again and Jeb Collier stepped in. Like Belinda, he stopped short when he saw the deputy.

“Well, Deputy,” he said. “We ain’t met.”

“Jeb Collier,” James said. “I know who you are.”

“And you’re Shaye,” Jeb said, “or one of them.”

“He’s James,” Belinda said.

“Thank you, honey.”

The two men faced each other. James knew if Jeb Collier drew on him at that moment he’d have to drop the tray before he could go for his gun. He figured he’d be dead before the tray hit the ground.

Connie, sensing the tension, backed into the kitchen.

“Jeb…” Belinda said.

But it wasn’t until the door opened again that the tension was broken. Dan Shaye stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

“That the food for the jail, James?”

“Yeah, Pa.”

“Better get it over there, then. I’m sure Mr. Collier wouldn’t want his men to starve.”

“My men?” Jeb asked, stepping aside to let James by, at the same time turning to look at Shaye. “I never said they were my men.”

“You didn’t have to,” Shaye said. He opened the door for James without taking his eyes off of Collier. “Have a good breakfast.”

“Thanks.”

Shaye backed out, pulling the door closed.

Outside he caught up to James and walked alongside him.

“Don’t ever have both hands occupied like that, James.” Shaye thought the world of his youngest son, thought he was very smart. If he went to college, he’d do very well in life, but wearing a badge, living by the gun…this just wasn’t something James was as quick to take to as Thomas was.

“Pa…the tray…”

“You should have brought Thad with you.”

“Yes, Pa.”

“Collier wasn’t going to draw on you anyway,” Shaye said. “That would ruin his plan.”

“What plan is that, Pa?”

“I don’t know, James,” Shaye said. “If I knew that, then we could ruin his plan.”

After both Shayes left the café, Jeb turned and sat down with Belinda. Connie came back out of the kitchen nervously.

“Nothing to worry about, waitress,” Jeb said. “My sweetie and I are hungry, though. We’d like to order.”

“Yes, sir,” Connie said. “What can I get for you?”

Alvin Simon woke, feeling excited and frightened. Belinda had come to see him the night before and he was supposed to meet her at the bank this morning when it opened. She’d told him that she was ready to marry him, but she had to be sure that he had the money he said he had.

“A girl has to make sure she’s secure, Alvin,” she’d told him.

“How do I do that, Belinda?” he’d asked. “How do I show you that I can make you secure?”

“That’s easy,” she said, putting one hand on his chest and kissing his cheek. Her lips were like velvet on his face, her scent heady enough to make him dizzy. She pressed her lips to his ear then and said, “Show me your money.”

So that was what he was going to do this morning. Take her into the bank and prove to her that he had enough money to take care of her and her baby and keep them secure.