Vengeance Creek: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

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James questioned people in the area around the bank while Thomas went to the hotel where Cardwell had stayed, and spoke not only to the owner of the livery, but people who worked in that area. The brothers joined up in the center of town, across the street from the building where the mayor had his office.

They compared notes and realized that they had a few things to tell their father, and that they probably shouldn’t waste any time telling it.

“The posse,” Thomas said, as if James had reminded him. “How many men did you get?”

“None,” James said.

“That’s what I got.”

“I can’t believe this town is just like Epitaph.”

“Pa tried to explain it to us after we left Texas,” Thomas said. “People hire someone to uphold the law, they think that’s it, they’re done. Why should they lift a finger when somebody’s getting paid to do it?”

“It’s their money that was taken from the bank,” James said. “You’d think they’d want to do somethin’ about gettin’ it back.”

“And all those dead people,” Thomas said. “Their neighbors.”

“I never seen anything like that before,” James said. “How could a man do that, just butcher a bunch of helpless people?”

“It was quiet,” Thomas said. “They probably didn’t want any more shots comin’ from the bank.”

“You know, I don’t care about the money,” James said. “I just want to bring them back to hang for all them killin’s.”

Thomas knew his brother was more upset about Nancy Timmerman than any of those other people. He was just thankful that James had never gotten up the courage to actually start a relationship with the girl. If he had been courting Nancy Timmerman, he’d now be totally devastated by her death.

“James, I think you should stay here.”

“Why?”

“Pa’s gonna need you,” Thomas said. “He’s not gonna be able to get around—”

“I’m comin’ with you, Thomas,” James said, cutting his brother off, “and there’s no way you can stop me.”

Thomas decided to leave the point alone. Maybe James would listen to their father after he calmed down a bit.

“One man,” Thomas told his father, “took two horses from the livery just before the shootin’ started.”

“Only two?” Shaye asked.

“That don’t make sense,” James said. “There was…at least six bank robbers, maybe more.”

“There were eight,” Shaye said, “but at least six of them were not supposed to leave town.”

He related to them the conversation he had with Joe Samuels while they were away.

“So we’re only gonna be lookin’ for two men?” James asked.

“Maybe three,” Shaye said. “We don’t know what happened to this fella Davis.”

“Maybe we do,” Thomas said. “One horse was stolen earlier today. Fella didn’t even know it was missin’ until I started askin’ questions.”

“Okay,” Shaye said, “so Davis brought two horses from the livery, thinkin’ that they’re meant for him and Cardwell, when they’re really meant for Cardwell and Jacks.”

“Jacks,” Thomas said. “That name sounds familiar.”

“Yeah, I thought so too,” Shaye said. He was seated behind his desk again, sitting lopsided to keep pressure off his hip. “Apparently he’s got a rep, although as what I don’t rightly know yet.”

“Okay, okay,” James said, “so we’re lookin’ for three men.”

“Looks that way,” Shaye said.

“Pa,” Thomas said, “I was tellin’ James I think he should stay behind to help you.”

“First of all, did you even get a posse together?”

Both young men looked away, and Thomas said, “Well, no.”

“So it may just be you and James, Thomas,” Shaye said. “You’re gonna need each other, and you might even have to split up to follow separate trails.”

James gave his brother a meaningful look, and Thomas simply shrugged.

“Don’t worry,” Shaye said. “I can get you a couple of other men to ride with you.”

“Who?” Thomas asked.

“You’ll see,” Shaye said. “For now I want you both to do something. One of you go back to the livery, and the other go and talk to the man whose horse was stolen.”

“I talked to them already—”

“Do those horses have any identifying marks, or anything that would make make their gait identifiable? Any markings in their hooves? Any—”

“Okay, okay,” Thomas said. “I get it. I didn’t ask the right questions.”

“Well,” Shaye said, “go ask them!”