Chapter Fifteen
From where she stood near the bank, Angela watched as the banker returned to Sep and gave him an envelope full of money. Well, she couldn’t see what was in the envelope, but it could only be money because this was a bank, and the only thing banks had in them was money. What was he getting money for? He hadn’t gone up to the teller, so the money hadn’t come out of his account, if he even had an account. She didn’t know if he did or not. So he had to be taking out a loan. But why? Who was he going to give the money to? It had to be the person he had been looking for last night. If only she knew who that person was, she might be able to do something to help him.
It was possible the person had followed Sep to this bank, which was why she had asked April if she could wear her bonnet and dress before she left the house. April had been surprised by the request but had agreed to let her borrow them after Angela quickly explained everything that had been going on since last night. Then she changed into April’s clothes and hurried out of the house right after Sep did.
She had been planning to follow him as he went on the errand he had talked about. And she had been hiding in a tight spot between two buildings, which offered her a good view of the inside of the bank, for the past hour. Her feet and back were letting her know they didn’t appreciate the fact that she had been standing still for so long, but she ignored the aches. Some things were worth the discomfort. And she was determined to do anything she could to help Sep.
Sep finally left the bank, tucking the envelope into his pocket. She frowned. Was he trying to get noticed? Was his intention to let someone know that he had money? Probably. It was probably a silent message to the person he was worried about.
She wondered if the person might be watching him, just like she was at this moment. She drew back the edge of her bonnet so that she could see the other people. No one seemed suspicious, but then, she hadn’t lived here long enough to know who any of these people were. The only person she recognized was the deputy, and the only reason she recognized him was because he helped her get away from Mr. Dodson and his men that night at the livery stable. The deputy was pacing up and down the street. She assumed he was doing this to make sure no one was doing something they shouldn’t. He was a lawman, after all. It wasn’t uncommon for those men to patrol the streets from time to time in her hometown.
But as Sep went down the street, the deputy stopped pacing and watched him. The deputy wasn’t looking in her direction, but even so, she wiggled into the narrow space between the two buildings so that he didn’t have a direct view of her. Something about the way the deputy was watching Sep didn’t sit well with her. She continued to watch the deputy as Sep went past him on the street. Sep tipped his hat in a greeting, and the deputy returned the gesture. After Sep went around him, he turned and continued watching Sep.
The deputy waited for a few moments before he followed Sep. Making sure there was no one else watching Sep, she emerged from her hiding spot and went after the deputy. She tucked the bonnet around her face when the deputy glanced over his shoulder so he wouldn’t recognize her. And this gave her the advantage she had been hoping for. It helped even more that there were several other women around her, also walking down the street in the same direction she was. At this distance, she could easily blend in.
It didn’t take long to realize that Sep was going back to April and Joel’s house. As soon as she realized that, she picked up her pace and took another street and then went through a couple of backyards so that she could reach the house first. She knew it was going to alarm April, but she jumped in through Nora and Hannah’s bedroom window before Sep or the deputy could catch her.
She ran into April and Joel’s bedroom and hurried to change back into her clothes.
As she expected, one of the children hurried into Nora and Hannah’s bedroom to find out what had made the noise. “I don’t see anyone in here,” Hannah said.
“Well, there was someone here,” Nora replied. “The person must be somewhere else in this house.”
Angela was just fastening the last button on her dress when she heard April ask, “What are you two doing?”
Angela opened the bedroom door. “It was me,” she hurried to tell the girls. “I was in your room.”
“Did you fall?” Nora asked. “That was a loud sound we heard.”
“Yes, you could say that,” Angela replied. She turned her attention to April who was slowly moving down the hall, holding her newborn daughter. “I found out something, and I think it could be helpful.”
April indicated that she understood, but before she could answer, the front door opened and Sep called out that he was back.
“We’ll have to talk when we’re alone,” Angela told April, keeping her voice low.
“Talk about what?” Hannah asked.
“We need to talk about adult things,” April said.
“What kind of adult things?” Hannah asked.
Nora shook her head and sighed. “She’s still a child. She doesn’t understand.” She turned to her sister. “They want to talk about things that are inappropriate for us.”
“Like what?” Hannah asked.
“Topics that would only bore children,” April told them before she glanced over her shoulder as Sep came toward them in the hallway. “We were beginning to wonder what happened to you,” she said, her tone light. “You were gone for so long we thought you disappeared.”
“No, I didn’t disappear,” Sep replied. “But things did take longer than I had expected.”
“Did everything go alright?” Angela asked him.
He nodded. “Yes, things went well.” His gaze went to Opal. “I was thinking that since April just had a baby that you might want to stay here tonight and help her with things.”
Angela looked at April, and it was apparent that they both knew that Sep was only saying this so that he would be the only one going back to the farm. So that meant he was planning to give someone that money tonight. Last night had been a strain for him. He probably wanted to get this thing over with as soon as possible so he would feel safe having Angela back home.
If she stayed here in town, she could go to the sheriff. Owen had to know what was going on with his deputy, and the sooner she told him, the better. She turned her gaze to April. “I would love to help you, if that would be alright.”
April indicated her agreement. “I would appreciate that very much.”
Angela turned back to Sep. “When do you plan to go back home?”
“Well,” Sep began, “I don’t want to leave until after supper. It would be nice to spend a little more time with my family, especially since there’s a new member.” He reached over to tap Opal on the nose.
Angela caught the slight trembling in his hand. He was scared. He was probably more scared for her than he was for himself, but he was definitely scared.
“Since I’m here,” Angela cleared her throat and glanced at April, “I would love to make supper tonight. After everything you’ve been through, you should rest.”
April smiled. “That’s very nice of you. Usually, Joel runs right out to tell his mother when I have a baby, and his mother will come out and spend a week with me to help me out. He’s probably telling her about Opal’s birth right now.”
“Well, I can still help you out in the meantime,” Angela said.
There was an awkward pause before April led Angela and Sep to the parlor. There were so many things left unsaid, but they would have to wait until the time was right.
***
Within the following two hours, Sally stopped by to welcome Opal into the world, and she brought her daughter, Laura, with her.
Sep was sitting in a chair in the parlor, and he was only half paying attention to what Sally was telling Angela and April, who were also in the room. Nora had taken Hannah and Levi to a nearby park. Joel had yet to return. Sep kept glancing out the window to see if Joel was coming back, but he wasn’t anywhere.
“Men and boys aren’t so interested in babies,” Sally said as she cradled Opal in her arms. “Rick and Greg said they’ll be by tomorrow. Today Rick is letting Greg go to work with him. Greg might work at the courthouse. He’s not interested in being a judge, but he might want to be one of the clerks.”
“It’s good that Greg might know what job he wants,” April told Sally.
“It is,” Sally agreed. “Greg’s had the hardest time settling on what he wants to do. At least, Rick can show Greg around the courthouse and give him an idea of what his responsibilities would be if he was to work there.”
“I enjoyed being a teacher,” Angela spoke up. “It was a good experience, and I’m glad I did it. Even so, I’m much happier being married to Sep.”
At the mention of his name, Sep glanced over in his wife’s direction and caught the tender way she smiled at him. He returned her smile, hoping this wouldn’t be the last day he’d see her. He was taking a considerable risk tonight. Everything was going to boil down to timing. As long as the man didn’t find out there was no money in that envelope, he still had the advantage.
But if he found out too soon, it could throw everything off. It was easier to be optimistic about his plan earlier that day. But as the hours passed and the time got closer for him to return home, he was getting more and more nervous that it wouldn’t work. He could very well end up being shot before the night was over.
He rubbed his forehead and tried not to think about it. Dwelling on something too much could be a problem. While it gave him sufficient time to think over what he wanted to say and do, it also gave him time to worry. And it wasn’t just him he had to worry about.
If Joel would just get home, he might give him some insight that might help him. Sitting around wasn’t helping things. All it did was make the time go slower. While he wasn’t looking forward to returning home, he almost wished he could just get everything over with. Then he wouldn’t have to keep carrying the weight of this burden with him.
He took another glance out the window. Joel was nowhere in sight. Since this house was placed right in the middle of town, there were plenty of people walking past the window and plenty more were on the other side of the street. Buggies and wagons traveled up and down the road, too.
The solitude was one of the things he liked most about being out in the country. There was so much going on at any one time in town. There were probably even a lot of criminals to worry about. Much more here than there would be at an isolated farm.
From time to time, he noticed the deputy making his rounds down the block. Once in a while, he stopped to talk to a couple of people. But he seemed to be content to take the same loop around the busiest parts of Omaha. He would come down this block, disappear a few houses down, and then about fifteen minutes later, Sep would see him again.
Something nudged Sep in the leg, and he glanced down at Fred, who looked up at him with an expectant expression on his face. Fred wanted to go outside. He spent some time indoors, but he wanted to spend most of his time outside where he was free to run and play to his heart’s content.
Unfortunately, Sep could not oblige the dog his wish today. He scratched the dog behind his ears. Maybe that would help settle his restless spirit.
“That’s a good dog you got there, Sep,” Sally said.
Sep’s attention went back to the women. “Yes, Fred is one of the best. You can’t do much better than him.”
“Does Fred get along well with other dogs?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never had him around other dogs.”
“Maybe he would like a friend. I heard Tom and Jessica’s dog recently had puppies. They have a Labrador. Those dogs are friendly. I’m sure the puppy would get along with Fred.”
“Maybe.” Right now, Sep couldn’t make plans to get another dog. He would be doing good just to get him, Fred, and Joel through the night when they went back out to the farm.
“You know, Angela,” Sally began, “you’re practically a Larson because of your marriage to Sep. Come Christmas, you and Sep should join us at my parents’ farm.”
April’s eyes grew wide. “You have a large family. I don’t think we can all fit in that house.”
“Of course, we can,” Sally replied. “My brother, Richard, and his son, Mark, just helped my pa add a large dining room to the house.” With a glance at Angela, she added, “Richard and Mark build houses and businesses.”
April laughed. “Your mother is the only person I know who’s happy when there are so many people in her house that she needs to build an additional room to fit them all.”
“April, how long does it take Joel to get back from Jenny’s?” Sep asked, interrupting them.
“He didn’t just go to Jenny’s,” Sally said. “He went to tell everyone in the family about Opal’s birth. How else do you think I found out?”
Sep had been so nervous that he hadn’t even thought about how Sally had found out. Now, he realized he should have. Why did Joel have to go out and tell his whole family that Opal was born? Couldn’t he have waited? Sep hid his irritation the best he could and looked back out the window, hoping against hope that Joel would show up.
The women, in turn, ignored him and continued gushing over how cute Opal was.
***
Joel didn’t return for another two hours, which was just at the time supper was ready. Sally and Laura had helped Angela make the meal before leaving. And it was five minutes after they left that Joel finally walked through the door.
Without waiting for Joel to say anything to the women or children, Sep urged Joel into one of the bedrooms and shut the door so they could speak in private.
“If you’re trying to be subtle, it’s not working,” Joel said.
“I’ve been waiting all day for you to return. I don’t want to wait until after supper to find out what’s going on. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m stuck in a serious situation here.”
“I understand that. Why do you think I waited so long to return? If I only went to speak to Jenny, whoever is after you would’ve been suspicious. By going out to everyone in the family, no one will suspect a thing.”
“I wish you’d told me you were going to do that before you left.” Sep ran his fingers through his hair. “Do you know how hard it is to act like nothing is wrong so that I don’t panic my wife and sister?”
“If you were trying not to get them to panic, then you should have calmly asked to talk to me instead of dragging me in here like your tail was on fire.”
“I would’ve done that if you had returned sooner.”
Joel shook his head. “You’re anxious. I suppose your actions were to be expected.”
“Especially since you didn’t bother to tell me what you were going to do.”
Joel sighed. “Are you interested in what I found out or not?”
Pushing aside his irritation, Sep nodded and gestured for Joel to speak.
“I went to Jenny’s first, and when I was done talking to everyone else in the family, I returned to her. The men that Owen arrested a couple of weeks ago are still in jail. None of them escaped.”
It took a moment for the news to sink in. “How is that possible?”
“It’s possible if there was another person involved that wasn’t arrested.”
Could this be true? Was it possible there was someone else involved who wasn’t at the livery stable that night? There were so many men who had been arrested that Sep couldn’t imagine there being another one. But, as Joel pointed out, it was possible. Perhaps the extra man had been in town getting things ready for the auction. Maybe he was bringing back something for the men and women to eat and drink. Or maybe he didn’t have to be there for the lookout. Maybe he didn’t have to get involved until the next day.
“I think we should go to Owen about this,” Joel said.
“The person who wrote me that missive specifically told me not to go to any lawmen.”
“It also told you to bring money, but if I recall right, you said you were only going to pretend to get a loan from the bank.”
“That’s because I can fool him by doing that. If he sees me going to Owen, then it’s over. I’ll lose the only advantage I have.”
“Well, I can go to Owen.”
“No. This person knows that I’m here at this house. If you go to Owen, he’s going to know that I talked to you about this.”
“Then I’ll go after you leave. You believe he’s going to follow you back to your home, right?”
“Yes, but there could be more than one person. I think I’m dealing with just one, but I don’t know that for sure. I’m leaving Angela here tonight to make sure she’s safe. I don’t think anyone will go near her while she’s here.” Then as an afterthought, he asked, “How many men do you think would be involved in something like this?”
“I don’t know. While $300 is a lot of money, if you spread it out too many ways, it’s not enough to do much of anything for someone who is an outlaw. So, I’m guessing no more than three.”
“Do you think this man, or these men, are still working with Mr. Dodson?”
Joel shrugged. “They could be. This could be just one scheme they’re running before they managed to break Mr. Dodson and the others out. Or they might plan to leave Mr. Dodson and the others in jail. Anything’s possible.”
Well, it was obvious that the deputy was taking the matter seriously since he was on careful watch in the town. Maybe that’s why he kept patrolling the same area over and over. This house wasn’t far from the jailhouse. Maybe Owen suspected there might be more men involved in this whole thing and was having his deputy keep watch for anyone who seemed suspicious. And if he was only having the deputy keep watch, then there couldn’t be more than a couple of them running loose.
“I think we can do this without Owen or Deputy Barnes,” Sep finally said.
“Maybe, but we need a good plan. Have you come up with something?”
“Yes, but I need Fred’s help. He’s excellent at tracking animals and people. I plan to have him sniff out the man’s hiding place at the farm, but I’ll wait until you’re there before I confront him.”
“Well, you better hope there’s not more than two or three. Any more than that and it’s going to get tricky.”
“My gut tells me there’s only one.”
“For both of our sakes, I hope you’re right.”