Chapter Twenty-four
Walker made his way quietly around to the back of the ranch house. He had separated from the others a few miles back, wanting to have the element of surprise on their side when they confronted Chet. He could well imagine how shocked Chet was going to be when Sheriff Protzel announced he had come to arrest him. He knew Chet might cause trouble, and he wanted to be in a position to stop it. He was going to enjoy seeing the look on Chet's face the first time Chet saw him again.
The thought made Walker smile.
It also made him smile to think about seeing Stacy again.
He reined in and dismounted, then quietly approached the house on foot and climbed in through a back window. Walker hoped Chet would surrender without a fight. He didn't want to put Roni or Stacy in any danger.
Roni was anxious about what was to come as they rode up and drew rein in front of the house. This was the moment she'd been waiting for ever since Walker had first been wrongfully arrested and convicted for Ben Thompson's murder.
Justice was going to be served today.
They were going to confront the real killer and bring him in.
They were going to clear Walker's name.
"Well, we're here," Sheriff Protzel said. He dismounted and tied up his horse. "Let's get this over with." He looked at Jim. "You ready?"
"Yeah, I'm ready." Jim was determined to get Stacy away from Chet, once and for all.
They headed up to the front door.
Inside the house, Stacy was glad to move away from Chet and go to the door. She was surprised to find it was Jim, Roni and Sheriff Protzel who were coming up the walk.
Chet, wondering who it was, came up to stand behind her.
Stacy tensed, uncomfortable with Chet's nearness. She was puzzled as to why the lawman was with Jim and Roni, but she wasn't going to question her good fortune at their timely arrival.
"Why, hello, Sheriff—Jim, Roni. This is a nice surprise. What brings you out here today?" she greeted them.
"Hi, Stacy," Roni said, smiling as if their visit was purely social. "Something's come up and we need to talk to you."
"Well, come on in. It's wonderful to have some company."
Roni was torn between the excitement of Stacy's upcoming reunion with Walker and the uneasiness of wondering what was going to happen when Chet saw him. She hid her runaway emotions and tried to look casual as she went inside.
"Chet's here, too, but he was just getting ready to leave," Stacy said in an artificially sweet voice.
"There's no need to rush off, Chet," Jim said.
Sheriff Protzel put in, "Yeah, it's good that you're here. I have a few things I need to talk with you about, too."
"Really?" Chet was surprised by the lawman's remarks. "I'll be glad to stick around then. I've got the time."
"Good," the sheriff said, satisfied that everything was falling into place.
"Let's go into the parlor," Stacy offered, leading the way.
They followed her.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable," she invited. "Sit down."
"I prefer to stand," the lawman began. "There are a few things I need to get straightened out."
"About what?" Stacy asked, her mood turning more serious as she realized this was no casual social call.
"Well, about Chet." Sheriff Protzel looked at the other man.
"What is it?" Chet asked, playing the innocent. He suspected the sheriff might have come there looking for him because of the incident with Suzie. The thought of talking about it in front of Jim and Roni irked him, but there wasn't anything he could do to avoid that now. He just had to sit tight and play his cards right.
"Well, Chet, it seems there have been new developments in the Ben Thompson murder case."
"What's happened?" Stacy asked quickly, startled by his revelation.
"From what I've been able to figure out, the wrong man was sent to prison," he went on.
Stacy looked up at the sheriff, tears filling her eyes. "I told you my brother was innocent!"
"I believed you, but the case against Walker was too solid, and I couldn't find anyone else who had a motive—until now." He left his sentence hanging for a moment.
"What do you mean? You've found the real killer?" Chet asked, acting excited even as an edge of panic gripped him. He didn't think he'd said anything incriminating when he'd been with Suzie the other night, but then again, he had been drunk out of his mind.
"We have," Sheriff Protzel said. "Thanks to new information I've received."
Stacy was devastated. "But even if you do know who really did it now, it won't bring my brother back."
"Yes, it will," Walker said as he appeared in the doorway that led to the dining room.
"Walker?" Stacy cried out in complete and utter shock at the sight of him. She stared at him in disbelief for a moment, and then pure joy filled her heart. She ran across the room and was enfolded in his loving embrace. "You're alive! I can't believe it!"
"Neither could we when he first came to us," Jim said, smiling at the sight of Stacy's joy in being reunited with her brother.
"But how did you survive that flash flood?" Chet was shocked, but for different reasons. He acted concerned. "The telegram Jim got said you'd drowned."
"The prison guards believed I drowned, and that was fine with me. It gave me the time I needed to get back here and find the real killer," Walker said tersely as he drew back from Stacy.
Chet wasn't sure what was coming next. "Who is it? What did you find out?"
"Maybe you're the one who should be telling us what really happened that night," Walker challenged him.
"I've already told you what I remember," Chet blustered. "I stayed there at Roni's office with you and Jim for a good part of the night. Then I left for home."
"But did you?"
"Did I what?" he countered.
"Did you go home?"
"Walker, what are you saying?" Stacy was bewildered as she looked between her brother and Chet. She could tell that Walker was expecting trouble at any second, and Chet just looked confused.
"Of course I went home. Where else could I have gone?"
"To see Suzie. Then, when you were through with her, you went after Ben Thompson. It was the perfect setup for you. Frame me for the murder and then get Stacy and the Dollar all for your own," Walker charged.
"You're crazy!" Complete and total panic was filling Chet. He realized if it came to a showdown, he was completely outnumbered.
Suddenly Stacy made the connection, and she was horrified by what Chet had done. "Did you really do it, Chet?"
"No, these accusations are nothing but lies. Whoever told you this is just trying to make trouble for us as a family. They don't know what they're talking about. I didn't kill Ben Thompson!"
"According to Suzie, you said, 'Everything's supposed to be mine with her brother out of the way.'"
"Of course, she would lie to you. She's a whore! What did you pay her? She'll do anything for money!" Chet exclaimed.
"Oh, we didn't have to pay her anything," Sheriff Protzel said. "She talked willingly once she knew we'd keep her safe from you. You're under arrest for the murder of Ben Thompson, Chet."
Rage overwhelmed Chet.
Everything he'd planned and dreamed of had been destroyed, and he knew he had to make his break for it right then or he would never see the light of day again—not until he was on the scaffold waiting for the hangman's noose. He knew he had no choice but to run, but he knew he was going to need some cover. He reacted instantly, grabbing Roni in a savage grip and drawing his gun.
Roni started to fight him, to try to break free, but the press of his gun against her side stopped her cold.
"Let her go!" Walker started to go after Chet, but stopped when he saw him holding the gun against her. He knew Chet well enough to be sure he would use it.
"Don't anybody move," Chet snarled, keeping his back to the wall as he pressed his gun even harder against Roni, making her squirm. "That goes for you, too, Jim. I see you're packin' today. Expecting trouble, were you?" He looked at the banker, who was wearing his gun belt.
"Let her go," the sheriff ordered. "There's no way out of this for you, so you might as well come back to town with me peaceably."
"I'm not going anywhere with you! I'm leaving and I'm taking the doc here with me. If anybody tries to stop me, she'll be the first one to take a bullet," he threatened, looking arrogantly at Walker. "You willing to risk that?"
Chet had already proven he was a cold-blooded killer, so there was no way Walker was going to let him leave the house with Roni. Whatever was going to go down was going to happen right there. He would not let Roni out of his sight—not even for a moment.
Chet started edging toward the door. "Don't think I won't use this gun on her. I got nothing to lose," he growled. "Either way I'm going to end up dead, so I might as well take as many people with me as I can!"
"Give it up, Chet." Walker tried a calm tone on him. "Like you said, there's no way out of this for you, so why don't you just put the gun down and turn yourself in?"
"You go to hell!"
"I've already been there," Walker said coldly, trying to figure out the best way to get Roni away from Chet.
"All of you, put your guns down on the floor. Walker, Jim, Sheriff—Do it! Now! Or, so help me, I'll shoot Roni right here where she stands! Like I said, I got nothing to lose!"
Roni wanted to fight Chet and break free, but his harsh hold on her, along with the deadly press of the cold metal gun against her side, kept her still. She looked at Walker, and for a moment, their gazes met. She knew if there was some way out of this, Walker would find it.
"Do it!" Chet commended.
Stacy cast a quick glance at her brother and saw the look of fierce determination on his face. She knew Walker was going to take action. Chet had picked the wrong man to cross.
"All right, Chet," Jim said, slowly drawing his gun. He thought about getting a shot off at him, but the way Chet was holding Roni right in front of him, it would be impossible. "We'll do exactly what you say. Just don't hurt Roni." He put the gun down next to him.
"Hurry up!" Chet demanded.
"Okay," Sheriff Protzel quickly assured him as he, too, drew his gun and put it on the floor. He was frustrated. He had to do whatever he could to make sure Roni wasn't harmed, but he didn't like facing a vengeful fool like Chet unarmed.
"Let's go, Walker! Now or so help me, I'll kill her!" Chet looked over at him, desperate madness shining in his eyes.
Walker looked at Roni for one moment longer and then, slowly, drew his gun and bent down to lay it on the floor. He knew this was his one chance to save her.
In one smooth move, he drew the knife he'd been carrying with him in his boot and threw it at Chet.
Walker's aim was perfect.
The knife caught Chet in the shoulder of his gun arm. The unexpected agony made him ease his hold on Roni, and in that instant, she jerked herself free.
Walker needed no other opportunity.
He launched himself bodily at Chet, knocking the gun from his hand and tackling him to the floor. In a savage move, he yanked the knife out of Chet's shoulder and pressed it to his throat.
Chet froze as he stared up at the man he'd betrayed.