Brothers in Blood Read Free Page B

involved.”
    â€œHe won’t care. They can’t tell him what to do.”
    â€œGive him the word. Also tell the judge and prosecutor that we need to have a meeting.”
    â€œAll for this gringo with you?”
    â€œTell them this is serious. He won’t want the governor down here, too.”
    â€œI will tell him, but it will do no good. He is the law here and what he says is the law. No one sees his prisoners unless he says so.”
    Raines held up his hand to silence him. “Do what I said. Tell him we mean business.”
    Then he turned to Chet. “He will listen to good sense. Come on.”
    Not satisfied with the way things stood, Chet followed the young lawyer outside. Once back in the wind, he pulled down his hat. “What do I need to do?”
    â€œIf you have a room, go back and rest. We will work this out.”
    â€œDoes this sheriff think he’s above the law?”
    â€œPretty much so, since no one has ever challenged him. A Texas rancher paid him two thousand dollars to get his son released, when all the kid did was shoot someone who was beating him up. I think the sheriff thought JD’s father would do the same.”
    â€œI’m his uncle, and a Deputy US Marshal. I intend to clear his name of this hoax.”
    â€œMaybe we can reach some compromise at a meeting with the county officials.”
    â€œI am not paying a sheriff to release an innocent man.”
    â€œI understand. I also understand the court business in this county. He will call for a meeting.”
    â€œI’ll be at the Pearl Hotel.” He ducked his head away from the wind. “Where is the telegraph office?”
    â€œAcross the street.” Raines pointed.
    â€œThanks. Does he run that, too?”
    The lawyer shrugged. “I will let you know what we need to do next.”
    â€œThanks.” They parted and Chet went to the telegraph office where a clerk was sending a message out on the key.
    â€œBe right with you,” he said.
    Chet nodded and took a yellow paper and wrote on it in pencil.

    To: Mrs. Marge Byrnes. Prescott, Arizona Territory.
    We are in Socorro. Looks like a long affair. What is the Santa Fe lawyer’s name? When will he be here?
    Love you, Chet.

    â€œI can send that right away. It’ll get there in twenty-four hours. Anything else?”
    â€œNo. How much?”
    â€œSeventy-five cents.”
    Chet paid him.
    â€œThanks. Where can I reach you for the reply?”
    â€œPearl Hotel.”
    â€œI know where that is.” The short man with the celluloid visor nodded. “Any time you need me, pound on the door. I’m here twenty-four hours a day.”
    Still filled with fury, Chet went back and found his men in their room.
    â€œDo any good?” Cole asked.
    â€œNot really. Raines is setting up a meeting with the sheriff.”
    â€œA meeting about what?” Jesus asked.
    Chet sat down and told them the entire story about the Texan who bought his son’s freedom.
    When Chet finished. Cole said, “This smells worse than the sheriff’s office at home.”
    â€œYes, it does. I wired Marge for the name of the lawyer coming here from Santa Fe. I guess all we can do now is wait.” He knew one thing for sure—he must sit on his temper. Things in this dusty town weren’t going to move fast enough to suit him. He got up and paced the floor. “I just hate that I can’t talk to JD.”
    â€œWe don’t have an answer, either,” Jesus said.
    That was the problem—there was no answer.

C HAPTER 3
    Firecrackers popped like gunshots. Rockets exploded overhead in the night air and threw out blue and red fans. It was New Year’s Eve and the Chinese population filled the sky over Socorro with colorful explosions.
    Louise, the waitress from the café, hung on to Cole’s arm. Chet and Jesus went along with them to the dance hall down the street for what she called a New