royannahuggins
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Join date : 2013-10-13
 | | One of Our Deputies is Missing by Maz McCoy | |
Starring
Pete Duel and Ben Murphy as
Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry
Also Starring
James Drury as Lom Trevors
Belinda Montgomery as Willa Danvers (saloon gal)
Patrick O'Neal as Hamilton Farnsworth
Pat Crowley as Rachel Farnsworth
Tim Matheson as Henry
One of our Deputies is Missing
by Maz McCoy
Pre-credits teaser
A frustrated Hannibal Heyes paced backwards and forwards inside the jail cell, muttering to himself.
Kid Curry lay on one of the cell bunks, his hat over his face, apparently dozing.
“I don’t understand it. I just don’t understand it,” Heyes said. “How did we get into this mess?”
Cue recognisable music and comfortably familiar opening credits.
Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry rode along a wooded trail and passed a faded wooden sign on which was written the name of the approaching town, Potter’s Bluff.
The Kid turned to his friend. “You’re sure we’ve never been here before?” he asked.
“I know I’ve never been here before. You, I can’t be so sure about.”
Curry considered this. “I don’t think I’ve ever been here before.”
“Remember what I told you about thinking.”
The Kid shot his friend a sideways glance but said nothing.
They rode on a few more paces before the Kid asked, “So how long we gonna stay here?”
“We just got here, Kid, how do I know how long we’ll stay?”
“Well, you must have an idea. You usually have ideas. You usually have a lot of ideas. A lot of ideas you insist on sharin’ with me.”
Heyes pulled his horse to a halt and stared at his partner. “You don’t like my ideas?”
“I didn’t say that.” The Kid halted his own animal.
“It sure sounded like it. Maybe you should try getting some ideas of your own.”
“You don’t like it when I get ideas.”
Heyes gave his partner a sideways look.
The Kid smiled. “I just wondered if we were gonna stay here a while. Wondered what’s on your mind.”
“You’re getting awfully curious.”
“I have an inquirin’ mind.”
“Hah!” Heyes laughed and urged his horse on. He was still laughing when a smiling Kid Curry kicked his horse forward.
***
As they rode along the main street of Potter’s Bluff the townsfolk gave the newcomers a smile. As they passed a school, the sound of children’s laughter filled the air. There was a freshly painted church, what appeared to be a profitable saloon and finally a comfortable looking hotel with its reasonable rates advertised on a board outside. They pulled their horses to a halt in front of the hotel, climbed from the saddle, tied the reins to a hitching rail, untied their saddle bags and bed rolls and strolled up the steps onto the boardwalk.
The partners paused before entering the building, taking a moment to survey the town.
“Looks like a nice peaceable place,” the Kid remarked.
“It does, Thaddeus, it does.” Heyes smiled and placed his hand on the Kid’s shoulder. “I’ve been thinking, maybe we should rest up here a while. Enjoy all that Potter’s Bluff has to offer.”
“If one of those things is a hot bath, Joshua, I couldn’t agree more.”
They turned and entered the hotel.
***
Later that day the partners stepped, freshly scrubbed and wearing clean shirts, out of the hotel onto the boardwalk. The Kid adjusted the collar of his pale blue shirt while Heyes straightened the sleeves of his dark blue one.
“I think I hear a poker game calling me,” Heyes said with a smile.
“Lead on, Joshua,” the Kid replied and they headed across the street towards the saloon.
They had just reached the middle of the street when two men, each sporting a metal star on his chest, with the word Deputy written on it, stepped into their path.
“Are you Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones?” one of the men asked as he looked from one man to the other.
“Depends on who wants to know,” Heyes replied, cautiously.
The other deputy moved to stand behind them. The Kid watched him. “Is somethin’ wrong Deputy?” he asked.
“Just answer the question. You Smith and Jones?”
“We are,” Heyes informed him.
“We need you to come with us,” the first lawman stated.
As they turned their focus back to the first man both deputies drew their guns.
“Raise your hands, please gentlemen,” the first man said.
“Woah, what’s going on?” Heyes asked, doing as requested.
“You’re under arrest.”
“For what?” The Kid asked, irritated. He had not raised his hands.
“Raise your hands,” the first deputy repeated, his gaze locked with the Kid’s.
Slowly Curry complied and the second deputy relieved him of his Colt.
“Deputy, I think there’s been some kind of mistake...” Heyes began, as his gun was removed from its holster.
“No mistake. Let’s go over to the jail.” He pointed out the direction with a wave of his gun. “Start walking.”
Reluctantly Heyes and Curry started walking.
***
“What are we being charged with?” Heyes asked as they were escorted into a jail cell.
“The sheriff will be here soon. He’ll explain the charges to you,” the deputy carrying the cell keys informed them. Once they were inside the cell, he closed the door, which gave a loud metallic clang, and then locked them in.
The Kid sat down heavily on the nearest bunk, took off his hat and placed it on the grey blanket beside him. He sighed as, resting his elbows on his knees, he ran both hands through his hair.
Heyes stared at the two deputies through the bars. “He must have given you some idea.”
The deputies looked at him. They shook their heads and headed for the door. When it closed behind them there was nothing but silence to fill the void.
Heyes turned slowly and looked at his partner. “When you took the horses to the livery stables, what the heck did you do?”
Incredulous and opened mouthed, the Kid looked up. “What did I do?” He got swiftly to his feet.
“Yes, what did you do?” Heyes asked, grim faced as his friend stood facing him.
“I took the horses to the livery stables. What do you think I did?” The Kid’s growing irritation was obvious.
“I don’t know, but whatever it was it got us in trouble.”
“When I was at the livery stables what did you do?” the Kid countered.
“Nothing, because I didn’t leave the hotel.”
“Well, I didn’t do anything except get our horses settled in.”
Heyes stared at the Kid, his eyes narrowing. “You didn’t talk to anyone?”
“No one except the guy that works there,” Curry glared back.
“Then what did you do?”
“I walked back to the hotel. I didn’t see anyone to speak to. I didn’t show anyone my fast draw and I certainly didn’t tell anyone who we really are!”
Brown eyes glared at blue ones.
Blue ones glared back.
***
A frustrated Hannibal Heyes paced backwards and forwards inside the jail cell, muttering to himself.
Kid Curry lay on one of the cell bunks, his hat over his face, apparently dozing.
“I don’t understand it. I just don’t understand it,” Heyes said. “How did we get into this mess?” He stopped and cast a glance sideways.
There was no response from his partner.
Heyes began to pace again. “I mean, we weren’t doing anything wrong. It’s not like you showed off your fast draw again.”
One finger raised the hat. Two blue eyes fixed on Heyes.
“You know what I mean,” the dark-haired man told him.
The Kid gave his partner a look.
“It is apt to draw attention to us.”
“Hmmph.” The hat lowered.
“I just don’t understand it.” His shoulders sagged.
The main door opened and a young deputy walked in. He looked at the men in the cell and smiled. “Hey, fellas.”
Heyes scoffed and addressed the deputy through the bars. “You do realise we’re going to miss his wedding if you keep us here any longer?” He pointed at the Kid.
The deputy looked at the prone man. “He don’t look too bothered about it.” He headed for the coffee pot sitting on the stove, picked up a cup, looked inside, cleaned it with his shirttail and then poured a cup of coffee.
“He hides it well,” Heyes informed the lawman. “Inside he’s seething. He’s madly in love with his fiancée. She’s a beautiful girl. The daughter of the mayor.”
The deputy poured a second cup and then a third. He picked up two cups and approached the bars.
“My wife is baking the cake for them,” Heyes continued. “Of course, we might not be able to go to the wedding what with my baby son being so ill and all.”
The deputy bent down and slid the two cups of coffee under the bars. “There you go, fellas.” He headed back to his desk.
“That’s why we were in town. I was hoping to see the doctor. Talk to him about my son. He’s had this cough, been going on for a while.”
The deputy picked up his coffee and headed to the door.
“I’m not sure if my son will make it.”
The deputy opened the door and stepped outside.
“Who knows how long he has left?”
The door closed behind the deputy.
The jail fell silent.
Heyes sighed then turned to face the Kid. “This is definitely your fault.”
***
Heyes stood with his hands wrapped around the cell bars. He let out a sigh and rested his forehead against the cold metal.
“What if someone recognised us?” Heyes pondered as he turned to look at his partner. “Are you sure you didn’t do anything?”
The Kid raised his hat but said nothing.
“Damn it, will you answer me?”
Sighing heavily, Curry sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bunk.
“What do you want me to say, Heyes? We’ve been over this. I don’t think we did anything wrong. I know I didn’t do anything when I went to the livery stables. And I don’t know if anyone recognised us. All I know, is we’re in jail waitin’ for the sheriff to get back and there’s a darn good probability that he’s gonna organise us a free trip to Wyoming!”
Heyes glared at the Kid who gave him his best gunfighter’s stare back.
Suddenly the silhouette of a man in a cowboy hat could be seen on the other side of the window. Curry spotted it.
“Heyes.”
His partner followed the direction of his gaze.
They watched as the silhouette drew closer. The man stopped outside the door. The door handle turned. The door opened slightly. The Kid was on his feet and joined Heyes at the bars.
They watched and waited.
“Seth,” a man’s voice called. “Go check on the boys in the saloon, will you?”
“Sure, Sheriff.”
The partners exchanged a look.
Heyes’ brow furrowed. “D’you recognise that voice?”
“Not sure,” the Kid replied.
The door opened wider.
Heyes and the Kid strained to see who was about to enter.
The door was open; they could still see the silhouette but not the man.
And then, finally, the sheriff entered the jail.
Heyes felt his mouth drop open. The Kid’s eyes opened wider.
The sheriff closed the door and approached the jail.
“Hello boys,” he said with a smile.
“Lom?” the Kid said, incredulously.
***
“Kid,” Sheriff Lom Trevors replied as he looked at the two men through the bars. He removed his hat and placed it on the desk, then walked over to the cell.
Heyes stared at the lawman in disbelief. “What’s going on, Lom?” he finally asked.
“I’m sorry about this boys, but I couldn’t take a chance.”
“A chance on what?” the Kid asked with concern. His expression darkened. “Is this about our amnesty?”
Lom Trevors shook his head. “No. I couldn’t take a chance you’d see me in the street and call out my name. I don’t want anyone knowing we know each other.”
“Ashamed of us, Lom?” Heyes queried, irritably.
“No, but when I saw you two ride in I knew I could use your help. I’d actually been thinking of sending a telegram asking you to come here but I wasn’t sure if you’d still be in Red Rock. With the railroad workers fighting every night I’ve hardly had time to think let alone investigate the robbery so…” He noted their confused expressions. “Maybe I should explain what I’m doing here first?”
“Maybe you could let us out first,” Curry suggested.
“All in good time, Kid, all in good time.”
***
Lom sat on a chair outside the cells nursing a cup of coffee. Inside the cell the Kid and Heyes sat on separate bunks, backs against the wall listening to the sheriff.
“A few days ago, someone robbed the safe at the hotel and made off with some valuable jewelery owned by one of the hotel’s guests.”
“It wasn’t us!” Heyes snapped.
“I know that,” Lom informed him. “Potter’s Bluff doesn’t have a permanent sheriff at the moment although there are elections due. When the jewelery went missing so did one of the deputies. He gave chase to the robbers, the owner of the jewelery rode out with him, but they haven’t returned. Some folk think he was caught or shot. Others think he might have been in on the robbery.”
“That doesn’t explain what you’re doing here,” Heyes pointed out. “Or why we’re still locked up.”
Lom suppressed a smile. “The missing deputy is the governor’s nephew.”
Heyes and Curry exchanged a surprised glance as the information sank in.
Lom continued. “The governor asked me to come here and help him out. He’s not been a lawman for long and was having trouble with the railroad workers. Without a fully elected sheriff to back him up he was struggling. The governor felt he could use an experienced hand around. But when I arrived, I discovered him gone. The governor asked me to find out what happened to Henry.”
“And we’re in jail because…?” The Kid looked directly at the sheriff.
“Because I haven’t had a minute to do anything about it but when I saw you I realised I could use your help.”
The partners exchanged a glance.
“You got a funny way of asking for it, Lom,” Heyes pointed out.
“How?” the Kid asked sticking to the point.
“I doubt anyone is going to tell you anything if they think you’re working for the sheriff,” Lom stated.
“So you had us locked up because…?”
“Because I didn’t want you shouting out my name across Main Street, Heyes, all right?”
The dark-haired ex-outlaw met Lom’s gaze. “I wouldn’t have done that, Lom.” He pointed a thumb in Curry’s direction and added, deadpan. “But he might.”
A slow smile broke out on Lom’s face mirrored by Heyes’ own. Lom nodded. Curry glared at them both.
The Kid swung his legs off the bunk and sat up. “So does that mean you’re gonna let us out now?”
“Not yet.”
Curry’s shoulders dropped. “Why not?”
“What if someone walks in right now? I need them to think I’m giving you a talking to. I can’t be seen to be friendly with ya.”
“You keep this up, Lom and you won’t need to act.”
“So what else do we need to know before you let us out?” Heyes asked.
“I still hope that Henry and Farnsworth, that’s the man whose wife had her jewelery stolen, are off chasing the robbers.”
“You want us to go after him?” Curry asked. “Track ‘em down?”
“No, for a start I don’t even know which direction they set off in. Nobody actually bothered to look. Can you believe that?” The sheriff shook his head. “No one can follow that trail.”
The Kid jerked a thumb at Heyes. “How ‘bout the Champeen tracker of all southern Utah?”
Lom smiled. “I heard about that.”
Heyes gave them both a look. “So, what do you want, Lom?”
“I’ve been hearing rumours about Henry. Rumours that suggest he’s not a law-abiding lawman.”
“We’ve met those before,” Curry muttered.
Lom continued, “I’ve heard he’s taken a dollar or two to look the other way.”
“And you want us to find out if that’s true?” Heyes asked.
“I do.”
“If he caught the thief he should be back by now. If the thief got away, he should be back by now. If the bank had been robbed, I could understand him pursuing it but…I didn’t expect him to stay on the trail this long. And what about Farnsworth? Why isn’t he back?” Lom let out a long breath. “If Henry was in on the robbery where would he go? Why would he risk everything for a few jewels? As you can imagine the governor wants this kept quiet. Rumour has it Henry was sweet on one of the saloon girls.” Lom looked at the Kid. “You might want to start there.” He smiled.
“D’you want me to use my charms on her?” Curry asked.
“I thought you might.”
“I’ll do my best,” the blond man assured him with a smile.
“I knew I could rely on you.”
“Got a job for me?” Heyes asked.
“The safe.”
Heyes smiled revealing two dimples. “Now you’re talking my language.”
“So, can we be let out now?” the Kid asked. “Please?”
Trevors smiled. “I think so.”
Curry was swiftly on his feet. “Well, about time, Lom!”
***
The sounds of the saloon drifted across the street as Heyes and the Kid headed towards it. There was the sound of laughter, the playing of a piano, slightly out of tune, the occasional shout. A whoop of delight and then more shouting.
“What do you think, Heyes?” the Kid queried as they reached the boardwalk.
“I think we should get a beer and you should sweet-talk the saloon gal.”
“Yeah, but I gotta find out which one first. You’d have thought Lom would have found that out at least.”
“I guess he wanted to make sure we…” Heyes stopped in his tracks. His mouth opened in stunned surprise.
“What?” Heyes did not reply. Curry looked worried. He scanned the street. “Heyes, what is it?”
Shocked, the dark-haired man shook his head. “I don’t believe it.”
“What?”
“I must be slipping, Kid.”
“Heyes, you got me worried. What the heck is it?”
“I can’t believe I let this happen.”
“What? Let what happen?”
Heyes looked his friend in the eye. “I was going to say, I guess he wanted to make sure we earned our money.”
“Yeah, but…” The Kid slapped his head as realisation hit.
Heyes nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. Lom never mentioned actually paying us.”
“You’re right, Heyes. You are slippin’.”
***
Pushing their way through the bat-wing doors, the Kid and Heyes headed towards the bar. A group of men sitting around a table were playing cards. One man looked up but gave the partners little more than a cursory glance before returning his attention to his cards. Smoke from their cigars hung over the table in a cloud. The piano player pounded out a few well-known tunes in a corner of the room and a saloon gal leaned on the piano. The bartender worked his way along the bar, wiping it with a rag as he went. The Kid caught the bartender’s eye, held up two fingers politely and soon a beer was placed in front of each man. They leaned back against the bar as they sipped their beers and surveyed the room. Heyes’ eyes fell on the game of poker.
“What do you think?” the Kid asked, casually, his eyes watching a pretty, dark-haired young girl, working her way around the room.
“I think I could win a lot of money the way they play cards.”
“The girl, Joshua.”
Heyes followed the direction of his partner’s gaze. “She’s too young for you.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Well, she is.”
Ignoring him, the Kid asked, “Do you think she’s Henry’s girl?”
“Only one way to find out, Thaddeus. Go use your charms.”
The Kid smiled. “I aim to please.” He pushed off the bar and headed towards her.
Heyes watched as his friend caught the girl’s eye. She smiled and sauntered over to him. She was shorter than the Kid and he lowered his head to speak to her. They exchanged a few words. She shook her head. He smiled, the sort of smile that usually had women falling at his feet. She frowned and shook her head again then spun on her heels and, clearly unhappy, walked away. The Kid frowned, looked over at Heyes and then walked back to the bar.
Heyes smiled. “Losing your touch?”
The Kid ignored him, picked up his beer and took a swallow.
Heyes waited.
Finally, Curry looked at him. “She got real upset when I started askin’ questions about my friend, Henry.”
“Interesting.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“I guess we found our girl.”
“My girl, Joshua. Your girl is a little harder to crack.”
Heyes smiled.
***
Hannibal Heyes stood in the hotel lobby peering over the reception desk at the small square safe on the floor behind the counter. He pondered the device, studying the dial. Slowly a smile formed on his face.
“Can I help you, Mr. Smith?”
Heyes looked up as the male clerk approached from a back room.
“I was just looking at your safe.” Heyes waved a hand in its general direction.
The clerk looked concerned. “Yes, sir?”
“Would it be all right to store a couple of things in there?”
“It is available for the use of the hotel guests, certainly.”
“But, I heard talk in the saloon that someone robbed it recently.” Heyes looked up and met the clerk’s gaze. “That true?”
The clerk nodded. “Sadly, sir, yes it is.”
“So how can I be sure my things will be safe?”
“The safe itself is very secure.”
“But?” Heyes prompted.
“We believe a professional safecracker was responsible for the theft.”
“He break into the hotel too?”
“We don’t know. But the safe was cracked, not blown open as I believe bank robbers are want to do.”
“So, what’s to stop them from doing it again?”
“The robbers have left town, sir. One of our deputies went after them and he hasn’t returned, so we assume he’s still pursuing them.”
“I heard the guests had things stolen.”
“Unfortunately, one of the guest’s belongings were taken.”
“Is the guest still here?”
“Mrs. Farnsworth lost her jewelery and she’s…” He looked at Heyes. “I’m not sure why that would concern you, sir. I can assure you that since then this safe is well guarded.”
“But it wasn’t when I walked in.”
The man looked shame faced. “No, sir, it wasn’t. I suppose it will take us time to change our ways. But it really is a good safe.”
Heyes looked thoughtful. “I’ll think about it.” Heyes pushed off the counter and the clerk watched him head towards the stairs.
***
Kid Curry sat on one of the two beds in the hotel room, socked feet crossed at the ankles, reading the newspaper. Hearing someone at the door to the room he reached for his Colt, removed it from the holster that hung on the bedstead near his head, and pointed it at the door.
Hannibal Heyes entered the room, saw the gun and shook his head. “You know one of these days you’re gonna shoot me.”
The Kid smiled. “One of these days you may just give me a reason to.” He returned the gun to the holster. “Did you check out the safe?”
“Yeah.” Heyes removed his hat and hung it on the other bed’s end post then shrugged out of his vest.
“What do you think?” The Kid swung his legs off his bed and sat up.
Heyes sat down heavily on the other bed and began to pull off his left boot. “I can open it.”
“Yeah, but could anybody else?”
“Not that quickly unless you know what you’re doing or if you managed to watch the desk clerk turn the dial and memorise a number or two. We need to find out more about what happened the night of the robbery.” He tugged off the other boot.
“You want to talk to Lom?” the Kid queried.
Heyes swung his legs onto the bed and leaned back against the bedstead. He ran his hands through his hair and yawned. “Yeah. I got some questions for him.”
“I’ll get a message to him in the mornin’.”
Heyes yawned again. “That’s good Kid.” He stretched out on the bed. “I thought this was gonna be a nice peaceable town.”
“Guess looks can be deceivin’.”
“They sure can.” Heyes yawned once more and closed his eyes.
***
Last edited by royannahuggins on Wed 16 Jan 2019, 7:15 pm; edited 2 times in total | |
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and hope there's more to follow.