Loaded Guns and Broken Fences [On Hold]

Chapter 50 || Fuel to the Fire ||

Euell leaned up against one of the supports on the porch outside his office, nodding to Thomas Birch as the young man passed. There was almost a sense of normalcy, watching the crossroads while people went about their lives. It was almost easy even, to forget all that happened lately, but spying Jeff coming up the road was a quick, harsh reminder.

Euell sighed heavily as the doctor joined him on the porch. "Afternoon, Doc," Euell greeted.

"Sheriff," the older man replied as he held out some papers to him. "Finished the reports for Mr. and Mrs. Shield, and Joseph too."

Euell took the documents from him but didn't look over them right away. Instead, his gaze came back up to the old doctor's weary face. "And?"

"S'all there," Jeff motion, unwilling or unable to recount it out loud. "I really should get going, needed across town on a house call. You have a good day Sheriff," Jeff said nodding once before leaving Euell to read over the papers.

Euell had already skimmed most of the information he wanted before he even reached his desk. It was as he feared, bullets found in every one of them. Even Mrs. Shield, as burned up as she was, had shown evidence of foul play. Jeff had been sure to add to his notes that the bullet in her was low-caliber, and it was a fair possibility that she'd still been alive when she'd burned. Euell understood why Jeff was reluctant to talk about any of it. Hell, it must have been hard enough for him to write up the report in the first place.

He tossed the papers onto his desk and rubbed a hand over his face. The evidence was still too slim to make any arrest on more than assumptions, and he didn't have a witness. Not a one.

Euell's body slumped heavily into his chair and his gaze drifted to Clarence's empty desk, his former deputy's last words ringing in his head. Witness or none, something had to be done. This wasn't an issue that was going to go away with time. In fact, the clock was ticking. If he didn't step in now, something worse was surely on the horizon.

Euell stood. He grabbed his jacket and hat and headed for his horse. A few minutes later he had gathered his officers and was riding up on the river where Severin, Bryce, Sarah, and Abby were having what appeared to be a pleasant picnic. Part of him hated to interrupt such a cheery scene, but he was short on options.

"What happened now?" Sarah said, sounding more irritated than distraught, as she watched Severin mount up.

"Did someone get hurt?" Abby added stepping closer to the Sheriff's horse. She couldn't honestly say she hadn't wished for their lunch to be cut short, but this seemed serious.

"No one's been hurt. There's some business that needs dealing with, and I'm in need of legal counsel. Sorry for the intrusion, ladies," Euell said in an apologetic tone as he tipped his hat to them. Once Bryce was mounted up the group headed out.

It was about an hour later that Celly spied Euell and his men coming up the drive. The size of his group made her chest seized up with alarm, and she stepped outside the front door to meet the group of lawmen.

"Afternoon, Cel," Euell started, but he didn't get another word in before Celly spoke.

"What in god's name are ya doing here, Euell? What is all this?" She demanded, but her words betrayed her anxiety.

"Looking for Brand and John. Gotta take em in fer questioning."

"The hell you do! I just put my husband and one of my sons in the ground! I don't mean to see any more of my boys off to an early grave!" She was right up to Euell's horse now, as if she alone could stand against them all.

Euell knew this was hard for her, but he didn't look the slightest bit swayed by her words.

"Celly, hold up..." Finn's voice preceded him as he came down off the porch and to her side. "If the Sheriff's here I'm sure he's got good cause. What exactly are they wanted for?"