Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program Big Valley are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the authors. The ideas expressed in this story are copywrited by the author.

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THE NIGHTINGALE PUZZLE

BY LILY B.

 

This story is copyrighted to Lily B.  Please do not reuse or distribute without express permission from the author.  Thank you.

 

 

 

The courtroom was unusually hot for the season.  Outside, the weather was cool and required a jacket, but inside the small courtroom, it was another story entirely.  So crammed with people, was this small room, that the sweat was beading on Jarrod’s forehead and he wiped his brow with his handkerchief.

 

The crime of the decade.  Wasn’t that what he had overheard a reporter calling this case, Jarrod mused to himself.  He looked at the young man seated next to him and then turned to see his entire family seated in the front row, directly behind him. 

 

His Mother had testified earlier in this case and she looked so worried as she had sat there on the stand.  The prosecutor had treated her as a hostile witness and he had endlessly pummeled his Mother with questions until he had gotten what he wanted from her, the explosion, the news that had made the jury gasp and the reporters furiously write on their notepads.

 

The young man seated next to him, turned and gave Jarrod a small smile.  At least he’s smiling, he thought.  But this case had not gone well, not at all.  His Mother’s testimony had brought the house down and it was not in his favor.  Now, came the waiting game.  It had been just over three hours and the jury was still deliberating.  Not a good sign, a verdict of not guilty would have come down fairly quickly.

 

After five hours, they received word that the jury had reached a verdict.  Jarrod watched the solemn faces as they re-entered the courtroom.  He stood with the young man and watched as the foreman of the jury passed the piece of paper over to the judge.

 

The judge opened the paper and looked down at the table where Jarrod stood.  He turned to the jury and asked, “Has the jury reached a verdict?”

 

The foreman replied in a low voice, “We have your Honor.  We the jury, find Jarrod Thomas Barkley, Guilty.”

 

The judge sighed, “Very well.  Mr. Barkley, you have been found guilty of the murder of Ariel McKenna Barkley, your wife.  Given the circumstances and the fact that I do believe the doctors testimony in regards to your loss of memory, I am not sentencing you to the gallows.  However, given the heinous nature of this crime, I have no other choice then to sentence you to life in prison, without the possibility of parole.”

 

Jarrod stared at the judge, wide-eyed and in shock.  This couldn’t be happening, he would never harm Ariel.  Didn’t they understand how much he loved her?  He could hear his Mother crying behind him and Nick shouting.  Heath put a hand on his shoulder, but he wasn’t aware of it.  I didn’t do it, I didn’t kill her!  He wanted to scream at the judge, the jury, everyone in that room.  I didn’t do it.  But he stood there numbly as the sheriff put shackles around his ankles and wrists and led him from the courtroom.

 

A bad dream, he thought.  This has to be a bad dream, just close your eyes and then you’ll wake up!  Ariel will be next to you and everything will be just fine.  Ariel, why didn’t you tell me?  Why didn’t you tell me about the baby?

 

 

 

“I am sorry, Mr. Barkley, that you have to sit here like that.  The paddy wagon to the prison should be here in an hour or two.”  The desk sergeant of the San Francisco Police Department looked down at the attorney glumly.  He had always thought of Mr. Barkley as a fine and upstanding young attorney.  Just goes to show you that you can never tell, the sergeant thought to himself.

 

Jarrod could do nothing but wait.  He hung his head in his hands, the shackles on his wrists clanging in a slow motion back and forth.  He looked up just in time to see his family coming into the room.

 

“Oh Jarrod!”  Victoria cried out at the sight of her son before her.  Unshaven and unkempt, his vivid blue eyes had dark circles underneath then.  “Can you ever forgive me for testifying?”  She knelt down in front of him, taking his hands into hers.  Her son, he was going to prison for a crime she knew he didn’t commit.

 

“Mother,” He whispered hoarsely.  “I am not angry that you testified.  You had no choice in the matter.  What I am angry about is that you didn’t tell me.  Ariel’s been dead for two weeks now and all this time you knew she was with child.  Why?  Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“Jarrod forgive me please.  I wanted to protect you from more hurt.  A Mother’s love I suppose, but now I know I was wrong.”  Victoria moved off the floor and sat down next to her son.  “You loved Ariel so much and you were in so much pain, I didn’t want you to suffer anymore, so I didn’t tell you.”

 

Jarrod looked at her numbly and shook his head.  “We were going to have a baby.  A family.  Was she upset about it Mother?  It wasn’t exactly in our original plans?”

 

She looked at Jarrod with warmth and love in her eyes.  “No Jarrod, she wasn’t upset.  On the contrary….”

 

“Thank you so much for coming with me Victoria!  I really detest visiting the physician.”  Ariel said to her, grasping her hand tightly. 

 

“Ariel, really it was no problem at all.  We really don’t get to spend enough time together, you and I.  Besides, I never did much care for seeing physicians myself!”  She squeezed Ariel’s hand and the two women continued to wait for the doctor to emerge.

 

Finally, after what seemed an interminable waiting period, the doctor came out.  “Well now, young lady, perhaps you would like to come back into my office to speak with me privately.”  He looked at her distastefully; actors and performers were always a loose lot he thought.

 

“Whatever it is,” Ariel retorted, biting her lip from the butterflies building in her stomach, “You can say it here, this is my Mother in law.”  She nodded towards Victoria.

 

“Your Mother-in-law?”  The doctor’s tone changed considerably for the better.  “I didn’t know you were married Miss McKenna.”

 

“Actually, McKenna is my stage name.  It’s Ariel Barkley, if you don’t mind.”

 

“Well then, this is much better!  Mrs. Barkley, you’re going to have a baby!” 

 

Ariel’s mouth dropped open while Victoria caught her in a surprised hug and kiss on the cheek.  “A baby?  Are you sure, doctor?”

 

“Quite sure madam, it’s definitely not a stomach flu.  You are most definitely pregnant!”

 

Ariel and Victoria walked out of the office and to a waiting carriage for the short ride back to Jarrod’s house.

 

“Oh dear, are you happy?  You planned to keep singing and performing for another year if I remember correctly.  You and Jarrod had this thing all planned out it seems.”  Victoria eyed her daughter in law with concern.  Jarrod and Ariel had planned on her singing for another two years after they were married and then settling down for a family.  Ariel loved performing opera and hadn’t wanted to give up her career right away and her son was more than willing to wait for her until she was ready to settle into family life.  It had been an odd arrangement, Victoria had thought at the time, having a woman with a career as his wife.  But, it had seemed to work well for the both of them.

 

“Am I happy?”  Ariel repeated the question.  Her face suddenly brightened, “I’m going to have a baby.  We’re going to have a baby!  You know I didn’t know how I would feel if this happened earlier, but now..oh Victoria, I couldn’t be happier!”

 

“I’m so happy for the both of you dear!”

 

“Victoria?  Do you think Jarrod will be happy?  I mean this is earlier than we planned and now he’s going to have a full-time wife and a baby coming soon.  We had everything all planned out.”  Ariel felt the butterflies again.

 

“Ariel, he’s going to be the happiest man in all of California!  He loves you very much and I think he would like nothing better than to have you near him all the time!”

 

She hugged her tightly.  “Thank you.  He’s going to be here tomorrow.  I’ll tell him right after the performance, when we get back to the house.  I can’t wait to see the look on his face!”

 

“She never did get to see the look on my face, did she.”  Jarrod looked at his mother sadly.  “And she never got to tell me.  She was excited about the baby then.  I wish I could have seen that.  Ariel would’ve been a wonderful Mother, don’t you think?”

 

“Of course she would have darling and you would be an exceptional father.”  She put her hand on the side of her son’s head and Jarrod leaned onto her shoulder.

 

“So, now there have been two murders.”  Nick said angrily.  “Your wife and your child.  We’re gonna find who did this Jarrod, we will.”

 

“Count on it.”  Heath added in.  “Whoever did this is going to pay.”

 

“Look” Heath started, “I know that its difficult, but you need to tell us about Ariel’s last day again.  Everything you can remember, every detail.  Maybe you’ll remember something that you didn’t remember before.”

 

Jarrod looked up at Heath and had the circumstances been any different, he would have smiled at his younger brother.  “You know, you sound like me when I am talking to a client, Heath.  I’ve often made them retell stories several times to try and find out if there are any missing pieces.”

 

“So maybe we are more alike than you thought, big brother!”  Heath grinned down at him.  “So you came into town that morning on the am train, and..”

 

“Right,”  Jarrod took a deep breath and closed his eyes.  “It was about 11am when the train arrived in San Francisco.  I found Ariel waiting for me on the platform.  Good Lord she looked so radiant when I first caught sight of her.  I wanted to scoop her right up into my arms that very moment, but I knew I couldn’t do that.  It would be a huge scandal if they found out she was married and still performing opera.  She started walking towards me and she was smiling the biggest smile I’d seen on her since our wedding day…”

 

Jarrod smiled warmly as he approached Ariel.  He stopped inches in front of her and set down his bag next to him.  “Good morning Miss McKenna, it’s very nice to see you again.” Offering his hand to her, she took and as she folded her fingers around his, his thumb stroked the inside of her palm.

 

Ariel looked into his blue eyes and smiled, almost shyly, they hadn’t seen each other in over two weeks.  “Good morning to you, Mr. Barkley.  How was the train ride?”

 

“Tedious as always.  I couldn’t seem to think of anything but a beautiful Nightingale.”

 

“Is that so?”  She teased.  “You know I do believe that my schedule is open for lunch.  Are you hungry?”

 

“Yes I am.”  He stated, then leaned over to whisper in her ear, “But its not food that I’m hungry for, darling.”

 

The couple boarded a closed carriage and Jarrod took a brief moment with the driver before joining his wife inside.  Once he was seated across from Ariel and the carriage began to move forward, he closed the velvet curtains over the windows.  His arms went around Ariel’s waist and he pulled her over onto his lap.  “My sweet nightingale, do you know how much I missed you?”  His mouth covered her neck with hungry kisses.

 

“As much as I missed you Jarrod and your touch?”  Her eyes closed as he covered her mouth with his and his hands stroked her back, lovingly. 

 

Jarrod’s attentions turned back to her neck and her earlobe, laying a series of small nibbles along them.  His hands moved from her back and around to the front of her dress.

 

“Jarrod!”  Ariel laughed, “It’s only a few more minutes until we reach the house!”

 

“Not exactly,” He murmured.  “I paid the driver to keep going for two hours, before he drops us off at the house.”

 

“Two hours?!”  Ariel closed her eyes again and succumbed to his warm kisses and sensual touch.

 

Exactly two hours later, the covered carriage arrived in front of their house.  Jarrod had just finished doing up the last button of her dress and then opened the carriage door.  “After you, dear lady.”  He smirked at her.

 

“Why thank you Mr. Barkley.”  She couldn’t help but giggle as they disembarked.

 

“There’s a first time for everything,” He whispered to her.

 

“It seems there are many firsts with you my love.” 

 

“And there are many more to come Ariel, we have a lifetime of firsts to make.”  Jarrod put his arm about her waist and led her into the house.  Dropping his hat on the table, he removed his jacket and then his wife’s.  “Where’s Mother?”  He asked.

 

“You just missed her Jarrod.  She left first thing this morning.  I think Victoria wanted to give the two of us some time alone together.”

 

“You know,” Jarrod, said thoughtfully, “I’m so happy that you and my Mother get along so well together.”

 

“So am I Jarrod, she really is an incredible woman.  I just wish the same were true for my mother and you.”

 

“Now Ariel,” He chided, “You know that I have tried everything I can think of to get that woman to like and accept me, but nothing ever seems to work.”

 

“Oh Jarrod, that’s not what I meant at all.  I know you’ve tried darling and it’s not your fault.  Unfortunately, my Mother planned on my performing for many years to come.  My falling in love and getting married was not a part of her plans.  It’s not you personally, it would be the same no matter who I married.”

 

What he was thinking, what he wanted to say and never did was that Jocelyn McKenna wanted her daughter to sing forever and continue to receive the large sums of money that Ariel sent to her every month.  That’s why, Jarrod surmised, the woman can’t stand me.  She was afraid of losing her bread money.

 

The couple didn’t have much time left together that day, Ariel had to prepare for her performance that evening.  Jarrod took his usual seat in the parlor and watched her, listening intently as she warmed up her voice.  When she was finished, she sat down in Jarrod’s lap and his arms went around her.

 

“Beautiful as always Ariel.”

 

“I was just doing scales, Jarrod.”  She rolled her eyes at him.

 

“Ah, but that voice of yours could make a saloon ditty sound exquisite!”

 

She lightly hit his arm and laughed, “You flatter me too much sir, do you want me to get a swelled head?”

 

“That’ll never happen, not to you!”

 

“Oh by the way Jarrod, I almost forgot, Michael is having me attend some dreadful party after the performance.”

 

“You know sometimes I think that manager of yours is trying to wear you paper thin.  You have another performance tomorrow evening, you need your rest.”  Jarrod looked at her in all seriousness.  Her manager, Michael Lambert, was always throwing her at parties and events, it seemed as though he was almost working to find ways to keep them apart.

 

“I won’t stay long.  You’ll be there, won’t you?”

 

“Of course I will.  This time, you leave first, then I’ll follow about a half hour later.”

 

“Alright Jarrod, but no longer than that.  I want to talk to you about something.”

 

“We can talk now if you’d like.  Is anything wrong?”

 

“No, no nothing’s wrong.  We’ll talk tonight.  I love you.”  Ariel put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.  It was all she could do to keep the news to herself.  She had thought it over and had decided that tomorrow's performance would be her last.  Ariel had no regrets, she was deeply in love with her husband and now, they were going to be a family.  .

 

The performance went beautifully and without a hitch.  Jarrod was surprised to hear the new works in his wife’s repertoire and how well she sang them.  Her clear soprano voice echoed throughout the hall and he was just as mesmerized by her voice now as the very first time he had heard her.

 

She had been right about the party, Jarrod thought as he walked about the room, it was dreadful.  He tried to avoid too much contact with Ariel so as not to start tongues wagging about.  But it was difficult, he found himself exchanging glances across the room with her and saw her mouth ‘I love you’, which he returned to her. 

 

At one point in the evening, he saw Ariel talking rather heatedly with her manager, he didn’t look happy with her at all.  In fact, he appeared to be quite angry.  Jarrod made a mental note to ask her about it later when they were home.

 

He watched Ariel as she left the party and checked his pocket watch.  One half hour and not a second more, then he could leave the party and be with her, alone.

 

In precisely a half hour, Jarrod exited the home and headed to his house.  He couldn’t wait to get home to Ariel and he urged the carriage driver to go faster.  A week, that’s how long they had together before she would be leaving San Francisco and heading to her next performance in Nevada.  He debated whether or not he would go with her; these goodbyes were getting more and more difficult for him.

 

When he reached his home, he paid the carriage driver and nearly ran into the house.  Slamming the door behind him, he called out “Ariel!”  He waited but there was no response.  He took the stairs in two and went to their bedroom door and that was the last thing he remembered until a policeman waked him up.

 

Cold water was splashed onto his face.  He spit it out and groggily opened his eyes. 

 

“You!  Wake up!”  Someone yelled into his face.

 

He felt something gripped in his hand and released it, bringing his hand up to his forehead.  He had a terrible pounding in his head and his vision was fuzzy.  He felt two men wrap their arms around his and gruffly pulled him to his feet.

 

“Why’d ya do it?”  One of them yelled at him.

 

“What?”  He asked, “Do what?”  He struggled to focus and when he finally regained his clear vision, he saw Ariel lying on the bed.  “Ariel?”  He whispered.  Jarrod then saw the blood on her dress and the bed, then her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.  “Ariel!  Oh my God, no!”  He pulled away from the men holding him and got on the bed next to her.  “Ariel, please.  No, oh god who did this to you?”  His arms went around her and he cradled her to himself.  It was then that he saw his own hands, stained with blood.  He looked down at himself and saw his white shirt, almost completely red with blood.

 

“Why’d you do it Mr. Barkley?”  The policeman asked as he pulled Jarrod up and away from his wife.  “Why’d you kill her?”

 

“No, I didn’t.  Ariel.  No I didn’t kill her!”  He looked down at the floor; the object that he had released from his hand was a large butcher knife.  Panic began to build and he struggled against the policemen, “No I didn’t kill her!  Ariel!”

 

“That’s everything?”  Heath asked, “You don’t remember anything else?”

 

“No,” Jarrod shook his head, tears forming in his eyes.  “Nothing else.  Heath, Nick you two have got to find out who did this.  Not just for me.  But Ariel, she didn’t deserve this.  I keep thinking of how much she must’ve suffered before she died, how much pain she was in.  And our child, you’ve got to find out who did this.”

 

“Alright Mr. Barkley,” A policeman approached and took his arm, “The paddy wagon is here.  Time to say goodbye.”

 

“No, not my son!”  Victoria blurted out; tears falling freely down her cheeks.  Nick reached out and took her in his strong arms, holding her tightly.

 

“We’ll be out to see you in a couple of days Jarrod.  Just hang on Pappy, we’re going to find out who did this.  You have my word on that.”

 

"Mine too Jarrod.  You'll be out of prison in no time flat.  We'll get to the bottom of this, be sure of it."  Heath couldn't help but hug his brother; he ached for him and the suffering he had endured.  And he worried, how would Jarrod fair in a prison?

 

“I’m counting on the both of you.”  Jarrod replied and then allowed the policeman to lead him outside to the wagon.

 

Nick and Heath had walked their Mother and Audra back to the hotel room and made sure the ladies were safe and secure before they left.  They walked back downstairs together; acutely aware of all the stares they received as they crossed the lobby.  It made Nick fume to see everyone looking at them like that.  His brother wasn’t guilty of anything and he wished they would mind their own dang business.

 

Heath mounted Charger and turned to Nick, “You okay Nick?

 

“Yeah, just fine” Nick grumbled through gritted teeth.  They backed up their horses and turned towards the street.  “So, where ya think we should head first Heath?”

 

“To Jarrod’s house, I think.  Let’s have a look around.”

 

“But the police already checked that out, said so in court.”  Nick replied.

 

“Yeah but did you notice, they only talked about the bedroom.”

 

“Well, that’s where she was killed.”

 

Heath leaned forward in the saddle and spoke in a quiet voice, not wanting anyone else to catch their conversation.  “That’s where it ended Nick, but what if it started somewhere else.  What if, say, someone started after her as soon as she got into the house?  Or she was carried into the bedroom after she was murdered?  Far as I could tell in court, they never checked the whole house.”

 

Nick’s eyes widened, “Maybe she was attacked and ran upstairs or something?”

 

“Could be.”  Heath lowered his head as they started riding to Jarrod’s.  “Maybe I’m just grasping at straws.  But seems to me that the police should’ve checked out the whole house, not just the bedroom.”

 

“Maybe grasping, brother, but it’s a place to start!”  Nick spurred Coco on and they picked up speed towards Jarrod’s place. 

 

They stopped hard in front of Jarrod’s house and dismounted.  Even Nick stepped quietly as they went through the small wrought iron gate and to the front door.  The sun was just beginning to set as they walked into the house.  Heath lit the lamps in the front parlor and crossed his arms.  “Where you reckon we should start?”

 

“We’ll split up, you start in the back of the house Heath, I’ll start up here.”

 

“Sounds like a plan to me.”  Heath gave his brother a quick pat on the back and headed back towards the kitchen.  Going down the hall, he was confronted by a photograph on the hall table.  It had been taken on their wedding day, the entire Barkley family and Jarrod with his new wife.  Heath found himself reminiscing on the first real conversation that he had with Ariel. 

 

She had come to their house at Jarrod and his mother's invitation.  Heath, though he'd not been told, had surmised that the two must have been seeing each other for at least a couple of months.  Jarrod had mentioned her name and her concerts on several occasions.

 

Getting up and dressing before the sunrise, he'd gone downstairs to make the first pot of coffee.  But he was surprised to find a pot already on the stove.  Curious, he looked about the house until Heath heard a noise on the veranda. 

 

Opening the front door cautiously, he found Ariel sitting on a wrought iron chair, cradling a coffee cup in her hands.  "Morning."  He said.

 

Ariel jumped from her seat and nearly spilled her coffee.  "Oh my!  You certainly know how to startle someone!"    She giggled and Heath found her laugh to be contagious.

 

"I'm sorry, just used to my being the only one moving around at this time of the morning."  Heath came over and took a seat in a chair next to hers.  "You always up this early?" 

 

"Yes," She replied.  "I love this time of day, so peaceful, really helps me think about things or clear my head if I need to."

 

"So ya thinking or clearing this morning?"

 

Ariel smiled back at him,  "Thinking."

 

"You know this is on of my favorite times to think too.  Won't be long now before Nick will be up though.  Then Mother, then its either Jarrod or Audra next, hard to tell."  He leaned back and took a sip of his coffee. 

 

"This is such a beautiful place.  I've never seen anything like it."

 

"Jarrod says you grew up in the city."

 

"Yes and there are wonderful things to see and do in a city.  But real beauty, like what you have here, that can't be found in any city. 

 

"Yep, something pretty special about this place."  Heath replied.  "Don't ya miss the city though?" 

 

"Not in the least.  You know, I always dreamed that when I retired from singing, I would buy myself a ranch and have horses and chickens and a garden.  A lovely garden, just like your mothers." 

 

"Ya like horses?"

 

"I love horses."  Ariel replied, but her smile suddenly disappeared.  "Heath?  I need your help."

 

"My help?"  He sat up straight in his chair.

 

"I've never ridden a horse before."

 

"Never?"

 

"No, I'm afraid not.  A lady doesn't have much cause to ride in the city.  And frankly, my mother was completely against the idea of my learning how to ride, even with sidesaddle she refused.  I want to learn.  Jarrod said something about going on a ride tomorrow and a picnic.  He's going to be in court most of the day and I was wondering if you might have the time to teach me how to ride."  Ariel's eyes pleaded with him.

 

"You want me to teach you, in one day?"    Heath scratched his cheek.  "Well, I'll try.  But it usually takes lot longer than a day to learn."

 

"Just the basics for now and then I can really learn.  But can you teach me just enough to go riding with Jarrod tomorrow, please Heath it would mean a lot!"

 

Heath grinned back lopsidedly at her, "Well reckon we can sure try, can't we.  You care a lot about my brother, dontcha?"

 

Ariel blushed and lowered her head.  "Yes, I guess I do."

 

Heath smiled to himself at the fond memory, he'd spent the entire day working with Ariel and showing her how to ride.  Poor Ariel could hardly walk at the end of the day, but she was anxious to learn and tried so hard.  She would never be an expert horsewoman, but she had put her all into learning so that she could ride with Jarrod the next day and in Heath's book, that made her pretty special.

 

When Heath reached the kitchen, he remembered some of the testimony at the trial; the butcher knife that had been used to kill Ariel was one of their own.  It was part of a knife set that the couple had received as a wedding present from Silas.  The room was partially darkened and as he stepped to the corner to light a lamp, his boot stepped on something on the floor.

 

With the lamp to see by, Heath knelt down and found a shattered glass on the floor.  And a few droplets, of what appeared to be dried blood on the floor.  He also found the knife drawer still sitting wide open.  “Hey Nick?  You better come here.”  He called out.  While he waited for his brother, Heath checked the back door for a sign that someone had broken into the house.  He found nothing.

 

“What is it?”  Nick asked, entering the kitchen.

 

“Check this out, broken glass on the floor and the knife drawer wide open.  And this,”  Heath knelt down again beside the glass and pointed to the floor, “Looks like blood to me.”

 

“Yep,” Nick scratched his head, “Me too.”  Nick stood up and looked around.  “Seems to me, I recall Jarrod teasing Ariel a ways back, something about how much water she always drank and how she’d never survive in the desert.”

 

“You’re right,” Heath replied standing up,  “He did joke about that.  So, what if Ariel came back here first, to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.”

 

“You think maybe her attacker broke in back here and accosted her here in the kitchen?”

 

Heath looked around the room again and remained silent.  Nick could tell his brother was deep in thought and hated it when he kept him in the dark.

 

“Hello Heath?”  Nick rolled his eyes, “Care to share what’s going through that mind of yours?”

 

After a long pause, Heath finally looked at his brother.  “Nick, I don’t think anyone broke into the house.  Look at the kitchen door, there’s no sign that anyone broke in that way.  Jarrod always kept all the doors and windows locked when they weren’t here.  There’s no windows broken anywhere, the front door is intact.”

 

Nick took in a sharp breath, “So, you’re saying you think..”

 

“I think Ariel knew her killer.”

 

Nick leaned up against the counter, trying to absorb what Heath had just said.  “You think she knew him.”  He said softly. 

 

He looked across the room at him, sadly, “Yeah I do, Nick.”

 

“Alright then.  Let’s say that you’re right about it.  Ariel knew her killer.”  Nick looked around the room, “Let’s talk this out.  Ariel came in the house and the killer was with her.  She came back here to the kitchen for a glass of water and that’s when the killer grabbed the knife from the drawer.  Maybe, she dropped the glass in fear or he could’ve knocked it out of her hands.”

 

“Yep, seems like that could be about right.”  Heath replied thoughtfully, “So, what would she do next?  This is someone obviously that she trusted well enough to let into the house.  I think maybe she’s shocked first before she gets really scared, probably thinking of the baby.  If she was standing here,” Heath took a position next to the water glass, “and the killer is next to the knife drawer…she can’t get out the kitchen door and her path back up the hallway is blocked as well.”

 

Nick’s eyes grew wide, “Back stairs!”  He nearly yelled out.  He picked up a lamp off of the kitchen table and opened the door that hid the narrow staircase.  “Oh no.”  He murmured.

 

“What?”  Heath came up behind him and saw what his brother was staring at.

 

Holding up the lamp and lighting the way on the staircase, they both saw more dried blood on the stairs.  Nick gingerly took a step up, narrowly avoiding the small pool of dried blood on the first step.  Both men began to climb the stairs, sticking to the sides, careful to avoid the trail that led them upstairs.  Nick put his hand down on the railing and met with a sticky substance.  “More blood on the railing.”  He said.  Nick could see the whole thing playing out in his head.  Ariel was already injured when she got to the stairs, and if he guessed right, her killer had stabbed her again while she tried to run away from him.  What had the doctor said?  Eight stab wounds, mostly in her lower abdomen.  “Poor Ariel.”  He said.  She really had been a sweet lady, sophisticated and beautiful.  Couldn’t ride a horse worth a darn, but she had been a good match for his brother and he had been very happy for them when they married.  He set his jaw and clenched his fists at the thought of someone doing this to his brother’s wife AND to the niece or nephew that he would never know.  Nick pushed open the door, at the top of the stairs and they were directly across from their bedroom..

 

Again, Heath and Nick searched the bedroom for something, anything that might tell them who did this.  But they both came up empty handed.

 

Crossing his arms, Nick angrily grumbled, “Now what?”

 

He looked down at the floor and felt lost, they really hadn’t gotten anywhere.  After a long pause, Heath looked up, “I dunno.  We haven’t found anything that’s going to help Jarrod.  If anything it’s worse now, we both know that she knew the murderer.”

 

“Yeah, I know!”  Nick yelled and instantly regretted raising his voice to Heath.  “Look, I’m sorry.  I am just so frustrated right now!  Sighing heavily, he then added, “So who would Ariel trust enough to allow them into the house with her.”

 

“Nick that could be dozens of people.  You know Ariel was a very open and friendly person, not snobby at all.  She was always friendly to everyone, even her critics.  You remember we went to one or two of those after concert parties; she treated everyone like a friend.  I think that’s partly why she was such a popular singer, didn’t stick her nose up at anyone.”

 

“Okay then Heath, let’s start with the closest people and work our way out.  First and foremost, Jarrod, right?  Then probably us, her Mother and Michael Edmunds.”

 

“And that piano player that accompanied her whenever she performed.  Dimitri, something can’t recall his last name.”

 

“Yeah, nice enough fella, played at the wedding.  I think he sees Ariel like a daughter or a granddaughter.”

 

“So, Nick who do ya wanna start with?”  Heath asked, already knowing the answer he would receive from his hotheaded brother.

 

“Either Edmunds or Ariel’s Mother, I’d like to give them both a piece of my mind!  No scratch that, Mrs. McKenna can get a piece of mind and Edmunds, a piece of my fist!”  Nick was still seeing red after the incident last week.

 

“You know,”  Heath said while he opened the front door and they headed from Jarrod’s house.  “It was a real good thing you did, not telling Jarrod ‘bout what happened.  He’s got enough hurt going on right now.”

 

“Yeah Heath, you’re right.  But the way they treated all of us, especially Mother at the funeral.  They had no right to do that!”  Nick mounted Coco and tightened the reins.

 

“I agree with you Nick, that was a bit over the top.  But, on the other hand, look at it from Mrs. McKenna’s prospective.  Her daughter’s been murdered and if she didn’t have anything to do with it, then she has every reason to believe that Jarrod killed her.  The court found him guilty of murdering her only child.”

 

“Her only paycheck, you mean!  I don’t care Heath, she had no right to treat our Mother like that and right in the middle of the church!”

 

Clinging tightly to her son’s strong arm, Victoria walked into the large church for Ariel’s funeral.  Heath and Audra followed directly behind them.  The church was already nearly filled to capacity when they walked in.  An older woman halfway down the aisle let out a loud gasp when they entered.  It caused nearly everyone in the pews to turn around and stare at the Barkleys.  Including, Jocelyn McKenna and Michael Edmunds.

 

Michael tried to catch Jocelyn as she stood up and started down the aisle, but he was too late.  Ariel’s Mother, dressed all in black, including a large and long black veil, made her way down the aisle to where they stood.  She lifted her veil back on her head and stared at them.

 

“Jocelyn, I am so sorry.  I wanted to pay my last respects, she was just a wonderful young woman and we all loved her so much!”  Victoria spoke to her sincerely and put her hand out to her.

 

Jocelyn McKenna glared at Victoria as she spoke and without warning, struck her across the face.  “Last respects!”  She screamed at Victoria, she tried to move around Nick but he had taken his Mother to his side and put his arms around her.

 

“Listen Lady, you try and touch her again and I’ll knock you to the floor.”  Nick spat angrily at her, seething inside at her hitting his Mother.

 

“Oh well I suppose that’s how all you Barkley men handle women, by hitting them?  Is that what happened to Ariel, is it?  Your precious Jarrod got angry at her and killed her?”

 

“No!”  Victoria cried out to her.  “Jarrod would never hurt her, he loved her dearly.  My sons would never hurt a woman, never!”

 

“Seems to me, your son here just threatened me!  Maybe I need a police officer to protect me from you and your sons.”

 

“Please,” Heath said softly, “Ariel was part of our family too, we just wanted to be a part of the service and say our goodbyes.”

 

“She isn’t a part of your family, she was Ariel McKenna, the greatest opera singer in all of the United States.  Do you hear me?!  Ariel McKenna!”  Jocelyn began to sob and finally Edmunds was by her side to comfort her.  “Make them leave, Michael!  Please make them leave!”

 

“No,” Victoria said softly, “You don’t have to make us do anything.  We’re leaving.  I am so sorry, you must believe that.  Jarrod didn’t kill her, he didn’t.”

 

Nick wrapped his arm around his Mother and led her outside.  Once outside on the steps, Victoria tried to regain her composure, her cheek still stinging from the slap she had received.  But try as she might, she soon began sobbing and Nick gathered her up in his arms and sat down with her on the church steps. 

 

Heath rubbed her back trying to soothe her.  “It’s going to be okay Mother.  They’re just angry and upset right now, but it will be okay.  As soon as they find Jarrod not guilty then they will know they were wrong to treat you like this.”

 

“And what if they find Jarrod guilty?  This trial hasn’t been going in your brother’s favor, boys.  What if they find him guilty?”

 

“Oh Mother, there’s no way!”  Nick admonished her.  “Of course they’re going to find him not guilty!”

 

“I so hope you are right boys, I truly do!”

 

Heath and Nick left Jarrod's house after ten in the evening.  No closer to knowing who killed Ariel then when they had first arrived.  They were only further burdened now with the knowledge of how much she had suffered before she had died.  It was a piece of information that neither brother wanted to share with Jarrod unless it absolutely could not be avoided.  When they found the killer and Jarrod would be released from prison, they planned on cleaning up anything in the house that would remind their brother of what had happened. 

 

As they went to their horses, they were both surprised to find Jarrod's next-door neighbor standing along the fence line.

 

"Howdy Mr. Connor."  Heath said glumly.

 

"Howdy to you boys."  Mr. Connor was in his mid sixties, thin with wild gray hair, he'd been a widower for the last several years and lived in the house next door, alone. "Boys, I'm so sorry about what happened.  I don't believe for a second that Jarrod's guilty."

 

"Neither do we."  Nick replied.  "Say, you didn't happen to hear or see anything that night did ya?"

 

"Nope 'fraid not, as I told the police, I was at my sister's in Sacramento all that week."  Mr. Connor stared at the darkened house.  "That sure was a full house."

 

"Full house?"  Heath asked.

 

"That's what my wife Dora called a home with a lot of love inside, a full house!  Ha, she knew I used to be a real card player in my day, but she told me once that the only true full house wasn't a deck of cards; it was a real house that had people inside that really loved each other.  Jarrod and Ariel, they had a full house."

 

Heath smiled just slightly.  "Yep, guess you're right about that."

 

"Course I am.  Shoot, you know for all their pretending not to be married so's Ariel could sing.  They didn't hide it very good.  You only had to look at them to know they were in love."

 

"You think a lot of people knew that?"  Nick asked, stepping closer to the fence and Mr. Connor.

 

"Yep, I do think that.  Whether or not they knew they was married, don't know about that.  But they weren't very good at hiding how they felt."  Mr. Connor leaned closer to the fence, "You umm, trying to find out who really killed her?"

 

"We sure are, Mr. Connor, you got any ideas?"  Heath asked in a voice just above a whisper.

 

"Just ideas, don't know who it was, wish I did."

 

"Well, what's your idea?"

 

"Sure didn't like that manager of hers, Edmunds I think his name is.  Don't know, just never did like him.  Never gave anyone the time of day, unless of course he thought them worthy to talk to.  Heck, you'd think he was the Nightingale, the way he was so full of himself!  But coulda been anyone, lots of comings and goings here.  I know Jarrod would bring home clients sometimes, other lawyers and sometimes the chief of police.    And Ariel, she could make friends with anyone.  Ya know, last time she was here, I mean the time before she got killed.  I took with some powerful cold, could hardly get out of bed, she and Jarrod came by everyday to check on me.  I can't imagine someone wanting to kill her, just can't imagine."

 

"Neither can we."

 

"I sure hope you two find out who did it.  Seems to me the police really botched the whole thing up, otherwise they'd have the real killer and not Jarrod."

 

"We will find out who did it Mr. Connor.  By God, if it’s the last thing we do, we'll find out who did this!"  Nick slammed his fist against the fence.

 

 

 

What he knew was that the trip to the prison only took roughly an hour.  But he felt like he had been riding in the wagon all day.  Jarrod was aching and tired, the level of stress in his body had peaked and he felt it in every muscle of his body.  Leaning his head back against the wagon, he tried to think of better things and happier days, but he was jolted back to reality by the driver hitting a rock in the road and causing Jarrod to bang his head against the wall.  “Dammit!”  He muttered to himself, though he could have yelled it out and it wouldn’t have mattered much to anyone.

 

He had nothing to do but wait for the ride to be over, wait and think.  He started with running down his last day with Ariel yet again.  But then found his mind drifting back towards happier, much more pleasant memories.

 

Jarrod put an arm on his mother's back and escorted her inside to the party.  The party was filled with the people that filled San Francisco's Society Pages.  A who's who of the most influential people in California, including the governor himself.  Mrs. Dawson, a true matriarch of high society, was hosting the party; one was not truly a member of the club until they had been invited to one of her grand gatherings.  This was Jarrod's first invitation to the grand dame's house and a chance for him to mingle and connect with the upper echelons of society.  He had attended the opera earlier in the evening, a precursor to the event in which the star would be the guest of honor.  Not courting anyone at the present time, Jarrod had invited his mother to attend with him, well knowing how fond she was of opera.

 

He had expected to grow bored after the first hour of the show, but it turned out not to be the case.  The lead soprano was a Nightingale, an exclusive club of the best opera singers in the world.  They were only currently two Nightingales in the United States and Ariel McKenna had been the youngest woman ever to be granted membership.  He had been utterly lost the moment that she came onstage; her voice seemed to pierce right into his soul.  He watched her from their box, tall with lush curves in all the right places and long shiny black hair that cascaded down her shoulders in ringlets.  From his seat, it appeared that her eyes were as black as her hair.  He'd never seen anyone so lovely as she and with the voice of an angel.  Knowing that Miss McKenna was to be the guest of honor at the party following, made him all the more anxious to attend.

 

"Oh Mr. Barkley, I am so pleased that you were able to join us this evening."  Mrs. Dawson gushed.  "And who, is this lovely woman you are with."

 

"Mrs. Dawson, may I introduce my Mother, Mrs. Victoria Barkley."

 

"How do you do, Mrs. Dawson, a pleasure to meet you."

 

"Please, call me Muriel."  She said with a smile.  Mrs. Dawson glanced towards the door and saw her guest of honor entering, with her manager and mother close behind.  "Ah, will you excuse me please?"

 

Jarrod watched intently as Ariel entered the room and was quickly surrounded by a crowd of people.  She appeared to handle the sudden onslaught with ease as she was whisked about the room by Mrs. Dawson and introduced to everyone.  Her eyes were nearly black, he could see them much more clearly now.  And she was even more beautiful in person.  Finally, Mrs. Dawson escorted Ariel to them.

 

"Miss McKenna, may I introduce Jarrod Barkley, attorney and his mother, Victoria Barkley."

 

"Mr. Barkley, this is Ariel McKenna, her mother Jocelyn McKenna and her manager, Michael Edmunds."

 

Jarrod bowed gallantly and took Ariel's hand, placing a small kiss upon it.  "Miss McKenna, it's truly an honor to meet you.  And Mrs. McKenna, Mr. Edmunds, you both must be very proud of this young lady.  Was it two or three standing ovations this evening?"

 

Ariel smiled shyly, "Oh, I don't…"

 

"Three."  Mrs. McKenna replied tersely.  "Though she had four in New York last month."

 

"Quite the accomplishment."  Victoria added in.

 

"Did you enjoy the concert?"  Ariel asked them both.

 

"Oh it was lovely, Miss McKenna, just wonderful."

 

"You have the voice of an angel, Miss McKenna, you truly do."  Jarrod remarked, not able to take his eyes off her.

 

"Thank you."  Ariel had locked her gaze with Jarrod's and like him, was unable to break free.

 

The orchestra began to play a waltz and Jarrod held out his hand.  "May I have the honor of this dance, Miss McKenna?"

 

"Only if you'll call me Ariel."  She smiled sweetly in return and took Jarrod's arm.

 

"Ariel, you mustn't wear yourself out dear.  You have another concert tomorrow evening."  Her mother chided.

 

"I don't believe I'll do any harm with one dance."  She told her mother.  Ariel was led out onto the dance floor and she took in her breath sharply as Jarrod put his arm around her back and laced his other hand in hers.  They stayed on the dance floor for the next five dances, unable to part with one another.  Finally, both a bit tired after the last quadrille, Jarrod led her out onto the veranda and retrieved two glasses of champagne.

 

"Oh, I can't remember the last time that I danced so much in one evening!"  She exclaimed as she took the offered glass from Jarrod's hands.

 

"I would think that your dance card must be filled at every one of these events, Ariel."

 

"I guess I'm not much of a good dancer, and my mother seems to think that it tires me out too much. "

 

"And does it tire you out?"  Jarrod asked.

 

"Not at all, especially not this evening, I think I could stay out on the floor all night!"  She saw a waiter passing by and stopped him, "Excuse me, but could you please bring me a glass of water?"

 

The waiter nodded then disappeared, returning in only a moment with a tall glass.

 

"Thank you."  She told him and turned her attention back to Jarrod.  "You're a wonderful dancer, by the way.  Do you live here in San Francisco?"

 

"Part of the time, my home though is in Stockton.  My family has a ranch out there."

 

"Lots of horses and cattle?"

 

"Yes, its quite the place to see."  Jarrod began to tell her more about the valley and the ranch, she seemed mesmerized by all of it and eagerly drank down every word.  "I..I would love to show it to you someday."

 

"I would love to see it."  Ariel blushed slightly and drank the rest of her water.

 

"Ariel!"  Michael Edmunds came out to the veranda, looking none to pleased.  "Ariel, we've been looking everywhere for you, you must attend to the rest of the guests this evening."

 

Ariel turned back to Jarrod, a look of sadness darkening her lovely face.  "He's right I suppose.  I hear that I'm the guest of honor."

 

"Well he is right, I guess.  Mustn't ignore the guests, they are all here to see you."  Jarrod agreed, not wanting this time to end.  "Perhaps, if I might be so bold, would you join me for dinner tomorrow evening?"

 

"I would.."

 

"I'm afraid that Miss McKenna will be at the opera house preparing for the concert at dinner time."  Michael took Ariel by the arm.

 

"Oh, of course.  Would you be free for lunch?"

 

"She'll be rehearsing for the concert."  Michael blurted out, not allowing Ariel to get a word in edgewise.  He took Ariel by the arm and began to lead her away.

 

"Mr. Barkley, it was a true pleasure to meet you."

 

Jarrod bowed slightly, feeling a bit dejected.  "The pleasure was mine, Ariel."  He watched her being led away and back into the throng.  But then he saw her looking back at him and felt his heart leap.

 

Victoria soon joined her son out on the veranda.  "Quite stunning, isn't she?"  She asked, knowing all to well the look on her son's face.

 

"Yes, stunning."  He replied.

 

"Jarrod, you're rather taken with her, aren't you?" 

 

"Yes," He said quietly, "I suppose I am."  He looked again into the room and saw Ariel coming back towards them; he broke into a large smile.

 

"Mr. Barkley," She said hurriedly, "You didn't ask about breakfast."

 

"What?" 

 

"Breakfast.  They have a wonderful breakfast at the Royal Hotel."

 

"How about breakfast then, I can meet you at the restaurant say nine o'clock?"  Jarrod asked hopefully.

 

"Make it eight and I'll be there."

 

"Eight it is."

 

"I must get back before they discover I've wandered away again."

 

Jarrod held out his hand and Ariel took it, he gave it a small squeeze.  "Till tomorrow."

 

"Yes, till tomorrow."

 

They met promptly at eight the following morning.  Jarrod had taken great care as he got dressed that morning, picking out a suit that matched the color of his eyes and a black tie.  His mother was just beginning to rouse as he left his house and headed to the hotel.  Ariel was there waiting for him when he arrived.  She saw him enter the lobby and the smile that came on her face lit up the room.

 

"Good morning Ariel, might I say how lovely you look this morning!"

 

"You might!"  She giggled infectiously.  "I hope that this wasn't too early for you to meet."

 

"Not at all."  Jarrod held out his arm, "Shall we?"  He led her into the expansive and elaborately decorated restaurant, giving the host a large tip so that they could have a quiet table in the far corner of the restaurant.

 

During breakfast they had conversed on a wide variety of topics, never seeming to run out of things to say.  When there was a pause, Jarrod found it to be a comfortable easy pause, rather than the often-awkward pauses that happened when first getting to know someone.  Neither of them noticed the breakfast crowd leaving and later the luncheon crowd beginning to come into the restaurant.

 

"So how much longer are you going to be in San Francisco?"  He asked.

 

Ariel looked down at her plate and spoke softly.  "Tonight, we're leaving right after the concert."

 

"Tonight, that can't be.  Where are you going next?"  He asked anxiously.

 

"Denver next for two weeks and then I have a month before I have to be in Washington."

 

She was leaving that night, suddenly he found himself feeling as though he had suffered a loss. 

 

"I'll write you, if you'd like."  Ariel told him.

 

"I'd like that very much.  May I write you as well?"

 

"I hope that I'll get many letters from you."

 

Just as Jarrod was about to reach across the table and take her hand, the clerk from the hotel came to their table.  Jarrod returned his hand to his lap.

 

"Miss McKenna, thank goodness that I've found you!  Your mother and manager are looking for you, they are quite upset.  You should be at the concert hall by now!"

 

"Oh no," Jarrod said, "Its almost noontime.  Where did the morning go?"

 

"I must go.  I have to get ready.  I'm sorry Jarrod."

 

"I'll take you to the concert hall."  Jarrod paid the bill and led Ariel outside to his carriage.  The ride was barely even ten minutes long, not nearly long enough he had thought.  Before he got down, he turned to her and took her hand.  "This isn't goodbye Ariel."

 

"Oh I hope not.  I don't want it to be goodbye."  She put her other hand on top of his.  "You'll write me?"

 

"You'll get so many letters that you won't have time to read all of them."

 

"I'll find the time and read every one of them."

 

Jarrod got down and helped Ariel from the carriage.

 

"Goodbye Jarrod."

 

"No…" He put a finger to her lips.  "Not goodbye, till the next time."  He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to himself.  He then watched her climb the steps to the concert hall where her mother and manager were waiting for her.  He caught the anger filled eyes of Ariel's mother boring into him.

 

A few days later, just as his mother was about to leave and return to Stockton; she came into his office and put a small envelope down on his desk.

 

"What's this?"  He asked, taking the envelope in his hands.

 

"Train ticket."

 

"A ticket, what for?"

 

"Well seeing that your heart and mind is already in Denver, the rest of your body should probably join them!"  Victoria told him, folding her arms.

 

"But I have a lot of work to do."

 

"Nothing that can't wait a couple of weeks."  Victoria went around the desk and put her arms around her eldest son.  "You better hurry Jarrod, the train leaves in two hours."

 

He took his mother's advice and the train ticket.  The following evening, he was in Denver and standing outside the concert hall.  He'd arrived late and the show had been sold out.  Not receiving permission to go backstage and wait for her he took to standing outside the stage entrance door.  It wasn't long before a light drizzle began to fall upon him.

 

Ariel finished her performance and while her mother and Michael retrieved the carriage, she stepped outside the stage door.  She felt the rain and was about to return inside when she caught sight of him as he looked up at her.  "Jarrod, I must be dreaming!  Is it you?  Oh my, you are soaked to the skin!"  She started down the stairs and stopped, he hadn't said a word, only looked at her.  "Jarrod, aren't you going to say anything?"

 

He shook his head just once then walked purposefully across the alleyway and up the stairs to where she stood.  Jarrod took her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers.  The kiss became passionate and wanting, he wrapped his arms about her and held her so very tightly.  When it ended, he continued to hold her close.

 

"Ariel, I missed you.  I haven't been able to think of anything or anyone else.  I know I must sound mad, we just met, but.."

 

Ariel pulled away and looked into his soulful blue eyes, "I can't think about anything else either.  Jarrod, I missed you too."

 

He heard the driver stop and get down, talking to another man.  Jarrod knew he had arrived at one of California’s State Prisons, this one about an hour north of San Francisco, in the middle of nowhere.  This prison, unless Nick and Heath could find Ariel’s killer, this prison would be his home for the rest of his life.  He could only pray that if they didn’t find the killer, he wouldn’t have a very long life in there.

 

The sound of the large gates opening grated into him like nails on a chalkboard.  He cringed as the driver climbed back onto the wagon and brought them inside.  The gates closed again before the back of the wagon was opened.  Two burly guards grabbed Jarrod by his arms and dragged him down from the wagon, they tossed him onto the ground and he got his first taste of the prison’s dirt.

 

“On your feet!”  One of the guards shouted into his face.

 

While Jarrod rose, the prison warden came over and looked his newest prisoner over.  “So, this is the fancy lawyer that killed his fancy wife, is it?”  The warden smiled at his two guards.  “State your full name.”

 

“Jarrod Thomas Barkley and I didn’t kill my wife.”  He stated, looking directly at the warden.

 

“Well you’re new here so I will cut you a little slack.  But there are a few rules you need to start following right now, ‘cause if you don’t, you will find yourself spending a good deal of time in solitary confinement.  I can guarantee that a fancy lawyer like yourself, won’t fair to well in there.  So, here are the rules.  Number one, you don’t speak unless you are spoken to and you don’t say more than what’s asked of you.  Number two; you will be on work detail from sun up to sundown.  It may be any number of things, cleaning, digging.  Those prisoners that are the best behaved, that do as they are told, and well they tend to get the easier work details so you best keep that in mind.  You will eat when you are told, sleep when you are told and most of all, work when you are told.  Disobey any order given to you, slack off in your work, talk when you’re not supposed to or get caught fighting and you will find yourself in solitary.”  The warden paused, thinking for a moment that this newest prisoner wouldn’t last more than a month in here.  In fact, he was quite well aware that there was at least two or three men in this prison that this lawyer had helped put away.  “Do I make myself clear?”

 

“Yes,”  Jarrod said.

 

“Yes, what?”

 

Jarrod glared at the warden, his blue eyes glowing.  “Yes…sir.”

 

“Good Mr. Barkley, very good.”  The warden turned to his guards, “Put him in number eight with Hanson.”

 

The two guards led Jarrod into one of the buildings and down the hall to cell eight.  Lights out was called just as the two men threw him into the cell.  His shackles were taken off of his wrists and ankles and Jarrod rubbed his aching wrists.  They closed the door after him and left him in the cell. 

 

An older gentleman, probably about the age of sixty stood in the corner, silently watching his newest roommate.

 

It took a moment for Jarrod to see him, after his eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting.  Bu once he did, “Hello,” he said to the man.  He waited, but received no response and sat down on one of the beds.

 

“That’s my bed,” Hanson said simply.

 

“Oh, sorry.”  Jarrod replied and moved onto the other bed.  “I..uh..won’t sit on your bed again.”

 

“See that you don’t.”  Hanson lay down on his bed and turned his back to his new cellmate.

 

“No TALKING!”  The guard’s loud voice echoed down the hall.

 

Jarrod lay down on the bed, and tucked his hands behind his head.  He wondered if he shouldn’t try and sleep with one eye open.  His roommate certainly didn’t seem the friendly type.  He was curious what this older fellow was in prison for or was he like himself, in for something he didn’t do.  But now, to everyone in this prison, Jarrod Barkley was a cold-blooded killer that had murdered his wife and his unborn child.

 

“Ariel.”  He whispered into the darkness.  “I miss you darling.”  Jarrod’s eyes closed and he tried to remember happier times.

 

“Jarrod, I don’t know that this would be a very good idea.”  She whispered to him huskily.  Jarrod had her back against a wall, quite literally.  His hands rested on her waist and his face a mere inch or two from hers.

 

His blue eyes bore into her very soul, “You’re right Ariel.  This could be dangerous.  But, I don’t give a damn!”  And with that, he parted his lips and kissed her forcefully.

 

Pinned against the wall by his body, the force of his desire for her took her breath away.  Her hands grasped the back of her shirt and held onto it tightly.    His tongue pressed at her lips and she parted them to allow his tongue to plunge hungrily into her mouth.  His hands began to work the front buttons of her dress open and then Ariel suddenly broke free from his kiss.

 

“We can’t do this Jarrod!”  She said out of breath.

 

Jarrod studied her pained face for a moment; she appeared to be on the verge of tears. “Why not?  You love me Ariel and I am madly in love with you.”

 

“I do love you Jarrod.”

 

“Then let me make love to you, let me show you how much you mean to me.”  He moved in to kiss her again, but she turned her head away.

 

“It’s not making love that I’m talking about Jarrod.  What happens after this?  I go on to the next concert, in New York I believe and we never see each other again?  Or do we see each other once in awhile, whenever I’m in town?  Eventually, it will cease to become as beautiful as it is right now and it will cheapen itself.”  Ariel paused, gazing into his eyes, “Or we will cheapen ourselves.”

 

“Oh love, it isn’t going to be like that, I promise you that!”  His hand went to her cheek and softly caressed it.

 

“Then what is it going to be like?  For the last eleven months, you and I have been meeting here and there, hiding like a man and his mistress.  When I come into town we meet or when you find a reason to go out of town and to wherever I'm performing.  It can't last like this Jarrod, you must know that!  So what exactly is it going to be like?  I have to know Jarrod!”

 

His other hand went up and he cupped her face gently, searching her dark brown eyes, “You can be Mrs. Jarrod Barkley.”

 

“What?”  Ariel asked him incredulously.  He had to be joking.

 

“Ariel McKenna, will you marry me?”

 

Ariel shook her head, “Jarrod I thought I made everything clear to you.  I want to keep singing, I love singing opera and I love being a Nightingale.  It took me so long to get here and I’ve worked so hard for it!  And you love it here in California; you’re probably going to be the Governor someday.  We can’t make this work, it’s impossible!”

 

“Nothing’s impossible, Ariel, don’t you know that by now?  We can make this work, this will be our marriage and not what everyone else says marriage is, it will be what we say it is!”  He released his hands from her face, but didn’t move away.  “Listen to me, I know you love to sing and you are the best in this whole country.  You think I would deny you the opportunity to sing your heart out as much as you want to?  I’d never do that to you, it’s too much a part of you.”

 

“Then what are you saying Jarrod?  Are you going to give up what you love to follow me around the country?  I’d couldn’t do that to you either!”

 

“I know you wouldn’t honey.  No, I’m saying that we marry and you have your career.  We’ll have the house here in San Francisco and we’ll get an apartment in New York as well.  I will take whatever time with you that I can.  Listen to me Ariel, I don't ever want this to end, I love you with all of my being!”  Jarrod got down on one knee and asked her again, “Ariel, will you marry me?”

 

“Jarrod!”  She laughed, “This will be scandalous, a married woman still traversing about the country and singing?!  Once the press catches wind of it, my career will be over!”

 

“Who says they have to know?”

 

“What?!”

 

“Just our families will know about it and no one else.  We’ll keep it a secret until you want to retire.  You said you would probably retire in a few years and when you do, that’s when the world will know that you’re my wife.  Then we can always be together, have a family.  Oh I do hope that you want children, I was thinking maybe three or four would be a good number.”  He stood back up, running his hands up over her hips until they rested back on her waist again.  “Say yes, Ariel.”  He whispered into her ear and then began nibbling on her earlobe and down her neck,  “Say yes.”

 

She shook her head, not believing what she was about to do.  “This will never work, but yes Jarrod, yes!”

 

His mouth found hers again and kissed her deeply.  Jarrod scooped his bride to be into his arms and carried her into his bedroom.

 

 

 

At first light, Nick and Heath kissed their Mother goodbye and headed out from their hotel.  A cloud of dust followed behind them as they rode hard to the Royal Hotel.  Nick’s knuckles were white around the reins, his blood was boiling and he couldn’t wait to get his hands on Michael Edmunds.  He couldn’t stand the scrawny little cuss, never could.  Whereas Ariel had always been warm and friendly, her manager on the other hand, was a snob from the word go.  He looked down his long nose at most people, including the Barkleys and Nick had no toleration for that kind of behavior. 

 

The brothers stopped in front of the hotel and tethered their horses.  Walking in together, they both became aware of the stares they received.    Gentlemen and ladies of society, in all of their finery, stopped and stared and whispered amongst themselves.  Heath took a sidelong glance at his brother who appeared to be ready to bang heads at any moment.  He wasn’t sure if the stares they received were because of their attire or who they were, the brothers of the man convicted of killing a great opera diva.

 

Nick ignored the stares and headed straight for the front desk.  He stood there impatiently, with Heath beside him and waited for the desk clerk to approach.  Having no luck with patience, he banged his fist into the small bell sitting on the desk.  Not receiving an immediate response, he banged his fist even harder into it.  An older gentleman finally stood before them, first pulling the bell out of Nick’s reach.

 

The older man looked over the two cowboys in front of him, sure that they couldn’t afford to even be in the lobby of his fine establishment.  “May I help you?”

 

Nick caught the look he and Heath were receiving from him and muttered, “Great, another snob.”

 

“Nick.”  Heath chided.  “Yes, you can help us.  We are looking for Michael Edmunds, I believe he’s registered here.”

 

“Well yes he was.”  The man said, addressing Heath.  “However, he checked out several hours ago.”

 

“Dammit!”  Nick said loud enough to illicit more stares from people.

 

“Any idea where Mr. Edmunds might be headed?  Did he leave any forwarding information?”  Heath politely asked the man.

 

“Yes he did, as a matter of fact.  He was returning home to Boston.  Poor man, losing his prized opera singer, most horrible tragedy!”

 

“You said a few hours ago.  Do you happen to know what train he was going to catch.”

 

“Well, yes, but I’m afraid you’ve already missed it.  Left a little over an hour ago.”  The older gentleman shook his head.  “Terrible tragedy, just terrible.  You know I saw her final performance, ‘course we didn’t know it was her final one, did we?”

 

“No we didn’t know.”  Heath said sadly. 

 

“And all that time she was married.  That was such a shock and then he goes and kills her and their baby.  That husband of hers was certainly a monster, pity she never saw through that.”

 

Nick grabbed the lapels of the man’s jacket and nearly pulled him over the desk.  He put his face right in his, “That husband of hers is no monster, he didn’t kill her!  You understand me?!”

 

“Well…yes of course..no monster…right.”  He stammered.

 

“Nick!  Let him go, he doesn’t have anything to do with this.”  Heath pulled on his brother’s sleeve, trying to get him to release the terrified man.

 

He released the grasp on the man’s jacket slowly.  His hazel eyes nearly glowing with the rage he felt inside.  No one was going to say that about his brother, his Pappy and get away with it.  Jarrod was not a killer and he certainly wasn’t a monster.  One way or the other, he was going to make sure that everyone knew it.  Somehow, they were going to prove his brother’s innocence.

 

“Thank you for your help.”  Heath said to him.  They started to turn away from the desk and Heath stopped, wondering.  He turned back to the desk.  “Please, was Jocelyn McKenna staying here as well?”

 

Nick turned back towards the desk as well and the older man took a step backwards, putting some distance between the dark-haired cowboy and himself.  Nick almost snickered at him, finding his fear more than somewhat amusing.  

 

“Yes she was.  Actually, she is still staying here.  Mrs. McKenna hasn’t checked out yet.  As a matter of fact, I don’t believe I’ve seen her come downstairs today.  You can probably still find her in her room.”

 

“And?”  Heath asked, “What room would that be?”

 

The gentleman hesitated; he didn’t like the thought of the two cowboys traipsing up to her room. The blonde one he didn’t mind so much, but the other he was hot tempered and likely to cause trouble.  “I will tell you the room number if you go up there by yourself.  You sir,” He said pointing a long finger at Nick, “Are a trouble maker and I don’t want you causing any more difficulties in this establishment.”

 

Nick took a menacing step forward towards him, “Why you little…”

 

“Nick!”  Heath put a hand on Nick’s chest preventing him from going any further.  “It’s okay, I’ll go talk to Mrs. McKenna.  Trust me.” 

 

Nick stared for a moment at Heath and relaxed somewhat.  If there was anyone that he could trust right now, it was his brother.  With a heavy sigh, Nick nodded and took a step back.

 

“Agreed.”  Heath told the man.  “What room?”

 

“Number eighteen, up the first flight of stairs then to your right and down the end of the hall.”

 

“Thank you.”  Heath replied.  He turned to his brother and seeing the worried look on his face, “Don’t worry, I can handle her.  I’ll tell you everything she’s says.”

 

He turned and went up the large ornate staircase alone.  Following the directions he was given, he quickly found room eighteen.  Heath knocked on the door, but the door was unlatched and it opened at his knock.

 

“Mrs. McKenna”  He called out warily.  No response came and Heath pulled his gun from its holster.  He pushed open the door with his left hand and slowly entered the large room.  “Mrs. McKenna, it’s Heath Barkley, I need to speak with you.”  Again, no response. 

 

He stepped slowly through the seating area then looked at the two doors on the left side o the room.  “Mrs. McKenna!”  He called again as his hand wrapped around one of the doorknobs.  He opened the door slowly, his gun cocked and ready.  A long shadow on the wall in front of him made his eyes go wide and his mouth drop open.  Heath whirled around to see what had cast the shadow.  “Oh God.”

 

Her eyes were wide open and bulging from her sockets.  Jocelyn McKenna’s face was contorted in an expression of horror and her neck tilted sideways in a most unnatural position.  Her body, already in a state of rigor mortis dangled stiffly from the thick rope secured to an overhead post beam. 

 

Heath exited the room breathing hard and fast, he ran down the hallway to the top of the staircase.  “Police!  Get the police!”  He yelled down.  “Mrs. McKenna’s dead!”

 

The chairs in the waiting area were stiff and very uncomfortable.  Three men stood impatiently waiting for news from the doctor’s examination of the body.  Nick toyed with his hat and looked out the window at the setting sun.  Hues of pink and orange darted across the sky and he found himself wondering if Pappy could see this sunset from the prison walls.  The thought of Jarrod being locked up in a prison was eating him up inside.  He certainly had his own memories of prison and he could only pray that the conditions for Jarrod were far better than the ones he and Heath had endured.

 

“You know, almost feel sorry for that woman.”  The chief of police sighed, “Almost, she certainly wasn’t the friendly type.  Hard to believe she was even related to your brother’s wife.  You know, I didn't know her very well, but she seemed like a nice young lady.  Not the snobby type."

 

Did you know that Jarrod and Ariel were married?”  Heath asked.

 

The chief thought for a moment and scratched his head.  “No, but I kind of figured that they were seeing one another, didn't know it was so serious though." 

 

Nick turned to him angrily, “Well now you know what they had!  Can't you see that my brother wouldn't kill the woman he loves?" 

 

“Don’t you boys know?  Love and hate are so close together, love’s a great motive for murder.” 

 

Nick stepped towards the chief; he had enough of this talk, way more than enough.  His brother wasn’t a killer!  Heath, seeing the oncoming trouble, stepped between the two of them and quickly changed the subject.

 

“Sure can’t figure how Mrs. McKenna could wanna kill herself.”  

 

Thankfully, Nick and the chief both bought into the change of subject.  “She lost her only source of income, Heath.  Every dime that woman had come from her daughter.  Jarrod even told me once about Jocelyn’s spending sprees.  If Ariel hadn’t been giving her money, that woman would have been out on the street.”  Nick spoke out of frustration, if Jocelyn McKenna did know anything about her daughter’s death; she was taking it to the grave with her.

 

“Ariel was also her only child.”  Heath said thoughtfully, “Maybe she felt she couldn’t live without her.”

 

“I dunno.”  Nick sighed.  “I’ve never been able to figure out how anyone could kill themselves.  It just doesn’t make sense.”

 

“It doesn’t make sense because she didn’t kill herself.”  The doctor had emerged from the exam room and stood before the three men.  They stared at him with their mouths agape, waiting for the doctor to tell them more.

 

“Whaddya mean she didn’t kill herself, doc?  We found her hanging from the rafters at the hotel!”  The chief of police asked in a loud voice.

 

“She was hung up there after she was dead.  Someone obviously wanted you to think it was suicide.  What you didn’t see was the other mark around her neck, the one that killed her.”  The doctor took a step back towards the exam room, “You boys think you can stomach it and I’ll show ya.”

 

Heath followed behind Nick and the chief, he swallowed hard feeling his stomach already beginning to churn.  He’d already seen her hanging from the post beam, he wasn’t sure he wanted to see her again.  The doctor held open the door while the men entered the small exam room. 

 

Jocelyn McKenna’s body was laid out on the table in front of them, covered by a thick white blanket.  Heath breathed an audible sigh of relief, at least the doctor had closed that woman’s eyes.  The way he had last seen her eyes, bulging out as she dangled from the rope, wasn’t something Heath would easily forget.

 

“See here,” The doctor pointed at the rope burn around her neck.  “That’s the second mark, the rope burn.  But that’s not what killed her.  Look closer, you see it?”

 

The chief leaned in literally bumping heads with Nick.  “I don’t see anything.”

 

“That thin red line.  Look again.”  The doctor rolled the body onto its side. 

 

“Hey I see it now!”  Nick replied, “Looks like it cut her.”

 

“It did, you’re right Mr. Barkley.  Whatever was used to strangle her was very thin, maybe a wire.  The marks are most prevalent on the sides and back of her neck.  Looks like a garrote killed her gentlemen.”

 

“So I'm judging by the marks that her killer was facing her when he did the deed.”  The chief said thoughtfully.

 

“That would be my guess.  I’d say he was standing in front of her or perhaps over her when he strangled her.  There’s something else too, I found a good deal of skin and some blood under her fingernails.  Whoever did this probably has some pretty deep scratch marks on him.”

 

“Thanks doc, for your help.”  The chief put his hat back on and headed out the front door.

 

“Where to now?”  Heath asked.

 

The chief turned back towards the brothers, irritated.  “I am going to look over her hotel room again.  You two should go back to your hotel and your Mother.  Let the police do their job.”

 

“But whoever killed her is probably the same person that killed Ariel!”  Nick raised his voice to the chief.  “And this fella’s out walking around free while my brother sits in prison!”

 

“Nick, I know you are upset.  But right now, other than the fact that they were Mother and daughter, there’s nothing to show that these two crimes are connected.”

 

“What are you saying, you think this is a coincidence?!  C’mon Chief, you don’t believe that!” 

 

The chief didn’t take kindly to anyone yelling at him, not even a distraught brother.  “Look you show me proof that these two are linked and I’ll run with it.  But by God Nick Barkley, don’t you tell me how to do my job.”

 

Heath spoke up, softly at first, wrapped up in his thoughts.  “There is a link, Ariel knew her killer and her Mother knew her killer.”

 

“How do you know that?”

 

“The doors.  None of the doors to Jarrod’s house were forced open, no windows broken.  Same thing at the hotel room, the door was ajar when I got there, but it hadn’t been forced open.  I think they both knew the killer, that’s your link between the two murders.  They knew him.  And it was someone that knew that Ariel lived at the house or followed her there.  Remember what Mr. Collins said about a lot of comings and goings.”

 

The chief studied the young blonde cowboy, he certainly did think like Jarrod.  "Collins have anything else to say?"  He asked.

 

“Edmunds!”  Nick shouted, ‘Aww dammit, he’s already on his way to Boston.  It was him, it had to be!”

 

“Hold on there.”  The chief cautioned.  “You say he’s headed to Boston?  All right then, gentleman I will send a wire to the sheriff in Denver, the train hasn’t gotten there yet.  We can have him taken off the train there and brought back to San Francisco for questioning.  Does seem awful strange that he happens to head out of town same day Mrs. McKenna is murdered.”

 

“Yeah," Heath said thoughtfully, "Sure does."  Maybe when he gets back here, we’ll finally have some answers.”  Heath shook the chief’s hand, thankful for his help.

 

Nick scuffed the ground with the tip of his boot.  “Look yeah thanks..sorry I yelled at ya, Chief.”

 

“No harm done Nick. I can certainly understand how you feel.  Listen, I’ve known Jarrod a good long time, I never thought for a moment that he was guilty and I still don’t.  We’ll find out who really did this and get your brother back home, but ya gotta let me do my job.”

 

“I will chief.”  Nick started to turn and walk away with Heath.

 

“Hey you two!”  The chief called.  “You boys are headed back to your hotel, right?”

 

“Course Chief!”  Nick called out. 

 

“Yep pretty tired, think we’ll call it a night.”  Heath added in.  Then whispered to Nick, “Ariel’s pianist?”

 

“Dimitri something or other, you got it little brother.”  Nick kept one eye on the chief and as soon as he turned the corner, Nick and Heath mounted their horses and headed off to find Ariel’s pianist.

 

Heath had the address in his pocket, and he patted the piece of paper.  Dimitri had been listed as a possible witness, but had later been taken off of the list seeing that no one felt he had valuable information for either side of the case.

 

Nightfall had come by the time they reached Dimitri’s small home.  Dimitri Romanov had lived in the same house on the same busy street for over twenty years.  And over time, he had watched the neighborhood slowly begin to decay and he had allowed the exterior of his home to decline with it.  He didn’t care much for how his home looked or what people thought, he cared about music.  He spent the majority of his time following his Ariel around the country and couldn't be bothered with the small details of caring for his home.  He met Heath and Nick at the door, before they even had a chance to knock.

 

“Why Nick and Heath, how good to see the both of you again.”  Dimitri, closed the door behind him and stepped outside.  He was in his tuxedo and he brushed back his thick gray hair.  “I’m sorry I can’t let you in just now.”  He smirked at the both of them and whispered, “I’m entertaining a rather lovely woman at the moment.”

 

“Sorry to disturb you Dimitri, we won’t take long.  Listen, we wanted to talk with you about Ariel.”  Nick couldn’t help but smile, he hoped that when he was Dimitri’s age that he’d still be entertaining lovely women or one lovely woman.

 

“Ahh, my precious Ariel!”    He took a step forward and sat down on a porch chair.  “I do miss her.”  His thoughts drifted off momentarily but then he pulled himself back, “And your poor brother!  You know I don’t think for a minute that Jarrod had anything to do with what happened to her.”

 

“Neither do we.”  Heath stated, taking a seat next to him.  “Listen Dimitri, I’m sorry but there’s no other way to say this, Ariel’s Mother was found dead this morning.  She was murdered.”

 

His eyes widened in disbelief, “Murdered you say?  That’s interesting.”

 

“You don’t appear all that upset.”  Nick looked him over suspiciously.

 

“Well frankly I’m not.  Couldn’t stand the hag.  So mean spirited and snobbish.  Why she would have no money to flaunt at all if not for Ariel!  You know it was Ariel that kept her Mother in all her finery.”

 

“Yeah we do know that.”  Heath nodded in agreement, “Look is there anything you can tell us, that maybe we didn’t hear in the trial.  Anything at all about Ariel’s last performance or any conversations you had with her.  Anything out of the ordinary.”

 

He thought for a moment, scratching his salt and pepper beard.  ‘”Her performance was truly exceptional, wasn’t it?  Ah, but that’s not of the ordinary.  Well, there was that argument she had with Michael.  He does have quite the temper, you know.”

 

“Her manager?  By any chance do you know what they were arguing about?”  Heath asked.

 

“Why the baby of course!”

 

Nick pulled himself off the porch railing and stood tall, “The baby, he knew about the baby?”  He exchanged a sidelong glance with Heath; this was something that they hadn’t heard about in the trial.

 

“Yes, she told him right after the performance.  He was furious!  Said she had promised him to keep singing for another two years and that she was a careless stupid woman.  Told her she’d never be happy as a lawyer’s wife, she’d grow bored and come back to him to perform again.”  Dimitri’s shoulders slumped, “You know she really loved your brother, adored him.  I still can’t believe she’s gone.”  He wiped an errant tear that had spilled down his cheek.

 

Heath looked on the man with a great deal of sympathy, “I know this is hard, but can you tell us anything else about the fight.”

 

“Did you know that Michael slapped her, right in front of me?”

 

“Slapped her?!  Why?”  Nick bellowed.

 

“She told him that she would never come back to him to perform.  Said she had finally found everything she wanted in life and she wanted no part of him anymore.  She was afraid of Michael, that’s the first time I’d ever really seen her stand up to him.”

 

“And that same night, she winds up dead.”  Nick spoke under his breath.  Edmunds, wait till he got his hands on him.  He was going to pay for everything he had done.

 

“Yes I know.  I must really get back to my guest now.”  Dimitri stood up and straightened his jacket.  “If there’s anything else I can help you boys with, please don’t hesitate to ask me.”

 

“We will Dimitri and we’re much obliged for your help.”  Nick stopped for a moment and turned back, “Dimitri, was that the first time you’d ever seen Edmunds hurt Ariel?”

 

“No, it’s not the first time.”  He mumbled.  “Oh I promised I’d never say anything, Ariel begged me to not say anything.”  Dimitri hung his head in his hands and the brothers both heard the small sob that escaped his lips.

 

Heath put his hand on the man's shoulder.  “Ariel’s gone now.  You need to tell us whatever you know.”

 

“I told her, she needed to tell Jarrod how he was treating her.  But she said she couldn’t, she said that Edmunds told her something very bad would happen if she told anyone.”  Dimitri cried openly, not ashamed of the tears that fell for his precious Nightingale.   “She was so afraid of him, always had been.”  He stared up at the brothers, “You think maybe she told someone or threatened to tell someone and he killed her?”

 

“I dunno Dimitri, but I promise you, we’re gonna find out!”  Heath replied. 

 

Heath and Nick walked down the steps and to their horses.  As they mounted them, Heath said thoughtfully, “Didn’t know Ariel was afraid of her manager, did you?”

 

Nick shook his head, “Nope sure didn’t.  But I’m gonna give that manager something to be afraid of!”  His fist waved angrily in the air. 

 

“We best get going Nick.  We promised Mother to take her to the prison first thing in the morning.”

 

“Yeah.”  He replied.  “I just hope she’s gonna be okay, can’t be a good thing.  A Mother seeing her son in prison.”

 

“It ain’t a good thing for any of us, ‘specially Jarrod.  While we’re with him, we should have him tell us everything he knows about Michael Edmunds.  When he finds out that Edmunds slapped her, he’s gonna hit the roof!”

 

Nick scratched his shadowed face, "You think we should tell him?  Think he's got enough on his mind right now, don't you Heath?"

 

"Yeah, but maybe if he knew how Edmunds really treated her, maybe I dunno it could shed some new light on the whole thing.  We have to solve this Nick, no one else is!"

 

An hour north of San Francisco, all the prisoners were returned to their cells and the celldoors were locked down.  The lights went off and Jarrod laid his aching body upon the thin ratty mattress.  He had been sawing and cutting stumps from sunup to sundown and could feel the effects of hard labor in every bone of his body.  The lawyer turned over his hands and had to smile.  Nick and Heath would sure get a kick out of these, he thought to himself.  How many times had Nick teased him about his lily-white soft hands?  They were certainly neither of those things now.  The tops were dirty and sunburned.  On the tips of every finger and in the soft spots of his palms, were blisters.  Some new and full, others opened and an angry red.  He could feel the burning on his face as well, a deep red sunburn taking shape.  In a way, he was grateful for his exhaustion, at least he thought he would get a decent nights sleep tonight.  He closed his eyes and immediately his wife came into his mind.   The dream started off nicely enough, but then turned into a horrific nightmare.

 

"Are you going to tell him?"  Ariel asked.

 

"Edgar?  Well he is a good friend; I thought I might let him in on the secret.  Do you mind?"  He asked.  Jarrod took the silver candleholders and centered them on their dining room table.

 

"Not at all.  After all, he's a good friend.  Besides, if you can't trust him, who can you trust?"  Ariel laughed and her husband grabbed her around the waist.

 

"Are you happy Ariel?  Are you as happy as I?"  He ran his fingers through her soft hair.

 

"Happier than I ever thought possible, Jarrod, don't you know that?"

 

"I guess I do at that.  You know, we do have some time before our guest arrives."  He winked at her and grinned devilishly.

 

"You are horrible Mr. Barkley!  How do you expect me to get dinner finished?"

 

"We could take him to a restaurant, I know a perfect one right on the wharf."  Jarrod pulled her close and started kissing her lightly along her cheek and then down her neck.

 

"Jarrod, it's not often I get to cook for someone, I rather like doing it."  Ariel sighed.  Jarrod's kisses continued down her neck and onto the skin that her dress left exposed, down to the slight cleavage that was visible.  He slid his hand inside the neckline of her dress.  "Oh!  Restaurant, right on the wharf you say?  Well, I suppose I can cook another time…."

 

"Uh-huh, another time…"  He kissed her hard on the lips and they never made it to their bedroom.

 

Some time later, Ariel caught her breath and stared into her husband's beautiful eyes.  "Tell me counselor, are we always going to desire each other as much as we do now?"

 

"Yes Ariel.  I'll always desire you this much, until the day I die.  I promise you that!"

 

Three loud raps on the door and the newlyweds struggled to straighten themselves out.  After Jarrod had fixed his wife's dress properly, he went to the front door.  "Good evening Edgar!  So how is the best chief doing this evening!" 

 

The dream slowly faded away and he soon found himself amidst another scene. 

 

Jarrod parked his carriage in front of the house, grabbed his valise and jumped down, glad to be home finally.  He breathed in the heady scent of roses in bloom as he opened their small wrought iron gate in front of the house.  Halfway down the front walk, he looked up to see his wife, Ariel, open the door.  She smiled at him; her face was filled with so much love and how beautiful she looked. He said her name and thought of how lucky he was. 

 

Then from behind Ariel's skirts appeared a little girl, not more than three or four and dressed like her mother.  She had flowing dark ringlets, just like Ariel and he found his blue eyes staring back at him.  Their little girl.  He took in a deep breath and sighed with his contentment. 

 

From behind Ariel, suddenly appeared a dark figure, his face obscured.  He grabbed Ariel by the neck and she screamed.  Jarrod looked over her head to see the dark figure wielding a large butcher knife.  "JARROD!"  She cried out.

 

"ARIEL!"  He yelled and ran for the door.  The door slammed shut in his face.  He pulled on the handle and kicked at the door but it wouldn't open.

 

"Jarrod, help us!"  "Papa!"  Came the cries from inside the house.

 

"Ariel!"  Oh please God, someone help me!"  He went to the window and slammed his fists into it but the glass refused to shatter. The little girl, his daughter, came to the window screaming hysterically.  "Papa!  Save us Papa, save us!" 

 

"Baby!"  He picked up a chair on the front porch and hurled it at the window, but it did not budge.  He then heard the most horrible scream coming from his wife. 

 

"Ariel, no!"  Jarrod had yelled out her name and woke up, bathed in a cold sweat.

 

"Shaddup Barkley, lemme get some sleep."  His cellmate bellowed at him.

 

Jarrod sat up and wiped the sweat from his face with his shirtsleeve.  He breathed in slowly and fought the sobs that threatened to come out.  He had yet to shed a tear for his wife and unborn child and was determined not to do it until he could stand before his wife's grave, a free man.

 

In the next row of cells, two prisoners were having a talk with one of the guards.

 

"Ya know that new feller, the lawyer that's on your work detail?"  The guard spoke in hushed tones.

 

"That the one that killed is pregnant wife, right?"  One prisoner asked.

 

"Yep, the same.  Well I got a little offer for the both of you."

 

"We're listening."

 

"How would you both like double food rations and no work detail for the next two weeks?"

 

The cellmates looked to one another and nodded.  "Whadda we gots to do?"

 

"All ya gotta do is mess up the fella a bit."

 

"How bad?"

 

"Just make him not so pretty anymore, mess the face up a bit.  Ya can show him what happens to a pretty boy in prison."  The guards' eyes gleamed as he talked to them.  "Tomorrow, while you is out working, take care of it."

 

"What about the guard there?"

 

"He won't be any trouble.  You boys just need to get Barkley outta sight first, then ya won't get any trouble for the guard."

 

"Make it double food rations for a month and ya got a deal."  The guard nodded in reply and shook hands with the prisoner.

 

 

 

He kept his arm about her waist throughout the trip.  Good Lord, she looked pale!  Nick couldn’t remember ever seeing his Mother look like this; she was always so strong and steadfast.  Now, she appeared weak and gaunt and somehow, so much older.  How he wished he’d been successful in talking her out of going to the prison!  It would only make things worse for her, seeing her son in prison garb and walking amongst criminals.  His grip on her waist tightened instinctively as if trying to shield her from the pain he knew she’d feel when she saw Jarrod.

 

Audra wasn’t fairing much better, she sat in front of the carriage with Heath as he drove.  Her hands constantly wringing together and twirling her hair.  Heath had tried to start a conversation with her several times during the ride, but her voice would soon fade off, Audra becoming lost again in her own thoughts.

 

Finally they arrived at the gates and while Heath informed the guard who they were there to see; Victoria stared at the prison wide eyed and terrified.  Her son, her eldest son was trapped behind those walls and for god knows how long.  But if Nick and Heath were right about Edmunds and the police were able to bring him back for questioning, perhaps Jarrod’s ordeal would soon be over. 

 

They sat in the hot noonday sun for over half an hour before the gates finally opened and they were allowed inside.  Once in, a tall gentleman came to greet them.

 

“You would be Jarrod Barkley’s family?”  He said unsmiling, looking over the Barkleys from head to toe.  Somehow they seemed more like quality people than what he had expected, good folks even.

 

“Yes we are.  I’m Victoria Barkley, Jarrod’s Mother.  These are his brothers Nick and Heath and his sister, Audra.”  She pointed out each of her family member’s as she spoke.

 

“I’m Warden Davidson, under any other circumstances madam, I would say it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

“I understand that, Warden, I’m fully aware that this situation is not your fault.”  Victoria kept straining her neck around the warden, trying to spot her son amongst the prisoners that were outside working.

 

“Could you please follow me to my office, so we can speak a little more privately?” 

 

Nick piped in, “All the same to you warden, I’d rather get to seeing Jarrod.  Don’t mean to be unfriendly or nothing, just anxious to see him.”

 

“I understand, I do.”  The warden spoke slowly, “But I wanted to talk to you privately, first.”

 

“Why?”  Heath asked, “Something happen?”  He felt the dread building from the pit of his stomach and up to his throat.

 

The Warden looked directly at Victoria, sympathetically, “I’m afraid Mrs. Barkley, I have some rather bad news.”

 

‘What now?!’  He thought, his arms flailed towards the heavens in exasperation.  ‘Hadn’t there been enough bad news for everyone.’  “Well, what bad news!  What in blazes is so bad that you wanted to talk to us privately!”  Nick bellowed at the warden, not sure if he could take much more bad news.

 

“I’m afraid your brother’s in the Infirmary.  Two of the other prisoners found out who he was and jumped him this morning.”  The Warden saw the panic in Victoria’s eyes and quickly added, “He’s gonna be fine, for now anyway.”

 

“How bad was he hurt?”  Heath asked, his hand wrapped around Audra’s trembling hands.

 

“He’s got some bruised ribs, a broken arm and his nose was broken.  Looks a lot worse than it is, broken nose can really mess up your face, looks like..”

 

“I know what a broken nose looks like.”  Victoria interrupted in a soft voice, “May I please see my son now?”

 

The warden shifted uncomfortably in front of them, “Since you’re here, you might as well know that as soon as he’s recovered enough; we’re putting him into solitary.”

 

A menacing step forward and an angrily pointed finger caught the attention of two guards and their hands went to their holsters. Out of the corner of his eye, Nick saw them move closer and he took a step back from the Warden.  “Why?!”  He demanded, “You just said he got jumped by those two men.  Why you punishing him?”

 

“I’m not punishing him, Mr. Barkley, it’s for his own protection.  The two men that attacked him this morning are being punished.  But when he recovers, what then?  There are at least two men here that I’m aware of, that your brother helped put in this prison.  And none of the inmates, none of them, care much for lawyers.  I put your brother back in the general population and it’s only a matter of time before he’s dead, he won’t survive.”

 

“But he won’t survive in solitary either.”  Victoria spoke with her head down.  Her mind was screaming at her and she felt so near to breaking down.  She was determined that no matter what it took, somehow she was going to through this day.  She couldn’t allow Jarrod to see the pain she was in, for him, she had to get through it.

 

“Ma’am, while your son’s here, he’s my responsibility.  And if I’m gonna have any chance of keeping him alive, it’s got to be away from the other inmates.”

 

“You could let him go.”  Audra looked at him hopefully.

 

The warden looked upon the young blonde woman and spoke to her as if he were a scolding parent.  “Young lady, in the eyes of the law, your brother is a convicted murderer.  Letting him go is not an option.”

 

“But, he’s…innocent!”  Audra sobbed onto Heath’s shoulder. 

 

He tried to rub her back to console her, “C’mon honey.  You don’t wanna let Pappy see you all teary-eyed do ya?”  She shook her head into his damp shirt.  “C’mon then, dry those eyes Sis.”

 

The warden took his leave of them and they were left with a guard that led them to the infirmary.  Barely any light filtered into the infirmary as they entered.  The walls were covered in a dark gray and there was not a single window to allow any fresh air into the room.  Against the wall, were four narrow metal beds and Victoria looked to the last bed to find her son.

 

A stark oil lamp in the corner seemed to only worsen his appearance to his family. Victoria had to set her jaw hard so as not to allow the gasp that threatened to escape from her.  He was dozing lightly and Victoria sat down on the bed softly and touched one of the deep purple crescent moons underneath his eyes.  His nose was thick and swollen, a mixture of purples and blacks and dried blood.  Whoever had cleaned his wounds hadn’t done a very good job of it and she pulled a lace handkerchief from her bag, trying to wipe off some of the blood from underneath his nose.  She carefully looked over the rest of the damage, lifting the bindings around his broken arm.  This time a gasp did escape her lips, a green break.    No one had set the arm, instead a gaping hole with a jagged piece of bone protruded angrily from his forearm.  The wound at least appeared to be cleaned and the bleeding stopped, but the threat of infection was great.  Victoria stood up and went to the prison guard, standing in the doorway.  Nick followed he, not having seen what she had, he had no clue what his Mother was doing.

 

“Would you be so kind” She spoke through gritted teeth, “As to tell me exactly what kind of a doctor would leave a wound like that?”

 

The guard shifted his eyes towards Nick, hoping for some kind of assistance.  “Ah, no doctor ma’am.  He don’t come to tomorrow.”

 

“Tomorrow!  He needs that arm set now!  If he doesn’t get it set now, he’ll get an infection, then a fever and he could eventually die.  Seeing as how the warden said that my son is his responsibility right now.  I would think that he wouldn’t want this prisoner to die from lack of decent medical care.”

 

The guard looked again to Nick to help him outta this, but Nick just gave him a small grin and folded his arms. 

 

“But, can’t do nothing till tomorrow.  Sorry ma’am.”

 

“Fine then, we’ll set it.  I’ve done it before.”  Victoria turned her back to the guard and stomped back to her son’s bed.  She’d set a green break in Heath’s arm, a few years back with Nick’s help, she could do it again. “Oh,” She said turning back to look at the flushed faced guard, “Could you at least manage to boil some water for me, get some clean bandages and a few towels?”

 

“Yes, yes ma’am.  I can do that.”

 

“Good, thank you for that at least.”  After she had dispensed with the guard, she removed her bolero jacket and rolled up her sleeves.  “Nick, Heath, help me take this contraption off of his arm and we need to get his shirt off.”

 

He felt someone’s presence near him and for a groggy moment, he had hoped it had all been a dreadful nightmare.  “Ariel?”  He asked huskily, his dry throat not wanting to talk.

 

“No Jarrod, It’s your mother.  Listen to me darling, we’ve got to take care of this arm or it’s going to get infected.  It’s going to hurt like the dickens, but we have to do it.”

 

Jarrod nodded weakly, his head still throbbing from the broken nose and beating he had taken earlier.  He opened his bruised eyes slowly and looked up at his whole family, “I’m glad you’re here.”  He whispered.

 

“Hey,” Heath grinned a lopsided grin at his brother, “Not often we get a chance to see you all battered up.  Seems that it's usually me or Nick that gets the hurting.”

 

“Yeah, you’re right about that.  Guess it was my turn.” 

 

Two hours later, Victoria rolled her sleeves back down and sighed in relief.  The bone had been properly set and no sign of fever or infection could be found yet, but it was still a possibility.  Jarrod had fallen back into a healing slumber once the pain had subsided and his Mother lovingly brushed back the raven hair that had fallen onto his forehead.

 

The guard sheepishly entered the infirmary, clearly afraid of the diminutive matriarch.  “Sorry all, but visiting times over in a half hour.”

 

“Half hour?!  But I still need to talk with my brother!”  Nick bellowed at him.

 

“Rules is rules.  Sorry.”  He replied.

 

“Jarrod?”  Nick whispered, “Jarrod.”

 

“What?”  Jarrod’s blue eyes struggled to focus on his brother,  “Anything, did you find out anything?

 

“Ariel’s Mother is dead, she was murdered yesterday.”

 

Jarrod struggled to sit up with the news but the pain was too intense.  “Murdered?  When, how?”

 

“Strangled, found her yesterday.  Think its Edmunds, Jarrod.  But he took off on a train bound for Boston.  The chief of police is gonna have him pulled off the train in Denver and brought back for questioning.” 

 

"Good,"  Jarrod said, still drifting in and out of slumber.  "Edgar, he…"  His voice faded away.

 

Heath touched his brother's shoulder, so much they had to say and felt that it couldn't wait.  “We talked to Dimitri, he told us some things.”

 

His eyes opened slightly, “Things, what things?”

 

Nick sat down on Jarrod’s bed, “We went to see Dimitri and he told us that Ariel had an argument with Edmunds backstage after the performance.”  Nick looked to Heath for guidance, not knowing if he should tell him.

 

“And?”  Jarrod prodded his younger brother, thinking this was one of the first times he’d ever seen Nick at a loss for words.

 

“Ariel, she told him about the baby and that she was quitting performing and he um, he hit her Jarrod.”

 

“He what?!”  This time Jarrod did sit up, bolt upright, fury glowing from his darkened eyes.  “I’ll kill the son of a…”

 

“Now listen Jarrod, seems you’re gonna get your chance.  Hell, I’m hoping your sitting across from him in court sometime soon.  I’d sure as hell like to see you do the cross-exam!”

 

“But for right now,”  His Mother guided him back down onto the bed.  “You need to get your rest.  Listen to me Jarrod, the warden is going to put you in solitary for your own protection.  You have to promise me, all of us, that you won’t give up hope.  We’re going to get you out of here and soon, but you can’t give up hope.”

 

“Alright Mother.”

 

“Promise me.”

 

“I promise I won’t give up hope.”

 

She kissed the top of his forehead and stroked his cheek with her fingers.  “I love you.”

 

“Love you Mother.”

 

Nick mussed up Jarrod’s hair and Heath gave him a small pat on the shoulder, assuring him that they would be back soon.  Audra kissed his cheek quickly and nearly fled from the room, not wanting him to see her crying again.

 

“Hey,” Jarrod called out to Nick and Heath as they were walking away.  “So what did Dimitri’s place look like?”

 

“Outsides kinda run down, didn’t see the inside.  Haven’t you seen his place Jarrod?”  Heath asked.

 

“Nope, neither did Ariel.  She said she thought it was wall to wall sheet music and there was probably room for only one to move around in there.”

 

“Well not the night we saw him,” Nick grinned, “He was entertaining a lady friend.”

 

“I’ll be, Dimitri entertaining someone?  I thought Ariel was the only person he liked.  Old man never did like me much.”

 

“Well for someone you think didn’t like ya, he sure spoke highly of you Jarrod.”

 

“Really?”  Jarrod tried to cover his yawn with his good hand, “That’s a surprise.”  His eyes closed and he faded off to sleep.

 

 

 

Hardly a word was spoken during the carriage ride back to San Francisco.  While Audra cried on her Mother’s shoulder, the image of her son lying in a prison infirmary was burned into Victoria’s mind.  She wanted a flow of tears to come, to cry unashamed tears for her eldest and what had been done to him.  But they wouldn’t come, she was a mother right now comforting her despairing daughter and there wasn’t any room for her tears to be shed.

 

Nick sat up front with Heath and leaned back while his brother drove the carriage.  Nick’s mind was filled with thoughts of what he was going to do with Ariel’s former manager, Michael Edmunds, when he got his hands on him.  If he had indeed been pulled off the train and was being sent back for questioning, then he would be in San Francisco the following evening.  A thought that Nick tried to relish and yet for all the ways he thought up for pummeling Edmunds, something just wasn’t sitting right with him.  Like Jocelyn McKenna, Ariel had been Edmunds sole meal ticket.  And while it was possible that he had been abusive to her, the thought that he would kill off his only source of income just didn’t feel right to Nick.

 

His head cocked thoughtfully, a trait he shared with his eldest brother; Heath gave the reins another flick of his wrist to urge on the horses.  While he drove the carriage, his thoughts remained deeply entrenched on the last few words they had with Jarrod before they left the prison.  Jarrod had been under the impression that Dimitri didn’t like him very much, while quite common for a person to misinterpret another’s opinion, Heath thought it would be pretty rare for his lawyer brother to make such a mistake.   It was one of the many things about Jarrod that he admired, his insight, his ability to look past the surface and see the soul.  It was also a trait that made Jarrod such a successful attorney, both feared and admired in the courtroom.  So, he wondered, was Jarrod mistaken or had he and Nick been witness to one fine acting performance by Dimitri.  He instantly thought of one major difference between Dimitri, Mrs. McKenna and Edmunds: money.  While Mrs. McKenna and Edmunds depended upon Ariel for their financial stability, Dimitri did not.  While the money she paid his as an accompanist was most likely pretty good, Heath remembered that Dimitri also played for orchestras and at various events.  Ariel wasn’t his only source of income.

 

Nick and Heath escorted their Mother and sister upstairs to their hotel rooms and promptly excused themselves to head for the saloon and a much-needed stiff drink.  They trudged slowly downstairs and across the street to a loud saloon.  “Two whiskeys” Nick called to the bartender as soon as they entered.  Finding an empty table, the two men pulled out their chairs and sat down.  Nick folded his arms on the table and plopped his head down on them. 

 

A pretty and young saloon girl put the two glasses down in front of them and poured two small fingers of whiskey.  “Better just bring us the whole bottle, miss.”  Heath said, not even glancing up her way.

 

“Sure thing handsome.”  The girl bubbled and returned a moment later with a full bottle.  “How about some company to go with that bottle?”  She asked.

 

Heath paused for a moment, taken briefly by the pretty young this in front of him; she couldn’t be more than seventeen.  “Thanks honey, but I’m ‘fraid we wouldn’t be much company to ya.”

 

She didn’t want to give up so easily, “Aw c’mon!  I can show you both a real good time.” 

 

Without even raising his head, Nick bellowed at her, “You heard the man, not tonight!”

 

“Why I never!”  Turning on her heels, she quickly left their table to find new prey.

 

The saloon girl rudely bumped San Francisco’s Chief of Police in the shoulder as he crossed the room towards the two brothers.  "Interested?"  She whispered to him.

 

"Maybe later."

 

"I'll be waiting Edgar."

 

Momentarily he looked the brothers over and felt more than a little sorry for them.  Looked like they had a rough day at the prison with their brother, he thought.  “Hard day today, boys?”  He asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down across the table from them.

 

Nick lifted his head to stare at the sheriff, “You could say that.  Someone beat the living daylights outta Jarrod, broke his nose and his arm.  And to top it all off, warden says that to protect him, he’s gonna put our brother in solitary!”  His voice resonated through the saloon, causing several revelers to stop what they were doing and stare at the loud cowboy.

 

The chief shook his head, “Real sorry to hear that boys, but gotta tell you, I think the warden’s doing the right thing by keeping him away from the other prisoners.  You want your brother to be proven innocent, well he’s not going to see a day outta prison if he stays with the other inmates.  He’s a dead man.  You had to have figured that some of those men would have it out for him.”

 

“So,” Heath began thoughtfully, “You here just by coincidence?”

 

“Nope, actually I came looking for you and your Mother thought I would find you here.  Got two pieces of news for you.  First, Edmunds was pulled from the train and he’s on his way back here.”

 

“And second?”  Nick grumbled.

 

“Second are these.”  The chief pulled a small stack of letters from his pocket and tossed them onto the center of the table.  “Looks like Jocelyn McKenna had herself a man.”

 

“Man, you mean a beau?”  Nick finally straightened up in his chair and pulled the letters to their side of the table.

 

“Yep, a beau, a lover, whatever you want to call it.  She was definitely involved with someone.”

 

Nick and Heath each took a letter and scanned over them.  They were both quick to note the absence of a signature or a name.

 

“Maestro?”  Heath glanced over at his brother quizzically.

 

“Well yeah.  Seems her lover didn’t like to sign with his own name.  Just Maestro.  All of them are signed like that.  One thing though, whoever wrote them sure has great penmanship, very ornate.”

 

“Yeah I see that.”  Nick looked at the large swirls of ink and elaborate writing.   “Sure is fancy.”

 

“Here’s where it gets even more interesting.  When I read one of them, it sounded a bit familiar, like I’d read it before somewheres.  So, my wife likes to read lots and I showed them to her.  Turns out none of these letters are in his own words; it’s all poetry, other peoples’ poetry.  Some lady named Elizabeth Browning, a Robert Browning and one other person I can’t recall.  But the love letters are all copied down word for word by this Maestro fella.”

 

“I dunno, maybe this fella couldn’t come up with anything good on his own.” 

 

“Or maybe,” Heath interjected, “He just was saying stuff she’d wanna hear.  Maybe he didn’t mean all these flowery words.”

 

“That would have to be one pretty good actor to make her believe that.  She was a pretty shrewd woman.”

 

“Yeah,” Heath leaned back in his chair, “She was at that and you’re right, would have to be a pretty good actor.”

 

“So what do we do with this?” 

 

“I’m not sure there’s anything to be done with these letters.  Least not yet anyways.”  Heath replied.  “But since Mother’s had more dealings with Mrs. McKenna, we can ask her in the morning if she knew of anyone that might’ve been seeing her.”

 

“Alright boys, let me know if she can think of anyone.  Meantime, you both look like you could use a good night’s rest.”

 

They both said goodnight to the Chief and thanked him for showing them the letters.  After another whiskey was downed, Heath and Nick returned to the hotel.

 

He couldn't sleep; try as he might, nothing seemed to work.  Not whiskey, not a good book, nothing would calm his restless mind.  Heath threw off the covers and got out of bed.  Going to the window, he looked out and searched the stars for answers.  Something was eating at him, telling him that he had overlooked, or missed, or forgotten some piece of the puzzle. 

 

Pacing the room, back and forth, he replayed all the events since Ariel was murdered.  From the trial and the testimony to going to the house with Nick and finally, the murder of Ariel's mother.  He could sense that the answer was just beyond his grasp.  Finding no help in wearing out the carpeting, Heath went to the desk and pulled out several sheets of the hotel stationary, writing down all the things that he could remember and trying to bring forth the one piece that would free his brother.

 

Before the sun had peaked over the horizon, Heath left the room in his stocking feet, his boots carried in one hand.  He went downstairs to Charger and headed off for his friendly chat.

 

 

 

The sweat beaded on his forehead and upper lip and his heart pounded in his chest while he relived the scene in his dreams, yet again.  Ariel had visited his dreams every night since she had been killed, on some occasions flooding his mind with warm and precious memories that Jarrod would cherish for the rest of his life.  But on other nights, such as this night spent in the Infirmary, the memories were far from pleasant.

 

The plan was to wait one half hour after she left the party and then he would return home.  Jarrod was curious to find out what Ariel wanted to speak with him about.  But more than anything, he couldn’t wait to have her all to himself.

 

Precisely one half hour after Ariel left, Jarrod took his leave of another dreadfully boring party.  He lit up a thick cigar and then summoned a horse and carriage for the ride home.  When he arrived at the house, he paid the carriage driver and nearly sprinted to his front door.  “Finally!”  He said to himself.

 

Tossing his hat and coat on the front table, he then called out to his wife.  “Ariel!”

 

“Jarrod!  Jarrod!”  Her voice echoed down from the top floor.  Her voice was filled with terror; Jarrod looked up and saw Ariel being dragged into the bedroom.  “Ariel!  No!”  He took the stairs in two’s, his heart in his throat.  For an instant, he froze in the doorway at what he was seeing before him.  A large knife plunging into her lower abdomen and the look of pain and fear on her face.  Then the face of the man that held the knife turned to look at Jarrod. 

 

“Oh my God!  Let her go!”  Jarrod screamed and moved across the room quickly to drag the man off of her.  He tackled him, throwing him to the ground and then the searing pain in his head as a large object hit him directly behind his ear.  “Ariel..”  He groaned out.  Another blow to his head and the room was spinning, his knees buckled and everything turned a hazy gray. Vaguely, he heard Ariel call for him again just as his world went dark.

 

Cold water was splashed onto his face.  He spit it out and groggily opened his eyes. 

 

“You!  Wake up!”  Someone yelled into his face.

 

He felt something gripped in his hand and released it, bringing his hand up to his forehead.  He had a terrible pounding in his head and his vision was fuzzy.  He felt two men wrap their arms around his and gruffly pulled him to his feet.

 

“Why’d ya do it?”  One of them yelled at him.

 

“What?”  He asked, “Do what?”  He struggled to focus and when he finally regained his clear vision, he saw Ariel lying on the bed.  “Ariel?”  He whispered.  He then saw the blood on her dress and the bed, then her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.  “Ariel!  Oh my God, no!”  He pulled away from the men holding him and got on the bed next to her.  “Ariel, please.  No, oh god who did this to you?”  His arms went around her and he cradled her to himself.  It was then that he saw his own hands, stained with blood.  He looked down at himself and saw his white shirt, almost completely red with blood.

 

“Why’d you do it Mr. Barkley?”  The policeman asked as he pulled Jarrod up and away from his wife.  “Why’d you kill her?”

 

“No, I didn’t.  Ariel.  No I didn’t kill her!”  He looked down at the floor; the object that he had released from his hand was a large butcher knife.  Panic began to build and he struggled against the policemen, “No I didn’t kill her!  Ariel!”

 

Hyperventilating, Jarrod woke with a start.  His clothes and the sheets were soaked in sweat and he shook from the cold dampness.  “I saw him.  Oh dear God, I saw him.”  With only one arm to use, he struggled to sit up in the bed and then swung his legs over onto the cold floor.  “Guard!  Guard!”

 

 

 

Nick swung his long legs over the side of the bed and stood up with a tall stretch.  Most every muscle in his body seemed to ache and groan at his movements.  The stress of the last few weeks had been building up inside him and was beginning to manifest itself physically.  He dressed slowly, feeling like he had been out on the trail for weeks.  Once his boots were on, he threw open the door and trudged to Heath’s room.  “Heath!”  He called, pounding on the door.  “Hey sleeping beauty, get up, days a wasting!”  Opening the door, he stepped inside the room only to find that Heath wasn’t inside.  He jumped, when he felt a light touch on his shoulder.

 

“Nick darling, must you wake the entire hotel.”  His Mother softly chided. 

 

“Mother, don’t do that!  Good grief, you’re almost as bad as Heath!”  He bellowed.  “And by the way, you happen to know where he’s gone off to?” 

 

“No, but perhaps he needed a little time to himself.  Some thinking time.”

 

“Dammit!  We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today.  Now’s not the time for another one of his silent, gotta be myself things again!”

 

“Dear, we all have to deal with what’s been happening in our own ways.  Let Heath deal with it in his, please.”

 

He opened his mouth to say something but then the dark circles under his Mother’s eyes, silenced his angry retort.  His shoulders slumped in a sigh, “All right Mother, you’re probably right.  But he better be back here by the time we finish breakfast.”

 

“I’m sure he will, Nick.”

 

“So where is Audra?” 

 

“She’s already downstairs, I hope she’ll eat some breakfast this morning.  She hardly touched her food yesterday and she looks so tired.”

 

“You’re not one to talk Mother.  When’s the last time you got a good night’s sleep?”  Nick asked, his voice tinged with worry.

 

“Oh I don’t know dear.  I’ll be fine when Jarrod is out of prison and back home where he belongs.”

 

“Just the same, I think we should take you to the doctor and see if he can’t give you something to sleep.”  Nick put a finger over his Mother’s lips, “No arguments.  You won’t be any good to Jarrod when he comes home, if you’re sick from not taking care of yourself.”

 

Victoria wrapped her arms around her tall son and hugged him.  “How can I argue with that?  Do you know how proud I am of you?  What a fine man you’ve become?” 

 

Nick looked down at her watery eyes and smiled,  “I do know that Mother.”  Nick returned her hug then said, “C’mon now, can’t keep Audra waiting!  ‘Sides, I’m starving!”

 

At breakfast, it was Nick this time that toyed with his food.  A gnawing feeling was building up in his gut and a turning stomach and an edginess that he couldn’t shake replaced the hunger he felt earlier.  Something was very wrong, he knew it, felt it in his soul. 

 

“You’ve hardly touched your food, Nick.  Thought you were starving.”

 

“I was Mother, guess I just lost my appetite.”

 

“You lose your appetite?”  Audra chimed in, “Mother, he must be sick!”  She joked.

 

“What is it?”  Victoria took note of the look on his face and the slumped over shoulders.

 

His fork was thrown down onto the plate and the napkin tossed aside.  “I dunno Mother, just feel like something’s wrong.”

 

Victoria looked up to see him enter the dining room and she soon had the same bad feeling as her son.  She watched him cross the room and approach their table, taking off his hat and fumbling with it in his hands.

 

“Good morning Chief.”  She said in a small voice.  Nick and Audra both looked up to see the Chief of Police standing near their table.

 

“Morning, Mrs. Barkley, Audra, Nick.”  The chief continued to play with his hat.  “Ma’am I’m sorry but your son’s been hurt pretty bad.”

 

“Oh no!  Did the prisoners get to him again?  He’s already taken an awful beating from them, how bad is..”

 

“No ma’am, not Jarrod.  Your other son, Heath.”

 

Nick stood up immediately and stared the chief in the face, “Heath?  What?  Where is he?”

 

“We found him just on the outskirts of town, he’s been stabbed.  Looks pretty bad, you best come with me to the doctors right away.”

 

 

 

He was getting sick and tired of this!  This guard pretending to not hear him or understand what he was saying.  So Jarrod decided on another tactic, pleading.  “Please, I have to see the Warden right away.  It’s very important, could you please take me to him?”

 

The guard was finally looking at him, “I’m sorry but rules is rules.  The warden ain’t seeing any of you inmates today.  He’s got other business.  Sides,” The guard broke into an inexplicable grin, “I got my orders, you going to solitary today.”

 

“Solitary?!”  Jarrod bellowed out sounding more like Nick than himself.  “No, that has to be a mistake.  I’m seeing the doctor today, that’s what the warden told my family yesterday.”

 

“Well, ‘fraid the doc ain’t coming today.  Nope, not till next week or week after maybe and the warden he can’t keep you here the whole time so you are going to solitary.”

 

Jarrod shook his head vehemently, he had to get to the warden and tell him whom Ariel’s killer was and he had to get there fast.  With Nick and Heath snooping around, the whole family could be in danger.  He thanked the heavens when he had awoken from the nightmare, that his memory was completely back and he knew who killed her.  But the one thing that was still beyond his comprehension was why he did it.  But Jarrod was going to find out, by God, he was going to find out why!  “You don’t understand, I know who killed her!”

 

“Who killed who?”  The guard asked playing stupid, he was fully aware of why this fancy pants lawyer was in prison.

 

“My wife!”  He had to bite his tongue to refrain from name-calling.  “I know who killed my wife!  Please allow me to go see the warden right now.”

 

“Well then, how bout you tell me who killed her and I’ll be sure an pass it on to the warden right away.”

 

He heard the voice tinged with sarcasm and had no intention of sharing the information.  He wasn’t about to entrust the guard with the information and wasn’t even sure that he should trust the warden that much, but he had little choice in the matter.  “Just, dammit, I need to speak with him right away!  You have to let me!” 

 

“Look scum, you nothing but a wife and baby killer to me!  You ain’t seeing the warden and that’s that.  RULES IS RULES!”

 

Jarrod took a step back from the angered and red-faced guard,  “You’re right of course.”  Taking a deep breath and planning his next move, he added in “Forgive me, I was far too brash.  Could you just tell him that I need to see him when he’s available?  At his earliest convenience, of course.”

 

The guard’s stance relaxed considerably, “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?  I do believe I will tell him….”

 

With every bit of strength he had in his weakened condition, Jarrod rammed the left side of his body into the guard throwing him off balance and then a swift elbow upwards into the stout man’s abdomen.  He knocked the wind from the guard and dropped him to the floor.  With the guard gasping for air on the ground, Jarrod reached down and took his gun from its holster.  “Now!”  He said, “I want you to take me to the warden, now!”  When the guard failed to move right away, he cocked the hammer and pointed the gun in his face.  His hand was shaking slightly as he pointed it, not only was his physical state undermined from the beating that he had taken, he was also not as adept at handling a gun left handed as his two brothers.  But with his right arm completely incapacitated, he had little choice left and desperation took over.  “Move it!”  He yelled.

 

 

 

How much more am I supposed to take?  She looked to the heavens for answers but found no answers.  Clinging to her son, Nick for support, she walked inside the doctor’s office slowly.  Nick held on to her waist and hand with an iron grip, he had never seen his Mother look like this and it scared him half to death.  He could always count on her for her strength and her warmth, but today as he held her, she appeared much like a china doll.  So fragile and could be broken at any moment, he’d never realized until now just how small she was in stature.

 

The Chief held Audra’s hand while they walked into the office behind Mrs. Barkley and Nick.  He stroked it gently, trying to give her some comfort.  So lovely and so young, he thought to himself.

 

The doctor emerged into the waiting area, rolling down his sleeves with a glum expression etched into his face.  “Oh, yes you’re Nick.  I remember you from yesterday.”

 

“Doc,” Nick asked quietly, “How’s my brother?”

 

“Son, listen” The doctor spoke in a gentle voice to all of them.  He couldn’t help but notice that the boy’s Mother appeared to be in quite a state.  “I would like nothing better than to tell you everything’s going to be just fine.  But I just don’t know at this point.”  The doctor motioned for them to sit down and Victoria weakly allowed her son to help her into a chair.

 

“Look folks, I’ve got him all stitched up now.  But the fact of the matter is that he’s lost an awful lot of blood.  His kidneys got nicked but I think they’re going hold up.”

 

“Can I please see my son?”

 

“Sure Mrs. Barkley, but I have to warn you that his appearance might shock you.  He’s very pale from the loss of blood and well, ma’am there isn’t an easy way to say it, but somebody tried to strangle him too.  He’s got the same kind of mark around his neck, as Mrs. McKenna did, only not as deep of course.  Looks like your son put up one heck of a fight.”

 

He helped his Mother back up from her chair and put a comforting arm around her shoulders, leading her back into the room where Heath laid.  She tried not to appear shocked by his appearance, but a small cry escaped her lips as soon as she was close enough to see his face.

 

“Heath..Oh sweetheart, who did this to you?”  Victoria lightly fingered the red mark on his neck and stroked his blonde hair. 

 

“Hey Heath,” Nick whispered, “You get yourself better ya hear me!”  Nick leaned down closer to his brother, “Can’t do this without ya Heath.”

 

The Chief cleared his throat, “Umm, Doc, when you suppose he’s going to be able to talk and tell us what happened to him?”

 

“Right now, I’m just hoping he makes it through the night.”  The Doctor caught the faces of the blonde cowboy’s family and added, “Course when he does that, probably at least another day or two before he’s talking much.”

 

“Can we stay and just sit with him for awhile?”  Victoria looked up at the doctor with hope in her eyes. 

 

“Course you can.  Lemme get you ladies a couple of chairs and you can stay all afternoon, if you’d like.”

 

Nick kissed his Mother on the cheek, “I’ll be back later Mother.”

 

Victoria rose up and put her arms around him.  “Stay here Nick.  Please, I can’t have something happen to you, I just can’t!”    The tears fell down from her cheeks unchecked now.

 

His arms tightened around her and he kissed the top of her white head.  “Mother, listen to me.  Nothing’s going to happen to me.  I’ll be careful and I promise you I’m going to find out who did this.  You hear me?”  His thumb went underneath her chin and forced her to look him in the face.  “I’m going to be just fine and I’m going to find out who did this.”

 

“I hear you Nick.”

 

With a great deal of care and gentleness, Nick’s fingers wiped away the tears from his Mother’s eyes.  “I’ll be back soon.”

 

Stepping outside into the hot afternoon sun, Nick spoke in whispered tones to the chief of police.  He didn’t want his mother overhearing anything; she was far too fragile at the moment.  Nick crossed his arms and leaned back against a wooden pillar.  “So, where was Heath found?”

 

“About a mile from here, down on Waters Street.”  The chief’s expression clouded over, “You know that Dimitri fella you spoke about, he lives on Waters Street.”

 

“Sure does!  I think it’s high time that I paid that piano player a visit!”  Nick stepped towards Coco, but a firm arm on his shoulder gave him pause.

 

“Hold on there Nick, you’re not riding off to his place by yourself!”

 

“Dontcha worry about me, Chief.  I can handle myself just fine.”  He tried taking another step but found that an iron grip was still on his shoulder, refusing to let go.

 

“I’m not worried about you Nick, it’s your Mother I’m thinking of.  You go off half-cocked and you could wind up in prison or worse, dead.  Maybe none of my business but it sure doesn’t look like your Mother can take much more of this.”

 

The broad shoulders sagged as he heaved a heavy sigh and looked into the doctor’s office.  He knew the Chief was right, he did something foolhardy and he might be the one straw to break the camel’s back.  His Mother’s back, he’d never be able to forgive himself if that happened.  Nick pulled off his hat and smoothed back his dark hair.  “You may be right about that.”  He said sadly.

 

“Look Nick, I’ll go with you.  But before we do, let’s talk this out a bit.  We’re going to need plenty of proof if we’re gonna get your brother exonerated and put the real killer behind bars.”

 

Okay, doesn’t sound like a bad idea.  So, we got Heath stabbed and someone trying to strangle him with some kind of wire or a garrote.  I know he must’ve left the hotel before sunrise, ‘cause it was just after sunrise that I went to wake him up.”

 

“Then there’s Mrs. McKenna,” The chief continued, “Somebody obviously wanted us to think that she killed herself.  She was strangled with probably the same thing that was used on Heath and then hung in her hotel room.  And the love letters with the fancy handwriting, probably someone with a good education or good breeding.”

 

“I’ll agree with ya on that one.”  Nick nodded, “Can’t say I’ve ever seen a ranch hand or the like write that fancy.”  Nick paused for a moment, “Then there’s Ariel.  She was stabbed several times and fund dead on their bed, with Jarrod unconscious on the floor next to it.  And a bloody knife in his hand.  But there wasn’t any sign of someone breaking into the house.  No broken windows, no broken locks.  So the killer most likely knew her.”

 

“Agreed.”  Said the Chief.

 

“So, whoever it was, Ariel most likely let them into the house after the party…”

 

“And when she went back to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water, that’s when the attack started.”

 

“Yep,” Nick hated to think about it, he could picture the whole scene in his head, “Ariel was trapped and she tried to get away up the back stairs but the killer got to her.”  He rubbed his eyes and drew them wide, “That’s it I think.”

 

“Yeah that’s about it.”  The chief walked with Nick to where their horses were tethered. 

 

“Edmunds still being brought into town tonight?”  Nick asked.

 

“Yep, but I don’t think he’s our man Nick, I gotta tell you I’m leaning towards this piano fellow.”

 

“I don’t think Edmunds is it either, to tell ya the truth.  But, I do think maybe he can give us some information, something more to go on if we come up empty at Dimitri’s place.”

 

“Maybe so, Nick.  Listen, do me a favor, let me do the talking when we get there.”

 

Nick pointed his finger at the Chief.  “You can start the talking Chief, sure, but I might be the one to finish it!”

 

They arrived at the house together and dismounted, tying up their horse to a lamppost.  The rickety gate was opened and they walked to the front door.  Nick bowed to the Chief and waved him forward.  The chief’s fist pounded against the door and he called the piano player.  When there was no answer, Nick added his fist to the door pounding and the door opened slightly.  Both men pulled their guns out and the Chief slowly pushed the door open, calling out to Dimitri once again. 

 

They could hardly make out anything in the room, a thick, dark green curtain covered the large front window and Nick flung the curtains open to get a look around.  “That’s better,”  He muttered and he turned around to survey the room, gun still in hand.  But what he saw made his jaw drop open wide.  “What the hell is this place?!”  He said.

 

The chief shook his head, “I dunno Nick this sure doesn’t look like any home I’ve ever seen.”

 

“This isn’t a home.”  Nick’s jaw went back into place and set tightly, “This is a shrine.”

 

 

 

“And exactly why should I believe you Prisoner Barkley?”  The Warden stood up from his desk and walked around to where Jarrod stood still pointing a gun at the guard he had overtaken.  “Here you stand a convicted killer, with a gun to one of my guard’s head.  And you expect me to believe such an outlandish story?”

 

Jarrod released the hammer and lowered the gun, but did not drop it.  “I know it may seem hard to believe Warden, but it’s the truth, I remember it all very clearly.  He’s the one that killed Ariel!” 

 

“Well prisoner Barkley, I must say I’m quite surprised.”  The Warden gave a small nod and before Jarrod knew what was happening, two guards grabbed him from behind.  His left arm was pulled into the air and the gunshot rang out but the bullet lodged into the ceiling. 

 

One of the guards used his billy club and struck Jarrod’s right arm, right where the break had been set.  He cried out in pain and dropped to his knees.  “I’m telling the truth!”

 

“That’s the problem Prisoner Barkley, you are telling the truth and I’m afraid you’ve become a liability.  If you'd been wise, you would have never regained your memory of what happened.”

 

Jarrod looked up at him, it took a moment for what he had said to sink in.  The Warden knew who killed his wife and did nothing about it.

 

“Guards, I do believe that this prisoner needs a lesson in behavior.  Certainly not acceptable for him to disarm one of your fellow men and come in here demanding things.”  The warden rubbed his beard and looked down at Jarrod, “I would say twenty should suffice and then solitary.”

 

The two guards dragged Jarrod, on his knees, outside.  His shirt was ripped off and he flinched as his broken arm was jostled.  Dragged up three steps, they tied him securely to a large wooden post.  He knew what was coming before he even heard the first crack, and his muscles tightened involuntarily.  “Ariel,” He whispered upwards towards the heavens.  The first crack of the whip lashed across his lower back, ripping flesh open and searing the soft tissue underneath.  He refused to cry out from the pain as the whip continued to slash open the skin on his bare back.  “Seven…eight….” He counted them out, his features tightened in extreme pain.  “Eleven…twelve..”  He thanked God when he began to feel himself slipping away, his world turned to gray and then he slowly slipped into blackness.

 

 

 

In all his days, he had never seen anything like it before.  His head reeled at the sight of Dimitri’s home.  He had expected a piano and lots of sheet music in the main room that came as no surprise.  What had made his mouth drop nearly to the floor was the wall.  Floor to ceiling, ever square inch of it was Jarrod’s wife, Ariel.  Posters of performances, newspaper clippings, daguerreotypes, photographs and a life size painting of her that was far too eerie.

 

“He was obsessed with her!”  The chief exclaimed.

 

Nick continued to study everything on the walls, almost entranced.  “Obsessed, no this is sick!  Just plain sick!”  His head shook in disbelief.  He happened to glance down at the floor near the chief and his eye caught something.  “Chief, next to ya, on the floor.”  He pointed out the object to him.

 

“Huh?”

 

Taking a few steps forward, Nick reached down and picked a piano wire up off the floor.  He pulled the wire into a straight, taut line so that he and the Chief could get a better look at it.  It was but a moment before they noticed the dried blood, thinly caked onto the wire.

 

“You know Nick, I think I’ve got all of it now and enough to arrest Dimitri and get your brother outta prison.  This fella he was obsessed with Ariel, loved her even.  I’ll bet he still kept his hopes up that they would be together, even after she married Jarrod.”

 

“But then”  Nick added sadly, “He found out about the baby.”

 

“And he was incensed and killed her in a fit of rage.”  The chief took the piano wire and rolled it up in his hands.  “Listen to me, Nick.  I’m going back to the station and have a warrant issued for his arrest.  You best get back to the doctors and stay with your family.  I’ll bring you word as soon as we catch him.”

 

“Now, wait a minute!  I’m going with you to find him!”  Nick crossed his arms in front of him, ready for a fight.

 

“Nick, I know how much you wanna get this guy, believe me I do.  But think for a moment now, right now your Mother needs you and I’d wager that Heath would sure like it if you were there when he wakes up.

 

Thinking of how his Mother had asked him not to go anywhere and her fragile appearance, Nick nodded slowly in agreement.  His place, for the moment, was with his family.

 

 

 

As the sun cast it’s final light of the day across the prison grounds, the Warden received his expected dinner guest.  While Jarrod Barkley teetered between conscious and unconscious states, in a cold room with no light; the warden and his guest supped on a lavish meal in front of a roaring fire.

 

“You know” The Warden started, “Prisoner Barkley has regained his full memory.”

 

“Has he now?  Well then perhaps it’s time I stepped up my plans.  You’re still keeping him alive aren’t you?”

 

“Oh yes, but I’m afraid he has tasted leather on his back and he’s now resting uncomfortably in solitary confinement.”

 

“Very good.  I am grateful for you doing this favor for me.”

 

“It’s no problem, besides I owed you large anyways.  But I am curious, you never did tell me why you were doing this to him.”

 

“I suppose there’s no harm in telling you.  It’s quite simple really.  Revenge.  He destroyed my only family and now I’m destroying him.”

 

“I did not know that,” The warden was intensely curious, “How did he destroy your family?”

 

The man put down his wine glass and looked into the fire, “He started with my nephew, granted my nephew wasn’t quite right anyways.  But, he was quite harmless.  He made these horrible accusations against him and he eventually wound up shot to death because of him and his sister.  Jarrod brought so much shame onto my family that my brother and his wife had to move from the valley.  But the damage had already been done and a year later, my brother shot his wife then himself.  And all because of the slanderous things Mr. Barkley had said about his only son, my nephew.  He couldn’t leave well enough alone; he had to make sure he destroyed all of them.  I hold him completely responsible for all of their deaths.”

 

“My goodness, I am sorry.  What a horrible thing it must’ve been for you to go through.”  The Warden stood up and escorted the man to the door.  “Is there anything else I can do to help you.”

 

“Yes, as a matter of fact you can.  Tell Prisoner Barkley, that his brother Heath was attacked today and strangled, he’s dead.”

 

 

 

A heat burned on his skin, the likes of which he hadn’t felt in years, not since his encounter with the Basques five years earlier and that had been a walk in the park compared to what he had suffered earlier in the day.  His bareback was now an intricately woven pattern of welts and raw flesh.  Far away, he thought he heard a pounding and his surname being called out.  But he was still trapped in a world between life and death, his heart begged to be with his wife, his soul and mind cried out for justice.

 

He could just make her out, her dark hair, and her beautiful eyes.  How he longed to be with her again, to touch her and see her smile.  “Ariel” his gravelly voice whispered into the darkness.  He watched then, as her expression turned from happiness to pure terror.  Ariel’s dress was soaked in blood and he heard a baby’s cry.  Jarrod reached out to her, his feverish mind tried to touch her in the cell, but she disappeared.  Plain as day, she came into view again, lying on their bed.  Moving closer to her, he saw the blood again and it was growing, a large pool of it continued to grow and flood the room.  He was drowning, drowning in his wife’s blood and gasping for air.

 

“Barkley!  I’m talking to you!”

 

Jarrod cried out in agony as he was dragged up to a standing position by his broken arm.  The searing pain forced him fully back into consciousness and the painful reality of his situation came back into stark focus.  He shivered uncontrollably, the cold air stinging his sweat-soaked body.

 

“Wh…what do-o-o you w-ant?”  Jarrod stammered out to the guard.

 

“Got some news for you, Prisoner Barkley, it’s about your brothers.”

 

His heart reached out and grabbed hope firmly, “They f-ound, they g-o-t-t Ariel’s k-k-killer.”

 

“No ‘fraid not.  Seems that one of your brother’s has been killed.”  The guard told him matter-of-factly, without an ounce of care in his voice.  The guard abruptly released his hold on Jarrod and watched the lawyer tumble to the floor.

 

The intense blue eyes filled with pain and tears, looking up at the guard, he had to ask, “W-who, how..How?  N-n-ick…Hea-th”

 

“Don’t know which one, just one of thems is dead.  Strangled to death.  Thought you’d wanna know about it.”  He looked down at Jarrod, kneeling on the ground and hunched over.  The guard left the cell without another word.

 

Jarrod waited, waited till he heard the sounds of the guard’s boots getting farther and farther away.  Nick?  Heath?  One of them was gone dead, but who?  A small sob was allowed to come first then an avalanche of emotions overtook him.  Jarrod sobbed, his whole body shook with the pain of it all.  His wife, now one of his brothers was gone forever.

 

 

 

Nick returned to the doctor’s office and to his family.  His Mother immediately went to him and held him tightly, grateful to have her son returned to her safely.  But all Nick could do, was look down at Heath. Heath’s still and pale form showing no signs of movement. 

 

Audra took her eyes off of Heath and looked up at him, “Doctor says it’s a good sign that he’s lasted all day.  He’ll be back with us in no time.”

 

His large hands grasped his sister’s shoulders lightly and he brushed the top of her head with a light kiss.  “Of course he’ll be back with us soon Sis!  He’s been in worse scrapes then this, why Heath will be up and around in no time at all!”

 

“How did it go today, Nick?  Was it Dimitri?  Did you catch him?”  A hundred questions filled Victoria’s mind.

 

“I think it was Dimitri, Mother.  His house, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”  His eyes closed tightly trying to get the image out of his head, it was sick, just plain sick.  “Mother, I can’t even call it a house, it was a shrine.  A shrine to Jarrod’s wife.  The whole thing, walls from floor to ceiling were covered in things about her or drawings of her.”

 

Shaking her head in disbelief, she asked “But did you find him or any proof that he was the one.”

 

“Oh we got proof alright!”  Nick’s jaw tightened and his brow furrowed, “We got the wire that was probably used on Mrs. McKenna and Heath.  It’s got blood on it.  But, he wasn’t there.  The Chief’s out looking for him and getting a warrant for his arrest right now.  When I get my hands on him..”

 

“We’re going to let the law handle this Nick.”  Victoria said, “No one is going to do anything to jeopardize Jarrod’s release from prison.  I want who’s responsible for what’s been done to my family, to stand trial and hang for what they’ve done.”  Her voice raised in anger, “Do you hear me Nick, I want him to pay for this as much as you do, but not at the cost of your brother’s freedom.”  She took a deep breath unable to hold them back anymore, tears flowed from her eyes and Nick wrapped his arms around her.

 

“Excuse me?”  A young uniformed police officer interrupted them.  “I’m awful sorry to disturb you folks.  But any of you seen the chief lately?”

 

Victoria quickly wiped her eyes and pulled herself from her son’s arms. 

 

“Yeah, yeah..”  Nick said, “He was out at Dimitri Fedorov’s place earlier, he was gonna get a warrant for his arrest.”

 

“Oh”  The officer said, “I’ll see if I can’t find him then.”  The young officer started out the door, then stopped.  “But, umm, if you happen to see Chief Miles, could you tell him that Officer Witty was looking for him.”

 

“Of course,” Victoria said.

 

“Now listen Mother, I’m gonna walk you and Audra back over to the hotel and then I’m coming back here.”  His Mother opened her mouth to voice an objection, but Nick quickly added, “No arguments, you need your rest.  I’ll stay with Heath tonight.”

 

“Alright Nick, but you need your rest to.  Try and catch some shut eye while you’re here with Heath.”

 

“I will Mother, don’t you worry now.  Soon enough, we’re gonna have the real killer and Jarrod’s going to be free in no time flat and Heath will be up and around again.”

 

“From your mouth to God’s ears, Nick.”

 

"Everything will be back the way it was Mother, you'll see."

 

"All except Ariel, Jarrod's wife and baby will still be gone.  He's never really had a chance to mourn for them."

 

"He will Mother, when he's a free man, he'll mourn for them – we all will."

 

Nick returned to Heath’s side an hour later, after having safely escorted his Mother and Sister back to their hotel rooms.  He had made sure, before he left, that each had bolted their doors securely.  Entering the doctor’s office, he inquired if there were any changes, but Heath still remained unconscious.  The doctor told him it was the nearest thing to a miracle that he’d seen in years, Heath surviving such an attack.

 

He pulled up a chair next to Heath’s bed and tucked Heath’s exposed arm back underneath the blanket.  He brushed back his brother’s hair and felt his forehead.  Nick breathed a sigh of relief when Heath’s forehead yielded no signs of a fever.

 

He sat and watched Heath, continuing to hope and pray for some sign of his brother coming around.  His eyelids began to betray his vigilant watch over him, they bobbed and grew heavier by the minute.  Nick tried to fight off the sleep but was rapidly losing the battle.  He shifted his long legs, trying to make himself uncomfortable so he wouldn’t go to sleep, but that didn’t help.  The need for sleep finally won and Nick drifted off, next to brother.

 

His mind drifted backwards, back to the day he and Heath had gone to Jarrod’s house.  The whole scene replayed itself vividly in his dream.  Something wasn’t right; Nick shifted in his chair and groaned out a few incoherent words.  In his dream he talked the clues over again with the chief and then the discussion he had with Heath in Jarrod’s kitchen.

 

Nick woke up suddenly, panting and his heart pounding in his chest.  “Oh my God.”

 

His dream had shown him what his conscious mind had missed.  The shattered glass on the floor of the kitchen, in Jarrod’s home.  His boot had crunched on the shards when he had entered the kitchen.  He and Heath had talked about Jarrod’s teasing of how much water Ariel drank in a day and they had also discussed how the kitchen had not been mentioned in the police report.  As a matter of fact, no member of the police force had even entered the kitchen. 

 

His dream had then brought him to the discussion he had with the Chief before going to Dimitri’s house. 

 

“Look Nick, I’ll go with you.  But before we do, let’s talk this out a bit.  We’re going to need plenty of proof if we’re gonna get your brother exonerated and put the real killer behind bars.”

 

Okay, doesn’t sound like a bad idea.  So, we got Heath stabbed and someone trying to strangle him with some kind of wire or a garrote.  I know he must’ve left the hotel before sunrise, ‘cause it was just after sunrise that I went to wake him up.”

 

“Then there’s Mrs. McKenna,” The chief continued, “Somebody obviously wanted us to think that she killed herself.  She was strangled with probably the same thing that was used on Heath and then hung in her hotel room.  And the love letters with the fancy handwriting, probably someone with a good education or good breeding.”

 

“I’ll agree with ya on that one.”  Nick nodded, “Can’t say I’ve ever seen a ranch hand or the like write that fancy.”  Nick paused for a moment, “Then there’s Ariel.  She was stabbed several times and fund dead on their bed, with Jarrod unconscious on the floor next to it.  And a bloody knife in his hand.  But there wasn’t any sign of someone breaking into the house.  No broken windows, no broken locks.  So the killer most likely knew her.”

 

“Agreed.”  Said the Chief.

 

“So, whoever it was, Ariel most likely let them into the house after the party…”

 

“And when she went back to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water, that’s when the attack started.”

 

“Oh my God.”  Nick had whispered.  He straightened himself up in the wooden chair.  Only three people knew about the glass of water, Heath, himself and the killer.  But why would the Chief do that?  What could possibly be his motive…Miles…oh no…Miles…Wally, Evan..  “That son of a bit..”

 

“N.i..ck..”  A small weak voice spoke out.

 

Nick’s head turned and he looked down into reddened blue eyes, “Heath!”  He grasped his brother’s hand and sent a silent thank you to the heavens.  “Welcome back little brother.”

 

Heath struggled hard to bring his vision and his thoughts back into focus.  “Th..thirsty.”

 

“I’ll get you some water Heath.”  Nick began to stand but Heath’s hand grabbed at his arm.

 

“Wait.  It..it was the chief..Nick..Chief did this.”

 

“I know Heath.  Just give me a second, I’ll get you some water then you let me do the talking. ‘Kay?”

 

“You ..you usually do.”

 

Nick beamed; his brother was going to be all right.

 

Nick returned in a moment with a small cup of water for his brother and the doctor trailing behind him.  After carefully lifting Heath’s head and giving him small sips, he allowed the doctor to take over.

 

The doctor examined Heath thoroughly but still aired on the side of caution when he talked to Nick.  He advised him that Heath should stay bed ridden for at least another three or four weeks at minimum, there was quite a bit of recovering yet to be done.

 

“Nick, the chief, he killed Dimitri, walked in on him killing him.”

 

“Listen Heath, the chief knew about the water glass!  The police never even went into the kitchen, remember?” 

 

Heath nodded weakly at him.  “I was up all night..couldn't figure out what was botherin' me then I remembered when I started writing things down.  'Member Mr. Collins talking about all the comings and goings at the house, frequent visitors and he mentioned the chief being at the house a lot.  Then when I asked the chief about Jarrod and Ariel, he said he didn't know they were married.  But, why?  Why he want to kill her?”

 

“His last name is Miles, Heath.  Miles, you remember the name?”

 

His blue eyes became less cloudy and grew wide, “Evan.  He said something about paying back the Barkleys, all of us.  Revenge, he wants revenge.”

 

“Exactly, that’s the same thing I was thinking.”  Nick gritted his teeth, “I think for the last few days the Chief has been leading us around by the nose and we’ve been falling for it the whole time.”

 

Heath strained hard to lift his head off the pillow, “Nick, if you’re right, Mother, Audra, he’ll go after them.”

 

He remembered everything the family had gone through with Evan Miles.  Heath being shot, Evan’s attraction to Audra and how he had tried to strangle her and Mother had shot him. 

 

“Nick, you have to go to Mother and Audra.  I’ll be alright.”

 

“He probably thinks your still at death’s door, but what if he comes back here Heath.”  Nick was torn, if he left Heath, he was exposing him to danger.  But Mother and Audra could be in trouble as well.  He couldn’t trust the police department, not when their chief was a cold-blooded killer, bent on revenge.

 

He could see the torment in his brother’s eyes, the worry etched in his furrowed brow.  “Nick, I’m alright.  Just lock the doors.  You’ve got to get to Mother and Audra, don’t let anything happen to them.”

 

He patted his brother’s arm and stood up, “Alright Heath.  I’m going to get them and bring them right back here, then we can figure out what our next move is going to be.”

 

Nick and the doctor locked the doors securely.  He told the doctor not to allow anyone in, including the police; he only hoped that the man would listen to him.  Nick ran to his horse and mounted him in one fluid motion; they took off down the street in a full gallop towards the hotel.  He dismounted and continued his fast pace through the front lobby, but the desk clerk called out to him.

 

“Mr. Barkley!”

 

“Yes, what is it, I’m in a hurry!”  Nick bellowed.

 

“I was just going to say that I’m glad you’re okay.  Heard someone tried to kill you.”

 

“What?  Oh no, that was Heath, but he’s going to be just fine.”

 

“I knew about Heath, but the Chief said someone had shot you.”  The clerk exclaimed.

 

Nick whirled around and stepped to the front desk.  “The chief said that, when?”

 

“Just about an hour ago.  He came and got your Mother and Sister, said you were hurt real bad.  Can’t imagine him being wrong…”

 

Nick’s fist slammed into the front desk, “NO!”

 

 

 

“Just tell me, why are you doing this?!”  Victoria cried out as her knees hit the attic floor.  Victoria’s hands were bound tightly behind her and a large bruise was just beginning to take shape on her cheekbone.    Her daughter was roughly shoved and she came tumbling to the floor, next to her.  “Audra.”

 

The Chief knelt down in front of his two prone female captives, “Haven’t you figured it out yet, Mrs. Barkley?  That’s funny I had you figured as being a smart woman, guess I overestimated you and the rest of your family, for that matter.”  He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet, Victoria bit down on her lip hard refusing to give the chief the satisfaction of hearing her scream.  He dragged her halfway across the attic and secured her to an overhead beam, the blood drained quickly from her arms and it was only a few moments before they went numb.  ‘Well now,”  He said with a grin, “You should have an excellent view from here.”

 

“An excellent view?  Of what?”  She demanded to know, but her heart leapt to her throat when she saw the Chief walk back towards her daughter.

 

“An excellent view of what I’m going to do to your little girl, Victoria.”  The Chief couldn’t help but smile broadly at the look of terror on the women’s faces.  Audra, tried to inch quietly away from him but he grabbed her roughly and leaned over her.  “You know Miss Audra, I’ve always wondered about you.  Are you really good enough that my nephew was willing to die to have ya.”

 

Audra and Victoria heard steps up the attic staircase and their hopes momentarily rose.  They quickly fell again when the Chief’s invited guest appeared. 

 

“Why ladies, I do believe you’ve met the Warden haven’t you?  He’s an old and dear friend of mine.  And quite a large help with that eldest son of yours.”

 

“Evening Miles.  Starting the party without me?”  He asked.

 

“Wouldn’t dream of it!”  The chief returned the Warden’s smile.  “You can help me with this young one first, she’s quite feisty.  When I’m done, you’re more than welcome to have a turn at her, just make sure she’s dead when you’re finished.”

 

“Nooo!  Mother!”  Audra cried out hysterically, she thrashed against the Chief and the Warden as they struggled to pin her down.  The Warden finally got a good hold on her and put his knees down on top of her shoulders. 

 

“No, leave her alone!  Audra!”  Victoria struggled against the ropes but they had no give and cut into her wrists, sending trickles of blood down her arms.  Tears rolled down her face, she wanted to close her eyes and not see what was happening.  But she couldn’t, she watched her daughter’s frightened expression go blank and far off.  Her little girl’s blouse was ripped off and the sound of the buttons flying seemed to echo through the small attic.  “Please, oh dear God please don’t do this to her!  Take me, don’t hurt her, please take me!”  She screamed out frantically to deaf ears. 

 

Audra’s camisole was ripped off and she was completely exposed to the groping of the chief and warden.  But she was no longer there, no longer fighting off what they were doing to her.

 

“You certainly are a fine looking thing.”  The chief sneered, “But lets find out if you’re just the whore that my brother Wally said you were!”  They fumbled with her skirts, without any fight from her and dragged them up to her waistline; the Chief then started making short work of her undergarments with a small, sharp blade.

 

“GET YOUR STINKING HANDS OFF OF HER!”

 

The Chief and Warden turned to find themselves both staring down gun barrels.  Nick Barkley grabbed the Chief by the scruff of his neck and pulled him off of Audra.  “You miserable piece of dirt.”  Nick’s gloved hand struck the chief across the face and sent him to the ground.

 

The Warden started to get up but felt the cold metal of a rifle against his cheek.  “Don’t even think about going anywhere!”  Officer Witty told him.  The young policeman stared at the scene before him as Nick knelt down beside Audra.  “I just came here to prove Mr. Barkley was wrong about you Chief.  I couldn’t believe the story he told me outside his hotel, I thought he’d gone crazy.”

 

“Well boy, sure sorry it has to be this way.”  The Chief looked up at him and in one motion threw the blade he had cupped in his hand and planted it in the middle of Officer Witty’s throat, severing the major vein and his blood spewed out like a garden fountain.  The young officer dropped to his knees making gurgling sounds that turned Nick’s stomach. 

 

The Warden took rapid advantage of Nick’s attentions being turned and struck the gun from his hand with a large piece of wood.  Nick felt the bones crack in his hand, but the pain was pushed aside and he charged the warden, knocking the man to the ground.  The Chief grabbed him from behind and delivered a fierce blow to the back of Nick’s neck.

 

“Audra!”  Victoria yelled out, the gun had fallen right next to Audra but she made no move towards it.  “Audra, please!  They’re gonna kill Nick, grab it!  Audra!!”

 

The words broke through the fog and found their destination, Audra shook her head briefly and her eyes came back into focus.  Looking down, she found the gun and picked it up in her trembling hands.  Nick shoved the Chief sending him backwards and Audra pulled the trigger.

 

The bullet met its mark, tearing underneath his arm, into his chest and cutting a straight line through its targets heart.  Chief Edgar Miles dropped to his knees and stared in horror at Audra with the gun still in her hands.  Audra let loose with another shot into the Chief’s abdomen.  “Whore!”  He grumbled out and dropped face forward onto the floor, dead.

 

Nick grabbed the warden by the shirt and threw him to the ground; he climbed over him and pummeled his face until it was a bloody unrecognizable mess.  Barely conscious, the Warden stared up at him.  “You still lose Barkley!  Look at your sister, your Mother and your brother Jarrod.  He’s got one foot in the grave now and he’ll be completely in it by the time you get to him.  You lose!”

 

“You don’t know us Barkleys Warden!”  Nick delivered one last blow to the man’s face, knocking him unconscious.

 

Nick stood up and wiped his bloodied hands on his pants.  He cut the ropes off his Mother’s hands and put his jacket around Audra to cover her.  He lifted his Sister easily into his arms and carried her down the steps, his Mother leaning heavily against him.

 

 

 

Several hours later, Nick and his Mother sat on their horses in front of the prison gates.   A Circuit court judge beside them with a formal writ in hand, exonerating Jarrod Barkley of all crimes.

 

The door to Jarrod’s cell was opened and they went inside, they both stopped inside the door, horrified at what they saw.  Jarrod was unconscious on the floor, stripped of all clothing.  The wounds on his back were open and festering with infection.  Victoria knelt down and felt his face, burning up with fever.  The open break on his arm had once again broken through the skin and stared up angrily from his forearm.  The judge ordered the guards to take Jarrod and bring him to the infirmary and for one of the guards to fetch the doctor immediately.

 

Nick and Victoria stayed by Jarrod’s bedside; they waited anxiously as the doctor examined him.  But the doctor could offer little hope and told them it was in God’s hands now.  Day passed into night and they kept their vigil by Jarrod’s bedside.  They lifted prayers that he would wake up soon and offered promises to the heavens if they were granted that one wish.

 

Victoria, weak and tired from all that had happened, eventually dozed off into a fitful sleep. 

 

But Nick remained steadfast and held onto Jarrod’s hand tightly.  “C’mon Pappy, wake up please.  You gotta wake up so you can get outta here.  You’re free Jarrod, we got the killer, you’re free!”

 

Her sweet voice called to him from the darkness, beckoning him to her.  She came into view, more beautiful then ever and Jarrod found himself reaching towards her, longing to be by her side again.  Ariel, my beautiful Nightingale.  “Ariel” His gravelly voice said in a whisper.

 

“Jarrod.”  Nick whispered to him, hopefully.  “Jarrod, it’s Nick.”

 

“N..ick, you alive?   Heath?”  He struggled to focus in on his younger brother, if Nick was there that meant..

 

“I’m alive, so’s Heath.  And you’re a free man!  We got the killer Jarrod.”

 

“F.r..ee?  Ed..gar, I remembered.”

 

“Yes, free and you're right it was Edgar Miles, it was all about his twisted revenge.  As soon as you’re better we’re going home.”  He whispered.

 

“Home, Ariel.”  Jarrod could feel it creeping across his body slowly, it was coming and there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

 

He saw something in Jarrod’s eyes that he had never seen there before.  He stared intently into his brother’s blue eyes, trying to understand what he was seeing.  His own eyes grew wide as he came to recognize the eyes that were fading, growing darker.  “No Jarrod, you stay with me!”

 

Victoria stirred in her chair, groggily mumbling and slowly opening her eyes.  "What is it Nick?"  Rising slowly, she went to Jarrod's bedside and she too saw her son's beautiful eyes fading.  "Oh no you don't Jarrod.  You're not leaving us!"

 

His eyes were so heavy, all he wanted to do was to close them forever and be with his wife.

 

Victoria took a firm hold of her son's shoulders.  "Not after the fight we had to go through to get you free, oh no!  Jarrod Thomas Barkley, you open those eyes and you open them right now!"

 

Nick interjected, "Mother, maybe we should…"

 

"No, not this time.  I'm not going to go easy on you Jarrod.  You fight!  You fight your way back to us!  You still have a family that loves you very much!  You're a Barkley, you don't give up, you fight!"

 

She seemed so far away and yet he felt like he was getting closer to her voice, him mother was talking to him and he drew closer to the sound.  Ariel was getting harder to see, fading from his sight.  Which way to go?  After several silent moments, Jarrod opened his eyes and looked into the tear stained face of his mother and brother.  "M..o..th..er."

 

"That's it Jarrod, come back to us darling."  The angered voice turned to the sweet cooing sounds of a loving, worried mother.

 

"C'mon Jarrod!"  Nick urged, in an unusually quiet voice.  "I need you Pappy."

 

 Yes stay, he thought to himself.  Someday Ariel, someday.  Jarrod reached a weak hand up and his brother took it firmly in his calloused hand.  "Free."  Jarrod whispered.

 

 

 

EPILOGUE

 

Two months after Nick had carried Jarrod beyond the walls of the state prison, the family gathered together in the surrey to say goodbye.

 

Jarrod's arm was free now of the sling he had worn for six weeks, but still he had a long way to go to recover the full use of his arm.  As soon as he had been well enough to make the decision, the house he had shared with Ariel had been sold.  Nick and the ranch foreman had seen to removing all of his belongings and now most of the furniture and mementos were stored in cases in the barn.  Jarrod had never entered the house again, only occasionally he found himself walking by it and hearing the laughter of children coming from inside.  He immersed himself completely in his work and never spoke of Ariel.

 

Heath had fully recovered from his injuries and two weeks earlier had returned to full duties on the ranch.  He was very glad to still be alive and to have his brother back home safe and sound.  While to some, Heath appeared to become more introverted, his family knew that he was recovering from all that happened in his own way and would soon return to his normal self.

 

Under the guise of going for a picnic, Victoria assembled everyone together and it was only Nick who was privy to what she had planned.  Jarrod had tried to get out of going on the picnic, but his mother had been adamant and refused to take no for an answer.  Reluctantly, he had finally given in and Victoria said a silent thank you to the heavens.  Once everyone was on board, Nick took the reins and they headed down the road.

 

Heath had recognized where they were going first and remained silent.  When Audra started to burst out with the information he quietly put a finger to his lips and took his sister's hand.

 

Jarrod straightened up in his seat as the surrey slowed down.  "Wait.  Where are we going?"  The surrey slowed to a stop in front of a white wrought iron fence gate.  "Why are we here?"

 

"I think it's time you talked to her, don't you?"  His mother replied softly.

 

"I'm…I'm not ready for this."  His voice caught in his throat, along with his heart that pounded madly in his chest.

 

"It is time, Jarrod."  Heath told him gently.  "Believe me, I know how hard this is for you.  It's never easy saying goodbye."  He got down with the rest of his family and waited for Jarrod to join them.  "I'll stand with ya, if ya want me to."

 

"We all will."  His mother added.

 

Jarrod stared into the small cemetery plot.  His father was buried there and now, his wife and the baby he never knew.  "No, not yet."  Jarrod removed his hat and took small steps to the gate.  "I..um..just give me a few minutes please." Opening the gate slowly, he stepped inside and took in a deep long breath.  It was several minutes before he moved again and walked to headstone next to his father's.

 

ARIEL MCKENNA BARKLEY

 

"It just has her name."  He turned back and looked at his family, gathered together just outside the gate.

 

"I know Jarrod, we thought we would leave the rest of it to you.  Whatever you want it to say, we'll add it on." 

 

He turned back and stared at the cold marble then the ground in front of it.  Fresh flowers were planted around the sides and back of the stone; Jarrod knelt down and picked a daisy.  "She loved daisies you know.  You'd think that with all the roses she got at her concerts, that they would be her favorite.  But it was always daisies she loved the most."

 

She threw herself back on the ground and spread her arms open wide.  "I love it here Jarrod!  How can you ever leave this ranch and go to San Francisco?  It's so beautiful here.  Let's build a house here when I retire."

 

"I like your thinking.  This is a special place and you're right sometimes it is difficult for me to leave."  Jarrod lay down on his side and stroked her hair lightly with his fingertips.  "You know Mrs. Barkley, your retirement can't come soon enough."

 

"It's only one more year Jarrod and then I'll be all yours.  You may yet regret my retirement darling, maybe you'll find that I'll make you mad!"

 

Jarrod draped his arm across her stomach, "What?  Never!"  He replied.  "You are everything to me, my wife, my love and my very soul.  Everything I ever wanted and so much more."

 

"Jarrod, I love you so."

 

He turned to his mother, "Make it say, my wife, my love, my soul."

 

"That's beautiful Jarrod and just perfect."

 

He stared down at her name and began to trace it with his fingertips.

 

"It seems that there are many firsts with you Mr. Barkley."

 

"We have a lifetime of firsts to make."

 

"Jarrod?  Will we always desire each other as much as we do now?"

 

"Always my love, I will desire you until the day I die."

 

The well of sadness and tears were finally freed and he grasped her headstone hard as he sobbed.  "Oh God, Ariel, I'm so..so..sorry!  I promised you a lifetime, I needed so much more time with you.  I miss you, I miss the baby."

 

Nick started to go to him, but Victoria put her hand up, holding him back.

 

When the tears finally subsided, Jarrod breathed shakily and stood up.  "I'll be back often Ariel, I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner.  Goodbye my love."

 

 

 

THE END