Read Whispers on the Wind for Free Online Page B

a line. Guess we got lucky today,” Forester said
when they walked right up to the counter. “Jake. We need you to
pull Big Jim’s deed and see who he left it to.”
    Jake nodded and went over
to a wooden file cabinet where he started rummaging through his
files. “Here it is.” He pulled out the deed, walked back over to
the counter, and unfolded the document “Let me see.” He scanned
down the paper. “It says if something happens to Big Jim that his
part of the mine goes to Mary Costner, but that must have been a
mistake. It should have said Mark Costner, his partner.”
    “So he didn’t leave
anything to his family?” McCoy asked.
    “Only in the event that
his partner dies. Mark’s half of the deed says the same
thing.”
    Forester turned to McCoy.
“Guess you’re out of luck. What are you going to do
now?”
    “Don’t know, Marshal.
Reckon I’ll have to hope they find the boy so everything can be
settled,” McCoy said as he walked out of the office with Forester.
“I’ll be seeing you. Not much use of me staying around here. Need
to earn a living with my snake oil.”
    “Before you leave town I
guess I need to ask you a few questions.”
    McCoy looked surprised.
“Such as?”
    “You said you had dinner
with Big Jim. And you were the first person to find Jim?” Forester
watched as McCoy nodded. “So where were you in between those
times?”
    “Are you accusing me,
Marshal?”
    “It depends on your
answer.” Forester gave the man a slow smile. “Everybody here is a
suspect. And seeing as you could possibly gain a gold mine, some
would think that you look as guilty as the boy.”
    “Can’t help it if I’m
kin,” McCoy blustered, his face turning red. “You see, Marshal, I
have an alibi.” Forester leaned against the post and crossed his
arms. “I’m listening.”
    “I spent the night with
the lovely Kate. She’ll be glad to vouch for me.”
    Forester chuckled. “Didn’t
take you long to meet the town whore.”
    McCoy smiled. “Man’s got
urges.”
    “Have to agree with you
there. I’ll check out your story, and if it holds water then you
can go. But you probably should leave some way I can contact you in
case something comes up.”
    “How ’bout I swing back
through in a month?” “Fine,” Forester said, and headed back toward
his office, thinking that the man sure was quick to point out that
he stood to inherit the mine. But if he had an alibi there wasn’t
any way he could hold him.
    As McCoy watched the
marshal walk off, he turned, his face burning with anger. There was
always something in his way. Just when he thought he had the
perfect plan, something went haywire. He could feel the wealth at
his fingertips. And he still couldn’t get his hands on that gold.
Such easy money for the picking—no more working his ass off for
tips. Good thing he had an alibi—didn’t need the marshal getting
suspicious.
    The only thing standing in
his way was that Costner woman. It was up to him to end the
problem, one way or the other. He needed to find the girl before
the marshal did and figure out who she was.
     
     
    By the time they stopped in
Windy Bend night had fallen.
    Mary had been dozing off
and on as she snuggled into the fur to keep warm. She actually felt
as though she’d been riding with a big bear, but since she was warm
and his back soft she wasn’t going to complain. Her headache had
finally eased off into a dull thud, but the rest of her body was
sore and cramped from the long ride.
    “We’re here,” Carter
said.
    She straightened, her
aching body protesting as she did, when they stopped in front of a
gate. She glanced around Carter and saw two men standing with
shotguns across their arms. With belligerent scowls, they blocked
the way.
    “That’s far enough,
mister. State your business and be quick about it,” one of the two
burly guards shouted.
    “Has it been that long,
Stanley?” Carter asked.
    “Well, I’ll be a
clabber-headed idiot,” Stanley