Two Cowboys To Protect Her by Lacey Davis
Chapter 16
They had ridden in ever widening circles around the town of Blessing and found nothing. Wherever the Red Jack Gang were hiding, it was a good location.
“What now?” Will asked as they rode back into Blessing.
“Let’s go see Granny Bailey,” Harley said, remembering Rena’s advice. What could it hurt to ask the older woman about the map? If it had a history, maybe she would know.
“Why?” Seth asked. “She’s almost ninety.”
“And she knows the history of the town,” Harley said. Yes, he was ready to go back to the Parker ranch and pick up Rena, but first he wanted to ask this older woman some questions. Maybe she could tell them something that would be the clue they needed.
“The woman is a tough one. She’s been married twice and the last husband was ten years younger than her. She’s outlived them all,” Will said. “Maybe she would know something.”
They rode up to her house where she lived with her son who ran the mercantile. They climbed off their horses and hurried up the steps.
When they knocked, a servant answered. “We’d like to talk with Granny Bailey,” Harley said.
“Just a moment,” the woman replied. “Let me see if she’s up to seeing visitors.”
A few minutes later, the woman hurried back to the door. “Come into the parlor. She’ll join you in a moment.”
As they walked into the small room, Harley couldn’t help but notice the tintype photos of two men. He peered at one.
The woman walked into the room as silent as a woman with a cane could.
“Husband number one. Bill Bailey. A rotten man who gave me my two sons and the other one is George Jones, a good man who left me way too early.”
Harley frowned. Something wasn’t right. “Why are you called Granny Bailey and not Granny Jones.”
A grin spread across her face. “Because everyone in town knows of my son’s store and they all called me Granny Bailey. What can I do for you, gentlemen?”
Using a cane, she hobbled to a chair and sat. “These old bones don’t let me stand too long.”
Harley couldn’t imagine being almost ninety and wasn’t certain he wanted to find out. “There is a man killing people in town who he believes has a treasure map. Since you’ve lived here for a long time, we wondered if you knew anything about the families who had the map.”
The woman cackled. “That map has caused problems for over sixty years. It always brings out the greediest of men. Yes, I can tell you about the map since my father originally owned it.”
Harley stared at the woman. Rena had been right.
“My father stole the silver from Jean Lafitte and hid it somewhere on the Guadalupe River. He drew a map that showed the exact location, but then knowing that Mr. Lafitte would come after him, he hid the map. Only Jean Lafitte didn’t come after the silver; he sent henchmen to kill my father. Eventually they were successful. Papa died in a gun battle, but they never came after the silver.
"Two years later, a man by the name of Frank Griffin stole the map from my brother’s son. What Frank didn’t know is that we had searched all along where the silver is supposed to be and it’s gone. We looked the entire area over and found nothing. It’s either buried very well or the landmarks have changed or someone found it.”
“Frank’s wife said he hasn’t been home in a week. She fears something has happened,” Seth replied.
Could Frank be the man that Rena saw killed? He had to be an older gentleman.
“What about Leon Roberts? How does he play into this?”
The older woman gave a chuckle. “Leon wanted to be rich. So when Frank got into a financial bind, he purchased the map from Frank. Damn fool knew there was no silver on Guadalupe River.”
“I think Frank and Leon are both dead,” Seth said. “We haven’t found Frank’s body, but I know Leon is dead. He was murdered."
“Do you know a man named Jack Bell?”
The woman rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes, he’s from the wrong side of the family. He’s my great-nephew. He’s part of the Red Jack Gang.”
“Yes,” Harley said. “Have you seen him?”
“I’d shoot him if I did,” she said. “That boy is nothing but trouble. He grew up on tales of our family stealing that silver from Jean Lafitte and had big dreams of finding it and becoming rich.”
Harley knew they had hit a gold mine of information.
“Would he kill to find his dream?”
A cackle came from between the woman’s dry lips. “Oh yes. He’d kill you just to empty your pockets.”
Clayton stepped forward, leaned down, and stared at the older woman. “Who do you think has the map now? It wasn’t found in Leon’s house. We don’t think the killers have it. Where can we locate the map?”
“That, sonny, is the biggest question of all. Who has the map?” A grin spread across her face. “Leon did not have it.”
Harley knew. “You have the map.”
She smiled. “It’s a family heirloom. The silver that my father buried and no one can find even with the map is not there. The map is useless. The treasure cannot be found.”
And he’d bet that she knew what happened to the silver. No, she had the map. She just refused to tell the law officers that it was safely hidden somewhere in her home.
“Do you know what happened to the silver?”
“No, I do not,” she said with a smile that Harley did not believe.
The servant walked in.
“Mrs. Jones, it’s time for your supper,” she said.
The woman smiled at the gentlemen. “Is there anything else I can help you with? If not, it’s time for me to eat, and at my age, you never know when a meal is going to be your last.”
The men watched as she rose from the chair and walked them to the door. When they reached it, she waited. “Gentlemen, I hope you find the men you’re searching for. Kill that bastard Jack. He’s been worthless all his life and has brought nothing but disgrace on this family.”
With that, she turned and walked to the kitchen while they filed out of the house. Harley wanted to ask Rena some questions about the man she saw. He must have been an older gentleman to have stolen the map from the son of Granny Bailey’s brother.
