Chapter 10 - The Numbers Virgil Never Expected Her to Find
The celebration lasted exactly eleven minutes.
That was how long it took Mr. Belling to explain the remaining problem.
"The original loan survives."
Josiah nodded.
"How much?"
Belling calculated.
"With legitimate interest, roughly five hundred eighty dollars."
Clementine frowned.
"Not eight."
"No."
"When due?"
"Original schedule."
"Next payment?"
"End of month."
Josiah exhaled.
Three weeks.
It felt luxurious.
Then Belling added, "Assuming the court does not appoint another lender administrator while Tatum's accounts are reviewed."
Clementine stared.
"Meaning?"
"Things may become complicated."
"Complicated costs money."
Belling smiled.
"Now you're thinking like an attorney."
"No. Like someone who has paid attorneys."
The family returned home.
For the first time in days, they ate slowly.
No urgent deliveries.
No courthouse.
No smoke.
No riders.
Pearl fell asleep before dessert.
The twins argued over the larger slice of pie.
Wyatt interrupted.
"Cut them equal."
Everyone stared.
"What?" he asked.
Sadi grinned.
"Nothing."
Wyatt realized.
"Stop looking at me."
Clementine smiled.
Healing announced itself in strange ways.
Later, after the children slept, Josiah joined Clementine on the porch.
Moonlight covered the yard.
"You never answered me."
"About?"
"Chicago."
"I told you."
"Part."
She knew what he meant.
Why had she truly left?
Why had a capable woman crossed the country to marry a stranger with seven impossible children?
Clementine folded her hands.
"When my business closed, I had choices."
"Such as?"
"Work as a cook. Start another boarding house. Move with my brothers."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because I was thirty-two."
Josiah waited.
She laughed softly.
"That sounded foolish."
"No."
"I spent my entire life being useful."
The words came slowly.
"Useful to my mother. Useful to my brothers. Useful to customers. Useful to workers. Everyone admired how much I could carry."
She looked toward the dark barn.
"No one ever asked whether I wanted somewhere to belong."
Josiah's throat tightened.
"And you thought here?"
"I thought perhaps."
He looked down.
"We haven't exactly made that easy."
"No."
"Children especially."
"No."
"Me too."
"Yes."
He laughed.
"You're merciless."
"You married me."
"Technically we married because a pastor at the station said paperwork had to be done before respectable people started talking."
"People talked anyway."
"They would've talked if you floated here in a cloud."
Silence.
Then Josiah said, "Do you regret it?"
Clementine answered truthfully.
"Not today."
It was enough.
Over the next week, the Broken Spur changed faster than it had in years.
The railroad contract began.
Temporary bunk tents appeared near the south field.
Forty workers needed breakfast and supper.
Clementine organized operations.
Sadi became responsible for bread.
Mave and Pearl handled vegetables.
The twins hauled wood and water.
Josiah hired a neighboring widow, Mrs. Alvarez, to help with washing.
Wyatt assisted ranch work.
Income became steady.
Then Clementine reviewed every expense.
She discovered feed waste.
Repriced eggs.
Negotiated flour in bulk.
Convinced the railroad to transport supplies at reduced cost because they were already delivering equipment.
Josiah watched in amazement.
"You enjoy this."
"What?"
"Numbers."
"I enjoy numbers behaving."
He pointed at the children.
"Try them next."
She smiled.
But Clementine was not finished with Virgil.
Nathan's ledger bothered her.
Five borrowers.
Five altered loans.
Why those properties?
She drew locations on paper.
Mr. Belling supplied county maps.
The parcels formed a rough line west of Cheyenne.
Including Broken Spur.
Josiah looked.
"Railroad."
Clementine nodded.
"Maybe."
The rail foreman confirmed rumors.
A future spur line.
Nothing official.
But survey crews had been through.
Properties along that route could become valuable.
Now Virgil's motive became clear.
He had not preyed randomly.
He had collected land.
Clementine took everything to Samuel Briggs at the newspaper.
He stared at the map.
"This is a story."
"It is evidence."
"Same thing when you're lucky."
"Be careful."
Briggs looked offended.
"I am always careful."
The next morning his headline occupied half the front page.
FORECLOSURES FOLLOW PROPOSED RAIL ROUTE
Clementine closed her eyes.
"What?"
Josiah asked.
"He was not careful."
The story spread beyond Cheyenne.
Denver papers requested details.
Railroad executives became interested.
A territorial investigator arrived.
Virgil's influence began collapsing.
Men who once shook his hand crossed the street.
People who owed him money suddenly remembered complaints.
Sheriff Pike became extremely cooperative.
Clementine did not enjoy watching fear reverse itself.
Fear was unstable loyalty.
She wanted something permanent.
Three days later, Virgil requested a meeting.
Josiah refused immediately.
Clementine agreed.
"Absolutely not."
"I will meet him in town."
"No."
"Public place."
"No."
"Mr. Caldwell."
"Clementine."
The children looked between them like spectators at a tennis match not yet invented.
She said, "If he wants something, I need to know what."
"He wants revenge."
"Then better in daylight."
They compromised.
Meeting at the dining room of the Union Hotel.
No private room.
Josiah at another table.
Mr. Belling nearby.
Virgil arrived exactly on time.
He looked different.
Less polished.
Dark circles.
No silver watch chain.
"Mrs. Caldwell."
"Mr. Tatum."
He sat.
"I underestimated you."
"Yes."
"I dislike that."
"I assumed."
He smiled faintly.
Then placed a document on the table.
"Your ranch is still in debt."
"I know."
"Five hundred eighty dollars."
"Approximately."
"I will forgive it."
Clementine said nothing.
"In exchange for?"
"Your silence."
"Regarding?"
"The ledger."
"It's not mine."
"You influenced Nathan."
"No."
"You influenced Briggs."
"He requires little assistance."
Virgil leaned closer.
"I can make the debt disappear."
"And the other families?"
"Not your concern."
That answer settled everything.
Clementine stood.
Virgil's voice hardened.
"Sit down."
"No."
"Five hundred eighty dollars."
"We'll pay it."
"You think cooking biscuits will save you?"
She looked at him.
"Yes."
Then walked away.
Josiah followed her outside.
"You could've taken it."
"No."
"Part of me wanted you to."
"I know."
He looked ashamed.
"We'd be free."
"No."
She faced him.
"We would belong to him forever."
Josiah nodded.
Then smiled.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"What?"
"I was just thinking the children picked the wrong person to prank."
Clementine laughed.
That evening, the family calculated earnings.
After expenses and the railroad advance, they had enough to make the next payment.
Not the full debt.
But enough.
Three weeks ago, Broken Spur was dying.
Now it had contracts, customers, repaired fences, and a kitchen that never seemed to cool.
Then Nathan arrived carrying news.
Virgil was selling assets.
Packing.
Possibly leaving territory.
Wyatt grinned.
"Good."
Clementine did not.
"Where?"
"No one knows."
"Why?"
"Investigator wants him questioned Monday."
Clementine's stomach tightened.
Men like Virgil did not quietly disappear while still possessing leverage.
That night she checked every door again.
Near midnight, she heard a horse.
One horse.
Stopped outside.
Josiah reached the door first.
Clementine joined him.
No rider.
A horse stood in the yard.
Saddle empty.
Attached to the saddle horn was a note.
Josiah removed it.
Three words.
COME ALONE, CLEMENTINE.
And beneath them was something that made every person in the kitchen go silent.
May you like
Wyatt's pocketknife.
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