Read Online Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles (Cash Laramie & Gideon Miles Series) by Edward A. Grainger - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Edward A. Grainger
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shut your goddamn mouth and listen. Judge Hickey will let matters slide if you take a few weeks off. He likes your record and figures a suspension will appease the sheriff whose jurisdiction you shit all over when you entered that house." Penn leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "You understand me, Marshal Laramie?"
Cash nodded.
"Then you are excused."
Cash stood and walked to the door. "When the town's people don't protect their children, then they're not fit to govern."
Penn lurched out of his chair, standing, but held his tongue as Cash closed the door with a bang.
* * *
"So that's it," Lenora said taking a sip of bourbon. She sat next to Cash on his balcony overlooking Cheyenne's Main Street.
Cash poured himself another glass and freshened up Lenora's drink.
"Yeah, it seems like a house is a man's castle, and short of murder, he can do whatever the hell he wants even if that means battering a child to a cinder."
"How much of this do you think goes on?"
"A lot more than I care to think about." Cash grasped Lenora's hand in his.
"I saw her earlier today with a black eye," Lenora said. "It's amazing she can still smile and hold on to some innocence."
"But it's fading fast, and I probably only made matters worse for her."
She squeezed his hand. "You did what you thought was right—you did all you could."
"I know you mean well, Nora, but whenever I hear that phrase, '
You did all you could
,' it rubs me the wrong way. Did I do all I could? That little girl is still out there being beaten, and Lord knows what worse things are happening to her. So, did I really do all I can?"
They sat in silence, finishing their drinks, while heavy gray clouds rolled in over the foothills.
* * *
"Go see what's taking your uncle so long," Aunt Flossy said. The little girl obediently rose from the wooden floor leaving her dolly to manage on her own. She opened the door to pitch blackness and raced back to retrieve her toy.
"Hurry up, girl! Tell him I need that water and dinner is waiting."
Melanie brushed past her frowning aunt and into the night.
There's nothing in the dark that isn't there in the light
, she tried to assure herself, but she figured it was just a lie told by her uncle.
It was her chore to pump water, but, this evening, Uncle Clem decided to do it himself while going out for a smoke.
Or so he said. He liked talking to that neighbor, Miss Emma, who Aunt Flossy hated and had spoken some very unflattering words about her.
Melanie darted to the big oak between the house and the pump, making it before the door slammed shut. She waited for her eyes to adjust as far-off foul language poured out from her aunt about letting bugs in. Melanie knew that would elicit a lecture when she returned but that was better than the monsters she imagined lurking ahead of her.
"Uncle Clem?" she whispered.
Silence.
"
Uncle Clem?
" she repeated a little louder. This situation had happened before with Miss Emma and Uncle Clem. The noise of her calling had brought out Aunt Flossy and the two women took to name calling. Later that night, Uncle Clem had beat Melanie hard, told her not to scream. She had muffled her cries into her pillow as he thrashed her.
She shuddered at the memory and now, in the dark, brooded over what to do.
A rustling shook her thoughts, and she cowered against the tree. It sounded like something being dragged.
"Clem?" Another voice in the darkness. A woman's. Miss Emma's—or "that whore" as Aunt Flossy called her.
Melanie could make out Miss Emma's slinky figure creeping along the old barn separating their properties. Then, another stirring caught her eyes. A shift in the darkness as something moved away. Melanie wondered if Uncle Clem was circling around to play a trick on Miss Emma.
Apparently, Miss Emma thought so too as she scolded, "Clem, stop joking around."
Maybe she should warn them that Aunt Flossy was looking for Uncle Clem. Or maybe just wander back to Aunt Flossy and tell her she
Cash nodded.
"Then you are excused."
Cash stood and walked to the door. "When the town's people don't protect their children, then they're not fit to govern."
Penn lurched out of his chair, standing, but held his tongue as Cash closed the door with a bang.
* * *
"So that's it," Lenora said taking a sip of bourbon. She sat next to Cash on his balcony overlooking Cheyenne's Main Street.
Cash poured himself another glass and freshened up Lenora's drink.
"Yeah, it seems like a house is a man's castle, and short of murder, he can do whatever the hell he wants even if that means battering a child to a cinder."
"How much of this do you think goes on?"
"A lot more than I care to think about." Cash grasped Lenora's hand in his.
"I saw her earlier today with a black eye," Lenora said. "It's amazing she can still smile and hold on to some innocence."
"But it's fading fast, and I probably only made matters worse for her."
She squeezed his hand. "You did what you thought was right—you did all you could."
"I know you mean well, Nora, but whenever I hear that phrase, '
You did all you could
,' it rubs me the wrong way. Did I do all I could? That little girl is still out there being beaten, and Lord knows what worse things are happening to her. So, did I really do all I can?"
They sat in silence, finishing their drinks, while heavy gray clouds rolled in over the foothills.
* * *
"Go see what's taking your uncle so long," Aunt Flossy said. The little girl obediently rose from the wooden floor leaving her dolly to manage on her own. She opened the door to pitch blackness and raced back to retrieve her toy.
"Hurry up, girl! Tell him I need that water and dinner is waiting."
Melanie brushed past her frowning aunt and into the night.
There's nothing in the dark that isn't there in the light
, she tried to assure herself, but she figured it was just a lie told by her uncle.
It was her chore to pump water, but, this evening, Uncle Clem decided to do it himself while going out for a smoke.
Or so he said. He liked talking to that neighbor, Miss Emma, who Aunt Flossy hated and had spoken some very unflattering words about her.
Melanie darted to the big oak between the house and the pump, making it before the door slammed shut. She waited for her eyes to adjust as far-off foul language poured out from her aunt about letting bugs in. Melanie knew that would elicit a lecture when she returned but that was better than the monsters she imagined lurking ahead of her.
"Uncle Clem?" she whispered.
Silence.
"
Uncle Clem?
" she repeated a little louder. This situation had happened before with Miss Emma and Uncle Clem. The noise of her calling had brought out Aunt Flossy and the two women took to name calling. Later that night, Uncle Clem had beat Melanie hard, told her not to scream. She had muffled her cries into her pillow as he thrashed her.
She shuddered at the memory and now, in the dark, brooded over what to do.
A rustling shook her thoughts, and she cowered against the tree. It sounded like something being dragged.
"Clem?" Another voice in the darkness. A woman's. Miss Emma's—or "that whore" as Aunt Flossy called her.
Melanie could make out Miss Emma's slinky figure creeping along the old barn separating their properties. Then, another stirring caught her eyes. A shift in the darkness as something moved away. Melanie wondered if Uncle Clem was circling around to play a trick on Miss Emma.
Apparently, Miss Emma thought so too as she scolded, "Clem, stop joking around."
Maybe she should warn them that Aunt Flossy was looking for Uncle Clem. Or maybe just wander back to Aunt Flossy and tell her she
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