Chapter One
Farmer Zeke Harris’s faded overalls had a few holes in them. But as he watched his lawyer, Darius Sterling, describe his case, the farmer became more optimistic. While he was embroiled in the legal battle with Jacob Orning, he didn’t want to buy anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary because he didn’t know how much money or land he would have left when the court case was over.
But Sterling was very optimistic. He told Harris, the law was on their side. Plus, Sterling added that the judge in the case was Alton Trucott who had a reputation as an honest man and a man who knew the law back and forth and forth and back and every other way.
Sterling signed a few papers, scratching his signature next to the legal mark.
“What happened to you, Zeke, was unusual, but it did not change the ownership of your property. The county did have that mild flood that, on the surface at least, wiped away some of the land markers. But the documents tracing and delineating the land had been filed at the courthouse. The flood did not wipe that out. The papers are still there, with the documents filed with the county and the state. Mr. Orning has no right to claim one inch of your property. If he wants to go to court, we will go willingly. Knowing Judge Trucott, as I did, he might even consider this case harassment and award you money for having to put up with it.”
A sharp laugh came from Harris, and it had been a while since he had laughed. “I would like to see that,” he said.
“You may. Judge Trucott does not like the frivolous lawsuit. He was talking law when he was twelve years old. He was a born lawyer. But he greatly respects the law and doesn’t like to see it misused. He may well hit Orning with a penalty.”
Harris gave a sigh of relief. Sterling finished signing the papers and straightened them, then folded them into a briefcase. “I have filed my reply to Luke Johnson’s brief – Johnson being Orning’s attorney – and we will see what happens. Frankly, I have a hunch Luke will tell his client to drop the case and tell him he can’t win this suit. Orning may want to fire his lawyer for that, but any other decent lawyer would tell him the same. I think Orning was just trying to intimidate you and get you to give up some of your land for a false reason.”
Harris nodded. “Well, he first wanted about a hundred and twenty acres, but he said he might settle for lesser acreage. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to give up any of my land.”
“And you won’t have to.”
“The case is set to be heard at ten Wednesday morning. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Harris withdraws the case before then. So don’t worry about anything. That farm belongs to you, and no one will take it from you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sterling.”
With that type of good news, he could actually go out and buy some new overalls, some that didn’t have any patches or holes in them. He nodded, but as he watched Darius Sterling smiling in triumph, he realized he did not like the man. Sterling was a good attorney, and Harris was glad he benefitted from Sterling’s expertise. His wife had often told him that he read too much into people, that he would put emphasize on a smile or snarl or frown or a stray word spoken. But for this case, Harris wanted Sterling on his side, but he realized deep down, he didn’t trust the man and would not allow him to handle anything more serious than a minor court case for him. At first, he was afraid the case wasn’t minor and might cost him considerable land. He was thankful Mr. Sterling assured him that feeling was wrong.
Despite the wide smile and charming manner, he thought there was a coldness in the man. Coldness and dishonesty. He had heard Sterling laugh, but Harris never thought it sincere. He never thought it reflected genuine, human emotion. He felt guilty with such feelings since the attorney had done an impressive job with his case and was gentlemanly to boot. But he just couldn’t trust the man.
“What do I owe you, Mr. Sterling?” he said.
The attorney waved away the request. “Ten dollars.”
“That’s low. You’re being kind.”
“Some other clients would challenge that statement. But that’s a fair price. This case was not difficult. Orning was just trying to fool you into handing over some of your land for no reason. I’ve seen this type of claim before. It works if people don’t talk to a lawyer and get good advice. A great deal of your property borders some of Mr. Orning’s property, and some of it is bordered by Suwanee Creek. It’s been that way for so long that many people thought it was the property line. When we had the flood and the Suwanee Creed changed course and cut into your property, Orning thought he might take advantage of it and claimed the official property line had moved too. But it hasn’t. It didn’t when the flood hit, and it hasn’t now. So don’t worry about a thing. There is no way Jacob Orning is going to win this case. I will guarantee you that.” Sterling leaned back in his chair and smiled. “Besides, I enjoyed working on this case and will enjoy our session Wednesday if we have one. Jacob Orning, for whatever reason, got on the wrong side of me a year or so ago, and told a few tales that were not true. Some gossip that was totally untrue. As a result, we don’t like one another. I will enjoy bringing him into court
Wednesday and winning the case.” He gave one of his exceptional – but Harris thought, empty – smiles. “And I will have a great time winning the case and will do my best to get the judge to award punitive damages.”
“Thank you, but what exactly are punitive damages?”
“Oh, punitive damages are awarded if the judge feels this was a frivolous case that should not have been brought. It costs the defendant – in this case, that’s you – time and worry, and aggravation. Since the suit had no basis in the law, the defendant who suffered that worry and aggravation is entitled to financial compensation, and the judge decides such compensation.”
Harris nodded. “That’s nice.”
Sterling raised his hand. “Now, I can’t promise that. Judge Trucott may not give any, but I will do my best to see you get at least a few dollars for all the worry you had to put up with.”
“Great. That’s good news.”
Inwardly, Sterling felt contempt for his client, but he smiled outwardly and looked happy. The only reason he took this case was to get even with Orning. Sterling figured the man caused him some aggravation, and he wanted to pay Orning back. I didn’t take it for a lousy twenty dollars, Sterling thought. I hope the judge sticks him good. Knowing Judge Trucott, it might happen. If it does, it will be worth a lot more than twenty dollars. I’ll be laughing all the way back to my office and will keep laughing for a week. The county boobs around here can be worth something once in a while. I couldn’t have asked for better revenge than this case.
Besides, he didn’t like Zeke Harris. The man was too honest. Also, he suspected that Harris was suspicious and skeptical of him. He had done his best to create a reputation as an honest, law-abiding, church deacon kind of guy. At times, he quivered because it seemed Harris could see right through him and see the deception.
Harris rose from his seat and offered his hand.
“I thank you again, Mr. Sterling. I was truly worried the first time Mr. Orning came to see me. He seemed so confident. For a while, I thought I might lose a great deal of my ranch, and I have built that up over thirty years.”
“No need to worry, Mr. Harris. Orning was running a bluff, and we called it. Wednesday morning, we will settle it and celebrate.”
Sterling shook the man’s hand. As Harris left the office, the lawyer thought the day was beginning well.
Chapter Two
Sterling saddled his horse and rode it to Beatrice Haufer’s home, his heart racing as he climbed down and walked toward the door. Beatrice was almost as alluring as his wife, Kathy, and while not as sweet as Kathy, Beatrice did have a great deal of money from her late husband, John’s estate. Sterling smiled, feeling grateful that John had two fine attributes in his life. He seemed to have the ability to make a great deal of money. Beatrice had said anything her husband touched seemed to turn into dollars. He was blessed with the gift of making money, and that money was now in Beatrice’s bank account and in her stocks and investments, one of which was a cattle ranch in town named the Bar Jonah. The ranch’s owner, Bill Tindell, had overextended himself and might have lost the ranch except Beatrice had bought a third of the ranch, supplying the much-needed money to keep it going and make a profit. She also invested in a few other business ventures in the area.
And even better, Sterling knew, was Beatrice was infatuated with him. He was greedy, and his law practice had not generated the income he had hoped. But he was only one wedding ring away from having a bank account full of money. Of course, that meant somehow getting rid of his wife, Kathy, who was kind, loyal, and devoted but was not rich. His two children were nice, intelligent, and kind, but they had no independent income. Money, he knew, made life so much better and easier. He had a little money but wanted a great deal more of it. And Beatrice Haufer was the way to get it.
He knocked hurriedly, opened the door, and Beatrice rushed toward him. They caressed, and he kissed her on the cheek.
‘I thought you might not come today. It’s getting late,” she said.
“I will always come and see you. Just had a client that took a little longer than I expected. That’s all. And some of that was my fault.”
He strolled over, and they both sat on the couch.
“What do you mean it was your fault?” she said.
He laughed and smiled. “Some time ago, a guy named Orning said nasty things about me and told lies about me. During that time, I swore I would pay him back and pay him back where it would hurt him the most – his pocketbook. Orning is a small, little man – and I don’t mean in height – he is actually almost six feet. But he is small in character and charm. But he is also greedy, and I found a case where the judge may fine him for basically wasting the court’s time. And the fine may be a big one, so I’m very happy today,” he said.
“That’s good news. Would you like a drink?”
“Yes, thank you.”
A butler walked in. Beatrice lived in the largest house in town, with several servants to do her bidding. “Williams, get Mr. Sterling a whiskey.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The attorney smiled as the liquor was brought to him, still smiling as he took the drink. “I’ve been waiting for a while to pay Orning back. I will enjoy being in court Wednesday.” He turned to look at Beatrice. “That’s when the court is going to hear the case.” He sipped his drink. “It’s a flaw in me, but I always want to pay back someone who has wronged me or attacked me. They do so at their own risk.”
She leaned over and kissed him. “That’ s not a flaw; that’s a strength,” she said.
He grinned. And when I have total access to your fortune, I can wreak a lot of havoc on my enemies. I will destroy them all, he thought.
“Thank you, my dear. You’re the type of strong woman who understands that.”
“How long can you stay tonight?”
“Not long. Only a few minutes today. But don’t fret, honey. I am working on a plan, and when it’s completed, my wife will be out of the picture, and we can marry, and no one will object.”
Beatrice raised her eyebrows. “Oh, no. That would be bigamy.”
“No, no, it won’t.”
Her eyebrows stretched back even further. “Darius, you’re not talking …”
“No, of course not, honey,” he said quickly. “Of course not.” He knew his fiancée did not have many moral scruples, but the one she had, she vigorously upheld. Beatrice did not believe in murder.
“I’m working things out,” he said. “Don’t worry. Kathy will not be hurt. But we will be together. That’s the most important part of the plan. We will be together.”
She leaned against him. “Good. I’m looking forward to that day. How long do you think it will be?”
“I think we’ll start within a couple of days. It will be dramatic. I’ll prepare you before it happens.” He sipped his drink and smiled again. “Believe me; it will be dramatic. Afterward, you may not see me for a while. I might have to disappear.”
“Oh, no, Darius. I don’t want that!”
He nodded. “I know, but we may have to do it so we can eventually marry. If my plan works and gets me free from Kathy, I’ll have to disappear for a while so the plan will work perfectly. I have put a lot of thought into this. We may have to be a bit uncomfortable for several weeks but after that, we can be married, and no one will question it.”
She nodded. “When are you going to tell me this brilliant plan?”
“Shortly. Very shortly, I haven’t worked out all the details yet. If we want to pull this off, we have to have all the details hammered out. Every ‘i’ has to be dotted and every ‘t’ crossed. If we are found out, we will both go to prison, and we don’t want that.”
“No, no we don’t.” She smiled. “But I trust you. I know you will figure out a perfect plan to get us married. That has to be planned carefully too. If this doesn’t look … somehow decent, we’ll be run out of this town. Nobody will talk to me, and the best houses will be closed to us. I enjoy my social position in this town and don’t want it diminished. That may seem conceited, but …”
“No, it doesn’t. I understand that. I have a social position in this town too. I don’t want it to be damaged either. But if everything goes well, and it should, we shall be not only the toast of the town but the toast of all the best social gatherings, my love.”
She leaned over and kissed him. “That’s another thing I love about you, Darius. You are very, very clever.”
He drained his glass and smiled.
He kissed Beatrice goodbye and then headed out and climbed on his horse. As he rode back into town, he passed Deputy Wayne Martindale, a slightly stocky man who, Sterling thought, looked at every man with suspicion, especially shyster lawyers. He knew the deputy didn’t like him. The deputy didn’t make a show of it, but he was not a man who hid his feelings. Sterling knew perfectly well that Deputy Martindale did not like or trust him. It was nothing he had done. The deputy had been in the law business long enough to read people, and he read Sterling as a snake in the grass. The attorney smiled as he rode past Martindale, almost laughing when he thought the deputy had read him correctly. He had fooled most of the people in the town but not Deputy Martindale. But the deputy had probably met many snakes in his career, and he could spot them in a crowd. Sterling looked down his nose at the deputy because he distrusted honest men.
What mattered was Sheriff Dale Garret did not think he was a snake in the grass. Sheriff Garret thought he was an excellent lawyer and an outstanding member of the bar. Martindale was only a deputy, so he could be ignored.
He headed out to his house with his wife, Kathy, and the two four-year-old twins. He liked the twins, but he had grown tired of Kathy as he realized he would have grown tired of any woman. Kathy was a good wife, attractive and very understanding of his flaws. He knew there was nothing wrong with her. In fact, she was a very pleasant and honorable woman. She just wasn’t rich enough. He wanted money. And a huge fence around his property, proclaiming the land belonged to Darius Stanley. He just wanted a large bank account and, to be honest, the power to run a town. To be a type of king. That was power, that was what money and influence could do. That’s what he wanted. For everyone in the town to know that, whoever the mayor, marshal, or town council was, he was the king behind the scenes. He was the big hog in the holler, to put it in Western terms, and he was going to be the big hog in the holler until they put him in the ground with a huge monument. So other younger men and new generations would remember him too.
Then he would have lived a successful and extraordinary life.
Chapter Three
Sterling rode his horse into the small barn and climbed down. In the future, he would have servants to unsaddle his horse and take care of him. Such ornery tasks were beneath him, but for the present, he would have to do them. But in a while … a man with Beatrice’s money would not be doing his own horse grooming.
He chatted amiably, spoke charmingly with Kathy during dinner, and joked with the twins. He knew Kathy loved him, so every once in a while he would flash her a friendly grin and tell her she was an amazing wife. After the twins went to bed and Kathy had the dishes done, he kissed her and said he had some bank business to do and had to spend time in the study tonight.
“That’s fine. I’ll probably go to bed early. For some reason, I’m just tired today. Can’t keep my eyes open.”
“You’re doing all the work in the house and chasing down two twins, Kathy. That’s the reason you’re tired. There’s no mystery to it. Besides, you already do the work of two women.”
“Thank you, Darius. But I keep thinking I should be doing more every day.”
He shook his head. “Not true. I keep wondering when you rest. You must rest sometime during the day, but I never see it. You must work while resting.”
“Is the bank going well, honey? Lately, you seem to be a bit involved or intense. I mean, it looks like you’re thinking about something, that you have something on your mind.”
He almost gasped. He didn’t want Kathy to think he was planning something, wanting every day to be routine.
“Nope, nothing on my mind. But I must say I am amused because I know I will win the case on Wednesday. I hate to speak negatively about anyone, but Mr. Orning is an arrogant man, and a man who is not easily liked. I am looking forward to winning the case Wednesday.” He paused for a moment. “Then I’ll try not to gloat when the case is over.”
Kathy chuckled. “At least don’t gloat too much. You really think Mr. Orning is arrogant?”
“Yes, and obnoxious, and he has a few other questionable traits too.” He touched her shoulder and laughed. “Years ago, I was at a funeral in another town. I had worked with the man so I thought I should go out of respect, but I didn’t like him very much. Well, didn’t like him at all, for that matter. One of the speakers said something akin to, ‘John could be arrogant and headstrong. He was a difficult man to love. It’s amazing that so many of us did.’”
Kathy tried to put her hand over her mouth to shield the laughter.
“I thought he was arrogant and headstrong, but I doubt many people in this room liked him, much less loved him. They probably came because they wanted to make sure he was dead.”
Kathy laughed and turned toward the bedroom.
“I better just go to bed now. Don’t want to get you wound up. Want to keep you as sweet as you are.”
He chuckled, too, and watched her go into the bedroom. Kathy had one amazing talent that he wished he had. She could fall asleep almost immediately. In five minutes, he expected to hear her light snoring, and he did. Sometimes he might lay in bed for thirty minutes or more before dropping off. He wished he had her ability to sleep almost as soon as she put her head on the pillow.
He walked outside and saw Juliette approaching the house. She often dropped by after Kathy had gone to sleep. She was a very attractive lady who had moved to the town to help out her married sister Petra, who lived within walking distance. Doctors were not sure just what type of illness was plaguing Petra. They had tried a few remedies, and the medical care had given the woman some relief and eased a good deal of the pain she often felt. But the medical doctors had not solved the problem. Dr. Wyndham, the town’s doctor, was dedicated to patients and was just flustered he had not been able to discover the cause of Petra’s illness. But he was an older doctor, so he called in a younger one, Dr. Sy Adams, from the neighboring town of Fort Pierce. Dr. Adams had helped to a degree, and Petra was feeling better than when the disease first afflicted her, but she wasn’t cured yet. So Juliette remained a great help to the family. Petra had two children several years older than his, a boy and a girl, who were exceedingly active. One of Petra’s symptoms was she couldn’t work for long periods before becoming exhausted. And with two active children and housework to do, it was easy to become exhausted.
She and Darius usually spoke outside. He had put two chairs on the porch so they could chat amiably. He grinned when he saw here. He knew she had many good traits, but one bad trait was she was much too trusting and gullible. He had spun a tail about Kathy being a mean and cruel wife, always complaining that he didn’t make enough money and even suggesting he pull something illegal to make more money. She grabbed his hand.
“How was your day, Darius?”
“OK. It wasn’t too bad.”
“Was Kathy complaining again?”
He nodded. “Yes, but she was tired today, so she didn’t complain much, although I don’t know what she was doing. The house looked about the same as it did this morning. I don’t think she’s cleaned in a week. And I wish she would wash the children’s clothes more often.”
“Yes, she should. Children need fresh clothes every day. That’s because they get them dirty every day. I know from first-hand experience that kids can be a load. But I like my cousins. They are just wonderful kids. They don’t disobey much, and they always seem to be smiling. And they will help out when they can. You ask them to do something, and they will do it.”
He laughed. “Wish Kathy was like that. I bet you are like that, Juliette. You are always so sweet.” He shook his head. “Kathy’s in bed now, sleeping. It amazes me that she can fall asleep so quickly at night when she hasn’t done anything. It’s like she was made for sleep. She was most definitely not made for housework.”
She touched his hand again and squeezed it. “Couldn’t you just … somehow … get rid of her, divorce her. You don’t need her being mean to your children. You have a beautiful pair of twins. Don’t let her spoil their life.”
“No, I won’t. I do keep a close eye on the kids. Right now, they seem happy, but I worry about … later years.”
“Darius, you can divorce her.”
“Well, a divorce is hard to get, and right now, there are no solid legal grounds to get a divorce. I don’t think she cares properly for the children, but she doesn’t ignore them. They are not wearing rags. I don’t think the meals are great, but they don’t go hungry. So I must admit to being a bit perplexed by the problem.” He rapped on the chair with his hand. “She wouldn’t be perplexed by it. Sometimes I think she is thinking up ways to get rid of me.”
“No! She couldn’t!?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. She has hinted from time to time that she would not mind another husband, a husband who would make more money and be more ambitious and aggressive and has hinted that she wouldn’t mind if I had to spend a few nights at the office if I needed to so I could make more money. She thinks she should have finer things in life. Better dresses and a larger home, things like that. She says I’m not working hard enough.”
“That’s not true. You work very hard. She just doesn’t appreciate you.” She paused for a moment. “I would appreciate you. I’d appreciate you every morning, noon, and night.”
“Thank you. That is very sweet.”
Juliette looked around as if someone might be listening to their talk. “Now, Darius, you know I don’t mean to start trouble.”
“Certainly. I know that.”
“But I just think you need to think of a way to get Kathy out of your life. She’s not doing much for you, and she’s not doing much for the children. You are a lawyer. There must be some legal way to obtain a divorce.”
“Maybe … maybe … I admit I have wondered about that and have … from time to time turned a law book to the divorce section and skimmed the pages. But I think Kathy would throw a fit if I mentioned divorce. I know she would want the children just to keep them away from me. I’m the one who really loves them, not her. She thinks they are just annoyances. But unless I found a solid, legal reason, she would get the kids, and I couldn’t stand being away from them.”
“I understand.”
He chuckled. “Besides, she has hinted she wants to get rid of me, so maybe she will just leave!”
“What! She wants to get rid of you? And get another husband?”
Darius nodded. “She has often said she doesn’t think much of my work or much of me, for that matter.”
A shooting star pierced the night sky, flying over the town as it streamed into the night.
“Beautiful,” Juliette said. “That’s the way a marriage should be … like a shooting star lighting up the night. Beautiful and making you think of the wonders to come.”
“Yes, that’s true. It also shows that even in darkness, there is hope and light.”
“Yes! That’s right!” she said, obviously impressed by the saying. “That’s what we have to do. Keep watch in the dark places for the light that will light up the sky and make things better.”
He reached over and squeezed her hand. “You’ve made things better just by coming over and talking to me. Thank you very much. I feel so much better now.”
She gave a huge smile and slowly got up. “I better get on home now, but I will remember that falling star.”
“So will I,” he said. “We might be able to take it as a sign that things are going to get better, and that there is light in the darkness.”
“Amen,” she said.
As she got up, she waved him good-bye, then headed toward her home. When she was out of sight, he laughed and wondered how any woman could be so stupid and silly. She had read too many of those silly love stories. She needed a dose of reality. Well, she would get some soon. The West didn’t think much of idealists. It dealt out realism and sometimes dealt out blood and death. She was, at times, incredibly touching. A sweet flower in a dry and heartless desert. But he didn’t feel sorry for her. He was planning to collect wealth and riches and no idealism would get in the way. And although he attended the local church occasionally for appearances’ sake, none of the sermons from the “good book” was going to get in the way either. If you turned the other cheek when one cheek was slapped, you were merely getting the stuffing knocked out of you and then getting your money stolen.
“Justice in a Corrupt City” is an Amazon Best-Selling novel, check it out here!
With her loving husband Darius at her side, and two children she adores, Kathy Sterling couldn’t be happier. Until the fateful day she wakes to find her husband gone and the room drenched in blood. When all suspicion falls on Kathy for Darius’ murder, she’ll have to fight like hell to solve the mystery and keep her children at her side.
Is there still time to save the love of her life?
Deputy sheriff Wayne Martindale finds it hard to believe that Darius’ corpse just disappeared in the middle of the night. Having interrogated Kathy, he believes she is innocent. Now, he has to go against everyone, including the sheriff, if he is to save her from the hangman’s noose. Is it only his passion for justice motivating him though?
He must discover the truth before it’s too late…
When innocent people get killed one after the other, Kathy and Wayne realize that something far more sinister than their worst nightmares is at play. Can they get to the bottom of this or will even more killings stain their peaceful and scenic town? Will they decipher the bloody enigma before time runs out?
“Justice in a Corrupt City” is a historical adventure novel of approximately 80,000 words. No cliffhangers, only pure unadulterated action.
Hi there, I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek of my latest story! I will be impatiently waiting for your comments below.