Chapter 35

Even though I had a lot going on, I dropped everything to accompany Sheriff Faulkner to the courthouse. Matt wasn’t the kind of guy who would ask for help if he didn’t really need it.

It took us about five minutes to walk the two blocks to the courthouse. As we walked, Matt told me more of the story.

Howard’s version of the shooting was that he, Braxton and a cowboy named John Atkinson had gone to San Elizario to try to reason with Cardis about taking Howard’s salt without paying at least something for it. Howard claimed that Cardis became enraged and pulled a shotgun from behind a pickle barrel. The two men wrestled over the weapon and it accidentally discharged in Cardis’ chest. Atkinson and Braxton both supported Howard’s story.

The San Elizario constable claims that, although the only witnesses to the shooting were with Howard, Mister Schultz, the owner of the store, swore that Cardis didn’t have a shotgun in his store. Schultz had been in the back and came running out when he heard the shotgun blast. Howard gave Schultz his story and told him he wasn’t sticking around to face a mob of Mexicans who already wanted to lynch him. Matt was worried about that mob storming the courthouse when they found out Howard was there.

Given the concern Matt expressed, I wasn’t that surprised to see three of the other auxiliary deputies already nervously standing guard by the big oak double doors when we entered the courthouse. Inside the courthouse, it was as quiet as a tomb. Even the annoying and supercilious clerk was gone from his post. I followed behind Matt as he stomped back to District Attorney Percival Davenport’s office. Davenport was hurriedly stuffing some papers in his valise when we walked unannounced through his door. Davenport looked up at the Sheriff in annoyance.

“The judge is long gone Faulkner, so we don’t need you and your deputies here. I charged him with involuntary manslaughter at his request, and he made the bail I set. I am closing the courthouse early to avoid any unpleasantness. The Rangers will be here tomorrow and we’ll reopen under their protection Monday. I’ve wired Governor Hubble and asked him to appoint me interim judge until all this is sorted out.”

Since I don’t know who will be reading this in the future, I’m not going to repeat what Matt had to say to Davenport. I will tell you that it was about the best cussing out I’ve ever witnessed, as Faulkner called Davenport everything but a child of God. When Matt ran out of steam and stepped out of the way, Davenport scurried out of his office as if, in the immortal words of Charlie Daniels, “his head was on fire and his ass was catching.”

That Charles Howard was one oily snake because by convincing Davenport to charge him with manslaughter he would avoid almost any jail time even if he were tried and convicted. However, since the only witnesses were his friends, the charges would probably be dropped when it was convenient for Howard.

Matt was still fuming that Davenport had let Charles Howard off the hook so easily, when we arrived back at the front doors of the court house. Matt thanked the other deputies and sent them home, then sat down on the steps to wait for the San Elizario Town Constable. He asked me to sit with him because my Spanish was better than his. I pulled out my pocket watch and checked the time. It was just before three, so I had an hour or two before I needed to head back to the hotel.

We sat and speculated about where this was all going while we waited for the constable. Matt was all for dumping it in the hands of the Rangers, or better yet, the Army, because of the men coming across the border from Mexico. I kept it to myself that before this mess was all over, both those things would happen.

The constable was slightly mollified when he showed up and Matt told him that Howard had been charged with killing Louis Cardis, but he wasn’t thrilled that Howard was out on bail. I told the man that it was probably best that way, because with Howard out of town, it would give tempers a chance to cool. He saw the truth in that, when I reminded him about the angry mob in front of his jail just three days ago. The constable was also relieved that the Rangers had been called, because he was in the same boat, or worse, than Faulkner. Since most of the trouble in the county had traditionally been in El Paso, he only had two deputies and himself to police San Elizario.

As I walked back to the hotel, I thought about what I could do to turn events aside enough to allow Charles Howard to meet his fate, while keeping the Rangers from being humiliated and San Elizario from being wrecked. See, in the original history of the Salt War, only about a dozen people died, but half of those deaths were from the rioting and looting that happened after Howard and two other men with him were executed by a Mexican firing squad.

As soon as I arrived at the hotel, I went to the restaurant to see if Anna was there yet. Of course she was. Even though it was an hour before opening, Anna was there helping set the tables for the evening. I asked for a minute of her time, and she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the lobby.

“What is on your mind, mí amor?” she asked.

I took a breath and told her.

“Have you heard what happened in San Elizario today?”

When Anna shook her head, I told her about Howard shooting Cardis. She was shocked and saddened by the violence, even though she had little or no respect for anyone involved. I agreed and made my next point.

“I don’t think that’s the end of things by a long shot. Howard has managed to convince the mayor to call in the Texas Rangers. When they arrive, I look for Howard to use them to enforce his claim to the salt flats. He can pretty much ignore any agreement he made, now that Cardis is dead. You know that if he comes back to San Elizario, there is going to be a major confrontation, and people on both sides are going to be hurt.”

Anna agreed with that one hundred percent, because she’d seen the ugly mood of the mob a few days ago, when she made me the appointment with Cardis.

“But what can we do about it, Tyler? If Judge Howard shows back up, I don’t believe anything can save him.”

It was my turn to agree.

“Yes, but maybe we can turn the mob away from rioting afterward and destroying the town.”

Anna’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at that.

“Do you actually think that might happen?” she asked.

I nodded grimly.

“Believe me, I know it will,” I said.

When Anna said that she would speak to some people about what I said, I felt better about things. I had yet to figure out why, but Anna was a tremendously well respected woman. I think every Spanish speaking person in El Paso County idolized the Madonna (Our Lady) Anna. I gave Anna a hug and kissed her on the cheek before I started to head towards my apartment. I made it as far as the exit door to the lobby, when I literally ran into Connie as she was coming in. Connie had her arms full of my clothes.

“What’s up, Comanche Woman? You want to wrestle again?” I asked.

When she answered my teasing question, I knew she’d been spending way too much time with Belle.

“No dear, I love you too much to hurt you,” the little minx said as she thrust my clothes at me. “Belle said for you to change in your office, because we are busy in the apartment.”

I stared at her as if she was one of the patrons at the bar in that movie ‘Star Wars’ I saw just before I left Phoenix in my last life. She giggled and gently pushed my chin up so my mouth would close.

“It’s a surprise, so don’t try to spoil it,” she admonished as she scooted back out the door.

Belle at least had found a way to take my mind off the looming unpleasantness in San Elizario, because now all I could think about was being banned from my own apartment. As I trudged towards my office, carrying my clothes for the evening, I vowed that it had better be one heck of a surprise, or Miss Belle was going to get her pretty little ass tanned.

I was still bitching to myself when I plopped down on the couch in my office for a well deserved cat nap.

I woke up forty-five minutes later as the big Westminster Clock in my office gonged out the five-thirty half hour. I was still wondering about being banished from my apartment as I changed clothes. I think that Belle’s ability to keep me off balance was one of the things I loved most about her. With Belle, nothing was predictable, so there were seldom any dull moments in my life with her.

At five-forty-five, I exited my office and walked over to the desk at the foot of the stairs. Ray was in another morning coat with epaulets, this one was dark blue. Since I’d dressed myself, my tie was slightly askew, so we couldn’t discuss business until he had straightened it and fixed the knot. When he was through fussing with my tie, Ray told me that fifty-two club members were already upstairs. That was the kind of information I liked, because the more time members spent here, the more money they spent here. I looked at the members sign in book, and found that fifteen members were still there from last night. I had to smile about that. Rooms and meals were not part of their membership, so we were making money on top of our money, just as I had hoped.

I hung out at the desk and personally greeted club members as they arrived for another forty-five minutes, before leaving it to Ray and the redhead whose name I couldn’t seem to remember. I walked across the lobby and into the restaurant. I didn’t know whether to be happy or not that there were fewer people sitting in the lobby waiting for a table. Anna put my mind at ease by telling me that every table, inside and out, had been filled since five-fifteen.

“We’re actually even busier than we were last night,” she added.

With that good news in my pocket, I snuck back to the kitchen and cadged a plate of food from Miranda’s mother, Alisia. I sat at the break table, and since I had missed lunch again that day, I made short work of the excellent pork chops she served me.

I felt much better with my tummy full of warm food, so when Belle met me in the lobby and insisted we check upstairs first, I shrugged and let her lead me away from the ballroom. Belle kept me dawdling in the club rooms as she breezed around charming the members and complimenting the girls working up there. Finally at a few minutes after eight, she took my arm and we headed for the ballroom. As we neared the double doors leading into the ballroom, I could hear someone playing some classical music on the piano. Now I didn’t know beans about classical music, but I knew whoever was playing was damned good.