There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven… A time to search and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to throw away.”
–Ecclesiastes 3:1,6 (NLT)
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I stared at the man who was just sitting down. “Do you know him?” queried Doc, my gaze not wavering.
Without saying anything, I stood to my feet and started toward the two men at the table. My antagonist saw me coming, a wide grin forming on his face. “Why, if it ain’t Marshal Forrest. Long time no see. I would say, I’m glad to see you’re doing well, but that’d be a lie.”
“Teeter, what are you doin’ here?” I spat out my words with venom.
The smile didn’t leave his face. “Just passing through on our way to Salt Lake,” he replied. “Oh, Marshal, meet my friend, Frank Upton.”
I glanced at the man, neither of us bothering to offer our hands to shake. “Don’t be fretting yourself, Marshal. He’s not wanted, and neither am I,” boasted Teeter arrogantly. I know you won’t believe it, and I’m sure you’ll run down to your little office to check the wanted posters. Oh, you might as well send a telegram to Blasco asking him,” he laughed, making me want to slap him silly.
“Don’t worry, I’ll check,” came my quick reply. “Stay out of trouble!”
“Why, Marshal, that’s very good advice, but you’re not the sheriff. Aren’t you over-stepping your jurisdiction?” he questioned with impudence emphasizing “jurisdiction.”
I didn’t say anything more, my glare told him what I wanted him to know. Before leaving, I glimpsed again at Upton, wanting to get him firmly in my mind. Turning, I walked back to where Doc was waiting for me. Instead of going to my seat, I picked the cofffepot off the stove to fill my cup. I motioned it toward Doc, but he shook his head.
Thoughts were turning in my head. Upton, Frank Upton, the name wasn’t familiar, but there was something about his features. I had seen them before, somewhere, years ago.
Upon sitting, Doc spoke, “Are you going to fill me in, or just leave me out in no man’s land wondering what you’re thinking, and who that man is?”
I took a sip of the hot, black coffee before answering. “Doc, you remember, five, maybe six years ago, the shoot out in the courtroom with the Lamb brothers and some others?” My mouth returned to the cup.
“Well, I reckon so. I had amputated the arm of one of the brothers from an earlier gun battle at the bank. One of them was killed in the courtroom if I’m thinking right, the other, the one with one arm, should still be in prison,” he paused turning to look at the two men, neither of which were paying any attention but were in the process of giving Lola their order. Shaking his head, “I’m not following you.”
“In the courtroom that day, there were two men not arrested. One was Ioway Jenks, the other is one of the men sitting over there, Micah Teeter. It’s not Teeter that botherin’ me, but the other man. Teeter said his name was Frank Upton, and that doesn’t ring a bell, but there’s something about him that is vaguely familiar.”
I finished my coffee, then stood up. After putting on my coat, I grabbed the Greener that had been leaning against the wall. “Goin’ up to the office, I’ll see you later.”
There was laughter as I passed by the table. Before leaving the diner, I heard the voice of Teeter, “Goin’ to see if you can find my pretty face on a poster?” Then both men laughed again.
I didn’t bother turning but went on out the door and up the street to the jail. Charlie just happened to be in, Lucas was in the process of sweeping out the cells when I entered. “Charlie, I need to see your posters. Micah Teeter is eating down at the diner, along with a man goin’ by the name of Frank Upton.”
He went to his office to retrieve the stack of posters and I glimpsed at those on the board behind Mateo’s desk. I didn’t expect to see either Teeter or Upton there, but by chance I still looked. Charlie came out, giving me half the stack while he began to look through the others.
“Teeter, that brings back memories. Coward, if I recall, ran from his friends,” remarked Charlie.
Lucas finished his work, then came over to help us sort the posters. “Senor, I remember this Teeter fellow. I was very young then.”
I glanced at Charlie, then turned my attention to Lucas. He had indeed grown. If it was five years ago, he would have been around thirteen when the incident happened. It was Lucas who possibly saved the life of Darnelle during the bank holdup. We get so caught up in life that we often don’t see what’s right in front of us.
We’d been at the chore of looking through the posters. I was getting ready to get up and go to send Marshal Blasco a telegram when through the entrance burst, Darnelle, all flustered…