Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, Vol. 44, No. 4, April 1980

“He seems to be a good man. I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes, Mr. Barrett.”

“Wheeler has to be punished for what he’s done.”

“There are courts to handle that sort of thing, you know.”

He didn’t catch the sarcasm in my voice. He said sharply, “This is wide country, Markham. Some things we handle on our own.”

“I get it,” I said, not bothering to keep the rough edges out of my voice. “I find Wheeler and bring him back here, and you beat him half to death. Is that it?”

“Maybe not just half.”

I opened the car door and got in. “Good night, Mr. Barrett. I’m glad the children are all right.” It seemed like I kept saying that, but no one was listening. Like the children weren’t the main concern.

I didn’t give him a chance to say anything else. He opened his mouth, but I cranked the engine and put the car in gear before any words came out.

The last hour had taken a lot out of me, and I wasn’t as determined to drive all night now. I kept seeing Jackie’s face and hearing Cindy’s giggle. And as soon as I did, I thought about the marks on them, the ones that showed and the ones that didn’t.

I came into a larger town about twenty minutes later, found a motel with its vacancy sign lit up, and turned into the lot gratefully.

The next morning found me heading back toward Dunes. After a few hours of fitful sleep, I had decided I wanted to see how things turned out. There were no cases waiting for me at home, and every so often, you have to indulge your curiosity.

On the highway the night before, I had noticed Ralph Barrett’s trucking operation. It was a big fenced yard with several buildings and some trucks inside, and at the time, it had been dark and quiet. Now, as I passed it this morning, it was bustling with activity.

When I came into Dunes, I spotted Sheriff Cartwright’s car parked at the gas station. I pulled up behind it and got out. Cartwright came out of the office, followed by the station attendant.

“Didn’t expect to see you again,” he said.

“I decided to stick around and see if I could be any help to you,” I said. He frowned, so I hurried on, “I mean I thought I could take you out to the exact spot where If found the kids. Have you talked to them this morning?”

“Yeah, I got their story, what there was of it. The little girl didn’t remember much, and she was kind of confused about what she did remember, but Jackie told me what he could. It seems Elaine left them playing by the trailer, yesterday evening while she walked down to the store. Wheeler drove up while she was gone, grabbed both kids, and put them in the car. They drove around for a long time, Jackie said, but he didn’t know where they were. Wheeler told them they were going to live with him from now on, that they’d never see their mother again. Something happened to the car, and when Wheeler got out to check it, the kids slipped out and ran off. Wheeler couldn’t find them in the dark. Jackie found the highway and they started walking. You found them a little while later.”

I shook my head. “Hell of an experience for a couple of little kids.”

“Yeah. Barrett thinks I don’t care if I find Wheeler, but I promise you, Markham, I do. I just don’t want Ralph Barrett taking the law into his own hands, that’s all.”

We strolled back toward the cars, out of earshot of the gas station attendant. I didn’t know if Cartwright would answer my question or not, but I asked it anyway. “You don’t like Barrett or Mrs. Wheeler very much, do you?”

Cartwright considered before he said anything. Then he replied, “Barrett is an important man in this county. I can’t afford to dislike him, not if I want to stay sheriff. And I do want to stay sheriff.” After a pause, he went on, “That doesn’t close my eyes up entirely, though. Barrett is a hothead, a man who made a success of his business by running roughshod over other people. He won’t think twice about violence if that’s what it takes to get what he wants.”

He paused again and looked reflective, then went on, “Elaine’s mother died a long time ago, and Barrett spoiled the girl. She never did grow up, and she blamed Wheeler for getting her into trouble with her father. Sometimes, Markham, I think that boy Jackie is more grown-up than his mother is.”

“I got the same impression.”

“Of course, Wheeler is no prize himself, but Elaine should have known what she was getting herself into.” Cartwright smiled wearily. “Those are damn nice kids. Sometimes I wonder how they turned out that way.”

He took his straw cowboy hat off and wiped the sweat from his brow. Even though the day was young, it was already hot. He said, “Well, let’s go, if you want to show me where you found them.”

I pulled my Ford over to the side of the lot, out of the way, and then joined the sheriff in his car. It didn’t take us long to cover the few miles of highway.

“It was along about here,” I said a few minutes later. “Of course, it was dark, but I checked my odometer and this should be the place.”