Now Playing: The Robin Hood of the Range
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Episode Three concluded with:
Ricky Cates stopped her screams with another
shot. The horror of his wife’s brutal death was the last thing Simon Bolger
saw. Cates sent another bullet into the old man’s chest.
Ricky cursed himself as he once again reloaded.
He should have let Simon Bolger live for another few minutes. He needed to know
where Isaiah was. The Bolgers talked about their hand doing the “early chores.”
What did that mean? Was Isaiah close enough to have heard the shots? Probably,
but Cates couldn’t be sure.
The killer made his way around the dead bodies,
hurried into the kitchen and retrieved the three ten dollar bills from the jar.
He again used caution in stepping over the human obstacles as he returned to
the bedroom. He didn’t want to get blood on his boots.
Episode Four
Inside
the bedroom, his bedroll and saddle bags were lying on a wide bed. Cates returned
the thirty dollars to one of the bags containing the money he had stolen from
the bank.
The
outlaw suddenly dropped to the floor, using the bed as a shield between himself
and the small window in the room. He thought he had seen some movement at the
open window. Could Isaiah have been spying on him?
Six
gun in his right hand, Ricky advanced on his belly toward the window. The
outlaw paused to collect himself as he reached the wall, directly under the fluttering
curtains. He then sprang up and gazed out the window, ready to gun down any
adversary.
There
was no one there. Ricky cursed the two birds that were flying about and almost
fired at them.
The
killer breathed heavily and tried to calm himself. His pinto was out in the
barn. He had kept it there purposely. A fine horse tied up in front of the
Bolger’s place would have attracted some attention. But now he had to reach his
steed while keeping clear of Isaiah, wherever he was.
Ricky
Cates prided himself on being smart. He paused and thought about everything the
Bolgers had told him about their hired hand: hard- working, honest, kind…
Cates
enjoyed dealing with such men. They were easy to fool. And Isaiah was a black
man. The killer’s mood became almost playful. This could turn out to be fun. He
once again went to his saddle bags, this time to pull some things out.
Caution
was still needed. Bedroll under his left arm and saddle bags slung over his
left shoulder, Ricky Cates left the house and headed for the barn. He tried to
look casual but his right arm was free and ready to draw.
“Stop
right there, Mr. Robin Hood!”
Tomorrow: Episode Five of The Robin Hood
of the Range
