SMALL TOWN BIG CATCH 12

del opened his eyes to inky darkness. the smell of coffee drifting through his bed room. when he got a handle on where he was and what he was doing he rolled over and set there on the edge of his bed for a few seconds. sleep hung heavy on him and he couldnt shake it. finally he arose and stumbled into the bathroom. he drug a comb through his hair and washed his puffy face. " that will have to do" he muttered and he went out the door into the kitchen. jerry was sitting at the kitchen table forking biscuits and gravey and bacon into his mouth, sharo poured a cup of coffee for del and started fixing him a plate. the sun was up and shinning bright through the kitchen window. "you get enough of that bed del?" jerry asked as he chewed his last fork full. " mmmm yeah i suppose so. your here early."del mumbled over his coffee cup. " came to see if you found anything yesterday."jerry kept eating. "like hell, you came to see sharon and get a good meal! yeah i found some stuff. i dont know if it will be enough tho."del got up and went to a cabinet and brought back a envelope then slid it across the table to jerry. " we need to take this to the county attorney. and he will get the vet to tell him if this is what caused jake to get bucked off. this whole deal stinks. who is to say jake getting killed was nt just a accident? but why were those three guys out there prowling around?" jerry ws wiping his chin."you going with me?ill wait while you shave." "are you saying ime to crusty to ride with you?"del grinned. " no, but the county attorney might mistake you for some one needing a warrent,: jerry and sharon were laughing. a hour later the patrol car roared out of dels yard with jerry and del in it headed to the county court house. at the county attornys office they laid out the rock shards and peiced them together. they almost formed a circle as big as a fiftey cent peice.while speculating on the rock chips the attorneys office phone went off. after listening for a moment he said ok and hung up. " that was the state land commisioner. he s on his way here. the judge will be here in a minute. you birds know what is going on?" the attorney asked. jerry and del looked at each other and shrugged" no idea." jerry answered. a few moments later the judge walked in. he looked at del and jerry then the attorney. he pulled a arm chair up to the desk."do you guys know who nafzigger is? the judge asked. all three shook their heads. " ok short version, he is a real estate developer who has been involved in some questionable land deals. he builds large houseing tracts. but he has always been legal as far as any one can tell. the state land office has had some dealings with him. thats why the commisioner is comming here." judge laid it out. " that land scapeing truck that you got the plate number on, belongs to nafzigger" raised some eye brows up the line. ole jake getting killed kicked the lid off the slop bucket."

SMALL TOWN BIG CATCH 11

it was getting late in the day but del was going back up the slope to where he had found jake. he was determined to bring this problem to a end. he had the bit between his teeth as the old timers would say. the sun was law in the western sky when he rode up on the boulders where jake had died. he tied his horse back away from the ground that was tore up from jakes horse bucking when he got stung. the first thing del did was sit down on a low rock on one side of the area he was going to search. he ran his eyes over the site in a methodical search pattern. but it was getting late and the shadows were growing long. soon he spied a sliver of granite half covered by the soil. he very carefully crawled out into the site and plucked it from the dirt. but it wasnt big enough. it was just a long narrow sliver. he carefully put it in his shirt pocket and began rakeing the loose soil with his fingers as a rake on the end of his hand. it was getting dark. late that night del rolled his pick up to a stop in front of his house. a light still burned through a liveing room window and into the yard. he slowley trooped up the steps and into the house. sharon was sitting in the liveing room sewing a rip in mikes pants.she held them up for del to see" that boy is wearing his clothes out before he out grows them." she laid them aside and got up" ill get your supper, you look wrung out." del went to the cabinete and took down his whiskey bottle and poured a double shot from it. then held it up and apraised the amount left in the bottle." yeah ime plum limber. but i think i got what i went after, or at least some of it." he sat down at the table and took a long swallow from his glass. then started picking peices of granite from his pocket. when sharon brought his plate to the table she saw he was laying the peices out and fitting them to gether like a puzzle. "i think jakes horse must have stepped on the peice that stung him these are all the peices i could find. they almost make a chip like the vet said hit that ole horse and caused him to buck ole jake off and kill him." i think jerry will be by in the morning to see what i found. i left my horse over at jakes. at least he will get a good nights rest." del attacked the plate of food like what he was, a hungry cowboy. "jerry was already here tonite looking for you. he said he will be back tomorrow"sharon told him in a sheepish voice. " ha ha tell me the truth, he came to see you. i was secondary." del was laughing around a mouth full of food. sharon blushed like a school girl.