“Watch it, young lady. You’re coming close to getting yourself arrested for harassing a lawman.” He glared stonily at her, then leaned over into her face and sniffed. “You been drinking, Miss Grant? Maybe you were having yourself some fun up there too? Start that fire yourself?” He sniffed one side of her head, then moved slowly to the other. “I do believe you are drunk.”
Scowling, Pearl moved away.
“Hold on there, Sheriff Buckner.” R.C. stepped forward, frowning. “Miss Grant has a right to ask that her grievance be recognized. There’s been an arson and an attack on her and her home, the Forestry’s property.”
Pearl lifted her chin. “And what about his wife, Sheriff? What about Guyla Gillis who’s gone missing? He could be hiding her after he beat the poor woman up again. Are you going to investigate it after I told you she could be in harm’s way or worse?”
“It’s true, sir.” I stepped off the bottom landing, crossing my arms. “I recognize that ball cap. Perry Gillis had one exactly like it. Same frayed star on the emblem, and his wife is—”
The sheriff stabbed a finger in my direction. “Girl, shut up, not another word!”
I flinched.
“He could have her locked up in her cabin and she’s badly injured!” Pearl screamed. “And he’s been sneaking out here to my lookout, trying to get me to go out with him—”
“Dammit, lady, I will lock—”
“Buckner, enough!” R.C. yelled, the young ranger’s voice bellowing. “I’m the law in this forest, and you’re not locking anyone up unless I say so.” R.C. glared at him and wiped a damp brow with a curled fist, pushing the copper curls away from his brow and shifting his lanky frame.
“I fear she’s hurt or something bad has happened to her,” I said quietly.
The sheriff shook his head and snapped, “Perry’s done reported you to me, Miss Lovett, and there is a man-made law and God’s that forbids the intentional interference with a marital relation. Causing alienation of affection is a serious moral grievance that goes against God’s law and Kentucky. And I will arrest you in a Kentucky heartbeat if I find out you’ve done just that with your foolish, airish books.” He chewed on his tobacco and spit the wad close to my feet.
I stepped back. Pearl moved closer to me, our arms touching.
“Now, R.C., I’m headed back to town. If you find real evidence, ya bring it to me.” He cut a mean eye toward Pearl and then to me. “Done had my fill of these cockamamie female hysterias for one day.” He spit again before ambling off to his mount.
And like that, the Kentucky lawman declared us trite, foolish, and liars, and Guyla Belle the property of her husband to be used as he saw fit.
Pearl and I stood there in silence looking at each other, flattened by the lawman’s coldness, the disappointment brimming in our eyes.
“Best go up and have a look,” R.C. said, heading toward the landing. “Then I need to find out why your new relief over at the base cab didn’t call this in when it happened.”
After R.C. inspected the cab, he promised to speak with Robbie Hardin. Swore that if he found out it was him, he’d fire Hardin on the spot. But R.C. admitted that without help from the sheriff, there was little he or the Forestry could do, and their hands were tied. “I’ll be back with a new door first thing, Pearl, and we’ll make sure the cab and you are protected, and it’s safe for you up in there,” R.C. promised, apologizing several times for the fire and asking us if we needed anything else before he left.
We sat down on the landing, our voices too hoarse to speak, our lungs tired and achy from the smoke, the shock of the fire settling over our thoughts like a dark thundercloud.
“I’m glad we made it out safe,” Pearl said, wiping her eyes, a single tear falling onto her cheek. “That little wooden matchbox could’ve gone up in flames.”