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Back Midnight Cactus Save as PDF
Chapters (39)
  1. Cover Page
  2. midnight cactus
  3. Dedication
  4. Prologue
  5. part one
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. part two
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. Author’s Note
  39. Acknowledgements

I look up sharply. Emmy’s voice comes to me so faintly, it might have been the whisper of the cottonwood trees.

‘Mummy.’

There it is again. Jack is kicking a ball around moodily. I touch him on the arm. ‘Jack, where’s Emmy?’

‘Up my bottom.’

‘That’s a good place to keep your sister,’ I say vaguely, then, keeping an eye on the men, mutter something about further refreshments and move towards the cabin. In the doorway I can see a corner of Emmy’s dress, fluttering like a handkerchief held out in surrender, and my heart beats a little faster. Now her face appears around the door frame, serious and pointed. The keeper of grownup information. She puts a finger to her lips and draws me into the cabin and there, gripping her other hand tightly in his own, stands Winfred.

28

The clearing beyond the deck is now packed with SUVs and pickup trucks. There are eight further conscripts in Hogan’s army, including his two hefty offspring, but apart from Bob, the town hall compère, and one of the ranchers from the meeting, the rest are strangers and I can do little more than stand helplessly on the deck and watch as they mill around the open backs of their vehicles preparing for battle.

‘Can’t you talk to them?’ I’d begged Winfred.

‘Mrs Coleman, for one I’m off duty,’ he said indicating his clothes. ‘For two they got your husband’s permission. They’re within their legal right. Nothin’ I can do.’

‘Can’t you radio Duval? Tell him what’s going on.’

Winfred shook his head. ‘Everybody is on the radio today. Everybody is looking for him.’

‘Then I’m going to call Chavez. Tell him about the guard, tell him the truth.’

‘Duval will go to prison anyway. So will Benjamín and it will be bad for you too.’ He glanced towards the deck and I knew he was talking about Robert.

‘I don’t care! Chavez is a decent guy, he’ll put a stop to all this.’

‘No,’ Winfred said stubbornly. ‘No Patrol. It’ll only make things worse. Hey, Mrs Coleman, don’t worry. Duval is smart. Hogan’s men won’t find him.’

‘You have to warn him, Winfred.’ I laid my hand on his arm. ‘Please, you have to do something.’

Winfred glanced towards the deck. The frown between his eyes was fixed and set. ‘I’ll go out there. Take my own car.’ He shot another look towards the deck. ‘Keep them here, Mrs Coleman, long as you can.’