As the Eagle Flies. J. D. Oliver

eye. Faith let her take Alita then Faith fastened her bra. Fern said, “You know I used to teach swimming at the Y, we used to teach baby’s this young to swim, would you like me to show you?”

      “I suppose so, is it dangerous?” Faith said, with a little trepidation in her voice.

      “No, of course not, mostly it involves showing you how to teach her.” They, the three of them moved to the shallow end of the pool. I looked at Frank and said…

      “Well Frank, how long have you been the clerk and recorder?”

      “Let’s see, I am 35 now and I got the job when I was 25, so ten years I guess. You say you Ranch around Abiquiu, what’s the name of your Ranch?”

      “Ranchos de Chama.” I answered.

      “I’ve heard of that ranch, it’s a Spanish Land Grant isn’t it?” Frank said.

      “Yes, it belongs to my mother-in-law; Felicia Cortez. How come it rang a bell?” I asked.

      “Strangest thing, yesterday was my last day of work; that is before we took two weeks off. Anyway there was this guy came in and he wanted to look at the plats of all of the Spanish land grants in New Mexico, especially those of the Ranchos de Chama.”

       “Would his name happen to be Dipper Tick?” I asked.

      “Why yes, that was his name, how did you know?”

      “He’s been poking around Abiquiu also. Did he want to know anything in particular about them?”

      “Yes, he was interested in the mineral rights, I told him that most all of the land grants kept there own mineral rights. I suppose a few of them have been sold off.” Frank said.

      “Let me ask you this; is there anyway any of these Spanish land grants can be contested?”

      “I suppose anything is possible, but to my knowledge none of them have been overturned. But there are a lot of crooked lawyers out there. Like I said, anything is possible these days. Just look at how this administration is twisting the constitution.”

      “Yes, I know, all of these illegal phone taps for one thing.” I said. “Did you let him see those plats?”

      “No, I did not. He even offered me a bribe, I just laughed in his face. I like to think that I’m a good judge of character. He struck me as a pompous egotistical ass of low moral fiber.” Frank said with a sniff. I had to smile to myself, here he was just about to put it to his new wife in a public pool. Well, can’t say as I blamed him much though, they were alone, at first.

      “Thank you Frank, for that heads up on him. Do you know where he’s staying in town?” I asked, not really expecting an answer.

      “Why yes, at the Plaza; it’s the biggest Hotel in town.” Frank said.

      I looked over at the women, Alita was swimming under water between the two of them. I did hear at one time; that if you got children young enough they took naturally to the water. I glanced back at Frank, he was staring at his wife, licking his lips. I called to Faith, “Perhaps we had better get out; I think Alita has had enough for one day.”

      Faith glanced at me quizzically. I looked sideways at Frank, she understood. “It’s bedtime for Alita,” Faith told Fern. “Perhaps we will see you at breakfast, that is if you get up that early,” she added.

      Alita really didn’t want to get out; she just made one small protest, then acquiesced, she was a bright child. As we were walking back to the room, I said, “So you think Alita looks like me?”

      “No, I did not say that; Fern said that she looks a lot like her father, I just agreed, that yes she does. I just didn’t tell her that you were not Alita’s father. It was none of her business. I think she is the type of person that likes to gossip, I just didn’t give her any.” Faith said, as her off hand slipped down the back of my swim trunks.

       Chapter Four

      The next morning we were laying in bed sipping our morning coffee; when there came a knock on the door. I slipped on my robe and palming my pistol behind my back, I answered the knock.

      It was the Highway Patrol Captain from yesterday. He said, “May I come in?” I noticed that he had the morning newspaper in his hand, “Sure come on in, do you want a cup of coffee?”

      “Yes, I would like one.” While I was answering the door Faith had got up and put her robe on, she went and got him a cup. “Do you take cream or sugar?” She asked.

      “Just black would be fine thank you so much, I’m afraid I haven’t had breakfast yet; this will hit the spot.” We sat down at the table. He took a sip and then opened the paper to the front page; “you both take good pictures, evidently one of those cars that passed yesterday was a reporter for the daily Bugle. I don’t know how he got your names; probably from one of my Officers.” He held the paper up, in big blazing headlines, it read: ‘Local Rancher and Wife save the life of Highway Patrol Officer.’

      In smaller letters underneath it said. “Local rancher and his wife, Clay and Faith Bronson; save the life of Officer Kenneth Holden. After seeing Officer Holden get shot, they stopped their vehicle and shot and killed the wanted murderer Ted Wayland and his cohort; ‘Boat Lewis’, who was also a wanted criminal from the Los Angeles area. The third man in the vehicle they knocked unconscious, no name is available for him at press time.” It went on, but that’s all I read.

      I looked at the Captain, “That guy I shot in the arm, he died?” I asked.

      “Yeah, I guess so. Turns out he was a bleeder; they couldn’t get it stopped, I guess he was in the wrong line of work. By the way, my name is: Courtney Lopez. Yeah, I know, most people think Courtney is a girl’s name, you can just call me Cort. It’s simpler that way.”

      I reached out and shook his hand. He added. “Oh yeah, by the way, I will need that pistol. I brought you another one, brand new, just like yours, same make same model. Also I brought you a permit for it. Didn’t want you packing that thing illegally. We need yours for evidence. Yeah also, the both of you will have to go the inquest. Just routine stuff. But it won’t be till next week, will you stick around or come back for it?” He asked.

      “I don’t know for sure; we have some things to check on here. The newspaper gave the names of those guys, but do you know what they were doing in this neck of the woods?” I asked.

      “I don’t know for sure; but the guy you knocked out was a lawyer from L.A. any way that was what his I.D. said. Worked for some big law firm; I didn’t pay much attention to their name. Of course he clamed up right away, asked for his lawyer. That pistol he had beside him, he did threaten you with that didn’t he?”

      “Well, he had it in his hand and it was pointed at me at one time, but when he seen the other two go down, he shucked it right away.” I said. “So I guess you could say that he would of taken a shot; if he thought he could of got away with it.”

      “That’s good enough for us, we’ll charge him with assault with a deadly weapon.”

      “What was his name anyway?” Faith asked.

      “Delbert Westinghouse. He did sort of fit that name didn’t he?” Cort said.

      “Well, I would say more of a Dilbert, not Delbert.” Faith said.

      “Yeah, there is some what of a distinction between the two, isn’t there?” I said.

      Faith said, “Yes sweetheart, there is, I would much rather be a Del; instead of a Dil.” Faith got up; Alita had woke up and was hungry. Faith picked her up and sat on the bed and turned her back and proceeded to feed her.

      “Well, I suppose I had better be going. I’ll let you know when that inquest is. And if you decide to go home let me know, Okay?” Cort said….his face turning red.

      “Honey,” Faith