Chapter 9: Coopersville

John looked round and said. "There's a Deputy Part-time Sheriff in Lamont, who is also the Undertaker He won't be pleased to be disturbed, but it's much better than taking this villain home with us."

He drove us down to the Undertakers where he leaped down and thumped hard on the door.

After repeating his thumping several times, we eventually heard a mutter from within. "All right! All right! I'm coming."

After several bolts had been shot and a chain detached, we heard the scratch of a key as it was turned. The door opened and a figure, covered in wood shavings, looked out.

"What the hell do you want? Oh! It's you, young John! Well! What is it?"

"I have a prisoner for you."

"What's the charge?"

John turned to me in confusion. Highway robbery, even attempted can carry a death sentence by hanging. Our prisoner looked dejected. I leaned forward and spoke to the deputy.

"The charge should be 'interfering with a Federal investigation'. I am an Assistant Director of the New England Bureau of Investigation. As such, I enjoy certain judicial privileges. This man should receive a sentence of one month's incarceration without the option."

"Yes sir! Of course, sir!"

The Deputy went to the rear of the coach and accepted the prisoner from Karen.

"Come along, you!"

John remounted his driving seat and I said, "Thank you, Deputy and good day."

"And good day to you sir. Good day!" John turned the coach and drove back the way we had come.

Karen looked a little puzzled and said "What was that about judicial privileges?"

"Well, I didn't want to charge him with highway robbery, even attempted. The sentence would be way too harsh. So I made up my judicial privileges!"

We reached our junction and turned onto 48th Avenue. Another mile or so and we turned right up to a large house. As we descended from the coach, a gray-haired lady came out of the house to greet us after giving John a hug. John introduced us all to his mother after which she escorted us into the house.

Once inside she turned to me and said, "Oh! Sir Robert! There's someone here to see you. He arrived yesterday afternoon expecting to find you here."

"I hope we haven't inconvenienced you. We stayed in Holdrege a day longer than we had originally intended."

"The poor man was so mortified. However we put him up for the night. In fact, he was most entertaining. We spent the evening hearing about some of his exploits." She turned to her son. "John, Your father is showing our visitor the orchard. Would you mind fetching them?"

John left. His mother turned back to us. "I gather, Sir Robert, you may be leaving us very soon. However, please feel welcome to return whenever you can.

A few minutes later John returned with his father and a young man of native New England stock.

He looked at me and said. "Sir Robert Macleod?"

He produced a gleaming badge proclaiming him to be a Kings' Messenger. "May I see your badge, sir?"

"Of course!" I replied.

I produced the badge and holding it out to him. As he touched it, the stone embedded at its center glowed, thereby identifying me.