Cobb said, “Am I getting wind of some kind of domestic dispute here? Because if that’s the case, you probably don’t want me in the middle of it. Mrs. Sterling, now she’s the one who delights in that sort of thing, and I know she’s at the Pennyroyal because I just came from having lunch at the hotel.”
Morgan shook his head and said flatly, “Jane knows.”
“She knows,” Cobb said with as little inflection. His eyebrows lifted. “She knows?”
“Mm-hmm. She does. I told her.”
“When?”
“Not that it matters, but eight or so days ago.”
“Six,” Jane said as she continued to study the Wanted Wall.
“I guess it does matter,” said Cobb.
Morgan shrugged. “Feels like eight.”
Looking at Jane’s stiff back, Cobb spoke softly to Morgan. “I know that feeling.”
One corner of Morgan’s mouth lifted. “I bet you do.”
Jane turned around and faced both men, but she addressed Cobb. “I wonder what your wife would say if she learned you were someone other than she thought you were.”
Humor tugged at Cobb Bridger’s lips. “It gives me no pleasure to say so, Mrs. Longstreet, but I can pretty much recite what she said chapter and verse. I had a similar problem. That’s why I told Morgan he should let you know straightaway.”
“You never told me that,” said Morgan.
“Didn’t I? Could be because I knew you wouldn’t be receptive to hearing it from me. I sure thought about it enough.”
Jane said, “You two can sort that out later. It certainly seems you have enough in common to forge a sustainable friendship.”
Cobb scratched behind his ear. “Maybe so.”
“Jury’s still out,” Morgan said.
Jane gave her husband a pointed look.
“Maybe so,” he said.
Cobb laughed outright and pointed to the chairs again. “Please. Sit down and tell me why you’re really here.”
Morgan and Jane sat. Both declined Cobb’s offer of coffee, and he did not pour any for himself. He returned to his chair and pushed a book and a few papers out of the way.
Jane folded her hands in her lap and began. “The last time I was in town, I met someone who Morgan believes might have been one of his brothers. Morgan did not see him, so we can’t be sure.” She described the meeting outside Mrs. Garvin’s shop and how it meant so little to her that she mentioned it only in passing to her husband. “Morgan and I thought you should know in the event that he returns to Bitter Springs.”
Cobb’s attention shifted to Morgan. “Is that right?”
“My wife just said so, didn’t she?”
Jane interjected, “Morgan said he gave you his word that he would tell you if something happened that concerns you and the town.”
“He remembers what I told him,” Morgan said. “He’s just having trouble believing my word is good.”
Cobb sighed heavily. “I’m not questioning anyone’s word. I guess I’m a little surprised you’re coming forward when all you have is suspicion. When I tried to get you to go along with me before, you weren’t having any part of it.”
Jane asked, “When was this?”
“He’s talking about what happened to Jem,” said Morgan. “He had a lot of questions for me when I got here. He thought then that one or two of the men who beat up Jem could have been Gideon or Jack.”
