Case File MO70

Dean: It’s Harrington. 2-4-0-4-0-3-2-3-9-9.

Marshal: ID code recognized. Keeping warm, Dean?

Dean: You’re lucky this thing doesn’t pick up hand gestures…sir. I ain’t got no tolerance for this weather. Only seen snow five times before this winter.

Marshal: You know why I chose you. Bean won’t suspect someone from the South to be working with me.

Dean: Not sure how much that’s helping. I’d say we should have sent him with Bitters to Lexington - if I thought those doctors were worth anything. Either he’s full of so much laudanum that you can see it leak out his eyes, or he’s crying betrayal at the drop of a hat.

Marshal: Fine, I’ll consider you for a promotion after this case gets wrapped up. See if that keeps you warm. Has the good reverend found anything useful or not?

Dean: Oh, the good reverend’s better than we thought. Him and Benton are both scrambled in the head. Wouldn’t trust them to raise a barn without doing something absurd. But when they’re on the scent, it’s like they’ve been hunting people since Washington was in office. Lost track of them for a week or two, but a chance stop at a farmhouse had us learn that they’ve been begging farmers for food and supplies. There was some triangulation, setting up cordons, relying on Briar’s intuition…but we got a solid location.

Marshal: You’re…certain?

Dean: There’s a thicket maybe twenty miles from St. Louis, southwest of where I met up with Bean. Dense enough and small enough that most travelers would take the two hours to walk around it instead of passing through. It matches up with what the locals have been saying, and Briar spotted a smoke trail coming from there a few times. Someone’s definitely in there, and if it’s not them, they’re not in Missouri anymore.

Marshal: Well, Leberecht and Okese are going to be sour. They’ve had a team checking up and down the Mississippi for them.

Dean: They might still be. Could be a coincidence. Could be a lost traveler, or a mountain man, or something. But those two are ready to stomp through there with rifles ready. Speaking of which, what’s the plan, tee-four? I told Bean and Briar to check with the locals to make sure nobody uses that bunch of trees for anything, while I keep watch. But when they come back…Bean wants Freestone dead, and I don’t think he’ll let me stop him even if I reveal I’m with the Marshals.

Marshal: If the current analysis of the recordings from Henshaw are correct, you have good reason to be concerned. Claim that his brother sent a messenger, that he’s gathered up a posse to help him. We form a cordon around the area, then take Bean and Briar into custody before combing through the thicket for Freestone and Macy…and Walstead if we’re lucky.

Dean: If we’re lucky, sir.

Marshal: A few more days and I’ll find you a furnace and some warm milk to keep you.

Dean: Take your time, not like I’m running out of bits to freeze off.

[silence]

Dean: He can find out his girl flipped when he gets here. Not gonna spend time arguing with him about her loyalty in this damned cold.

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