Uncertain: Day 3

Word Count: 18,194

Summary of Events:

After inquiring at the last house on the same stretch of Union Street as her sister's Hazel became overcome by grief and was escorted by Joseph to the hotel to recover while he went to follow up on what he'd learned. A local sheep rancher's cook, Mrs. Davids, had been seen with Hazel's niece and nephew following their mother's demise, so Joseph questioned her and found out they'd disappeared two days before and Mrs. Davids hadn't had the time to inform Joseph of their disappearance. Upon being informed of this by Joseph, Hazel was quite unimpressed and refused to believe the children had run away . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“Ruby and Teddy could well have been snatched out of their beds by some nefarious person and now they’re getting away!” Hazel exclaimed. “If I were in New Jersey we would have made much more headway on locating the children than this.”

“Well you ain’t in New Jersey Mrs. Chalmers,” the sheriff replied irritably. “You’re in New Mexico Territory, and around these parts I’m the law and the law’s me. I don’t even got me no deputy, unless you really want to count my dog.”

“And why should the dog be counted?” Hazel asked tautly.

“Because I named him Deputy,” the sheriff replied.

“Oh of all the backwater places,” Hazel sighed. “We need to inquire after suspicious persons and what anyone heard two nights ago at Felicity’s home.”

“Mrs. Chalmers, I really don’t think Ruby and Teddy Dirk was kidnapped,” the sheriff said. “If they was surely someone would’ve said that there was someone out after the kids or they heard screaming. If the kids disappeared without a sound it’s more likely they done ran off on their own.”

“And why, pray tell, would they do that?” Hazel demanded.

“Mrs. Davids said they was distressed when she got your letter saying you was coming down here to take ‘em back to New Jersey,” the sheriff replied. “And seeing as they’d never seen you before I could see why they might be scared.”

“You really think so?” Hazel demanded. “Surely they would be pleased and reassured that someone who knew their mother would be coming, someone who was family.”

“Mrs. Davids said your sister and her husband was all the family those kids ever knew,” the sheriff replied. “Look, I ain’t never met any of my nieces and nephews either, and if they was orphaned and I was all the kin what could come to take care’a them I wouldn’t expect ‘em to trust me’s far’s they could throw me. Yeah, you know their Ma, but they don’t know you, and they don’t even know what their Ma thought’a you. For all they know their Ma could’ve hated you.”

“Well she most assuredly didn’t, I’ll tell you that much,” Hazel snapped.

“I ain’t saying she did,” the sheriff replied exasperatedly. “But they don’t know that!”

“I refuse to believe that my sister did not tell her children about me,” Hazel snapped.

“I don’t know’s that sort of thing would make much of a difference,” the sheriff said.

“Felicity and I were as close as anyone could possibly be,” Hazel declared. “Although a calendar may say she was nearly a complete three years my senior we might as well have been twins. In fact, there were some, particularly upon our arrival in this country, who really believed that we were! I am certain Ruby and Teddy would’ve been given nothing but glowing reports of me and as such that they couldn’t possibly have any grounds upon which to be frightened of me! Therefore I tell you someone has taken my niece and nephew by force!”