The Whippoorwill Trilogy - Sharon Sala Page 0,279

he thought he was dreaming. It wasn’t until he’d seen her several more times that he realized she was living there. He didn’t know how it had happened, but the fact that she was living in luxury in that big, fine house while he was forced to make cold camp alone in the woods, only added to his anger.

He’d seen Letty Potter coming and going many times. It had given him a sense of power to know that he could kill her and be done with it at any time. But that didn’t seem like payback enough. If she died, then she wouldn’t suffer, and he wanted her to suffer.

It had finally dawned on him that the best way to hurt Letty Potter was to take away the thing she loved best, which he knew was her man. He’d had to deal with their damned dog nosing around his camp, and more than once awakened to discover that the dog had carried something off. Thanks to that dog, he didn’t even have a hat anymore.

He’d started to shoot the pup, and then realized he couldn’t shoot it without alerting the Potters to his presence. After that, he’d tried to catch it, but failed miserably. It would be a simple matter to slit its throat, but he hadn’t been able to get close enough to grab him.

So, he’d watched the house for the perfect moment, waiting until both Eulis and Letty were outside at the same time, because he wanted the bitch to watch her husband die. He wanted her on her knees, the same way she’d done to him, and today, it had happened.

He’d been up since before dawn. When he saw Eulis Potter emerge from the house and go toward the horse shed, he stood up. The dog knew he was out there, but he’d been in the vicinity for so long now that the dog took his presence for granted. For that reason, no alarm was sounded.

He’d waited impatiently, willing Letty Potter to come out before her husband left for the mines. He’d been disappointed before, but something told him today was the day.

When he saw her come out of the house and walk to the outhouse, it had been all he could do not to shout. At last he was going to get his revenge.

He waited impatiently, his hands shaking as he kept the rifle to his shoulder. He watched her come out, and when she started toward the house and her man was still nowhere in sight, he began to panic.

“No, no,” he muttered. “Come on, damn it. Get your lazy ass out of that shed.”

Then Eulis appeared, leading his horse.

At that point, George knew everything he’d planned was going to happen—now. He shifted the butt of the rifle firmly against his shoulder, squinting carefully as he looked down the sight. He couldn’t see Letty’s face, but he knew she was smiling. He could tell by the look on her husband’s face.

When Eulis started toward her, he held his breath and tightened his grip on the trigger. One pull. That was all it would take, and yet he waited. Not yet. Not yet.

When the rifle fired, George was almost as surprised as Eulis Potter looked. He saw the blood stain blossoming at the front of the man’s chest. For a few seconds, he was so taken with what he’d done that he didn’t move. But then Eulis didn’t fall, and in a fit of panic, he began to reload the rifle.

Seconds later, he took aim again, but in his haste, missed the broad shape of Eulis’ chest and hit him in the arm. He reloaded again without conscious thought, and fired without taking aim. The third shot hit Eulis in the leg.

After Potter fell, George lowered his rifle, and watched.

Letty Potter was screaming. The pain in her voice was what he’d wanted to hear. For a few moments, he watched, taking great satisfaction in seeing her grief. It was the payback he’d promised himself she would get for whipping him in the street like a dog.

It wasn’t until he’d seen Alice running out of the house that he’d come out of his trance. Alice’s vehemence in getting Letty to safety fostered the notion of shooting her, too, but then he changed his mind. He’d gotten out of jail once with no punishment. He didn’t relish staying around to test his luck a second time.

While Alice was dragging Letty up the back steps, he turned and ran.