Billy Peal and Josie West: A Dynamic Duo

By Dale McMillan

Born eight days apart, Billy Peal and Josie West were first cousins but a great deal more like siblings. Billy’s mother Mary, whom all the West boys called "Baby Sister," was younger sister to Josie's father, one of a set of twin boys. After the death of his father in the Vietnam War, Billy was taken under the wings of his mother's three brothers and his maternal grandparents who all lived together on the family ranch. Josie and Billy referred to themselves as twins with different parents. The actual twins, Tim and Jim West, were rodeo enthusiasts, the first a steer wrestler and the latter a calf roper. Billy and Josie shared their enthusiasm and Billy participated in bronco riding, steer wrestling and calf roping while Josie became a serious barrel racer. Still, Billy was always a gentleman. Josie, however, could outride, outshoot, and outcuss any of the boys around her and gave her dad a run for his money as well. This was a constant source of contention between her parents, roughshod rodeo rider Tim and Jim the epitome of a perfect lady.
A complication in Billy's life was his parents' history. William Peal and Mary West had married in secret. William was in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M College and not supposed to be married, Soon, though, Mary was pregnant and the relationship was hard to hide. William's conniving stepmother, Alice Peal, saw an opportunity and launched a smear campaign to discredit the couple, casting doubt and shame upon their "secret marriage," and trying to convince Billy’s paternal grandfather, bank president and mayor of the small town of Westerly, Texas, to cut Billy out of any inheritance. Life gets pretty interesting with Alice Peal at the head of anything and everything in Westerley.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781984585059

Dale McMillan

Dale McMillan retired from a long career in the petrochemical industry. After building a home, shop, three barns, and restoring a log cabin built originally in 1854, he tried his hand at writing fiction at age 67. He has written 17 other books since that first release. He lives on a small sand hill farm just outside Henderson, Texas with his invalid wife, Janell and two dogs, Marcie and Sherlock.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 by Dale McMillan.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-9845-8506-6

                eBook            978-1-9845-8505-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Website

Rev. date: 06/25/2020

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

815497

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Dedicated to:

Merlene Thompson, a kind and gentle lady who sits with my

invalid wife offering encouragement and gentle care

Chapter 1

Billy Peal’s dad was killed in the last weeks of the Vietnam War. Billy was born two months after his dad’s death; thus, he never knew his father. Billy’s dad was a third generation Aggie, member of the corps and a young second lieutenant just out of college when he was drafted and sent to Vietnam. He had been there two weeks when he was killed by mortar fire. Billy’s Mom, Mary and dad, also another William, had been childhood sweethearts. She attended Mary Hardin Baylor. She graduated ahead of Billy’s dad because she had gone to summer school and graduated in three years. She and Billy’s dad secretly married when she graduated college.

Mary rented an apartment near College Station and took a job teaching 1st grade. She and Billy’s dad had to keep their marriage secret, since he was in the corps at Texas A&M University, but they were generally together on weekends.

Billy’s dad’s mother was dead, and his father had remarried. His stepmother was a jealous, vindictive woman, very self-centered. When Mary came home to live with her parents, Alice Peal, William’s stepmother, claimed that William and Mary were not married and that was simply a claim to cover her indiscretion. When William was killed in Vietnam, and the insurance money was paid to Mary instead of going to his father, Alice stepped up her hate campaign against Mary, thus Billy was denied a relationship with his grandparents on his father’s side.

Because of Alice’s hate campaign against Mary, there were two camps in the small town of Westerly, Texas. The town was almost evenly divided between those who believed Alice and those who did not. The country club set, and elitists were on Alice’s side of the fence and they made Billy’s life miserable during his growing up years.

Mary had a stellar reputation as a teacher, and she was able to land a first-grade teaching job in Westerly. Her parents were a successful farm family with three boys and then Mary came along as the only girl. Those who would trash the reputation of Mary Peal soon learned to tread softly around any of Mary’s three brothers or her dad. Her dad and two younger twin brothers were well known for their temper and all had a propensity to react when angered. Two brothers were rodeo competitors, One a calf roper and the other a steer wrestler. The oldest brother was the agriculture teacher in town. The older brother, Tom was more like his mom in temperament; slow to anger, but once past the threshold, look out."

One problem for the town was that both families attended the same church. Jake Peal, Billy’s grandfather was the bank president and mayor of the town of Westerly. Because of Alice’s constant hate campaign against Mary Peal and Billy, Howard West, Mary’s dad severed business relations with First National Bank of Westerly and sold his interest in the bank. Howard West took much of the bank’s business with him when he made this move.

Jake Peal had been forced to seek outside interest. The Investment group that purchased an interest in the Westerly bank was known in the financial sector as operating just inside the umbrella of legality. Several of the prominent people in the church congregation had been stung by the new investment group’s banking policies. Anger at both the Peals and the Wests was rising in the community. Jake Peal recognized the error in bringing in the outside interest. Although he lost money, he slowly wrestled the bank away from the investment group. Bringing them into the bank had been his wife’s idea. He closed the door on her meddling in the bank’s business after that fiasco.

From kindergarten through high school, Billy Peal was harassed and bullied at school as well as at church. This ill treatment resulted in a young man growing up a dreamer and very much alone and with few friends. Billy, as a young lad growing up found solace in his granddad’s farm. Howard West deeded Mary a few acres of land on the family farm and Howard, her dad, encouraged her to purchase a 160 acre farm that joined their property, and she used the insurance from her husband’s military insurance to build a small three bedroom home just down the lane to her parent’s home. Billy, his granddad and three uncles became very close.

Mary Peal remained Baby Sister to all three of her brothers. Billy did not lack for male influence in his life. He was small as a child and was often referred to as Runt by his boisterous uncles, but they all nurtured him and he was constantly forced into situations beyond his abilities, but things that forced him to stretch and mature. He had a broken collar bone by age 4 from being thrown from a horse. He was placed back on the horse and instructed to ride and show the horse who was boss before he saw a doctor. A broken arm was next as he tried to wrestle a steer twice his weight by age six. He got the steer down, but unfortunately, he got it down on his arm. A serious number of bruises were experienced by age 8 resulting from Billy roping a 1500-pound young Brahman bull. He wrapped his rope around the saddle horn and the bull broke the cinch straps on his old ancient saddle and drug him and the saddle off the horse and took off across a field dragging Billy and the saddle.

His uncles, Tim and Jim each finally got a rope on the bull and pulled it to a halt. Billy had turned loose of the rope around the saddle horn and the rope came loose from the saddle. Billy was laying in the middle of the field where his uncle Tom ran to him hoping he wasn’t dead. Tom reached down and touched Billy’s face. Billy’s eyes fluttered open and Tom asked, Billy, where are you hurt, son?

With a faint smile Billy answered, Mostly all over, Uncle Tom.

Billy started trying to get up and Tom kept trying to get him to stay down and let them call an ambulance, but Billy waved off that idea and climbed to his feet. He blustered, I ain’t hurt all that bad. I think I got a few grass burrs in my butt.

Tim and Jim had the bull tied off, so they came rushing over to see how bad Billy was hurt. He had pretty much recovered from having the wind knocked out of him from being drug off the horse.

Uncle Jim blubbered, Why in the hell didn’t you turn loose of the damn rope?

Billy had fully recovered his senses now and he answered, Well I wasn’t in hell yet and I don’t think the rope was damned. It seems to be a pretty good rope to me. Did exactly what it was supposed to do. Now I don’t have a lot of good to say about that old wore out saddle you gimme to ride on.

Uncles Tom and Tim both burst into laughter. Uncle Jim smiled at his little nephew, turned on his heels, went to his truck and drove all the way Austin to a saddle shop. He bought Billy a first-rate saddle. This was one of those touchstone moments for all four of these men. At 8 years old, Billy Peal had become one of the men on this farm/ranch.

Billy took lots more bangs and bruises on his way to manhood, each resulting from one of Mary’s brothers pushing him into something beyond his abilities. Billy learned how to swim by his youngest uncle, 22 minutes younger than his twin brother, tossing him into the creek and telling him to sink or swim. He swam.

He swam in all of life’s situations he was forced into. The brothers took several tongue lashings from Baby Sister on Billy’s journey to manhood, but on the other side of the coin, she was proud of the way Billy was developing into a fine young man and she credited most of that to his uncles.

Billy went out for football and he was a good and scrappy player. The only problem for him was that his step Grandmother’s nephew was selected for the same position as Billy, thus because Billy’s Grandfather on his dad’s side was mayor, the football coach favored his step grandmother’s nephew and Billy seldom got into the game; at least that was the view most of the town held.

The last game of the season, when Westerly was playing for class A State Championship, Westerly had led up until the last few minutes before the end of the game when a quarterback sneak totally fooled the Westerly team and the quarterback for the opposing team slipped through the line and ran 80 yards for a touchdown. This placed them one point behind Westerly. Instead of settling for a tie with an extra point, the coach faked an extra point kick and the team ran with the ball and scored the two points.

The fullback simply ran over Albert Arnold, Billy’s rival for position and scored the two points giving the team a one-point lead over Westerly. Albert faked a sprained ankle and went out to have his ankle taped.

Billy was sent in to take his place. The opposing team kicked off after the two-point conversion and Westerly let the ball roll thinking it was surely going into the end zone and they would start from the 20-yard line. Instead it took a sideward bounce at the last minute and stopped on the one-foot line.

Albert Arnold started to go back in to take Billy’s place. but the play started as he got just a few feet onto the field and had to be called back. The coach had already sent a play in for Albert, so Billy took the hand off, slipped through the line, stiff armed a linebacker, did a quick spin totally faking out a safety back and he was headed for the opposite end of the field. Having spent his growing up years chasing cattle all over the Wests farm, there was no one on the field faster than Billy Peal. He scored easily.

There were two college team scouts sitting behind the bench and one of the scouts blustered where everyone could hear, Why in the heck has that kid been on the bench all night. That is pure lunacy.

The coach heard, the mayor heard, and also Alice Peal. She was seething. But that was not the end of Albert’s problems. Westerly kicked off and there was about 45 seconds left to play. The opposing team tried a long Hail Mary pass, which Albert intercepted. He had not grounded the ball and he started taunting the kid the pass was meant for holding the ball with one hand showing it to the kid it was intended for and a quick thinking kid on the other team grabbed the ball out of his hand and ran 40 yards for a touchdown. There was two seconds left on the clock. They kicked the extra point and they were again one point ahead. The team kicked off and stopped Westerly on the 30-yard line. The game was over. Westerly had just lost Class A State Championship because of Albert’s theatrics. He was not a popular person.

Albert was seething because Billy Peal had won the game and then with his monkeyshine, he had lost it. The coach wouldn’t even talk to him. Albert became the goat of the whole school. Instead of simply taking his lumps and moving on, he just became more bitter toward Billy and he and a couple of goons made life miserable for Billy Peal.

To make matters worse, Albert asked Mary Beth Bourg to attend the football banquet with him and she informed that she already had a date. Albert expected that he knew who the date was with but did not ask. Mary Beth lived on the farm that attached to the West farm at the back side. Mary Beth and Billy had been chums all their life. Mary Beth was larger than Runt most of their growing up years, but at about 14, Billy underwent a growing spurt and shot up almost overnight. Now at 18, he was 5 ft. 7 in. tall. Mary Beth was 5 ft. 9 in. tall. She had been a slender and gangly girl growing up. About 14, instead of growing taller, she simply began to fill out in all the right places.

Mary Beth had long black hair, which was generally kept in a ponytail. She looked somewhat Hispanic and generally was considered as such by people who did not know the family, but she was half Italian and half Cajun. Her family was struggling to keep a small dairy farm operation in business. She was no stranger to work. She could muck out the dairy barn as well as anyone ever since she was about 10. Unfortunately, she still carried a bit of the dairy barn odor with her when she came to school on occasion and except with everyone except Billy Peal, she was somewhat an outcast.

Billy was expelled from school a couple of times for whipping guys for making derogatory, lascivious comments about Mary Beth. It didn’t really matter to him. He was growing up close enough to west Texas to exhibit that typical west Texas attitude, Oh well, tomorrow will be another day. His mother did not subscribe to that same attitude and he generally received a stern lecture for his behavior until she learned that he was defending Mary Beth’s honor and then she was in the principal’s office defending her son and asking hard questions like, What was the other boy’s punishment?

Mary had already been forced out of her job in Westerly and she had to drive 25 miles to another school district to hold a job. The whole West clan was upset over that and although they did not live in the city limits, they had an impact. The Bourgs had already pulled their trade out of Westerly. Other farmers had followed suit.

The night after Billy took Mary Beth home from the end of the season football banquet, he drove in and they sat in her front yard talking for a little while in Billy’s old one ton pickup truck, which was a farm cast off that he had overhauled and claimed as his own. Billy took Mary Beth in his arms and kissed her soundly. She kissed back but kept herself in check. Billy respected that. They had been necking for just a few minutes when Mary Beth’s mother flicked the front porch light on and off, signaling her daughter that it was time to come inside. Billy took Mary Beth to the door, kissed her soundly and went to his truck.

Billy drove out of the Bourg’s yard and when he got to the exit onto the road, there was a small log across the lane. Billy sat looking for a few moments and decided that it was just someone playing another mean trick on him. He placed his truck in neutral, set the emergency break and got out to move the log out of the way so he could exit the lane. Just as Billy bent over to try to move the log, three people in ski masks came from behind a shrub. Two grabbed his arms and the third started pounding him in the face with brass knuckles. Billy struggled to protect his face but the two goons behind him mostly kept his arms pinned behind him. He did manage to reach up and grab a button from a jacket pocket. Even after he was knocked unconscious, he held onto that button.

The three dropped Billy in the middle of the lane and ran off. At 1:30, Billy still had not come in. Mary hated to call the Bourgs, but she needed to find out if Billy had brought Mary Beth home. She knew that Mary Beth still helped with the morning milking and she did not think that Billy would keep her out that late. Learning that Mary Beth came in about 11:30, Mary dressed quickly and drove around to the Bourg home. When she arrived at the Bourgs’ lane, Mary Beth, her mother, Judy and her dad Adrian were all there with Billy lying on the ground unconscious. Judy had brought quilts to wrap him up in and a pillow for his head. The ambulance had been called and one could hear the sirens as it approached. Billy’s face was cut badly from the brass knuckles. Mary Beth was all to pieces.

A sheriff’s deputy followed the ambulance out to the scene. He had no idea how to handle an investigation, but he did have the good sense to instruct the Bourgs to leave the scene as they found it. Billy was suffering from the beating he had just taken but he was also in second stage hypothermia by the time he was found by the Bourgs, It was about 36 degrees this time of night and he had been lying on the ground since 11:30 until 1:30.

The ambulance crew quickly loaded Billy up and took off to the hospital. It was almost 2 am when the ambulance got Billy in the Hospital. Mary waited until 4:30 before she called her dad to let him know about Billy. He called all three boys immediately.

The hospital in Westerly did not think they were capable of handling Billy’s case, so they prepared him to be transferred by ambulance on to Austin after treating his hypothermia.

Mary had noticed that Billy’s right hand was clamped tight on something before they left the hospital in Westerly. She patted it and finally got him to relax his hand enough that she could see what he was clutching. It turned out to be a covered coat button. Mary retrieved the button and placed it in a zipper pocket in her billfold. She knew this would be a key to finding out who had attacked Billy.

Tim went with Mary and Jim followed in a separate car. Billy’s granddad was a classmate of the governor in college. He called and asked the governor if he could send the Texas Rangers to investigate. He did not trust the local law enforcement agencies in Westerly to try to solve who committed this crime. The Wests already knew who the attackers were; at least one of the guilty parties. They knew one thing and that was that it had to be more than one person to do this to Billy Peal.

A Ranger was in Westerly before 10 am. Mary’s dad and her brother Tom remained in Westerly to meet with the Ranger. Rain was forecast, so Tom mixed up plaster of paris and took impressions of tire tracks just up the road from the Bourg’s’ lane where a car had pulled off the road and parked in a lane to a gate. The tracks were very distinct in a lite covering of mud in the lane.

Judy Bourg called the church to place Billy’s name on the prayer roster. News spread rapidly after that call. Albert Arnold’s mother’s blood ran cold when she heard what had happened to Billy Peal. She knew that Albert hated Billy. This mother’s heart already knew who the perpetrator was. At this point, the news was that it was not known if Billy would survive. News travels rapidly in a small town. News that a Texas Ranger had been called in was all over town within 30 minutes of his arrival. Albert was still in bed asleep when Ruth Arnold heard this. She woke him up and quizzed him about knowing anything about Billy Peal being attacked and beaten up.

His response was, No kidding. Did someone rob him? I have heard him brag about how much money he carried.

That just did not ring quite true with Ruth. She had quietly observed Billy. He did not seem like the kind of kid to brag about money. This did not ease her anxiety. In fact, this mother knew that Albert had something to do with what happened.

She looked intently at her son and said, Albert, if you had anything to do with this, you are going to wind up in prison. The word is that Billy might not survive. He was suffering from hypothermia when they found him about 1:30 this morning. He would have died in the Bourg’s driveway if Mary Peal had not called the Bourg’s to see if Billy had brought Mary Beth home. Judy looked out their window and saw car lights down at the end of their driveway. Adrian went to check and found Billy’s truck out of gas at the end of their driveway, but the truck lights were still on. He found Billy unconscious in the middle of the driveway and a log across the road. Evidently someone placed a log across the road to cause Billy to get out of his truck and someone jumped him and beat him up.

Sounds like the little smart ass got what he deserved, finally. Lots of people at school hate his guts.

Albert was not convincing.

On the way to Austin, Billy regained consciousness. He was having trouble talking. Immediately when he got settled into the hospital in Austin, Mary, Jim, and Tim were allowed to see him. He could not talk, but he did make a motion for a pen and something to write on. He was given a pen and small pad. He was able to write, AA.

Mary asked, Albert Arnold?

He nodded Yes.

Mary opened the zipper pocket on her billfold and pulled out the covered button. She asked, You tore this off his jacket?

He nodded, Yes.

Mary immediately went to a pay phone and called her mother and told her what evidence they had and asked her to pass that on to her dad and her brother Tom. Grace West went to her car and went to chase them down. She found them in the Sheriff’s office with the Sheriff, the Deputy who followed the ambulance and the Texas Ranger. The Sheriff was arguing with the Ranger claiming that they only had suspicion that Albert Arnold might be involved, and they had no solid proof. He argued, In this town, you had better be sure before you pick him up. His aunt is married to the Mayor and he wields a big stick here.

Tom countered, Yes, and the Mayor is Billy’s grandfather.

The sheriff had sort of forgotten that fact.

Grace West, Billy Peal’s grandmother, went into the sheriff’s office and asked if her husband was there. The receptionist answered, Yes he is in conference with the Sheriff and the Texas Ranger.

I need to see him. I have additional information.

I am sorry, I cannot interrupt them.

Look, I am not going to stand here and argue with you. My husband has already called the governor once today and got the Ranger here. If I have to call him back and let him know that you are trying to protect the responsible person you will have some serious explaining to do. Now you get my husband here and I mean now.

The little upstart receptionist immediately arose and summoned Howard West and informed, Mr. West, your wife is here to see you.

Howard’s blood ran cold. He feared that Billy had not survived. He rushed out to meet his wife. She shuffled him off to a corner and relayed to him what Mary had told her. Howard went back to the sheriff’s office and told Tom and Ranger Larkin that they were done here and asked them to come with him. The Sheriff blustered, Now wait a minute I will not be left out of this investigation.

Howard turned to the sheriff and informed, You are already out Fred. When you started trying to defend the guilty party, you were tagged out.

Well, I don’t know that you have found the guilty party. Robbery was evidently the motive. The young man’s billfold was found lying on the ground according to my deputy.

Ranger Larkin, I have some new information for you. Will you step out with me?

Once outside the Sheriff’s office, Howard West revealed. My grandson has identified one of the persons who attacked him. He also tore a button off his coat. We need to get a search warrant as soon as possible and search this young man’s home before he realizes the coat has a missing button and destroys the evidence. I did not want the sheriff to know because I am afraid that he will warn the family. This young man is his cousin. We need to find Judge Winslow. I am afraid Judge Beal would also warn this family.

The three men went immediately to the courthouse and found Judge Winslow just before he was going into court. Howard let the Ranger make the request. The judge complied immediately.

Ranger Larkin instructed, Mr. West, I will take over from here. I need to involve the Sheriff’s office. I will not tell him what we are doing; I will simply ask that his office supply me with a deputy pretending that we are going to look at the site of the attack.

Tom West revealed, I found vehicle tracks where I think the people who attacked my nephew parked. I made plaster of paris molds before the rain came this morning.

Great! That will be good evidence. Do you have an idea which tires?

I have both front tires; if they drove straight in, or both rear if they backed in.

Wow! You guys have been busy. Just back off now and let me handle this.

Howard smiled and said, You got it, but this boy won’t get away with this. I hope you can get him into custody before Billy’s uncles get back from Austin. I would hate to see them arrested. They are going to be some livid when they get here.

I’ll handle this. You reign them in.

Larkin went back to the Sheriff’s office and asked the Sheriff if he could supply him with a deputy informing, I need to look over the site where the altercation occurred.

Sure; I can do that. Did you get rid of West?

Yes, I told him I would handle this.

Well, the Wests think they own this town. I suspect that kid had a pocket full of money and some thug robbed him. From what I see, it looks like robbery was the motive.

Don’t think so. Brass knuckles were used to disfigure his face. It sounds more like a vendetta to me.

This thought chilled Sheriff Grimes. Albert Arnold was his first cousin. He called his aunt’s home, but she had gone looking for her husband because she was worried that Albert had been involved in the attack on Billy Peal.

Once in the car with the deputy, Larkin informed, I need for you to direct me to Albert Arnold’s home. Do you know where he lives?"

Meekly the deputy answered, Yes sir.

Ruth Arnold found her husband at a construction site. He had heard about Billy Peal being attacked but he had not connected Albert with the attack. She revealed, Sam, I have a bad feeling about this. You know how much Albert hates Billy Peal. He was angry that Mary Beth Bourg went to the football banquet with Billy. He railed on and on about her going out with that white trash. You need to come home and question him. He had guilt written all over his face when I asked him about it this morning.

Oh, I don’t think Albert would do something like that. People seem to think robbery was the motive.

I do not for one minute believe that. From what was described to me, it was a vendetta. That points straight at Albert. You know how much he hates Billy, and as near as I can tell, he has no reason to do that other than jealously.

Sam thought Albert could do no wrong, He became very angry with his wife. You have already convicted our son in your mind, haven’t you?

She kept her cool. No Sam, I hope I am wrong, but I just have a very bad feeling about this. Please come home and talk to Albert.

Sam cussed a blue streak, but he slammed the blue prints he was studying together and went straight to his truck, started it up and spun out heading home. Ruth with tears in her eyes followed. Sam arrived home Just before Ruth because he was mad and sped home. He was already in Albert’s room when Ruth arrived. Texas Ranger Larkin and Deputy Gleason drove in behind her.

Ranger Larkin approached Ruth to introduce himself. He asked, Are you Mrs. Arnold?

Yes.

Mrs. Arnold, my name is James Larkin. I am with the Texas Rangers and I have been assigned the task of investigating the attack on Billy Peal last night. Do your know Deputy Gleason?

Yes, I do. Hello, Bob.

Hi, Ruth.

Continuing Larkin revealed, Mrs. Arnold, we have a search warrant to look for specific evidence that we believe will connect your son Albert with the attack on Billy Peal.

Ruth broke down and wept. The deputy placed his arm around her shoulder and coaxed, Maybe we are wrong, Ruth.

Ruth controlled her emotions and invited the lawmen into their home. She led them back to Albert’s room where Sam was quizzing Albert about the attack on Billy. Albert was reciting some tale about Billy bragging about all the money he had in his billfold when Ruth walked in trailing by Ranger Larkin and Deputy Gleason.

Ruth informed, Sam, this is Texas Ranger Larkin and you know Bob. They have a search warrant.

Albert started to run out the door, but Larkin stepped in front of him and before he knew what was happening, he had Albert’s arms handcuffed behind his back. He marched him over and sat him down in a chair beside a study desk in his room. Albert started bawling. A jacket was laying on another chair in the room, along with a ski mask. Larkin picked both up and noted that a pocket button was missing from the jacket. Looking at the buttons, Larkin informed the parents, "Billy Peal had a single covered button clasped in his hand. I suspect that button will match the buttons on this jacket. I see that one is missing.

Deputy Gleason, will you take charge of this prisoner while I search the rest of this room for evidence?

Yes Sir.

Larkin then went to the dresser and looked through all the drawers. He found some porn magazines hidden under his underwear, but he did not mention that. He then moved to the desk. Nothing there. Lifting the mattress on his bed he spotted a small canvass bag under one corner of the mattress. Removing the bag, he reached inside and drew out a pair of brass knuckles.

Both parents groaned and Ruth gasped, Oh Albert, how could you?

At this point, the Arnolds did not know if Billy was alive or dead. They were devastated.

Larkin asked, Mr. Arnold, how old are you? Albert answered, I’m 18."

Mr. Arnold, you are under arrest for attempted murder of Billy Peal. If Mr. Peal dies, that charge will of course be upgraded to murder.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer questions now without a lawyer present, you have the right to stop answering at any time.

I wont a lawyer; I ain’t done nothing.

It is duly noted that this young man refuses to answer any further questions before he has a lawyer present. Deputy Gleason will you escort this young man to the patrol car.

Damn, Albert, why did you do it, Gleason blustered."

We didn’t mean to hurt him all that much; just teach him a lesson.

Sarcastically his mother asked, What kind of lesson, Albert. Were you trying to teach him how stupid you are? You left him unconscious in 30-degree weather. How smart was that? Who was with you?

I ain’t telling.

Oh, you will tell alright. As soon as your daddy bails you out and those West boys get hold of you, you will tell. You will be begging to tell. You will be trying to find someone to tell.

Ruth was stressed. Albert had lied to her. If he had told her she would have insisted that he go to the sheriff and turn himself in. Now the Texas Rangers have him and he is in deep trouble. They could have at least thrown the brass knuckles in the river. That evidence is going to be very incriminating, and they pointed to malice and forethought rather than simply spur of the moment anger. When one coupled the brass knuckles with chopping down a tree and hauling it to use as a roadblock, you have some strong evidence against you. Ruth Arnold had worked as a legal secretary and she had learned a lot about how the law worked during that time. It wasn’t going to work in her son’s favor. Rehearsing all of this in her mind, Ruth Arnold was incredibly stressed.

Deputy Gleason revealed, Oh, he doesn’t have to tell. It was Joey Villarreal and Walter Prescott; I saw them at a service station together last night.

Well, we will take Mr. Arnold to jail and then go pick them up, Larkin commented.

Albert bawled all the way to the car. He was an only child and spoiled. Ruth would have