by J. Rosemary Moss
Genre: Slash Fan-Fiction (Bonanza)
Rating: PG-13
LINK TO PART ONE
~
A while later Adam, David and Little Joe sat around a cramped table in a noisy, boisterous saloon—the sort of place where there was little chance that their conversation would be overheard. Adam and David filled Joe in on everything that had happened in San Francisco, plus their own suspicions regarding Stephen’s death.
Joe listened intently, Adam noticed, but he could scarcely bring himself to look at David. And when he did, it was always with some caustic remark on his lips.
Adam sighed to himself. Well, it was going to take Joe some time to come to terms with David. At least David had the sense not to take offense at Joe’s words. Or, if he did take offense, he had the sense not to show it.
David was being friendly toward Joe, but he wasn’t trying to win Joe over—a fact that Adam appreciated. There would be time for that later. Joe’s shock and disgust was too raw right now.
"I just want to get one thing straight," Joe said at length. "David, before you met Adam, you were using Stephen for inside information."
"Correct," David admitted, frowning a little.
Joe turned to Adam. "After you met and became friends with David, Gregory Miller hinted to you that something was going on between David and Stephen."
"Yes," Adam agreed. "But he hinted at more than that. He hinted that David was also acquiring inside information."
Joe nodded. "So you confronted David and threatened to expose the scandal. David promised to withdraw his bid and, in exchange, you promised to keep quiet."
"Right," Adam said.
"But when Stephen came to you, Adam," Joe continued, "and told you that he was going to tell his father about his affair with David, he also told you that he and David had fallen out—and that David had decided not to withdraw his bid after all."
Adam cocked his head at him, wondering what he was getting at. "That’s correct."
Joe turned to David. "And that wasn’t the truth?"
"No," David replied evenly, ignoring Joe’s implication that he had lied to Adam. "Stephen and I had no falling out and I still intended to withdraw my bid as soon as I could find a respectable excuse."
"Don’t worry," Joe said wryly. "I believe you. But I think you misinterpreted Stephen’s motives. You thought that he had some misguided notion of protecting you—but I think he was angry."
Joe paused and looked straight into David’s eyes. "He was angry for a couple of reasons. First of all, if he’d never met you, Gregory Miller would have had nothing to blackmail him with. Maybe he could have stood that—but he couldn’t stand the fact that you were so fascinated by Adam. I mean, you wouldn’t take any inside information from Stephen about Adam, the Ponderosa or Adam’s potential bid. You needed that to be on the up and up so that your competition with Adam would be genuine. But I’ll bet Stephen was smart enough to be jealous."
Joe paused again and leaned back in his chair, still looking David in the eye. "When he took that gun in his hand and blew his brains out, I’ll bet he wanted revenge against his father and you. His father for rejecting him and disinheriting him—and you for growing tired of him."
Adam turned to David and saw that his face had gone white. He placed a hand on his shoulder, but David scarcely seemed to notice.
"You’re right," David managed, addressing Joe. "That’s why he told Adam that I wasn’t withdrawing the contract—he wanted to make Adam as hostile toward me as possible."
Joe nodded. "Miller’s motives were probably just what you thought. At the last minute, he probably decided to tell you that Adam had forced Stephen to confess in order to drive a wedge in your friendship and keep you two from getting together and comparing notes. But that backfired."
David stood up abruptly. "I’ll keep an eye on Marty this evening," he said. "Why don’t you show
Joe where Miller lives and keep an eye on him?" he asked Adam.
Adam stood up and faced him. "Are you sure you want to be alone?" he asked softly.
David looked him in the eye. "I need to be alone."
Adam nodded and the two men clasped their hands together in a tight handshake. Then David turned and left the saloon.
Adam turned and cocked his head at his brother. "Was that necessary?" he demanded.
Joe shrugged. "I thought you two were after the truth. That seems to me the most likely reason that Stephen shot himself. David should know that he caused that young man to commit suicide—and so should you."
"I don’t need you to tell me David’s faults," Adam said as he narrowed his eyes at Joe. "But just remember that he didn’t pull that trigger, Joe—Stephen made that decision on his own."
Joe shrugged again, as if it were a pointless distinction.
Adam took a deep breath, struggling to control his temper. "Let’s go," he said, keeping his voice even. "We have some work to do tonight."
LINK TO PART FIFTY-FOUR
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