Stephen stayed in Blackwater for two full days before finally heading north at an easy pace on horseback.
After crossing the Montana River and passing Riggs Station, he saw that the train he had arrived on was still sitting there.
Those foolish O’Driscoll Gang members had wrecked many of its parts when they forced it to stop.
Out in such a remote wilderness, there was no way to repair it, so they had no choice but to leave it there and wait for technicians to come from Saint Denis.
Once he reached Riggs Station, Strawberry Town was not far.
He just had to follow the path running alongside the railroad, and he would arrive soon enough.
Strawberry Town was a beautiful place, and its mayor was determined to turn it into a nationally renowned tourist destination.
The town lay at the foot of a mountain, surrounded by dense forest on all sides.
A clear stream flowed down from the mountains and wound gently through the town, giving it the feel of a resort from a later era.
One notable thing was that the town strictly prohibited alcohol.
If you drank and caused trouble here, you would end up in jail.
Because of that, compared to other towns, Strawberry Town had some of the best public order.
Stephen rode slowly down the main street.
Vendors along the road greeted him now and then, and he smiled and waved back.
He had lived here for over a year and had helped the police capture quite a few criminals.
In this quiet and peaceful town, he was well known to almost everyone.
Standing on the small bridge in the center of town, Stephen could not resist taking a photo.
With a click, a photograph full of vintage character was captured.
Satisfied, he put away his camera and rode toward the inn.
Someone like him would never buy a house.
As he often said, he spent less time at home in a year than he did out in the wilderness.
Most of the time, he either camped outdoors or stayed in inns across different places.
“Ha ha, our bounty hunter is back.
Looks like this trip treated you well.”
The innkeeper grinned as soon as he saw Stephen.
“Just looking at that white horse tells me you made quite a profit.”
“Heh, not really.
It’s just a decent horse,” Stephen replied with a smile.
“Is my usual room still available?”
“Of course.
It’s not exactly tourist season.
To be honest, business has been dead lately.” The owner shrugged helplessly.
Stephen set his belongings on the counter.
“Help me put these in my room, and have someone feed my horse.
I need to head over to Sheriff Sam’s place.”
“Leave it to me,” the owner said readily.
“Do you want your meals prepared?
Same as before?”
“Of course.”
Stephen flicked two bills onto the counter, then turned and left.
The police station was very close, right next to the saloon.
It stood on a small hill at the northern entrance of Strawberry Town, overlooking most of the settlement.
Stephen pushed the door open and walked in.
Sheriff Sam was the only one inside, sitting there alone.
The moment he saw Stephen, he let out a long breath.
“My God, you’re finally back.”
Hearing that, Stephen felt a sinking feeling in his chest.
It meant trouble had come again.
“Alright, what is it this time?” Stephen dropped into the chair across from him, sounding a bit resigned.
The sheriff looked nervous, shifting in his seat before finally speaking.
“There’s been a murder at Big Valley.”
“Big Valley?
Isn’t that pretty normal?” Stephen frowned slightly.
“Who was killed?”
Things like this were far too common in the West.
He knew the place.
It was north of Strawberry Town, a scenic area.
But it was sparsely populated and often occupied by bandits, so locals rarely went near it.
“My…
my cousin,” Sam said, as if it took all his strength.
“His family used to work in a factory back East, but they lost their jobs this year, so I told them to come to me…”
“I told them to get off at Riggs Station.
I went there a few days ago to pick them up.”
“But for some reason, they got off at Wallace Station and ended up going to Big Valley.”
“My condolences,” Stephen said quietly, seeing how devastated he was.
“Do you know who did it?”
Sam shook his head, his voice trembling.
“No…
I don’t.
But that’s not the main issue.
My cousin and his wife are dead, but their son and daughter are missing…”
“There was nothing left at the scene except their bodies.”
Sam looked terrible.
Stephen took a bottle of beer from his bag and handed it to him.
Sam grabbed it, twisted the cap off, and drank deeply.
He finished the entire bottle in one go before letting out a long breath.
“Thank you.
The men under me are useless…”
“So you want me, a bounty hunter, to play detective, find your nephew and niece, and avenge your cousin?” Stephen said, a bit uneasy.
“I’m good at catching people.
Investigating cases is not really my strength.”
The terrain around Big Valley was complicated, and it connected to a vast canyon and Mount Shann.
If the culprits had taken the children into the mountains, it could take forever to find them.
“Please, Stephen, I…
I don’t know who else to turn to.” The aging sheriff clutched his hand tightly, tears streaming down his face.
“I sent my men to search, but after all these days, there’s still no news.”
“Two of them were even attacked and injured by wild wolves.
I…
I really don’t know what to do anymore.”
“You’re the best bounty hunter I know.
I can only rely on you…”
Seeing Sheriff Sam so distraught and incoherent, Stephen let out a helpless sigh.
“Alright.
I’ll rest tonight and head out tomorrow.”
“Thank you.
Thank you so much.” The sheriff quickly stood up, almost dropping to his knees.
“But let me be clear.” Stephen pulled him up and straightened his clothes.
“I can’t guarantee I’ll find them.
I’ll do my best.”
“That’s enough.
Thank you.”
After finally calming him down, Stephen left the station.
Standing at the entrance, he looked out at the town in the distance, glowing under the golden light of the setting sun.
The golden streets, people heading home, the surrounding forests, and birds returning to their nests all came together like a painting, soothing to the soul.
But beneath such beauty, who knew how much darkness was hidden?
“Ah, I really am born for a life of hard work.”