Shot in the Back by William W. Johnstone Page A

Mrs. Collins on to help him, and soon, nature took its course. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Alexander are now the newest married couple in our rapidly growing city.

    Wild Horse, Colorado—September 1892
    Not long after Jesse and Molly were married, Jesse had a house built for them. In one room of the house, he had the carpenter build a setback in the corner, telling him it was for a piece of furniture he was going to buy. Then, claiming he had changed his mind, he had the carpenter take out the setback. The result was a double wall, and that was where he hid the remainder of the fifty thousand dollars he had stolen. Nobody, not even Molly, knew of that money, and over the next ten years he finally managed to get it all into his account at the local bank, making periodic deposits of the stolen money, along with the money his store earned. On a couple of occasions he made deposits that were clearly larger than his earnings from the store, but he convinced Molly, and the banker, that the money was the result of betting on horse races.
    Molly had given him two children, twin sons, whom Jesse named William Anderson Alexander, and Frank James Alexander. Though they were twins, they had very different personalities. Billy was the more daring of the two and more apt to get into trouble. He was often a truant, and Jesse, half in jest, and half serious, posted an advertisement in the Wild Horse Times .

    One Gallon of Black Strap MOLASSES
    To anyone who can keep
My son, B ILLY , in school
Long enough to advance
To the next grade.
~J. Frank Alexander

    Frank, on the other hand, was always on the straight and narrow. He never disobeyed his parents or his teacher, he made very good grades in school, and he was well liked by everyone.
    â€œOh, why can’t Billy be more like you?” Molly asked Frank Jr. one day after Billy had broken a neighbor’s window by using a sling to throw a rock.
    â€œMom, you know that colt that Pa bought? He was hard to break but once he was broke, he was a real good horse.”
    â€œOnce he was broken,” Molly corrected.
    â€œYes, ma’am. Well, Billy is like that. Yeah, he does things that he ought not to do. But I think that’s just because he is young.”
    â€œYou’re twins, Frank. You’re both the same age.”
    â€œNo, we aren’t. I was the first one born, that’s what you ’n Pa said. That means I’m older.”
    Molly laughed. “I suppose that’s true.”
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    Molly shared with Jesse the conversation she had had with Frank.
    â€œBilly reminds me of myself when I was his age,” Jesse said. “I wouldn’t worry about him; he’s not even nine years old yet. He’ll come around. Look at me, I’m a legitimate businessman now.”
    â€œI can’t help but worry about him. I do wish he would settle down and be more like his brother.”
    â€œGive him some time.”
    Molly sighed. “There’s nothing else I can do but give him time, is there? All right, I’d better get to work. I have to get the order filled out for some more ammunition. You know where I’ll be if you need me.”
    Molly kissed him, then went into a small room at the back of the store. They used this room, which wasn’t accessible to the customers, as the store office.
    Shortly after Molly left the front of the store, the bell on the door tinkled as Sheriff Wallace stepped into the gun shop. Jesse was standing at the workbench in the back of the shop working on a rifle, the pieces of which were spread before him. He looked up as the sheriff came in.
    â€œHello, Larry. What can I do for you?”
    â€œThere was a bank that was robbed up in Mirage this morning,” Wallace said. “I just got a telegram that said the bank robbers are more ’n likely heading this way. I’m getting some men together, and I’d like to deputize you.”
    â€œAll right,” Jesse said. “Molly’s in the