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Unraveled - Part 1
by Paula
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Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended. No infringement is intended in any part by the author, however, the ideas expressed within this story are copyrighted to the author.

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Something mysterious and terrible has unraveled Jarrod!
Chapter 1

Nick blinked.

Did I just see what I thought I saw?

Nick scanned the faces around the dining room table, and everyone else seemed to be just as stunned. It looked like Audra was breaking through her initial shock - tears were beginning to fall. Nick was quickly breaking through his initial shock as well - anger was beginning to seethe.

"What's the matter with him?" Nick bellowed, jumping up from the table and following his older brother out the front door.

No one could believe the dramatic change that had come over Jarrod the past couple of months. At first he was merely distant, with what seemed to be a constant preoccupation. Then he began acting, quite frankly, pretty cold. Everyone assumed that he must be involved in a highly stressful case, but even with heavy work demands it wasn't like Jarrod to be irritable with the family. He had never minded before that his family would often inquire about his work, his schedule, his whereabouts. It was just a way the family stayed connected: talking about how they spent their time apart, talking about interesting things that were happening in their personal lives. But Jarrod had been completely reluctant to talk about anything professional or personal, and he had even been caught in several lies in regards to his private life.

Initially, everyone backed off to give Jarrod space. But weeks went by and there still was no resolution to his uncharacteristic behavior. By now, the entire family was extremely concerned. Lately his cold distance had escalated into a low-level hostility, with his refusals to participate in family conversations and activities accompanied with insults and condescension. And today Jarrod had erupted into full-blown hostility.

It had begun like any other Saturday morning in the Barkley household, with the family gathering around the diningroom table for breakfast. Unlike most Saturday mornings in the past, however, Jarrod was the last to arrive and he looked like he'd been up half the night. In addition to his tousled hair and wan face, he was already smoking, an activity his former self usually reserved for evenings and special occasions only. The new and unimproved Jarrod had been smoking virtually nonstop for weeks. It had always been well-known to everyone in the family that a chain-smoking Jarrod meant a Jarrod under duress. They had all seen him go several days in a row with either a cigar or cigarette in his mouth, usually in the middle of big cases. But not for weeks on end!

Even more uncharacteristic and disturbing than the chain smoking was the drinking. Drinking alcohol was also an activity the former Jarrod usually reserved for evenings and special occasions. He never drank while working and he certainly never drank before afternoons. Recently it seemed that at any given time, morning, noon or night, the family could detect alcohol on Jarrod. This morning was no exception.

Everyone had eventually given up asking him what the matter was, so this morning they all just glanced at his disheveled appearance after greeting him and then went on with their breakfast. Jarrod dabbed out his cigarette in his bread plate and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"So, Jarrod, will you be ready in a little while to leave for the orphanage?" Audra asked, referring to their monthly trek together to spend the day with the children at the state home. Audra went on a more frequent basis alone, but Jarrod had initiated his monthly involvement years ago to read and talk to the children, who, since the orphanage was managed by nuns, lacked much contact with adult males.

"I'm not going."

"What do you mean you're not going?" Audra was startled.

"I mean I'm not going. I've got other things to do."

Audra had had it with her oldest brother's behavior.

"Don't you tell me you've got other things to do!"

"Okay, I don't have other things to do. I've got better things to do," he replied icily, as he took another drink of coffee.

"What? How could you have anything better to do? You've been going to the orphanage with me for years! You've hardly ever missed a visit - usually only when you're out of town! Those children so look forward to seeing you -"

"I'm not going, Audra, and that's final. I've got business to attend to. It's business that keeps this family afloat, Audra, not your trifling charitable efforts. I've got to go out there and make money, tend to our investments, take care of important matters."

Audra was taken aback but managed to bounce back with an angry retort: "Important matters? What could be more important than giving to another human being? What's donating one day for that?"

"Grow up, Audra," Jarrod responded in contempt to his sister, and then addressed the table as a whole. "This family is entirely too distracted with causes and philanthropy. We should be minding our store . . . "

Victoria sat quietly as her oldest son went on about the virtues of wealth and the foolishness of charity. Several days ago she had overheard him tell someone in town that he didn't seek justice through his profession, he merely wanted to make money while ensuring his professional reputation stayed intact. At the time, she had shaken off his words, attributing them to weariness or that he was just having a bad day. But now there was this.

What could have happened to the fine, honorable son she had always been proud to have raised? Where was the man who always sought justice and equality, and always strove to deal out kindness and consideration? She had wracked her brain to find reasons for this ruthless turn in her son, but came up empty-handed. Victoria had only been able to trace the beginnings of his change to that two-week trip to San Francisco he had taken a couple of months ago to tend to some business. It was after he returned that his alienation started, as well as the smoking, the drinking, the cynicism, the animosity. What could have happened to make him lose his way? Did someone do something to him? Was he injured or had he fallen ill and the effects had somehow changed his personality?

All of Victoria's inquiries had been rebuffed, some quite disrespectfully. She had tried giving him space, reasoning with him, yelling at him, pleading with him. Nothing seemed to get through to him.

But he was certainly getting through to them this morning.

"No, Audra, I'm not going with you," Jarrod was winding down his rampage. "And I'm redirecting my annual financial contributions to the orphanage as well as other charities into profitable avenues."

"What?" It was Nick who spoke up this time. "What's gotten into you? You've always been one of the biggest supporters of charities -"

"If you'd wise up, you'd do the same."

"Listen here, Jarrod," Nick began, leaning forward in his chair and pointing his finger at his older brother.

"No, you listen here," Jarrod interrupted. "It looks like I'm the only member of this family who's got any sense. Well, I've just about had it. If you all want to ruin yourselves financially, then be my guest!"

Jarrod got up and stormed out of the diningroom, leaving a stunned family in his wake.

And that's when Nick jumped up and ran after his brother.

"What the hell was that all about?" he demanded as he caught up with Jarrod at the stables. "What's all this about financial ruin? We're not in any trouble!"

"It's only a matter of time," Jarrod replied, as he hefted his saddle onto his horse.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nick," Jarrod sighed with disgust and turned to look at his brother. "I've talked about it enough for one day. If you don't like what I'm saying, why don't you go with Audra today?"

"I would if I could - to at least make up for my hard-hearted big brother," Nick retorted. "But instead, I have a lot of work today, including a supply run to town that you're gonna help me with."

"I've got work of my own to do today."

"Well, then, you can just take care of your business after helping me load the wagon with supplies," Nick wasn't making a request. "You're going to town, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

The ride to town that morning was uncomfortable, to say the least. Nick was still irate and Jarrod was expressionless. Silence hung as a dark cloud over the wagon, following it all the way from the ranch to downtown Stockton.

Jarrod and Nick parted ways in town, with Nick going into Crandall's General Store to buy supplies and Jarrod slipping down its side alley after reluctantly agreeing to return in an hour to help Nick load the wagon.

To top

For the second time that day, Nick couldn't believe his eyes.

There down the alley, plain as day, was Jarrod Barkley carrying on with Ed Preston, of all people! If you could call him a person, that is. Preston had a rap sheet longer than Nick's arm and was considered pretty dangerous during those times he was out from behind bars.

Nick was already irritated that Jarrod hadn't shown up to help him with all those supplies. But then to find his older brother getting so friendly with one of the town's most well-known rogues was about all he could take, especially after this morning's episode.

"What's this?" Nick barged in on Jarrod and Preston's exchange.

"Oh, yes," Jarrod replied. "Nick, let me introduce you to Ed Preston--"

"I know who he is," Nick barked, waving away Ed's outstretched hand. "I just never thought I'd see the day that you'd be talking to this, this--"

"This what, Nick? You've never been one much for words, Little Brother," Jarrod jeered. Nick was infuriated when both Jarrod and Ed broke out into laughter.

He roughly grabbed Jarrod by the front of his shirt and pulled him to the side, out of Ed's immediate earshot.

"What do you think you're doing, Jarrod?" He growled in his brother's face.

"It's absolutely none of your business," Jarrod growled back, knocking Nick's hands from his shirt. Jarrod's jeering demeanor had disappeared.

"Have you gone outta your mind? What could you possibly need to talk to Ed Preston about?"

"I said it's none of your business, Nick. I advise you to stay out of my professional dealings--"

"Professional dealings!" Nick echoed in amazement. "I don't remember Preston being arrested and needing a lawyer - lately, anyway. What kinda professional dealings are you talking about?"

"How many times do I have to say it? It's none of your business, Nick. And you'd better stay out of my way. You don't know who you're dealing with," Jarrod could have been spitting venom. "I sure would hate to see you get hurt."

Jarrod's tone was so menacing, Nick actually backed away from his brother. He was once again stunned by Jarrod's words and manner - who was this man standing in front of him?

The Jarrod Nick knew had never threatened him before, had never spoken to him with such animosity. The Jarrod he knew wasn't the unkind, unfeeling stranger who had lived in the Barkley household for the past two months. Nick's anger was deflated as he stood looking at his brother with a creeping realization. Perhaps Jarrod hadn't just been moody lately. Maybe his drastic philosophical shifts and cold distance were not just a temporary problem. Maybe there was something much more sinister to this dramatic change that had come over his older brother. Business transactions conducted with Ed Preston certainly couldn't be a good sign.

As Nick stood there lost in his terrible thoughts, Jarrod brushed past him to the wagon and climbed up in the driver's seat. Wordlessly, Nick followed and climbed up beside him.

 

 

Chapter 2

 

A sigh of relief seemed to sound throughout the Barkley household when Jarrod left for San Francisco a few days later. Oddly enough, he actually mentioned his upcoming departure to the family and, when prodded, even disclosed why he needed to go. He had been invited to Senator Miles Courtney's re-election campaign dinner in San Francisco.

 

Jarrod and Miles Courtney went way back, attending law school together and Jarrod subsequently working as Miles' campaign manager for his first run for office. With Jarrod's later professional obligations, time constraints wouldn't allow him to be nearly as involved in Miles' next campaign, nor could he be extensively involved in this present campaign. But without fail, Miles looked up Jarrod whenever he made trips to his home state and always credited his old friend with playing a major part in getting him where he was today. Miles and Jarrod had kept in touch regardless of the distance between California and Washington, having forged a strong friendship built on mutual ideology and trust.

 

It had been three days since Jarrod's departure, and Heath and Nick tromped into the house after a long day out on the ranch. They were tired and eager to get cleaned up and to the dinner table, but they both stopped in their tracks when they saw their mother in the livingroom.

 

Victoria was sitting on a couch with a newspaper in her lap, gazing into the fireplace. She didn't look up when her sons entered the foyer. She had obviously been crying. Heath and Nick hadn't seen their mother look so forlorn since her friend Ella Jackson had died two years ago.

 

"Mother!" Nick blurted out. "What's wrong?"

 

They hurried to her side, fearing the worst.

 

With her gaze still on the fire, she wordlessly tossed the newspaper at Nick and Heath. It didn't take them long to pinpoint the cause of their mother's distress.

 

Splashed across the San Francisco Chronicle front page was the headline, "Senator Courtney's Dinner Disrupted By Prominent Attorney." In mounting disbelief, Nick and Heath quickly scanned the article:

"Last night, many of San Francisco's most distinguished citizens attended a dinner honoring Senator Miles Courtney and his efforts at re-election this year. However, the thrill of campaign fever was not fated to carry throughout the evening.

Among those present was Mr. Jarrod T. Barkley, Esq., a local attorney at law who hails from the noteworthy Barkley family of Stockton. Witnesses report that Mr. Barkley, who offices in both San Francisco and Stockton, first made his presence known by heckling Mr. Courtney during his key note speech. Guests were astonished to hear Mr. Barkley deriding the senator's policies regarding railroad expansion, trade and immigration.

Mr. Barkley managed Mr. Courtney's first campaign for the U.S. Senate and has been well-known as a consistent supporter of the senator's administration. Therefore, the attorney's derogatory comments directed at Mr. Courtney came as a shock to the gathering at large.

The evening climaxed as a slap rang out from the head table. Apparently, Mr. Barkley, who was seated next to Mrs. Miles Courtney, made a lewd comment to the senator's wife and, according to some witnesses, touched her inappropriately. Mrs. Courtney was later reported to have exclaimed, 'I have never been so scandalized in all my life!'

As Mr. Barkley was escorted out of the affair by security guards, Mr. Courtney was overheard attributing Mr. Barkley's behavior to overindulgence in strong drink, but declined to make any official comment to the press. It was later reported that no charges will be filed against Mr. Barkley."

"Good God!" Nick roared. "And I suppose this is all over the Stockton paper, too!"

Victoria nodded. Heath sank down onto the couch beside his mother, and Nick began pacing.

"What's gotten into Jarrod?" Nick's pacing was furious. "It's bad enough that he's acting like a lunatic with the family - but now this!" he gestured at the newspaper that had been thrown to the floor. "He's ruining the family name!"

"Our name can withstand something like this," Heath replied.

"Oh, yeah, it can withstand a drunken scene," Nick retorted. "But what's next with our fine brother? If he's groping a U.S. senator's wife and making a general fool of himself in public, there's no telling what he'll do! What he needs is a good thrashing--"

"Okay, Nick," Victoria snapped. "Pipe down!"

Nick threw himself onto the couch across from Heath and Victoria. He was still fuming, but said nothing as the three of them sat for a few moments in silence.

"What're we gonna do, Mother?" Heath finally asked quietly.

"I don't know, Heath. But we're going to have to do something," she replied just as quietly. "Because I don't know who Jarrod is anymore."

Chapter 3

Audra, like everyone else in the family, had been distraught for weeks with the horrible change that had come over Jarrod. His impatience and down-right gruffness with her had sent her into an emotional tailspin after her initial anger subsided. She had always been able to depend on his sensitivity and kindness, and she was shocked with the careless and even hateful way he now brushed her off. Nick had been in a constant state of anger with their older brother, and Heath's bewilderment was also beginning to evolve into anger. And the way Jarrod's behavior was affecting Mother! Never once before last week had he ever made their mother cry. Audra had arrived home late on the day of the notorious newspaper article, having already been informed of it by friends in town. Lengthy family discussions had yielded no definite course of action to take to help Jarrod.

Audra was now determined to get to the bottom of this, even if it meant snooping into Jarrod's private affairs. Everyone else had remained a bit hesitant to take it to this next step without first talking to Jarrod again, but she didn't care.

Jarrod had not yet returned from San Francisco, and nobody had heard one word from him about when he was coming back. Audra was home alone that afternoon, with Nick and Heath out mending fences and Mother in town visiting a friend. Audra figured this was as good an opportunity as any to rifle through Jarrod's belongings for any clues to his uncharacteristic behavior.

She first went to work in his study, looking through drawers, files, papers. Nothing. After she was satisfied that her search had been thorough, she moved upstairs to his bedroom. Even though Audra was convinced that she was doing the right thing, she felt terrible going through her brother's things. The family had always respected one another's privacy, and to enter a family member's bedroom without his or her knowledge was unthinkable.

But Audra was to discover that committing the unthinkable would be worth the effort. It was only by a fluke that she knocked the book off Jarrod's bedside table. When the book hit the floor, it fell open to reveal a hollow interior containing some folded papers and a small bag tied with a string. She quickly retrieved the items and began looking through the papers. There were maps, dates, times, a jumble of information that meant nothing to Audra. However, as she scanned the papers, she was able to glean enough meaningful words to gain an overall gist: shipment, arrival, Preston, opium.

Oh, my! she thought. Could that be what's in this bag?

She fingered the bag, which contained some kind of powdery substance. Her heart and mind were both racing.

How could Jarrod of all people be mixed up in something as depraved as opium? Surely there's an explanation for this! But images of Jarrod's changed conduct barged into Audra's thoughts and her heart sank.

Mother has traced Jarrod's problems back to after a long trip to San Francisco, Audra thought. She remembered hearing about opium smoking being banned within the San Francisco city limits a few years ago, but that it still was allowed in neighboring Chinatown. She also distinctly remembered Jarrod favoring this legislation.

With all those opium dens in Chinatown, he must have somehow gotten addicted. That certainly would explain his crazy behavior - Heath certainly did change for the worse during his morphine problem after that accident at the mine. Audra was overwhelmed by the magnitude of her discovery. What are we going to do?

She quickly replaced the items in the book, stood up and put it back on the table, trying to position it as it had originally lain.

"What are you doing?"

Audra whirled around to find Jarrod standing in the doorway. He looked past her at the book on the table, and Audra thought she saw panic flicker across his angry face. She could fully relate to that panicked feeling.

"I - I didn't hear you come in! I'm just straightening up around here--"

"Don't lie to me!"

"Really, Jarrod, I -" Audra thought she'd better change her tactic. "Well, I never! How dare you attack me for just trying to do something for you! You ungrateful creature!" As she scolded her oldest brother, she slipped past him and stormed down the hall. He followed her down the stairs and into the billiard room.

"Leave me alone, Jarrod Barkley!"

"I most certainly will not! What were you doing in my room?" Jarrod demanded. In one swift movement, he grabbed his sister by the arm and pulled her to him. "You better tell me what you were doing, Audra!" he growled. "Tell me now!"

Audra was intimidated, a completely unfamiliar feeling when it came to dealing with her brothers. And she was scared - Jarrod had never accosted her before, and his grip was actually hurting her arm. She didn't know what to say, and she couldn't wriggle out of Jarrod's tight grasp. Maybe she could talk some sense into him.

"Jarrod, listen to me. I - I know you're in some kind of trouble . . ." As Audra stumbled through her discourse and finally said the magic word "opium," Jarrod pushed her away.

"Shut up, Audra! You don't know what you're talking about!"

"But I do, Jarrod! With the way you've been acting lately, it all makes perfect sense -"

"You listen to me, Girl," Jarrod stepped toward Audra in a threatening manner. "You breathe one word of this to anyone, and I'll--"

"How could you do this?" Audra shrieked, meeting Jarrod's threatening approach with a solid stance. She was overcome with anger at the thought of how he was destroying himself and besmirching the family name. As he neared her, Audra struck Jarrod squarely across the face. "How could you?"

She lifted her arm to hit him again, but he caught her arm in mid-swing. Then he gave his sister a shove that sent her down onto the couch. The shove was forceful, and Audra knocked her head pretty hard on the wood engraving on the back of the couch.

Suddenly Jarrod caught out of the corner of his eye the blur of a dark shirt, and then a strong force sent him reeling onto the floor.

Pain. His eyes swam in pain, and before they fully cleared, he looked up to find Heath towering over him with fists clenched and a face full of fury.

Jarrod bolted up from the floor and hurled himself at his brother, taking him and an unfortunate table to the floor with a crash. He managed to plant a fist in Heath's stomach before a stiff upper-cut knocked him back off his brother. Heath jumped up with a quick recovery from the blow Jarrod had given him, and lunged after his oldest brother.

The next thing Jarrod knew, Heath had grappled him by the collar, jerked him from the floor, planted a fist in his face, and then followed it up with a body hurl that took both brothers into the room's far wall. Jarrod managed to give Heath a cheek-bruising reply, but Heath was soon on him again.

If it hadn't been for the rage driving Heath through this fight, he would've thought he was playing the lead role in a nightmare. He and Jarrod had never fought before, never even really argued. Jarrod had always been the voice of reason and a calming influence in the family -- Heath never dreamed that he'd ever have cause to raise a hand against his oldest brother. They continued to pummel each other, and above it all were their sister's tearful screams for them to stop.

Heath had just sent his brother to the floor once again, and Jarrod was staggering to his feet when he felt his arms taken back in a strong grip. He looked over to find Nick holding Heath back, and he found one of the ranch hands in charge of his own arms.

Nick was dumbfounded.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nick finally demanded.

Nobody said anything at first, as Heath caught his breath and Jarrod managed to free a hand to wipe at the blood running from his mouth. Audra's sobs from the sofa broke the silence.

"I don't believe this!" Nick exclaimed. "Jarrod and Heath in a fight? And, my God, you were gonna kill each other!"

"He was man-handling Audra!" Heath roared back. "Nick's always said that the first thing you ever taught him, Jarrod, was to never hit a lady! Never, ever man-handle her in any way! And now, look at you! You've gone too far, Jarrod. How could you do this to our sister?"

Nick was standing in slack-jaw disbelief, and Heath was still trying to fully catch his breath. Jarrod knew he had better get away before Heath and Nick both descended upon him. He gathered his remaining strength and broke away from the ranch hand's grip in a sudden lunge.

Heath made a motion to go after Jarrod, but Nick pulled him back. Instead, Nick followed Jarrod for a few steps to the doorway.

"Yeah, you get the hell outta here, Jarrod! And don't ever come back!" Nick roared after him.

Jarrod disappeared through the doorway, yet again leaving a room full of people in a state of shock.

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