Rue Allyn Read online

  • • •

  Ev dropped his things at the hotel and set out for the jail. He wanted to see Kiera, to know for himself that she was physically all right. Muh’Weda waited on the street. As Ev exited the hotel, he tipped his hat to Elise Van Demer “Evenin’, miss.”

  The jailer asked for proof of identity before allowing Ev to see Kiera. He couldn’t find his badge, and his papers were too damaged by smoke and water to be legible.

  “Knew it,” cackled the old man tending the jail since the sheriff died. “Can’t prove you’s Marshal Quinn, ‘cause he’s dead. Saw the evidence m’self over t’ the courthouse today.”

  “I still want to see Miss Alden.”

  “Nope. Ain’t lettin’ no liar with an Injun for a friend get anywheres near that she-devil. Y’ll try to break her out, and I ain’t lettin’ that happen.” He drew his pistol pointing it toward the ceiling. “Now get out of my jail b’fore I call for re-in-force-ments.”

  The man jerked his gun hand up and down for emphasis.

  Quinn raised his hands, palms out. “We’re going.”

  Outside, he and Muh’Weda decided to fill their bellies. They’d ridden as hard as possible, given Ev’s wounds — now mostly healed, thanks to Spirit Talker. Eating only hardtack and biscuits in the saddle, they hadn’t stopped since leaving Yellow Stone Lake. As anxious as Quinn was to see Kiera, he couldn’t do anything about it now, and he needed rest. Despite the healing powers of Spirit Talker’s gift, Ev’s thigh pained him mightily. He’d be glad to lie in a bed tonight, even if worry for Kiera kept him awake.

  “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see her in court. With the evidence we brought, this travesty will be over before noon.”

  Staring down glares from the white patrons already dining, the men entered the café and saw Boyd sipping coffee alone at a table, a frustrated expression on his face.

  “Hey there, greenhorn.” Ev slapped the man on the shoulder.

  The coffee Boyd had just drunk spurted from his mouth. He dropped the cup, spilling coffee across the table and leapt up to clasp Ev around the shoulders. Things must be pretty bad if Boyd didn’t even remark on the greeting that caused the spilled coffee.

  “Am I glad to see you! Did you see Miss Alden?”

  Ev shook his head. “That jailer refused to let me see her.”

  “Me too,” said Boyd.

  Muh’Weda appeared with a couple of rags. “I told the owner we’d clean up the mess, if he’d let us stay. I added that we’d pay for steaks and potatoes.”

  Quinn grabbed a rag and started soaking up spilled coffee. “Tell us what’s happened. Is Kiera on trial yet?”

  Boyd nodded.

  “How’s it going?”

  “Not well.”

  With the table clean and dry, the three men sat, and Boyd related all that had happened in the two days of the trial. Then he told Ev about his suspicions, based on the conversation he’d heard between Big Si and his daughter. The explanations ended about the same time they finished their meal.

  “She was sitting on the hotel porch, just as we were headed to the jail,” remarked Muh’Weda.

  Ev nodded. “We’d better get back there pronto and find out what she’s up to.”

  Boyd offered to pay for the meal. Ev and Muh’Weda rushed off to the hotel to talk to Miss Van Demer.

  However, Miss Van Demer was no longer at the hotel. Boyd caught up with them, and the three men searched the town to find Big Si or his daughter.

  They found Big Si pacing the lobby when they returned to the hotel. As they entered the building, Si strode to the desk. “You’re sure you haven’t seen my daughter?”

  He sounded angry, or worried, or both. Ev observed the tension in the rancher’s shoulders and wondered what could possibly bother a man with Van Demer’s power? Did Si’s obvious concern mean something good for Kiera, or God forbid, worse?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Big Si gripped the edge of the hotel’s registration desk, to prevent himself from choking the idiot clerk. “You’re certain you didn’t see my daughter leave the hotel?”

  “No sir, Mr. Van Demer. As I said earlier, I haven’t seen her since she came in about an hour ago,” responded the clerk, with the deference due the most powerful rancher in Wyoming Territory.

  Where could she have gone? With Marshal Quinn back in town, Si needed to be certain that photographic evidence had been destroyed, and the only way he could be certain would be to destroy it himself. He had to do something about Davis, too. God forbid the defense should call Davis back to the stand and force him to change his story. The man wasn’t all that bright. He might just think saving his own filthy hide was more important than keeping faith with his employer.

  The liar had assured him that Quinn was dead. The last thing Si needed was to have that interfering marshal sniffing around.

  “Send a man over to the livery stable. I want to know if her horse is still there. Also, ask the stable hand to saddle my stallion as well as Mr. Davis’ horse.” At least Si would know if Elise was still in town. If not, he’d send one of his hands after her. You’d think the girl would know better than to go defying him after he’d gotten rid of that money-hungry sheriff who’d been making up to her. Daddy knew best, and the best thing was for Elise to do what he told her — get that evidence and hand it over. She wouldn’t be so happy if the truth came out. She’d lose her only family and the ranch she thought she would inherit. Eventually she’d find out different about the Flying V, but not now.

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Van Demer. Immediately, Mr. Van Demer.”

  Si pushed away from the registration desk. Time to locate Davis. They were going to take a ride. He spun on his heel and came face to face with Marshal Evrett Quinn. That no good redskin stood just behind him.

  “Marshal!” Si tried to act surprised. “You’re alive. Thank the Lord.”

  He gripped Quinn’s shoulders. The man’s eyes narrowed, and he shrugged off Si’s hands. “I am.”

  “One of the witnesses at the Wyoming Wildcat’s trial claimed she murdered you. Even produced your badge as evidence of the killing.”

  “The witness is mistaken.” The marshal spoke quietly through gritted teeth. “You wouldn’t know where I could find this so-called witness?”

  Si smiled. “I wish I could help you, Marshal, but I don’t know the man. However, if he’s staying here, I’m sure the clerk will inform you.”

  “Yes, he will.”

  Si kept his smile in place. “I’m afraid I must meet my daughter for dinner, or I’d assist you in your search. Good luck, Marshal.”

  Quinn touched his hat brim. Si walked away, his back crawling. Certain that the marshal was watching, Si left the building and deliberately turned in the opposite direction from the livery stable.

  • • •

  Whatever was making Van Demer so nervous; Ev sure would like to know, but finding out would have to wait. He had to secure those photographs. He turned to the stairs and noticed the puzzled looking desk clerk, staring after Van Demer.

  Ev paused and glanced at Muh’Weda.

  “I’ll get that item we need from the room,” said the Shoshone.

  The clerk didn’t even blink at the idea of an Indian going upstairs, the man was so focused on the direction Van Demer disappeared.

  Ev nodded, switched directions, and approached the desk.

  “The livery’s in the other direction,” murmured the clerk.

  “What’s that?” Ev pretended he hadn’t heard the clerk’s words clearly.

  The man smiled. “Oh nothin’, Marshal. It’s just that Mr. Van Demer ordered his horse and a friend’s saddled. Why do that, then go somewhere’s else?”

  “Good question. Do you know a Mr. Davis, and where I might find him?”

  “Why, certainly. That’s Mr. Van Demer’s friend. The one whose horse is being saddled. I don’t know where they’re heading at this time of night, but I expect if you hurry, you could find Mr. Davis at the livery befo
re they ride off.”

  Boyd walked into the lobby.

  “Thank you.” Ev laid a double eagle on the desktop. “You won’t need to mention this conversation to anyone else.”

  The clerk’s eyes lit. “No sir. Absolutely not.”

  Running steps thundered on the stairs.

  The clerk’s head lifted, and Ev turned in that direction.

  Muh’Weda leapt the last three stairs and ran to Ev. “It’s not there.”

  Ev glanced at the clerk. “C’mon. We’ll discuss this as we go.”

  They hurried to their horses.

  “Where are we going?” Boyd asked.

  “The livery stable.” Ev explained what he’d learned from the clerk. “Big Si tells us he doesn’t know Davis. Then the clerk claims they’re friends — good enough friends to ride out together at night. I want to know what Big Si has to say to the liar who tried to kill both me and Kiera.”

  “I heard Si tell his daughter to get the photographs. Do you suppose she gave him the pictures?” Boyd reminded, talking as they walked.

  “If she did, he didn’t have them when he left the hotel. He wasn’t carrying anything.”

  “They might be with his horse,” suggested Muh’Weda.

  “Maybe. But if Si has them, I don’t think we’ll ever see those pictures again.” Ev looked at his companions. He read the Shoshone’s face well enough now to know that the young man was as concerned for Kiera as Ev was.

  “Davis is our best hope then of proving Kiera is innocent.” Boyd stated what they all were thinking.

  “Probably. His testimony will be proven false just by me showing up in court and proving who I am. But getting him to recant will be better. I’m willing to bet he’s got the goods on Big Si, and if Si’s shown to be the villain he is, then that proves Kiera’s innocence. She’ll be acquitted for lack of evidence.”

  “Do you think Si’s going to get rid of Davis?” asked Muh’Weda.

  “He has to.”

  They arrived at the livery stable to see the stable hand closing up for the night.

  “Excuse me. Have you seen Big Si … ?” Ev asked.

  “Sure. He and his friend rode out about ten minutes ago.”

  “Was his friend wearing an eye patch?” asked Boyd.

  “Yep. That’s him.”

  “What direction did they take?”

  “Headed towards Piney Ridge. Terrain’s rocky with a lot of sharp cuts in the ridge. Not a place I’d go riding on a night this dark.” He looked at the clouds scudding across the waning moon.

  “Thanks.” Before the hand could respond, Ev set off with his friends beside him.

  “Ten minutes is enough time to kill a man, and like the stable hand said, the ground in that area’s pretty convoluted,” said Muh’Weda. “Lots of small canyons and rock falls. Plenty of places to hide a body where it won’t get found for months, if ever.”

  Ev nodded. “Let’s hope Si takes his time.”

  They rode for some distance, stopping whenever the moon’s scanty light emerged for Ev to search the ground looking for sign of two horses’ recent passage.

  About an hour from Laramie, they got lucky and came across a pile of fresh horse droppings. Faint hoof prints led northwest from there into a thick stand of pines.

  Ev and his friends had just reached the edge of the stand when a series of shots rang out, followed by a second burst of gunfire.

  “Looks like Si tipped his hand. He wouldn’t need more than one shot if he’d got the drop on his man,” whispered Ev.

  Together they pulled their pistols and urged their horses in the direction of the noise. They stopped when they heard voices.

  “You double-crossed me, Davis, and for that you’re gonna pay with your life.”

  Ev asked Boyd to stay with the horses while Muh’Weda circled around in back of Si. Ev would approach from behind Davis.

  “You’d a killed me anyway if I’d told you Quinn was alive. ‘Sides, he was so sick, he shoulda died.”

  Ev stopped just inside the tree line that enclosed a small clearing.

  “You should have made certain he was dead.”

  Si’s voice came from a spot closer to where they’d heard Davis.

  The one-eyed man made no reply. A soft rustling indicated someone moving toward the clearing near Ev and away from the last spot where Davis’ voice had been heard.

  Ev searched the darkness. Si seemed to be driving Davis toward the clearing. Did the man realize he was being herded?

  All questions ceased when, less than five feet in front of Ev, a sudden shaft of moonlight glinted on two gun barrels pointed into the clearing.

  “You shoulda stayed were you were, Davis.”

  Across the clearing, Big Si stepped out from the trees, aimed and fired.

  Ev heard the thud of the bullet hitting flesh and Davis’s grunt of pain. The gunman staggered forward into the clearing, both pistols blazing. “So should you.” Davis fell as he spoke.

  Ev leapt to his side, hoping the man wasn’t dead. Hoping that Kiera’s last chance still lived.

  Muh’Weda approached from the opposite side of the clearing. “Si’s unconscious.”

  Ev knelt by Davis. “Davis is dead.”

  “That means … ”

  The Shoshone didn’t need to finish, Ev knew. Without Davis’ testimony about Si’s perfidy and without those photographs, Kiera was a dead woman. The law would have done its impartial job, but justice would not have been done. He’d failed her, and in failing Kiera he failed to keep his promise to his dying mother, to always see justice done.

  Muh’Weda’s hand gripped Ev’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, friend.”

  Ev shook his head. He wouldn’t accept failure. He wouldn’t accept a world without Kiera Alden. He’d give her up first. “Let’s get these two back to town. If we’re lucky the judge will dismiss the case when we tell him what we saw and heard here tonight.”

  “That’s not likely,” Muh’Weda opined. “From what Boyd said, it looks like the judge is sitting in Big Si’s pocket.”

  Sadly, Ev agreed. A crime had set the wheels of law in motion. Those wheels would grind until the law identified those who would pay, even if they were innocent.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Rumors buzzed through the courtroom as guards marched Kiera to the defendant’s table and the jurors filed into their chairs.

  “D’you hear what that lyin’ witness did?”

  “Don’t believe it. Had to be that Injun.”

  “Si’s been murdered.”

  “Nah, but he’s in bad shape.”

  “She’ll get off.”

  “Judge’ll never let it happen.”

  The snippets of conversation she caught would have confused Kiera if she’d cared to make sense of them. However, she hadn’t cared about anything since Cream announced Ev’s death. She didn’t even care if the trial was short or long, if she was convicted or not. A world without Evrett Quinn was a world she didn’t want to live in. Hanging just killed faster than a broken heart.

  A visibly agitated Boyd slipped in beside Kiera. “I’ve got great news. Ev … ”

  “All rise.” The bailiff called, cutting Boyd off. Everyone stood. Judge Richter strode into the makeshift courtroom, took his seat, banged his gavel, and announced court to be in session. He called for the prosecution to continue presenting its case.

  The prosecutor rose facing the judge. “Your honor, I must inform you that the witness Davis has been murdered in a gunfight with the complainant, Big Si Van Demer. Evidently the cause of the fight was Mr. Van Demer’s discovery that Davis had lied on the witness stand.”

  Kiera looked up at that startling announcement. She saw Judge Richter go pale and his eyes widen. She supposed the knowledge that he’d allowed lies in his courtroom might dismay any judge. Then she shrugged. So many other witnesses had acclaimed her guilt, she doubted that proof of one man’s lies would make any difference in her fate.

  “Mr. Van Demer con
fronted Mr. Davis about his lies,” continued the prosecutor. “Davis then shot at Mr. Van Demer, wounding him. Mr. Van Demer killed Davis in self-defense. For his heroic actions in trying to discover the truth, Mr. Van Demer lies gravely injured. Nonetheless, I was able to take this deposition, which I wish to place into the record.”

  Judge Richter’s face slowly regained its color. “The court regrets the complainant’s difficulties. However, his presence is not necessary to the conduct of this trial. Is the nature of Davis’s falsehoods known?”

  “Yes, your honor. I am happy to say that Marshal Evrett Quinn … ”

  “ … Is alive and well.”

  Kiera leapt from her chair. “Ev!”

  Noise erupted from the observers.

  The judge banged his gavel and shouted for order.

  With a move of his hand, Ev signaled her to sit back down. She obeyed, but her gaze continued to eat him alive. Thank the Lord he survived. Then she noticed Muh’Weda standing behind Ev. She smiled at her friend. He nodded at her.

  “That’s what I wanted to tell you earlier,” said Boyd.

  The noise settled and quiet reigned.

  “What’s the meaning of this? Why is that Indian in my courtroom?”

  Ev spoke up. “He’s a witness, Your Honor.”

  The judge snorted. “I’ll allow it, but the more fool you for thinking anyone will believe what he says.”

  Kiera would have gasped at the rudeness, but she’d seen it all too often from whites who didn’t want to understand the men and women whose land they were stealing. It was just more evidence of Judge Richter’s biased conduct of her trial.

  “If it please the court,” said the prosecutor. “I would like to call Marshal Evrett Quinn to the stand.”

  “By all means.”

  Ev was sworn in and asked to identify himself.