“I will count the minutes until my return,” Mr. Dalbow told her on his departure.
“Have a safe trip,” was her lame reply.
Hope used his time away to go and visit Sheriff Owen. Even though Mr. Dalbow did not forbid her to go and see the Sheriff, based on their conversation and his warnings, it was obvious he disapproved. It was just that he was too much of a gentleman, who cared about her and finding Jessamine, to speak out of turn.
Despite his words, Hope was determined to help the officers so she went as much as she could. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach as she rushed to the Sheriff’s Office.
“Miss Hope, what a lovely surprise,” Sheriff Owen greeted her with a smile.
“You always say that. Aren’t you tired of me constantly dropping by?”
“Of course not. Although if you keep popping up like this, I will have to give you a star of your own,” Sheriff Owen joked and Hope laughed.
“Come to think of it,” he continued in the same manner. “You can have Kit’s, he doesn’t use his at any rate.”
“I heard that,” Deputy Kit rebelled.
“I would feel bad taking his star after taking Riley,” Hope had to cut in and the men loved it.
“Why not, it would be a matching set,” Kit said with a smile.
“No,” Hope replied, eyeing the Sheriff. “No offense to you, I would aim higher.”
That caused an uproar of laughter as men started teasing the Sheriff he was about to lose his job.
“After everything I’ve done, I would get a stabbing in the back,” the Sheriff said over-dramatically.
Hope enjoyed their easy banter very much, and it was surprising how much she liked to participate as well as listen to the men tease one another among themselves.
It was no surprise to her she felt so comfortable in Sheriff Owen’s presence—she discovered that almost from the moment they met. He soothed her on some deeper level and when he was being playful, as he was at the moment, it was very hard to keep Mr. Dalbow’s warnings in mind. It did not help he always looked rather happy to see her, which made things that much more difficult for her, since she was feeling the same way.
Perhaps it was all in her head, she tried to rationalize, soothe her troubled mind, and stop herself from fantasizing. The cautions did not help. Whatever was happening between her and the Sheriff, and she did not dare analyze what that might be too closely, Hope was certain he was feeling it, too. It was obvious in the way he acted around her, the way he looked at her and spoke. It was as though there was one Sheriff for her, and another for the rest of the world.
Stop it!
That was certainly a complication Hope did not need at the moment and hoped same could be said for Sheriff Owen. It was just that at times it was rather hard to concentrate when he was near, looking at her with his beautiful honest eyes as though she was the most precious thing in the world, a light that made his day bright.
That is enough, if you do not calm yourself you will have to leave, she snapped at herself. She would not tolerate herself or her wild feelings any longer. Besides, there was Mr. Dalbow to be considered. He was always at the back of her head, making her feel guilty.
On the other hand, that helped her focus. While thinking of Mr. Dalbow, Hope could concentrate on the real reason she was in the station in the first place. It was not to gawk at the Sheriff, or indulge in some easy banter with the men, but to help find Jessamine.
When Hope ran away from home, she only brought the essentials with her, meaning she did not bring all the letters Jessamine wrote her since she moved away. Luckily, she knew most of them by heart so she told Sheriff Owen as much as she could about her friend’s life in Rippingate.
“That is pretty much consistent with what I gathered from her father,” Sheriff Owen said after she recounted everything. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice and Hope felt bad. She really wanted to be helpful, and contribute, especially now as he filled her in on his latest suspicions. That they were, in fact, dealing with a serial killer by the name of Ghost.
That notion filled her with dread.
Deputy Clark entered the office and he looked uncertain. There was something he wished to say yet he hesitated, and Hope was not the only one who noticed.
“What’s the matter, Clark?” Sheriff demanded.
“Old man McNelson is gathering people. He is saying his daughter went missing.”
Oh no.
“What?” Sheriff Owen and Deputy Kit asked at the same time.
“Yes, he is trying to organize a search party. The people are gathering down by the church.”
“And he didn’t come to me?” The Sheriff was confused, which in turn made Deputy Clark look utterly uncomfortable.
“What is it Clark, spit it out.”
“He is saying we are useless, so he’s gonna look for his girl on his own.”
A couple of men swore while Sheriff Owen banged with his fists against his desk, startling Hope. “He is not wrong,” he growled.
“Calm down, boss, you know he doesn’t mean it. He is just worried,” one of his other deputies tried to calm him. It was not working.
“First we have no clues about the Ghost and he keeps killing girls, and now this?” Sheriff shouted. “If McNelson doesn’t want any help he can look for his daughter by himself, I won’t get involved. I am done!” He shouted before storming out.
Hope was shocked by his outburst. On one hand, she could understand he was under a lot of pressure. On the other... It’s his job to protect this city. Plain and simple.
Deputy Kit Pharis took charge. “Clark, go with James and find Mister McNelson. Learn what is going on and be of assistance.” They nodded before exiting.
Maybe I should go as well.
Hope stood up to go and look for the Sheriff. She wanted to make sure he was all right. Maybe even chastise him for his behavior.
“Don’t,” deputy Kit stopped her, clearly guessing her intentions. “Let him be for a bit. Owen has a big heart. That is why all of this falls so hard on him,” he explained.
Hope stayed, and needing something to do as she waited for the Sheriff’s return, she started reading all the files about the other girls that went missing.
She was sure the Sheriff would not mind her meddling, especially if she found something helpful. Hope was so immersed in the work that she did not even realize hours passed. Poor girls, she felt like weeping, seeing how many families were affected by this fiend.
“It is getting quite late,” deputy Kit tapped her on the shoulder, returning her to reality. “Let me escort you home.” Sheriff Owen had never returned.
Hope did not feel like leaving, but she nodded nevertheless. “Thank you.” She said goodbye to the ones that remained.
“You know, I told my mother you were helping us,” Deputy Kit said conversationally.
“You did?” Hope held her breath while waiting for his reply.
“She is delighted. Told me we were missing some female insight before and you would be of great assistance.”
Hope beamed. “I wish her to be right.”
“She usually is.”
Walking toward the corral for the horses, they could hear some kind of ruckus in the nearby saloon. People were shouting, and not in a happy, joyous way. Hope never visited such places. Having heard all kinds of stories about what happened inside deterred her from doing such a thing.
“Duty calls,” Deputy Kit said with a frown. “Stay here,” he instructed as he went inside to investigate what was going on.
Hope went inside after him; she felt compelled to do so. What she saw inside made her gasp. The person who was causing all this havoc was none other than Sheriff Owen. He looked highly intoxicated, and that was not all. He was so angry he was ready to draw his pistol at one of the saloon patrons.
“Oh, dear Lord,” Hope breathed out.
“I told you to wait outside,” Deputy Kit yelled at her as he intervened, preventing the Sheriff fr
om harming anybody.
Startled, Hope rushed back outside. He is drunk. And he is endangering people. Hope was beyond disturbed by this turn of events.
Deputy Kit emerged, carrying a drunk Sheriff. “I have to take care of him,” he told her apologetically.
“I completely understand.”
“Let me call one of the lads to take you home in my stead,” he offered.
Hope shook her head. “I will be fine, no need to trouble yourself.”
“Are you sure?” He asked, and the Sheriff started singing something into his ear. He was making quite a spectacle of himself.
“Positive.”
“Goodnight, then, and I’m sorry,” he added even though Hope could not understand why he was the one apologizing.
Hope watched the pair for a bit. She couldn’t help but remember what Mr. Wyatt Dalbow told her about Sheriff Owen.
Hope was appalled by his behavior, so perhaps Mr. Dalbow had a point about the Sheriff, after all.
He is not to be trusted.
19
Owen felt like he was suffering from a hangover four days after he went to drown his frustrations in alcohol. Not that it had worked. His problems were still there, girls were missing or worse, dead, so he regretted his outburst immensely.
Owen regretted every glass of whiskey he drank and not because Miss Hope saw him in such a poor state. He was so out of it, Kit had to tell him the next day that she witnessed his moment of weakness. Owen regretted it because it was unworthy of him or the position he was holding. The Sheriff should be the one who set an example for others, and Owen acted like a fool, or worse.
The worst part was, he couldn’t even say what set him off so violently. People always complained about them, so it couldn’t be that, and there were always going to be crimes committed in Rippingate, that was the purpose of having the Sheriff in the first place, to create the balance.
Why did I lose my temper? He asked himself, and not for the first time. June thought it was because he kept everything bottled up inside, because he never showed his true feelings. From her point of view, it was bound to happen, for him to act out. Either way, Owen did not care for the whole experience and wasn’t planning on repeating it, ever. He learned his lesson, had a splitting headache to prove it, and was prepared to move on, be a better person and a better Sheriff.
What will she think of me now? Came the sudden thought; he banished it. He was far too busy to be daydreaming like some schoolgirl. Despite chastising himself, Owen paid close attention to the door, and every time someone came in or went outside, he rose his head from his work. A feeling of disappointment washed over him every time it was not the person he wished to see.
“I don’t think she will be coming back,” Kit did not miss an opportunity to mess with him. He loved the guy, yet at times Owen regretted opening his mouth and telling his friend everything regarding Miss Hope.
Owen simply gave Kit the look in return.
Of course, she is coming back.
No matter what Owen did or didn’t do while being drunk, it would not stop Miss Hope from coming back, because she wanted to help find her best friend. Or so he hoped.
“Did I make such a big fool out of myself?” Owen blurted out. Kit made a face as though swallowing something unpleasant.
“Don't answer that,” Owen reconsidered. It was better if he didn’t know the extent of his indiscretion. It can’t be that bad, he tried to reassure himself. He would know if he caused some big scandal, he was sure of it. She saw him a bit drunk, so what? It wasn’t the end of the world.
At first, after Kit told him she was there that night, Owen thought about visiting Miss Hope to apologize for his behavior. He changed his mind at the last second, and he meant that quite literally. He was practically at her door when he turned his horse around and rode back to town.
There was nothing for him to apologize for in the first place, he realized. Miss Hope would understand that he was under a lot of pressure and needed a moment to catch his breath, nothing more. So there was no point in making a big deal out of this since it wasn’t, and besides, it was never going to happen again.
“Boss?” James snapped him from his reverie.
“Yes?” Owen replied. He couldn’t help but look past his deputy, toward the door.
No, she did not magically appear, he snapped at himself. He hated he was acting like this and did not know how to stop it. With work! James was speaking to him. “Come again?”
“We received a telegram from Brexville.”
“What does it say?” Owen prompted. Brexville was a small town that was a day’s ride away from Rippingate. They did not have a sheriff station of their own so Owen acted as their Sheriff, as well.
“A local farmer found a dead body, of a young woman.”
“Damn it!” Owen snapped.
Is it Ghost? Did he kill again so soon after Susannah?
“All right,” he contained himself quickly. “We have to go there as soon as possible,” he started to think out loud.
“Do we know where she was found?” Owen asked.
“Not exactly. The farmer lives in this area, he can take us the rest of the way,” James showed him and Kit on the map. It was quite a ride. Even if one of them started the journey immediately, it would take them until tomorrow to reach it.
“We have another situation,” Clark came running.
“Is it another murder?” Kit asked.
Clark shook his head. “No. A robbery just occurred at the train station in Black Creek.”
“Is anybody hurt?” Owen prompted.
“I don’t know. The conductor caught one of the robbers, he thinks he’s part of the Michaelson’s gang,” Clark said in one breath. That cheered Owen up more than it should have.
I need a win. And that band of bandits would do.
“So, we have two different crimes to deal with,” Owen stated the obvious while trying to figure out who he was going to send to deal with the robbery while he dealt with the murder since he couldn’t be at two places at the same time.
“I can go to Black Creek,” Kit offered.
“Go where? What is going on?” A feminine voice asked. Owen felt like banging his head against the wall since the headache he was already having did not feel like torment enough.
Of course, she chose this moment to show up.
“When it rains, it pours,” Kit said to him under his breath, guessing Owen’s thoughts while looking at Miss Hope.
The fact that Miss Hope walked in just as they learned there was another dead body complicated things for Owen. He did not want her to learn about it. Not yet, at least. She would insist on going with him, fearing it could be her friend, and that was not something he would allow her to do.
She does not need the nightmares.
Instantly, inspiration struck him. He signaled to Kit to follow his lead. “Could you give us a bit of privacy,” he said and dispersed his deputies. He did not want one of them spilling out the news to her before he worked his magic. They were not happy, but they complied. They all left apart from Kit.
“We just got a word of a train robbery,” Owen informed Miss Hope.
“A train robbery?” She replied in a flat voice, clearly not understanding the significance. There was none. Owen was determined to create it.
Something else was off with her, though, Owen noticed. “Yes, possibly a very infamous group of outlaws is to blame,” he explained.
“And what is the connection to the Ghost?” She asked Kit and Owen realized what was wrong. She wasn’t looking or speaking to him at all.
Kit looked at Owen, not knowing what to reply.
“One of the passengers fits Miss Jessamine’s description,” Owen lied. He needed her out of there before she learned the truth about their second case, and for that he had no problems lying to her.
“Truly? Is she all right? Where is she? When can I see her?” She started throwing questions at them like they were rice at a wedding.
“We do not have more information. None of my deputies are at the scene since it just occurred,” Owen hedged.
“We don’t even know if it is her,” Kit added, eyeing him. His right-hand man was not happy about the deceit. Owen did not need for him to be happy, simply to play along.
The Redemption 0f A Hunted Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 18