The Rightful Heir

by Angel Moore

  “Yes, we’ve only just arrived on the afternoon train. I wanted to come say hello to Papa and Momma Beverly before we go home.”

  Mary Lou tried not to be jealous of the glow of Jasmine’s joy. Would she ever know the fulfillment of a happy marriage?

  Jared spoke from behind her. “Mrs. Willis, it’s nice to see you back in Pine Haven.”

  “It’s good to be home, Mr. Ivy.” Doc Willis came through the front door and Jasmine excused herself.

  “Why are you here, Mary Lou?” A sparkle of teasing lit Jared’s eyes.

  “I might ask you the same thing, Mr. Ivy.” She didn’t look away. Couldn’t look away. The side of his jaw twitched with a suppressed smile.

  “I wonder if perhaps you followed me here.” He darted his eyes in the direction of the restaurant.

  “I’m sure I don’t know why you’d think that.” She looked over her shoulder and could see Mr. Finch seated in the restaurant.

  “If you’re going to require complete honesty from me, I must insist on the same from you. I saw you trailing after me as I followed Mr. Finch.”

  Rather than admit guilt, she asked, “Since we’re both here, would you care to join me for a piece of pie?”

  With a hand on her elbow, he escorted her into the dining room. She resisted the urge to look up at him. Knowing he wore a grin was enough. She didn’t have to see it. Working with Jared was more pleasant than competing with him. If only they could come to some sort of agreement.

  Naomi brought apple pie and coffee for both of them and returned to the kitchen.

  Jared took a bite. “She is a wonderful cook.”

  “She is, but many of the desserts are made by Mrs. Warren.” She stirred the sugar into her coffee and cast a glance at Mr. Finch. “What have you observed?”

  “Nothing. He went into the general store just before I entered the bank. He was walking up the sidewalk when I returned to the crossroads in the center of town, so I followed him here.”

  Naomi stopped by their table. “Is everything good here? That pie is scrumptious.”

  Jared agreed with her and added in a casual tone, “Does the newsagent eat here often?”

  Naomi looked over her shoulder at Mr. Finch. “He comes in most days when he’s in town. He fancies my biscuits.”

  Mary Lou smiled. “Everyone fancies your cooking.”

  Naomi thanked her and left them to their pie.

  “When I saw the two of you in the street, I had been in the general store. There were so many passengers from the train shopping that I didn’t see him.” She hated to add the next part. “Andrew was there, too. Mrs. Croft was watching him like a hawk.”

  Jared kept Mr. Finch in sight while they talked. “I’m sorry for that. He’s probably being treated like that everywhere he goes.”

  Mary Lou looked through the restaurant doors into the lobby and saw Andrew again. “Now he’s here.”

  “Wouldn’t that be common when the train arrives? He helps with the passengers’ luggage.”

  “Yes, I guess so. I just hate that he’s been everywhere we’ve seen Mr. Finch. If we are going to show that the newsagent is a possible suspect, it won’t help if Andrew is there at every turn.”

  They finished their pie as the train whistle blew a warning for the upcoming departure. Mr. Finch paid his bill and made his way out of the restaurant. Mary Lou and Jared waited a couple of minutes before they followed at a modest distance. Andrew was carrying a valise up the stairs when they went through the hotel lobby.

  Jared strolled beside her toward the depot. “If we discover that anything was stolen today, we’ll be able to suggest that the sheriff investigate the railroad personnel.”

  “Mr. Finch in particular?” She’d give almost anything to have the suspicion off her trusted assistant.

  “I haven’t seen anything that would make that reasonable. I don’t want to make the same mistake about him that I made about Andrew.”

  They watched from the shadows as the passengers filed onto the train and it left minutes later. Nothing they saw stood out as questionable.

  “The entire day feels wasted.” She wondered out loud, “I don’t know what will go on the top of the paper when we print it tomorrow.”

  “Something will come up. It always does.”

  “That thought almost scares me while we’re trying to solve this crime.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.” He gave her a reassuring look but she knew he was just as stumped as she was. “I’ll stop by the sheriff’s office again and ask if he has any news. About this or anything else we could use for a good story.”

  “Then I’ll go back to the paper and finish compositing the next installation of the Christmas Eve stories. Maybe I can add a bit more detail and it will take up more of the page. This is the piece about the children’s involvement. Parents will love to buy the paper just to see their child’s name in print.”

  When they would have gone in different directions at the center of town, Mary Lou heard Andrew call her name. She turned as the sheriff led Andrew, holding one arm pushed behind his back, into the jailhouse.

  “Oh, no!” She hurried down the street with Jared right behind her.

  “Wait, Mary Lou.” His voice faded in the background as she wondered why Sheriff Collins had taken Andrew into custody.

  She burst into the sheriff’s office. “What is going on here?”

  Andrew was seated on a bunk against the back wall of a cell. He wore a brave face but she could see the terror in his eyes.

  “There’s been another theft, Miss Ellison. If you’d like to write a story for the paper, you’ll have to give me time to talk to the prisoner first.”

  Jared came in behind her. “Why is he in a cell?”

  The sheriff pulled a small mirror from his pocket and put it on his desk. “Found this in his pocket after Mrs. Croft sent for me. She said he’d been looking at it earlier this afternoon and it was missing after he left.”

  Mary Lou lost her breath. It was the mirror she’d seen Andrew holding in the general store. “Oh, Andrew.” The words were more moan than diction. “How did this happen?”

  * * *

  “I didn’t do it, Miss Ellison.” Andrew looked at Jared. “You’ve got to believe me!”

  Jared wanted to believe him. In his heart he almost did. With no evidence until this moment on anyone, it was difficult to dismiss the mirror.

  Mary Lou walked closer and stood in front of the cell bars. “Andrew tell us what—”

  Sheriff Collins interrupted. “You’re all going to have to let me talk to the boy first. As far as I’m concerned, you’re journalists, and I’ve got a string of crimes to solve.”

  “Sheriff, I am the closest thing to family Andrew has. I won’t be pushed aside while he’s sitting in...” She sniffed and pointed at the cell. “In there.”

  Jared understood her concern. “Is that absolutely necessary? It’s not like Andrew is going to run off. Can’t he sit out here like a man and talk to you at your desk?”

  “It’s customary to keep prisoners in a cell.” The sheriff’s voice wasn’t as gruff as it had been when he’d put Mr. Finch in the same cell the first day Jared had come to town. His personal knowledge of Andrew was the likely reason.

  Mary Lou took advantage of the silence. “But this isn’t a normal circumstance, Sheriff. If Andrew was going to run away, he’d have left when...” She cleared her throat. “When people started accusing him of being a thief. With a horse like his, he could have been anywhere by now.”

  Jared closed his eyes. If only she’d stopped and not mentioned that horse.

  “That horse is one of the things that’s got folks wonderin’.” The sheriff sat behind his desk and leaned back in the chair. His dirty boots clunked onto the deskt
op and his hands crossed behind his head. “You two can stay—as long as you don’t interfere with my questions.”

  “Thank you.” Jared pulled a chair from against the wall for Mary Lou to sit close to the cell. He stood near Mary Lou, but turned to have a good vantage point of everyone in the office.

  “How did you come to have this mirror in your pocket, boy?”

  Mary Lou jerked around. “His name is Andrew.” She looked at Andrew. “And he’s not a boy.”

  Jared watched Andrew draw strength from her support, but he also saw the sheriff bristle.

  “I won’t warn you again, Miss Ellison. You’re here as a courtesy.”

  She didn’t answer, only nodded.

  “Now tell me how you got that mirror.”

  “I don’t know, Sheriff Collins. I was in the general store about an hour ago.” He shot Mary Lou a look that begged for her help. “But I didn’t steal anything.”

  “Mrs. Croft said she saw you looking at it. Saw it in your hands.”

  Mary Lou leaned forward. “Tell the whole truth, Andrew. It’s always best.”

  Andrew hung his head. “I did hold it.” He bolted from the bunk and came to stand at the bars. “But I didn’t steal it!”

  The sheriff lowered his hands to the arms of his chair. “How do you explain me finding it in your pocket?”

  “I can’t.” Andrew walked to stand in front of Mary Lou. “You have to believe me. You know me.”

  “I do believe you, Andrew.” Her voice was calm and sweet, like a mother soothing a restless child. She put her hand over his where it wrapped around the iron bar. “We’re going to find out what happened. I promise you I won’t rest until we do.”

  Jared wanted all the facts so he could help Mary Lou. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t stop searching until she had the answers. “Sheriff, you said Mrs. Croft sent for you?”

  “Yes. Had the dressmaker’s son who lives across the street come for me. Reilly Ledford. He’s just a boy, but old enough to run an errand.”

  “Did Reilly say if he saw anything?” Mary Lou was following Jared’s thinking now. That would be good for the investigation, but it was unsettling, too. Their association was supposed to be short-lived. How would it feel to work on important stories after she moved on and the Record was his? He forced himself to concentrate on the conversation at hand. If he let her distract him now, they could miss an important clue.

  “I didn’t ask the boy. He’s a kid.” The sheriff’s annoyance was growing.

  “But kids see things others don’t. Their perspective is different.” Jared moved to the cell. “Andrew, which pocket was the mirror in?”

  Andrew pointed to the front pocket of his jacket. It was low and sewn at an angle, perfect for slipping your hands in when the weather necessitated it.

  Jared turned to the sheriff. “So we’re all agreed that pocket is where you found the mirror?”

  Sheriff Collins stood. “I don’t know what you’re gettin’ at, Ivy. Yes, that’s where I found it.”

  “I’m not sure. I want to talk to this boy Reilly.” Jared pointed at Andrew. “Don’t you worry. We’ll take care of this.”

  Mary Lou stood to follow him as he headed for the door. “Sheriff, will you please let Andrew come with us? I promise to keep a close eye on him.”

  The heavy mustache moved to one side as he shook his head no. “’Fraid I can’t let him out. There’s been too much of a fuss about town these last couple of weeks.”

  Andrew called out as they went through the doorway. “What about Midnight?”

  Jared answered him. “I’ll take care of your horse and speak to Mr. Robbins and Mr. Warren about your jobs. Your job at the paper will be there when you get out.”

  The sheriff returned to his chair and Jared closed the door. “He doesn’t seem to think there’s anything for us to learn from young Reilly.”

  “No. I dare say he thinks we’re on a fool’s errand. How often does he get the evidence and the suspect so neatly handed to him?”

  “That’s the thing that doesn’t sit right with me.” Jared held out his arm to assist her down the steps. The motion was done without forethought, and only when she laid her hand on his sleeve did he realize how seamlessly they were working together. It was empowering, yet dangerous to his peace of mind.

  She matched his pace as they hurried toward the Ledford Dressmaker Shop. “You think someone put the mirror in Andrew’s pocket, don’t you?”

  He nodded, pleased by the fact that she still kept her hand looped around his arm as they walked. “How else could it have gotten there? And it wasn’t Mrs. Croft. She wants the real thief caught. Her motivation is more about her profit than framing Andrew. She won’t care who it is. But she’ll be suspicious of everyone, especially Andrew, until someone is caught.”

  A smile crossed Mary Lou’s face and lit up her eyes when she looked at him. “I like the way you think, Jared.” Then a stain of pink filled her face.

  “I like that you’ve decided to call me Jared.” He put a hand over hers and gave it a light squeeze. “Here we are.” He walked up the steps to Milly Ledford’s shop and opened the door for Mary Lou to enter.

  “Hello, Milly. Is Reilly here?”

  Milly Ledford sat behind her sewing machine with yards of pink fabric spilling over the table and onto the braided rug that kept the fabric off the floor. “He’s upstairs. Is something wrong?”

  Jared greeted her and said, “No, ma’am. We just want to ask him about Andrew Nobleson.”

  “Such a dreadful business. It makes me sad to see a young man taken off to jail like that. I know how much you and Mr. Ivy invested in that young man after he came to work for you, Mary Lou. I do hope you know my Reilly wasn’t involved.”

  Mary Lou assured her they only want to ask Reilly if he’d seen anything. “Maybe he noticed something no one else saw. You know how children see things that adults look right over.”

  Mrs. Ledford stood and pushed the pink fabric into a heap on her chair. “I’ll get him.” She paused on her way to the stairway in the back corner of the room. “But I’ll stay with him while you talk to him. If I feel you should stop, you will stop immediately.”

  Jared answered for them. “Yes, ma’am. I promise we’ll be respectful of his age.”

  Reilly didn’t remember anything special at first, but when Jared asked if he’d noticed anyone hanging around the general store who didn’t seem to be buying anything, Reilly perked up.

  “I saw that man from the train. The one who comes around every time the train comes.”

  Mary Lou leaned over to be closer to Reilly’s height. She put a hand on his shoulder. “Do you remember what he looks like or what he was wearing?”

  “He was just a man. I don’t remember nothing special about him.”

  Mrs. Ledford signaled to them that she wanted them to take what Reilly had given them.

  Mary Lou patted his shoulder and stood. “Thank you for all your help, Reilly.”

  “Nothing special, ’cept he was wearing one of them funny hats. You know, the kind Doc Willis likes to wear. I don’t know why any man wouldn’t want a Stetson. The Mosley twins got Stetsons when their ma married Mr. Barlow. That’s the kind o’ hat a man oughta wear. Ma, if you get married again, can I have a hat like that?”

  Mrs. Ledford struggled to cover her embarrassment. “Reilly, we will not discuss that now. We have visitors.”

  Reilly turned to Jared like they were allies and held up a finger to his lips. “Don’t tell Doc Willis I don’t like his hat. He might wanna give me some of that nasty-tasting medicine next time Ma makes me go see him when I ain’t even sick.” He grinned a boyish grin and bounded up the stairs.

  Jared laughed and Mary Lou and Mrs. Ledford joined in. “I’d say he was very clear abou
t that.”

  Mary Lou thanked Mrs. Ledford before they left.

  “What do you think Sheriff Collins will do with this information?” Jared could hear the concern in her voice.

  “I’m not sure there’s enough information for him to use. We’ve got to do more than prove that Mr. Finch was there. We’ve got to prove he’s a thief. If he is a thief.”

  “I know you’re right.” She stopped still. “I just realized something that won’t help Andrew at all.”

  “What?” He watched the color drain from her face. “Mary Lou, you have to tell me.”

  “I saw Andrew in the general store, holding the mirror, but I didn’t see Mr. Finch.” Her eyes glistened with sorrow. “How will it help Andrew if no one saw Mr. Finch with the mirror?”

  Jared finished her thoughts out loud. “You seeing Andrew could be all the proof a judge would need.”

  * * *

  “Can you handle the ink or do you want to load the papers?” Mary Lou tied on her apron Saturday afternoon as she and Jared prepared to run the newspaper for the first time without Andrew.

  “Why don’t I load the papers and you load the ink?” He pushed his sleeves up with Andrew’s garters.

  She looked at the printing plate and prayed that God would use the paper to help prove Andrew’s innocence. She’d memorized the words of the story asking the community to come forward with any clue, no matter how small, to help the sheriff solve the crimes. It had been difficult to pen the story without pleading for everyone to help Andrew. In the end, Jared had written the article. His words emphasized the responsibility of the community’s citizens to protect themselves from crime by being aware of their surroundings and reporting anything suspicious.

  Separate and apart from the article, they’d offered a twenty-five-dollar reward to the person who revealed the true thief. Jared had insisted that to include it in the story would show a distinct bias in the paper. By having it posted like an advertisement and declaring themselves as the individuals who offered the money, they gave a modicum of protection to the paper. At best.