Clay put his arm around Emma’s waist. “Emma is Granny’s granddaughter, and my fiancée.”
“Fiancée?” Leigh questioned.
“Yes, I am a fortunate man. Emma has agreed to become my wife.”
“Why would I send you a note to meet me if we were not . . .” Leigh let the question hang in the air.
“You said you had something to give me,” Clay responded.
Emma didn’t miss Leigh’s obvious insinuation. “We’ll leave you alone now. I hope your memory returns soon.”
Granny left the room with them, and the judge sat on the bed beside Leigh. “Leigh, I hope you remember our time together. We were very happy once, and I think we could be again.”
“Have they caught this man who tried to kill me?” Leigh asked.
“No, but the marshal is looking for him. You have nothing to fear here, my dear. You are well protected.”
Leigh reached down to clutch his hand. “Thank you for caring about me. I can’t remember our past, but I hope the memories will come back to me.” She recognized that the judge was the only one who could keep her out of prison, and she needed him to believe she had no knowledge of the robbery, or of Frank Langtry. She had to continue to pretend she couldn’t remember anything. “Can you tell me why we weren’t together when this happened?”
The judge brought her hand to his lips and placed a tender kiss on her skin. “You were in the clutches of Frank Langtry. I’m afraid that was also my fault for allowing that scoundrel into our lives. He had me fooled all along and it cost me my daughter and almost cost me you.”
“What do you mean?” Leigh hoped she sounded confused and sincere.
“I think Frank coerced you into going with him.” His sister had told him Leigh willingly left with Frank, but the judge no longer believed his own sister. Ruth had known all along that Leigh was at Black Hawk with Frank and hadn’t told him. His own sister had allowed him to suffer not knowing what had happened to the woman he loved. No, he no longer knew whom to trust.
* * *
Marshal Holt visited the ranch early the next morning, and he was having coffee in the kitchen with Morgan. “I haven’t found Frank’s trail. I can’t believe he covered his tracks that well.”
“I found no sign of his trail through the trees. I’ve never known Frank to be adept at diversion.” Morgan had chased Frank for days before, and he’d never failed to find his trail, until now.
“I agree. I’m not giving up. I just wanted to stop by to have a talk with Mrs. King.” Marshal Holt wanted to arrest her for her part in the Denver bank robbery. After Morgan filled him in on her condition, and of the judge’s hesitation to believe she was involved, he had a feeling he was going to butt heads with Judge Stevens once again. “It won’t be the first time the old man and I go at it.”
Morgan arched a brow at him. “He hasn’t left her side. I’m afraid he’s as smitten as ever, if not more so. He’ll not allow you to charge her with anything is my guess.”
“Maybe so, but I’m talking to her all the same. I’m prepared to get another judge in Denver if I need to.” Marshal Holt intended to hold all of those responsible for the bank robbery accountable. “The judge’s daughter died senselessly, and you’d think he’d want everyone involved held to account.”
“I’m sure he does, but he doesn’t want to believe the worst of the woman he loves,” Morgan said.
Marshal Holt shrugged. “I’d never feel that way about a woman who was responsible for my daughter’s death. If Mrs. King helped with that robbery, she is as guilty as the men inside that bank.”
“I’ll take you upstairs, and try to get the judge to leave you alone with her for a few minutes,” Morgan said.
* * *
“I’m staying with her.” The judge wasn’t about to allow Marshal Holt to speak to Leigh alone. He thought Leigh was in a fragile condition, and shouldn’t be forced to answer questions until she recuperated. He wasn’t going to allow Marshal Holt to intimidate her.
“I’d like to speak to her alone,” Marshal Holt reiterated.
“I’m staying,” the judge repeated.
“Judge, I made some fresh coffee. Why don’t you join me,” Morgan suggested.
“I appreciate the offer Morgan, but I’m staying with Leigh.”
Morgan glanced at Marshal Holt and shrugged.
“Have it your way, Judge,” Marshal Holt said.
“What do you want to ask?” Leigh questioned.
Marshal Holt fixed his eyes on Leigh. He wanted to see if her expressions gave her away since he expected her to lie. “I have two men in the Denver jail who are willing to testify in a court of law that you were involved in the bank robbery along with Frank Langtry. When did you and Frank plan the robbery?”
When the judge started to object to his question, Marshal Holt held up his hand indicating that he should allow Leigh to respond without interrupting.
“Who are these men? How do they know me? Why would I be involved in a bank robbery?” Leigh asked.
“They are Frank Langtry’s gang,” Marshal Holt responded.
“That’s the man everyone says is trying to kill me. If I participated in a bank robbery with him, why did he try to kill me?” She turned her pleading eyes on the judge. “This doesn’t make sense to me. You don’t believe I was involved in a robbery, do you?”
The judge immediately came to her defense. He wanted to believe she had no part in the robbery unless Frank had coerced her in some way. Not only that, but she’d been shot and almost died. He figured she was under some duress to leave town with Frank. “I certainly do not.” The judge looked at the marshal. “She has a point. It makes sense that those men are lying.”
“You thought Frank was innocent,” Marshal Holt countered.
The judge took offense at the marshal’s tone. “Now see here. I don’t have to explain myself to you. These questions can wait until Mrs. King is feeling better.”
Marshal Holt wasn’t going to back down. “Judge, why would they lie? It will do nothing to lessen their complicity.”
“They may be trying to offer more information hoping it will benefit them when it comes time for their judgment.”
Marshal Holt wasn’t buying the judge’s reasoning. “I’m prepared to call for another judge in this case. I don’t think you can be impartial.”
The judge stood and pointed to the door. “You’ve said quite enough. You need to leave this room.”
The marshal looked at Leigh. “I’m not finished with you. You were involved in the robbery, and even though the judge seems to have forgotten that his own daughter’s life was taken, I haven’t forgotten.”
“Out!” the judge yelled.
* * *
“I guess that didn’t go well,” Morgan said when Marshal Holt came down the stairs. “Come on in the kitchen and have some more coffee.”
The marshal followed him to the kitchen. “You heard him?”
Morgan nodded. “Everyone in the south pasture heard him.”
“I told him I was going to request another judge. I don’t think he liked that.”
Morgan grinned. “I guess not. Have a seat. Emma and Clay have something to tell you.”
The marshal took a seat at the table. “I hope someone has good news for a change.”
“I feel certain Mrs. King recognized Clay when we walked in the room,” Emma said.
“Really? Are you saying she hasn’t lost her memory?”
“I think she knows without the judge on her side, her goose is cooked,” Emma replied.
“I agree with Emma,” Granny said. “She definitely recognized Clay.”
The marshal looked at Clay. “What did you think? Do you think she recognized you?”
Clay hated to think the worst, and he didn’t think there was anything amiss, right up to the point where Leigh insinuated to Emma that they had planned a tryst. “I don’t think she’s lost her memory.”
The marshal leaned back in the chair. �
��Well, I’ll be. So she’s trying to get back in good graces with the judge so he can save her bacon.”
Morgan placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of the marshal. “Sounds like it.”
The marshal sipped his coffee. “If that’s the truth, she is a real schemer. How do we prove she’s lying?”
“All we can do is wait for her to make a mistake,” Emma said.
“The judge said he’s taking her back to Denver tomorrow if she’s up to it,” Granny said.
“What are you going to do?” Clay asked the marshal.
“I’m going to keep looking for Frank. If I find him, I’m certain he’ll sing like a bird if he thinks it will save his hide. He would incriminate Granny if he thought it would keep him from going to jail.”
“That’s the truth of it,” Granny said.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Once Ruth heard that her brother was at his ranch with Leigh King, she marched into Sheriff Trent’s office to demand some action. She assumed Mrs. King would have already identified Frank as her attacker. She had already told Marshal Holt that Frank had dinner with her that night, and she planned to swear to that if necessary.
“What can I do for you, Ruth?” Sheriff Trent asked.
“I want to know why you don’t have Mrs. King in jail. The marshal said she was involved in the bank robbery. As you know, my niece was killed as a direct result of that robbery.”
“Yes, ma’am, I’m aware,” Sheriff Trent replied. “Frank Langtry was also involved, and yet you didn’t hold him accountable.”
Ruth waggled her finger at the sheriff. “Frank told me he had nothing to do with that robbery. I think that woman was in cahoots with those men locked in your jail at this very minute, and they are all trying to place the blame on Frank when he had nothing to do with it. It’s time you did your duty, or perhaps the people of Denver will need to find your replacement.”
Ruth’s superior attitude didn’t faze the sheriff. “You are welcome to believe what you want, but I know Frank Langtry, and he led that gang. Those men are going to testify against him.”
“Has Marshal Holt found Frank?” Ruth was worried about Frank. She’d telegraphed the mine in Black Hawk asking if he had returned, but they had not seen him.
“No, ma’am, but he’s still out there looking for him,” Sheriff Trent replied. “I guess you know your brother brought Mrs. King back to Denver.”
“Yes, I’ve heard. He is as big a fool as ever,” Ruth said. “Are you as big a fool, Sheriff? Or do you intend to arrest that woman?”
“When Marshal Holt gets back, we’ll talk about what we intend to do with Mrs. King. She supposedly has lost her memory.”
Ruth was surprised by that revelation. “What do you mean, lost her memory?”
“Someone tried to kill her by choking the life out of her, and she was unconscious for days. She says she can’t remember anything. She didn’t even know her name.”
“You can’t be serious!” So they didn’t know Frank was involved. “Who tried to kill her?”
“We think it was Frank.”
“As I’ve already told Marshal Holt, Frank was with me that day. I am his alibi.”
“Well, he wasn’t with you when he went back to finish the job on Mrs. King at LeMasters’s ranch. Granny Langtry was the one who stopped him at the end of a pistol. Apparently Frank was wounded in a struggle over the gun, but he was able to run away.”
Ruth could hardly believe what the sheriff was saying. Surely Frank didn’t go back to Whispering Pines. Why would he be so foolish? She’d told him to be careful, and to go directly to Black Hawk. “Was he badly injured?”
Sheriff Trent was taken aback by her concern for Frank. “He ran away, and he’s evaded Marshal Holt, so I’d say he wasn’t badly injured.”
Ruth hurried from the sheriff ’s office. She could hardly breathe thinking that Frank might be dead. She’d accepted that she was infatuated with Frank Langtry, and the thought of never seeing him again saddened her beyond belief. No matter their age difference, she still felt that spark of femininity when she was around him. Of course, she knew Frank was aware of her feelings, but she didn’t care. She’d grasped what remaining time she had left on this earth with both hands, trying to ignore the march of time. She was so caught up in her fantasy with Frank that she didn’t recognize the irony in her disapproval of her brother’s relationship with a much younger woman.
She was tempted to go to her brother’s home and insist on speaking with Mrs. King. But toward what end? If the woman lost her memory—Ruth stopped walking. What if she was feigning her memory loss? According to Frank, she was a woman who knew how to protect her own survival. Ruth understood that meant she could be conniving to further her own goals. The question was if Leigh was pretending to have memory loss, what was her goal? The answer seemed obvious. She wouldn’t have to explain to the judge why she willingly became Frank’s paramour. If she admitted that she left with Frank of her own free will, she would have a lot of explaining to do. It seemed logical she was feigning memory loss. Having no memory, she couldn’t explain her relationship with Frank. The judge would see to it she wasn’t charged with a crime.
* * *
Sheriff Trent had another surprise in store when Judge Stevens walked through his door just a few hours after Ruth left. “Hello, Judge.”
Forgoing any pleasantries, the judge said, “I would like to speak to your prisoners.”
Sheriff Trent was surprised, but he had no valid reason to deny the request. “Which prisoners?”
“Dutch Malloy and Deke Sullivan.”
The sheriff opened the door that led to the cells and allowed the judge inside. When the sheriff turned to leave, the judge shut the door behind him. He approached the cell where Dutch and Deke were sitting and spoke quietly to them for several minutes.
The judge stopped at the sheriff ’s desk before he left the jail. “The trial will be held in the morning for Dutch and Deke.”
“But Marshal Holt won’t be back by then,” Sheriff Trent said.
“We don’t need Marshal Holt to hold court. I’ll be leaving for Colorado City soon, and I want this behind us.” The judge didn’t wait to hear further objections from the sheriff. He turned to walk out the door, saying over his shoulder, “Court at nine in the morning.”
* * *
As soon as Judge Stevens returned to his home, he walked to his bedroom where Leigh was resting. “Leigh, we need to talk.”
Leigh sat up and the judge propped a pillow behind her. “I spoke to those men in the jail, and they are prepared to swear that you were involved in the robbery.”
Leigh reached over and took his hand in hers, urging him to sit beside her. “I told you that I don’t know those men. You say you knew me and we were close. Why would I be involved in a robbery?”
“To be honest, I can’t prove one way or the other that you have truly lost your memory.”
“But . . .”
The judge held up his hand for her to stop talking. “Hold on. Let me finish what I want to say. I hope you are telling me the truth. I’d like to believe that you were coerced by Frank to go with him, but I need to make certain. It is within my power to give those men their freedom if they agree not to testify against you.”
“How can I ever thank you?” Leigh asked, clutching his hand between her breasts.
“I’m getting to that. I have one condition for my assistance.”
“What is your condition?” Leigh asked.
“You must marry me today. I will have the preacher come here tonight if you agree. As my wife, you will always have my protection. If not, I can’t guarantee what will happen to you.”
“I’m sorry you aren’t confident that I’m telling you the truth about my memory. I’m taking your word that we were once very close. I know you are an honorable man and you wouldn’t lie to me.”
“You haven’t answered my question,” the judge said.
“Naturally, I wanted some t
ime to get to know you again,” Leigh equivocated.
The judge pulled his hand from hers and started to stand. “I take that to mean you have no interest in my proposal.”
Leigh reached for his hand again and urged him to sit back down. “I didn’t say that. I will marry you today.” She had quickly weighed her options. She had none. While she didn’t really want to be tied to him for the rest of her life, it seemed like the only viable way out of her present dilemma. She knew she wouldn’t be safe as long as Frank was alive, unless she was with the judge. There was also the chance the judge wouldn’t live a long time. He’d already had one heart attack. If he did die, she would be a wealthy young widow. “Go get the preacher.”
The judge leaned over and kissed her. “I promise you, we will be happy again. We will travel the world and do all of the things we planned before all of this nonsense.”
* * *
True to his word, the judge was in his one-room courthouse ready for the defendants by nine the next morning. No one in the town was aware of the proceedings, so the judge, the sheriff, and the defendants were the only people in the room. The judge had the sheriff go to the bank and ask Mr. Rivers, the president of the bank, to join them. The judge wanted him to be questioned about the shooting under oath. The judge thought Mr. Rivers’s appearance would lend the proceeding some credibility to justify his ruling.
Dutch and Deke both stood before the judge while he asked the questions. “Tell me what happened when the shooting started.”
“We were standing with our backs to the window when the man in the bank pulled a gun from a drawer and started shooting,” Dutch said.
The judge’s eyes slid to Deke. “Is that your memory of the incident?”
“Yes, sir. It wasn’t our bullets that hit those women. We weren’t facing the windows. The man in the bank shot out those windows.”
“Who planned this robbery?” the judge asked.
“Frank Langtry,” Dutch said, and Deke nodded.
“You were prepared to say that Mrs. King was involved,” the judge said.
“We never met the woman,” Dutch said. “We just knew Frank knew her.”
Christmas in Whispering Pines Page 23