Her Fearless Love_Seeing Ranch Mail Order Bride

by Florence Linnington

  “And if Sonneborn is at the mine?” Neil asked.

  “Then keep a close eye on him.”

  Neil nodded, his nostrils flaring. “Right.”

  “What shall I do?” Bonnie asked, her voice rising in excitement.

  Wakefield set his gaze on her. “You stay here, where there are other people around.” His gaze softened. “And try to get some sleep, if you can. I see how tired you are.”

  Out of habit, Bonnie started to. He was right, though, and so she remained quiet.

  “I’ll send Thea over here,” Wakefield said. “She can wait with you. Plus, she shouldn’t be at home alone anyway, not with a madman running around.”

  Bonnie nodded in understanding. It seemed entirely plausible that Sonneborn, suspecting he was about to be caught, might do something rash like take a hostage to buy himself time or break into someone’s home and steal their goods before leaving town.

  The men left, and Bonnie went back into the hotel dining room. She must have looked an awful sight because without her asking the cook brought her a cup of tea.

  “Thank you,” Bonnie murmured, taking a slow sip. The steam curled in front of her eyes, and the sweet and nutty liquid warmed her to her toes.

  Setting the cup down, she looked out the window. She’d chosen the table with the best view of the street on purpose. That way she would be able to keep track of whoever came and went about town.

  Suppressing a yawn, she scanned the other side of the street. Mr. Mullins walked to the general store, searched through his pocket for the key, and unlocked the door. Esme Ortega entered the church, which always remained open for any who needed it.

  Bonnie tried her best to remain upright, but her head kept nodding forward.

  She glanced around the restaurant. No diners had entered it yet. Perhaps she could rest her head on the table and close her eyes. Only for a few moments. After that, she would feel considerably better.

  “Thank you, God,” Bonnie whispered as she rested her head on her arms. It was because of Him that she had woken to see Sonneborn pushing the wheelbarrow down the road. It was because of Him Steve would be home soon.

  She turned her face to the window. A long blink of her lashes made the street blurry. She blinked again, and the world turned black.

  41

  41. Bonnie

  Chapter forty-one

  A hand shaking Bonnie’s arm made her jerk awake.

  “Bonnie.”

  Gasping, Bonnie sat straight up. Thea sat next to her, and on the floor nearby, Aria banged a corncob doll against the floor.

  “I fell asleep,” Bonnie mumbled. “How long? How long was I asleep for?”

  “I do not know,” Thea said. “I only arrived just now.”

  Bonnie felt her teacup. It had gone cold. She inclined her head slowly, working loose a sore muscle there. How she had managed to sleep in such an uncomfortable position baffled her. She must have been even more exhausted than she’d suspected.

  “Wakefield told me about what happened,” Thea said. “Or rather a condensed version, likely, as that is Wakefield.” She took Bonnie’s hand. “How are you? Do you really think this is it? That you have found the killer?”

  Bonnie looked over Thea’s shoulder. The dining room was still empty, but whether the hotel guests had not yet eaten or had already come and gone, she did not know.

  “I think this is it,” Bonnie replied. “I truly do.”

  Thea’s chest rose, and she smiled wide. “That’s wonderful news.”

  Bonnie squeezed her friend’s hand. “Yes, it really is.”

  The sound of the front door opening made them both look over. Wakefield and Sheriff Ross entered, both their gazes going straight to Bonnie.

  “What happened?” Bonnie asked, bolting out of her chair.

  “He’s still at the mine,” Wakefield said, bending and running his hand over Aria’s head. “Neil didn’t come and get me, and I went up there and spoke to Walker. He’s keeping an eye on Sonneborn, making sure he doesn’t go anywhere.”

  “Pa,” Aria said, holding her corncob doll up to him for inspection.

  “So he suspects nothing,” Bonnie said.

  “It would appear so,” Sheriff Ross answered. He pulled a seat over from an adjoining table and sat near Bonnie. With a shock, Bonnie realized she must have been asleep for hours. Even if the messenger and Sheriff Ross had ridden as fast as they could, it would take nearly half of the day before the sheriff made it to Whiteridge.

  “I’d like to get your statement before I go to the mine,” Sheriff Ross said.

  “Certainly.”

  Bonnie told him everything, stretching her mental capacities as far as they would reach in an attempt to recall even the slightest details. It could be something she thought unimportant that proved crucial to the case.

  “I think I know that man,” Sheriff Ross said, once she finished.

  “You do?”

  He nodded curtly. “Adam McBride. He works for the railroad in Pathways. If he’s working with Sonneborn to take gold out of the valley, this wouldn’t be the first time he’s involved in something shady. A few of his friends were convicted of horse thievery last year. I always suspected he was involved in it as well, but there wasn’t enough evidence against him for a conviction.”

  “Is this enough?” Bonnie asked, her heart beating with the kind of hope it had not possessed in a long time. “To clear Steve?”

  Sheriff Ross hesitated, and Bonnie’s stomach dropped.

  “With what you told me,” he said slowly, “it’s enough for me to go into his cabin. I have every right to perform a search of it.”

  He looked at Wakefield, who scowled and nodded his head.

  “Now?” Wakefield asked.

  Sheriff Ross stood. “We’ll do it on our way up to the mine.”

  Thea scooped up Aria and bounced the babe. “Please be careful.”

  Wakefield lovingly grazed his fingertips across his wife’s cheek. “We will. Don’t you worry.”

  “You’re looking for gold in his cabin?” Bonnie asked.

  “That or something else incriminating,” Sheriff Ross said.

  The gun. The Folsom 1890.

  If they found the murder weapon, would that close the case?

  Bonnie caught gazes with Thea and suspected the other woman wondered the same thing.

  “Don’t go anywhere,” Wakefield told Thea. “You both stay right here.”

  Thea pursed her lips the slightest bit but said nothing.

  The men left, heading north out of town, and Bonnie and Thea watched them from the window. Aria slapped her palm against the glass and gurgled in some kind of attempt at communication.

  “He is protective of you,” Bonnie said.

  “Yes,” Thea agreed, and then laughed. “It is sweet, but can be rather annoying.”

  Bonnie smiled slightly, but she could not muster up any real joy.

  Sensing her angst, Thea’s gaze swept over her face. “It will turn out well.”

  “I hope so,” Bonnie said. “But suppose they find nothing at Mr. Sonnerborn’s cabin? There will be no evidence to convict him. Which means Steve still goes to trial.”

  Thea’s lips twitched in the direction of a frown. “Let us pray on it.”

  Bonnie nodded eagerly and reached for Thea’s hand.

  “Ma,” Aria cried, noticing they did something she was not a part of.

  “You, too, little one,” Thea said.

  And so the women sat down on the floor with Aria, and the two adults and one child held hands in a circle.

  “God,” Thea said softly, “Thank you for all your blessings. Thank you for bringing Bonnie here and guiding her to last night’s discovery. Please continue to bless us with your grace. End this mystery and bring justice to Mr. Hawkins’ death. Clear Steve’s name and bring him home. Thank you.”

  Thea peered up at Bonnie from under her lashes.

  Bonnie shook her head, signaling she had nothing to add. T
hea had said it all.

  “Amen,” they both said, and Aria mimicked them.

  Bonnie drew her hands back to her lap, where she clasped them together. Again, the window drew her gaze.

  For the time being, she had done all she could. Uncertainty and fear filled her heart, but that was the way it was. All she could do was watch the muddy water and wait for it to clear. The answers would come in their proper time. Until then, all Bonnie needed was the courage to be patient.

  42

  42. Bonnie

  Chapter forty-two

  “I cannot take this anymore,” Bonnie said. She’d paced across the dining room floor until her feet were sore.

  “Do something,” Thea said. She sat in one of the chairs, Aria’s sleeping head on her shoulder.

  Bonnie stared at her. “Wakefield said...”

  “Is my husband the boss of you?” Thea countered.

  “Um... no.”

  Thea shrugged.

  “Goodness, you’re petulant,” Bonnie said.

  Thea grinned. “Only when it is necessary. If I were you, Bonnie, I would not be able to sit still either. So if you need to go out, then go. Wakefield worries too much. Mr. Sonneborn is at the mine. He won’t be coming after anyone.”

  Bonnie nodded. She needed to escape the hotel, to accomplish something. But where would she go? What would she do?

  Look for the gold vein? Go to the mine and speak with Neil?

  Was there an action that would truly accomplish anything, or was she merely grasping for a something to occupy her mind while she waited?

  “Look,” Thea said.

  Bonnie whipped around and looked out the window. Sheriff Ross and Wakefield were returning, but they were not alone. They had Neil with them.

  And Mr. Sonneborn.

  Bonnie gulped, butterflies fluttering in her chest, and stepped closer to the window. Mr. Sonneborn’s hands were behind his back. It appeared he had been handcuffed.

  “They’ve arrested him,” Bonnie whispered. “Thea, I think they have arrested him.”

  Bonnie did not wait for Thea to respond. She ran out to the hotel’s front porch and stood on the edge of it. Sheriff Ross looked over at her and touched the brim of his hat. Mr. Sonneborn’s face was turned down, and if he knew Bonnie had played a part in his undoing, he did not show it. Rather, he chose to stare at the ground instead of look at anyone else.

  Sheriff Ross said something to Wakefield, who nodded and took over keeping an eye on Mr. Sonneborn while the sheriff walked over to the hotel’s porch.

  “What happened?” Bonnie asked, stepping down from the porch and meeting Sheriff Ross in the dirt.

  “We hit the payload. That’s what happened. Sonneborn had a Folsom 1890 hidden in his cabin.”

  Bonnie gasped and clutched her throat. “Does that mean...”

  “And a gold vein that’s about tapped,” Sheriff Ross said. “Right past the very edge of the Hawkins’ land.”

  “Did Mr. Hawkins’ know about it?” Bonnie asked.

  “Sure did. According to Sonneborn, the two of them were carting gold down the road and getting some help from McBride to sell it. They kept it quiet for obvious reasons. The gold wasn’t on Hawkins’ land. It was on Percy’s.”

  “Really?” Bonnie shook her head in amazement. If only Mr. Percy had known about the gold vein, he wouldn't have so eagerly coveted his neighbor’s land. “And Mr. Hawkins? What happened to him?”

  “They had a disagreement over the money. The two of them found the vein together while they were hunting, and Hawkins thought he should be keeping a larger share, seeing as it was closer to his land.”

  Bonnie shook her head. “That doesn’t make much sense. It was not on his land. If anything, the gold belonged to Mr. Percy.”

  “Hawkins was that kind of man.”

  “Yes,” she agreed, remembering the pain he had inflicted upon Margaret. The late Mr. Hawkins had always been looking out for himself. Bonnie doubted he cared very little about what happened to anyone else. She imagined the man would be able to justify even the most malevolent act.

  “Hawkins threatened to expose Sonneborn if he didn’t give up a larger share,” Sheriff Ross said. “According to Sonneborn, he followed Hawkins into the hotel shed to have a discussion about all this. Hawkins grew angry and drew his pistol. Sonneborn shot in self-defense.”

  “Self-defense?” Bonnie asked. “Truly?”

  Sheriff Ross snorted. “That’s the part I find hard to believe. The murder happened in a loud area where no one would hear the shot. Seems premeditated to me.”

  “And he told you all of this?” Bonnie asked, glancing over at where Neil and Wakefield spoke together, and Mr. Sonneborn continued to scowl at the earth.

  “Once I had the gun and the last of the vein as evidence,” Sheriff Ross said. “Then he sang like a canary. Probably in the hopes that he’ll get a lighter sentence.”

  “Will he?” Bonnie asked.

  Sheriff Ross shrugged. “That’s up to the judge.”

  “So Steve is free to go?” Bonnie’s excited words came out in a fast jumble.

  “Steve is free to go,” Sheriff Ross confirmed.

  Tears of joy filled Bonnie’s eyes, and she a hand to her trembling lips.

  Sheriff Ross cleared his throat. “I hope you understand I kept him incarcerated because...”

  “I understand,” Bonnie interrupted. “You do not have to explain it to me, Sheriff Ross, but thank you. I know that I was not very considerate of your choices. You have only been doing your job.”

  He lifted his hat in acknowledgment. “Perhaps I should consider making room for a detective on the force. You have quite some luck and courage, Miss Potter. Smarts, too.”

  “Thank you, but I feel I did nothing great. I believe anyone else, given the chance, would do whatever they needed in order to save someone they love.”

  “Yes,” Sheriff Ross agreed solemnly. “I’m sure they would.” He looked over his shoulder. “I need to get Sonneborn to Shallow Springs. Steve is free to go as soon as I get there. I’ll put him up for the night if he needs it. It’ll be too late to travel back.”

  “Thank you,” Bonnie enthused.

  “Take care, Miss Potter. Hopefully, I’ll see you soon.”

  “Hopefully, not too soon,” she joked.

  He smirked at that and turned to go back to Sonneborn. The door opened behind Bonnie, and Thea stepped onto the porch.

  “I put Aria down upstairs,” she explained. “What is happening?”

  Bonnie grasped Thea’s arm. “They found a Folsom in Mr. Sonneborn’s cabin and a hollowed-out vein of gold on Mr. Percy’s land, right past the Hawkins’.”

  Thea’s eyes widened. “No!”

  “Yes,” Bonnie giggled. “And he confessed. He said he shot Hawkins in self-defense, but Sheriff Ross believes that to be unlikely.”

  “And what about Steve?” Thea asked breathlessly.

  “He is coming home!”

  “Oh!” Thea pulled Bonnie into a hug.

  The stairs creaked, and the women pulled apart to see Wakefield and Neil climbing the steps to the porch.

  “Well, what do you think of this?” Wakefield asked.

  “It is amazing,” Thea cried.

  Bonnie nodded, too choked up to speak. More tears filled her eyes.

  From around the corner of the hotel, Sheriff Ross appeared on his horse. Mr. Sonneborn walked in front of him, hands still tied and a rope tethering him to the horse. Neil waved his hat at Sheriff Ross, and the four on the porch watched the sheriff and criminal slowly leave town.

  “You did it,” Bonnie said, looking from Neil to Wakefield. “Thank you.”

  “No, you did it,” Neil corrected her. “You’re the one who saw Sonneborn and followed him.”

  “I was terrified the whole time,” Bonnie admitted. Even thinking about it made her knees weak.

  “But you did it anyway,” Wakefield pointed out. “And you kept pushing forward.” He glance
d at Neil. “Even when the rest of us were giving up.”