JP nodded. “I suspect Chester wanted to turn attention away from the robbery and his part in it. That’s why he put up such a fuss about Elizabeth finding the body.”
The sheriff let out a loud snort. “To think my own deputy was part of the holdup makes me sick. What’s this world coming to when you can’t even trust the law? Damn his boots and may he walk barefoot in hell.”
In the strained silence, JP pushed several items across his desk. “Here is all the evidence we collected from the crime scene. Some things from Plunkett’s room too.”
The sheriff leaned forward inspecting each items one at a time. He picked up the badge. “Bittersweep Bank. Hmm. Did this belong to Franklin?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No. We found it at the crime scene, but it didn’t belong to Franklin. It belongs to Valeria Landow.”
“How do you know that?” JP demanded.
“The day I opened my account at Bittersweep Bank, she had this badge pinned on her blouse. Don’t you remember?”
He shook his head.
“How do you know it was this particular one?” the sheriff interrupted.
“It’s engraved in cursive, not in block letters like Franklin’s or the others. The rest of the badges were all engraved with block letters. I admired hers particularly because it was the only one in cursive. I wanted one like it with my name on it.”
The sheriff laid the badge back on the desk. “That certainly wraps up the problem of ownership.” He straightened and regarded her with a steady gaze.
Elizabeth’s pulse pounded. Surely the sheriff understood the pin placed Valeria at the crime scene. “Don’t you see? That means she was there. She must have killed Franklin.”
The sheriff scratched one brow with the back of his thumbnail. “It would seem so. But what was her motive? That goes a long way with a jury, especially when a beautiful woman is on trial.”
“I can’t imagine.” Irritated, Elizabeth shrugged. This was America, where a person was innocent until proven guilty. “I didn’t have a motive to murder Franklin either.” Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Having nearly said it aloud, she bit her tongue.
“We discovered Franklin’s ring too.” JP shoved the ring across the desk to the sheriff.
With a puzzled frown, the sheriff turned the ring over examining it carefully. “I don’t see how this can link Valeria or anyone else to the killing.”
“It doesn’t. But it proves the murder wasn’t a robbery gone bad. The ring isn’t a worthless trinket. The gold alone holds value.” JP gestured with one hand. “It’s evidence.”
“So it is,” the sheriff agreed.
JP opened the pack of letters tied with a string. “I took these from Franklin’s room. Maybe there’s a clue in one of them.”
The sheriff edged to the front of his chair and reached for the pack. He handed two letters to each of the brothers, a few more to the JP and divided the remainder with Elizabeth. “Read everything.”
Elizabeth grimaced. “I don’t really want to pry into Franklin’s correspondence. It seems strange and not quite honest with him no longer here to object.”
“He doesn’t care,” Ham insisted. “Not anymore.”
Before she read a single complete page, Ham gave a sharp whistle. “Listen to this. I think we have something here. The letter is from his sister. Ham read aloud.
My Beloved Brother,
I worry about you. Are you safe? You thought someone at the bank was on to your undercover post as bank examiner. Being a mere bank teller should have covered your tracks, but maybe not. I told you going all hush-hush might prove dangerous.
Tell the sheriff you suspect the sister. Still, learning about your position isn’t illegal unless there is some crime to conceal. Naturally, there is a crime to keep secret. Did you hide your ledger in a safe place? I certainly hope so.
Be done with the entire investigation. Come home. We miss you.
Ham stopped reading. After a minute to peruse the entire letter, he said, “The rest is about things at home in Austin.”
“That kid, Luke,” Hud inserted, “put Valeria at the scene. Least ways, he heard the shot. Afterwards, he saw the Landow buggy with the distinctive yellow spokes racing away.”
“I need to talk to that boy.” The sheriff rubbed his hands from his thighs to his knees and jumped up. “I think I’ll ride on over there. Kids can forget things pronto. If what you say pans out, that evidence would be enough to hang her. It won’t come to that, but she’ll do time. Lots of time.”
“Do you mind if I ride along? The boy is afraid.” JP stood up. “He trusts me because I appointed one of my hands to look out for him and his mother until the killing is cleared up.”
“That sounds fine to me. Let’s move out.”
Elizabeth blew a breath between her teeth. “Whew, I’m glad that’s over.”
Ham pushed out of his chair. “Not yet, it ain’t. Wait ‘til she’s behind bars.”
“If that don’t beat all,” Hud mumbled. “Him and the sheriff will question the boy. The heck with us.”
“If a gang of you fellas ride over to the child’s house, you’d scare him witless,” Elizabeth cautioned.
“That’s true, even if we don’t want to admit it.” Ham headed for the door. “Come on, Hud. Chores are waiting.”
Sinking back into her chair, Elizabeth dropped her head in her hands, almost dizzy with relief. Her nerves settled and the butterflies calmed in her stomach. The sheriff would search out the real culprit. Relieved, she collected all the items spread out on the desk. The badge held her attention the longest. Surely Valeria had dropped it by Franklin’s body.
Elizabeth sighed. Would she ever truly be shed of Franklin’s death, of the past? Could she ever move forward into the future?
Chapter 34
JP and the sheriff dismounted at the hitching rail in front of the Landow’s dwelling, two stories of red brick with a veranda all across the front. Valeria opened the door at JP’s knock.
With a sweep of her hand, she invited the men into the front parlor. “Please come in and have a seat.”
Both men doffed their hats and chose a fragile chair with curved fancy legs. A heavy scent lingered in the room, slightly stale, and cloying. The blue walls were covered in gilded framed portraits, mostly of Valeria at different ages.
Now that he was face to face with her, JP couldn’t imagine such a lovely woman murdering anyone. His stomach roiled at the thought. He had courted her, maybe not in the true sense of the word, but she had figured in his life and perhaps his future before Elizabeth came along.
The sheriff had a point. The jury would go light on Valeria because she was beautiful. He clenched his jaw. The sooner this chore was finished, the better he would like it.
Valeria settled on the sofa and dabbed at the corner of her eyes with a lace handkerchief. “I can hardly bring myself to believe my poor, dear brother is responsible for stealing the gold shipment. It seems impossible.” She glanced at the sheriff. “You do remember he was at the dance when the bank was robbed?”
The sheriff rubbed the corner of his eye with one finger. “Yes, I do remember. But his cohorts made off with the shipment and the rest of the money. The dance gave him the perfect cover. A firm alibi.”
Valeria’s back stiffened and she lifted her head to cast a hostile glance at the sheriff. “Yes, he does have an alibi. Therefore, I don’t understand how you can accuse him of such an evil deed.”
JP moved to the edge of his seat, his anger barely held in check. “Give over, Valeria. He was arrested when he tried to exchange my wife for the gold.” He couldn’t keep the snarl out of his voice, harsh, and heavy. “He kidnapped Elizabeth. You know that.”
Valeria twisted her handkerchief into a ball. “There is that. But I still ca
n’t believe it. The pressure of the failing bank and the robbery pushed him above what he could stand.”
JP’s sympathy for Valeria evaporated and his fury increased to fever pitch, especially since she was defending her fiend of a brother. Before all this, JP had considered Rupert a friend. How could he have been so mistaken about both of the Landows? “He killed the deputy. That makes him a murderer. Two witnesses saw him shoot Chester. He admitted to the crime.”
Valeria blinked several times. “Maybe the deputy was the thief and that’s why Rupert shot him.”
The sheriff drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair. “Now, little lady, that ain’t plausible. No right-thinking juror would see it that way. He’s guilty.”
She dabbed at her eyes again. “But sheriff, I understand the deputy was in possession of a bag of gold. The deputy probably planned the entire robbery and then tried to lay the blame on my brother. I’m certain they had words and Rupert shot him in self-defense.”
“No one would believe Chester was the brains of the operation. Mr. Landow didn’t shoot in self-defense either.” The sheriff leaned forward. “Did you plan the robbery?”
Her glare flashed fire at the sheriff. “That’s absurd. I’m a female and the accounts, the figures, everything connected with high finance is over my head.”
What a crock. JP could barely contain his anger. He spewed, “Don’t give me that. You knew about the gold. About everything.”
“The bank clerk realized the bank records were not on the up and up,” the sheriff said. “Why didn’t you?”
She glared at the sheriff. “You mean the bank examiner. He thought he was so smart, but I found out about his little game.”
“Of course you did.” JP kept his voice level. “You are a major shareholder in the bank. Privy to all the comings and goings of the business.”
“My brother was the main shareholder. I didn’t know anything about the gold or the robbery,” she fumed. “I don’t have the head for business.”
The sheriff frowned and laced his words with sarcasm. “So you say. You discovered Franklin Plunkett was a bank examiner. I am sure you knew about the gold shipment too.”
Her lips tightened, and her eyes smoldered with loathing. She paced back toward the window, her skirts swishing angrily with each stride. “I had no idea.”
The sheriff narrowed his lids, his expression grim. “Do you mind taking a seat again? I can’t talk to your back.”
“Yes,” she snapped, “I mind. I can hardly think or contain myself with the need to tell you to go to the devil. You are accusing me of robbery.”
“So, you claim you had nothing to do with the robbery. Is that right?”
“No, I didn’t.” Gripping her skirt in her tightly fisted hands, she paced across the carpet again, shooting an occasional glare at the sheriff and JP.
“What about the murder? Do you know anything about that?”
“Of course not.” She transferred her gaze to JP, deeply intense and pleading. Her voice wavered and her eyes filled with moisture. “I thought you cared for me, JP. Why would you think such a thing?”
JP wanted to shout at her. She had used up all of his sympathy with her tears for herself and her worthless brother. “Give it up, Valeria. The sheriff has proof. Evidence places you at the scene of the murder. You were there. If you didn’t kill him, you know who did.”
Her skirt swirled around her ankles with each agitated step. She exploded into a rant. “There was no murder, only self-defense. That sorry, no good, sniveling coward thought he was so smart. He accused me—me of stealing the gold alongside my brother. A jury will never believe I’m capable of killing anyone.” Her eyes shifted. “He tried to blame me for the last bank failure simply because I was a partner with my brother.” She shrugged and blinked up at the sheriff. “What else could I do? He kept on and on until I promised to lead him to the gold.”
“Is that why you killed him?” the sheriff demanded, obviously not impressed with her tale.
“He threatened to ruin me. Link me to the embezzlement, the robbery, and every weak-kneed stunt my brother ever pulled. He had to be stopped.” She twirled around to face the men. “I did nothing wrong.” She started pacing again. “It was necessary to persuade him to give up his wild accusations so I flung a rock at him. I hit him too, hard, but he kept coming after me.” She halted and shrugged with both palms lifted. “What else was a poor girl to do? What if he tried to ravish me? I couldn’t let him come any closer. I pulled the trigger. He dropped in his tracks. I was safe.”
The sheriff stood and stepped in front of her. “Why didn’t you report his death?”
She dropped down into a chair again. “Sheriff, you were out of town. I didn’t know where to turn. Then the deputy arrested Elizabeth. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t face being thrown in jail. So I did nothing.”
With his fists on his hips, the sheriff drawled, “Well, little lady, seems I must arrest you, ‘til the circuit judge comes to town next week. I suspect you’ll be doing time for what you did, but that’s up to a jury.”
JP stared at the floor before standing. “I’ll see the gig hitched up.”
She raced over and clutched JP’s arm. “Surely you won’t let this happen.” With a tiny rise in her voice, she pleaded, “Help me. You can’t see me in jail. My brother was arrested for his crimes. This can’t be happening.”
JP removed her hand from his arm. “My wife didn’t deserve such treatment either. You were guilty, yet you said nothing. You deserve this and more.”
Valeria’s face crumpled.
Chapter 35
Warmth gushed out of the private parlor into the hall embracing Elizabeth with comfort. This lovely sitting room between the two bedchambers was one of her favorite places in the entire house. One of the maids had left a fire burning low on the hearth and a lamp shinning on a small table.
Elizabeth entered with JP behind her. He stepped inside and shut the door before heading to the fireplace. A soft glow washed over him as he knelt to stir the flames and add another log to the fire.
She turned up the wick and for a moment, the scent of lamp oil clogged her nostrils. Shadows receded into the corners of the room running from the light. Flinging her cloak on the back of a chair, she sank onto the settee. The hem of her garment folded back allowing a sliver of the rose satin lining to shimmer in the light.
JP moved toward the settee loosening his tie. “Alone at last.” He, too, shrugged out of his jacket, letting it fall across the arm of a chair. “Our own private parlor. Let’s enjoy the peace and quiet while we can. No one will dare interrupt us when the door is closed.” He placed his arm around her shoulders and drew her close.
The pulse in her throat quickened. She loved this time together with her husband, to discuss the happenings of the day, to reflect on tomorrow, to renew, and strengthen her closeness with her husband. “Thank you for choosing me as your wife. I realize some of your family didn’t want me to marry you.”
“I’m sorry Aunt Maude lived so much in the past in bitterness and anger. Life moves on. At last, I believe she has too. She intends to move in with Hudson when he finishes restoring his new property. At least for a while.” JP kissed her shoulder raising his head to gaze into her eyes. “Amy is ours now. I intend to adopt her.”
“Of course we will. I’m very attached to her.” She leaned into his side. Stillness, except for the crackling of the fire, invaded the room, peaceful, comforting, forgiving. She stirred. “What’s going to happen to Valeria?”
“You heard the sheriff. A long term in prison. Personally, I vote for the insane asylum. She’s cold, impersonal, with no remorse about her. She’s the center of her world and woe to those who step in her way. That’s insane.”
Elizabeth caught his hand and looked into his eyes. “Let’s tell
our children about their heritage. I don’t want any dark secret from the past to take our offspring down.”
“No dark secrets,” he agreed. “Love and acceptance will build pride and confidence in them.”
A storm gathered inside her, a storm of love for JP, a storm of happiness, and most of all, a storm of gratitude. The havoc that had raged through her life for as long as she could remember was over. No more fighting alone, lonely and afraid. There would be other storms. Storms always whooshed in, but now, she would weather each wave standing by her beloved husband’s side.
“I thank God you were the one who lifted me into the wagon. You’re the one who lifted me out again. I love you, you and your generous, accepting heart.”
“I love you too. Let’s learn from our past, from bitterness, from regret, and move forward into a new future together.”
Also from Soul Mate Publishing
and Wareeze Woodson:
AN ENDURING LOVE
Born and raised in Latvia, Rebecca Balodis marries Rhys Sudduth, an English diplomat. Shortly thereafter, he is summoned home to attend his father’s deathbed. Rebecca cannot accompany him at the time and becomes trapped in the turmoil plaguing her country. He is informed she died in the upheaval.
Nearly four years later, Rebecca escapes and arrives in London with their son in tow. Arriving in the middle of his sister’s ball proves awkward, especially since Rhys plans to announce his betrothal to a young debutante later in the evening.
Can this pair ever find or even recognize an enduring love?
Now available on Amazon: AN ENDURING LOVE
CONDUCT UNBECOMING OF A GENTLEMAN
Recently widowed Lady Laurel Laningham flees Landings to escape her untenable position. Alone now and at the mercy of her sister-in-law, she decides to nestle under her aunt’s wings for a spell. To add to her burdens, her young son’s new guardian, Lord Adron Gladrey, has announced his intentions to take complete charge of his ward. The killer is stalking her and a devious jewel thief is stealing the family jewels. Can she convince her son’s guardian she is not a dangerous lunatic and is perfectly capable of raising her son or will he always consider her untrustworthy as a mother to his ward? Will his stubborn blindness send her straight into the path of the murderer, or will he relent in time to save her from following her husband into the grave?
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