Undercover Sheriff

by Barbara Phinney

  “Who was going to hurt him?” Zane asked.

  “Never mind all that right now,” Rachel snapped. “Help me untie Alex. We need to get him to a doctor.”

  Rachel carefully peeled away the thick twine that bound Alex’s wrists. Zane winced. The wounds underneath must sting like fire-ant bites, for the cord had cut deeply into his skin. The length had also been tied to Alex’s belt and, in disgust, Zane tore it away.

  Still Alex didn’t move. In fact, his head lolled farther forward. Rachel took it in her hands and brushed away the bits of fabric caught in the burr that was his growing beard. “He needs fresh air. Perhaps the cold will revive him?”

  Zane slung his brother over his shoulder and heaved up to standing. His side burned with the strain on his wound. Rachel turned to Rosa. She hesitated for a moment.

  “Untie her, Rachel,” Zane urged her. She looked over her shoulder at him, her expression torn. With a nod, he encouraged her further. “She couldn’t have tied herself up and I doubt Alex did it. Have some faith. You’re strong enough to do this.”

  A small wobbly smile formed on her lips and pride shone in her eyes. She untied the woman quickly. With her basket handle looped over her left arm and that hand gripping the lantern, Rachel used her right arm to help the woman toward the entrance of the cavern. Rosa stumbled and Zane noticed that she was limping slightly.

  “Are you hurt?” Zane asked her.

  She pulled a face. “A bit. Pa kicked me in the thigh once, then tied my ankles so tight I still can’t feel my feet.”

  “What’s his name?” Zane demanded.

  “Samuel Carrera.”

  “Come on, Rosa,” Rachel said. “I’ll help you. Walking will bring the blood back to your feet.”

  “I’m so sorry, Rachel,” Rosa cried softly, stopping to cling to her. “About a month ago, after I prayed by myself for the first time, I knew I could no longer keep the secret I’ve carried for the last five years. I’ve always known it was Pa who assaulted and robbed you and, over the years, I couldn’t help but be impressed at how you never gave up.”

  “You’ve known?”

  Rosa nodded mutely, her eyes shining. Then as Zane turned away, she added, “Ma had sworn me to secrecy that night. She was scared. She’d witnessed what Pa did to you and Robert. She even tried to stop him, but my pa threatened her. Ma told me what happened ’cause she was going to find Pa to tell him to return the money and she wanted me to know in case something happened. But she said it was too dangerous to tell anyone else, so she begged me to keep quiet.”

  So Mrs. Turcot had been right, Zane thought grimly. Robert had seen Liza. “You knew she went to confront your father?”

  Looking at Zane, Rosa nodded. “After he killed her, Pa disappeared for a while. About a year ago, he came back, threatening to hurt Daniel if I told anyone what I knew.”

  Zane shook his head. “He had all that money he’d stolen. Why didn’t he just leave and never come back?”

  “He couldn’t go anywhere. He’s wanted for murder down south, and I think he’s getting too old to be moving around, trying to avoid the law. And he could never hold on to money for long—always drinking or gambling it away. He bullied me into giving him money every month.”

  That was it, Zane thought. He was in control of his daughter here, and living off her wages. No wonder she had nothing but the bare essentials in her crib. She couldn’t afford anything more.

  “But after I prayed like you’d taught me,” Rosa went on, “and Pa came back one more time to remind me to keep quiet, I told him I couldn’t live with it anymore. That’s when he took Daniel.”

  Zane didn’t want to waste time, not with Alex still unconscious. “Let’s go,” he growled.

  They moved forward around the corner, the pace slow so that Zane could choose his footing well. As the shaft straightened out, Rachel asked, “How did your father know I had the money?”

  “He’d come by once in a while, demanding money from my mother, but that one time, she let it slip that she’d just given it all to you. Oh, please forgive her, Rachel. She didn’t think he would attack you!”

  “She should never have approached him afterward to ask for the money back.”

  “Ma thought he’d never hurt her. She loved him.”

  “Where’s your father now?” Zane demanded, hoping the man wasn’t close by.

  “I don’t know!” Rosa looked at Rachel, her expression stricken. “He may have gone to find Daniel.”

  “So he cares for Daniel, but no one else in his family?” Rachel’s tone held a sharp edge.

  “He doesn’t even care for him. He wants to kidnap him back so he can use him against me to keep me from turning him in. The only reason he released him last Saturday was because he was getting sick. Pa didn’t want to catch whatever Daniel had. That, and Daniel was an ideal way to get that ransom note to you.”

  “He used Daniel as leverage,” Zane muttered as he readjusted his brother’s deadweight. He shot Rachel a fast look to remind her that she had planned to do the same thing.

  Catching the look, Rosa gripped Rachel. “Is Daniel all right? What were you going to do to him?”

  “He’s fine,” Rachel answered crisply. “Doing very well, in fact. I’m sorry, Rosa. I thought you were working with your father willingly, and I wanted to use Daniel to force you to let me leave with Alex.” She cleared her throat. “I’m as bad as your father.”

  “No, you’re not. You were trying to save lives. Pa wants to cheat and steal and hurt. Oh, Rachel, I wish I knew where he was!”

  “We saw him outside of the sheriff’s office,” Zane muttered through the pain in his side and the weight of his brother. “Even Daniel recognized him.”

  Rosa nodded. “He was going into Proud Bend to see the blacksmith. He said he had some metal to melt down and sell.”

  “The printer’s blocks he’d stolen,” Zane muttered, heaving up his brother to find a more comfortable position. “He broke into the printer’s office to steal their money because he knew when the payroll was usually there. But when he couldn’t get into the safe, he stole whatever he could get his hands on.”

  “How do you know that?” Rosa asked.

  “I found a small printer’s block in Daniel’s pocket and in your bed. Your father squatted there the night before.”

  By now, his eyes adjusted to the dimness, Zane was able to turn around and see the women’s faces clearly. Rachel’s expression was pure concern, and yet, when she met his gaze with hers, she softened.

  His heart lurched. If only...

  “Pa gave a block to Daniel,” Rosa continued. “He also forced me to tell him where I kept the key to my crib, so he had a place to sleep off a night of drinking. He would drug us when he wanted to go out for the evening. He’d smother our faces with a rag soaked in something sweet smelling.”

  Chloroform. This wasn’t the first time the drug had been used in the execution of a crime. His jaw tight, he pushed upward, the incline mild but slippery and treacherous with the moisture from the spring somewhere in there. Rachel helped Rosa. Zane felt the incline tighten his legs as he carried his brother. When Rosa slipped, Zane knew he needed to leave Rachel behind to continue helping while he and Alex keep going. Alex needed air and attention, neither of which could be given where they were. He encouraged Rosa to keep going.

  “Ma saw you get assaulted. She never forgave herself for letting it happen.” Rosa kept talking. “She worked hard the next night to try to earn enough to pay everyone back.”

  Rachel shook her head. “She couldn’t possibly earn enough in one night.”

  “No, but she managed to earn enough to pay back Alice. She was complaining the loudest. Ma realized she couldn’t earn enough money to pay everyone back—not if she wanted to have enough to feed herself and pay the rent on her
crib. She needed to speak to Pa.”

  “I know,” Rachel said. “She came to see me the day after I was assaulted. I was still recuperating, but she seemed certain she knew my attacker.”

  “Pa knows he could still be tried for the crime, Rachel,” Rosa moaned. Zane could hear them close behind. The long shadows caused by the lantern in Rachel’s hand made every crevice in the mine floor look deep and treacherous, and he chose his steps carefully. He could barely do that and listen at the same time.

  “Yes, there’s no statute of limitations on that type of assault,” Rachel answered. “Not to mention what he did to your mother.”

  Zane paused, taking the moment to catch his breath. “Rosa, did you give Rachel money, too?”

  Rosa shook her head. “Only a little. I didn’t have much. But I don’t care about the money. I’ve been thinking about all you’ve said about confessing your sins and being forgiven, so when I decided to pray, I knew that I had to tell Sheriff Robinson the truth. Then Pa came by, throwing his weight around and twirling that pistol he owed. It was to remind me to keep my mouth shut. He must have heard that Rachel had been talking to me and that I was starting to listen.”

  “When did he kidnap you?” Zane asked.

  Rosa nodded. “It was early in the morning just as the sun was rising. I was already up with Daniel when he dropped by. He took Daniel first, while I was dressing and Daniel was out on the stoop. He drugged him and put him in a cart under a cloth. When I tried to stop him, he did the same to me.” She sobbed. “He kept me tied up until I well and truly knew he would kill Daniel if I didn’t do as he said.”

  Zane started to move again.

  Rosa followed, all the while her words spilling from her. “Then Sheriff Robinson showed up looking for me and Pa knocked him out.”

  They all stopped. “How did Alex know where to find you?” Rachel asked.

  “I don’t know, but Pa knew he needed to change his plans. That’s when he decided to send Daniel back to you, Rachel, asking for ransom money for us both. He was getting sick being in this mine. Pa knew you would pay for our release. He boasted that with the money, he’d have enough to escape to Mexico, where no one would find him.”

  Zane listened carefully to Rosa’s confession. Far up ahead, daylight lit the tunnel, a small circle of brilliance offering fresh air. Thankfully, the extra light helped with his careful steps.

  They continued to climb. “Does your father realize there are two Sheriff Robinsons?” Rachel asked.

  “Yes, he saw him when he delivered Daniel and the ransom note. When he came back, he was furious, saying he’d seen another Sheriff Robinson. He laid a beating into the sheriff, demanding to know what had happened. The next night, he sent me to get the money, saying that if I didn’t come back, he’d kill the sheriff. I couldn’t let that happen! Oh, Rachel, I know how guilty you feel! It’s terrible, isn’t it?”

  “I’ve learned a lot about guilt, Rosa,” Rachel muttered. She helped Rosa come up beside Zane. Only a few more feet and they’d be free of this mine. The air already smelled fresh and cold, and would hopefully revive his brother. “We have a photograph of your father. We’ll stop him easily enough.”

  “Not as easily as I am going to stop all of you.”

  Zane’s head snapped up. Stepping into the mine entrance not more than two feet away was a man, his frame silhouetted against the bright light of the maw. Zane couldn’t see his face, but he knew one thing.

  The man had a rifle pointed right at him.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Rosa stepped out of Rachel’s supportive embrace. “Pa, even you can’t kill all of us.”

  “Oh, yes, I can, girl, so shut up,” Carrera snapped.

  Zane eased his unconscious brother to the stone beneath their feet. He’d be able to defend himself more effectively with his hands free. And if necessary, he would fall on him to protect Alex from getting shot. One thing was certain, though. He wouldn’t be able to free his revolver before Carrera had a chance to fire.

  Then it happened. Rachel shoved Rosa to the right, causing her father to hesitate momentarily, not knowing which way to point his rifle. In those few seconds, Rachel swung the lantern to clock him along the side of his head. Thankfully, the oil remained in the reservoir, but the unprotected globe broke and the flame flared outward for a second, blinding Carrera.

  Fearful of getting burned, Carrera raised his arm to protect his face. Rachel let go of the lantern as it flew by his head, and in the same swift motion, dropped her basket and wrenched the rifle from his grip.

  Zane leaped forward. With one sharp uppercut, he subdued the man. Carrera slumped to the stone, unconscious. While he was out, Zane quickly handcuffed him.

  Rachel set the lantern aright. “That cart I ordered should be down at the road by now. I’ll get my horse so we can take Alex to it.”

  She was gone only a few minutes before returning with her piebald. Zane slung Alex over the sidesaddle, wincing when he realized the ladies’ pommel was probably digging into Alex’s stomach. Carrera was beginning to stir, but Rachel and Rosa had used the cord that had remained around Rosa’s waist to tie her father to the horse, forcing him to walk or risk getting dragged. He stumbled as he stood.

  Rachel’s groom was waiting beside the carriage and hurried up as soon as he spotted them. Together, he and Zane eased Alex down across the carriage’s seat. With the rope from his waist, they secured Carrera’s ankles to his manacled wrists through the back of his belt and twisted him in the carriage, as well. He lay uncomfortably on the tiny floor space, his front arched due to the short rope. Wisely, the groom pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and blindfolded the older man. “Just for extra insurance,” he said. “He won’t try anything if he can’t see.”

  Zane nodded. “Get my brother to the doctor and this man to my deputy for arrest on murder, assault and kidnapping. Tell my deputy that I want him in a cell by the time I get back. Then take Rosa to Rachel’s house to see her son. In that order.”

  Rosa beamed. She scrambled up beside the driver and the carriage rumbled away. Zane turned to Rachel and bent down to help her mount. “Follow them. I’ll get my horse and catch up.”

  When Zane had returned to the trailhead with his borrowed horse, he found Rachel still waiting there. “I couldn’t leave you.” Her smile was wobbly as she shrugged.

  His heart leaped, but he suddenly realized that their lives weren’t going to end happily ever after. In fact, he recalled with another sudden lurch of his heart that, with Alex safe now, there was no reason to stick around. He no longer had a job, and, as much as the idea of spending time with Rachel appealed to him, he had nothing to offer her. He was simply a discharged sheriff with an unsavory past and no future.

  He swallowed. Rachel might not be able to leave him, though. That meant he had to leave her.

  * * *

  The trip into Proud Bend was silent. Rachel sensed Zane’s reticence as his horse trotted beside hers. What was he thinking? She hated how fear curbed her desire to question him.

  Yet she clung to the foolish idea that as long as they rode on, not saying a word, as long as Proud Bend remained in the distance, barely lit in the dying daylight, the future remained open. Anything could happen.

  But that anything might not be good.

  When they reached town, Zane said curtly, “I’ll meet you at your house. I’m going to check on Alex and then make sure Carrera is locked up.”

  “Let me come with you to check on Alex.”

  “No. He’s my brother, and you need to see to Rosa and Daniel.” He galloped off.

  Dejected, Rachel returned home. Louise met her on the stairs, her face tight with disapproval. “That woman, Rosa, has taken her son. I don’t dare think where they are headed, but it can’t be any place suitable for the boy. He needs a good home, an
d I have already ordered cook to buy more milk for him.”

  Rachel didn’t feel like dealing with her mother, not while her mind remained on Zane. “You barely noticed him here, Mother. So why the concern?”

  “It’s not that at all. The child should not be punished for his parents’ sins. When Clyde tried to kill us, it was a direct result of your father’s misdeeds. I won’t allow that to happen again, certainly not to a small child—”

  A sharp knock on the door sounded. Still on the stair treads, both women froze. The footman hurried to open the door.

  It was Rosa, carrying Daniel. When he spied Rachel’s mother as she hurried down the stairs, he smiled broadly, his arms outstretched. “Gamma! Gamma!”

  Eyes wide, Rachel turned to her mother. “Gamma? Gramma?”

  Louise haughtily lifted her chin. “Well, he had to call me something. I’ve been up visiting whenever you were out. It’s not like you’re going to give me any grandchildren.”

  Rosa didn’t let her son go. Instead, she shifted him and the small bag she was also holding. “I’m only here to say goodbye.”

  “Goodbye?” Rachel echoed. She could hear her mother suck in a sharp breath.

  “I’m leaving, and I have to hurry if I’m going to catch the train. I have a cousin in Pueblo. I’m going to stay with her for a winter. In the spring, I’m going back to my mother’s hometown.”

  “What will you do?”

  “My mother’s family owns a general store. I know I’ll be welcome to stay and raise Daniel there. Maybe learn about the business.”

  “What about your father? You’ll have to give a statement to the sheriff.”

  “I dictated it to your mother before you came, even how he sold the stolen postcards to the bartender, who suspected where they came from and bought them anyway.” She looked incredibly sad. “I can’t stay here, Rachel. Daniel deserves better.”

  Tears swam in Rachel’s eyes. “Will you remember all I’ve taught you?”

  “About God? Oh, yes! I hate how much I must have disappointed Him, but on the way here, I realized that I’ve just been running from God. I was always too scared to stop living this terrible life, and feeling guilty and not worthy, and it would start all over again. But while I was tied up and wondering if I was going to die, I started to pray. God gave me peace, and I know I’ll be okay as long as I trust Him.” She dropped her bag, gave Rachel a one-armed hug and then picked up her bag again. Within a minute, she was hurrying down the driveway. At the street, she turned toward the train depot. Daniel was watching the house, and when Rachel saw her mother lift one hand to wave goodbye, he did the same.