by Bobbi Smith
Sheriff Protzel heard the muttered comment, too, and told him in a low voice, "Just keep moving."
Walker showed no emotion and kept moving. He kept his gaze focused on the front of the courtroom. At that moment he spotted Roni sitting with Stacy, Jim and Chet off to the side behind the defense table.
Roni had arranged to meet with her friends earlier that morning, so they could go to the courthouse together. Zach and many of the Dollar ranch hands were there, too, in a show of support. They were all seated directly behind the defense table.
When Roni heard the talking grow louder in the courtroom, she turned in her seat to see Walker coming her way with the two lawmen beside him. Across the distance, their gazes met, and she managed a tight smile, wanting to encourage him.
Walker nodded only slightly in her direction as the sheriff directed him to the chair at the defense table where Ralph was awaiting him.
"Walker," Stacy called his name as he took his seat. She wanted to get up and go to him, to hug him, but knew she had to stay where she was.
Walker wasn't allowed to speak, but he turned to Stacy and gave her a quick, slight smile to reassure her that he was all right.
A few short moments later, the trial began.
"All stand!"
Everyone rose as Judge Richardson entered and called the proceedings to order.
"You may be seated."
"There will be no drinking in my courtroom!" the judge ordered first thing, when he saw that one of the cowboys in the back had a bottle of whiskey in hand. He knew tempers were flaring in town over this murder, and he didn't want any drunks starting trouble in the courtroom during the trial. "Deputy—get that whiskey!"
Deputy Davis went to take the bottle from the drunk.
The judge went on, "And all weapons should have been left at the door. Anybody armed?" He gave a sharp-eyed look around the room and was glad to see that order had been obeyed.
The jury was ready and the trial began.
Luther Evans, the prosecutor, was a thin, dark-haired, sharp-eyed weasel of a man, but he was a smart weasel who used every trick he could to gain convictions. Luther stood up to give his opening statement. "I am here today to find the person responsible for the death of Ben Thompson, and I believe that person is sitting right in this courtroom." He looked over deliberately at Walker. "I intend to prove to you that this man"—he pointed at Walker—"Walker Stevenson, deliberately and cold-bloodedly killed Ben while he was sleeping."
A roar of approval at his accusation went through the courtroom, and the judge had to pound his gavel to restore order.
When the room quieted, Luther Evans went on fervently, "Walker Stevenson had the opportunity to commit this crime. No one saw him during the late-night hours when the murder was committed. Stevenson had ample time to track Ben Thompson down and shoot him. Stevenson also had the motive to kill him. He and Ben had had a fight at the dance. Everyone there saw the fight and heard the threats that were made. I have numerous witnesses prepared to testify to the ugliness of that encounter. I will prove to you that Stevenson hated Ben Thompson with a passion, and hating him as he did, he wanted him dead." He concluded his remarks fervently and returned to sit at his table, looking very smug and confident.
Ralph got up to give his opening remarks. "It is a terrible thing that Ben Thompson was murdered, but my client, Walker Stevenson, had nothing to do with it. Walker Stevenson did not kill Ben, and I am here today to prove to you that he is innocent of the charge against him. Everyone in this room knows what a mean, vengeful man Thompson was. There are any number of folks in the area who had trouble with him, and they could have used this opportunity to frame Walker for the murder. I will prove to you that my client is innocent." He sat back down.
"Call your first witness," Judge Richardson ordered the prosecutor.
Luther called to the stand several witnesses who had been at the dance and had seen the fight and heard the threats. Then he called Stacy to testify.
"Tell us what happened that night," he instructed, after she had been sworn in. "Tell us how Walker attacked Ben Thompson."
"My brother was defending me—" Stacy countered his assertion.
"Don't you mean your half brother?" he interrupted snidely.
Stacy fixed a heated glare on him as she responded. "Walker is my brother."
"He is also half Comanche, isn't he? Wasn't his mother a Comanche? He's half savage, isn't he?" Luther taunted her, playing on the jurors' prejudice.
"His Indian blood has nothing to do with Ben Thompson's murder!" she argued.
"Oh, but I think it does," he countered. "Please, go on."
It took Stacy a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing. "Ben started the fight. He hit Chet! Walker fought with him, that's true, but Walker would never shoot anyone in cold blood."
"So you say," Luther replied.
"But—"
"That's all the questions I have," he cut her off.
Ralph got up to cross-examine her, and she repeated her claim that Walker was no murderer. She also testified to seeing him Sunday morning, coming out of his room at the hotel.
Luther called Chet to the stand next. He was sworn in and the questioning began.
"Please tell us what happened the night of the murder," Luther directed.
Chet repeated the testimony of other witnesses and then went on to tell of the late-night encounter near the hotel.
"So there was a second confrontation between Ben Thompson and Walker Stevenson that night?" Luther emphasized.
"Yes. Ben and a bunch of his men jumped Walker and Jim. They'd knocked Jim unconscious and were ganging up on Walker when I happened by."
"And when you saw them fighting, what did you do? Did you go for the sheriff?"
"No, there was no time. I drew my gun and broke up the fight."
"Were any shots fired?"
"Yes, but only after Ben started to go for his gun. I made sure no one was hit. Ben and his men took off after that."
"What happened next?"
"Walker and I took Jim over to Dr. Reynolds's office."
"How angry was Walker after this confrontation?"
"It wasn't a 'confrontation'!" Chet argued, playing his role to the hilt. "It was an ambush!"
"Answer my question," Luther demanded haughtily. "How angry was Walker?"
"He was more worried about Jim than anything . . ." Chet deliberately hedged a little, hoping the prosecutor would sense that Chet was hiding something.
And he did.
"Are you saying he didn't threaten to go after Ben and get even?"
"He only wanted to make sure Jim was going to recover. I didn't stay at the doctor's office for too long. I had to get back to my ranch."
"You're telling this court—and may I remind you that you are under oath—that Walker Stevenson didn't say anything that night about wanting to get even with Ben?"
Chet looked decidedly uncomfortable. "He didn't say anything to me," he answered evasively.
"I didn't ask if he said anything to you." Luther was going after him hard and fast. "I asked if you heard him threaten to go after Ben?"
"Well . . ." Chet glanced toward Walker and saw his strained expression. Stacy, too, was watching him carefully.
"You are under oath," Luther repeated harshly.
"I heard him tell Roni that Ben was going to pay for what he'd done," Chet admitted miserably.
A loud murmur went through the courtroom, and the judge banged his gavel again to restore order.
"Thank you. That will be all."
Chet maintained his serious expression, but he was pleased with the way the prosecutor had dug deep for that information. He certainly hadn't offered it willingly, and Stacy would realize that he'd had no choice but to tell the truth, as bad as it was. When Ralph stood up and began to question him, Chet knew he was going to make it through his part of this trial just fine.
"Chet, how angry would you be if someone had attacked you the way Ben and
his men attacked Walker and Jim that night?"
"I'd be furious," he answered quickly.
"And would you say things you didn't mean in the heat of the moment?"
"Yes."
"Do you think Walker tracked Ben Thompson down that night and shot him in cold blood?"
"No. I'm sure Walker didn't kill Ben," he insisted.
"Thank you."
"Next witness, Mr. Prosecuter."
"I'd like to call Dr. Veronica Reynolds to the stand."
Chapter Ten
Roni was sworn in and ready to testify. At first she had expected Luther's questions to be about the extent of Walker's and Jim's injuries from the beating, but after listening to Chet's testimony, she knew he would go after more than that from her.
"Dr. Reynolds, when Walker and Jim were at your office, how seriously were they injured?"
She told him of Walker's cracked ribs, and how Jim had been unconscious for some time before finally coming around.
"And what did Walker have to say about what had happened that night?"
"I don't understand," Roni looked at him.
"It's a very clear question," Luther Evans pointed out coldly. "Please tell the jury what Walker said about Ben Thompson during the time he was there in the office with you. Chet has already told us what he overheard that night. Now, I'm asking you what threats, if any, did Walker make while he was in your company?"
Roni was decidedly uneasy as she faced the prosecutor. "Walker was angry with Ben for ambushing him, and he had every right to be."
"I didn't ask you if he was angry. I asked you what he said regarding Ben Thompson."
Roni looked across the courtroom to where Walker was sitting at the defense table watching her. She wanted to tell the prosecutor that she couldn't remember anything Walker had said.
"Dr. Reynolds, may I remind you, as I reminded Chet, you are under oath?"
"Yes," she answered reluctantly.
"You've said that Walker was angry with Ben Thompson, and rightfully so. What exactly did he say to you? Did he threaten to kill Ben? Did he plan to ambush him and get even? Did he want to see him dead for what he'd done to him and his friend?" the prosecutor demanded, pushing her.
Roni met the man's gaze straight on as she answered him, "Before we knew the extent of Jim's injuries, he said that Ben was going to pay for what he'd done."
Again, a loud murmur went through the courtroom.
"Pay how?"
"I don't know. That's all he said: 'Ben Thompson's going to pay for what he's done.'"
"And just how angry was Walker?"
"How angry would you be if someone had been lying in wait for you and attacked you that way? If Chet hadn't come along when he did, both Walker and Jim might have ended up dead!"
"All the more reason to want revenge on Ben Thompson, don't you think?" he pointed out. "Why didn't Walker go straight to the sheriff and tell him what happened? Why didn't he want to get the law?"
"I don't know."
"Did he even talk about going for the sheriff that night? Did you?"
"Walker said what had happened between him and Ben was personal," Roni admitted miserably, knowing how condemning her testimony sounded.
Walker knew everything Roni was saying was true, but as he glanced over at the jury and saw how serious their expressions were as they listened to her, he knew her testimony just meant more trouble for him.
"Didn't you think it was strange that he didn't want to see Ben arrested and locked up?"
"I figured it was a situation he would handle by himself."
"And he certainly did 'handle it' himself, didn't he, Dr. Reynolds?" Evans finished with a flourish, not allowing her to say another word. He smiled coldly at her. "That'll be all."
"But—"
Ralph stepped up to question her next.
"Dr. Reynolds, how well do you know the defendant?"
Roni looked over at Walker. He was sitting so stoically at the defense table, and her heart ached. "We've been friends for many years."
"On the night of the murder, how angry was he?"
Roni looked up at the lawyer. "He was very angry because Jim's injuries were so severe. Jim was fortunate that he wasn't hurt more seriously."
"How long did Walker stay at your office?"
"It was late when he left. I'm not certain of the exact time, but it was probably close to midnight."
"Thank you, Dr. Reynolds."
Jim was called upon next. He emphasized his belief in Walker's innocence, but there was little he could add with his testimony.
Mick and the rest of Ben Thompson's men were sitting in the courthouse, looking pleased about the way the Luther Evans was handling the prosecution.
When Luther called Mick to the stand to testify, he eagerly went forward to be sworn in, then sat glaring at Walker from the witness stand.
"I understand you were there when both fights between Walker and Ben occurred. Is that correct, Mr. Jones?"
"Yes."
"Why did Ben Thompson decide to pick the second fight with Walker?"
"He wanted to get even with Walker for humiliating him at the dance, and we were doing a real good job of it until Chet showed up and pulled a gun on us."
"Do you think Mr. Thompson had any intention of killing either Walker or Jim?"
"No," Mick answered.
"How can you be so sure?"
"If the boss had wanted them dead, they'd be dead. He hated the half-breed," Mick said, looking at Walker, "but he just wanted to teach him a lesson that night."
"I have nothing more for this witness. Thank you," Luther said in a satisfied tone.
It was Ralph's turn, and he approached Mick slowly. "Why did your boss like to cause so much trouble in Two Guns?"
"I don't know what you mean," Mick answered arrogantly.
"Well, let me explain it to you. He came into town, got drunk and deliberately started a fight at the big dance. Why would he do that?"
"He didn't start any fight. He just wanted to dance with Stacy," Mick said staunchly.
"There were other available women at the dance. Why did he pick Stacy? She was already dancing with her fiancé."
"'Cause she's real pretty," Mick said, grinning salaciously at her. "That's why."
"You don't suppose it was because Walker is her brother and Ben knew if he got rough with her, Walker would step in, and he'd have the fight he was after?"
"I don't know," Mick said with a shrug. "We'd been drinking, and we were ready to have some fun."
"And Ben's idea of 'fun' was fighting, wasn't it?" Ralph challenged sharply. "I can call any number of witnesses who've known him over the years who will testify to the fact that Ben Thompson liked nothing better than to cause trouble. It is also a known fact that he hated the Stevenson family, Walker in particular. Isn't that true?"
Mick didn't answer him.
"Isn't that true?" he repeated heatedly.
"Ben had no use for them—any of them. The old man was a greedy son of a bitch who'd do whatever he had to do to make the Dollar the biggest ranch in the area. And Walker—why he's nothing but Stevenson's half-breed bastard!" Mick sneered.
Loud murmuring went through the room.
"If Ben felt that way," Ralph continued, wanting to draw out the complete truth, "then asking Stacy to dance was a deliberate provocation on his part. He wanted that fight, didn't he?"
Mick looked straight at the lawyer. "Yeah."
"What happened after the second fight?" Ralph pressed.
"Me and the boys stayed in town to drink some more. Ben decided to ride on out to the ranch. When we got back the next day and he wasn't there, we went looking for him. That's when we found him—dead at his campsite."
"Were there any clues at the scene to identify the killer?"
"No. There was nothing."
"So, in reality, anyone could have come upon Ben where he was camped out that night and committed this murder, isn't that correct?"
Mick gl
ared at him, his rage showing in his expression. "Walker killed him! Everybody at the dance heard him threaten Ben!"
"Threats are one thing. Murder is another. No further questions."
Mick was cocky as he stepped down. He stared at Walker as he passed by the defense's table to return to his seat.
Ralph had tried to discourage Walker from testifying, but he insisted on taking the stand in his own defense.
Walker went forward and was sworn in.
Luther approached him. "What time did you go to your room that night?"
"I'm not sure. It was late."
"Did anyone see you enter the hotel?"
"No."
"Did you speak with anyone on your way to the hotel?"
"No."
"Was there a clerk working at the desk?"
"No. There was no one at the desk when I got there."
"So, you have no witnesses who can place you in the hotel at the time of Ben Thompson's murder, is that correct?"
Walker glared at him.
"Is that correct?" Luther repeated for emphasis, wanting to force Walker to answer, zeroing in on what he believed would be the decisive point in obtaining the conviction he wanted.
"Answer the question," the judge directed.
"Yes."
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you say?" Luther asked arrogantly.
"Yes," Walker repeated, louder this time, shifting in the chair.
"So there would have been plenty of time for you to go after Ben Thompson, shoot him and get back to the hotel without anyone knowing about it? Is that correct?"
"I didn't kill Ben Thompson," Walker denied.
"And I say you did. No further questions, Your Honor," the prosecutor said, smiling in satisfaction as he went to sit back down.
Ralph realized they were in trouble. He got up to question Walker, hoping to repair some of the damage that had been done.
Walker watched his attorney walking toward him and hoped his questions could convince the jury of his innocence.