He shook his head again. “Didn’t work like that. The sheriff insisted on a burial right away, then called Monk into his office for questioning. By the time Monk got loose and came back for me, I’d dug my way out of the grave. Like to have smothered.”
The horror of it clutched at his middle and a shiver skittered through him. His voice shook and he felt clammy. “Monk told Hargrove about it when they met in Chicago. Hargrove threatened to wire the sheriff and tell him how I escaped.”
“So, why have you herded us together?” the Judge asked.
“I plan to go after Hargrove and bring back the money. He’s gone to Fort Worth, but he has some angry kinfolks on his trail. In case I don’t live through it, though, I wanted you to know the truth.”
“And what makes you think we’ll let you leave this room alive?” Storm asked.
Chapter Nineteen
Drake pushed to his feet and crossed the room. After placing a hand on Storm’s arm, he said, “Storm, let me take over.”
Storm threw Nate a glare before he stepped aside.
“What about Belle? If you were at Roxie’s when Lex and I were in Tennessee, you must have known Belle.”
Avoiding the subject of how well he knew Belle, Nate answered, “It was Cal and me who helped Roxie get her to Pearl’s place. Neither Pearl nor Sarah,” he looked at Storm, “nor you recognized me. Guess all of us focused on Belle. Thought she was dying.”
Storm nodded. “She almost did.”
“What I want to know,” Drake persisted, “is whether you’re going to tell people Belle worked at Roxie’s. Lex wants a career in politics, and details like that could hurt his chances as well as his personal life.”
The Judge stepped forward, as if he wanted to be certain he heard this answer word for word.
“I told you I want to help this family, not hurt you further. Belle recognized me. She sent Lex to ask me if I remembered her. I lied and said no because I saw it worried him. No reason anyone needs to know anything about Belle being at Roxie’s. Has nothing to do with who she is now.”
“Well said,” the Judge muttered and patted Nate on the arm.
Storm looked incredulous. “Grandpa? You siding with him? How do we know he’s not telling us what we want to hear same as he told Lex?”
“He could be in Timbuktu by now if he hadn’t meant what he just said. Nothing to keep him from high tailin’ it out of here with the other fellow. I figure he’s seen the light, just like he says.”
“That’s right,” Gabe added. “You all know I hate lies of any kind, but he’s come to us when he could have left town. I say we give him a chance to make it right.”
Nate waited for the other two verdicts. Panic clutched at his gut and made him physically ill. What if they kept him here? He knew Drake carried a lot of weight with the others. Right now Drake looked pensive, Storm angry. Nate held his breath.
“He leaves, I’m going along to keep an eye on him,” Storm said. “Make sure he comes back, with or without the money.”
“Might not be a bad idea.” Drake looked at Grandpa. “Think Ben would deputize Storm and me? Won’t give us any authority outside this county, but it might go a long ways in persuading Hargrove.”
The Judge brightened. “Let’s get Ben over here and find out. Yep, you two along might help convince this Hargrove fellow to part with his ill-gotten gains.” He tugged the bell pull. When Emily stepped to the door, he said, “Ask Chester to fetch the sheriff pronto.”
Fear gripped Nate in a mighty hold. Perspiration gathered between his shoulder blades and across his forehead. What were the chances of the sheriff letting him walk out of here? Damn, no matter what the Kincaids said, Nate would be in jail within the hour.
“Badges will give you some credibility with the law whenever you catch up with this man.” The Judge returned to his desk chair and sat down. “Now let’s work out the details.”
“You say he’s headed for Fort Worth?” Drake asked.
“Windsor Hotel. Monk’ll wire if Hargrove makes a wrong turn. In case I’ve already left,” Nate looked at Storm and rubbed his aching jaw, “or in case I’m in no condition to travel, he’s wiring the Judge any change in plans.”
“You saying even if we throw you in jail, your friend is still bringing the money back?” the Judge asked.
Nate nodded. “Yes, sir, that’s his plan. Like I said, Hargrove has a gun and Monk doesn’t. He has to rely on outwitting and out talking the man.”
The Judge stroked his chin. “Hmph. Thought he was a real quiet man when he was in town. But sounds like he can be a talker when he has to.”
They heard the arrival of a newcomer, listened to his heavy tread and the jingle of his spurs as he strode down the hall. Desperation seized Nate. He should have left a note to explain and hurried after Monk and Hargrove on his own. No way in hell would a sheriff let him go after learning all he’d done.
***
Sarah’s head ached from worry and she knew her heart would never heal completely from Nate’s betrayal. Sensing something terrible had happened but not understanding the tension, her three children appeared wary and anxious, so she displayed a calm and smiling countenance for them. Inside, she felt just the opposite. Her dream world had shattered into a thousand pieces with knowledge of Nate’s duplicity.
She made it through the school day without breaking down, and kept herself composed until she and Luke and Cindy made it to Grandpa’s. Fiona greeted them at the door and took Sarah’s carryall with her teaching supplies and set it aside.
“Did they make it away all right?” Sarah asked as she hung her shawl on the hall tree. Unable—or unwilling—to face Nate this morning, she remained in her room until time to leave for school.
“Yes, dearie, just as planned.” Fiona gave Sarah’s shoulders a hug. “Go have a bit of a rest. I’ll bring an after-school snack for the children to Joe’s room.”
“Hurray,” cheered Luke as he bounded up the stairs with Cindy at his heels.
Sarah smiled her thanks and followed the energetic children. Leaving Luke and Cindy regaling Joe with all that happened at school that day, she went to her room. Once the door closed behind her, her careful façade collapsed and tears flowed freely. She sank into her chair and dabbed at her eyes.
She had thought it would all work out. Nate hadn’t promised he would stay, but she wanted it so badly she had believed it possible. Lost in thought, she sought to recall each word or look, every tender touch they’d shared.
How gentle he’d been. Tingles surged through her body at the memory. A fire built in her belly when she remembered the lovemaking they had shared. Other memories doused the flame. Nate lied to her, planned to cheat her family and the town.
A tap at the door preceded Fiona’s entry. She carried a small tray holding a cup of tea and some cookies. After placing the tray on the table by Sarah, she took the chair across from her. Sarah hastily dried her eyes.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Now, dearie, I know you’re upset with Nate. I’ve been in bits about the whole thing meself. He’s a bold boy but he’ll be fine and return to you soon.”
“He can return or not, it doesn’t matter to me. All I want is for Drake and Storm to get the money and bring it back so no one is cheated.” She pressed her hands around the cup to steady their trembling.
“It’s yourself will be cheated if you think that. Nate loves you, I’m sure of it. That boyo loves the children as well, and they love him.”
Sarah almost choked on the tea and replaced the cup in the saucer. “He’s a cheat and a fraud.”
She looked at the ring on her finger. She hadn’t minded losing the flashy sapphires and diamonds. If they were even real, they weren’t anything she would ever wear. The ruby ring was different. Though now much of the pleasure of it had gone, she hadn’t taken it from her hand after all. Mama had placed it there the day before she died and asked Sarah to wear it in memory of her. How could Sarah part with it after t
hat?
Fiona’s gaze showed her sympathy. “If you don’t mind me saying so, if that was true once, Nate must have changed. Maybe he was a cheat at one time in his life, but he faced your family and told them everything. That took a lot of courage.”
Sarah sat mute. The pain inside her barred reply.
“And will you look how hard he worked with Gabe? I hear he worked just as hard at the ranch with Storm and Drake. He could have been sitting up at the hotel living the easy life instead.”
Sarah sniffed and said, “It was part of his trickery. He wanted to appear dependable so we’d trust him more.”
Fiona ignored that comment. “Didn’t he save Joe when a lesser man would have waited in town for the posse? You know yourself Joe might be dead if Nate and Gabe hadn’t gone after him or if Nate had waited before he got the lad off the ledge.”
Sarah nodded and took a deep breath. The memory of how close they’d come to losing Joe still haunted her. “Even mean people do nice things once in a while. It doesn’t take away the bad things they’ve done.”
“And good people do bad things once in a while, dearie. It doesn’t make them bad people, though, now does it?”
“He’s ruined my reputation.” Sarah hated the memories stirring in her. “I encouraged people to invest in the railroad because I trusted him.”
Suddenly she remembered how upset he’d been when she told him what she’d done. Now she realized he hadn’t wanted her involved, but she had wanted him to owe a part of his success to her. She’d hoped he’d decide to stay because of it, that he might even love her. She pressed her hands to her cheeks.
“Oh, Fiona, I’ve been such a fool. How long before people know there’s something amiss? How will I ever face them? They’ll all hate me and hold me responsible. I’ll never be able to hold my head up in this town again. I might even lose my students. No one will want me teaching their children.”
“When he brings back the money, people will forget soon enough. It may be bad for a bit, but give it time.”
“What if he doesn’t? What will happen if he disappears or can’t get the money?” Sarah’s shattered heart ached.
“Seems to me he would already have run if that were his plan, but he won’t be disappearing with Drake and Storm along.”
Fiona looked somber and shook her head. “Sure and if they don’t recover the money, now that would be bad for your boyo and for the folks in town. Listen, dearie, in here,” she placed a hand over her heart, “I feel it’ll all work out somehow. You’ll see. Give it time.”
Fiona patted Sarah’s hand and quietly left the room. How could anything work out now? She forced down some chamomile tea, hoping it would calm her. Leaving the cookies untouched, she rose and washed and dried her face.
She had done things she never dreamed she’d do with any man, let alone without benefit of a marriage ceremony. Somehow the impropriety seemed less important now. All that mattered was keeping Nate near. She still had her children, but would she ever have Nate to make their family complete?
***
Sheriff Ben Liles tried to keep a positive outlook on recent events, but the scheme Rob Kincaid and his kin talked him into worried him as he walked along Main Street. He hoped he hadn’t been a durned fool. It didn’t make sense from a sheriff’s standpoint to let Nate leave town to go after the money. Sometimes, though, you just had to go with your gut instincts.
He knew he wasn’t the best or brightest lawman in the state, but he was honest. At least, he upheld the spirit of the law. By damn, he gave the county a day’s work for a day’s pay.
Ben met Gabe coming out of the law office. They’d both watched the train pull out this morning with Drake, Storm, and Nate on it, then gone off to their respective offices.
“Going for your mail?” Ben paused while Gabe locked the door of the law office.
“Yeah. I quit trying to get it early in the day,” Gabe said and fell in step as they crossed the street to the Mercantile.
“Yep, that Marcus is a stickler for his routine. Don’t matter the mail bag is dropped off each morning. No amount of pleading or cajoling can make him put it in the boxes until after his lunch is finished.”
“That’s the truth,” Gabe said. “Surprised the heck out of me when he brought a letter to Nate yesterday. Didn’t bring me my mail, though.”
Ben laughed. “Sounds like Marcus. I like that Nate myself, even with all I know about him. Figure Sarah would be better off with him than with that banker.”
“I have to agree with you, there. Something about Dorfmeyer irritates me, especially after he treated Billingsley so rough.” Gabe pulled open Novak’s Mercantile door and the little bell attached to it rang.
“How’s business, Marcus?” the sheriff asked as he waited his turn at the section of letterboxes lining one end of the counter. Gabe opened his and extracted several letters, then stepped aside for Ben.
“Brisk for a Tuesday,” Marcus replied. “Can I tempt you gents into trying these new cigars? Just came in on this morning’s train.”
Gabe shook his head, but Ben stepped up to the counter.
“Reckon not, but I’d like another pouch of tobacco and some rollin’ papers.” Ben slipped them into his pocket and laid down coins to pay for his purchase.
“You see the two fellows what got off the train this morning?” Marcus asked. “Said they was looking for that Mr. Hargrove on some family business. Got right back on the same car when they heard he’d gone.”
Gabe stepped forward. “You say they got back on the same train they came in on? That means they’re riding with Drake, Storm, and Nate.”
“Sure thing,” Marcus said and nodded his head. “I was picking up my supplies and the mail and I seen it all. Never heard of anybody doing that. Stayed in town less than thirty minutes. Ain’t that something?”
Gabe faced him and Ben saw the indecision in his eyes. What did Gabe expect him to do? This was a sorry business, this thing with Nate and the other two. He’d be happy to see it all settled down.
The bell on the door sounded as Peter Dorfmeyer hurried in, thrusting a sheet of paper at the sheriff. “I knew something about Barton and his friends was phony. Here’s the proof, Sheriff. What do you intend to do about it?”
The smirk on the banker’s face was enough to make a man want to take a swing at it. Damn, he hated that pompous Dorfmeyer’s hide more than ever right now. It’d be like the know-it-all to blab this all over town and get him in hot water, along with the Kincaids. Imagine the nerve of that weasel, courting a sweet girl like Sarah Kincaid.
Ben tried to appear a lot calmer than he felt. “Now, Dorfmeyer, unruffle your feathers. What proof are you talking about?” He heard the bell ding again and knew someone else had entered, but didn’t turn.
Dorfmeyer had an even more superior expression on his face than usual. “I wrote off to several places asking if those three were wanted. Well, that Hargrove is. Probably the others are, too. I just got this wire from Chicago asking that Hargrove be turned over to the authorities. Looks like that’s your job.”
Ben jerked the paper from the banker’s soft white hands. He hated a man with hands that soft. Even pushing a pen wore a few calluses. Looked like countin’ money would, too.
“Let me see.” He scanned the wire. Sure enough, Hargrove was wanted in Chicago and elsewhere for a number of crimes. “Hank the Hustler, eh? Well, Dorfmeyer, you can rest easy. Matter’s being taken care of.”
“How? What are you doing to bring this Hargrove and his cohorts to justice?” Dorfmeyer demanded and stood glaring.
Ben folded the offending paper and slipped it into the pocket beneath his badge before anyone else saw it. Gabe watched silently. Ben tried to think what he should say, what he should do to head this off. A dozen thoughts flashed through his mind. None fit the bill.
Crime happened seldom in this county. Mostly he got drunks on Saturday night, occasionally a fight, and a ton of petty stuff needing his attention. Robbers
had hit the bank twice, and both times he’d recovered the money quickly and sent the robbers to jail. Three times in the fifteen years he’d been sheriff here he’d failed at his job, though, and it weighed heavily on his conscience.
The first time was seven years ago when Drake brought his new family here. A madman had threatened Pearl and her kin. The culprit killed one man and injured another before Drake shot the cowardly son-of-a-gun. His second big failure occurred recently when he fell short at protecting that boy Joe from his no-account stepfather. Nate and Gabe had to save the child. Both times he’d been only minutes behind the rescue, but those minutes would have cost lives if someone else hadn’t taken over.
Now he had this thing with Nate Barton or Bartholomew, his friend and this Hargrove. Ben admitted he’d slipped up there because of Nate’s association with the Kincaids, plus the fact he’d taken a liking to the man. Matter of fact, he still liked him, but not enough to let him ruin the town. He hoped the Kincaids knew what they were doing this time.
Ben realized Gabe still stared at him, he guessed waiting for his lead in an answer. What should he say? Dorfmeyer’s temper seemed ready to explode and Ben had better come up with some excuse soon.
From behind the counter, Marcus spoke up, “Good thing Nate’s working for Pinkerton’s, aint’ it?” He beamed with pleasure at knowing something he obviously thought a secret.
Dorfmeyer paled, “What do you mean, Novak?”
Marcus looked at Ben as if for approval. “Why, I guess it’s all right to tell the secret now since they’ve gone after Hargrove, ain’t it sheriff?”
Dumbfounded, Ben could only stare, nod, and wonder what the hell the storekeeper meant.
Marcus looked proud enough to bust his buttons. “Being the postmaster, I know a lot about folks. Barton got letters from Pinkerton’s ‘cause he’s working for them. Took him his last one myself yesterday.”
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