by Bobbi Smith
It was almost an hour later when Pete from the telegraph office came hurrying in. "I got a wire for you, Miss Martin."
"Thanks!" Elise was excited as she took the telegram from him. She reasoned that it was from Gabe and that he'd learned something important. She still wished she was the one who'd gone to Canyon Creek, but she would do whatever she could to report the news. She opened the wire as soon as Pete had gone and eagerly began to read.
Elise. When I was passing through Canyon Creek, I heard talk that Sheriff Jackson from Eagle Pass survived the Harris ambush. Saloon girl named Sissy at the Mother Lode seemed reliable. See what you can find out. This could be big news for you.
Ben.
Elise stared down at the wire, her eyes wide in shock. Sheriff Jackson had lived through the ambush? He wasn't really dead? She couldn't believe it. Excitement filled her. She was going to Canyon Creek!
Stuffing the telegram in her purse, Elise locked up the office and rushed to the stage depot to check departure times. The next stage to Canyon Creek pulled out in less than two hours. She could be there by late that afternoon. Elise bought a ticket and hurried back to the office to let Andy know.
"Thank goodness you finally got here!" Elise exclaimed as she came through the office door.
"Why? Did something exciting happen?" Andy looked up at her expectantly.
"Darn right, something happened! I'm going to Canyon Creek! Now! Today!"
"Did you get a wire from Gabe?" he asked, surprised by her excitement.
"No. It's even better than that! I got a wire from Ben!"
"Ben?" Andy was confused.
"Yes! It seems Ben was in a saloon in Canyon Creek and heard talk that Sheriff Jackson survived the ambush. So, I'm going there to interview the bar girl at the saloon and find out just exactly what it was that Ben heard. Then, I may even go looking for Jackson myself," she declared.
"You'd better think this through, Elise."
"I already have," she stated firmly. "I've got my ticket and I'm leaving town in a couple of hours."
"Why don't we just send Gabe a wire and let him look into it?" he reasoned.
"If we knew where he was staying, we could, but he didn't say when he left and we haven't heard from him."
"Still, I don't think-"
"Andy, I'm going. This story is too big!" Her expression grew even more delighted. "In fact, I think we should put out a special edition right now!"
"What are you talking about?"
"There's time. I'll help you. Here-"
She sat down at her desk and began to write. Within ten minutes she was done with a news release.
"See what you think." She handed Andy her article.
BREAKING NEWS
SHERIFF TRACE JACKSON SURVIVES DEADLY AMBUSH!
Word just in-reliable sources have confirmed that Eagle Pass lawman Trace Jackson did not perish in the ambush by the Harris gang, but is still alive and on their trail. We will be reporting more details as they become available.
"Let's run this now, so you can get it on the street. I want to take one with me to give to Gabe when I get to Canyon Creek."
They set to work, not stopping until the type had been set and the copies of the special edition were finished.
"I've got to go home, so I can talk with my grandmother and pack a few things for the trip. I'll see you when I get back," she said, heading for the door, a copy of the paper in hand.
"How long do you think you'll be away?"
"I'll send you a wire," she promised. "Do you think you can handle things here on your own?"
"I think we're about to find out," he answered, giving her a semi-confident smile.
With that, Elise quit the office and headed home. She wasn't quite sure what her grandmother was going to say about her plan, but she wasn't going to let anything stop her. Sheriff Jackson's survival was too big a story. She couldn't ignore it.
To Elise's surprise, her grandmother was not at the house when she arrived. She went on to her room, packed a small traveling bag, and got some money to take with her for expenses. When her grandmother still hadn't returned, she sat down at the kitchen table and wrote her a note explaining everything. A short time later, Elise was on the stagecoach heading to Canyon Creek. She hoped her grandmother would understand why she needed to make the trip.
Elise was excited. It wasn't just that she was making the trip. It was that she wanted desperately to believe Ben's news was true-that Sheriff Jackson had survived. She knew it was almost too much good news to hope for, but she clung to it anyway. Dwelling on the Eagle Pass lawman, she wondered, as smart a sheriff as he'd been, how he'd ever managed to get trapped by the gang that way. She wondered if he'd been betrayed in some way, but she had no idea by whom or why. If she ever met him, she was going to be sure to ask.
For some reason, Gabe slipped into her thoughts then, and she grimaced inwardly. He was not going to be glad to see her when she showed up in Canyon Creek. She was certain that their reunion would not be a pleasant one, but she didn't care. This was big news. She wanted him to know what she'd found out, and she wanted to investigate Ben's source and see what else she could learn about Jackson. The only way she could do that was by going to Canyon Creek. She hoped Gabe approved of her special edition. She thought that once he got over being angry with her for coming to Canyon Creek, he would appreciate her efforts.
Elise frowned at nothing in particular as her thoughts lingered on Gabe. So many things about him were a mystery to her. She still hadn't been able to figure how he'd been shot, or why. He was an interesting man, a compelling man, but he was also a stubborn man. She was going to have to figure out how to handle him, and soon, if she was going to get to the bottom of this story on Sheriff Jackson. She knew how interested Gabe had seemed to be in her articles on the Harris gang, and she hoped he didn't try to interfere and ruin her chances to follow up on Ben's lead.
The stagecoach trip couldn't end soon enough for her. She was eagerly looking forward to her arrival in Canyon Creek.
It was late in the afternoon when the stage finally pulled into the station. As they rolled to a stop, Elise remembered her first encounter with Gabe at the stage depot in Durango. She couldn't help but smile at the memory of her desperation that day. Now, here she was descending from a stagecoach in a town where she knew no one, just as Gabe had done all those weeks ago. At least here in Canyon Creek there was no stranger waiting to hustle her off to a fake wedding.
From the stage Elise made her way to what looked to be the best hotel in town and went in to get herself a room.
"Will you be staying long?" the clerk asked after pushing the registration book across the counter for her to sign.
"For a few days, at least," she replied. "Tell me, is there a Mr. Gabe West registered with you? He would have arrived yesterday."
"He sure is. Mr. West is in Room 212, but he's not in right now. He went out earlier this morning, and I haven't seen him come back in since. Would you like to leave him a message? I can give it to him for you when he comes through."
"No, thank you. I'll just wait and catch up with him myself."
The clerk turned the registration book around and after reading her name, said, "Here's your key, Miss Martin. You're in 217. Up the stairs and to your left."
Elise took the key and disappeared upstairs. She was eager to seek out the saloon girl named Sissy at the Mother Lode, but considering what she now knew about how saloons worked, she decided it was too late in the day to go. It was almost evening, and no doubt business at the Mother Lode would be booming. She would stop in early the following morning when things would be much quieter.
Elise let herself into her room. It was clean and comfortable, and that was all she required. She wasn't going to be spending much time there anyway. She had a lot of work to do, but before she could start anything, she had to talk to Gabe and tell him the big news.
Trace sat across the desk from Sheriff Lewis, his notebook and pencil in hand. "And do y
ou have any idea where they went when they rode out of town?"
"I wish I did, Mr. West," the lawman snarled his frustration. "T'd be there right now, arresting the bastards and bringing them in. Two of his men were killed during the robbery, and I was glad. It's just too bad Harris wasn't one of them. I got a posse together right away. We chased them for a good two days, but a gully-washer came through and wiped out every trace of the trail. We stayed another day and a half, just trying to pick it up again, but it was gone."
"That's the truth," Deputy Miller put in from where he was standing at the office window.
"That must have been some storm," Trace remarked. "Where exactly did you lose the trail?"
"Why? You thinking about trying to find it again?" the deputy asked.
Trace shrugged as he answered evasively, "Couldn't hurt to take a look around."
Both Sheriff Lewis and Deputy Miller chuckled at the thought of this reporter trying to find a cold, washed-out trail.
"We lost it out by Pinnacle Pass, but if you think you're going to find it, you're sadly mistaken," Miller told him.
"We had of Mike with us when we were on their trail. He's the best tracker in the county, but after that downpour he couldn't find a damned thing."
"It was the worst storm I've seen in years," Sheriff Lewis said in disgust, "and wouldn't you know it would come when we were chasing Harris."
Their laughing at him annoyed Trace, but he kept his emotions hidden. He knew there was no point in trying to pick up a washed-out trail. If they hadn't been able to find it then, he certainly wouldn't find it now. "Can you think of anything else pertinent to the robbery that I need to know to write this article?"
"No, that's about it. Just let it be known that Harris had better never show his face around here again or he'll be a dead man. We'll be shooting first and asking questions later," the deputy vowed.
Trace completely understood the sheriffs bloodthirsty sentiments. "I appreciate you both taking the time to talk with me."
"I wish there was more we could tell you," Lewis said. "Just let the folks in Durango know that they're damned lucky the gang hasn't struck there yet."
"We know it, believe me," Trace assured him.
"You got a good marshal there in Jared Trent. Next to Trace Jackson, I'd say he's about the best around. Hell, he probably is the best, now that Jackson's dead. I never got the chance to meet Jackson, but from what I heard about him, he was one good lawman."
"Well, thanks for all your help."
"If anything we've told you helps to bring the gang in, we're glad to help."
Trace rose and shook their hands, then left the office. He was as frustrated as ever as he headed back to the hotel. He'd made the trip to Canyon Creek in hopes of learning something new that would help him track down Harris. Despite all his interviews today with the bank employees and the lawmen, though, he had turned up nothing. He'd been planning to ride out and pick up the gang's trail, but after talking to the sheriff and the deputy, he knew now there was no point in even trying. It was a dead end.
As he strode back into the hotel, Trace grimly made up his mind. He would start back to Durango first thing in the morning, but his days as Gabe West were numbered. As soon as the Harris gang struck again, he was going to be on their trail. Nothing was going to stop him this time-nothing.
Trace didn't even think about eating dinner. He was in no mood for food, and so he went straight to his room. He thought only of getting an early start back to Durango in the morning and seeing if there was any new word in on Harris.
Elise had gone out for dinner at the small restaurant nearby. The food was delicious, but she was too excited to enjoy it to the fullest. She could think only of the coming morning and her interview with the saloon girl. Over and over in her mind, she replayed the questions she would ask her as she tried to get to the bottom of the story on Sheriff Jackson.
When she'd made the short walk to the restaurant, Elise had kept a look out for Gabe, but she'd seen no sign of him. She returned to the hotel, wondering if he'd returned or not.
"Miss Martin?" the desk clerk called out.
"Yes?"
"I wasn't at the desk when he came through, but I did see Mr. West going up the stairs a short while ago. He should be in his room now."
"Thank you," she told him, then quickened her pace up the steps.
She wanted to get her copy of the special edition of the Star before she went to speak with Gabe. She was certain he was going to be angry, so she wanted to have a good reason to show him why she'd followed him to Canyon Creek. It took her only a moment to grab the paper, and then she was heading down the hall to Room 212, her mood excited but cautious. There was no telling what kind of reaction she was going to get out of Gabe.
Trace was lying on his bed, trying to rest. The night was hot and sultry, so he'd discarded his shirt before stretching out. He'd left his glasses on the bureau and was staring at the ceiling, willing himself to sleep, but not succeeding.
Trace's mood was tense and frustrated. Nothing was working out the way he'd hoped it would. He had come to Canyon Creek to find a lead to the gang, but he'd come up emptyhanded. True, he had every intention of going after them the next time they committed a robbery, but someone else might be killed before he could get to them. Enough innocents had already lost their lives because of Matt Harris.
His thoughts drifted to the following day and his return to Durango. Elise would be there, awaiting his return, angry at him for leaving her behind. He smiled in spite of himself at the thought of her. She was different from any woman he'd ever known. She was smart and brave-and beautiful. Despite his best attempt to control his thoughts, the memory of that night in her parlor returned.
Trace drew in a ragged breath. Elise aroused feelings in him that he'd never known before, and that troubled him. He wondered if he loved her, then brought himself up short. He couldn't love her. His life was too complicated for him to risk becoming involved with her. Still, even as he tried to banish the memory of Elise from his mind and heart, the sweetness of her embrace and the beauty of her kiss stayed with him, leaving him even more restless.
The knock at the door startled Trace. Only the sheriff and the banker knew where he was staying, so whoever it was, it had to be important. He got up quickly, and grabbing up his shirt, he shrugged into it, not bothering to button it. He put on his glasses and hurried to open the door.
Trace's shock was real when he found Elise standing there. For a moment, he imagined that he'd conjured her up just by thinking about her.
"Gabe! I'm glad you finally came back to your room. You can't imagine what happened! I need to talk to you!" Elise said quickly without waiting for him to react to her presence. She had meant to look up at his face, but she found herself staring at the broad width of his chest. She was again amazed by the hard, corded muscles there, and she had to give her self a mental shake to keep herself from reaching out to touch him.
"Elise! What are you doing here?" Trace immediately started to work at the buttons on his shirt to cover himself more fully. Trying to sound like Gabe, he said quickly, "I specifically told you to stay in Durango and take charge of the paper."
"I know that, and that is precisely why I'm here. This is all about the paper! I've got something important to show you. May I come in? We have to talk."
"Well, I-um-" He couldn't decide what to do. It was most inappropriate for her to be in the room of a single man. "Is your grandmother here with you?"
"No. I came alone. This was too important to wait. I had to get here as quickly as I could to show you what I'd learned."
"It couldn't have waited until I got back?"
"I didn't know when you were coming back, and you didn't let us know where you were staying. My reason for being here is strictly business," she declared with dignity.
"What is it that's so important?"
"I received a telegram early this morning. It was from Ben."
"Your old boss? Why woul
d he be contacting you?"
"Ben will always be a newspaperman, even if he doesn't own the paper anymore. I guess when he heard this, he had to let me know. Anyway, he's right. The minute I read the telegram, I knew I had to run a special edition of the Star!"
"This had better be good."
"It's fantastic! Wait'll you see! I was certain that you would want to see the paper right away, knowing how interested you are in the Harris gang-"
"Did they rob another bank?" he asked, suddenly focusing on what she was saying.
"Not yet, and the news isn't specifically about the gang."
He was growing frustrated with her. "What is it, then?"
"It's Sheriff Jackson-that lawman I told you about from Eagle Pass."
Trace suddenly went very still and took a step back. "What about him?" he asked cautiously.
Elise took his move as an unspoken invitation to enter his room, so she strode right on in.
"Look at this! He's still alive!"
Elise handed Gabe the single-sheet edition of the Star as she stepped farther into the room. She was so proud of herself. She'd made the trip to Canyon Creek all alone. She'd found Gabe without too much trouble. Now all she had to do was convince him that Sheriff Trace Jackson was still alive, hiding out somewhere nearby, and they could start trying to locate him. She could just imagine it-an interview with Sheriff Jackson! And what an interview that would be! She could hardly wait.
Trace watched her move past him, then glanced down at the special edition.
BREAKING NEWS
SHERIFF TRACE JACKSON SURVIVES DEADLY AMBUSH!
The headlines screamed at him.
Trace went cold. He swallowed tightly and kept reading. Fury filled him. When he'd finished, he looked up at her, his expression black.