“Yes, what did he do?”
She gripped the arm of the stand with her left hand and lifted her right hand, fisted. “He pulled a knife from his belt and plunged it in Harp’s back.” Her fist came down like one yielding a knife.
Regardless of the judge’s admonition, gasps and murmurs swirled around the room, until he was obliged to pound his gavel yet again.
“Then what happened, Annie?”
“The man put his knife back in his belt and slipped his hand in Harp’s pocket. He pulled out a big wad of money…and he kept pulling out money.”
“You’re sure it was money?”
“Yes, bills…more money than I’ve ever seen. Then he got up and looked around and left out the front door. A few seconds later, I heard horse’s hooves, but I was still afraid to come out.”
“You stayed at the peephole?”
“I didn’t move from the door. I kept listening, afraid he’d come back. Then after a long time, Juliette came back. She called me, and I tried to answer. That’s when I realized I couldn’t make a sound. That scared me, so I stayed where I was. I couldn’t even move my legs for a while.”
“What did your sister do?”
“She had a sheet she spread out and rolled Harp on it and dragged it out the back. After a little while, I got my legs to move and looked out the window and didn’t see anything, so I came out and was going to where Juliette was—in the garden—but I still couldn’t talk, so I ran to the barn to my hiding place.”
“You are a very brave girl, Annie. I want you to do one more thing for me. Have you seen the man who stuck a knife in Harp Munson in this courtroom?”
“Yes, but he went out a little bit ago.”
Juliette and several others craned their necks trying to see who was missing. The back doors of the courtroom opened, and Jake and Rhyan entered, dragging Abner Wexman between them.
“That’s him.” Annie pointed.
“Let the record show the witness is pointing to Mr. Wexman.”
Wexman tried to escape from the men. “This is an outrage. That girl is loony. Mr. Hawkins are you going to allow this?”
Confusion crossed Hawkins’s features, but the judge took the matter out of his hands. “Sheriff, arrest Mr. Wexman until you get to the bottom of this.”
The sheriff took the burden from Jake and Rhyan and led a shouting, sputtering Wexman away.
Stunned silence cloaked the courtroom.
“Your witness, Mr. Hawkins,” Mr. Ward said, returning to his place.
The deflated prosecutor rose and looked around the room as though searching for advice. He shrugged. “No questions.”
Mr. Ward had not yet seated himself. He pivoted back to Annie. “Thank you, Miss Kendal. You may go with Mrs. Darlington.” He faced the judge. “If it pleases the court that concludes our case.”
“Are you prepared for your closing, or do you wish a recess?”
“I’m ready, Your Honor.”
Jake returned to his place beside Juliette. Not caring who saw, she grabbed his hand. “She can speak,” she said. “Annie can speak.”
He whipped out a fresh handkerchief and blotted her cheeks. “And she spoke well.” He nodded to the front. “But it isn’t over yet. Listen.”
Mr. Ward stepped off the length from judge to jury, his hands clasped behind him. “From the first I didn’t doubt that Juliette Kendal shot Harp Munson. The evidence is overwhelming, as Mr. Hawkins presented. But something was missing. The motivation seemed obvious. She hated Munson—and with good reason. He was a despicable cad.” He turned and directed his stare to the courtroom where Abner Wexman had been sitting. “But things didn’t fit.”
Abruptly, he turned and took up the shirt and the vest. “The coroner brought up two of those questions. In addition to the bullet hole, this tear in both vest and shirt.” He pointed to each. “Possibly caused by worms, after all, the body had been buried over three months in warm, moist soil. The tear is frayed, but, especially in the vest, you can see it appears to be a slit instead of round as one would expect. Also, notice the position—right over where a man’s heart would be.
“On the other hand, this round hole, caused by the bullet is higher up. It didn’t seem likely the bullet alone would have killed Mr. Munson. Now, my client had assured me she checked the man’s pulse before burying him, and while Miss Kendal might have gotten rid of the body of a man she thought she killed in a panic, she’d never bury a man alive. That left only one possibility. Someone else killed Harp Munson.”
Mr. Ward stood looking at the evidence for long moments, then pivoted and gazed at the ceiling. “Harp Munson was a gambler—a bad one. Over the years, he lost maybe a fortune, but he still kept chasing that big win, like all gamblers do. He went out west to play for a huge pot, one that required big stakes, cash only. He had to mortgage his house in order to raise the stakes.
“His cousin, Mr. Wexman, believed he’d lose as he always did and gave him the money for an IOU.” Mr. Ward returned to the table and retrieved a paper. “My detectives went to the Delta where the poker was being played. They found that Munson didn’t lose. In fact, he won the big pot. Harp Munson came back a rich man, and he was already thinking of frying bigger fish.”
The lawyer fell silent again as if searching for the best way to continue his story. As the seconds ticked off, the jurors leaned forward, and Mr. Ward smiled. “The detective also reported that Munson stopped by Wexman’s home on his way to Forest Glen. But he’d decided not to pay off his debt. He’d let Wexman have the property.
“Wexman came with him to settle the claim, and Munson intended to tell Juliette and the children to leave. Munson already had plans to embark on his next gambling trip.” He waved the document in his hands. “It’s all here.”
Mr. Ward turned from the jurors and moved to the rail separating the observers from the front. He looked out over the crowded room. “I’m sure many of you know the road from Abbeville south. You’ve probably traveled it many times. It’s long and lonely—few houses in between.
“As Munson rode along with Wexman, his thoughts turned to Annie, and those thoughts turned to lust. He’d already been molesting Annie and gotten away with it because such things are so shameful to a young girl that she dare not speak of it, in fact, she blames herself because why else would anyone do that to her?”
Mr. Ward released a long sigh. “Munson knew how vulnerable Annie was, and, with each mile, his lust grew until, frankly, he couldn’t control himself.
“When he finally arrived and entered the parlor—there was Annie. Alone. He’d seen her sister busy with the backyard garden. So he took Annie right there. She screamed, and her sister heard her, grabbed her rifle. She’d seen Munson’s horse, but she was shocked at the scene she found in the parlor. She shouted for Munson to stop, and when he didn’t, she fired—over his head she thought. But he raised up at that moment, and the bullet clipped him in the shoulder, as the chipped shoulder bone showed.”
The lawyer blew out an audible gust of air and stared at the floor several seconds, letting the words sink in. “The rest you know from Annie’s testimony. It’s all corroborated by my detectives’ investigation, which I’ve given to Mr. Hawkins and the court. The documents also show Wexman went on a spending spree shortly after Munson’s death, buying real estate, jewelry, and fine horses.”
He paced across the floor, his footsteps loud in the silent courtroom. “Since Munson’s winnings were never found, I think we can assume Annie told the truth when she said Wexman took the money.”
His voice rose several octaves. “But in case you have any doubts left, I want you to think on this. Neither I, nor anyone else in this room can know the extent of Annie’s courage to sit here and tell you these horrific things. You’ll notice that she was almost devoid of emotion. Mrs. Darlington tells me it will take a long time for Annie to regain the normal emotions of a young girl—if ever.”
Juliette pressed her hand to her heart. The lawyer spoke the truth.
&
nbsp; Mr. Ward whirled around to face the jurors. “Therefore, gentlemen of the jury, for Annie’s sake, as well as her sister’s, I charge you to bring in a verdict of not guilty.”
After a couple of minutes shuffling through papers, the judge said, “Mr. Hawkins, are you prepared for your closing statement?”
Hawkins rose and stepped forward, then looked back at the observers before facing the judge. “Your Honor, I move to dismiss this case.”
“Your Honor,” Mr. Ward interrupted, “I appreciate Mr. Hawkins’s gesture, but I’d like the verdict to be rendered. I don’t want any lingering doubts hanging over my client.”
“Very well,” the judge said. “Gentlemen of the jury, you may deliberate while we are in recess.”
The foreman stood. “Your Honor, we don’t need to deliberate. We have a verdict now. We find the defendant not guilty.”
The spectators broke into applause, and Jake’s arms went around Juliette in a tight hug. Then he stepped back as a crush of well-wishers surrounded her. Thad and Corky. The O’Grady sisters. And Annie.
She disengaged herself and pulled Annie into a tight hug, the tears she’d been fighting flowing freely. “I’m so sorry, Annie. I should have known—all those months—I should have seen. I’m so sorry.”
Annie took the hem of her apron and wiped Juliette’s tears. “You couldn’t have known, Julie. And I couldn’t tell you. I knew you’d kill him if you’d known, but it’s over now.”
Juliette swallowed the lump in her throat. Annie still showed little feelings. Please God, let it be over, for both of us.
Chapter 28
Jake shook Matthew Ward’s hand. “Wish you could stay for the wedding.”
“I’d love to, but I’ve got to get back home before my wife divorces me. I’m just glad everything worked out for everyone.”
“Everyone but Abner Wexman.”
“He’d have gotten away with it, along with the twenty thousand dollars he stole, if he hadn’t been too greedy.” Rhyan said. “If he hadn’t tried to take the Kendal’s house, we’d never have known what happened.”
“I’m glad it worked out the way it did. Juliette might have gone through life thinking she’d killed a man, and though he deserved killing, I’m glad my wife won’t have that on her conscience.” Jake rubbed his chin. “I still don’t understand why Annie wouldn’t let Juliette know she saw Wexman kill Harp. Even if she couldn’t speak, she could have written it out—it seems to me. Was she afraid Juliette would be blamed?”
“Psychologically, there’s probably more to it than that, but yes, she feared no one would believe her, even if she brought herself to relate something that shameful.” The hard scowl on Mr. Ward’s brow relaxed. “I’m glad Rhyan mentioned the house. I’d almost forgotten.” He pulled a document from his inside pocket. “The deed on the house, free and clear, and Mr. Blythe has submitted an offer your soon-to-be wife might be interested in.”
“Thank you. I’m sure she will be.”
“All aboard!” The conductor’s shout had Mr. Ward hooking his valise by its strap. “I’d better be going. If your invitation to the ranch is still open, Rhyan, I’ll be up that way next spring.”
“Sure it’s still open. Anytime. Let us know. Carianne will want to make a fuss.”
“Thank you for everything,” Jake added.
“Believe me, I’ve gotten more satisfaction from this case than any I can remember. Good-day, gentlemen.” Mr. Ward tipped his hat and bounded up the depot steps.
Rhyan shoved his hands in his pockets, and he and Jake strode from the noise of the departing train. “I expect the ladies will have supper ready by the time we get there.”
“Yeah, I wanted to give Juliette some time with Annie and the boys, but I want her full attention after supper.”
Rhyan slapped him on the back. “Sorry, she won’t have much time for you tonight. They’ll be busy with preparations for the wedding. Besides, you’re going to have her full attention soon enough. You ready to get married?” Jake and Juliette were going to wed in the O’Grady sisters’ church early in the morning, right before their train pulled out.
“I’ve been ready since I first met her. Did you feel that way about Carianne?”
“My heart did, but that stubborn streak in my mind got in the way for a while.”
“Well, my mind and heart are both ready.” They crossed the street on the way to the O’Gradys’. “Juliette will be glad to get this offer from Blythe. She wants to keep Mrs. Darlington on to help Annie a little longer.”
“That may be wise. Annie can stay at the ranch house for a month or two. Give you and Juliette time to get settled in your new house.”
“I can’t wait to see how the furniture fits. You know, I don’t even remember when I had a place to call my own.”
“It’s time, Jake. Carianne and I are proud of you. How would you like to be the new foreman of the north section?”
He gave Rhyan a sharp look to make sure he wasn’t joking. “With a raise.”
“Of course, with a raise. You have a family to support now. And how else are you going to pay your mortgage?”
That was something he’d been wondering about. “What about Deck?”
“Deck is going to be helping Carlos. The ranch has gotten too big for him, and I’m not going to have time to help out for the next year or two. I’ve committed to campaign for several men, including Matt Ward.”
“He’s running for something?”
“United States Congress. So, are you interested in the job?”
“Sure, thanks.” He laughed. “I hope I can live up to your expectations.”
“Don’t worry. Juliette will keep you straight.” Rhyan stopped in mid-stride and Jake halted. “In case I forget in the excitement of the wedding,” Rhyan said. “Here are yours and Juliette’s tickets. I’ll keep Annie’s and the boys’. They’ll be going all the way through with Mrs. Darlington and me.”
Jake glanced at the tickets. “You’re going to leave me and Juliette in Atlanta?”
Rhyan chuckled. “You’re going to take my private car in Atlanta and stop wherever you want to on the way home.”
“If I know Juliette, she’ll want to go straight home.”
“You’d better know her. In a few hours you’re going to be yoked to her for life.”
Jake picked up his steps. “You’re right about that.” He’d just have time to change into his good clothes and get to the church after breakfast. Rhyan had been smart to bring an extra suit for Jake. He was smart about a lot of things, which prompted Jake to ask, “You got any advice for me? For a happy marriage?”
“Just remember you’re yoked together side-by-side. Don’t put her in front, and definitely, don’t put her in back. Be sure to discuss the big decisions with her. Women like little surprises, but not big ones. And they’re not good at reading minds, so find some way to show her you love her every day.”
“Like what?”
“Any little gesture will work. Get up and fix her breakfast once in a while. Bring her a rose, even when it’s not her birthday. Lean in and whisper, ‘I love you,’ in her ear right out of the blue. Make sure she knows she’s the most important person in your life.”
That part wouldn’t be hard. She already was.
***
The locket rested against the old lace inset of Juliette’s bodice. Since her mother’s gown was still at Sollano, Miss Maybelle had loaned her this wedding dress of ivory dotted silk with an overskirt of embroidered cabbage roses.
She pinned the short veil to her coiled hair. Would Jake think her beautiful?
Everything had been thrown together quickly because the O’Grady sisters wished to be a part of the wedding, and how could they deny them? Besides, neither she nor Jake wanted to wait another day to take their vows. It seemed right that they should travel to their new home as man and wife.
Was it just yesterday this very hour she’d waited behind bars, not knowing if she’d ever become Jake’s bri
de. Or ever know freedom.
Shafts of sunlight touched her hair, casting a rosy sheen over the loose tendrils. All doubts had burned away like the morning fog. God had wrought another miracle. She would carry this moment with her the balance of her days. God had loved her before Jake.
Before the foundations of the world, and it stretched into eternity.
A knock on the door of the church’s anteroom jolted her attention from the mirror. “They’re ready, Jul.”
“Coming, Thad.”
Being kept from the sunshine for a week had left her pale. She gave a pinch to each cheek and hastened out into the vestibule. Corky threw open one of the double doors and Thad opened the other.
The auditorium wasn’t large, and she caught sight of a stately gentleman at the altar she took to be the preacher. Rhyan stood beside Jake on one side and Miss Lydee on the other. “Where is Annie?”
“Here I am.” Annie came from a side pew. Dressed in a blue and white gown and carrying a bouquet of white lilies of the valley, she made a beautiful bride’s maid. “I’m all right, Julie,” she answered Juliette’s questioning gaze, her lips tilting into a half-smile.
No—Annie wasn’t all right. She was still too detached. Her eyes too vacant. But Juliette resolved to bring her sister back to normalcy. And Jake would help restore Annie’s trust in men. A finer example of a man couldn’t be found than Jake Gresham.
Juliette hadn’t seen Miss Maybelle, but the chords of the grand piano at the front revealed her presence. The Wedding March cued them to start, and a thrill ran through Juliette.
This wasn’t the church of that nightmare born of regret and guilt. There was music here, and the stained glass windows were different.
Annie got in place and measured their steps. She held her head high as the soft lighting cast a sheen on her golden hair gathered into a roll of soft curls like a crown. Juliette’s hand lay on Thad’s arm on one side, and Corky’s on the other. Jake waited at the altar.
Yes, this was very different from her dreams. The pews were empty. And Jake would not disappear. This was real.
He was dressed in black tails and tie, a white silk shirt that shone under the chandelier lights.
Escaped (Intrigue Under Western Skies Book 4) Page 25