Come the Spring (19 page)

“Does the guard upset you?” Cole asked.

“No,” she answered. “I am upset, but not because of Mr. Carver. He's only doing his job.”

“Then what's bothering you?” Cole asked.

“I've just heard the most startling news from that despicable reporter this morning. He told me that one of the Blackwater gang has been captured. Was the reporter lying or was he telling the truth?”

Because she was looking at Daniel, he stepped forward to answer. “Yes, it's true. One of them was caught.”

“Is he dead or alive?” she cried out.

“Alive,” Daniel answered. “But just barely.”

“I hope he dies,” she whispered, and then bowed her head. “No, I shouldn't say that. It's just that there's been so much killing, and if he's responsible, he should pay for his crimes. Do they know the man's name?”

“I don't know if the authorities know his name or not,” Daniel said. “I didn't ask.”

“Are they bringing him back to Rockford Falls to stand trial?”

“No, they've taken him to Blackwater, Texas.”

“Is that a long way from here?”

“Yes,” Cole answered.

She looked relieved.

“Good,” she whispered. “I won't have to worry about him getting loose and coming after Jessica and Grace and me.”

She collapsed into a chair and began to fan herself with her handkerchief. “The murderer has confessed to his crimes, hasn't he?”

“No, he hasn't.”

“But they're sure he's one of them? They won't let him out, will they?”

She sounded terrified of the possibility. Daniel quickly put her mind to rest. “They won't let him out,” he assured her.

She glanced down at her lap. “Oh, Lord, my hands are shaking. I'm not used to this kind of excitement, and this past week has been hellacious. First, there were the murders at the bank, and then I was named a witness in the paper, and the fire last night … It's too much. It's simply too much.” Her voice broke.

Daniel sat down on the edge of the desk to face her. “I know how distressing this is, but…”

“No, you don't know,” she cried out. “I'm … so … scared.”

After whispering the admission, she burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. “I've been such a coward, but I'm going to do the right thing now. You don't need to bother Jessica or Grace any longer because…”

She didn't go on. Daniel leaned toward her and tried to look sympathetic, while Cole shoved a glass of water into her hand.

“Here, drink this,” he suggested.

She wiped her face with her handkerchief and looked up at him. “Try to understand. I didn't want anyone to know … I'm engaged to the most wonderful man. He's a respected businessman and very careful about appearances. A scandal would ruin him. It's taken him five long years to get up the courage to propose to me. I thought I could go back home and pretend none of this happened. You would catch the men eventually. My fiancé runs with a very sophisticated, wealthy crowd. Can you see why I would keep silent?”

“Rebecca, what are you telling us?” Cole asked. “I'm your witness. I was hiding under the desk when the Blackwater gang came inside. The purse you found belongs to me.”

Both marshals tried to contain their reaction to the
news. Relief flooded through Cole, and he felt guilty about that. He was just so damned happy it wasn't Jessica.

Daniel felt a burst of excitement rush through his veins. She was there, and, God willing, she saw all of them.

“They'll try to kill me, won't they?” she whispered.

“We'll protect you,” Cole fervently promised.

“You'll try, but they'll find a way to silence me.”

“We aren't going to let anyone hurt you,” Daniel vowed.

She wiped the tears away from her face before speaking again. “I know I should have come forward sooner, but I was very frightened. I just wanted to pretend it didn't happen, and I kept hoping that you would catch them … eventually. I'm so sorry I lied. It isn't like me to act so cowardly.”

“You were scared,” Cole said.

“Yes,” she whispered. “And now poor Jessica and Grace have both been dragged into this nightmare. Neither one of them was in the bank at closing time. I know because I was there, and if I had had the courage to speak up sooner, they wouldn't be living in fear now.”

“You were seen inside the bank earlier that afternoon,” Cole said.

“Yes, I was there, but I went back. I needed to finish some business. I thought I could just run into the bank and…”

A defeated look crossed her face. “I'll go to Black-water with you and look at the man they've captured,” she whispered. “If he's one of the Blackwater gang, I'll point him out and testify in court.”

She wiped another tear from her cheek before continuing. “I'm begging you. Let Jessica and Grace get on with their lives. They want to leave town this afternoon, as soon as they can, and I think they should be allowed to,” she added. “They shouldn't be
hounded or punished any longer because of my cowardice. You don't have to worry that the gang will come after them. I've thought about this long and hard, and I think I've come up with the perfect solution to ensure they'll be left alone.”

“And what's that?” Daniel asked.

“I'm going to tell the reporter for the newspaper that I'm the witness. I'm certain he'll put the announcement on the front page of tomorrow's edition. I'll go over to his office as soon as I leave here.”

Daniel was shaking his head. Cole put his coffee cup down and took a step toward her. “We can't let you do that.”

“You can't stop me,” she cried out. “I will protect Jessica and Grace as best I can. It's my fault they're caught in the middle of this nightmare. Hopefully, one of the Blackwater gang will see the interview and leave those poor innocent women alone.”

“I can stop you,” Daniel countered. “You are
not
going to talk to any reporters. Do I make myself clear?”

“But I must let everyone know Jessica and Grace weren't there. Don't you understand? They're being treated like lepers in this town, and they haven't done anything wrong.”

She sounded on the verge of hysteria. Cole quickly tried to calm her down. “You didn't do anything wrong either, Rebecca. You were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Do Jessica and Grace know that you've come forward?” Daniel asked. “When Sloan locked the three of you in the cell together, did you tell them then that you were the witness? Is that why all of you told us the same story?”

She seemed surprised. “They were both very frightened. I remember telling them exactly what I was going to say to you. Why? Did they say the very same thing?”

Neither marshal answered her question. “Did you tell them you saw the robbery and the murders?” Cole pressed.

“No, I didn't, but I think they knew. They were protecting me by not telling you what they suspected. They're both very kindhearted ladies, and they wanted to help me. I could pack and be ready to leave in an hour. I'd like to get going as soon as possible.”

With a tilt of his head, Daniel motioned Cole to step outside with him. They left the door open but spoke in low whispers so Rebecca wouldn't overhear.

“She isn't going to get near the reporter,” Daniel muttered.

“I agree,” Cole said. “She's right, though, about leaving. We better get her out of town as quickly as possible.”

“I wanted to wait…”

“For what?” Cole demanded.

“Marhsal Cooper and a couple of deputies are coming up from Salt Lake City to help. They should be here any time, and I'll let them take charge of Jessica and Grace, while you and I escort Rebecca to Blackwater.”

“And if Jessica and Grace want to leave Rockford Falls in the meantime? Are they going to be safe?”

“Yes,” Daniel answered. “Cooper and his deputies will go with them to make certain no one bothers them.”

“Do you trust this Cooper?”

“Yeah,” Daniel answered. “He's a good man. I've worked with him on other cases. Trust me. He knows what he's doing.”

Rebecca drew both marshals back to her side when she burst into tears again.

“They're going to come after me, aren't they?”

Cole wanted to lie to her, but Daniel was quicker and was bluntly truthful. “Yes, they'll probably come after you, but we aren't going to let them touch you.”

“We have to leave. Now,” she demanded. “I won't stay here another minute. It's too dangerous,” she added in a panic.

“Before any decisions are made, you need to tell us exactly what happened from the minute you walked into the bank.”

“No, we must leave now. I'll tell you everything you want to know on the train when I feel safe.”

“Rebecca, we need to hear the details now,” Daniel insisted.

She was sobbing in earnest now and trembling. Gripping her hands together, she whispered, “It was horrible. I remember I was in a hurry, and I didn't like having to stand in line again. I didn't talk to any of the other customers while I waited. The bank was going to close and the tellers were very slow. I worried I wouldn't get all of my errands done. Oh, God, Franklin helped me, and now he's dead. I met him at church and he was such a kind man.”

Before she could continue, a messenger from the hotel came rushing inside. He was a tall, lanky boy with pockmarks on his face. “Marshal Ryan? I'm sorry to intrude, but this message I'm supposed to give you is urgent.”

He stared at Rebecca while he handed the sealed envelope to Daniel. “Why's she crying?” he asked.

No one answered him. “Ma'am, is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” he asked.

She shook her head. He shrugged in response, then asked Daniel if he wanted him to take back a reply.

Daniel read the contents before answering. “Tell Miss Winthrop I'll be along in a little while.”

“She said it was urgent, Marshal,” the messenger repeated. “She wants to leave town. She told me so herself just before the doctor went into her room to check on her.”

“Go back to the hotel and tell her I'll be there as soon as I finish up a couple of things.”

“It ain't Miss Winthrop,” the messenger said as he started out the doorway. “It's
Lady
Winthrop. She's titled,” he added importantly. “The night manager told me so.”

Daniel wasn't paying any attention to the boy. Rebecca was using Cole's handkerchief to wipe her tears away. As soon as the door closed behind the messenger, Daniel began to grill Rebecca with questions.

“How many were there?”

“Seven,” she answered. “There were seven men. I didn't see all of their faces.”

“Start at the beginning and tell us everything,” Cole demanded.

She bowed her head, closed her eyes, and then gave a concise account of what had happened inside the bank. By the time she was finished, she was openly sobbing again and clinging to Cole's hand.

“Reliving the nightmare is almost as awful as being there…”

Cole patted her. “We know how hard this was for you,” he sympathized.

“You've been a tremendous help,” Daniel said.

Cole agreed with a nod. “Do you have any more questions for her?” he asked Daniel.

“No, she's told us everything we need to know.” Rebecca stood up, took a calming breath, and said, “You will get all of them, won't you? Promise me you will.”

“We promise,” Cole answered.

Daniel walked her to the door. “Why don't you take a few minutes to relax before you pack.”

“Like it or not, I'm leaving this town today,” she threatened. “If you have any decency at all, you won't tell Jessica and Grace that I'm the witness because it would only upset them, and I don't want them to hate me for not coming forward sooner.”

“I'm sure they would both understand why you
kept silent, but don't worry. Cole and I don't plan to tell them. And we will leave today,” he promised.

“Thank you, Marshal. I shall be ready in one hour.” The guard was waiting to escort Rebecca back to the hotel. He suggested that they alter their route and take one of the streets parallel to the hotel. He was armed to the teeth with a pair of six-shooters and a shotgun. Daniel noticed the way he watched the street as he walked along and decided that Rebecca was in good hands.

“What does Grace want that's so urgent?” Cole asked him.

“Her note just says she wants to talk to me at the hotel before she leaves town. She thinks she's going to get out of her sickbed and drive a wagon. The woman doesn't have the sense God gave her.”

“She's got the determination, though,” Cole said. “I've got the feeling she could pull it off if we let her.”

“We aren't going to let her go anywhere alone,” Daniel countered. “Cooper's going to stick to both women until every member of the Blackwater gang has been captured.”

“That could take a hell of a long time.”

“I don't think so,” Daniel, said. “If the gang finds out about Rebecca, they'll be coming after her, and, God willing, we'll get every last one of them.”

“You're going to use her as bait, aren't you?”

“I'm going to get her to Blackwater alive.”

Cole nodded agreement. “I thought Rebecca was the witness, but it was just a guess. No—that isn't true. I hoped it wasn't Jessica.”

“I can understand why. She's got enough on her plate now, raising that baby on her own.”

Cole was staring out the front window. “Didn't you tell me Grace wanted you to see her at the hotel?”

“That's what her note said,” Daniel answered. “She's crossing the street with Sloan hot on her trail.”

“Son of a…”