Worthy Brown's Daughter (24 page)

CHAPTER 54

W
hile Justice Thornton decided what to do with them, Sharon Hill and Jed Tyler shared the cell that had been Kevin O’Toole’s living quarters. Normally, Marshal Lappeus would not have permitted the unmarried couple to stay together, but it was the only cell other than the one where Worthy Brown languished that was dry enough for habitation.

“She bought Hoxie,” Sharon Hill ranted as she paced the cell’s dirt floor.

Jed Tyler lay on the bunk, trying to block out the litany Hill had been repeating since they’d been thrown in jail for contempt. Tyler prayed that Sharon would be reasonable once they were free, but he held out little hope that his prayer would be answered.

“She’s stealing everything from me. My beautiful house, my money, my position in society.”

“The judge may rule for us yet,” Tyler said wearily.

“She’s probably bought him, too,” Hill went on, paying as little attention to him now as she had every other time he had tried to calm her. Hill’s face was red, and her fists were clenched. Tyler came up behind her and tried to take her in his arms, but she jerked away.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Sharon, I love you. I—”

Hill turned on him. “You let Mason and Gillette make a fool of you. If you were a man, you’d kill them.”

Tyler’s eyes widened from shock. “You’re upset. You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Killing those thieves would be justice, not murder.”

“Keep your voice down. The guard will hear you.”

“They deserve to die, like Ben,” she muttered.

Tyler wasn’t certain he’d heard Hill correctly. For the first time, Jed Tyler let himself see the madness to which Hill’s beauty had blinded him.

Hill saw the way Tyler was looking at her. Fear replaced the fire in her eyes. She flung her arms around Tyler’s neck and clung to him.

“Forgive me, Jed. I know none of this is your fault. You’ve been so good to me. You’re my champion. Will you fight for me, Jed? Will you defeat them?”

Tyler gently pried her arms from his neck and stood back so he could see her.

“Did you . . . ? Ben? Are you saying you . . . did something to him?”

Hill realized the mistake she’d made. “No, darling. I’m upset. I don’t know why I said that. Ben died from a heart attack. I feel like I killed him because I couldn’t save him. You believe me, don’t you? You can’t think . . .”

“Of course I believe you,” he answered mechanically.

Hill started to cry. “Oh, Jed, what am I doing? I’m just upset. I can’t stand the idea that we’re in this awful place while Heather Gillette is strutting around Gillette House.”

“I know,” Tyler said as she nestled against his chest.

“I love you, Jed,” Hill said. “Do you love me? You must. Without you, I have nothing.”

Hill’s plea made him sad because her twisted idea of love was all he had. Hill’s lawsuit had dragged down his lofty reputation, and many people now considered him as mad as his client. Tyler remembered the expression on Thornton’s face as the judge watched him writhe on the courtroom floor in the grip of the deputies. How low had he fallen since that day in Phoenix when he saw Sharon Hill set off like a gemstone in the drab mob? How drastically must he have changed for a little man like Thornton to look down on him with such disgust?

Tyler looked at the patch of sky that showed through the cell window. He knew that he should break free of Sharon Hill, but he would be the vilest kind of coward if he deserted her in her most desperate hour. If he abandoned Sharon, he might be able to salvage something from the wreckage of his career and restore his tarnished reputation, but he could not cast her away. The sad truth was that he loved her even if she was . . . Tyler could not bring himself to finish the thought, could not bring himself to admit that the lawsuit was a fraud and Sharon Hill might be insane. If he admitted that, then he would be forced to admit that he had destroyed his reputation and career for the delusions and criminal ambition of a madwoman.

CHAPTER 55

R
oxanne was dusting in the entryway when Marshal Lappeus knocked on the front door. He tipped his hat when she opened it.

“Afternoon, Roxanne. Is Miss Gillette around?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll tell her you’re here.”

Heather and Orville Mason were in the parlor. Roxanne told them Marshal Lappeus was calling. After she led the marshal to the parlor, Roxanne left the room but positioned herself so she could hear what was said.

“What brings you here, Marshal?” Roxanne heard Heather ask.

“Judge Thornton is going to let Jed Tyler and Sharon Hill out of jail tomorrow afternoon so the trial can continue. I think Jed will be okay, but Hill worries me. Amos Strayer says she’s been raving from the time we locked her in about how you stole everything from her. He heard her threaten to shoot you.”

“Do you think she’s serious?” Orville asked.

“I think she’s unpredictable. I also think you should have Francis and some of his men watch the house and stay close when you’re in town.”

Roxanne listened to the conversation a while longer. Then she went into the library and thought about what Marshal Lappeus had said. Miss Heather had saved her. Now she was in danger. Roxanne had heard Hill threaten her mistress in the parlor of this very house and in the loft of the Coleman Barrel Company; she’d seen Hill point a derringer at Bernard Hoxie with deadly intent. Her father had taught her that it was wrong to hate, but she did hate Sharon Hill. Other than her father, no person on earth meant more to Roxanne than Heather Gillette. Heather was her savior and protector. Roxanne owed her life to Heather, and she would do anything for her.

Roxanne’s eyes were drawn to the lower drawer of Benjamin Gillette’s writing desk. The wood was stained a deep brown. She had polished the handles of the drawers until they shown like gold. The shutters in the library were closed, but a beam of light squeezed through a crack and its tip splashed against the corner of the brass handle of the lower drawer, creating the glow of a miniature sun. While Roxanne stared at the pinpoint of light she wondered how she would feel if Heather Gillette died at Sharon Hill’s hand.

Roxanne walked to the escritoire and opened the drawer. Benjamin’s Colt and a box of bullets still lay in it. Roxanne picked up the pistol. It felt as heavy as she remembered. Roxanne had never fired a revolver, but she was positive that she could fire this gun if it was aimed at Sharon Hill.

CHAPTER 56

M
atthew Penny flipped up the cover of his hunter case and looked at his pocket watch in the pale light of a three-quarter moon. Bernard Hoxie was late. Matthew’s nose was running, and his cheeks were cherry-red. A gust of cold air struck him, and he moved behind a stack of wooden crates. Matthew was waiting for Hoxie in an alley between two warehouses across from the docks. A mass suddenly filled the entrance to the alley. There was no mistaking that shape. Matthew left his hiding place.

“Mr. Hoxie?”

“Give me a moment to catch my breath,” the lawyer wheezed. “I am unaccustomed to walking distances, and I’m almost done in.”

A few moments later, Hoxie walked into the alley with his bodyguard close behind. Matthew was anxious to finish his business with the lawyer. He handed him a pouch of gold coins. Hoxie smiled and bounced the pouch in his hand.

“I trust this will cover your expenses and any time lost from your business,” Matthew said.

“I’m sure it will be more than adequate.”

“When do you return to San Francisco?”

“I leave on the morning steamer. Mr. Tyler has released me from my subpoena.”

“I’m not surprised. You destroyed Sharon Hill’s case. The testimony of Miss Gillette’s witnesses concerning the validity of the signature should drive the nail into her coffin.”

“Don’t be so certain.”

Matthew’s brow knit. “What do you mean?”

“You know, I wouldn’t mind doing more business with Miss Gillette.” Hoxie held up his hand. “Not the type of business our more established firms handle. I know I’m a small fish in a large pond. But I wouldn’t mind if you threw the occasional crumb my way, now that you’ve seen how reliable I am.”

“Please come to the point,” Matthew insisted.

“Yes, the point. It’s the judge: he’s in Tyler’s pocket.”

“Thornton!”

Hoxie nodded. “When Tyler met with me to prepare my testimony, he seemed serenely certain of victory. I pressed him on the wisdom of his self-confidence in light of the overwhelming public opinion in favor of Miss Gillette. He let slip that the judge’s verdict had been secured.”

The seat on the supreme court
, Matthew thought. There had been rumors that Tyler had influenced the governor’s appointment.

“If you knew about this, why did you double-cross Hill?” Matthew asked.

“When you visited my office in San Francisco, you asked me if I was a betting man, and I told you that I was not averse to placing the occasional wager.” Hoxie shrugged. “In this instance, I’m betting that Benjamin Gillette had more judges and politicians in his pocket than Tyler. If I’m right, Hill won’t win in the long run because your supreme court will take away any victory she secures.

“Besides, I know Sharon. She can’t be trusted. She’d never have paid me what I’d been promised once she had Gillette’s fortune and power. If she wins, I wouldn’t be surprised if she hired someone to do away with me. After all, I’m the only witness who can contradict her about Benjamin Gillette’s signature on the marriage contract. Leaving her destitute is a matter of self-preservation.”

“Thank you for this information,” Matthew said.

“It’s my pleasure, and should things work out for Miss Gillette, I will count on your conscience to decide the reward to which I am entitled for telling you about the judge.”

Matthew waited in the dark for a reasonable amount of time before leaving the alley so he and Hoxie would not be seen together. While he waited, he decided what to do with Hoxie’s information. Then he went in search of Orville Mason.

CHAPTER 57

O
rville!” Justice Thornton said, surprised to find the attorney at his doorstep so late in the day.

“Good evening, Judge. May I come in?”

Thornton’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know if that would be appropriate. Ex parte contacts are frowned upon.”

“Is that what you told Jed Tyler when he approached you about securing your seat on the court?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Thornton blustered, but his sudden loss of color told Orville all he needed to know.

“The governor is staying at the Evergreen. We just had an interesting discussion about Jed Tyler’s suggestion for who should take his place on the supreme court. It’s cold out here. I’d prefer to tell you what the governor said inside, where we won’t be overheard. I promise I’ll not stay long.”

Thornton hesitated then stood back and pointed the way toward his study. Orville and the ex-DA were in different political parties and social circles, and this was one of the few times the young lawyer had been inside Thornton’s house.

“You have a pleasant home,” Orville said when he was settled in a chair opposite the judge.

“Thank you.”

“And a good reputation. It would be a shame if scandal ruined it.”

“I don’t know where this is going.”

Orville studied Thornton. The silence clearly made the judge uneasy.

“Are you and Jed close?” Orville asked.

“I wouldn’t say that anyone is a close friend of Jed Tyler. We are of the same political persuasion and business partners. We dine together on occasion.”

“Are you surprised that Jed told the governor to appoint you to his seat? The governor was. He told me that Tyler’s resignation was unexpected, but not as unexpected as his insistence that you be his successor. What do you think prompted such vigorous support?”

“Well, I suppose he . . . he appreciated my legal abilities. I was the district attorney of our most populous county.”

“I have been told that Jed offered to secure your appointment in exchange for a promise to rule for Sharon Hill.”

Thornton colored. “That’s outrageous. Who’s spreading these lies?”

“Someone who had it from Tyler. If this accusation became public and the governor repeated what he told me about the passion with which Jed Tyler supported your nomination, many would believe it.”

A sheen of sweat formed on Thornton’s forehead, and he shifted uneasily in his seat.

“Why are you doing this, Orville? Have I ever wronged you?”

“No, Judge—not yet. But you will if you rule contrary to the evidence in this case. If you have made a Faustian bargain for your position and fulfill it, I will make certain that you do not stay on the court. I will run against you at the next election, and I will defeat you. But stay true to your calling and rule according to the evidence, and I will be your staunchest supporter.” Orville stood. “It’s late and I’ve said what I came to say. Thank you for hearing me out.”

Thornton stood in the entryway after Orville left. He had feared the worst when he accepted Tyler’s offer, and his sin was coming home to haunt him.

“Was that Orville Mason?” Abigail asked. Thornton had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he had not heard her enter the hallway.

“Yes.”

“What did he want?”

Thornton hesitated. Then he asked his wife to join him in his study. He retrieved a decanter of brandy from a walnut cabinet and poured a glass before sitting down.

“I need your advice about what I should do in the marriage-contract case.”

Abigail was surprised. Her husband rarely asked her opinion about business or legal matters.

“Do you remember the night Jed Tyler offered to put my name before the governor as his successor?”

“Yes.”

“There was a condition of his support that I never told you about. Something I had to promise to do before he would tell the governor to appoint me.”

“What condition, Wilbur?”

Thornton took a moment to answer. When he did, he could not look at his wife.

“Hill has no case. Her star witness says he never saw Ben Gillette sign the marriage contract. Heather Gillette’s witnesses are the most respected lawyers in Portland. They’ll swear that the signature on the contract isn’t Ben’s. Mason is going to call witness after witness to swear that Ben never mentioned marriage.”

“Of course he didn’t marry that woman,” Abigail huffed. “Who would believe such a thing?”

Thornton drained his glass and refilled it.

“Perhaps if that San Francisco lawyer had said he’d seen Ben sign the contract . . . But how can I hold for Hill now? She’s a madwoman. She menaced a witness with a derringer, and she threatened to kill Heather Gillette.”

“Why are you troubled? Throw her out of court and let’s have done with her. She’s a walking scandal.”

“It’s not that easy, Abby. I . . . I promised Tyler.”

“Promised him what?”

“That I would rule for Hill in exchange for the seat on the supreme court.”

Abigail looked stunned. “You couldn’t have.”

Thornton held his head in his hands. “I wanted the seat so badly, and everything happened so quickly. Tyler didn’t give me time to think. Now I don’t know what to do.”

Abigail sat up straight. “There is only one thing you can do. You must do what is right. You must rule in accordance with the evidence. Jed Tyler asked you to commit a crime. You can not honor a promise to commit a crime.”

“You don’t understand. They’re both crazy. If I cross them, they might . . . There could be an attempt on my life. And if Jed doesn’t kill me, he’ll certainly seek revenge by revealing our bargain. I’d have to resign. My career will be finished.”

“It won’t be that easy to destroy you, Wilbur. You’re a respected member of this community.”

Thornton ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not, Abby. People don’t take me seriously. I haven’t gotten where I am by being liked. The post of district attorney was a crumb tossed to me for faithful service to the party.”

“You were a good district attorney. You did a very good job. You wouldn’t have been reelected if the voters didn’t think you’d done a good job.”

There were tears in Thornton’s eyes. “You’re so good to me. If I lost you—”

“But you won’t. And you won’t lose your judgeship. Jed Tyler had no right to force you to make that promise. Stand up to him. Show everyone that you are incorruptible by doing the right thing.”

“I don’t know, Abby. I don’t know.”