Jane had told him a lot of things, and not just about Rosalind going to spy on Sharp and Stiles on her own. Jane had made it clear to him that the only reason Rosalind would do something so stupid was because she cared enough about Hawk to want to help him with the case. He knew Rosalind cared for him, but he’d been in denial for too long. But now, as he felt the new peace inside him, he felt almost ready to declare his feelings for her and move on with his life.
As they exited the saloon, Gant pulled him aside. “I meant to tell you yesterday, but with everything that happened in our conversation getting interrupted, I didn’t get the chance.”
Lines marred Gant’s forehead, and some of the pain he’d seen in the other man’s eyes as he talked about Beth had returned.
“When I was in Denver, investigating Stiles, I pulled a few strings and called in some favors. I knew the name of the man that got away shortly after Beth’s death. I didn’t share it with you because I blamed you. But after our talk yesterday, I know I shouldn’t have. I don’t say these kinds of things very often, but I’m sorry. We were too busy being angry with each other and blaming each other to see the truth.”
Gant had known all along? Part of Hawk wanted to punch the man in the throat for having let him live in misery for so long. But maybe Gant had been right in withholding information. Had Hawk known, he would’ve acted on it. And he would have already faced the news. But now, having waited, he understood that there was a larger plan in play, and a chance at redemption and a new life.
“What’s his name?” Hawk asked.
Gant hesitated, then he said, “Larry Cornwall. But you should know that he was killed in a bank robbery about a year after Beth died. I’m sure that feels empty for you, but he paid the ultimate price for his crimes. And he was never able to hurt anyone else again.”
It was funny, hearing the name he longed to find all those years. And even though Gant thought it would be an empty victory for Hawk, it felt more like freedom.
“I’m glad,” Hawk said. “It’s good to know the truth. But it’s also good to know that no one else will suffer at his hand.”
A strange silence passed between them, and Gant looked puzzled. “I guess I wasn’t expecting that reaction from you. I should have trusted you with that information a long time ago.”
Hawk took a deep breath. “No. You were right to keep it from me. It was only until recent events and understanding what justice looked like and the things that were important to me that I’ve been able to let go of my anger and pain.”
He looked over at Rosalind, who was preparing the donkey she’d borrowed from Woody for the journey home. Gant seemed to sense where his attention had gone.
“I can see why you care for her. She’s a good woman with a lot of spirit. I think Beth would approve.”
He hadn’t thought about Beth’s approval or how Beth would see Rosalind, but Gant’s words made him realize that Rosalind was the kind of person Beth would have wanted for a friend. And if Beth could have handpicked a wife for him for the future, Beth would have asked for someone like Rosalind. Later, when this was settled, Hawk would talk to Rosalind, letting her know about his transformation, and how her presence in his life had changed him.
The town was quiet when they arrived back in Noelle, and the angry mob that had surrounded the sheriff’s office had dissipated.
When they got there, the office was eerily quiet. And as they escorted Stiles inside, it was quickly obvious why.
The deputy who had been assigned to guard Reggie was sitting in his chair, a bullet in his head. And when they looked over at Reggie’s cell, Reggie had suffered a similar fate.
Stiles squealed. He sounded like a pig running on a farm, trying to avoid being caught. And he had the same fear in his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Please. You’ve got to get me into protection. If they can get to Reggie, and they find out I’m here, I’ll be next.”
Hawk stared at him. “Who are ‘they’?”
All along, they’d been operating under the assumption that this was a project run by Sharp and Stiles. But Sharp had been with them at the saloon, so he couldn’t have been involved in this piece. The third man? And Higginbotham, who was too injured to do anything?
“I can’t say,” Stiles said. “They’ll kill me.”
Hawk stared at him. “Reggie didn’t talk either, and they killed him. Your best bet is to tell us everything you know and if it’s good enough information, we’ll make sure you’re protected.”
Stiles shook his head. “I can’t. I don’t know who I can trust. They might have even gotten to one of you. I couldn’t buy Hawk, but they might have been able to. Maybe this is all a test to see if I’m going to remain loyal.”
Hawk looked over at Gant, who shook his head slowly. Right now, Stiles’ words were the rantings of a terrified man. Truthful, but deeply rooted in fear.
“We’ll do what we can to protect you,” Draven said. “But until we know who we’re protecting you from, we can’t do our jobs. Help us do our jobs.”
Tears ran down Stiles’ face. “You don’t know what they’re capable of. All of this, this is just a small part of the larger plan.”
Gant had already been examining the body for clues. They’d have to move Reggie to give Stiles a place to stay for the night, but unfortunately whoever had done this had been a professional. Neither the deputy nor Stiles appeared to have seen it coming. There were no signs of struggle, just two men, each with a bullet in his head.
Hawk looked over at Rosalind. She hadn’t spoken, and she’d turned completely white. They had been so caught up in the situation that they’d forgotten they had a lady present.
“I’ll take her home,” Hawk said. “She’s already witnessed more than a young lady should.”
“Good idea,” Draven said. “Take her home, then go get some rest. We’ll take the night shift, and you can relieve us in the morning.”
He took Rosalind by the arm, noticing that she didn’t speak, and she meekly let him guide her. She’d been traumatized by today’s events, and for that, he felt guilty. Once they got on the street, and into the fresh air, her shoulders rose and fell like she was taking several deep breaths.
“I’m sorry,” Hawk said. “I should have escorted you out as soon as we saw what happened. I wasn’t thinking. Please forgive me.”
Rosalind shook her head. “It’s all right. Seeing the bodies didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. But knowing that whoever did this killed these men, as well as Reggie, and probably my father, or at least had somehow been involved with it, this is a dangerous person. I hate to think how unsafe we are. The two people we thought were behind everything might be players, but it’s clear something bigger is happening. Are any of us safe?”
They paused as they rounded the corner toward the bridge. Hawk pulled her close to him. “I wish I could say otherwise, but no. I promise you, though, that I will do everything in my power to protect you and your family. You are so very dear to me, although, until today, I wasn’t willing to admit how much so.”
Rosalind looked up at him. “You care for me?”
“I love you,” he said. “All this time, I thought that it wasn’t fair to love someone else while pursuing Beth’s killer. But talking to Gant yesterday, I realized that we both were operating under a lot of false assumptions. And even though Beth loved justice just as much as I do, she would have never agreed with me throwing my life away to obtain it.”
Then he smiled down at Rosalind, drinking in her beauty and drawing strength from her. “But more than that, today in the saloon, I realized that every animal who seeks to kill another thinks they have good reason to do so. I was fooling myself to think that it was all right to deliberately murder someone and call it justice. That’s when I let go of my desire for vengeance.”
Rosalind smiled softly at him. “But you aren’t wrong for wanting to catch the man who’d been involved. Catch him, but leave it to the courts to decide.”<
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He appreciated that her heart was set on validating his desires. “Thank you,” he said. “But it’s not necessary. Gant pulled me aside to let me know that all this time, I’ve been chasing after a man who’s already dead. I’m free. And I wish I hadn’t wasted so much of my life chasing something so wrong.”
Rosalind took his hand and squeezed it. “You didn’t waste your time. You’ve grown and learned lessons that you needed to learn in your own way. If you hadn’t been chasing after vengeance for Beth, you wouldn’t have been here to help make things right for my family and the people of Noelle.”
He hadn’t thought of it that way, but Rosalind’s encouragement made him realize just how much he needed her in his life.
Her smile warmed his heart, and he reached forward to brush her cheek. “You know, I just told you that I love you, and you haven’t responded.”
Rosalind smiled up at him. “I love you, too. And I’m glad that you finally came to your senses.”
He bent and kissed her, enjoying the feel of her in his arms as her warmth radiated into him. He didn’t know how he’d managed to be so lucky as to find love twice in his lifetime, but he was so grateful that, despite all of the things he’d done wrong, he must have done something right to have deserved such a love.
19
Hawk hadn’t expected to sleep so hard or so soundly. But when he opened his eyes to the pounding on the outside of his door, the room was filled with light. Had he slept half the day away?
He opened the door to find Hugh standing there. “There’s more trouble at the sheriff’s office, and they’re asking for you.”
Hawk yawned, rubbing his eyes. “I shouldn’t have slept so long,” he said.
“You needed the rest. But now it’s time to get to work.”
He didn’t like the ominous tone in Hugh’s voice, but since Hugh didn’t elaborate, he figured it was best not to ask.
Outside the sheriff’s office, things were calm, which was a change from yesterday. When he entered the office, Draven sat at his desk, his head in his hands.
“What happened?” Hawk asked.
Draven looked up and turned his head toward the jail cell. It was empty.
“He got away? How is that possible? I thought you and Gant were taking turns watching him last night.”
Draven shook his head. “He didn’t get away. He hanged himself in his cell.”
The anguished look on Draven’s face put a knot in Hawk’s stomach. “I was only gone for an hour,” he said. Then he held up his hands as if he were defending himself. “Now before you tell me I was wrong to leave a suspect unattended, we do it all the time. He was locked in his cell, the jail was locked, there was no reason to think he wouldn’t be fine on his own for an hour. I just went across the street to Nacho’s to grab a bite to eat with Gant before he left town. There was a mine robbery in Saddle Creek, and he’s been sent to look into it.”
It didn’t surprise Hawk that Gant was being sent to handle a bank robbery in a nearby town, but the timing wasn’t the best. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to the other man in depth since last night, and after all their history, he’d have liked to have started new. Gant had once been one of his best friends, and for the first time, Hawk thought that maybe there was a chance they could be friends again.
“What about the search for Higginbotham?” Hawk asked.
Draven shrugged. “He’s dead. One of the searchers found his body at the bottom of a nearby ravine. With his injuries, it’s not surprising he didn’t get far. But how is it that we were so close to figuring out the details of the trouble that’s been happening in Noelle, and every suspect we have is dead?”
Hawk glanced over at the empty cell. “What happened to the body?”
“It’s at the undertaker’s,” Draven said. “Along with Higginbotham and Reggie. A few of the marshals who came with the train are taking the deputy who was killed back to Denver.”
So many deaths and Hawk had to agree that Draven was right. They were back to where they’d started, though at least some of the men responsible were dead. But that was the trouble with justice. Sometimes it didn’t turn out as you expected in the end.
In the past, the thought would have been disturbing to him, but he thought about all the conversations he had with Moses, and he knew that even though it hadn’t worked out so far the way they wanted it, he could place it in God’s hands.
God? It had been a long time since Hawk had thought that name without anger and resentment. He didn’t know when it happened but, somewhere along the line, Hawk had gained a certain kind of peace as well as some trust.
“Do you think Stiles hanged himself?” Hawk asked Draven.
Draven shrugged. The place is locked up as tight as when I’d left it, but I don’t think we can be certain of anything anymore.”
Then he added, “But we did get Dorcas to take a look at the bodies, and she confirmed that Reggie and Higginbotham were two of the men Fink paid to create a distraction for her kidnapping.”
One mystery solved. “But still no idea on the third man?”
“We have a description, but Gant was still looking into the men on the list you provided. With everything that’s been going on, and now the bank robbery in Saddle Creek, I don’t think we’ll have answers anytime soon.”
Patience. The lesson Hawk had to learn all these years, and it was just in time. They still had a long way to go to bring justice to Noelle, and while that would have previously bothered him, it didn’t put a fire in his blood now the way it used to.
Charlie entered the sheriff’s office. “The train is on its way back to Denver,” he said. “I know we should all be relieved that we’ll finally have train service, but it seems like there are only more problems as a result.”
Hawk nodded slowly, then looked over at Draven. “At least we still have Sharp. Have you talked to him?”
“He was at Nacho’s when it happened,” Draven said. “So if what happened to Stiles was murder, it wasn’t Sharp’s doing. I did question him, but he claims to have had no knowledge of Stiles’ actions, and is sticking to his story that what Rosalind overheard was him expressing his displeasure at all the trouble to the railroad.”
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t involved. And something in the pit of Hawk’s stomach told him that something wasn’t right with Sharp.
“Sharp could have been waiting at Nacho’s to make sure that Stiles was killed,” Charlie said. “Did he have any explanation for his attempts to buy everyone’s land?”
Draven shook his head. “He just said it was good business. If the railroad was losing money on delays, he might as well try to make up for it by getting them land that would be profitable for them in the future. We didn’t technically have anything on Stiles, either. We were only able to hold him on the solicitation of murder charge.”
Hawk closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. In essence, they still had nothing. “Did anyone visit Stiles while you are holding him?” Hawk asked.
“No,” Draven said. “I had to go tell his wife, and she went into immediate hysterics. When I went to inform her of her husband’s death, she only became more hysterical. I suppose I should send someone to check on her.”
Draven gestured at the pile of papers on his desk. “I was already spread pretty thin, and I have no idea how to handle all of this. I’ve still got to locate Reggie’s next of kin. I can’t imagine Higginbotham had anyone, but I suppose I at least need to make an attempt at looking.”
Draven looked over at Hawk. “What are your plans now that the railroad is finished? I don’t suppose I can talk you into staying a while longer to help tie up loose ends. I know you’re eager to find your wife’s killer, but if you would be willing to stay on a bit longer, I’d be happy to pay you for your trouble. This town needs more than just me to keep order. Especially given the recent trouble we’ve had. I’m going to be posting some notices that I’m hiring, but it would sure make my life a lot easier if you would a
ccept the position. Even if it’s only temporary.”
Hawk wanted to stay. There was no question about that. His talk with Rosalind last night had given him hope that he might even have reason to stay. But adding a job into the mix? This was almost too good to be true.
“I don’t need to find my wife’s killer anymore,” Hawk said. “According to Gant, that man is dead. But even if he weren’t, I realize now that killing him wouldn’t make me feel any better. It would have just put more blood on my hands. I’m more satisfied with letting the law do its job and trusting God for the rest.”
He hadn’t said that out loud yet, but as he spoke the words, he felt the force of them in his body. The power and safety of knowing that he didn’t have to kill every man who wronged him to make it right.
Draven gave him a knowing look. “I told you, Noelle was going to change you. Does that mean I can count on your help?”
Hawk hesitated, remembering his previous conversation with Draven.
Charlie stepped forward. “Now, before you give your answer, you need also to know that I’m willing to give you a share in the mine, along with the other men who have taken me up on the opportunity to become a part of Noelle’s future. The only thing you gotta do is marry.” Then Charlie exchanged a look with Draven and grinned. “And, it seems like you’ve already got your bride picked out.”
A share in the mine. A respectable job. A wife. A life of respectability Hawk had long since given up on. But as he thought about Rosalind, and everything she had given to him, he didn’t think it was fair to marry her to get his share in the mine.
“Come on, Hawk, marrying isn’t that big of a chore,” Draven said, grinning like a very happily married man.
Charlie gave Draven a nudge. “He’s been married before, he knows what it’s about. But everyone has noticed that there is something special between you and Rosalind, and it would be a shame for you to let it pass you by because of your first marriage. Every marriage is different, and Rosalind is a different person. The thing she’ll bring to you—”
Rosalind: A Thanksgiving Day Bride (Brides of Noelle Book 8) Page 23
