John and Joey look at each other, mirroring each other’s look of concern. They both return to the main part of the hotel and hear Brigit’s voice in shrill, shaky tones talking to someone at the head of the stairs.
Both John and Joey go upstairs to see Sean holding Brigit tight against his chest, in front of a pile of clothing. John sees that Brigit is visibly shaking, tears streaming down her face, soaking the front of Sean’s shirt.
Joey steps past the young couple and goes back to her room to put up her clothing.
Sean’s face is worried as he demands of John, “Wha’s all t’his abou’? She’s a saying’ somet’hin abou’ hearin’ voices?”
John holds up his hand. “She came in demanding to know about a woman’s voice she’d heard.”
Just then, Joey comes out from her room, walks down the hall, and says, “We need to talk about this in private.”
Sean continues to hold Brigit and shakes his head. “I know she isnae stark-ravin mad. Wha’s goin on here?” he demands of Joey.
Joey’s face hardens. “I will explain all of this, but we need to discuss it in private. If you wouldn’t mind coming this way, please.”
John looks at the young marshal, a surprised look on his face. He leans over to her and quietly asks, “Are you sure about this?”
She nods and says quietly enough only John can hear, “I won’t do that to the poor girl.”
Uncertain, John nods his agreement. Joey leads everyone into her room, firmly closing and locking the door behind her. She steps into the center of the room and says, “I’m sorry I scared you earlier. That’s not my goal.” She allows her posture to visibly relax as she allows her voice to fall back into a feminine tone. “You have to understand. Joe Blackwolf keeps me alive. My name is Josephine Brouwer. I hope you can understand why the deception.” She pulls her hat off and allows the hair to fall down her back.
Sean stands there, breathing heavily in his shock.
Brigit looks away from where her face was buried in his chest at the young marshal and softly exclaims, “That’s the woman’s voice I heard!”
John’s voice is gentle as he says, “We know you heard her. This is a secret she’s been keeping from just about everyone. You just happened to come upon her at the wrong time.”
Sean breaks out of his stunned silence and quietly demands of Joey, “Haf’ ya been lyin’ t’his whole time? How can ya be a marshal as a woman?”
She looks down a moment, then quietly replies, "You can't. That's why I can't tell anyone. If the wrong person finds out, I'm dead. Or worse."
Sean shakes his head incredulously. “I cannae under-stan’ why ya lied ta us. ‘Tisnae like we haf’ don’ a t’ing ta keep ya from trustin’ us, haf’ we?”
His demands are cut short by Brigit reaching up and placing her fingers on his lips, hushing him. He looks down in surprise of the physical contact as Brigit gazes up at him.
“No, Sean. She couldn’t trust anyone. I know the lies hurt, but the alternative is worse. I know. I almost paid that price." When he reaches up to move her hand to hold against his chest, she nods, agreeing to his moving her hand, she turns and looks back at Joey. “Who all knows?”
“Other than you?” Brigit nods. “John, David, grandmother and pa, but he doesn’t know about my bein’ a marshal, though.”
John crosses his arms and says, “Now that you know, you understand the need for secrecy.”
Sean sighs and says, “Ya may recall, David treated Brigit-girl here afta she got claim-jumped as a boy.”
John nods. “I think that might be a part of the reason the marshal decided to tell you.”
“What is this? What are you talking about?” Joey demands.
Brigit sits down on the bed, allowing Sean to sit next to her, holding her hand. John seats himself in the chair and Joey starts brushing her wet hair as Brigit explains how she got here.
At several points in the narrative, Joey stops brushing her hair to look at the beautiful young woman with a look of surprise on her face.
Once Brigit finishes the story of the last attack from Richard, John clears his throat meaningfully. “I think we’ve been gone long enough Sean’s parents may send out a search party for him.”
Brigit gasps. “Oh, no! The laundry! I told Mrs. Mallory I was gonna get started on it!”
Sean sighs and shakes his head. “’Twill be a’right, me girl. I’ll tell mam I pullt ya way. She’ll not be mad, I t’hink. Speakin’ o’ ma mam, wha’ d’ya wan’ me ta’ tell ma folks?”
Joey puts her hands on her hips and sighs. “A secret shared by too many people is no longer a secret. The more people know, the more risk I am put in. You can tell them, but them only.”
Sean nods. “T’hey need ta know. I wonnae tell anyone else.”
Joey nods in agreement. “I just hope they don’t throw me out. I like staying here.”
Sean snorts. “I cannae say t’hey wouldnae, but I kin say I’ll tellim ya got ya reasons. I’m part owner, too, ya know.” He stands up and helps Brigit to her feet. “I t’hink ‘twould be a good time ta tell’em now. Ya know, ta help keep Brigit oudda trouble, too. Know wha’ I mean?”
Joey nods, looking uncertain. John stands up and says, “I think there’s been enough trouble for one night. I, for one, plan to hit the hay. Night all.” He tips his hat and leaves the room.
John goes down the hall to his own room, noting the pile of laundry has been picked up. He sighs and shakes his head as he unlocks his door and enters the room.
He sits on the edge of the bed and pulls off his hat. When he finishes pulling off his boots, he hears a quiet knock on his door. Answering it, he sees Joey standing in the hallway.
“May I come in?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
She enters quickly and quietly. “I don’t feel right having David lie to Rebekah. I think she needs to know about me.” She takes off her hat and holds it in her hands. “Do you know when they are gonna be back?”
John shakes his head. “Nope. They just ‘went out for a walk’ was all they said. I agree, she should know about it, but this is your secret. It’s your head on the line. I wasn’t gonna say anything about it. I doubt she’ll say anything to anyone else about it, though.”
“Well, he knows, so she should as well, right?”
“Yeah. Do you really think telling her tonight would be a good idea?” John shakes his head disbelievingly. “I mean, you’ve already done it once tonight, right?”
“I think tonight would be best. You know, while I’m still so brave and all.”
Her sardonic response makes John smile and he nods. “I guess all we can do is wait for them to come back, then.”
They hear a knocking on a door down the hall. John looks at Joey questioningly. She nods and he opens the door. He sees Sean knocking on the door of Joey’s room.
John clears his throat meaningfully.
Hearing the noise, Sean looks down the hall to see John leaning out of the door to his room. John motions inside the door with his head, indicating the marshal is inside.
Sean looks at the older man questioningly.
John only smirks in response and goes back inside his room, leaving the door open in an invitation for the younger man. As John enters the room fully, he motions for Joey to step out of view of the door.
Sean enters quickly, closing the door behind him. He looks at the young marshal and nods. “Well, ya kin rest more easy now. Mam ‘n Da are willin’ ta let ya stay here. In fact, t’hey are quite t’hrilled ya are willin’ ta come clean wit’ it. Apparen’ly, mam already knew. She jes t’hought we were bein dense, not seein tha signs.” He shakes his head. “Da jus’ asks ya try’n trust’em iffin ya gotta come clean wit’ somt’in else. He said ya need ta tellim yaself.”
Joey nods and breathes a heavy sigh of relief. Quietly, she says, “I can agree to that. I don’t like having to lie to people, but what else can I do?”
Sean nods. “Brigit said much tha same. She
really came ta yer defense on t’his.”
With a thoughtful expression on her face, Joey says, “I’ll have to come up with a way to thank her for that.”
Sean smiles at the comment and says, “Well, ‘tis been a tryin’ day. I fer one plan ta hit tha sack. I expect tha ta of ya ‘ave a busy day tamarraw plan’tas well, don’ ya?”
John sighs heavily and says, “Yeah. There’s something we need to take care of, I think.”
Sean nods and leaves. Just outside the door to John’s room, John and Joey hear Sean say, “’Ello David. ‘Ello Miss Rebekah. ‘Tis been a long, long night. I t’hink I’m gon’ hafta hit tha hay. G’nite all!”
Joey puts her hat back on, hurries to the mostly-closed door and pokes her head out of it. In her feminine voice, says, “Hey, you two. Would you mind coming in here for a moment?” She steps back and allows the young couple to enter the room, then closes the door behind them.
Rebekah gives Joey a strange look, then asks, “What’s wrong with your voice?”
David looks at Joey, question written all over his face.
Joey sighs and says, “Nothing is wrong with my voice. This is who I am. Name’s not Joe Blackwolf. Name’s Josephine Brouwer.”
Rebekah turns to David and demands, “You knew about this, didn’t you?” David nods. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He tries to respond, but she cuts him off. “What other secrets are you keeping from me?”
David squares his shoulders. “Sweetheart, please calm down. I can explain, but only if you let me.”
Her voice is quiet as she responds, “You better explain yourself then, sir. Our marriage depends on what you say.”
Joey takes a breath as if about to say something, but is forestalled by David’s upraised hand.
“Sweetheart,” he says, “you have to understand. It wasn’t my secret to share. I never actually expected you to meet her. I’m not hiding anything else, dear. I promise.” David’s voice is conciliatory, yet has an edge to it.
Rebekah’s gaze has daggers in it. “I don’t care if it was your secret to tell or not. You know what? I think we need to discuss this in private.” She looks at John and Joey, “Excuse us for a few moments.” She points to David. “You. Follow me. NOW!” She turns on a heel and leaves the room, with David following a step behind.
John looks at Joey and explosively releases the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
Joey looks at him, concern written on her face. With a tentative note in her voice, “Do you think—”
“No,” John cuts off the rest of the question. “It would be best to let them handle it themselves.”
“Mmh,” she agrees. “Then I think it time to say ‘good night’. We DO have an early morning tomorrow after all.”
John nods and sees the young marshal to the door. As he closes the door, John marvels at how quickly things seem to happen. He grins, hoping tomorrow goes as well as possible.
Chapter 64
It was early this morning when John and David gave their testimonies. John’s took the longest, being just over an hour. Now he is just sitting here, listening to the prisoners lie to the court about how they have been mistaken for people attacking someone else. He stretches again, for the third time in the last ten minutes. It’s too bad they’re not allowing Joey, Judge Logan, or Rebekah in here. This is all the more boring without their conversation.
The air in the courtyard is still. The late morning heat is becoming a bit stifling. John suppresses a yawn. He has been sitting here for more than three hours listening to the droning voices of the prisoners testifying. He looks across the courtyard of the garrison at David, who is watching the proceedings intently, curious as to what his young friend is thinking.
He sees the disapproving look directed toward him by the major. John smirks and sighs disconsolately, then shrugs as if to say, “What else do you want me to do?”
The major shakes his head in annoyance. Turning to address the prisoner on the stand, he says, “I’m going to tell you to stop.”
The prisoner looks fearfully at the major, and stammers, “What?”
The major bangs the gavel once more. “I am sure you are repeating the same cleverly contrived lie as everyone else has been. The evidence to the contrary against all of you is overwhelming. This tribunal will now render its verdict.”
The prisoner stands in protest and is immediately shot by the major. There is a stunned silence in the courtyard for a full two minutes before the chaos breaks out.
The soldiers move the prisoners away under gunpoint into a group just outside the main area for the court. The rest of the soldiers move into place and restore order. Two of the guards remove the now-dead prisoner’s body.
Maj. Arbuckle calls the “court” back to order with a bang of the gavel. “Considering the overwhelming evidence, this tribunal finds each prisoner guilty on all counts. The sentence is death. All the convicted will be hanged at first light tomorrow. All the convicted, except Nancy-Boy Croix. He will be extradited to Dallas for trial.”
As the prisoners cry out their dismay, John looks over Capt. Richards. The look on the younger officer’s face is inscrutable.
The major calls the “court” back to order and orders the prisoners be taken back to the holding cells. After they are removed from the courtyard, he declares the tribunal at an end with a bang of the gavel.
As the sound of the gavel echoes throughout the courtyard, conversation buzzes through the whole area.
John walks up to his young friend and says, “I know the outcome was expected, but that doesn’t make it any less shocking nonetheless, does it?”
David looks up, tears shining in his eyes. “I just hope they don’t expect us to stick around for the hangings.”
John is more disturbed by his young friend’s reaction to the series of events than he really wants to admit. He studies David a moment longer and says gently, “No, of course not. They can’t command either one of us to do anything, now that we’ve testified.” David’s smile of approval to that statement helps ease some of John’s concerns about the young man, however he still feels rather uneasy. How is he gonna be able to survive here being so gentle of heart?
David stands and shakes himself, reminding John of nothing so much as a wet dog.
John smiles and says, “So, you wanna go get everyone and bring them back here, so we can talk to the major and head out?”
David nods and quickly exits the courtyard. John motions to Capt. Richards to stay there.
The young captain looks at John’s signaling and nods shortly. He speaks quietly to the major, who nods in agreement. The major looks at John, irritation clearly written on his face. John sighs and moves to go to the entrance of the courtyard, to meet up with his friends, only to discover they are well inside the garrison, headed towards him at a brisk pace.
He notes the group includes David, Judge Logan, Joey, and surprisingly enough, Rebekah. The last he had heard of the beautiful young hotel owner, was that she was planning on going around Norman, shopping for most of the day, looking for items for both the wedding and the hotel.
John looks at the young couple, walking towards him, hand in hand, with a feeling of fondness. Once again, he’s surprised at how much these people he’s only recently met are so deeply entrenched in his life now.
When they approach John, he motions for them to follow, turns, and leads the way to the officer’s table at the end of the courtyard.
As they approach the table, John sees the major’s expression darken considerably. John recalls the man was trained by the master of arrogance himself, Custer, but is still surprised to see the man’s apparent hostility towards civilians.
When they are close enough to the table for the officers to hear, John says, “So, it looks like there’s someone attacking Indian children outside of the unassigned lands. The marshal’s service doesn’t have jurisdiction, and it’s well outside the area for the town marshals. That puts it in the purview of
the Army.”
Maj. Arbuckle crosses his arms, cocks an eye, and asks, “So?”
John clenches his jaw for a moment and demands, “So? So, what are you gonna do about it?”
The major’s eyes lower languidly. “Who says I need to do anything about that? They’re just filthy injuns after all. Who cares?”
John’s vision darkens in his rage. He hears David muttering, Judge Logan’s sharp intake of breath, and Capt. Richards snort of dismay.
Before anyone can say anything, Joey steps forward and in a low masculine voice says, “Excuse me, Major. Would you mind repeating that? I couldn't understand what you you said through your idiotic ramblings.”
The major’s eyes widen in surprise as he splutters in apoplectic fury. “I can’t believe you would say something like that to me!” He screams with a tinge of hysteria in his voice, “Guards! Arrest this man!”
Capt. Richards quietly asks, “On what grounds?”
“Insubordination. Verbal Assault of an officer of the army! I don’t care what the charges are, arrest this man! That is a direct order!”
Richards shakes his head and holds up his hand to the troopers approaching, with guns drawn. “Belay that order!” He turns to the major and says, “We need to discuss this in private, SIR.” Without waiting for a response, he firmly guides the raging man back to the commanding officer’s quarters.
John looks at Joey, who is still trembling in rage, staring at the retreating pair of officers in undisguised hatred. Under his breath, he asks, “You alright there?”
Without taking her eyes off the officers, she says quietly, “How DARE he speak like that about those people?” She looks up at him, unshed tears in her eyes. “He’s talking about PEOPLE like they’re insects! What is wrong with him?” she demands of John.
John nods. “Yeah. The Sioux killed his mentor, years ago. Apparently, he’s blamed every member of the ‘Nations for it since.”
The Marshal of Denver Page 36
