The Rightful Heir

by Angel Moore

  “People do love to talk.”

  “Especially Mrs. Croft.” Mary Lou still rankled from her attack this morning.

  “She probably found it easy to talk to Mr. Ivy. Just like most of the men in town.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed. If the two of you are talking about a story for the paper, folks just tend to answer him more than you.”

  “I didn’t know anyone else noticed.”

  “Might be because he seems to ask in such a way that the person wants to give him the answer. More like he’s charming it out of them than interrogating them.”

  “A woman should have just as much respect as a man.”

  “She should. But you and I both know it isn’t often true. A man would rather tell a man a thing, and a woman will tell almost anyone.”

  “I just wish he hadn’t started people to thinking of Andrew as a possible thief.”

  “Do you think Jacob Ivy would have suspected Andrew?”

  “I don’t. He would have eliminated him because he trusted Andrew.”

  “So the real issue for you is the trust.” Naomi dipped her spoon into the bowl again.

  “You have to trust your instincts in this business.” She couldn’t remember how many times Mr. Ivy had told her that. Follow your instincts. Train yourself to look for clues. Be observant. And follow the trail of clues to the truth.

  “I thought the newspaper business was all about asking questions. It seems young Mr. Ivy was seeking answers without the advantages you had. You already knew Andrew. He didn’t.”

  Mary Lou put her spoon down with a sigh. “I was unfair.”

  “That’s not like you. Do you feel threatened by Mr. Ivy?”

  “I could lose everything. The judge could come at any time. If he decides to honor the old will, the Pine Haven Record will no longer be mine.”

  “So are you worried about Andrew or are you worried about losing the paper?”

  “Both.”

  “Would you say being worried about losing the paper intensified your anger about Andrew?”

  Mary Lou looked up from her soup. “Naomi Grant, you have a way of digging out the core of a problem. I could have helped Jared see the truth about Andrew if I hadn’t been so determined to best him at every turn.”

  “While we’re searching for the truth, have you thought that Mr. Ivy may be just the kind of man God would send your way? Sometimes we put up a powerful defense against something we didn’t expect, when it may be just what God has in mind for us.”

  Mary Lou choked and sputtered on her coffee. “Mrs. Naomi!”

  “This soup sure is good.” Naomi’s dark eyes twinkled. The smooth, brown skin of her face and the beauty of her spirit defied her years. The joy that resonated from her was a reminder that God could do anything. She winked at Mary Lou.

  “It sure is.” Mary Lou spent another hour with the wise cook. By the time she left, she knew that Jared Ivy wasn’t just a man after her paper. He was a man she could lose her heart to if she wasn’t careful.

  * * *

  Friday morning dawned and they were no closer to solving the mystery of the stolen items than they had been on Monday when they’d shared their ideas.

  Well, most of their ideas.

  Mr. Robbins had told the sheriff on Wednesday that one of his finest crops was missing from the livery, and then Mr. Ledford had reported some cigars stolen from the saloon. Both places had insisted that Andrew had been seen nearby before the items went missing. The poor youth couldn’t go anywhere in town without being suspect.

  Mary Lou decided she’d been right to withhold a few of her ideas from her conversation with Jared outside the general store on Monday. She had followed up on several of her possible suspects to no avail, but she wouldn’t give up hope.

  Jared was at the desk when she went to the office. It was a good opportunity to speak to him without Andrew present.

  “Good morning.”

  A grunt was his only reply.

  “What are you working on?”

  He kept writing. “Just making some notes.”

  “I think I owe you an apology.”

  The pencil dropped to the desk and he closed his notebook. He leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

  “You don’t have to make such a big deal of it.”

  “It’s more that I’m savoring the moment.” He put his elbows on the arms of the chair and waited.

  “I was unfair to be upset with you about Andrew.”

  “I see.”

  “And I think if I’d have told you more about him, you might have seen him like I do.” She drew an imaginary circle on the top of the desk with her fingertip. “Like your grandfather did.”

  “Hmm.” He stared at her. Not an accusing stare. Not a forgiving one, either. “Then I think it only fair for me to apologize to you, too. If I’d asked for your insight, I might have spared the poor boy a lot of grief.”

  “If he hears you calling him a boy again, I’m not going to stand up for you. You’ll be on your own.”

  They both laughed.

  “Well, I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry.” She tucked a pencil over her ear.

  He stood and joined her in front of the desk. “Where are you off to today?”

  “I want to follow the steps of the thief, map it out in my mind. Someone had to see something. No one could be so unobtrusive as to never be seen.”

  “May I join you?” He took her coat from the coat tree and held it for her.

  Having him along could be distracting. She couldn’t recall a single instance since he’d come to town where she’d done her best work with him present.

  Naomi’s words came back to her. Her defensiveness against Jared’s presence could be the reason for that. If only she could convince herself that he wasn’t indeed a threat to her. For the paper—or as a man God may, or may not, have sent to her.

  “Why not? Neither of us has succeeded alone. Perhaps together we can arrive at the truth.”

  * * *

  Jared held the door open for Mary Lou to enter the train depot that afternoon. All morning they’d retraced the thefts. No new information surfaced. No one seemed to be looking for anyone except Andrew.

  They approached the ticket window side by side. Chester Meadows looked up through the metal grate that separated his office from the lobby area.

  “What can I do for you folks today?”

  Mary Lou offered Mr. Meadows one of her friendliest smiles. “Good afternoon. How is Mrs. Meadows these days? I don’t think I’ve seen her for at least two weeks.”

  “She’s quite well, thank you.”

  Jared got straight to the point. “Have you remembered anything you didn’t tell us before that might help find the thief?”

  Mary Lou shot a frown his way. The speed with which her expression changed was comical. She whispered at him, “I was getting to that.”

  He spoke low to her. “Yes, but I’m already there.” To Mr. Meadows he said, “Were you able to think of something else?”

  “Nope. Sorry I can’t help. Even asked the missus. It’s a mad rush in here when the trains are coming and going. The in-between times, there’s only people from town buying a ticket or a straggler who missed his train—”

  Mary Lou interrupted. “What about while the train is in the station? The people who get off to walk around. Did you notice anyone in particular?”

  “No, Miss Ellison. The only people I recognize are the ones who come all the time. I know the conductors, the engineers, the newsagent and such. You see the same people I do. They might go to the hotel for a meal or to the saloon for a drink, but most of the time they aren’t here long enough to leave the st
ation for more than a few minutes.”

  Jared listened to every word. There must be a clue in something they’d heard today. “Have any of the regular train workers said or done anything that stuck in your craw?”

  Mr. Meadows scratched behind one ear and thought. “Not as I can think of.”

  The door opened and two men entered the depot.

  “If you folks don’t mind, I need to see to the paying customers.” Mr. Meadows gave a friendly wave of dismissal.

  Jared and Mary Lou were almost at the door when he called them back. “I just thought of something. If you can wait a minute, while I take care of these tickets, I’ll be glad to tell you all about it. Not sure it will help, though.”

  Mary Lou sat on a bench by the door. She pulled out her notebook and made several notes. The pencil she wore over her ear was tucked back in place when the two men left and Mr. Meadows signaled for their attention.

  “The engineer came in a couple of weeks ago. He was asking for a copy of the paper. I got it for him, but asked why he didn’t just buy one of the ones the newsagent sells. He gave a snort and said he didn’t like the fellow. Said he was new to the line but carried himself like he owned the whole company.”

  “Thank you so much, Mr. Meadows.” Mary Lou’s face lit up a bit too brightly at his words.

  “I don’t know if that matters, but it’s the only thing I know that was out of the ordinary.”

  Jared tapped his hand on the ticket shelf. “Thank you, just the same.”

  When they stepped outside, the whistle for the afternoon train sounded in the distance and Mary Lou put a hand on his arm.

  “If we hang around the depot while the train is here, we may notice something untoward for ourselves.”

  “I’m not sure there’s anything to notice.”

  “If it hadn’t been odd to him, Mr. Meadows wouldn’t have called us back to tell us about it.”

  He didn’t think there was much point, but they’d tried everything they could think of in town. “I’ll stay for a few minutes, but I don’t know if it will matter. I’m of a mind to agree with Mr. Meadows. A highfalutin’ attitude doesn’t make a man a thief.”

  She spun on him. “Neither does a fancy horse and saddle.”

  “All right. You win. I’ll stay with you. We’ll see if we can catch the thief among us.” He dipped his head near her ear. The sweet floral scent she favored filled his senses. “I meant it when I said I was sorry for misjudging Andrew. I really do want to help find the thief.”

  The train chugged into the station and squealed to a stop. In no time at all, passengers streamed from the cars.

  The conductor paced on the platform and called out in a loud voice, “Departing at four o’clock sharp. Departing at four o’clock sharp.”

  Mary Lou opened her pendant watch. “It’s only three now. We have a full hour.” She looked first one way and then another. “Do you think our presence would cause a thief to change his pattern?”

  He pivoted and leaned in close again. “How do you know we are looking for a man?” Mary Lou would have backed away from him but he held her elbow. “Don’t move away. Look over my left shoulder.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “What do you think is happening?”

  “I’m not certain, but it seems as though the sheriff is questioning the personnel from the train.”

  “Why does that mean you have to stay so close to me?”

  “If the workers think we are on the same mission as the sheriff, they’ll never talk to us.” He nodded in the direction of the conductor. “But if they think we’re a young couple asking questions about the best place to go on a trip together, they may cooperate.”

  She stiffened. “But we aren’t a young couple. That would be lying. I will not use a lie to learn the truth.”

  “I didn’t say we were going to lie.”

  He guided her toward the conductor. “Excuse me, sir.”

  The man stopped on the platform. He was of average height and weight, probably going on for forty years old. Nothing noticeable in his demeanor that Jared could see.

  “Yes. How may I help you?”

  “We...” Jared paused and chose his words carefully. “That is, I was wondering where might be a nice place for a young man to take his sweetheart—if he had one—on a trip. I reckon you’ve seen almost everything there is to see for miles in every direction. Seems to me like you’d be the man to ask.”

  Mary Lou might not realize it but her blush only lent a note of sincerity to his request. In truth, the conductor would know the answers to the question Jared asked. All Jared needed now was a sweetheart. A smile pulled at one corner of his mouth. He decided it would add to the effect so he gave Mary Lou a full smile complete with dimples. She might be angry later, but not if he found out who the real thief was.

  “Well, son, you two might enjoy a trip to Dallas if you’ve never been far from Pine Haven.”

  “I’m from Maryland, and I would like to see some of the sights farther west.” He cut his eyes at Mary Lou. Her stare seemed to warn him again to be honest. He looked back at the conductor. “But I haven’t been able to secure a sweetheart for myself since I moved here. We’re from the Pine Haven Record. We’re working on an idea for a story for the paper.” He wouldn’t lie. Not just because Mary Lou didn’t want him to. He wasn’t a liar. Not for any reason. She was right. He could find the truth with the truth.

  “Then I’d say a trip to San Antonio might be just the thing. There’s good food, and the land is pretty between here and there. Some folks just enjoy the train ride.”

  “That does sound like a good suggestion. Can you tell me, though, what kinds of things are available on the trip? Would a couple have to get off the train to eat or shop? Just in case they wanted to get a memento of their trip. Nothing fancy, mind you. Money can be a real issue.”

  “It depends on the trip. Most of the trains stop in places where you can get a meal. But if you’re watching your coins, you could bring a basket of food with you. Or buy something from the newsagent. Some of them only carry candy and cigars, but the one on our route has a small business going.”

  “Really? What kind of things does he sell?”

  “Sandwiches, sweets, sometimes baked goods. He’s even started selling an assortment of souvenirs. Little things. Trinkets mostly. But he offers a good price for them. He even has a little piece of jewelry from time to time. To be honest, it’s more than I’ve come to expect from a newsagent.”

  Jared nodded his head and offered his thanks. “You’ve been a great help to us, sir. Thank you for your time.”

  He moved his hand to Mary Lou’s back and guided her toward the street. She stood a bit straighter and he dropped his hand as soon as they were out of sight of the conductor.

  Mary Lou became animated. “We’ve got to tell Sheriff Collins.” She turned to walk toward the sheriff but he put out a hand to stop her.

  Jared was relieved to have a possible suspect for the crimes, but he knew jumping to conclusions about the newsagent would be no different than falsely accusing Andrew.

  “Tell him what? That someone on the train sells things? We can’t go to him without more than that. He won’t believe us in the future if we take him every possible thought without evidence.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “You’re right. I just want it to be over. For Andrew and for us.”

  “I know. We just have to be patient and discern a way to find out if it is Elmer Finch.”

  * * *

  Mary Lou watched Jared go into the bank before she went to the general store. He might be willing to be patient, but she wasn’t.

  She stepped inside the dim interior and noticed several passengers from the train milling around. She made her way to the back of the store, picking up first one item then another as she went. When s
he got to the back counter she saw Andrew on the opposite end. He was looking at a small mirror with a decorative pink handle.

  “Hello, Andrew.” She waved at him and he acknowledged her with a nod.

  “May I help you, Miss Ellison?” Liza Croft came to stand at the counter midway between her and Andrew. She spoke to Mary Lou but kept her eyes trained on Andrew. He turned his back to them and eventually left without purchasing anything.

  “No, thank you. I just want to look around for a few minutes.”

  A short time later she stepped out onto the sidewalk again. Perusing the streets for anything suspicious, she spotted Mr. Finch in the distance. Had he been inside the general store? She hadn’t seen him but there had been several people inside.

  As Mr. Finch turned in the direction of the hotel, she saw Jared move off the sidewalk and fall into step behind the newsagent.

  Did Jared leave her and go into the bank so he could follow the agent alone?

  She couldn’t be upset. That had been her plan, as well.

  Mary Lou trailed along at a distance, hoping not to be noticed by either man. Even in the Friday-afternoon crowd of townsfolk and passengers from the train, she could follow Jared easily. Not because he was taller than those around him, but because she’d grown accustomed to keeping an eye out for him.

  He had an annoying habit of showing up everywhere she went. She would be interviewing someone for a story and he would come up behind her with a question that stole the attention of the person she was talking to—and ultimately the story.

  But it was more than that. She watched the top of his head as he bobbed in and out of sight. She’d memorized the shape of his head and the untamed texture of his hair. His gait was more familiar to her than any she’d ever known.

  Without her knowledge or permission, Jared Ivy had become the object of her attention.

  And at this very moment he was following Elmer Finch into the hotel lobby.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Mary Lou, how nice to see you.” Jasmine Willis greeted her when she entered the lobby.

  “Hello.” Mary Lou scanned the room for Mr. Finch and Jared, seeing only Jared seated on a sofa near the front window. “Did you have a lovely honeymoon?” It was unusual to see Jasmine in a dress when she wasn’t at church.