by Angel Moore
“Not in front of Finch. He’ll twist anything we say and use it to make Andrew look worse.”
“I’m not pursuing the theory that Andrew sold him all that stuff. It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“But a judge might believe him. That’s why Mary Lou and I need to talk to Andrew alone.”
“Mary Lou? Are you trying to clear Andrew’s name for his sake or for Miss Ellison’s?”
“The truth? Both. They’re good people. Andrew would never have been suspected in the first place if I hadn’t said anything.”
“I’m guessing you aren’t going to leave me be until I work this out. What do you have in mind?”
“Let’s take Andrew back to every place where something was stolen. I’d like for you to come along. He can tell us what happened at each location. Maybe he’ll remember something, or the people in those places will remember something that will help us find the truth.”
The sheriff grunted. “We didn’t find everything that was stolen in Pine Haven. Finch only had a couple of things.”
“He’ll just say he bought them from Andrew and sold them. Or that he never had them in the first place.”
“Come by tomorrow at ten. We’ll do all we can before noon.” He stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the land office. “But if we don’t find out anything, I won’t do it again.”
“Thank you.” Jared couldn’t wait to tell Mary Lou. Maybe they could work together on a plan to ask the right questions at each business.
“Two hours tomorrow. Not a minute more.” The sheriff opened the door to the land office.
“That’s all we need.” Jared pivoted and headed straight for the newspaper office. This was the best way he knew to show Mary Lou he was willing to work with her.
He slowed his pace. How willing was he? The paper could be his in a matter of days if the judge ruled in his favor. On his first day in Pine Haven, he’d entertained no thoughts of Mary Lou’s future. That wasn’t true anymore. He’d been beside himself with worry when Jasmine had told him of her scheme to follow Mr. Finch. She was safe, and he’d thanked the Lord above for that.
He couldn’t imagine the Record without her. The daily operations of the paper required more than one person. Andrew would be cleared and go to work on the Double Star. Jared could hire another apprentice, but no one could take Mary Lou’s place.
Grump had poured his heart and soul into the Pine Haven Record and then into Mary Lou. Jared had to convince her to stay. He’d learned so much from her in the last weeks. If she left now, he wouldn’t have the opportunity to absorb all she knew about Grump. More than that, he’d miss her.
He’d lost his father and Grump as a child. Then his mother’s death had left him with the prospect of reconciling with Grump. When that hadn’t been possible, Jared had immersed himself in Grump’s world. With every passing day he grew more connected to the man who’d loved him, paid for his education and wanted to be in his life. Without Jared in Pine Haven, Grump had poured his grandfatherly love into Mary Lou.
But that wasn’t why Jared wanted Mary Lou in his life. If she left, she’d take his heart with her. For without his awareness she’d captured the broken part of him and healed it. In a way he never thought possible.
If he won the paper, he could lose Mary Lou. If he hadn’t lost her already.
He took the steps up to the sidewalk in front of the newspaper.
Lord, I’ve wondered in the past if You cared about the little things. Mary Lou has taught me that You do. Show me what to do. Help me to win her heart like she won mine. With Your love.
Mary Lou looked up from the desk. “Good morning. I was surprised to find you out so early.”
“It is a good morning. I’ve just been to see the sheriff.”
She put her pencil down and waited.
“He’s going to give us some time with Andrew away from the jail tomorrow morning. We’ll be able to take him to all the places that had items stolen. We’ll interview people with Andrew present and try to find some clue to what happened to all the other items. Sheriff Collins said they found a couple of things from Pine Haven in Finch’s trunk. We’ve got to come up with what happened to the other items.”
“That’s a good idea. I didn’t think the sheriff was going to allow Andrew to leave with us.”
“Sheriff Collins is coming with us.” Jared sat across from her and leaned his elbows on the desk. “There’s one thing.”
“What?” Her face froze with caution.
“We only have two hours. After that he said he won’t be able to do anything else for Andrew. It will be up to the judge.”
“How did you convince him?”
“I told him it wasn’t fair to Andrew for Finch to hear everything we said to him. Finch could twist Andrew’s words into a lie for his own benefit.”
She sat at the desk, nodding her head. “Then we need to be prepared. Let’s go over everything we know and come up with any scenario we can think of that would help poor Andrew.” Mary Lou pulled a clean piece of paper in front of her and held her pencil at the ready.
This was the response he’d wanted from her. There was no indication that she was still upset with him. But he had to know about Sheriff Braden. “Mary Lou?”
“Yes.”
“Did Sheriff Braden tell you anything last night that would help clear Andrew?”
“We didn’t come up with anything.” She rolled the pencil between her palms. “After we discussed the thefts in Gran Colina, we talked about how the porcelain dish and the cameo connect Finch to the thefts. Sheriff Braden wasn’t much help.”
“That’s good news.” She gave him a puzzled look. “About connecting Finch to the thefts.” It didn’t bother Jared one iota that Mary Lou had been disappointed in Sheriff Braden’s assistance.
“There’s also no way to refute the claims Finch is asserting about buying everything from Andrew. If he says that someone in each town sold him things, it gives him some sense of credibility. If we can’t prove Andrew was innocent, it looks as though both of them will be convicted.”
He pulled his chair closer to the desk. “Then we better get to work.”
* * *
Mary Lou gathered their notes for the interviews. She and Jared had worked into the night going over every possibility.
“Are you ready?” He held the door open for her.
“Do you mind if we pray first?”
“Not at all.” He reached for her hand and she didn’t hesitate to put it in his. They bowed their heads together and he prayed a simple prayer for their success.
She slipped her hand from his and missed the comfort of his grasp. “Thank you.”
The walk to the sheriff’s office only took a few minutes. Sheriff Collins was opening Andrew’s cell when they arrived.
“Thank you, Sheriff.” Andrew stepped out.
Mary Lou couldn’t resist giving him a hug. She whispered to him, “It’s going to be okay. We’re not going to give up on you.” She stepped back and patted his cheek with the palm of her hand.
Mr. Finch had been on his bunk with his face to the wall. He rolled over and lumbered to his feet. “What’s going on here?”
“Don’t reckon that’s any of your business,” the sheriff answered as he put on his hat.
Once in the street, Jared presented their plan to the sheriff. They’d start at the livery then go to the saloon before heading to the hotel and the general store.
The two hours were almost up when they entered the general store. Liza Croft’s exclamation could be heard in the street. “What is he doing in my store? I want him out of here this instant.” If Andrew’s fate rested in Mrs. Croft’s hands, the trial would be over before it began.
Donald Croft came through the stockroom doors, wiping his hands on his apron. “Wh
at is going on here, Sheriff?”
Jared addressed his remarks to Mr. Croft. “We’d like you to help us remember anything that happened on the days that items went missing from your store.”
The owner looked over his shoulder at his wife. “I don’t see what good it will do.” He spoke to Andrew. “I liked you, boy, but when they found the mirror in your pocket, it was the end of the matter for me and the missus. We can’t trust you to be in here. We work too hard for what we earn.”
Andrew said, “I understand, Mr. Croft, but I didn’t take that mirror. Or anything else.”
Mrs. Croft came up beside her husband. “How did it get in your pocket then?” She lifted her chin in defiance of anything he might say.
Mary Lou drew on all her patience and everything Mr. Ivy had ever taught her. “Mrs. Croft, on the days when other things were stolen, did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”
The ornery woman punched her finger in Andrew’s direction. “I noticed him in here.”
She tried another tactic. “What about you, Mr. Croft? Have you ever had cause to be concerned about Andrew before the recent thefts?”
“Can’t rightly say. I didn’t know he was a thief before.”
Like lightning illuminating the night sky, Mary Lou had a bolt of clarity. “Has anything ever gone missing before? What was the first thing you noticed?”
“The brush and comb set,” Mrs. Croft answered.
“And when was that?” She had to find out the dates.
Mr. Croft thought a minute. “It was the day Mr. Ivy came in and asked if anything was missing. We didn’t notice the brush and comb set were gone until we closed up that night.”
She turned to the sheriff. “Is that the first thing that was reported to you?”
“Other than Mrs. Willis’s cameo and the porcelain dish, yes. What are you getting at, Miss Ellison?”
“I’m just thinking out loud, Sheriff.” She looked beyond Andrew to Jared. He stood between the young man and Mrs. Croft. The slight dip of his head let her know he knew what she was thinking.
Jared snapped his fingers and said, “Mr. Finch was leaving the store that day in a big hurry. I encountered him on the steps when I arrived.”
Sheriff Collins raised one thick eyebrow. “Was he carrying anything? Something he could have hidden things in?”
Jared thought for a minute. “Not that I remember.”
“I’d need more than knowing the man went shopping on the same day to use it against him.” The sheriff thanked the Crofts for their help and led the rest of them onto the porch. “I’ve done what I could. It’s time for me to take Andrew back to the jail.”
Mary Lou put a hand on Andrew’s arm and pinned him with her stare. “Don’t you give up. I’m—” she shot a glance in Jared’s direction “—we’re going to find the truth. And we both know you are not a thief.”
“Thank you, Miss Ellison. I pray you will.”
“That’s what you need to do, Andrew. Pray.”
The sheriff tugged on Andrew’s arm. “Come on. I’ve got to get you back, so I can feed the both of you.”
Jared came to stand beside Mary Lou and together they watched the sheriff lead Andrew down the street.
He leaned close to her ear. “I can see that mind of yours working in your pretty eyes.”
His breath caressed the nape of her neck and she stepped away from him. “Let’s go back to the office and compare notes.” She had to focus on Andrew right now. Later, when she was alone, she’d take time to savor him standing so near and hearing him say her eyes were pretty.
* * *
On Friday afternoon, Mary Lou finished compositing her article about Mr. Finch’s arrest and upcoming trial. She included a paragraph about Andrew being held on a separate theft.
A reward might still bring new information to light about that. She picked up the composing stick and began pulling the type to put the reward back together for the next edition.
Jared came in with a rush of wind and pushed the door closed. He rubbed his hands together and slipped out of his jacket. “I’d say we’re getting a taste of fall today.” He put another piece of wood in the stove and came to look over her shoulder.
“Do you mind if I put the reward back in? Someone knows the truth.”
He put a hand on her shoulder. “If you think it can help, put it back in. Make it a reward for any evidence about any of the thefts, and not just about something that will free Andrew. We can’t become so emotionally invested in his innocence that people begin to question the integrity of the paper. You can take the top of the column I’m using for my story.”
She tried not to react to the gentle weight of his hand. It was a comfort she sorely needed. Since Mr. Ivy had passed there wasn’t anyone for her to share her troubles with. They’d shared many pots of coffee in the years since he’d taken her in. Having someone to listen was a luxury she hadn’t taken for granted. She’d been without it for years and had treasured it in Mr. Ivy.
Jared was so like him. Though they’d not spent time together for two decades, Jared had inherited many of his grandfather’s mannerisms.
She lowered her hands to the composing table and held the stick at an angle to prevent the type from sliding out. “Your grandfather would have stood just like you are now, with his hand on my shoulder and a kind word.” She felt his hand lift.
He went to the stove and poured himself a cup of coffee. “You seem to be carrying the weight of the world on those shoulders these days.”
“Not the entire world.” She picked up another letter for the reward. “Only my world.”
She saw him lean against the desk. “Do you realize how big your world is, Mary Lou?”
“It’s not big at all, Mr. Ivy.”
“Mr. Ivy?” He put his coffee on the desk and came to stand by her. “I’m not my grandfather.”
“You’re everything good that he was.” She didn’t look up but kept adding the font tiles to the composing stick.
Jared took the stick from her and propped it on the composing table so her work would not be undone. She smiled at the thought of how much he’d learned. His spelling had even improved.
“Thank you for letting me know the ways that I am like Grump.” He put his hand on her shoulder again. “But when I do this to comfort you, I am one hundred percent Jared at that moment.”
She blushed at his words. The warm-rush-of-color-that-made-her-eyes-widen kind of blushing. The kind of reaction no other man had been able to evoke in her. But she couldn’t react to him.
She knew the truth about men. They might be handsome and strong, but none ever stayed when it mattered. Even if they wanted to, the circumstances of life—or even death—could take them away.
Mary Lou put her hand over his. “I know. But I also know that you and I are about to face a challenge that has the potential to destroy any friendship we’ve built. It will be difficult for me to face having to leave this newspaper.” She patted his hand and pulled it from her shoulder, then let it fall through her fingertips to hang at his side. “I don’t think I can bear it if we become more than friends and then that happens.”
He took a step back. “I see.” He put a hand to the side of his neck and pressed against the muscles there. “You think I am being kind to you to prevent there being a problem when we stand before the judge?”
“No.” She reached out to touch him, but pulled her hand back at the last moment. “I know you are genuine.” She stretched her arms in a wide-sweeping motion. “But this is my life. This paper, the house, telling these stories...it’s all I’ve known for years. If I lose that, I don’t know who I’ll be. And I won’t pretend I’ll know how to handle that.”
He leaned back against the desk and studied his boots. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
Mary Lou grabbed her notebook and pencil. “I’ll go see what’s happening. You finish your article.” She was out the door before he answered.
It was another pointless bar fight. The sheriff and Doc Willis took care of the men after the commotion died down. Mary Lou made notes of names and who was at fault.
“Sheriff, where will you put these men? You’ve got men in both cells at the jail.”
Sheriff Collins grabbed the saloon fighter who wasn’t injured by the scruff of his collar. “Looks like they’ll be sharing their space tonight, Miss Ellison.” He pulled the man along and told the Doc to have someone bring the other one to the jail after he got him bandaged.
She grabbed a handful of her skirts and lifted the hem so she wouldn’t trip as she hurried after the sheriff. “But who will you put together?”
“Don’t guess it matters.” He kept a hand on the arm of the ruffian he escorted up the steps to the sidewalk in front of the jail.
“It does matter.” She pushed behind him. Andrew was looking out the window at the back of his cell. Mr. Finch was asleep on his bunk.
Sheriff Collins took the key from the nail by his desk and opened the door to Mr. Finch’s cell. He gave a nudge to the angry man and closed the door behind him. As he reached to put the key back on the nail, Jared came in the door with the other man.
“Doc said to bring this one to you.”
Andrew backed up as the man was put in his cell. Still under the influence of the drink that no doubt started the fight, the man fell across the bunk with his face to the wall.
Jared stepped close to Andrew and spoke to him in a voice so low no one else could hear. Andrew nodded and sat on the other bunk in the small cell.
Mary Lou couldn’t bear the thought of Andrew sharing a cell with such a man. “Sheriff...”
Jared took her by the elbow. “Let’s you and I go outside.”
She looked over her shoulder as the door closed. “Why did you do that?”
