by Bobbi Smith
"That's right."
Ken knew Slade was in big trouble. He was going to have some investigating of his own to do-and fast, from the looks of things. "Were there any other witnesses?"
"Yes." Clemans quickly told him of Tom York, Guy Shoaf and Chris Turner.
"When did Sheriff Emerson leave for Green River?"
"Three days ago. So they should be arriving there some time today."
"Do you know how soon they'll have the trial?"
"Last wire Sheriff Emerson got from Judge Banks, the judge told him they'd start the trial as soon as the witnesses were all in town."
"So they may already have left Black Springs?"
"I'm not sure. You can check around town and find out."
"I'll do that. And what about the Dakota Kid? Do you have any idea where he's hiding out?"
"If we did, I'd be there arresting him right now. Sheriff Emerson was real worried about him. He was afraid the Kid would come after them while they were on their way to Green River. It was rough enough as it was."
"Why? What happened?"
Clemans quickly told him about the escape attempt by the outlaws, and how the sheriff had showed up just in time to save the day and rescue Alyssa.
"Your sheriff sounds like quite a man."
"He is. They don't come much braver than Rob Emerson."
"It's hard to believe that he let a woman ride along on such a dangerous trip, though. What ever possessed him to take her with them?"
"My sister is not just any woman!" Emily found herself speaking up in Alyssa's defense. "She can handle herself and a gun, and as you can see, everything's turned out all right."
Not that Emily and her mother hadn't nearly swooned at the news Deputy Clemans had brought them about the thwarted escape attempt. It had taken Emily the rest of the day to calm her mother's fears about Alyssa's safety.
"Well, Deputy Clemans, I thank you for your time." Ken shook hands with him. "I appreciate all your help. Do you want to give me your full name so I can put you in my story?"
Clemans beamed. "Vernon Clemans."
"And you, Miss Mason? May I quote you?"
"Why, of course, Mr. Wiley." She smiled at him in her most coquettish fashion. "In fact, if you'd like to speak more about my sister's involvement, I'd be happy to tell you whatever you'd like to know. Would you like to interview my mother, too?"
"Yes. I would. Perhaps you could direct me to the witnesses, too, so I could interview those who haven't left for the trial yet?"
"I'd be delighted. Deputy Clemans, I'll speak with you later. You'll let us know the minute you hear something?"
"I certainly will, Miss Emily."
"Thanks."
"Deputy." Ken nodded to Clemans and started from the office, leaving the lawman glowering behind him.
Ken held the door for Emily and waited as she moved past him. He watched her for a moment, enjoying the sweet scent of her perfume and the gentle sway of her hips. Then he followed her outside. He didn't know how much more useful information he could learn from her, but at least interviewing her and her mother would be a start. There wasn't much time. He had to work fast.
"Tell me, Mr. Wiley, how did you come to be a reporter?" Emily asked as he walked beside her.
"It was a roundabout route," he answered quite honestly. There was no need for deception there. "It all came down to the fact that I like getting straight answers to my questions, and this seemed the best way."
"I find reporters so... interesting," she said as she gazed up at him. She wondered how he would look without his glasses, and she decided he would look quite handsome. "Have you been one for long?"
Ken grinned, not lying again as he answered, "Not long enough. I enjoy my work. How else would I get to meet an interesting, lovely lady like you?"
Emily glowed at his compliment. "I do believe I like you already, Mr. Wiley."
They both laughed.
"We own the general store," she told him. "Mother and I run it by ourselves since Alyssa's taken on being the justice of the peace."
"It must be difficult for you, having lost your father."
"It was terrible, and we still haven't recovered. I doubt Mother ever will. I just look forward to the day when that terrible Slade Braxton hangs for what he did."
He heard the ferocity in her tone. "Are you really positive that Braxton did it?"
"Les Anderson said so. He was there when it happened."
"And you trust this Les Anderson?"
She was quiet for a moment, considering his words. "I think so. Why do you ask?"
"It's my job to ask hard questions."
"Isn't eyewitness testimony the best?"
"If the eyewitness is reliable and trustworthy, yes. But if the man's just interested in seeing someone hang, then I question his motive and the truth of his sworn statements."
"I see. Well, I don't think there's a problem there. Les is a very nice man."
"Good," Ken said, but he didn't mean it. He already knew the man was a perjurer.
"Here we are," Emily said as they reached the store. "Mother, I've brought someone along who wants to talk to you."
Loretta looked up from where she'd been sorting through some newly received merchandise behind the counter. "Oh?"
"This is Mr. Ken Wiley. He's a reporter from Denver, and he's here to write a story on how Rob brought in the Dakota Kid's gang."
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Wiley." She thought him a very nice-looking young man.
"Please, I'd feel much better if you both would call me Ken."
Emily smiled brightly up at him and hoped he planned on being in town for a while. "All right, Ken. And I'm Emily."
He gazed down at her and couldn't help smiling back. She was pretty, just about the prettiest girl he'd seen in months... The direction of his thoughts annoyed him. He had no time for a flirtation-innocent or otherwise. Slade's life was on the line.
"Is something wrong, Ken?" she asked, seeing how serious his expression had become suddenly.
"No, not at all. I was just thinking of the outlaws and wondering about the trial."
"We'll be closing the store in another half hour. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?" Loretta suggested.
"I would like that very much, but, please, allow me to take you out."
"Why, thank you. We'd enjoy that," Emily answered quickly, thrilled that he wanted to spend more time with her. "Would you like me to tell you where you could find the other witnesses, and then you could meet us at our house about seven o'clock?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Actually, Emily, why don't you just go on with Ken, and then you can make all the introductions for him."
"Would you do that?" Ken asked.
"Why, I'd love to. We'll meet you at home in a little while, Mother."
"That'll be fine, dear."
Loretta was smiling as she watched them go. Emily certainly seemed taken with the handsome reporter. She found it interesting that a newspaper from as far away as Denver would be covering Sheriff Emerson's ambush of the Dakota Kid's gang, but she supposed the capture of a notorious gang was big news.
Her heart was heavy as she thought of how much the gang's actions had affected their lives. It was tragic that John had been killed. He'd been a good man, a fair and loving man. Tears threatened as she realized how much she missed him. Thank heaven, she had Alyssa and Emily to sustain her through these hard times.
For not the first time, Loretta thought about her decision not to attend the trial. She wondered again if she should go to Green River to see justice done. It was good that Alyssa would be there, but somehow she felt the growing need to be there, too. She wanted to watch the men who'd taken so much from her pay for their terrible crimes. It seemed bloodthirsty, wanting revenge so badly, but her soul wouldn't know any peace until the ones responsible had been punished. When she got the opportunity later that day, Loretta decided she would speak to Emily again about attending the trial.
; It was several hours later when Ken and Emily arrived at the house to meet Loretta.
"How did your interviews go?" Loretta asked him as he sat in their small parlor with them.
"Tom York, Les Anderson and Guy Shoaf have already left for Green River," he answered. "I did get the chance to speak with Chris Turner, though. He's not leaving until tomorrow."
"Did it go well?"
"Yes. From what I've learned, that must have been a terrible day for just about everyone in town."
"It was," Loretta agreed. "John was killed, and two men were wounded. The bank was robbed.... The Dakota Kid will have a lot to answer for when he goes to meet his maker."
"Let's just hope that's real soon," Ken said.
He'd despised the Kid and his men for a long time now, and the fact that they'd proven so hard to bring in had only increased his hatred of the killers. They had wreaked death and destruction wherever they'd ridden. That had been why he'd sent Slade undercover to bring them down. Slade was his best operative. Now, though, it was beginning to look as if all their hard work had been for nothing. The Dakota Kid was still on the loose, and Slade was going to trial for a murder he hadn't committed.
Ken had to get to Green River right away. He had to prove to the law there that Slade really was an agent and completely innocent of the charges against him. It wouldn't be easy to do with Anderson testifying that he'd seen Slade gun down Emily's father. It was going to take some good detective work on his part to free him, but he would do it. His friend's very life depended on it. He would take the ladies to dinner as planned, then forget about getting any rest and ride out tonight.
Emily was in heaven as Ken held her chair for her at the restaurant.
"Thank you," she murmured politely as she sat down.
He did the same for Loretta, then joined them at the table.
"I can't tell you how long it's been since I was privileged enough to dine with two such lovely ladies."
Loretta found him most charming and laughed at his blarney. "Are you Irish, Ken?"
"On my mother's side," he returned with a smile.
"Somehow, I knew that, but your compliment is very much appreciated."
They ordered, and, when the meal was served, they found it to be delicious.
As they dined, Ken regaled Emily and Loretta with stories about his past experiences as a reporter. He wasn't lying. The stories he told them were true; the only false part was the role he played in them. He'd been doing the investigating he told them about as an agent, not as a reporter.
Emily was finding Ken even more attractive as she got to know him better. There was something about him-his sharp wit and his obvious keen intelligence-that drew her to him. He had been courtly and attentive during the short time they'd spent together, and she was most impressed with him. He seemed a gentleman through and through, a far cry from the usual rough-talking cowboys she put up with. She hoped she could find a way to get to know him better. If he left for Green River right away, she might never see him again, and feeling as she did about him, she just couldn't let that happen.
"So what will you do next?" she asked as they were finishing dessert.
"I need to find the other witnesses and interview them. Then I'll stay on for the trial and report back to Denver about its progress."
"So you'll be leaving Black Springs soon?"
"I have to, but I appreciate all your help and cooperation. This could have been very tedious today, and you were both a great help to me."
"It was our pleasure," Emily told him.
"Indeed, Ken, you are a charming young man," Loretta added. "I wish you luck with your reporting."
"The way things are going, I think I may need all the luck I can get." He meant it, knowing the challenges he was going to face dealing with the law in Green River.
When they'd finished eating, Ken escorted them back home.
"Thank you for a delightful evening," he said as he saw them to the door.
"And thank you for dinner."
"My pleasure, ladies. Good night."
"Good night."
Ken looked at Emily, and in the moonlight, he thought she was even more beautiful than before-if that were possible. If he'd had more time, he would have found an excuse to stay and talk a little longer with her, but he didn't. Slade was counting on him. He turned to walk away once the ladies had started to go inside.
"Ken..." Emily softly called his name after her mother had disappeared indoors.
He paused to look back at her. "Is something wrong?"
"I was just wondering... Will I ever see you again?"
He stared at her, seeing an innocent beauty who could become important to him if he let her. Unfortunately, he didn't dare let that happen. This job was too dangerous. Just look at what had happened to Slade. He answered her honestly when he told her, "I don't know."
"Oh." Her disappointment sounded in her tone.
"Good night, Emily."
Ken turned and walked away. He did not look back.
Emily stayed where she was, watching him go. He was different from any man she'd ever met before, and she wished they'd had more time. She wished there was some way she could get to know more about him. Filled with disappointment, she went back inside.
"Is Ken gone?" Loretta asked.
"Yes. He just left."
"You liked him, didn't you?"
"Very much. He's so... different from the men I usually meet."
"Yes, dear. I think the term is `civilized.'"
"I doubt I'll ever see him again," she said, sighing as she sat down beside her mother on the sofa.
Seeing how Emily was acting, Loretta knew that she'd decided to do the right thing. It had been a hard decision, but one she knew now she wouldn't regret.
"That may not necessarily be true."
"Why?"
"Because I've just decided that you and I should go to Green River and attend the trial."
"Are you sure, Mother? It won't be easy for you."
"I'm very sure. I want to see the men who killed your father get what's coming to them."
"We'll have to close the store-"
"It doesn't matter. This is more important. I want to be there with Alyssa. I want to know what's going on firsthand."
"Do you want to leave tomorrow?"
"Yes. The stage leaves about noon, I think."
"I'll make a sign for the store telling everybody we're going to be closed for a while, and I'll put it in the window tonight."
"While you take care of that, I'll start packing for both of us."
Ken went to the stable he'd seen earlier and made arrangements to buy a horse and the gear he needed for the trip. Returning to the hotel, he changed out of his city clothes and resumed his normal identity. He had no time to play the gentleman anymore. He had to get moving-fast. After strapping on his gunbelt, he checked out of the hotel and was ready to ride.
Ken put all thoughts of the beautiful Emily out of his mind as he headed out of town. Slade's situation was too serious to allow himself to be distracted. He was first and foremost an operative. His friend's life depended on his doing his job.
Emily had finished the sign and left the house by herself to put it in the window of the store. Ken had been in her thoughts since they'd parted, and she was considering stopping by the hotel on her way home to leave him a note. She wanted to tell him him that they would be making the trip to Green River on the stage the following day, too, and she was looking forward to seeing him again.
She put the sign in the window, relocked the shop and started off toward the hotel. It was then that she saw the lone rider coming down the street toward her. She was in the shadows, so she was pretty sure the man couldn't see her, yet she wondered who would be riding out of town this late at night.
As the rider moved past her, Emily realized with a start that it was Ken... but it took a moment for her to be certain for he looked so completely different from when she'd last seen him. The man on horseback bor
e little resemblance to her sophisticated dinner companion. Gone were his glasses and suit. Ken looked like a gunman now-tough, hard and dangerous.
Emily was tempted to call out to him, but held back. For some reason, he'd deliberately deceived her and everyone else in town. She wondered why he would do such a thing. Suddenly, it occurred to her that Ken might be one of the Kid's gang trying to get information about the witnesses and the prisoners. Unsure of what to do, she hurried home to tell her mother what she'd discovered.
Rob breathed a deep sigh of relief at the sound of the jail cell door slamming shut. They'd made it. They were in Green River, and the prisoners were behind bars.
"They're all yours," Rob said as he walked back out into the front office with Steve Jones.
"Good job, Rob," Jones complimented him.
"Now all we have to do is get through the trial."
"We will. Judge Banks should be on his way over to talk with you. I sent one of the deputies to get him."
Rob nodded. "We can't go to trial soon enough for me. The witnesses should all be here in another day or two, so we'll be ready."
"I'm glad things have worked out so smoothly. I got a wire from Clemans, and he said Ursino is doing fine."
"Good." Rob was relieved to know that his wounded deputy had made it safely back to town. "Any word on the Kid?"
"Nothing, damn it."
They shared a troubled look, knowing the outlaw was probably somewhere close by, just out of reach.
"I don't think he's going to let this go."
"I don't either, and I'm not sure where to start looking for him. If I send my deputies out on a wildgoose chase, that doesn't leave us with enough men to guard the jail, just in case he should try something here in town."
"Our best bet is to sit tight then."
Judge Banks entered the sheriff's office, and both lawmen were glad to see him. They discussed the plans for the trial and were relieved to learn that he intended to select the jury the next day and start the trial the day after. When he'd gone, Rob finally allowed himself to relax a bit.
"I think I need a drink," he said wearily.
"I'd love to go celebrate with you, but the way things are looking, I think I'd better stay here."
"We'll do our celebrating when the trial's over."
