by Bobbi Smith
She told them about the rainstorm and being swept away with Slade.
"Dear Lord, you could have been killed! And to be alone with that man in the wilds.. .How did you ever manage?" Loretta had always known that Alyssa was a strong woman, but she'd never imagined she could handle anything that terrifying.
"It wasn't easy," she answered, and was quiet for a minute as she remembered the danger she'd faced from the water-and from Slade.
"What was it like to be all alone with him?" Emily asked, curious about the outlaw.
"He was handcuffed. Otherwise things might have turned out very differently. But as dangerous as Slade is, I never felt threatened by him." As she spoke, she wondered if that was a lie. The memory of his kiss was very threatening-to her peace of mind.
"And you managed to find your way safely back to Rob?"
"I had my gun, so I was in control. Once daylight came and the rain stopped, we started out on foot and headed toward town. Rob had been looking for us, too. I don't know how much longer I could have kept it up, especially since I hadn't slept for so long."
Her mother patted her hand as she smiled gently at her. "You are so brave, Alyssa."
"I hardly think I'm brave," she denied. "I just seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time lately. The Kid tried to break his men out of jail the other night, and I was the one who discovered it."
Loretta went pale at this news. "I don't understand."
Alyssa quickly explained to them how the Kid had started the fire and then tried to free his men.
"It's hard to believe all this has happened," her mother said, dazed at the danger Alyssa had faced and survived. "There aren't many women who could handle so much excitement."
"Why, thank you, Mother."
"For what?"
"I thought you were going to lecture me on how I shouldn't have made the trip here." She managed a grin.
"Would there be any point?"
"No. It was important that I be here."
"Then we'll just be glad that everything turned out all right in the end."
Alyssa was relieved that her mother had responded so calmly to her harrowing tales. "It's almost time for the trial to resume. We ought to be getting back."
They left the restaurant and returned to the courtroom. They took their seats. Alyssa wondered where the stranger who'd sat by her earlier had gone, but she could see no sign of him. She had no time to worry about it, though, as the three outlaws were already being led back into the room. She felt her mother tense beside her and reached over to take her hand in a reassuring grip.
Judge Banks called court back into session, and the trial continued. Les Anderson took the stand to give his damning testimony against Slade Braxton.
Alyssa found her gaze drifting to Slade as Anderson was sworn in. She noticed how Slade held himself rigidly as the witness testified under oath that he'd positively seen Slade kill her father. Other than tensing, Slade betrayed no outward sign of emotion. His expression remained inscrutable. Only once did he glance her way, as if sensing her regard upon him. Their gazes met for an instant, but she could read no emotion there-no regret, no sorrow.
As Anderson's testimony continued, Alyssa forced herself to look away from Slade. She watched the jury instead, trying to read their reactions to Anderson's description of the robbery and shooting. He embroidered his testimony with even more detail than he'd used at her hearing and evoked looks of disgust and loathing from the women on the jury.
Her mother's grip on her hand tightened, and Alyssa knew it was torturing her to hear her husband's murder spoken of with such brutal frankness again. She was sure from the way things were going that all three men would be convicted and sentenced to hang.
It was late afternoon when the last witness finished his testimony and the case went to the jury. Alyssa, Loretta and Emily rose and started from the courthouse. They stopped outside, weary and deeply worried about the outcome.
"Are you all right?" Rob asked as he joined them.
"We're fine," Alyssa answered.
"It's just difficult hearing it all again," Loretta told him, smiling gently at his concern. "There will be no rest for us, though, until they're convicted."
"I hope the jury won't be out too long," he said, trying to reassure her.
"If they do convict them and sentence them to hang, when would the hangings be carried out?" Emily asked.
"As soon as possible, probably," Rob answered. "Most everybody wants the three of them to pay for all the trouble they've caused both here and in Black Springs."
"Will you let us know when they reach a verdict?"
"I'll send word to you the minute I know something. If you need me for anything, I'll be down at the jail. I told Steve Jones I'd help him keep watch again tonight."
As Rob left them, Emily caught sight of Ken Wiley mingling with the crowd. She was stunned. He was once again dressed as a gentleman. Any trace of the dangerous-looking man she'd seen ride out of Black Springs several nights before was gone. She wondered how he could so completely change his identity, but dismissed her concerns about him now as ridiculous. The Ken standing nearby was the same Ken she'd met and been intrigued by. Probably, he had just dressed that other way because he'd been riding across country at night. She rationalized that he could hardly have worn his suit on the trip since he was in a hurry and going by horseback.
"Ken...?"
He looked up at her and smiled as he walked straight to her.
"I didn't know you were coming to Green River for the trial. I thought you'd decided to stay behind in Black Springs."
His straightforward approach put her even more at ease. It was obvious he had nothing to hide. Emily realized how silly her imaginings had been.
"You'd already left town when we decided to go ahead and make the trip. Mother and I just arrived on the stage this morning. Let me introduce you to my sister," Emily said. "Alyssa, this is Ken Wiley. He's a reporter for the Denver Daily News."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ken said. "Emily and your mother told me all about you when we first met in Black Springs."
"So, you're a reporter," Alyssa said. "You sat next to me this morning, and I noticed you were taking notes."
"Yes, I have to file my stories as quickly as I can. Members of the Dakota Kid's gang being brought in is big news. In fact, I'm on my way to the jail right now. Sheriff Jones has agreed to let me interview them."
"Why would you want to?" Emily asked, surprised.
"I want to understand what motivates these men. What makes them want to kill and rob? They're deadly predators, and I want to reveal that part of the story to my readers."
"It sounds so... grisly."
"But it's the truth of who they are. Perhaps I could take you ladies to dinner tonight, and we could speak of other, more pleasant things?" he invited them.
"We'd enjoy that," Emily answered quickly.
They made plans to meet in the hotel dining room at seven P.M. and then parted company.
"He's a nice man," Loretta observed.
"Isn't he? I have to tell you, though, the other night he had me worried."
Alyssa slanted her a curious look. "The other night? What happened the other night?"
"Nothing really," Emily stated with just the right propriety. "It was just that it was late when I went down to put a sign in the store window that we would be closed for a few days, and I saw Ken riding out of town. He looked-different."
"What does `different' mean?" her sister asked.
"Well, he looked downright dangerous... almost like a gunslinger. For a while, I thought he might have been a member of the Kid's gang in town trying to get information to help break the gang members out of jail."
"I think your imagination was running away with you."
"It was. Now that I've seen him here again, I know he really is who he says he is. I'm sure he only dressed that way to make the ride to town. He could hardly wear his suit and tie across country."
As t
hey continued on their way back to their hotel, Alyssa fell silent. For all that she was quiet, though, her thoughts were deep and troubled. The trial was essentially over. All that remained was for the jury to bring in a verdict. That could come at any time nowand then Slade Braxton would hang.
Pain tore at Alyssa as she faced reality. She tried to hide from it, but she couldn't. There had been no response to her telegram. She had no real proof that Braxton was the Pinkerton agent he claimed to be. What he had told her had been a lie just as Rob had insisted it was from the beginning.
Alyssa could deny the truth no longer.
Slade Braxton was a killer.
"Alyssa, what's wrong?" Emily asked, catching a glimpse of her sister's dark, troubled expression.
"I was just thinking about Braxton and the testimony against him today."
"No wonder you're looking so angry," her sister said, hating the man with all her heart.
"That certainly explains it," her mother agreed.
"Yes, it certainly does."
But no matter what her mother and sister thought, Alyssa's personal torment had nothing to do with hating Slade Braxton.
Slade looked up as the door to the sheriff's office opened. He was hard pressed not to smile at the sight of Ken following the lawman into the cell area. He knew better than to think they were coming to let him out, so he was ready to play along with whatever scheme his friend had devised.
"Gentlemen," Sheriff Jones said as he stopped before them in their cell. "This is Mr. Ken Wiley, a reporter from the Denver Daily News. He wants to interview you, and I told him you would be very cooperative."
Nash and Johnson got up from their cots and came to stand closer to the "newspaperman."
"You're here lookin' for a story? Well, we got one for you, don't we, Nash?" Johnson said.
"Did the sheriff tell you how the Kid outsmarted him the other night? We had your lawman there all locked up in this very jail cell, nice and tight like. He looked real good behind bars, too," Nash went on.
"We would have been long gone, too, if it hadn't been for that damned lady justice of the peace showing up when she did," Johnson added.
"It seems to me the Kid can't be very smart, if one woman could ruin his entire plan." Ken taunted them deliberately as he looked around at the small facility. "If he can't bust you out of this jail, how good is he?"
"There ain't nobody as good as the Dakota Kid," Nash said in defense of his leader.
"Well, it is true that he is free-and you're not. So I guess that does make him a lot smarter than you," Ken said with emphasis, wanting to see if he could make them angry enough to reveal information about the Kid that he could use to his advantage.
"We haven't been convicted or hanged yet," Slade countered as he got up from his cot and came to eye Ken up close. "The jury's still deliberating."
"But the talk on the street says you're guilty as sin, Braxton. There were witnesses at the trial who testified that they saw you do it. The townsfolk are convinced-"
Slade shrugged expressively as his gaze locked knowingly with Ken's. "I'm innocent until proven guilty."
Ken said flatly, "You're going to hang-all of you."
"No, we ain't!" Johnson declared. "The Kid's somewhere close. The minute he gets the chance, we'll be free again."
"But if you're innocent like Braxton says you are, why would you need the Dakota Kid to set you free?
The jury should find that you're not guilty and let you go"
"You write that in your column, Mr. Newspaperman. You tell the people that we're innocent and being wrongly tried. And make sure you spell our names right, too," Nash sneered.
"Yeah, I'd hate like hell to have my name spelled wrong in a big-city paper like yours," Johnson agreed.
Ken turned back to Slade. "How does it feel getting ready to pay with your life for the crimes you've committed?" He looked straight at his friend again, his pencil poised over his note pad, pretending to want to take notes on his next remarks.
"It's like I said, Mr. Wiley." Slade gave him a slow, predatory smile. "I'm an innocent man.
Ken pressed, "Do you really believe the Dakota Kid can save you, considering how heavily guarded you are?"
Nash made a threatening move toward the reporter. "The Kid can do anything. He could be watching you right now! I'd be real careful if I were you-"
"Yeah," Slade said seriously, drawing Ken's full attention. "If you're smart, you'll watch your back. The Kid has ways of finding out things."
Ken pretended to be intimidated by their unspoken threats and backed nervously away from the jail cell. He understood exactly what Slade was implying.
"I think I've got enoug h material for now, Sheriff Jones. Thank you."
"All right. You boys settle back in now. We don't need any trouble tonight," Steve ordered as he and Ken left them. "If I hear anything from the jury, you'll be among the first to know."
He closed the door.
"What do you think?" Jones asked him.
"I think the Kid is still somewhere real close by. You're right to keep such a heavy guard around town. After listening to them, I think I'd better keep an eye on Alyssa Mason, too."
"You think he might come after her?"
"Sooner or later. I've already befriended her sister and mother, so it shouldn't be too difficult to insinuate myself even more into their good graces."
"There's not much else we can do right now, except sit and wait. Once the jury comes back in and this is over, I'm looking forward to continuing the hunt for the Kid and what's left of his gang."
"You're not the only one. I'm not going to rest until the Kid's brought in."
"So what they say about you is really true," Jones mused.
"What's that?"
"That the Pinkerton Agency is The Eye That Never Sleeps.'"
"Not when we've got work to do," Ken replied. "I have to go wire Denver right now. I'll talk to you again later."
"I'm not going anywhere."
The first thing the following morning, the jury announced that it had reached a verdict in the case. Word went out, and Judge Banks convened the court at a little after ten A.M.
"I understand you ladies and gentlemen of the jury have reached a verdict in this case," he stated, addressing them in front of the packed courtroom.
"Yes, Your Honor, we have," the jury foreman said as he handed the paper with the verdict written on it to Jones, who carried it to the judge.
Banks read it solemnly, and nodded. "What is said verdict?"
"We, the jury, find Slade Braxton, Rick Nash and Carl Johnson guilty on all counts."
A cheer went up in the room, and the judge had to use his gavel to restore order. He looked down at the three convicted men, his expression cold and unfeeling.
"You have been found guilty. I sentence all three of you to be hanged by the neck until dead. The sentence is to be carried out by sundown today. Court is adjourned." He banged the gavel again.
A roar went through the room as Slade, Nash and Johnson were led away.
Loretta and Emily embraced each other, shedding tears of relief.
Alyssa sat alone, her head slightly bowed, her shoulders slumped. She knew she should be glad that justice had been done, yet all she felt was emptiness. Her father was dead, and soon Slade would be, too. He was a liar and a killer, yet she remembered far too clearly for her own peace of mind how he'd saved her from harm when Johnson and Nash had tried to escape on the way to Green Springs and how he could have tried to disarm her during the time they were alone together in the wilderness-but he hadn't.
Memories of Slade's forbidden kisses and dancing with him plagued Alyssa, too, and would not be dismissed. Silently, she cursed him and her own weakness for him. Try though she might, she couldn't forget him. He was an outlaw, a convicted killer, and soon he would be dead. There would be no one to mourn his passing-except her.
As Slade moved up the aisle past her, he glanced her way. Their gazes met and, for just tha
t moment in time, there was nothing else in the world but the two of them. The noise of the courtroom faded away; the knowledge that his life would be over before sundown grew hazy. All that mattered was that they were looking at each other, and remembering what might have been.
And then he was gone.
And she was alone.
"Oh, Alyssa, this is so wonderful! At last, justice has prevailed!" her mother told her, sobbing.
She embraced her mother, knowing she needed comforting. Loretta would never understand the power of her daughter's turbulent feelings-feelings that even Alyssa didn't fully comprehend-so she said nothing. Slade Braxton had come into her heart and her life, and Alyssa knew she would never be the same because of him.
"Shall We go back to the hotel?" Emily suggested.
"I'd like to accompany you, if I may?" Ken said as he came to join them.
"That would be fine," Loretta agreed. "I'm sure you're very excited now that the trial's over and you can file your story."
"I'll wire my paper about the verdict and the sentencing, then follow up with another story this evening after the executions are over."
"You live a very exciting life," Emily told him.
"It can be. There are days when I'm constantly chasing leads, and then there are days like today when I'm just sitting around, waiting for things to happen so I can write about them."
"Well, all of our waiting is over. Justice has been served," Loretta said.
Alyssa was quiet; the burden her heart carried was too devastating for speech.
Slade Braxton was guilty.
By sundown tonight, he would be dead.
The crowd gathered around, watching as the finishing touches were put on the hastily constructed gallows. The sheriff would soon be bringing out the prisoners, and the townspeople didn't want to miss anything. It wasn't often that the law caught up with gunslingers like the Dakota Kid's gang, and they were going to enjoy the gruesome spectacle of the hanging.
In the hotel, Alyssa lingered in her mother and sister's room.
"Do you want to go down and watch?" Emily asked them as the time drew near.
"No," Loretta answered quickly. "I don't need to see them dead. I just need to know that they've paid for what they did. I hope Braxton suffers the most. God knows, he's the most vicious one."
