by Janet Dean
“Did you have knowledge of this poker game?”
“Other than what Anna told me, no. The game was not in Gnaw Bone. But I knew Max gambled.”
“Did Mrs. Hankins tell you where the game in question took place?”
“Yes, in a saloon not far from her home in northern Kentucky.”
“Did your husband make a practice of being away from home, Mrs. Richards?”
“He was gone more than he was home.”
“When your husband returned, did he mention losing the deed in a poker game?”
“No, sir. It wasn’t until Nate Sergeant came into my shop about a month after Max’s death that I learned the deed wasn’t locked up in the shop safe.”
“I see.” He handed Carly the deed. “Mrs. Richards, please look at the signature on this deed. The name Max Richards has been drawn through and replaced with that of Walter Hankins. And signed by two witnesses. Do you know the two witnesses?”
“No, sir.”
“Can you verify that the name Walter Hankins is written in your husband’s handwriting?”
Carly stared at the document. “It appears to be Max’s handwriting. Though I can’t be positive. The only time I saw his signature was on our marriage license.”
“Your husband was gone for long periods and never wrote? Not even once?”
“No, sir.”
Judge Rohlof reached for the deed and Carly handed it over. “You said the shop earned enough money for you and your son. You have no other help in the shop?”
“Anna Hankins is working there now, until we finish a large order that came in the day we met.”
“Is it awkward that the woman claiming your shop is working for you?”
“Not for me. With me. I consider Anna a friend. I believe she’d say the same about me.”
“If more opponents worked together as you and Mrs. Hankins have done, this world would be a better place.” The judge made a few notes. “You may return to your seat, Mrs. Richards.”
On shaky limbs, Carly rose from the chair and trudged to the first pew.
Beulah Koontz, her pastor’s wife, leaned close. “You did a fine job,” she whispered, giving Carly a perky smile.
But the smile appeared strained. Mrs. Koontz could tell, as Carly had, the evidence suggested Anna Hankins had possession of the deed and probably legal right to the shop.
“Mrs. Hankins, it’s your turn.”
As Anna lumbered to the front, a soft murmur ran through the crowd of onlookers. One sweep of Judge Rohlof’s fierce gaze quieted the room.
Anna put her hand on the Bible and swore to tell the truth, then sat in the chair Carly had vacated.
“Are you comfortable, Mrs. Hankins?”
“Yes, sir, in this seat, but not with the reason I’m here.”
Judge Rohlof’s eyes widened as if Anna’s statement surprised him, but he made no comment.
Carly wanted to shout amen, but of course didn’t. No point in antagonizing the judge who would determine her fate.
“Mrs. Hankins, how did your husband come into possession of the deed to Lillian’s Alterations and Dressmaking?”
“Walt won the deed in a poker game, as Mrs. Richards said.”
“When did you learn your husband had won the deed?”
“Late that same afternoon.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“Yes, sir, the date is seared in my mind. April 1 of this year. April Fools’ Day. The day my husband was murdered,” she added in a voice that shook.
“Tell me what happened.”
Head bent, Anna gripped her gloved fingers in her lap. “Walt came home excited about winning the shop in a poker game, talking a mile a minute, making plans. I’m a seamstress. He saw the shop as a way for us to have a better life.” She glanced at the judge with tears in her eyes. “Instead that deed cost him his.”
“You say your husband was murdered, Mrs. Hankins. Who killed him?”
“Max Richards. He found out where we lived and rode in, demanding the deed. Walt had hidden it and when—” her shoulders slumped and she seemed to fold into herself “—Walt refused and turned away, Max Richards shot my husband in the back.”
Tears brimmed then spilled down Anna’s cheeks, the anguish of reliving that nightmare plain on her face. The room was so quiet Carly could hear each ragged breath Anna took.
Carly bit her lip to keep from crying out, from insisting the judge leave Anna alone.
“Are you able to go on?” Judge Rohlof asked, removing a handkerchief from inside his jacket and handing it to Anna.
Anna nodded, wiping her tears. “Max Richards threatened me, but Walt must’ve hidden the deed before he came inside. I had no idea where. I was so upset and frightened, I couldn’t think straight. While my husband bled to death on the kitchen floor, Max Richards tore up the place, then did the same in the barn, but didn’t find the deed. Said he’d be back. And if I didn’t have the deed, he’d kill me, too.” She lifted trembling fingers to her lips. “I believed him.”
“Did Max Richards return, as he’d threatened?”
“No, sir, he ended up dead.”
“How did he die?”
Anna sucked in a gulp of air. “My brother Nate Sergeant killed him. But Nate didn’t have a choice. He—”
“Sheriff Truitt has confirmed your brother arrived at your home shortly after the killing and tracked Max Richards to Gnaw Bone with the intention of bringing him back to Kentucky to stand trial for murdering your husband. I’ve also seen sworn statements from three witnesses that Richards fired the first shot and Nate Sergeant shot him in self-defense.”
“Yes, Nate was absolved of any wrongdoing. He—”
“Mrs. Hankins, the purpose of this hearing is not to determine the guilt or innocence of Max Richards or Nate Sergeant.”
Carly wanted to shout that Max had been guilty of pretending he had feelings for her when he’d only wanted someone to provide for him. Guilty when he’d frightened and neglected his family. Guilty when he’d risked the shop.
Didn’t that entitle her to the business she’d rebuilt?
“The only reason we’re here,” the judge went on, “is to determine who is the rightful owner of Lillian’s.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Mrs. Hankins, how did you come into possession of this deed?”
“My brother spent a month looking for it. He finally found the deed hidden under a loose plank in the barn.”
“He found it after Max Richards’s death?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Mrs. Richards says you two are friends. Do you agree with that statement?”
Anna’s gaze slid to Carly. She gave a gentle smile that Carly returned. “Yes, I do.”
“I’ve overseen countless hearings and trials, but I can’t recall two women forging a friendship after one of their husbands killed the other. How do you explain that, Mrs. Hankins?”
“Carly Richards didn’t kill Walt. Her no-good husband did.” Anna glanced at the sheriff. “That Bible I put my hand on tells me I’m to forgive my enemies. A tall order for a man like Max Richards. A man so cruel, so callous, he’d devise a scheme, knowing he’d kill to get the deed back. Surely a man to be pitied.”
“Indeed. Max Richards is not on trial here, but I don’t hesitate to declare him guilty. Guilty of destroying the happiness of two vulnerable women, apparently without remorse, for his own purposes.”
Carly exhaled and in that sigh, all the pent-up anger at Max went with it. She could see now she’d been guilty of harboring, even wallowing in, resentment. That resentment had hurt only her. Freed from the heavy burden of bitterness and guilt, she felt lighter, happier. Judge Rohlof had not stamped her guiltless, but God’s Son had. Now she truly felt clean, no longer stained by the changes her anger at Max had made in her.
The judge accepted the handkerchief Anna handed back to him. “Thank you, Mrs. Hankins. You may return to your seat.”
With a nod, Anna rose and
shuffled to her place. Nate gave his sister’s shoulder a squeeze.
“I call Nate Sergeant to the stand.”
Chapter Nineteen
Nate laid his hand on the Bible. How long since he’d read Scripture? The words used to guide him, used to encourage him, used to fill him with hope. Words he now felt unworthy of reading. What power had he forfeited? What peace had he lost?
He took a breath and swore to tell the truth, then took his seat to testify against Carly, a woman who didn’t deserve any of this. Yet Nate had to do what he could to protect his sister.
He’d turned the deed over to Sheriff Truitt to be entered in evidence. The evidence pointed to his sister as the rightful owner. Yet he’d awakened that morning from a night spent tossing and turning, unwilling to testify against the woman capturing his heart.
His gaze locked with Carly’s. In those blue depths, he thought he saw a flicker of regret. The outcome of this hearing would surely ring the death knell on the growing affection between them.
If only he’d met Carly under different circumstances. But killing her husband, no matter how despicable Max Richards had been, and claiming her shop for his sister, no matter how badly Anna needed it, had set him and Carly at odds from the first.
“Mr. Sergeant,” Judge Rohlof said, raising Nate’s head. “Do you live near your sister?”
“No, sir. As a bounty hunter, I’m not in one place very long.”
“How did you happen to be there when Walt Hankins was killed?”
“I had intended to bunk with Anna and Walt while I pursued a lead on the whereabouts of an outlaw I was tracking.”
“Your sister testified you found the deed. Please tell me how that came about.”
A month spent looking for a deed still grated when he’d been used to tracking down every crook he’d sought. All except one. Stogsdill. His hands tightened into fists. Where was the man now?
“Mr. Sergeant, I repeat, how did you find the deed?”
“I searched everywhere I could think of without success. One morning about a month after I started looking, I noticed this ancient feed box in the barn. Too heavy even for a wiry man like Walt. Still, desperation can give a man extraordinary strength. I was able to shove it out of the way and noticed a loose plank. I pried it up and found the deed wrapped in leather and tied with string.”
“After you made your sister Anna Hankins aware of its existence, what did you do?”
“I rode to Gnaw Bone again. This time to inform Mrs. Richards the shop no longer belonged to her.”
“What was Mrs. Richards’s reaction?”
“She didn’t believe me. At first. But she opened her safe and found the deed missing.”
And then she’d fainted on him. As if it happened yesterday, he remembered Carly cradled in his arms. The soft feel of her against his chest, the fragrance of her hair—
“Mr. Sergeant,” Judge Rohlof said, folding his elbows on the table and leaning toward Nate. “What benefit will you gain if Anna Hankins should become the owner of Lillian’s?”
“Nothing. Nothing, that is, except peace of mind. My sister’s husband was a tenant farmer, barely eking out a living in a remote area in Kentucky. Anna not only lost her husband when Max Richards killed Walt, she lost her home and income. Like Mrs. Richards, Anna’s an excellent seamstress. The shop will provide a living. She’ll be happy here.”
“Your concern for your sister is admirable. Still, I would think as her brother, you’d see her needs were met.”
“I would and I have, Judge, but...” Nate’s brow furrowed. If Shifty Stogsdill had his way, Nate wouldn’t survive. “I’m a bounty hunter. If I should meet an outlaw with a faster draw or better aim, I won’t be the one left standing.”
“A dangerous occupation. Have you considered another line of work?”
“No. Not until I find Shifty Stogsdill.”
“Why are you determined to find this one outlaw?”
“Stogsdill was part of the gang that murdered our parents.”
The audience stirred, shifting in their seats and murmuring.
Judge Rohlof scowled at the onlookers. The room quieted. “How long ago was that?” he said.
“Eleven years.”
“A long time. I assume you’re not even sure this man fired the shot. Why persist in this vendetta?”
“Stogsdill deserves to be brought to justice. He killed someone else in cold blood. An innocent young woman,” Nate ground out.
“Who was she?”
Nate shifted in his seat. “I don’t see what that has to do with this hearing.”
“I find I’m curious and, frankly, Mr. Sergeant, I’m in a position to satisfy that curiosity. Now answer my question.”
“Her name was Rachel Reyer.”
“Who was she to you?”
“My fiancée.”
Across from him, Carly gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, tears filling her eyes.
If only Carly hadn’t found out about Rachel this way. She would believe he still loved Rachel. Rachel would always have a special place in his heart, but, like an old tintype, memories of her had faded, his love for her fading with them.
Still he owed her. How naive he’d been to believe he could settle down and live a normal life. He’d make amends for that foolishness by seeing her killer pay for ending her life at the age of twenty.
“I’m sorry about your loss, Mr. Sergeant, but I urge you to remember a man is innocent in this great country of ours until proven guilty in a court of law. No bounty hunter or sheriff has the right to mete out justice.” He cocked his head. “Perhaps you could take a lesson from your sister and find a way to forgive your enemy.”
Anger welled up inside Nate. “Forgiveness has nothing to do with this. As long as evil roams free, no one is safe.”
“Which means you won’t remain in town and these women will. They seem harmonious, might even find a way to settle this amicably. I can’t help wondering if you’re standing in the way of that solution. Yet you appear to have concern for Mrs. Richards’s well-being.”
Nate rubbed the back of his neck. “From what I’ve seen, the shop won’t support them all. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about Mrs. Richards’s future. Any man with a thread of decency would rue killing a woman’s husband and a son’s father, even in self-defense.”
“Then perhaps that decency you possess could find a way to settle this between the three of you.”
Nate met and held the judge’s pointed gaze.
Judge Rohlof gave a curt nod. “I have no more questions. You may take your seat, Mr. Sergeant,” he said. He picked up the deed. “I will examine Indiana statutes and my law books. Unless the parties in this dispute come to an agreement first, I will give my ruling tomorrow afternoon at one o’clock. I expect all three of you witnesses to be in attendance.”
Nate bit back a protest. The judge seemed determined to keep him in town. Silly, when he had nothing new to add.
Still, even if he left Saturday after the ruling, he should have plenty of time to ride to Louisville before Stogsdill could arrive.
As Nate strode to Anna, he avoided Carly’s gaze. He’d just told the judge his concern for Carly was based on killing her husband when everyone in town knew she was better off without Richards.
What did it matter? Carly was strong and would find her way, a way far safer for her and her son than getting tangled up with him.
* * *
Wide blue eyes implored Nate, as if his very life depended on her answer. “Mama, can Nate come to supper?”
Carly looked pale, her eyes weary, not in the mood to cook, much less to invite company. Yet Nate yearned to spend time with them just once more before he went after Stogsdill.
“Henry,” Nate said. “I’m sure your ma’s too tired to cook.”
“Did the judge make her work?”
“No, but he asked hard questions, like the teacher does at school sometimes.”
Questions that opened wounds.
Questions that dug that chasm brought about by the shop’s ownership still deeper.
“Oh.” The gaze Henry turned on his mom softened with sympathy. “I’m sorry, Mama.”
Perhaps Nate knew a way to help them both. “I’d like to treat everyone to supper at Sarah’s Café.” Staring into Carly’s weary eyes, he added, “If you’ve a mind to go.”
“Please, Mama. Say yes. Please.”
Carly heaved a sigh. “All right,” she agreed reluctantly, probably too tired to fight her son.
Ridiculously happy, Nate turned to his sister. Anna looked droopier than a scarecrow missing its stuffing. “Do you need to rest first, sis?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not up to going. Remembering that day...” The pain in Anna’s voice ricocheted through him. “I’ll heat leftover soup and turn in early.” She tried for a bright smile. “You go ahead and have a good time.”
A closer look revealed Anna’s pallor. “If you’re not feeling well, I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“I’m wrung out, is all. A good night’s sleep and I’ll be fine as a well-tuned fiddle.” She tousled Henry’s hair. “I know someone who’s eager to go.”
“Me!” Eyes shining, Henry’s head bobbed up and down.
“In that case,” Nate said, “let’s not keep Henry waiting.”
His sister turned away, hobbling toward home, her limp more pronounced, evidence her pain was worse. “Carly, would you and Henry mind going ahead and getting a table? I’d like to see Anna home.”
“Of course.” She took Henry’s hand and they left the shop.
In a few strides, Nate caught up with Anna, wrapping an arm around her for support, then seeing her to the cabin, dodging ruts and uneven ground. Once he’d lit the stove and put the soup on to heat, Anna insisted he join Carly.
“If you’re sure you’re all right,” he said.
She gave him a playful push. “If you don’t hurry, Henry will surely burst.”
He gave Anna a kiss on the cheek, then loped to the café. As he stepped inside, all chatter ceased. Carly and Henry sat at a table in front of the window. He wound a path through the tables, aware every eye followed him. No doubt speculating on Carly’s reaction if she was his target.
