The Rightful Heir (9 page)

A half hour later the celebration was in full swing. The thin strains of music from a phonograph filled the room, and the tables and chairs had been arranged to allow for dancing.

Mary Lou watched as Jared spoke to Mr. Warren across the restaurant. Jasmine and Doc Willis were dancing in the center of the room. Jared looked up and caught her eye. She felt her face grow warm when he smiled at her.

The room was full of happy friends and relatives milling around and visiting with one another. One song ended on the phonograph and another began.

The sheriff blocked her view of Jared. He had shaved, like most of the men today, only he'd kept his heavy moustache. It never ceased to amaze Mary Lou how much stock people put in a special occasion. Why didn't they keep themselves looking their best all the time? She cast a glance at the sheriff's boots and almost laughed. His attention to detail had stopped before he'd polished the well-worn leather.

He rubbed his chin as if uncomfortable without the rough whiskers. “Miss Ellison, have you come up with any ideas on who our thief might be?”

“I am not convinced the thief is ours, Sheriff. It could have been someone who was here and is now gone. Or it could have been a coincidence of more than one thief. Perhaps a series of strangers who rode through town and took a memento with them. A keepsake of their time in Pine Haven.”

Jared's voice came from her right. “You can't really think that is the explanation.” She'd been so focused on the sheriff that she hadn't noticed Jared come to stand beside her. He carried two cups of punch and held one out for her to take.

“I don't.” Sheriff Collins looked at Jared. “Do you have any thoughts on who it might be?”

Jared looked at Mary Lou. “I have given the matter some thought.”

“Who do you think it is?” The sheriff's persistence was in keeping with his reputation. Many people felt he was comfortable letting others bring answers to him. More comfortable than finding those answers on his own.

Mary Lou spoke up. “We have no right to say a name based solely on suspicion and not on fact.” She twisted the cup of punch she held with both hands.

“So you do have a name.” The sheriff pressed again for Jared to answer.

“He doesn't have any proof.” Mary Lou tried to steer the conversation.

Sheriff Collins turned to her. “Why are you trying to protect a thief, Miss Ellison?”

Jared said, “I'm not willing to share my observations.”

“What have you observed, Mr. Ivy? You may be the publisher of the newspaper, but I'm the law in this town.”

“I am the publisher of the
Record
, Sheriff Collins,” Mary Lou insisted.

“I'm asking Mr. Ivy the questions now.”

“He doesn't know the people of Pine Haven like I do. He can't give you a valid opinion on this matter.”

“Not give a valid opinion?” Jared's eyes grew wide and one brow arched upward. “I believe my opinion to be plausible.”

She wouldn't listen to him. “No. You have no evidence. All you have are your suspicions.”

The sheriff continued to address Jared. “What suspicions?”

She wouldn't stand by and let Jared cast Andrew in a poor light. “Just because someone was in the vicinity of the missing items on the day they were taken doesn't make them guilty.”

“Mr. Ivy, I've been fair to you since you came to Pine Haven. Matter of fact, you wouldn't be working at the paper right now if it weren't for my good graces.” The sheriff narrowed his eyes at Jared.

“Hard work can give a boy the money he needs for things. He doesn't have to steal.” Mary Lou wanted to tear down Jared's case before the sheriff bought into it.

“What boy?” Sheriff Collins turned to her and she realized she'd said more than she meant.

“Any boy.”

The sheriff raised his voice a notch. “Miss Ellison, you were speaking of a particular person. I know you were.” People who were standing nearby stopped talking and turned toward them.

Jared put a protective arm around Mary Lou's shoulders. “Sheriff, if you'll allow me to suggest that we not interrupt the festivities, I'll be glad to drop by your office on my way back to the paper this afternoon.”

Sheriff Collins hooked his thumbs in his belt. He looked around as people stared and nodded. In a quieter tone he agreed, “I think that's a good idea.” Those around them turned their attention back to other things. The sheriff leaned in close to Mary Lou and Jared. “Mind you don't forget or I'll be looking for you before dark.” He walked toward the table of refreshments set up against the back wall of the restaurant.

Mary Lou thanked Jared. “I'm sorry he almost caused a scene.” Jared dropped his arm from her shoulders and she missed the warmth of it.

“So am I.”

“What will you tell him?”

Jared took a drink of his punch. “I wasn't going to tell him anything.” His gaze followed the sheriff as he spoke to her. “It will surprise me if he doesn't figure out who you were talking about before I get to his office.”

Mary Lou's heart sank. She played the conversation over in her mind. “I'm the one who gave him the clues.” She sighed and hung her head. “You didn't tell him anything.”

“Don't fret. If I'm right, the sheriff would eventually figure it out, anyway. If I'm wrong, the truth will come out in time.”

“What have I done? You warned me about making assumptions. I assumed you would tell the sheriff, and in trying to protect Andrew, I gave him away.”

* * *

Jared spoke to the sheriff and headed back to the office. Andrew was preparing the papers and ink for the printing and Mary Lou was at the desk. She looked up when he came in.

“How did it go with the sheriff?” She cut her eyes toward Andrew.

The sheriff had been called away to the saloon just after Jared arrived. They hadn't had time to talk about the thefts. Jared shook his head. “Nothing new for the paper tonight.” He hoped she understood his meaning.

Her shoulders slumped in obvious relief. “Oh, good.”

Andrew turned from the press. “What's happening with the sheriff?” He fumbled and dropped the stack of paper he held. Sheets floated across the room. He was retrieving them almost before they hit the floor.

Jared picked up the sheets that landed near his feet and handed them to Andrew. “Are you all right?”

“I'm fine. A little clumsy is all. Sorry.”

Mary Lou retrieved the papers that had slid under the desk. “No harm done.” She handed the pages to Andrew, who sorted them back into an orderly stack.

Was the boy nervous? He'd never been clumsy before today. The comment about the sheriff could have set him on edge. It was a consideration.

“As soon as I finish compositing this story, we'll be ready to print.” Mary Lou brushed her hands together and took her notes to the composing table.

The three of them worked together until the next edition was hanging to dry and the press was clean. Andrew's awkwardness continued throughout the evening. He dropped freshly printed papers and got ink on his trousers. By the time they finished, he seemed eager to be gone.

“How did your talk with Mr. Barlow go, Andrew?” Mary Lou took off her sleeve garters and put them away.

Andrew slid his arms into his coat. “He said I can go see Paco Morales on Monday afternoon.” A smile broke across his face. “If I get this job, I'll be set. No more sleeping in a loft. I'll have a bunk in a real bunkhouse.”

“I hope you get the job. Though I will miss you here.” Mary Lou patted Andrew on the shoulder as he went out the front door. “You're a hard worker. They'll be glad to have you on the Double Star.”

She closed the door behind him. “He's excited.”

“He sure was jittery.” Jared rolled his sleeves down and reached for his coat.

“It's his first real job opportunity. Don't you remember how it was to be his age? He's ready to take on the world, but he's had so many obstacles to overcome. This is a way he can build a future without being at the mercy of the good graces of others.”

Jared took a step toward the door. And her. “You seem to have done well for yourself. Are you hoping the same for Andrew?”

She clasped her hands together in front of her and lowered her gaze. “I know what it's like to be alone. I want Andrew to be settled. To have all the things in life he deserves.”

“Do you think anyone ever gets all they deserve in life?” He looked down on her upturned face. The glow of the lantern lit her soft features.

Sadness crossed her eyes. “No. I'm not sure anyone does. And it's sad. We should, you know? We should be able to get the things we work hard for. We should all be able to have happiness and true joy.”

“What is the source of your joy, Mary Lou?” He wanted to reach up and brush his knuckles across the line of her jaw, to take the sadness out of her expression.

“I find joy in the Lord.”

He wasn't surprised. Her faith had showed itself in her character in the weeks he'd known her. But he wanted to know more. She had layers of mystery yet was open at the same time. She made no pretense, but she was complicated. Jared asked, “And what makes you happy?”

She tilted her head to one side and thought before she answered. “I'd say it's the little things. A beautiful morning.” She pointed at the papers that hung around the perimeter of the office. “The smell of the ink drying on a freshly printed edition. A smile on the face of a young man who's worked hard and may now be branching out into what could very well be his lifework.”

Jared saw the hope for Andrew in her eyes. “I hope you aren't disappointed.”

Chapter Nine

A
gunshot woke Jared. Would he ever adjust to the sounds of living across the street from the saloon? He climbed out of bed to go look out the window, thinking he'd see a drunken cowboy hanging on to his horse as he rode into the night, firing his gun in the air. A scream drew his attention to the stairs. Another gunshot sounded. Both had come from the newspaper office. He grabbed his trousers and hopped on one leg as he pulled them on and made his way to the door.

“Mary Lou!” He stumbled in the darkness as he flew down the steps.

God help her! Don't let anyone harm her!

He caught his balance and burst into the office. Mary Lou stood trembling, her coat tied snug around her middle and a pistol in her hand. A lamp on the desk cast a circle of light on the floor and one of the biggest snakes he'd ever seen. Its tail writhed in the last throes of death.

“What in the world is going on here?” Jared didn't mean to shout but he couldn't believe his eyes.

“I came to get my notebook. I forgot it. This fellow—” she indicated the now-still snake with the barrel of her gun “—decided he'd come in from the cold and take up residence under my desk.”

Jared leaned against the doorway and put a hand over his chest, rubbing the soft fabric of his union suit. “So you decided to shoot off a gun underneath my rooms without so much as calling up the stairs to warn me?”

“I didn't have a lot of notice myself.”

“Why on earth did you have to scream? You scared several days off the end of my life. I know you did.”

“I missed him with the first shot. He was coming my way fast.”

“And you just happened to have a gun?”

“I carry a gun whenever I go out in the middle of the night. In case you haven't noticed, it's not always safe for a lady to be out on her own.”

“Well, not counting the screaming part, I can see you're well able to protect yourself in an emergency.” He pushed away from the jamb. “I'll get a broom and handle the cleanup here.”

Mary Lou took a step back. “You might want to put a shirt on over your...” She pointed at his union suit. In his haste to get down the stairs he hadn't bothered with a shirt.

She picked up her notebook and headed for the back door. “And throw him in the alley, not out the front.”

The door closed behind her.

How did she wake him from a dead sleep, scream like she was being murdered and then scold him for not being properly attired?

Exasperating. That's what she was.

Then he smiled. He didn't know another woman who wouldn't have screamed first and climbed onto the furniture to watch the poisonous snake slither off to hide. He went upstairs for a shirt and then got the broom. He was relieved he wouldn't be hunting a live snake in the morning.

It was a long time before he went back to sleep. He lay awake wondering what conversations between Mary Lou and Grump had been like. He rolled onto his side and punched his pillow into a better shape. He'd have to ask her to share some of her stories about Grump.

* * *

Mary Lou picked up her notebook and headed to the office on Monday morning. Approaching the back door, she noticed a place near the edge of the alley where the dirt had been disturbed. Jared had not only removed the snake, he'd buried it.

He kept surprising her. First when he came to town, then with his innate curiosity and knack for finding a story. His determination was impressive.

Mr. Ivy would have liked him. She knew Mr. Ivy loved him, but the man who buried a snake and dug for truth where she didn't even see a story was someone Mr. Ivy would respect and admire. She was glad to know Jared wouldn't have disappointed his grandfather.

The office was empty when she entered. Jared hadn't attended the church services the day before, nor had she seen him in the afternoon. It was unlike him not to be at the desk before she arrived.

Andrew knocked on the front door and she let him in.

He rubbed his hands together. “It's almost cold out there today.”

“I'm sure it won't last. These cold snaps come for a day or so and leave. We won't get much real cold weather before Thanksgiving Day. Maybe even December.” She started to take the papers down and stack them. “What time do you have to be at the Double Star Ranch?”

Andrew pulled the papers from the opposite side of the office. “I'll leave right after I get the papers delivered.”

Mary Lou brought her papers and added them to his stack. “You'll have to let me know when they want you to start.”

“They may not hire me. Mr. Barlow said Paco Morales is a good foreman, but he's picky about his hands, too.”

She put a hand on his shoulder. “Andrew, you're a fine young man. There's not a reason in the world for them to hesitate.”

“I hope you're right.” He went to pull down another row of hanging papers.

“You come by this evening and let me know. If I've already left the office, come to my house.” The front door opened and Jared entered. “I'm not sure I could rest for wondering if you don't.”

Jared reached for the papers nearest the front of the office. “What could keep you from resting, Mary Lou? I wasn't aware you slept at night. I thought you were more of a prowler.”

“Only when the need arises.” She felt the heat spill into her cheeks as she remembered standing in this very room with him in the middle of the night. “Andrew was telling me he has to leave for his interview at the Double Star as soon as he finishes helping us.”

“Why don't you go ahead now, Andrew? I can deliver to the places you usually go.” Jared pulled his pocket watch from his vest pocket and checked the time. “It might make a better impression on the foreman if you go in the morning instead of the afternoon. A lot of work gets done on a ranch before lunch.”

Andrew dropped the last of his papers onto the stack. “You mean it? I can go now?”

Mary Lou wanted to laugh at his childlike excitement, but she knew it could hurt Andrew's feelings. “That's a fine idea, Mr. Ivy.”

Andrew was pulling his coat on and opening the front door in one motion. “Thank you, sir! Thank you, Miss Ellison!” They watched him jump from the porch to land on both feet in the dirt and launch into a full run in the direction of the livery.

“Mr. Ivy, you made that young man very happy. Thank you for offering to do his work today.”

“Jared. You must remember to call me Jared.” He put the last of the papers on the stack. “And don't thank me. I may not have done him any favors. They may send him back without a job. I don't know how he'll take it if they do.”

Mary Lou pushed a pencil over her ear and tucked her notebook into her belt. “There's no reason for them to refuse him. He's a fine young man.” She straightened the stack of papers. “I just reminded him of that.” She stopped and asked, “Where were you?”

“When?” He didn't look at her but went to sit at the desk and make his usual morning list.

“Let's see. When?” She curled a hand at her chin and tapped her cheek with one finger. “Yesterday? Why weren't you in services at church? You have been there every Sunday since you arrived in Pine Haven.”

He didn't look up or answer. The list grew longer under his steady hand. One day she would get a look at the notes he made in that journal.

“Well?” She stepped directly opposite him and put her palms on the desk. She leaned in and cast a shadow over his work.

He put the pen down. “Well what?” He stood, and she was forced to stand straight to look at him.

“Where were you Sunday?”

“Oh, I had to speak to someone about a story I'm working on.” He put on his coat and slid the journal into the inside pocket.

“And this morning?”

He took a large stack of papers. “The same. It's like the saying about the early bird. Only, I was digging for worms. We can't wait on someone to bring them to us.”

“What story?” Mary Lou picked up some papers and followed him out the door.

“The sheriff wanted to talk to me about the thefts. It seems he figured out who you were talking about and was trying to see if it was possible for Andrew to be the thief.”

Mary Lou looked quickly around them. “Please don't say that where anyone could hear you. I don't want poor Andrew to be maligned in any way.”

“I'm sorry, but the sheriff has already spoken to several people about it. More things have gone missing. Miscellaneous items small enough to be pocketed without notice. Seems Andrew was in the general store the day the things were taken from the Crofts. And we already knew he'd been at the hotel.”

“But you were so kind to him just now. Do you honestly think he could have stolen those things?”

“I don't like to think that. But I'm determined to take an unbiased stand on this and all matters that may have to be written about in the paper. I can't afford to make up my mind one way or another until I have the facts.”

Disappointment weighed her down. “If only I hadn't said anything. No one would be considering him.”

“That's not true, Mary Lou. I was. And it wouldn't have taken the sheriff long to discover who had been seen when the things were stolen. It was bound to come out soon enough.”

“But what about the things? He couldn't sell them. No one here would buy them. I know Andrew hasn't been seen at the saloon, either, so don't even suggest it.” The harshness of her words was aimed at herself more than him. She hated that her conversation with the sheriff had led him to pursue investigating Andrew.

“You've no cause to be upset with me.” He tugged on the brim of his hat in dismissal. “I'll be back this afternoon to help you pull the stories we won't reprint from the plates on the press.”

He turned away from her and left. She'd have to let him know she wasn't upset with him. But, right now, she had to go see the sheriff. As soon as she dropped off the papers at the hotel and general store.

“Mr. Croft, I'm in a bit of a hurry today. Will you please divide the credit for these papers between Mr. Ivy and me? Just put them on our accounts.” She placed the papers on the counter.

“Will do.” He opened the store ledger.

“Mary Lou Ellison!” Liza Croft's voice rang out through the general store. Several ladies who were shopping turned to see what the commotion was about as the owner made her way through the barrels and displays to stand beside her husband.

“Good morning, Mrs. Croft.” Mary Lou didn't know what was coming, but it didn't bode well for anyone in her way when Liza Croft got something in her craw.

“It is not!” She pointed to the ledger her husband was writing in. “Why we've lost more than anyone else in town to this petty thief. And I hold you personally responsible.”

“Now, Liza.” Mr. Croft raised a hand in caution.

“Don't you ‘now Liza' me, Donald Croft. We've taken these newspapers—” she thumped the stack of freshly printed copies of the
Record
“—and spent our time and energy to sell them for the benefit of Miss Ellison, and she repays us by harboring a criminal in our midst.”

A small gasp came from near the fabric tables. It seemed Mrs. Croft had decided Andrew was guilty without the benefit of evidence or a trial.

Mary Lou kept her voice low. “Mrs. Croft, there is no proof that anyone associated with me has stolen anything.”

“You've no need to whisper. Everyone will know to be on pins and needles around Andrew Nobleson if I have anything to do with it.” Mrs. Croft sniffed the air as if that were the end of the subject.

“We all know you will.” Mr. Croft finished his notations and put his pencil down. “You always do.”

“Humph! You think what you will, Donald, but it's the good people of Pine Haven that I'm thinking of when I tell them to be on guard when that young man is around. No one will say I didn't warn them.” The bell on the front door rang and she twirled in a flurry of skirts and poor temper. She marched from behind the counter to help the arriving customer.

Mary Lou left the store and dropped onto a bench on the front walk.

How did her one slip to the sheriff have the town buzzing with ugly rumors about Andrew? All she'd ever done was try to help him. The same way Mr. Ivy had helped her.

If Jared hadn't put the thoughts out into the air, this never would have happened. It was a good thing Andrew was getting a job on the Double Star. It would keep him away from the gossip until the rumors died down.

She jerked her head up. “Or until the real thief is caught.” The pencil she kept tucked over one ear flew across the paper of her notebook. She would solve the crime and clear Andrew's name. She tapped her lip with the end of the pencil, trying to think of any other suspect or victim that wasn't on her growing list.

“Trying to come up with a story for the next edition so soon?” Jared stood on the street in front of her.

“What?” She closed the notebook and tucked it back into her belt. She wasn't prepared to share her growing list of suspects with him until she had time to carefully consider each one. She didn't want to cast suspicions on an innocent person by speaking too quickly. “Never you mind. What happened in there is all your fault.” The fact that Mrs. Croft had accused her of harboring a thief could destroy her. Not only could she lose the paper, she could lose her good name in Pine Haven.

He leaned back. “What is my fault?”

The door of the general store opened and two of the ladies who'd overheard Mrs. Croft's accusations came out. They looked from Mary Lou to Jared and turned to go in the opposite direction.

Jared took the two steps onto the porch in one motion. “Ladies, would you have a moment to answer a question or two?”

The younger of the two ladies sent a coy look to the older one and put a hand out to stop her. She gave Jared a slight nod.