Jim and Dan sat together after dinner on the porch.
“I tried to tell you,” Jim said. “I left messages for you because I wanted to tell you before you found out from Trixie.”
“I figured that out eventually,” Dan chuckled. Then he sighed. “I told her last night.”
Jim nodded slowly. “You’ve never admitted to loving a woman.”
“I know,” Dan said. “Feels kind of odd.”
The brothers exchanged a glance and laughed, the tension easing.
“What do you think of Father’s plan?” Jim asked.
“Building a cottage on the lake? I think it’s a great idea. You’d still be right on the property to run things.”
“And you certainly can’t ask Trixie to live behind the jail,” Jim pointed out. It was the way they were, being positive for each other. While both had struggled with this ongoing competition, they both worked hard to make sure their own relationship didn’t suffer.
Win had told them at dinner that evening that he was having plans drawn up for a small cottage to be built on the lake. He expected that once harvest was over, Mart was out of jail, and after a winter of courtship, there would be a wedding in the spring for one of his sons. Which meant he would be expecting grandchildren not long after.
“How’s Mart?” Jim asked.
“Holding up,” Dan answered. “I asked Mother to pack up some food for him. Between her and Mrs. Belden, he’s the best fed prisoner in the history of jail time.”
Jim chuckled. “He should be pleased. Trixie goes on about how he never stops eating.”
“He really doesn’t,” Dan laughed.
“I’m glad she’s not mad at you anymore,” Jim said.
Dan nodded. “You and me both. It just twists my gut up when she is.”
“I know the feeling,” Jim sighed. “The things we do for women.”
Dan laughed.
***
Hallie Belden was leaving Mr. Lytell’s Mercantile when a tall, elegant figure almost bumped her into.
“Watch your-” she paused as she studied the good looking blond man in front of her.
“Forgive me, miss, I was blinded by your beauty and almost ran you down in the process of entering this fine establishment.” His voice was smooth, and eloquent.
Hallie sized him up quickly, and gave him a coy smile. She recognized him from the auction.
“Mr. Riker,” she purred. “You really should be more careful, I could have been hurt.” She turned her big dark eyes up at him and he smiled charmingly.
“I see my reputation proceeds me then. I’m not at all sure that’s a good thing.”
Hallie laughed. “I’m Hallie Belden. My cousin is friends with your cousin Madeleine.”
“Ah yes, so you’re the fair Miss Belden I hear so much about,” Ben bowed to her. “Quite popular with two beaus.”
“No,” Hallie said quickly, “that’s my cousin, Beatrix.”
“Then pray tell me how many beaus you have,” his eyes twinkled at her. “Surely more than two, with your loveliness.”
Hallie felt herself unusually hot, and realized to her horror she was blushing. “None,” she murmured. Regan didn’t count. He was formally courting Julianna, much to Hallie’s displeasure.
“What a pity yet I feel my luck beginning to turn,” he murmured. “May I escort you somewhere?”
Hallie felt her heart thump a bit faster as she looked up into his blue eyes. Maybe she could have some fun in this town after all.
***
Dan sighed in frustration. So far the case against Mart was almost textbook perfect. There had been dozens of interviews with people who saw Mart saw threaten him outside Lytell’s. Mart knife was found in the victim. To Mart’s defense, there were plenty of testimonies that the Belden boy was a good kid. Stodge had deserved it, whoever did it.
The majority of the town citizens that knew Mart were in agreement Mart likely didn’t kill the man, even though evidence said otherwise. Newer people to the town weren’t involved or didn’t care. Stodge’s friends laughed it off. Let the boy hang, they figured.
Trixie, Brian and Dan had both been through the murder scene. It was hard to read any sort of footprints. There were three or four directions the suspect could have approached Stodge and there was no sign of a struggle. In fact, Stodge had been relieving himself outside Flanagan’s when he was stabbed.
Which led to Dan indicated premeditated murder. Someone watched Stodge, followed him, waited till his guard was down. Mart wasn’t a small man, he was a bit taller than Stodge and of a strong, sturdy farmers build. He could hold his own in a fight. Which made Dan think the real murderer was smaller, less sure of himself in a fight. Strong enough to slam that knife into Stodge’s back, and knowing where to put it.
Which still left Dan with no viable suspects.
***
Dan was tying Spartan to the post when the two women walked by, their long, expensive skirts rustling.
"That foul tobacco," one spoke in the haughty tone he had heard some of his mother's friends use. "Can you believe that odious little man had the nerve to spit in front of us-right outside the general store?"
"Oh and the way the stench lingered, like tar!"
Dan looked after them curiously. Why did that sound familiar? A thought floated through his mind but he couldn't quite grab it. They had just left the general store, he thought, and he walked over that way.
Near the door sat a glob of wet, freshly spit tobacco. Dan grimaced as he knelt down and scooped it into his blue bandanna. It was foul smelling all right, distinctive and very familiar. Carefully wrapping it in the bandanna, he headed into the store.
Inside, he was able to sweet talk the counter lady into a bit of paper, and quickly wrapped the tobacco and bandanna in it. He couldn't put his finger on why this was important to his investigation, but Dan trusted his instinct would come through as always.
***
Trixie hurried towards the Marshal's station and jail. Mart was laying on his back in his cell, one arm over his eyes. His even breathing let Trixie know he was asleep.
"Dan?" she called softly. Walking towards the semi-open door that she knew was his quarters, she poked her head around without thinking to knock.
"Dan, are you-" she froze when she realized he had his back to her, and no pants on, just his long johns.
Dan turned, startled and she backed away, pulling the door shut and leaned against it. Dan grabbed his other pair of breeches, swearing loudly and tried to pull them on. In his haste, he lost his balance and toppled onto the bed, swearing some more.
"Trixie, what are you doing?" Mart asked, sitting up. Dan's loud curses and noise had woken him.
"I-um,-oh dear," she murmured. The door was jerked open and she almost fell backwards but Dan caught her.
"What are you doing?" he demanded crossly.
"Well, I was coming to talk to you-what's that smell?" Trixie recoiled from his hold
"The reason I was changing my pants when you barged in," Dan snapped. “Tobacco!”
Mart's eyes bugged out of his head.
"She did what?" Jim demanded from the doorway.
Dan groaned as Trixie covered her very red face.
"I found what I think may be a clue, and it leaked in my pocket," he said, exasperated. "Trixie happened to not knock before she came waltzing in. What are you doing here?"
Mart snickered but Jim wasn't laughing.
"Brought my little brother some lunch," Jim smirked. "Mother insisted I bring it to you and Mart."
Trixie was praying the red would leave her face but it didn't.
"Good, I'm starved. Tell her thank you and uh, would you mind taking these to her to be washed?" Dan held out a paper bag that Trixie recoiled from.
Jim made a face but agreed.
"There's something familiar about that smell," Trixie said thoughtfully.
"Which is why I thought it might be a clue. I know it's tied to this mess of Mart's," Dan and Mart were digging through the hamper, pulling out thick chicken sandwiches and gravy.
"It reminds me of..." Trixie voice trailed off then her eyes widened. "Oh no!"
"What?" Dan demanded through his sandwich so it came out as "Whaa?"
Jim looked at her expectantly, having just bit into a piece of fresh bread.
"I'd swear-remember when Jones held me hostage?" she asked.
All three men nodded, eyes narrowing.
"I'd swear that's the same foul stuff he was chewing," Trixie said.
Dan and Jim exchanged a glance.
"That could be it," Dan said.
"But Jones hasn't been around here for months," Trixie frowned.
Dan shook his head. "He hasn't been seen for months, Trix. He could be anywhere."
"But why would he frame me?" Mart finally asked. "He doesn't know me."
"But he knows Trixie," Dan answered. "Who's a tie between me and Jim, if he doesn't know we're brothers."
The four just stared at each other.
"He's using Mart to get to me because I ruined his plan," Trixie said softly, looking down at her hands.
"And by using you, he gets to us, particularly the Marshal who broke up his cattle thieving ring," Jim said.
Dan nodded. "The question still remains how the knife got to him in the first place. There's so much activity on your farm he'd never get unseen into the house. Which means the knife had to leave the house."
"And your theory?" Jim asked.
"Bobby," Mart sighed. "He swears up and down he didn't take it to play with, but who else would have? The whole family knew where I kept it, and I could have sworn I had put it out of Bobby's reach for that very reason."
The four fell into silence. How had Jones gotten the knife?
Dan suddenly stood up and started rifling through papers. Finding what he needed, his dark eyes scanned the page.
"Find something?" Jim asked.
"Several of the witnesses that saw the body say there had been a man hanging around the saloon the last few days. They figured he was a tramp, his clothes shabby, torn and the like. Of course there was no sign of him by the time I got there, but both witnesses said he didn't stand up straight, seemed kind of hunched over."
"Like this?" Trixie stood to mimic the stoop shouldered Jones.
Dan nodded and threw the papers down in disgust. "I can't believe I overlooked that."
"Hey," Jim said quietly. "Don't beat yourself over this. You were worried about Mart. Plus he’s been gone for a long time."
Dan ran his hands through his thick hair.
"There was really no way to track this guy down either. The town is growing so fast there are dozens of strangers through it every day."
Trixie stood and placed her hand on Dan's arm.
"Dan, please don't blame yourself. None of us had any way of knowing Jones was hanging around,” she said softly.
Dan looked into her blue eyes and felt his ire soothe almost instantly.
***
After Brian examined the written report on the corpse, he agreed with Dan’s assessment.
“Definitely someone smaller,” he nodded. “But strong shoulders. It takes a lot of strength plow that knife in as deep as it says.”
“Thanks,” Dan answered. “I’d have preferred if you could have seen the body but we had to bury it before it started decomposing.”
Brian nodded in understanding. “Glad to help. Anything to help free my brother.”
Neither commented on the fact Mart had a fair bit of upper body strength, and while he wasn’t the tallest of the men in his family, it made it slightly improbably it was him.
***
"We don't have much of a case," Dan ran his hand through his hair. "A knife that no one will own up to taking, a dozen witnesses that saw Mart threaten Stodge, and his knife at the scene."
"The key is to figure out how Jones got that knife," Jim bit into an apple. His brother was pacing the room at the Frayne estate. Dan had come for supper and was now in the study with his father and brother.
"You're sure little Bobby didn't take it?" Win asked gently.
Dan nodded. "I really do believe him. Even Trixie does. She says he's never let something go this long, he always 'fesses up."
"Then that leaves the theory that Jones got into the house," Win said thoughtfully. Both sons shuddered.
"The thought of him anywhere near Trix-" Dan paused, and glanced at Jim who nodded.
"Me too," he said softly.
Win wondered when, and how, Trixie was going to choose between his two sons. Because either way, he was going to have a heartbroken young man on his hands.
***
Brian shared with his family the latest details of Mart’s case. They ate supper quietly, noting their missing family member. Hallie was quieter than ever, picking at her food and looking thoughtful.
“It doesn’t look good,” he said grimly. “Not only to we need to find Jones, we need to find out how he got into this house. Dan doesn’t have the manpower to set guards out here so Jim is apparently planning to send some of his cowboys to search the woods.”
Helen and Peter exchanged a glance. “Is that really necessary?” Helen asked.
Brian shrugged as he loaded potatoes onto his plate. “Jim and Dan seem to think so. They’re concerned about the family’s safety, and don’t want any of us out alone, especially you women.”
Trixie snorted. “Typical men,” she muttered.
Brian gave her a stern look. “You’ll go along with this, Trixie. Jones is extremely dangerous and we already know he isn’t above kidnapping you or murdering some man on the street for revenge. There’s nothing to stop him from sticking a knife in you or Hallie or Ma, or even Bobby.”
Trixie looked down at her plate, ashamed. “You’re right,” she murmured.
But that wasn’t going to stop her from trying to find Jones. They had two days until the circuit judge arrived and Mart went to trial.
***
Hallie hurried up the steps to the Marshal’s office. Inside she found Dan at his desk, reading over papers, and Mart dozing in his cell.
“Hello, Hallie,” Dan greeted her cordially.
“Can I talk to you?” she asked in reply. He frowned.
“Hallie, I don’t have time for games. Mart’s trial will start-”
“I know,” she interrupted, “but it’s important.”
Dan studied the well dressed young woman, noting her uncharacteristic agitation. “Go on,” he finally said.
“Jones didn’t take the knife from the house,” she blurted out. “I did.”
“What?” Dan sat up straight. “You gave-”
“No, no,” she said quickly. “I took the knife to the river, to admire it one day. The day that panther attacked and Regan shot it. The panther scared me and I dropped it in the water. I only remembered it when you came and arrested Mart. I went to look for it but it was gone. Jones must have been there and seen me drop it, and taken it.”
“Which means he was in those woods and spying on your family, probably the Wheelers and Lynches and Fraynes as well,” he muttered, standing up. “Damn!”
“You let Bobby take the blame for the knife?” Mart asked.
Hallie spun around, unaware her cousin had woken.
“You let the family think our home had been violated by that man, when the whole time, it was you that took the knife? You let us all believe that my little brother was lying to us?”
Hallie cringed slightly as her cousin’s fury rose.
“Do you have any idea how you’ve hampered this investigation?” Dan demanded. “Hallie, you withheld evidence! I could charge you with a felony or two for that!”
Hallie swallowed. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I never meant for any of this. I was just curious about knife and Trixie and everyone ignores me most of the time-I just wanted to see it!”
“Why the hell didn’t you ask me?” Mart demanded. “The only reason I kept it put away was so Bobby wouldn’t be tempted to play with it! I would have gladly let you look at it!”
Hallie looked away, tears in her eyes. She didn’t really like Trixie, but Mart had always been nice to her.
“Soon as Hardy gets back, I’ll head out to your place,” Dan said to Mart. “The family needs to know and I want those woods searched. If Jones is still hiding in them, we’ll shake him out.”
“You’re going to tell the family?” Hallie asked faintly.
“Yes,” Dan snapped. “And I want to talk to Bobby and the Lynch boys. They’re all over those woods, they might have seen something helpful.”
“Can I help?” Hallie asked quietly.
“You’ve done enough,” Dan said coldly. “Go back to the farm and help Mrs. Belden with whatever she needs. And stay out of trouble!”
Hallie turned and fled, rushing down the steps and almost knocking someone down. A pair of strong hands caught her by the arms.
“Well now, Miss Belden, this time our collision is not my fault, but yours. However, if you’re in a rush to see me, I’m staying at the finest hotel-like establishment your town has to offer.”
Hallie stared up into the blue eyes of Benjamin Riker. He smiled at her, then his eyes narrowed slightly.
“Miss Belden, what on earth can possibly have you under so much distress?” he asked.
“Oh, I, it’s nothing. Nothing, sir.” She tried to pull away but he held her tighter. She noted he looked as elegant and dapper as he had the other day, today his suit was light gray, cut to emphasize the broad shoulders and trim frame, and made his eyes seem even bluer.
“It’s quite rude to not answer a direct question,” he said silkily.
“Riker!” Dan strode from the doorway. “Release her, now.”
Riker did so, holding his hands up in surrender. “Marshal, I was just concerned at the young lady’s visible anguish.”
“Miss Belden will be fine,” Dan said tautly. “As her cousin’s beau, I’ll be escorting her home this afternoon.”
“Of course, Marshal,” Riker stepped aside and tipped his hat to Hallie. “Miss Belden, I sincerely hope your day improves.”
Hallie gave him a weak smile.
Dan turned to her, his eyes steely. “Hallie, you listen good. Ben Riker is nothing but trouble, and the sort that could get you killed. You stay away from him, and especially don’t go involving him in your family’s business.”
“You’re not my father,” she said coolly. “And I won’t be bullied.”
“And you’ll be dead or worse if you don’t listen to me,” he snapped. “Get your horse, I’ll take you back to the farm.”
Sullenly, Hallie obeyed, but her thoughts remained on Ben Riker. Had she looked back at him, she might have seen the thoughtful look in his eyes that sent a cold shiver down her back.
Author Notes
- a huge yee-haa! to Julie, my ever patient and helpful editor! All mistakes are mine.
-Word count 3,191
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