As Samantha chitchatted some more, a man walked up to stand next to Samantha. He was tall and muscular, with light brown hair. He put his arm around Samantha and she turned to him. “Got all the supplies for the ranch, though they said that next shipment of paint isn’t going to come in for a few more weeks. Are you about ready to go home?”

  “Seth, this is Lily,” she said, pointing at Lily.

  Seth’s smile seemed to widen when he looked towards her. “About time you arrived. Everyone is anxious to meet you,” he said, putting his hand for Lily to take.

  “It’s nice to finally meet you,” she said, as she grasped his firm hand. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

  Seth chuckled and pushed his short hair back. “I hope they were good things,” he said.

  Lily could see how Samantha gravitated to him; he was charming and rugged. And he seemed to really care about her in the way he was looking at her.

  Lily looked beyond them. “Is Colin in town?” she asked.

  Samantha and Seth looked at each other, as if communicating just silent understanding. Then Samantha turned to Lily, pulling Joseph closer to her chest. “He’s in a client meeting at the jail.”

  “Oh, then maybe I should make my way over there? Perhaps I can be of some use…” she said, as she tried to walk past the two.

  “No,” said Samantha, wedging herself in the way, stopping Lily in her tracks. “They only allow certain people in there. Besides, you’ve had a long day, why don’t you settle in for the night? And then tomorrow morning, you can start working.”

  Lily thought it was strange how Samantha was stopping her, but as she thought about how tired she was, she felt it was the best thing to do. It wouldn’t hurt to have a good night’s rest. Wasn’t it one of Colin’s pet peeves for people to come to him tired? “Well, I guess you’re right,” she said, looking down the street. “There looks like a hotel, so maybe I should stop in there…”

  Samantha put her hands up. “No, you are going to stay with us.”

  “I am?” Lily said.

  “She is?” Seth said at the exact same moment.

  “Of course,” Samantha said. “I wouldn’t think of having you stay in a hotel and waste money when we have a perfectly good room that you can sleep in at our house.”

  “But, honey,” Seth started to counter.

  “We have the extra room you and Tom built for Joseph that’s just going to waste since the baby is so small. She can use it while she looks for more permanent accommodations.” She turned to her husband, with a steely gaze. “You don’t want to have poor Lily, who has never been outside of Philadelphia before, be here in this strange town all by herself?”

  Seth looked beside himself. “Well, no.”

  “Then it’s settled! Don’t worry about your bag, Seth can handle it.”

  Lily reluctantly gave the suitcase to Seth, who looked bewildered and annoyed at the same time. As Samantha led the way to their wagon, Lily couldn’t help the feeling of uneasiness. She had a feeling that not everything was as she thought it was going to be.

  Chapter 12

  Colin looked at the case study once more. All the words were started to jumble together, confusing him more than ever. He looked at the clock on the wall. He’d been at it for the last six hours; maybe he should stop for the day. It was already getting late and he could hear his stomach rumbling.

  He had been in the process of what he called the discovery phase. He had been poring over evidence and interviewing people in town and it didn’t look good. He was sure when he took her case he would be able to win it. But now doubt plagued him at every turn. Most of the town wanted to see her strung up by the neck. They pinpointed her as the reason husbands strayed, petty theft occurred and even as far as to pin cattle rustling on her. He had never felt so unsure of what direction he should go.

  If Lily was here, you wouldn’t be so lost, his inner voice chided him. Back in Philadelphia, they had worked on plenty of cases together and when he would hit a dead end, she was there to give a unique perspective. They worked well as a team. The more he thought about her, the bigger the ache in his chest. He missed her terribly. He was such a fool when he left her in the first place.

  Why didn’t he ask then for her to come with him? But he had been so scared about what she would say. It would have been devastating to be rejected by her. And if she had said yes, there was always the fear of what everyone else would say. Their age difference was just so large, he didn’t think he could get past it. He had known her when she was so young; would anyone really see that he had grown to love her more than a simple employee?

  His heart leapt when found out Lily was due to arrive that afternoon after dinner. But when no train appeared, and Samantha confessed she didn’t received a reply from Lily, he was crestfallen.

  He tried not to think about the silence that followed the days after the telegram. Why hadn’t she at least replied? Was she still mad at him? He couldn’t help but think back to the last time they were together. He had been so shortsighted, thinking that she wouldn’t be angry with him leaving. He had convinced himself it was for the best, but the look in her eyes told him different.

  He sighed, as he reached for his hat and coat. He looked out the window and saw that the sun was setting and the stream of people walking around was starting to thin out. He looked toward the clock again. The hotel dining room would just be opening for the dinner crowd. Maybe a juicy steak was exactly what he needed to pull him out of his somber mood.

  He left his office and made his way down the street to the hotel restaurant. When he entered the lobby of the hotel, he saw Old Man Higgins sitting at the front desk. He looked up from his notebook and nodded to Colin. Colin waved and walked into the dining room at the side of the hotel lobby. It was a bit empty for a Friday night.

  Since the scandal broke about Clover operating a brothel right under the owner’s nose, most townspeople steered clear of the place. Now the only customers were people from out of town, who hadn’t heard the news yet. Colin had suspected it didn’t take long for a newcomer to find out from the locals about what had happened to the hotel.

  He felt sorry for Higgins and made sure to take as many dinners there as he could. He found a table in the back and sat down. Before he could take off his hat, a girl had come up to him. “Hello, what can I get for you?” she said, with a high-pitched voice.

  Colin looked up at the girl and smiled. “Mary, how lovely to see you.”

  “Oh Mr. Sullivan! I didn’t notice it was you,” she smiled. “Steak dinner?”

  “And coffee.”

  Mary Fields was one of the hotel workers here; she had a bubbly personality but was at times clumsy. Colin couldn’t count how many plates and cups he had seen Mary drop during every dinner service he’d attended.

  “It’s not very busy tonight,” Colin said, gesturing around the room.

  Mary sighed. “The business isn’t what it used to be. I’m fairly certain it’s because of the trial coming up. People still think that Higgins was the one that was running the business.”

  Colin shook his head. “That’s absurd. He wasn’t entangled in any of the financials.” And Colin knew because combing through Higgins’ bank statements was one of the first things he did.

  “We both know this. But word travels fast around here. And you know how people don’t really want to know the truth. They just want to believe what they want to believe.” Mary shrugged her shoulders. “I am looking forward to going back to Georgia. I promised Mr. Higgins I’d wait until a new girl is hired, but no one wants to work here.” She let out a heavy sigh. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about that anymore,” she said, with another sigh. “I think we still have some soup in the kitchen from lunch. I’ll bring that out for you and get your coffee.” she said, walking away from the table. As she disappeared in the kitchen, Colin heard a chair creak next to him. He turned and saw Sheriff John Henderson had sat at the table next to him.

  “John,” he said, pushing himself away from the table and turning to him. “Nice to see you here.”

  “I’ve been meaning to have a chat with you,” he said, leaning back into his chair. John was a very big and intimidating guy. Most people seemed to be afraid of him, but Colin didn’t like to be pushed around. “I heard you are defending Clover at the sentencing.”

  “I think you mean trial, since she hasn’t been sentenced yet.”

  “I don’t know why you are wasting your time, she’s obviously guilty,” John said, with a hint of malice in his voice.

  Colin tried not to take the tone personally. He knew the Sheriff was still smarting from what his sister had done. His sister Beatrice had been the ring leader in the prostitution ring, among other crimes. She skipped town, leaving Clover holding the bag, so to speak.

  John’s pride took a hit as it was all under his nose and Colin knew he took it to heart. The town had all but condemned Higgins as the man in charge, but surprisingly, the Sheriff had been fairly untouchable. It showed how much the town loved him.

  “Everyone deserves their day in court. Innocent until proven guilty. And I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to be talking about this,” Colin said, as he reached for a napkin to set on his thigh. “I’m actually trying to enjoy a nice dinner and don’t really want to talk about the case,” he started to say, before another person walked up to the table.

  “Is my husband bothering you?” Misty Henderson said, putting her hand on her husband’s shoulder.

  “No, we were just having a nice chat,” said Colin, as he looked at John to see his reaction. John’s face remained impassive.

  Misty looked between the two men and rolled her eyes. “Well, since you are here Mr. Sullivan, I wanted to let you know I’m going to stop by the office tomorrow, to give my interview.”

  John looked startled, as if this was the first he had heard of this. “You are what?” he asked, eyeing his wife.

  Misty put her hand on her hip. “Colin had asked me to come by for an interview for the case. Mary and I are going to go together.”

  “I don’t want you two involved,” he said through bared teeth.

  “And you know that I am already involved,” she said, raising her eyebrows. She turned back towards Colin. “My sister and I will be in around one? Higgins is giving her a longer break, so she can come in.”

  “Don’t ignore me,” John said with a grumble. “You have to obey me.”

  There was a charge in the air after that statement that made Colin want to get under the table. While he wasn’t afraid of John, he sure was afraid of Misty. “If you wanted a wife who obeyed you, you wouldn’t have married me,” she said, her eyes digging holes into John’s head. She turned back to Colin. “I’m sorry we can’t chat more. Enjoy your dinner, Mr. Sullivan. We should be heading back to the ranch, John,” she said poking him in the shoulder.

  She moved back for John to get up from the seat. “Could you tell my sister we are leaving? I’ll be sure to see you tomorrow in your office,” she said with a wave, as John followed her out of the restaurant.

  Colin could hear them bickering as they left; he had always wondered how those two survived in their marriage. Samantha had said before that she would get uncomfortable watching them fight because they gave enough energy to light a coal stove. All those sparks made him chuckle.

  As Lily sat at the dinner table between Elizabeth and Samantha, she couldn’t help but feel at home. She looked at both women as they animatedly talked about their day. When Lily came to the ranch, after the wagon ride, Elizabeth was waiting outside rocking on the porch with her toddler Maddie. Elizabeth was a school teacher in town and was married to Tom Barrett, Seth’s business partner and Seth’s childhood friend. Although she knew nothing of Elizabeth, Elizabeth seemed to know a bit about her.

  “You look just like your picture,” she said, as she helped Lily put linen on the bed she was to use.

  “My picture?” Lily questioned, setting a few pillows down at the head of the bed.

  “Yes, there is a picture of you in Colin’s office. He keeps it on his desk.”

  She was struck by the words; she had not taken a picture of herself recently and most certainly had never given a picture to Colin to keep. She wondered what it meant. She knew that she was here because he needed her help, not because he missed her in any capacity. She just hoped that he missed her just a fraction of how much she missed him.

  “Lily, I hear you’re going to be a key witness in the Clover Kelly trial,” said Tom, as he reached over for a bread loaf, tearing a hunk off the end. She noticed he got a sideways glance from Samantha, which he seemed to brush off with a smirk. Elizabeth had put both Maddie and Joseph to bed, so it was only the adults at the dinner table. Lily hadn’t had a meal without an abundance of children in a while and was grateful for the adult conversations.

  “I wouldn’t say I am going to be a witness. I’m just here to offer my expertise to the case.”

  “Yes, she’s going to be a woman’s advocate,” interjected Samantha. Lily cocked her head at the response. It was so specific; Colin had said the exact same thing in his telegram and she knew she hadn’t mentioned it to Samantha. Something about what Samantha had said didn’t sit right with her.

  “Well, whatever you can do to help. The whole town is buzzing with anticipation for what is to come,” said Tom.

  Elizabeth huffed. “I don’t know why the town is so interested. You’d think that she murdered someone, with the way they are treating her. She just got caught up in the wrong mess of people.”

  “Honey, you just tend to see the good in people; Clover Kelly is a tart. She’s a ruthless, selfish woman. She had no one to blame but herself for getting into this mess.”

  “She was just doing what she thought she had to do. We’ve all done things that we regret when we are desperate,” she said, giving a knowing look to Samantha.

  “I still don’t think she was forced to do it. That woman loves the power that came with being a Madame,” answered Tom, as he started to twirl his fork. “She was always hanging around Seth like he was next on his list.”

  “Tom,” Elizabeth warned.

  Seth seemed to become visibly uncomfortable with Tom’s words, as he straightened his back and scooped up some food to place in his mouth. Samantha’s eyes got sharp as steel and she sent daggers to Tom, who didn’t seem notice. “Remember when she used to somehow run into you all the time when you would go into town for supplies? She really wanted you.”

  “Thomas.”

  “Now that I look back on it, I wonder if she thought because you were with Hannah Rose you would pay.” Seth loudly cleared his throat.

  “Thomas Barrett.”

  Tom looked at his wife. “I apologize, Samantha. That was before you.”

  “I heard Misty and Mary are going in tomorrow to talk to Colin and give statements about what happened that night with Beatrice,” said Samantha, trying to change the subject.

  “Yeah, the Sheriff came by this afternoon before we went into town to let us know,” answered Tom, as he looked at Seth across the table. “Seth wasn’t too happy about it.”

  “Why would that be?” Lily interjected. She hadn’t heard much about the trial other than the basic facts. She hadn’t wanted to know much for fear that it would hinder her help to Colin. She wanted to remain as neutral as possible. But she wasn’t aware of how involved these people were in it, and she wanted to be prepared as best as she could.

  “John isn’t too happy about Misty and Mary giving statements to Colin. He says he doesn’t think it’s safe for them to speak, but I honestly think it’s because they haven’t found his sister yet. He just wants Clover to take the blame and for them to be done with it.”

  “I just don’t think that’s right,” added Elizabeth.

  “I happen to agree with the Sheriff though. I don’t think we should get involved in something that obviously shouldn’t involve us.”

  “I was the one that was kidnapped because of this ordeal, so I think I should have a say in how involved I am going to get,” said Samantha. Lily’s eyes bulged in their sockets. Kidnapping? Then Lily definitely didn’t know what she was getting into.

  “Why do we need to get more involved? They already have all the evidence they need to put those responsible away. Why should we fight it anymore?”

  “Because Clover isn’t the one who kidnapped me,” Samantha said, setting her hand down on the table. “Yes, she may have made a few terrible choices, but who hasn’t? Do I think she should take responsibility for her actions? Absolutely. But I don’t think that she should be drawn up the nearest tree because of something that was outside of her control.”

  Lily gasped. They hanged women? She never thought about what happens after sentencing. She just imagined that all women criminals were in a prison somewhere knitting.

  “Samantha,” Seth started to say.

  “I think I’m finished for the night,” said Samantha, as she got her plate and placed it in the sink. Elizabeth got up to follow her, as Seth looked down at his plate with a downcast expression.

  “Dinners are always so interesting at the Jenkins’” Tom said to Lily, giving her a wink. But all Lily could think about was what exactly had she gotten herself into?

  Chapter 13

  One of the advantages to living on top of your office was being able to walk downstairs and already be at work. It had only been a few days since Colin had moved into the upstairs apartment, and he was already quite pleased with the arrangement. When he lived in Philadelphia, his apartment was almost clear across town and it took 30 minutes door-to-door on a good day. And there were countless times he would wake in the dead of night with an idea for the case he was currently working on, only to realize he had left all his paperwork on his work desk.

 

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