Chapter 14 - The Deed With His Name on It
Josephine wanted to believe him.
That was the problem.
A month earlier she would have assumed everyone lied.
Now she wanted Harlan's explanation to be true so badly that she no longer trusted her own judgment.
The deed looked legitimate.
HARLAN CREEK.
Eight hundred acres.
Signed eleven months earlier.
Before Harlan had answered Gideon's marriage advertisement.
Before he claimed to have known Josephine existed.
Rebecca placed both hands on the table.
“Either Harlan secretly purchased this property from Gideon, or somebody created a deed using his name.”
Harlan examined the signature.
“Not mine.”
Josephine studied him.
“Can you prove that?”
Pain flashed through his eyes.
“Probably.”
“That wasn't an accusation.”
“I know.”
But it had sounded like one.
Harlan looked toward Rebecca.
“Where was it recorded?”
“County office in Redwater.”
“Witnesses?”
“Two.”
“Names?”
Rebecca read them.
“Peter Doyle and Martin Finch.”
Harlan frowned.
“I know Doyle.”
Josephine's stomach tightened.
“How?”
“He worked on one of Vale's freight crews.”
Of course.
Rebecca said, “Finch died last winter.”
“And Doyle?”
“Missing.”
Josephine laughed bitterly.
“Everyone important to this case disappears.”
Harlan placed the deed down.
“I'll find him.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
Josephine continued.
“We will find him.”
Harlan almost argued.
Then nodded.
Together.
The following morning they traveled to Redwater with Sheriff Mercer.
The county clerk who had recorded the deed remembered nothing unusual.
But his assistant did.
“A man brought it in around closing,” she said.
“Could you identify him?” Mercer asked.
“Maybe.”
“Was it Harlan?”
The woman studied him.
“No.”
Relief passed through Josephine.
“Certain?”
“He had blond hair.”
Harlan's hair was nearly black.
“Who?”
The assistant hesitated.
“He said his name was Bishop.”
Vale's foreman.
They finally had something concrete.
Vale had created a fraudulent deed in Harlan's name.
Why?
Josephine understood first.
“To separate us.”
Harlan looked at her.
“If I discovered this after we married…”
“You would think I targeted you for the property.”
“Exactly.”
Mercer whistled softly.
“He planned backups for his backups.”
Josephine felt cold admiration.
Silas Vale had built traps months ahead.
The trouble with manipulators was that they often understood human weakness extremely well.
Vale understood Josephine's deepest wound.
The fear that kindness always carried a hidden price.
By evening Mercer located Peter Doyle at a mining camp.
Doyle agreed to testify in exchange for immunity regarding several fraudulent documents.
The case began collapsing.
Vale's attorneys withdrew the forged marriage contract.
The fake deed bearing Harlan's name was invalidated.
Calvin Rusk confessed that Gideon and Vale paid him to notarize papers Josephine never signed.
Everything seemed to be moving toward victory.
Then Gideon Bell disappeared.
His hotel room was found empty.
Inside was a letter addressed to Josephine.
Daughter,
I did things I cannot defend.
I told myself it was for the family until the words stopped meaning anything.
Vale will destroy anyone who remains useful to him.
I have one document he cannot afford the court to see.
I am taking it where he cannot find it.
Do not look for me.
Josephine read the letter twice.
“What document?” Harlan asked.
“I don't know.”
Mercer searched the room.
Nothing.
Nora arrived with another piece of news.
“Vale left town.”
Rebecca frowned.
“When?”
“An hour ago.”
Josephine's pulse quickened.
“Following Father?”
“Probably.”
Harlan reached for his coat.
Josephine caught him.
“Wait.”
“What?”
She thought.
Gideon had spent years hiding money.
Hiding deeds.
Hiding letters.
Where would he take something valuable?
Then Josephine remembered the furniture shop.
Her mother's sewing room.
The locked desk Gideon never allowed anyone to touch.
“St. Louis.”
Harlan understood.
Josephine packed that night.
The train south left at dawn.
During the journey Harlan watched her quietly.
“What?” she finally asked.
“You could stay.”
“I know.”
“This may be dangerous.”
“I know.”
“You don't owe Gideon rescue.”
“I know that too.”
“Then why go?”
Josephine looked through the window.
“Because there's something I need to know.”
“What?”
“Whether helping someone means forgiving them.”
Harlan considered.
“No.”
Josephine looked at him.
“No?”
“You helped me find Samuel.”
“Yes.”
“You never asked me to forgive Merrick.”
“Different.”
“Not entirely.”
He reached for her hand.
“Mercy isn't pretending harm didn't happen.”
Josephine squeezed his fingers.
“You really do read too much.”
“Shakespeare.”
She smiled.
But when the train reached St. Louis, smoke was rising above the Bell Furniture Company.
Josephine ran.
The building was burning.
May you like
And somewhere inside, according to a screaming employee, Gideon Bell had never come out.
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