Chapter 12 - The Sheriff Who Wouldn’t Look Away
They worked through the night.
Jonah rode to the schoolhouse and borrowed the small press.
Mercer obtained paper.
Clara copied selected pages from Daniel’s ledger.
They reproduced photographs as best they could by tracing names and dates.
The real evidence remained hidden.
At dawn Elias saddled Buck.
Clara stared.
“You’re taking him?”
“Fastest horse I own.”
“He hates you.”
“He respects me.”
Buck tried to bite his sleeve.
Clara raised an eyebrow.
“Deep respect.”
Samuel laughed.
It was a small sound, but everyone needed it.
The plan divided them again.
Clara and Jonah would bring the false package to Creed’s bank.
Mercer would observe from the hotel.
Harlan and Miguel had spread word among trusted ranchers.
Elias would ride north for the line shack and Daniel’s cylinder.
Samuel stayed with Mrs. Berry at the laundry.
This time three armed ranchers guarded the building.
Clara made them promise.
No one takes him anywhere.
No message.
No emergency.
No matter whose name is used.
Samuel rolled his eyes.
“I understand.”
Clara kissed his forehead.
“I know.”
“You say things twice when you’re scared.”
She smiled sadly.
“Then understand twice.”
At eleven forty-five, Clara entered Mill Creek carrying a satchel.
Jonah walked ten paces behind.
The bank stood on Main Street.
Silas Creed waited inside.
Clara had never met him.
He was older than expected.
Seventy perhaps.
Thin white hair.
Carefully trimmed beard.
He looked like a grandfather who should have been sitting near a Christmas fire.
Instead, he had helped destroy dozens of families.
“Mrs. Voss.”
“Mr. Creed.”
“Your husband caused considerable trouble.”
“My husband is dead.”
“Yes.”
Clara felt rage rise.
She forced it down.
“Where’s Martha?”
“Safe.”
“I want to see her.”
Creed nodded toward the rear door.
Two men brought Martha into the lobby.
Her hands were tied.
A bruise darkened one cheek.
Jonah moved.
Clara stopped him.
Martha gave the smallest shake of her head.
Creed extended his hand.
“The material.”
“Martha first.”
“You have developed Elias Ror’s bargaining habits.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Creed sighed.
“Young people always imagine courage changes arithmetic.”
“What arithmetic?”
“Power.”
He gestured toward the bank.
“This building. Three freight companies. The county judge. The sheriff.”
“Pike ran.”
For the first time Creed’s face twitched.
Clara saw it.
“You didn’t know?”
“He has duties elsewhere.”
“He ran.”
Creed stepped closer.
“Give me the satchel.”
“Release Martha.”
He nodded.
Martha was pushed forward.
Jonah grabbed her.
At the same moment, Clara handed Creed the bag.
He opened it.
Ledger.
Photographs.
Copies convincing enough at first glance.
His shoulders relaxed.
“Now leave.”
Clara did.
Too easily.
That frightened her.
Outside, Mercer appeared.
“Move.”
They hurried toward the alley.
Then bells rang.
Bank alarm.
Creed had discovered the deception faster than expected.
Men poured from side doors.
Clara ran.
Gunfire struck the dirt near her feet.
Mercer returned fire above their heads.
Not trying to kill.
Trying to slow.
Jonah helped Martha onto a wagon.
They escaped west.
Meanwhile Elias reached North Ridge.
The line shack was half collapsed.
Snow covered the roof.
He entered.
Memories assaulted him.
Thomas laughing.
Thomas teaching him how to hold a rifle.
Thomas stealing the last biscuit.
Thomas calling him Eli, a name nobody else had used.
Elias found the granite outcrop.
Behind it was an old ammunition box.
Rust had eaten the latch.
He broke it.
Inside lay Thomas’s notebook.
Wrapped beside it was a wax cylinder.
Daniel had found the hiding place.
Elias sat in the snow.
For several minutes he could not touch Thomas’s notebook.
Then he opened it.
The final page was addressed to him.
Eli—
If you find this, I either grew brave enough to tell you or stupid enough to get myself killed.
Elias laughed despite tears.
Thomas wrote that Creed and Ward had learned the future railway route through corrupt officials.
They were forcing families off parcels before public announcement.
Thomas had recorded one meeting using a traveling salesman’s demonstration phonograph.
He feared the cylinder would break.
So he hid it.
Years later, Daniel must have recovered it and returned it to the same place.
Elias packed everything.
Then he heard horses.
Three riders.
Ward’s men.
They had followed him.
He climbed the ridge.
Gunshots cracked.
Elias used rocks for cover.
He knew the land better.
That saved him.
He doubled back through a narrow gulch.
Buck, for all his bad temper, proved exactly as fast as Elias claimed.
They escaped toward Mill Creek.
But when Elias arrived near town, he saw something unexpected.
Sheriff Pike stood in the road.
Alone.
Elias slowed.
Pike raised both hands.
“Need to talk.”
“Usually you bring more men.”
“Usually.”
Elias’s hand remained near his revolver.
“What?”
Pike looked exhausted.
“Ward’s going to kill Creed.”
Elias frowned.
“Why tell me?”
“Because he’s cleaning everything.”
“Victor?”
“Probably dead.”
“Martha?”
“Escaped.”
Pike nodded.
“I heard.”
“You running?”
“I tried.”
“And?”
“My wife.”
Elias had never heard Pike mention family.
“She lives in Casper,” Pike said. “Ward sent men.”
“You expect sympathy?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Pike took off his badge.
“I spent thirteen years looking away.”
Elias’s eyes narrowed.
Pike laughed bitterly.
“Funny thing. You look away long enough, eventually there’s nowhere left to look.”
“What do you want?”
“To testify.”
Elias stared.
“Against Ward.”
“Why now?”
“Because he told me to kill a child.”
Cold spread through Elias.
“Samuel?”
“Yes.”
His hand moved toward the gun.
Pike raised his palms.
“I didn’t.”
“You kidnapped him.”
“To force Clara out.”
“You put him in a cell.”
“Yes.”
Elias stepped closer.
“You expect that to make me feel better?”
“No.”
“Then choose your next words carefully.”
Pike swallowed.
“Ward ordered me to make Samuel disappear after.”
Elias went very still.
“I refused.”
“Why?”
Pike looked down at his badge.
“Because somewhere between taking money and burning files, I kept telling myself there was a line.”
He laughed without humor.
“Turns out I only found it after becoming everything Thomas said I was.”
Elias’s jaw tightened.
“Don’t say his name.”
Pike nodded.
“Fair.”
He removed an envelope.
“Bank records. Payments from Ward.”
Elias took it.
“Why give me this?”
“Because Creed keeps originals in the bank vault.”
“Clara just went there.”
Pike’s face changed.
“What?”
Elias’s pulse jumped.
Pike mounted.
“Ward has men under the bank.”
“What does that mean?”
“Tunnel from the old coal storage.”
“To do what?”
Pike looked toward town.
“Burn it.”
Elias spurred Buck.
Smoke appeared before he reached Main Street.
The Creed Bank was on fire.
People screamed.
Flames climbed from rear windows.
Elias jumped from his horse.
“Clara!”
No answer.
Then Mercer appeared dragging Jonah.
“Martha’s out!”
“Clara?”
Mercer looked toward the building.
“She went back.”
“For what?”
“The real bank records.”
Elias stared into flames.
Then ran toward the door.
Inside, Clara stood behind the teller counter with smoke filling the room.
May you like
And somewhere beneath the floor, someone had just locked the vault from the outside.
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