Adam frowned as the man straightened. He and John Carlton had trained as marshals. It galled him that his bosses had chosen his friend to replace him.
“Congratulations.”
Carlton frowned. “Why are you congratulating me, Lancaster?”
Folding his arms across his chest, Adam replied, “I presume you’re my replacement.”
Looking appalled, the marshal answered, “Of course not.”
“Then why are you here?”
Carlton’s head moved from side to side to make sure no one was about before he whispered, “I’m here to help you with the case. I’ve been searching for you, but no one knew your whereabouts until today.”
Adam rubbed a hand across his jaw. “You’re not making any sense, Carlton. I’m no longer on the case. Didn’t you hear I’m no longer a marshal? What’s going on in Virginia these days?”
Carlton shook his head. “You’re usually not so obtuse, Lancaster. It was all a ruse.”
“A ruse.”
“Yes. We got your report and knew you couldn’t make arrests without evidence. So, we reckoned the only way to infiltrate the banker’s gang was to pretend you had lost favor with us. We knew the report the investigators sent back about you was hogwash, so they sent me here as your replacement. I made myself known to the sheriff that I wasn’t anything like you and needed cash desperately for my sick mother. Although he was cautious, he bought the story and took me to the banker. They paid me upfront to keep my mouth shut no matter what went down in the town. As I gained their trust, I figured I could push it up a notch as time was ticking. So, I made up a story that the Office of the U.S. Marshal would likely send a host of our men down here to figure out what was going on. I made them tell me all their dealings so I could cover up for them.”
Adam’s jaw dropped. “All these happened within three days of my absence?”
What sort of marshal had he called himself when, in just three days, his colleague had achieved what he couldn’t in weeks?
Carlton slapped him on the back. “It’s all thanks to you, Lancaster. If you hadn’t given us a thorough report, we would never have known what was going on in this town. Kudos to you for a job well done.”
Adam felt a little better. At least his efforts weren’t in vain.
“Now, come with me. We have to plan. The last raid is going down tomorrow at the only Indian reservation left in the outskirts of the town. I have been able to convince one of the sheriff’s deputies for help.”
Adam hesitated. “Who? You can’t trust any of them. They’re all corrupt.”
“Not Amos Sanders.”
Adam said nothing. Amos, over time, had shown that they could trust him. The only problem was that the young man seemed to be afraid of the sheriff for a reason he couldn’t understand.
“I saw the disgust in his eyes when he thought I was like the others. I cornered him the first night I was here in a saloon, and I could deduce it really tore him concerning the way they treated you. As luck would have it, the young man was furious that his brother’s land was taken from him despite his silence in the entire sheriff and the banker’s evil dealings. He told me he has evidence to bring the two men down.”
Adam heaved a sigh of relief. He muttered, “Thank you, Lord. You always make a way where there isn’t.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
Adam felt like singing to the high heavens. It still seemed like a dream that his bosses had not thrown him aside like he had thought. Although he wished they had confided him their plans, he liked it, nevertheless. And he might have ruined it with his arrogance, thinking the world revolved around him being a marshal.
A smile crossed his face as it dawned on him that he was still a marshal. Happiness welled up inside him. Now he could be a marshal who was also a Christian.
Thank you, Lord.
Chapter 37
“Olivia, could you please sit? You’re making me dizzy watching you pace frantically,” Annie complained and Olivia gave her a nervous smile.
“I wish I could, Annie. Tell me you would be still if Stephen were out there chasing notorious outlaws.”
Annie smiled. “Point taken, Olivia.”
