“I haven’t killed anyone.”
“That anyone knows about. But I have not one but two signed statements that you intended to commit murder. And I reckon I’ll have two more before we leave here.” He paused to look at Morgan, who’d been freed from his bonds, and asked him, “Did he threaten to kill you in so many words?”
“He was very clear that he’d kill Miss Mitchell if I didn’t show him the way to my mine.”
The sheriff glanced at Violet. “Did you hear Mr. Sullivan say that?”
“I can repeat every word exactly,” she assured him.
Gibson grinned. “Then I reckon it’s a good thing I brought some paper with me so you both can write it all down. No need for you two to wait until the court convenes. Signed statements are just as good around here.” And then his eyes pinned Sullivan again. “The judge just might think that’s enough to warrant a hanging. Stew on that on the way back to town.”
“After my lawyer gets through with you, you’ll never work in this territory again, Gibson!” Sullivan snarled.
“Someone gag him.” The sheriff’s response drew a few chuckles from the posse.
Violet rubbed her wrists and took a step toward Morgan, but the nasty look he gave her stopped her cold. That hurt, his not wanting to talk to her or share this moment of relief with her. She remembered the angry, possessive way he’d kissed her last night, and also the beautiful, passionate night they’d shared when he was so loving and irresistible, the many caring things he’d done for her. She would never forget any of that, but it was just as well that they keep their distance from each other, because she would be leaving soon. Yet she hoped she would have a chance to explain to him why she’d run off.
“Are you all right, Miss Mitchell?” Sheriff Gibson was approaching her.
“I am now, thanks to you, Sheriff. I was so scared that you wouldn’t arrive in time.”
“We caught up to you last night, but didn’t want to attempt to capture Sullivan while it was dark, which could have turned messy with men dying needlessly. But you weren’t in any more danger. I left a couple men to watch your camp. This bunch wasn’t going anywhere without my knowing about it. You were very brave to go along with Sullivan and lead him on a wild goose chase so Miss Hall could get your father out of Sullivan’s house. They’re safe at my office with Deputy Barnes. I reckon you and Miss Hall are the heroines of the day. Without you, Sullivan’s ruthlessness and perfidy wouldn’t have been exposed so thoroughly.”
She blushed a little, glancing at Morgan to see if he’d heard the sheriff’s praise and understood now that she hadn’t betrayed him. He was within earshot of the sheriff’s voice, but he wasn’t looking her way.
Sheriff Gibson had followed her gaze, and addressed Morgan: “Didn’t recognize you at first without your beard, Callahan. Isn’t this little lady amazing?”
Morganstilldidn’t look at her when he replied, “She’s the bravest debutante I’ve ever met.”
Violet blushed further with the realization that he’d never met any other debutantes, so he wasn’t really agreeing with the sheriff.
Once the prisoners were secured and the posse was ready to depart, Gibson told Violet and Morgan, “I won’t be returning to Butte with you. I’m going to take half the posse and the prisoners and veer off to Helena where the territory judge is holding court this week. I don’t want to wait for the trial to be held in Butte. That’s just asking for a riot, and I don’t doubt it will happen if Sullivan’s miners get wind that’s he’s under arrest and they might lose their jobs if their employer gets convicted.”
“But what about Sullivan’s sister, Kayleigh?” Violet asked. “She knew my father was a prisoner in that house and was in on the plot to steal our mine.”
“I went to their house to see for myself where your father had been kept and to confront Miss Sullivan for her part in it. She started crying and confessed that she’s had to do whatever her brother ordered because she is utterly dependent on him, so she had no choice. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know, but I’m not partial to arresting women, so I told her to catch the next train out of town. The judge will decide if that family gets to keep their holdings here.”
Violet immediately thought of Katie. She didn’t think the daughter should be punished for the father’s sins. “Other than Kayleigh, who knew exactly what her brother had been doing and seemed as rapacious as he was, I doubt the rest of his family knew how ruthless he could be.”
“That family is rich as sin. I wouldn’t worry about the rest of them.”
Morgan didn’t look happy that any Sullivan was escaping justice, but then he’d come very near to dying today. But maybe his disgruntled look was just for her. She was still getting the cold shoulder from him. Even after she’d told him last night that she hadn’t betrayed him. Even after he’d just heard about the part she’d played in their rescue. He had heard it, hadn’t he? How could he not?
Nine men escorted them to Butte, but they were widely spread out along the road since Violet and Morgan didn’t need protection now. Violet wasn’t sure how she ended up riding next to Morgan a few hours later, but it was just after they passed his mountain, which was the perfect time to break the ice with him.
She glanced his way and asked, “You aren’t going....?” She didn’t say “to your mine,” just nodded back toward his mountain range.
He shook his head. “And miss seeing Charley alive and kicking?”
“I don’t think he’ll be kicking for a while. The ordeal has left him very weak. But you can’t imagine how happy I was to find him alive.”
“That must have been an incredible surprise.”
“I confess, at first sight I was afraid he was a ghost! But of course that was silly, and yes, it was unbelievably amazing that he isn’t dead after all.”
“You’re fortunate that someone in that house knew what Sullivan was up to and didn’t like it.”
“Yes, today would have turned out quite differently without Abigail Hall’s help.”
