Chapter Twenty-nine
TO RUTHANN’S DISMAY, Sissy had gone out for the evening. The Flaglers’ housekeeper informed them that she’d left in a hurry not ten minutes ago.
Ruthann walked slowly down the Flaglers’ front steps, Stuart at her side. “I suppose it will have to wait until tomorrow.” She couldn’t help her despondent tone. She’d wanted so much to finally get the truth from Sissy, and to, perhaps, put an end to the threats against Nate.
“We’ll return in the morning,” Stuart replied. He extended an arm, and Ruthann took it, grateful for his presence. It was nice to have someone as concerned as she was about Nate.
“I didn’t thank you for your change of heart,” she said, looking up at her older brother. “It means a lot to me.”
He smiled and patted her hand. “I won’t pretend it didn’t pain me at first. But I’m not one to stand in the way of love. Although I still don’t see why you couldn’t find it with Foster Jones or Roscoe Waller.”
Ruthann shook her head, smiling herself. Her brother would always be a brother, that much was for certain. “Weren’t you the one who warned me about Mr. Waller’s tooth grinding? I seem to recall you didn’t much like either man when they courted me.”
Stuart began to laugh, just as Sheriff Young approached them.
“Evening, Ben,” Stuart said, trying to regain his composure. “I trust everything is peaceful in Cañon City tonight?”
“Even more so now that I’ve got one of the men who broke into Harper’s Photographic Studio in my jail.” The sheriff doffed his hat to Ruthann. “Good evening, Mrs. Harper. I was on my way to the studio to fetch you. I don’t suppose you’d come identify the fellow?”
“Of course. I’d be happy to.” Hope blazed in her heart. If they found one of the men, surely the others wouldn’t be too far behind. And then Sissy would end her brigade to destroy Nate’s livelihood and reputation.
“Caldwell caught him trying to make off with a crate of food from the general store. It didn’t take much for him to confess he was also one of the men who broke into the studio. It seems he’s not too happy about going unpaid for that deed, which is what made him resort to stealing food. He’ll say more, I’m sure of it. He’s that angry. But I want your corroboration first.”
It wasn’t far to the sheriff’s office, and once there, Ruthann and Stuart followed Sheriff Young inside. The scent of dinner drifted down from the upstairs apartment where the sheriff lived with Penny, and Ruthann’s stomach rumbled. She ignored it, however, the moment she laid eyes on the man in the jail cell in the back.
The sheriff had opened the door to where the cells were located in the rear of the building to let Ruthann and Stuart enter. The man with the bright blue eyes fairly glared at her from where he stood inside.
“Yes, that’s him,” she said to Sheriff Young. “They had the lower half of their faces covered, but I recognize his eyes.”
“You’re the reason I’m here. You and your husband,” the man said to her.
“The reason you’re here is because you snuck in the back of the general store without anyone noticing and tried to make off with enough food for six men,” Sheriff Young replied.
It was a bold action, but so was entering the studio when he and his partner knew she was there. As the thought went through her mind, Ruthann furrowed her brow. They’d known she was there . . . and had known Nate wasn’t. They’d only referred to her being upstairs while she’d hidden herself in the stairway.
“They knew Nate wasn’t there that night,” she said aloud. “How did you know that?” She directed her question to the man in the cell.
The man simply crossed his arms and continued to glare at her.
“The more helpful you are now, Peters, the better the word I can put in for you later,” Sheriff Young said from the doorway.
