“It was all for show. All to convince Maddox and the others that he was their friend,” Stuart finished for her. He shook his head. “I had no idea.”
“Jeremy went to prison, and now Mr. Maddox is preparing to do this all over again with some shipment Guelph’s is coordinating with one of the mines.” Norah ran it all through her head again. There was something that didn’t make sense. Something that . . .
“Stuart! Why would Jeremy go through all that trouble and not have anyone there to catch Maddox and the others in the act?”
“Sheriff Young,” Stuart said. “He was the first to arrive, wasn’t he?”
Norah nodded. That was what she’d heard.
“What if . . .” Stuart gazed out into the growing darkness. Norah was quiet as he thought.
“What if Jeremy had alerted the sheriff? I’d heard it was the gunshot that had drawn him to the depot, but perhaps he was already set to go there because Jeremy had told him?” Stuart looked to her for her reaction.
“Yes . . .” Norah pinched her lips together, thinking. “But wouldn’t he have said as much at the trial? I would have thought we’d have heard about that.”
“Unless Jeremy alerted him anonymously. If Sheriff Young had no idea who had informed him to keep an eye on the depot that night, he would have no way of knowing Jeremy was innocent. And then he arrived and found—”
“Only Jeremy,” Norah finished for him.
Jeremy must have feared Mr. Maddox and the others learning he had betrayed them, so he’d kept the information he’d given to the sheriff anonymous. It was the only explanation. And if Sheriff Young had only received vague information that something was happening at the depot that night, that wouldn’t have been news enough to make the papers. Neither Norah nor Stuart would have had any way of knowing a minute detail such as that without having attended Jeremy’s trial.
“We need to speak to the sheriff,” Stuart said. “Maybe Jeremy left some clue as to his identity when he alerted Young. Something Young wouldn’t notice, but maybe you or I would.”
For the first time that night, hope pushed away the fear that had lodged itself inside Norah. All they needed was one little bit of proof. One tiny shred of evidence, and Jeremy could be free.
And Mr. Maddox would be out of their lives for good.
Chapter Eighteen
IT WAS FULLY DARK BYthe time they reached the sheriff’s office and jail. Stuart knocked, but there was no answer. Young had likely gone upstairs for supper. Heart sinking, he tried the door, expecting to find it locked.
But the knob turned under his hand, and the door opened to reveal an empty office.
“Hello? Sheriff?” Stuart called as they stepped inside.
“He left a lamp.” Norah pointed at the lamp burning on the desk.
