“And that’s why I need your assistance.” She crossed the bare room, reminding Stuart of himself when he was deep in thought. “You know so many more people than I do through your work. Surely between the two of us, we can discover some new piece of information—some sort of evidence—that will show Jeremy couldn’t have possibly done what they’ve said.”
Stuart set his jaw. She was quite determined. It was evident in the way she held herself, the hurried way she spoke, and the vibrant way she kept glancing at him. It was good to see Norah so lively again. He only wished it were for some other reason. “He’s already been tried and convicted.”
“Surely a judge will re-examine that verdict if we find out the truth!” She paused, halfway across the room, and tilted her head as she looked at him. “You do want to believe Jeremy, don’t you?”
He took a deep breath. He wanted to. Badly. He had all along. But when the truth was right there in front of his face, it would be like believing in a fairy story to ignore all of it. “Norah, I tried myself—on more than one occasion—to warn him about those men he’d befriended. He laughed me off, even accused me of jealousy as if I yearned to spend my time losing money at the gambling tables and stumbling home inebriated.” He bit off the rest of what was on the tip of his tongue, not wanting to shock her with the sort of life her brother was living in those months preceding his arrest.
But Norah’s face registered no such emotion. In fact, she still looked entirely certain of herself—and her brother.
“So the company he kept means he must have attempted to rob that train and . . . and . . . killed that man?” She raised her chin as she held his gaze.
And Stuart couldn’t look away from her. She was defiance personified, entirely certain of herself, and he couldn’t bear to see that life snuffed out of her once again.
Besides, her reasoning made sense, never mind that there were a hundred other pieces of evidence against Jeremy. “I suppose not,” he finally said, and she seemed to glow in response.
She stepped forward, stopping just in front of him. “You’ll agree with me that something seemed strange with him today, won’t you?”
She blinked at him with those eyes that read more brown than blue in this dimly lit room, and Stuart thought for a moment that he’d agree to anything she suggested, as foolhardy or dangerous as it might be.
Get a hold of yourself. He forced himself to look away from her and take a step back—it was the only way he could clear his head. Although when precisely Norah Parker had begun to have that effect on him, he had no idea.
He could feel her eyes on him now, waiting for an answer. The fog lifting from his mind some, he thought back to Jeremy’s presence in this room. He’d acted cowed, in a way. He spoke quietly. And he refused to explain himself when offered the chance. Stuart turned to answer Norah’s question when the door opened.
“If you’ll come with me, miss. Sir.” The guard held the door open.
Stuart took up Norah’s arm again, tucking her safely against him. But this time felt different. It was as if he were aware of every place her body touched his. He walked stiffly, trying to avoid too much contact. She glanced up at him as they approached the tall stone wall that separated the prison from the town.
“Is there something wrong?” she asked.
Stuart winced inwardly as he shook his head. She’d noticed, and he was being ridiculous. She was Jeremy’s little sister, for heaven’s sake. Ruthann’s closest friend. He’d known her since they were children, when she’d been a pesky tagalong with Ruthann, interrupting all the mischief he, Jeremy, and Nate had tried to find for themselves.
And yet as one of the guards gave her a friendly smile when they passed through the gate, he thought he might like to punch the fellow right in his teeth.
Stuart closed his eyes briefly to clear his head. Out here, past the walls of the prison and on the road back into town, he felt as if he could think better. How Jeremy had an intact thought at all within that place was beyond him. He shuddered to think how many years his former friend would have to withstand behind those walls.
They were approaching the first buildings in town when Norah stopped suddenly and stepped in front of him. “You do agree with me, don’t you? That Jeremy was acting strangely?”
“Yes,” Stuart confessed.
“He wouldn’t share a word about what happened that night, and I don’t think it was to spare me. If the details were something he didn’t think fit for me to hear, he would have said as much.” Her eyes moved past him, back to where he knew she could see the prison over his shoulder.
“I agree.” He wished he didn’t, but it was obvious Jeremy was keeping something from them, guilty or not. But why?
“I wish I knew why,” Norah said softly, echoing Stuart’s thoughts. Her gaze found him again, and her expression was determined. “I’m going to find out.”
“Norah, I don’t think—” Stuart started.
“I want you to help me.” She took his hand between her own, heedless of anyone who might be watching. “Please, Stuart.”
He dragged his thoughts from how warm her hands were around his and forced himself to look her in the eyes. “Why not Charles? Surely he has an interest in seeing his brother exonerated?”
Norah shook her head. “He’s far too busy with his work and distracted by the baby coming. Besides, all I’d get from him is a lecture on how much danger I put myself in and how he won’t see it happen again.” She paused. “I appreciate that you didn’t say a word about danger or tell me the prison isn’t a fit place for a lady.”
“I figured it was pointless to tell you something you already knew.”
She gave him such a winsome smile that he couldn’t help but return it.
“But I’d be a poor excuse for a friend if I didn’t warn you that there’s likely a reason Jeremy wouldn’t speak of the details.” Whether that was a reason beyond being guilty and not wishing to spin even more lies for his sister, Stuart didn’t know. But he kept that thought to himself.
