Still, he said goodnight to Sheriff Wright and started home. The board sidewalk was mostly empty, save for a few couples coming home from supper and men out looking to start a long night.
He was steps away from the boardinghouse when someone moved out of the shadows and blocked his way.
Chapter Eighteen
IZZY FELT ONLY MODERATELYbetter when they stepped aboard the train in Cañon City. She tried to count her blessings as she watched the town disappear behind them out the window.
Sitting on the train was much more comfortable than riding horseback for hours on end. That was one blessing. Her captor—she could hardly think of him as anything else—had foregone the handcuffs he’d placed on her back in Crest Stone after a strongly disapproving look from a conductor. That was certainly a blessing, to be able to move her hands as she pleased. She’d been terrified that he might hit her or take advantage of her on their journey north, but he’d mostly ignored her. Another blessing.
That was all. Izzy leaned her forehead against the window. What was Hale doing right now? Was he upset she was gone, or was he relieved? Izzy hated to believe the latter might be true, but it wouldn’t surprise her if he’d had enough of a wife like her.
She turned away from the window when Sampson, the bounty hunter, shifted in his seat next to her. She wrinkled her nose and moved a little closer to the window. He gave her a surly look, which, by this point, she’d grown used to. The expression he wore most of the time was uglier than the smell that came off him.
Izzy tucked herself closer to the window and prayed for sleep. Otherwise, she had long hours ahead with nothing at allto occupy her. Sampson had barely said three sentences to her during their long ride last night. One was to threaten her if she attempted to run off. The second was to let her know they’d be boarding the train in Cañon City. And the third was to answer her question about how he knew she was in Crest Stone.
She closed her eyes, remembering the despair she felt when he told her.
“You sent a letter to the prison,” he said, “and you thought they wouldn’t open it?” he finished with a rude laugh as Izzy buried her head against her knees.
She’d been so desperate to have some kind of communication with her family that she hadn’t fully thought through what sending that letter could mean. And now, not only did Papa and her brothers not know what had happened to her, she’d be on her way to her own prison cell soon.
She was just about to doze off, ready to escape her misery for at least a little while, when Sampson spoke.
“You don’t happen to know whereabouts of the other one?” he asked.
Izzy’s eyes flew open. “What other one?”
“The boy. The one which walks with a limp.” One of his eyes didn’t fully open, which made him look even meaner. “Your brother.”
Izzy felt as if she’d swallowed a piece of food whole without chewing. “Carter?” she dared to say.
“Suppose that’s his name. Don’t much care. You know where he’s at? Might be I can put in a good word for you if you did.” The way he glared at her let her know he’d do no such thing.
“He’s at the prison, isn’t he?” Izzy hardly dared to hope that Carter had somehow escaped.
“Hmm.” Sampson started to turn away, but Izzy grabbed his filthy shirt sleeve.
“Please,” she said, letting him go when he directed that glare at her hand. “Just tell me what happened.” She rubbed her hand against her skirt and hoped he might take a sliver of pity on her.
“Far as I know, the boy walked out of the hospital when no one was looking. I get double if I bring him in too.” His eyes glazed over, and Izzy was sure he was imagining how he’d spend the money he’d get for ruining their lives.
“Thank you,” she whispered. As she leaned her head against the window again, she realized that was what Sheriff Wright had meant last night. She’d been so consumed with fear she’d barely heard it, but she remembered it now. Carter had found a way to get out, and even better, he was healthy enough to take the chance.
Run, she thought as she tried to find sleep again. She hoped he would run as far away as he could. Maybe she could endure everything that lay ahead of her as long as she could imagine Carter somewhere safe. There was no hope for the rest of them, but he just gave her a tiny bit of hope to live on.
