“Even if there had been no letter, he talked to you about it,” Minnie added. “He made plans for you to be waiting for him in the express car. ”
“And you know this because?”
“I know this because he told me about it before the robbery took place. He told all three of us.” Minnie took in Doc Baker and Nate Nabors with a wave of her hand. “And we were ready to testify about it too, but the judge wouldn’t allow it.”
“The judge said that we could not testify, because it would not be direct information. It would be considered hearsay,” Nabors said.
“Only you could have testified that he set up an arrangement with you,” Doc Baker said.
“But you didn’t do it,” Minnie added angrily.
Sheriff Wallace chuckled. “I didn’t do it because there was no letter, and he didn’t talk to me. Don’t you understand what he was doing? He was setting up his alibi with you. I’ll give him this. For all that he is a train robber and murderer, he’s smart. It takes someone smart to set up something like that. But what it all comes down to is his word against mine. The jury believed me. They didn’t believe Cabot.”
“I believe him,” Doc Baker said.
“Why should you believe him? You were in the courtroom, Doc. You heard the letter they read from the WCSA. They said no such investigation had been authorized. No, sir, Bobby Lee Cabot is as guilty as sin.”
“And because the judge wouldn’t agree to let us testify, he is going to hang,” Minnie said.
Sheriff Wallace chuckled. “Yes, ma’am, he is going to hang, all right. We are goin’ to have us one Jim Dandy of a hangin'. We’ll have folks comin’ in from all over the county this Friday mornin’ to watch it, and I don’t plan to let ‘em be disappointed by anything this Buck West fella might have in mind. I reckon this is goin’ to be about one of the best days for business we’ve ever had. If it goes over as well as I think it will, why, I just might see if I can’t arrange a hangin’ about ever’ month or so. It’ll bring so much business into town that I’ll have ever’ storekeep in town votin’ for me.”
“You murderer!” Janet suddenly yelled. She was coming from the kitchen, moving quickly toward the sheriff with a butcher knife her hand. “You killed Andy!”
“What the hell?” Sheriff Wallace shouted. He started to draw his gun but before he could, Smoke reached out and grabbed Janet’s wrist, forcing her to drop the knife.
“Janet, you don’t want to do this,” Smoke said.
Janet put both her hands to her face and began crying.
Looking back toward Wallace, Smoke saw that he was still holding his gun, though he wasn’t pointing it at anyone.
“Put your gun away, Sheriff,” Smoke said.
“Did you see that crazy bitch? She tried to kill me!”
“You were never in any real danger. Now, put your gun away, unless you plan to kill an unarmed woman in front of all these witnesses.”
Wallace hesitated for a moment, then returned his pistol to his holster. He pointed at Nabors. “She works for you,” he said angrily. “And I’m telling you right now that you had better keep her under control.”
“You aren’t going to try anything like that again, are you, Janet?” Nabors asked.
Still sobbing, and with her hands covering her face, Janet shook her head no.
“You won’t have any more trouble with her, Sheriff,” Nabors said.
“Yeah, well, like I say, you just damn well better keep her under control,” the sheriff said.
There was a long moment of silence after the sheriff left. Then a couple of the other saloon girls went over to comfort Janet and general conversation in the saloon resumed.
“It looks bad for Bobby Lee, doesn’t it?” Doc Baker asked.
“I’m afraid so,” Smoke agreed.
“So, what you are saying is, there is no way we can stop the hanging this Friday?” Minnie asked.
“No, I didn’t say that. He’s not going to hang this Friday,” Smoke said.
“But you said that it looks bad for him.”
“I can stop the hanging.”
“How?”
“If he’s not in jail, they can’t hang him. And I intend to get him out of jail,” Smoke said. “But that isn’t enough. We are also going to have to prove his innocence. If we don’t do that, he’ll just be an escaped prisoner with wanted posters plastered in just about every state and territory west of the Mississippi.”
“Do you think you can prove his innocence?” Doc Baker asked.
“Let me ask you this,” Smoke replied. “Do you believe he is innocent?”
“Yes, of course I do. Don’t you believe he is innocent?” Doc Baker replied.
“I don’t know, it’s been a long time since I last saw Bobby Lee,” Smoke said. “But it doesn’t matter to me whether he is innocent or not. I don’t intend to let him hang.”
“If he is innocent, and I believe with all my heart that he is, will you be able to prove it?” Minnie asked.
“Yes. If he is innocent, I will prove it.”
