What was Mary up to? Will could hardly imagine that Mary would actually leave Rose here. Not after everything they’ve been through. So, why was she acting as if she would countenance the match?
Rose looked at Mary. “You would support me? Truly?”
“I would.”
“So touching.” Ben snickered. “But where was this sisterly devotion when Mary left poor Rose to tend Daniel even though she’d promised Rose the afternoon off? When Rose didn’t show up to meet Silas, he went over to Annie Garrett’s for a piece of pie. Then he married Annie instead.”
“How do you know about that?” Rose said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I never gave details. And the pie? How do you know he went for pie? I didn’t even know that.”
Rose slowly began to back toward the door, toward where her sister stood. Will could only hope that Rose was finally beginning to realize that this situation had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with Ben’s evil plans.
The door flew open, and three armed men entered, led by Rusty Horton, Century City’s sheriff. He’d always suspected Rusty was dirty, and now he knew for sure.
“Will Lawson,” the spindly man said, not masking his unpleasantness. “I’ve come to arrest you for the robbery of the Colorado Citizens Bank and the murder of Eldon Wormer. I do hope you resist, because putting a bullet in your head would be a pleasure.”
Rusty grinned, showing a few more missing teeth than when Will had seen the man last. “Now that I see you with the murder weapon you said had been stolen, getting a conviction will be easy. That is, if the lynch mob doesn’t get you first.”
As Rusty’s men barked their laughter in unison, Will met Ben’s eyes. This whole thing, from the moment they’d walked into The Pink Petticoat, had been a setup.
He should have killed Ben when he’d had a chance.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A murderer? Mary looked over at Will in hopes that he would deny the charges. He was too good of a man to be involved in such things. Besides, Mary already knew that the gun had been taken from that other man, Colt.
“Then you have the wrong man,” Mary said, looking at the sheriff. “Will borrowed that gun from a man named Colt.”
“Ah, yes, Colt.” Ben got up from his seat and walked over to them. “And where is my dear friend?”
Ben’s gaze landed directly on Mel. From the intensity of it, Mary was glad it wasn’t her.
“He had one of his headaches. I gave him something to sleep it off.”
But of course, Mel wasn’t her, and she had so much strength that Mary admired. Why, she didn’t look frightened at all.
“Idiot.” Ben turned and walked over to the sheriff.
“You said he’d do the job for me,” the sheriff whined.
“And he will. As soon as he wakes up. That Mel creates havoc with all of her potions she gives out. Can we hang her for that?” Ben smiled in such a way that made Mary’s stomach turn.
“I’m the sheriff. I can hang whoever I want.”
Mary should have known not to trust any lawman affiliated with Ben. But she’d have liked to have believed that they weren’t so easily persuaded. She looked over at Mel, who didn’t appear worried.
“You won’t hang me, and you know it.” Mel stood straight and proud. Mary wished she had the kind of courage the other woman had. She glanced over at her sister, who seemed to finally be realizing the full extent of the evil they were dealing with.
Mary didn’t need to know anything about criminals to know that these were bad men. This sheriff might have a badge, but she didn’t feel safe knowing a man like him was the law. And, from the looks of everyone else in the room, they all felt the same way.
Mel continued staring the sheriff in the eye. “Will took the gun off Colt. If you’re looking for the man who had the gun, then you need to look in my room. Will is no murderer.”
“Isn’t he?” The sheriff looked at Mel with stone-cold eyes that made even Mary shudder. “You’ve just named him a thief. Is it so hard to imagine he might also be a murderer?”
This time, when the sheriff asked his question, he looked at Mary, as though he was trying to convince her of Will’s guilt.
Only Mary knew better.
“He didn’t steal the gun. It was his to begin with.”
“So he says.”
Reasoning with the sheriff was as futile as reasoning with Ben. The two men were cut out of the same rancid cloth.
Mary glanced over at Will, whose hand rested on his gun.
“Go for it,” the sheriff urged. “Though I’ve been looking forward to a hanging, no one will fault me for killing a man who drew on me.”
“Do you know who my father is?” Jasper stepped forward, his hands out. Anyone who shot him would be labeled a coward, if they lived long enough to tell their side of the tale.
“Accidents happen.” Ben spoke smoothly, easily. He pointed his gun in Mel’s direction. “It wouldn’t be unheard of for a disgruntled soiled dove to shoot a man. Everyone knows that you married the town shrew. No one would be surprised you spent the night here.”
“That’s a dirty lie!” Jasper’s face reddened.
Ben shrugged. “The victor is the one who gets to write the history.”
“You’re not shooting him,” Mel said quietly. “He has no part of this.”
Jasper glared at Ben. “Despite what you think of my marriage, I aim to be a good husband to Emma Jane.”
Mary should have found comfort in his words, but Emma Jane was still at home alone on her wedding night.
Ben laughed. “Don’t make no never mind to me. You couldn’t pay me enough to tolerate that shrew.”
Such a harsh description of her friend made Mary cringe. Though she was certain Ben had no such opinion of
