Amey didn’t slow her horse’s gait as she rode through the main part of town, leaving a cloud of dust behind her. She knew it was inconsiderate to ride through town at a full gallop, but frankly, she didn’t care. She had a suspect to catch. More than a few men and women glanced her way, the displeasure evident on their features.
A small, whitewashed church sat on the outskirts of town, and she noticed that the doors were already closed. The wedding ceremony must have already started.
Drat!
She had hoped to arrive before the ceremony, but it couldn’t have been helped. She had been traveling for nearly two days, stopping only to let her gelding rest. Her horse could be quite cantankerous when he didn’t get enough rest.
Reining in her horse as she reached the front of the church, she dismounted and didn’t even bother to secure her mount as she raced toward the doors. She threw them open, making a loud banging noise when they hit the walls, her eyes scanning the crowded church.
Everyone turned around to face her, but she was only focused on the man and woman in front. The blonde bride was dressed in a simple, calico dress, holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand. The groom was dressed in a plain, brown suit.
A short man with thinning black hair stepped to the side of the couple and demanded, “What is the meaning of this?”
“I have an arrest warrant for Billy Thornton,” she announced to the congregation.
Immediately, the townsfolk turned their heads back toward Billy with stunned looks.
The groom, however, looked bemused. “Whatever for?”
“Bank robbery and murder,” she replied.
The color drained from Billy’s weathered face. “There has to be some type of mistake,” he insisted. “I haven’t killed anybody.”
“But you admit to the bank robbery?” she pressed.
“No, no, no….” he stammered. “I could never, would never, rob a bank.”
Walking down the aisle, Amey placed her hand on the revolver holstered around her hips. “There is no mistake,” she replied. “I’ve been searching for you for more than two years.”
“Lady,” Billy started, “there has to be some mistake.”
Coming to a stop near the couple, she stated, “There is no mistake. You will finally pay for your crimes.”
The bride stared at the groom with a bewildered expression. “Are you an outlaw, Billy?”
“No, of course not,” he replied, reaching for her.
She stepped back, away from his touch. “Did you truly find gold in the mountains, or did you rob a bank to get the money to buy your land?”
Billy ran a hand through his hair, distress clearly on his features. “How can you even ask me that question, Polly?”
“I thought I knew you,” Polly whispered as tears filled her eyes.
“You do know me,” he asserted. “I am not the man that she thinks I am.”
A tall man, wearing a black hat, stood up from one of the pews and exclaimed, “I told you not to marry him, Polly. He’s a no-good criminal.”
“I am not!” Billy shouted. “I’m not guilty of these crimes.”
The man with thinning hair spoke up. “I believe Billy,” he said. “He’s a good, decent man.”
A woman rose from the front and rushed over to Polly. “You need to step away from him, dear,” she urged. “He’s a wanted man.”
Billy clenched his jaw. “How can you say that, Mrs. Wilde?” he asked. “I would never hurt your daughter.”
“I bet you said the same thing to the man you killed!” someone shouted from the congregation.
Removing the revolver from her gun belt, Amey held it out in front of her. “Why don’t we take a walk down to the sheriff’s office and talk about this?”
“This is ridiculous!” Billy exclaimed, tossing his arms in the air. “I’m not the man you’re looking for.”
“If that’s the case, then you have nothing to worry about,” Amey insisted.
A stern voice came from the doorway. “Put your revolver down on the ground,” a man ordered, followed by the sound of a cocking gun. “We have a strict no-guns policy in the town of Copper Springs.”
Amey slowly crouched down and placed her revolver onto the floor, all while maintaining a steady gaze on Billy. She wasn’t about to take a chance that he might draw a weapon.
“Now put your hands up and turn around so I can look at you,” the man ordered.
Spinning on her heel, she saw a man with a head full of black hair. He had a star pinned to his black jacket that read ‘Sheriff’. He was also pointing a revolver at her chest.
“My name is Amey Barney, and I am a Pinkerton Agent,” she announced, keeping her hands up in front of her.
The lawman swore under his breath. “What is a blasted Pink doing in my town?”
“I’m here to arrest Billy Thornton,” she answered.
The sheriff lowered his gun. “For what?”
“Bank robbery and murder.”
His brow shot up. “You got the wrong man.”
“I don’t think so,” she replied. “I’ve been tracking this man for two years.”
The sheriff holstered his revolver into the gun belt attached around his hips. “What proof do you have?”
Reaching into the pocket of her trousers, she pulled out two pieces of paper. “This is a wanted poster for Billy Joe Campbell, and this is the wedding announcement for Billy Thornton,” she said, holding them up. “The likeness between Billy Joe Campbell and Billy Thornton is uncanny. Furthermore, Billy Thornton is a known alias for Billy Joe Campbell.”
“Let me take a look at those,” the sheriff demanded, holding out his hand.
Amey walked over and handed the papers to the lawman.
A frown appeared on the sheriff’s brow. “I must admit that the sketches bear a striking resemblance to one another, but I’m afraid you’re wrong.”
“Pardon?”
“You might want to do a little more detective work before you come in, interrupt a wedding ceremony, and discredit a man’s good name,” the sheriff chastised.
“I assure
