The Rightful Heir (11 page)

The man stopped on the platform. He was of average height and weight, probably going on for forty years old. Nothing noticeable in his demeanor that Jared could see.

“Yes. How may I help you?”

“We...” Jared paused and chose his words carefully. “That is, I was wondering where might be a nice place for a young man to take his sweetheart—if he had one—on a trip. I reckon you've seen almost everything there is to see for miles in every direction. Seems to me like you'd be the man to ask.”

Mary Lou might not realize it but her blush only lent a note of sincerity to his request. In truth, the conductor would know the answers to the question Jared asked. All Jared needed now was a sweetheart. A smile pulled at one corner of his mouth. He decided it would add to the effect so he gave Mary Lou a full smile complete with dimples. She might be angry later, but not if he found out who the real thief was.

“Well, son, you two might enjoy a trip to Dallas if you've never been far from Pine Haven.”

“I'm from Maryland, and I would like to see some of the sights farther west.” He cut his eyes at Mary Lou. Her stare seemed to warn him again to be honest. He looked back at the conductor. “But I haven't been able to secure a sweetheart for myself since I moved here. We're from the
Pine Haven Record
. We're working on an idea for a story for the paper.” He wouldn't lie. Not just because Mary Lou didn't want him to. He wasn't a liar. Not for any reason. She was right. He could find the truth with the truth.

“Then I'd say a trip to San Antonio might be just the thing. There's good food, and the land is pretty between here and there. Some folks just enjoy the train ride.”

“That does sound like a good suggestion. Can you tell me, though, what kinds of things are available on the trip? Would a couple have to get off the train to eat or shop? Just in case they wanted to get a memento of their trip. Nothing fancy, mind you. Money can be a real issue.”

“It depends on the trip. Most of the trains stop in places where you can get a meal. But if you're watching your coins, you could bring a basket of food with you. Or buy something from the newsagent. Some of them only carry candy and cigars, but the one on our route has a small business going.”

“Really? What kind of things does he sell?”

“Sandwiches, sweets, sometimes baked goods. He's even started selling an assortment of souvenirs. Little things. Trinkets mostly. But he offers a good price for them. He even has a little piece of jewelry from time to time. To be honest, it's more than I've come to expect from a newsagent.”

Jared nodded his head and offered his thanks. “You've been a great help to us, sir. Thank you for your time.”

He moved his hand to Mary Lou's back and guided her toward the street. She stood a bit straighter and he dropped his hand as soon as they were out of sight of the conductor.

Mary Lou became animated. “We've got to tell Sheriff Collins.” She turned to walk toward the sheriff but he put out a hand to stop her.

Jared was relieved to have a possible suspect for the crimes, but he knew jumping to conclusions about the newsagent would be no different than falsely accusing Andrew.

“Tell him what? That someone on the train sells things? We can't go to him without more than that. He won't believe us in the future if we take him every possible thought without evidence.”

Her shoulders slumped. “You're right. I just want it to be over. For Andrew and for us.”

“I know. We just have to be patient and discern a way to find out if it is Elmer Finch.”

* * *

Mary Lou watched Jared go into the bank before she went to the general store. He might be willing to be patient, but she wasn't.

She stepped inside the dim interior and noticed several passengers from the train milling around. She made her way to the back of the store, picking up first one item then another as she went. When she got to the back counter she saw Andrew on the opposite end. He was looking at a small mirror with a decorative pink handle.

“Hello, Andrew.” She waved at him and he acknowledged her with a nod.

“May I help you, Miss Ellison?” Liza Croft came to stand at the counter midway between her and Andrew. She spoke to Mary Lou but kept her eyes trained on Andrew. He turned his back to them and eventually left without purchasing anything.

“No, thank you. I just want to look around for a few minutes.”

A short time later she stepped out onto the sidewalk again. Perusing the streets for anything suspicious, she spotted Mr. Finch in the distance. Had he been inside the general store? She hadn't seen him but there had been several people inside.

As Mr. Finch turned in the direction of the hotel, she saw Jared move off the sidewalk and fall into step behind the newsagent.

Did Jared leave her and go into the bank so he could follow the agent alone?

She couldn't be upset. That had been her plan, as well.

Mary Lou trailed along at a distance, hoping not to be noticed by either man. Even in the Friday-afternoon crowd of townsfolk and passengers from the train, she could follow Jared easily. Not because he was taller than those around him, but because she'd grown accustomed to keeping an eye out for him.

He had an annoying habit of showing up everywhere she went. She would be interviewing someone for a story and he would come up behind her with a question that stole the attention of the person she was talking to—and ultimately the story.

But it was more than that. She watched the top of his head as he bobbed in and out of sight. She'd memorized the shape of his head and the untamed texture of his hair. His gait was more familiar to her than any she'd ever known.

Without her knowledge or permission, Jared Ivy had become the object of her attention.

And at this very moment he was following Elmer Finch into the hotel lobby.

Chapter Eleven

“M
ary Lou, how nice to see you.” Jasmine Willis greeted her when she entered the lobby.

“Hello.” Mary Lou scanned the room for Mr. Finch and Jared, seeing only Jared seated on a sofa near the front window. “Did you have a lovely honeymoon?” It was unusual to see Jasmine in a dress when she wasn't at church.

“Yes, we've only just arrived on the afternoon train. I wanted to come say hello to Papa and Momma Beverly before we go home.”

Mary Lou tried not to be jealous of the glow of Jasmine's joy. Would she ever know the fulfillment of a happy marriage?

Jared spoke from behind her. “Mrs. Willis, it's nice to see you back in Pine Haven.”

“It's good to be home, Mr. Ivy.” Doc Willis came through the front door and Jasmine excused herself.

“Why are you here, Mary Lou?” A sparkle of teasing lit Jared's eyes.

“I might ask you the same thing, Mr. Ivy.” She didn't look away. Couldn't look away. The side of his jaw twitched with a suppressed smile.

“I wonder if perhaps you followed me here.” He darted his eyes in the direction of the restaurant.

“I'm sure I don't know why you'd think that.” She looked over her shoulder and could see Mr. Finch seated in the restaurant.

“If you're going to require complete honesty from me, I must insist on the same from you. I saw you trailing after me as I followed Mr. Finch.”

Rather than admit guilt, she asked, “Since we're both here, would you care to join me for a piece of pie?”

With a hand on her elbow, he escorted her into the dining room. She resisted the urge to look up at him. Knowing he wore a grin was enough. She didn't have to see it. Working
with
Jared was more pleasant than competing with him. If only they could come to some sort of agreement.

Naomi brought apple pie and coffee for both of them and returned to the kitchen.

Jared took a bite. “She is a wonderful cook.”

“She is, but many of the desserts are made by Mrs. Warren.” She stirred the sugar into her coffee and cast a glance at Mr. Finch. “What have you observed?”

“Nothing. He went into the general store just before I entered the bank. He was walking up the sidewalk when I returned to the crossroads in the center of town, so I followed him here.”

Naomi stopped by their table. “Is everything good here? That pie is scrumptious.”

Jared agreed with her and added in a casual tone, “Does the newsagent eat here often?”

Naomi looked over her shoulder at Mr. Finch. “He comes in most days when he's in town. He fancies my biscuits.”

Mary Lou smiled. “Everyone fancies your cooking.”

Naomi thanked her and left them to their pie.

“When I saw the two of you in the street, I had been in the general store. There were so many passengers from the train shopping that I didn't see him.” She hated to add the next part. “Andrew was there, too. Mrs. Croft was watching him like a hawk.”

Jared kept Mr. Finch in sight while they talked. “I'm sorry for that. He's probably being treated like that everywhere he goes.”

Mary Lou looked through the restaurant doors into the lobby and saw Andrew again. “Now he's here.”

“Wouldn't that be common when the train arrives? He helps with the passengers' luggage.”

“Yes, I guess so. I just hate that he's been everywhere we've seen Mr. Finch. If we are going to show that the newsagent is a possible suspect, it won't help if Andrew is there at every turn.”

They finished their pie as the train whistle blew a warning for the upcoming departure. Mr. Finch paid his bill and made his way out of the restaurant. Mary Lou and Jared waited a couple of minutes before they followed at a modest distance. Andrew was carrying a valise up the stairs when they went through the hotel lobby.

Jared strolled beside her toward the depot. “If we discover that anything was stolen today, we'll be able to suggest that the sheriff investigate the railroad personnel.”

“Mr. Finch in particular?” She'd give almost anything to have the suspicion off her trusted assistant.

“I haven't seen anything that would make that reasonable. I don't want to make the same mistake about him that I made about Andrew.”

They watched from the shadows as the passengers filed onto the train and it left minutes later. Nothing they saw stood out as questionable.

“The entire day feels wasted.” She wondered out loud, “I don't know what will go on the top of the paper when we print it tomorrow.”

“Something will come up. It always does.”

“That thought almost scares me while we're trying to solve this crime.”

“Don't worry. We'll figure it out.” He gave her a reassuring look but she knew he was just as stumped as she was. “I'll stop by the sheriff's office again and ask if he has any news. About this or anything else we could use for a good story.”

“Then I'll go back to the paper and finish compositing the next installation of the Christmas Eve stories. Maybe I can add a bit more detail and it will take up more of the page. This is the piece about the children's involvement. Parents will love to buy the paper just to see their child's name in print.”

When they would have gone in different directions at the center of town, Mary Lou heard Andrew call her name. She turned as the sheriff led Andrew, holding one arm pushed behind his back, into the jailhouse.

“Oh, no!” She hurried down the street with Jared right behind her.

“Wait, Mary Lou.” His voice faded in the background as she wondered why Sheriff Collins had taken Andrew into custody.

She burst into the sheriff's office. “What is going on here?”

Andrew was seated on a bunk against the back wall of a cell. He wore a brave face but she could see the terror in his eyes.

“There's been another theft, Miss Ellison. If you'd like to write a story for the paper, you'll have to give me time to talk to the prisoner first.”

Jared came in behind her. “Why is he in a cell?”

The sheriff pulled a small mirror from his pocket and put it on his desk. “Found this in his pocket after Mrs. Croft sent for me. She said he'd been looking at it earlier this afternoon and it was missing after he left.”

Mary Lou lost her breath. It was the mirror she'd seen Andrew holding in the general store. “Oh, Andrew.” The words were more moan than diction. “How did this happen?”

* * *

“I didn't do it, Miss Ellison.” Andrew looked at Jared. “You've got to believe me!”

Jared wanted to believe him. In his heart he almost did. With no evidence until this moment on anyone, it was difficult to dismiss the mirror.

Mary Lou walked closer and stood in front of the cell bars. “Andrew tell us what—”

Sheriff Collins interrupted. “You're all going to have to let me talk to the boy first. As far as I'm concerned, you're journalists, and I've got a string of crimes to solve.”

“Sheriff, I am the closest thing to family Andrew has. I won't be pushed aside while he's sitting in...” She sniffed and pointed at the cell. “In there.”

Jared understood her concern. “Is that absolutely necessary? It's not like Andrew is going to run off. Can't he sit out here like a man and talk to you at your desk?”

“It's customary to keep prisoners in a cell.” The sheriff's voice wasn't as gruff as it had been when he'd put Mr. Finch in the same cell the first day Jared had come to town. His personal knowledge of Andrew was the likely reason.

Mary Lou took advantage of the silence. “But this isn't a normal circumstance, Sheriff. If Andrew was going to run away, he'd have left when...” She cleared her throat. “When people started accusing him of being a thief. With a horse like his, he could have been anywhere by now.”

Jared closed his eyes. If only she'd stopped and not mentioned that horse.

“That horse is one of the things that's got folks wonderin'.” The sheriff sat behind his desk and leaned back in the chair. His dirty boots clunked onto the desktop and his hands crossed behind his head. “You two can stay—as long as you don't interfere with my questions.”

“Thank you.” Jared pulled a chair from against the wall for Mary Lou to sit close to the cell. He stood near Mary Lou, but turned to have a good vantage point of everyone in the office.

“How did you come to have this mirror in your pocket, boy?”

Mary Lou jerked around. “His name is Andrew.” She looked at Andrew. “And he's not a boy.”

Jared watched Andrew draw strength from her support, but he also saw the sheriff bristle.

“I won't warn you again, Miss Ellison. You're here as a courtesy.”

She didn't answer, only nodded.

“Now tell me how you got that mirror.”

“I don't know, Sheriff Collins. I was in the general store about an hour ago.” He shot Mary Lou a look that begged for her help. “But I didn't steal anything.”

“Mrs. Croft said she saw you looking at it. Saw it in your hands.”

Mary Lou leaned forward. “Tell the whole truth, Andrew. It's always best.”

Andrew hung his head. “I did hold it.” He bolted from the bunk and came to stand at the bars. “But I didn't steal it!”

The sheriff lowered his hands to the arms of his chair. “How do you explain me finding it in your pocket?”

“I can't.” Andrew walked to stand in front of Mary Lou. “You have to believe me. You know me.”

“I do believe you, Andrew.” Her voice was calm and sweet, like a mother soothing a restless child. She put her hand over his where it wrapped around the iron bar. “We're going to find out what happened. I promise you I won't rest until we do.”

Jared wanted all the facts so he could help Mary Lou. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn't stop searching until she had the answers. “Sheriff, you said Mrs. Croft sent for you?”

“Yes. Had the dressmaker's son who lives across the street come for me. Reilly Ledford. He's just a boy, but old enough to run an errand.”

“Did Reilly say if he saw anything?” Mary Lou was following Jared's thinking now. That would be good for the investigation, but it was unsettling, too. Their association was supposed to be short-lived. How would it feel to work on important stories after she moved on and the
Record
was his? He forced himself to concentrate on the conversation at hand. If he let her distract him now, they could miss an important clue.

“I didn't ask the boy. He's a kid.” The sheriff's annoyance was growing.

“But kids see things others don't. Their perspective is different.” Jared moved to the cell. “Andrew, which pocket was the mirror in?”

Andrew pointed to the front pocket of his jacket. It was low and sewn at an angle, perfect for slipping your hands in when the weather necessitated it.

Jared turned to the sheriff. “So we're all agreed that pocket is where you found the mirror?”

Sheriff Collins stood. “I don't know what you're gettin' at, Ivy. Yes, that's where I found it.”

“I'm not sure. I want to talk to this boy Reilly.” Jared pointed at Andrew. “Don't you worry. We'll take care of this.”

Mary Lou stood to follow him as he headed for the door. “Sheriff, will you please let Andrew come with us? I promise to keep a close eye on him.”

The heavy mustache moved to one side as he shook his head no. “'Fraid I can't let him out. There's been too much of a fuss about town these last couple of weeks.”

Andrew called out as they went through the doorway. “What about Midnight?”

Jared answered him. “I'll take care of your horse and speak to Mr. Robbins and Mr. Warren about your jobs. Your job at the paper will be there when you get out.”

The sheriff returned to his chair and Jared closed the door. “He doesn't seem to think there's anything for us to learn from young Reilly.”

“No. I dare say he thinks we're on a fool's errand. How often does he get the evidence and the suspect so neatly handed to him?”

“That's the thing that doesn't sit right with me.” Jared held out his arm to assist her down the steps. The motion was done without forethought, and only when she laid her hand on his sleeve did he realize how seamlessly they were working together. It was empowering, yet dangerous to his peace of mind.

She matched his pace as they hurried toward the Ledford Dressmaker Shop. “You think someone put the mirror in Andrew's pocket, don't you?”

He nodded, pleased by the fact that she still kept her hand looped around his arm as they walked. “How else could it have gotten there? And it wasn't Mrs. Croft. She wants the real thief caught. Her motivation is more about her profit than framing Andrew. She won't care who it is. But she'll be suspicious of everyone, especially Andrew, until someone is caught.”

A smile crossed Mary Lou's face and lit up her eyes when she looked at him. “I like the way you think, Jared.” Then a stain of pink filled her face.

“I like that you've decided to call me Jared.” He put a hand over hers and gave it a light squeeze. “Here we are.” He walked up the steps to Milly Ledford's shop and opened the door for Mary Lou to enter.

“Hello, Milly. Is Reilly here?”

Milly Ledford sat behind her sewing machine with yards of pink fabric spilling over the table and onto the braided rug that kept the fabric off the floor. “He's upstairs. Is something wrong?”

Jared greeted her and said, “No, ma'am. We just want to ask him about Andrew Nobleson.”

“Such a dreadful business. It makes me sad to see a young man taken off to jail like that. I know how much you and Mr. Ivy invested in that young man after he came to work for you, Mary Lou. I do hope you know my Reilly wasn't involved.”

Mary Lou assured her they only want to ask Reilly if he'd seen anything. “Maybe he noticed something no one else saw. You know how children see things that adults look right over.”