Summary: This “what happens later” story for Thanks for Everything, Friend, picks up after Tom Wilson has been dead for several months and a woman comes to Virginia City with one goal in mind: to kill Adam Cartwright for his role in Tom’s death. She holds Adam at gunpoint as she presses her case against him, and he tries to help her see the truth before she pulls the trigger.

Rating: K   Word Count: 9492

Note: The title of this comes from Adam’s last line in the episode when he says that Tom Wilson was, “One of a kind.” I always wondered why he would feel that way about the con artist, who’d used Cartwright connections to find his mark in Virginia City. While I can’t know exactly what the writers had in mind, I’ve tried to examine the episode and come up with some things that would have upset Adam about the loss.

 

One of a Kind

 

One

Nate opened the stagecoach door and took the hand of the woman trying to exit. He blushed deeply when he ended up grabbing her around her ample waistline to catch her after she nearly fell. “Sorry ma’am,” he mumbled as he got her righted on the ground, and moved quickly to unload the luggage. The young man gave the disembarking passenger a thorough looking over while unbuckling the straps on the boot, and blushed again as he realized that she wasn’t overweight as he’d originally thought. Her size and clumsiness stemmed from being far along in expecting a baby.

It surprised him to see a woman traveling in that condition. Overland coaches were slung on straps to give a modicum of shock absorption, but the swaying movement could induce nausea, and proved a bone-grinding, wearying ride for those in the best of shape. The trip was pure misery for anyone with health problems or physical limitations. Nate’s suspicions about the difficulty of the trip were confirmed when he noticed the dark circles around the woman’s eyes contrasting with the pale white of her cheeks, and the way she stood with her hands pressed into the small of her back as she waited for her bag.

His attention was drawn away from her while he got the other passengers on their way, and he was surprised when he found the expectant woman still standing on the dusty street alone, after the noise and activity of the stage arrival waned. He suspected that her relatives were simply delayed in picking her up, and yet she wasn’t exhibiting any of the fidgeting he usually saw when someone was left waiting for their ride home. If he were to describe what he saw in her, he’d say she looked lonely…maybe even abandoned, and it made him feel protective toward her. He placed her satchel on the boardwalk, and then ushered her there as well, telling her that he’d be able to give her a hand after he sent the stage to the livery for a fresh team.

“Now,” he said as he returned, “I’ll get you a seat inside if you’re waitin’ on someone, or I can carry your things if you if you tell me where you’re headed. I’m assumin’ you’re not from these parts since I might recognize you if you was.”

She eyed him cautiously. “No one’s coming for me.”

“Then where to, ma’am?”  He asked when she gave no further information.

“I’m not sure,” she replied as she scanned the signs of the nearby building. “Is there a good hotel?”

“The International House is the best…and probably the safest for a woman traveling alone. But there’s a few boarding houses that are more reasonable and nice enough.”

Her head rose as she straightened her spine. “Take me to the hotel.”

Nate’s face puckered as he decided whether to push her for more information. “Would you like to send a message to let someone know you’re here, Ma’am? The telegraph office is right next door, and it would save you a trip back later.”

A puzzled look spread across the delicate features of her face. “Why’d I want to do that? I got no one in this world, ‘ceptin myself.”

“Oh,” he stuttered, “I just expected you’d come to be with someone…ah…now…since you’re about to…” His words ended as offered her his arm and they walked toward the hotel in silence. His original concern for her was waning in favor of uneasiness, and he decided he didn’t want to know more. His head snapped toward her as she spoke.

“My husband died here a few months back. I came to take care of the man who killed him.”

The fact that this statement had been delivered with no emotion or facial expression sent a cold chill up Nate’s spine. “Well, here we are,” he said as he escorted her through the doors of the hotel. He placed her things by the stairs, tipped his hat and nodded toward the desk clerk, and said, “Fred’ll take good care of you now, Ma’am. Thanks for riding Overland,” before he made a hasty exit.

Two

“What can I do for you?” Fred asked as he gave his newest patron a smiling once-over.

“I need a room,” she replied as she stared ahead blankly. Her voice continued on in the same toneless drone as she added, “I’d like it on the first floor for a night or two until I take care of my business.”

Fred usually made small talk with new customers, suggesting where they might eat and shop, but there was something peculiar about this young woman. He estimated her as being no more than 17, and from the looks of her, ready to deliver a child very soon. But that wasn’t what bothered him. It was her eyes. They were dark and dead, and stayed that way even when she’d attempted a sour-looking smile. He reached to pull a key from the cubby hole behind the desk while she signed in, and said, “I’m sorry, Mrs…” He paused to read her name from the ledger, “Mrs. Wilson, but there are no guest rooms on the street level. I can put you close to the stairway on the next floor.” He handed her a key attached to a fob emblazoned with the number two. “Go on up and I’ll bring your things in a minute. The tub room is across the hall, and just call down to me from the top of the steps should you need anything brought up.”

She’d made it halfway to the staircase when she returned. “Do you know a man named, Adam Cartwright?”

“Of course, Mrs. Wilson.” Fred smiled broadly. “Everyone in these parts knows the Cartwrights. They own half the territory, and always stay here if they remain in the city overnight.”

“Have you seen him today?” she asked with a slightly more animated tone.

“No, ma’am. The Cartwrights don’t come to town often.” He smiled again as he remembered a bit of information. “But they were here last week, and made a reservation in the restaurant…for tomorrow, I think.” After checking his reservation list, he said, “Yes, here it is; at noon.” He watched as his patron smiled, and he shivered when he realized it reminded him more of a snake’s grin than a human’s. “I’ll be on duty then, so I can let Adam know you’d like to see him when he arrives.”

Her, “No!” came out as a shout, but she covered it with another eerie smile. “Mr. Cartwright was a friend of my late husband, but he doesn’t know me. I have a something for him, and I’d like it to be a surprise.”

“Sure, Mrs. Wilson,” he replied. “I won’t say a thing. Stop by the desk and I’ll point him out.”

Three

Little Joe was having trouble talking without giggling as he tried to finish his story. “So she says to Mitch, ‘Not if you was the last man on earth!”

The other five men having lunch together broke into laughter, with Paul Martin asking, “But aren’t Mitch and Sally getting married on Saturday?”

“They sure are,” Hoss replied. “I guess after all that blusterin’ on her part, Mitch ended up being the only man on earth for her.” He took a long drink from his beer mug before adding, “It’s kind a sweet when you think about it. They was always fightin’ and carryin’ on, and then they got to thinkin’ that there might be a better way to get along.”

Little Joe was giggling again. “I’ll give them six months. By then they’ll either divorce or kill each other.”

Ben gave him a stern look while the others laughed. “Let’s not wish them ill, son. Your own mother nearly ran me down with her horse the first time I saw her, and wanted nothing to do with me when I finally met her.” He grinned at his son. “And you know how well that worked out.”

The group became silent as the restaurant staff approached the table with a large decorated cake that they placed in front of Roy Coffee while wishing him a happy birthday.

Roy’s cheeks turned pink as he thanked them, and then turned toward his companions “I suspected you remembered what day it was when you arranged for this lunch. But at my age, you tend to stop celebrating the passing of time, and sort of celebrate just waking in the morning, still able to get up and think straight.”

“You know what they say, Roy,” Adam said with a wry grin. “You’re only as old as you feel.”

“Then I must be nearin’ a hundred.” Roy laughed as he slid a knife into the cake. “Thank you. It makes me feel right proud to have such good friends as I got in all of you.”

***

Fred had arranged for a breakfast tray to be taken up to the mysterious pregnant woman when he’d come on duty, but he hadn’t seen her come down yet. He jumped when he looked up from writing a note and found her standing there. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Wilson.” He’d noted her pale skin and sunken eyes at check-in, and felt a twinge of sadness that she looked no better after a night’s rest.

Her gaze shifted from the clerk to the full dining room. “Is he in there?”

“Yes he is. In fact the entire Cartwright family is here with Doc Martin and the Sheriff.” He leaned across the desk and pointed. “See that large table by the window? Adam is the one in the black shirt with his back towards us. I didn’t say anything to him about you.”

Her voice returned to the hollow tone from the day before. “That’s good.” She stood on her toes to get a better look as she braced herself against the counter. “Is it someone’s birthday?”

“Sheriff Coffee’s. The sheriff and the doc are two of closest friends the Cartwrights have in Virginia City.”

She pursed her lips as she considered that one of the guests was a lawman, but clicked her tongue as she mumbled, “I guess it doesn’t matter.”

Fred said, “I can take you over and introduce you,” but she walked away without answering, and he went back to writing his note.

***

“Adam Cartwright?” she asked after stopping next to the man the clerk had pointed out.

Adam turned, bringing his line of sight even with the woman’s large belly. He blushed as he quickly adjusted his gaze upwards, and rose to greet her. “Yes, I am,” he answered while trying to recall her face. “Have we met before?”

She ignored his question while staring at him. “I think you knew my husband.”

His eyebrows pulled together, and he gave a slight shrug when he turned toward his family. “Would you like to join us?” he suggested as he refocused on her. “We have cake and coffee…or you can order lunch if you haven’t eaten.”

Her face remained void of emotion. “I’d like to speak privately.”

“That can be arranged.” His smile elicited no response. “Excuse me one moment,” Adam turned to the others at the table again, extending his hand to offer Roy a final wish for his birthday, and then escorted the stranger to an empty table away from the noise of the busy dining room. After ordering a pot of tea for his guest, he leaned back into his chair. “You said that I ‘knew’ your husband,” he began with a kindly smile. “Does that mean he’s no longer with us?”

She blinked several times and took a deep breath before pulling her large, heavy-looking handbag onto her lap. Reaching inside, she withdrew a section of newspaper; unfolded it; slid it across the table, and then jabbed at an article in the middle of the page, hissing, “Are you the Adam Cartwright in that story?”

His eyes were narrowed when he looked up after scanning the print. “I didn’t realize the story had been picked up by the Sacramento paper.” He pulled the paper closer and looked for the date of printing.  He tipped his head as he continued to observe her. “How is this old article about Tom Wilson connected to you?”

“Tom Wilson was my husband.”

Adam sat up straight; his eyes rounding in surprise. “Huh?”

The woman’s calm, toneless voice became animated as she spat. “I want to know why you killed my husband.”

He expelled a deep breath and chose his words. “I knew Tom Wilson for a couple of weeks after her pulled me from the river. He never said he was married. In fact he gave me the impression that he’d come to this area to get out of marrying someone where he’d been. And I didn’t kill him. Even the article points out that he was killed by a member of the posse that came to arrest him for murder. So…you’ll need to explain why you think I’m responsible.”

Her chin rose and the empty look returned. “You ruined everything. He was coming back for me when you led that posse after him. You’re the one who killed him whether you fired the shot or not.”

He released another long sigh while shoving his chair away from the table. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but since you’re making accusations that don’t agree with the facts, I’m going to leave.” The woman’s handbag made a loud clunk as she hefted it onto the table. Adam hesitated a moment before rising, wondering what she would pull out of the large receptacle next. He kicked himself when he heard the unmistakable click of a revolver’s hammer being set. He leaned back in his chair. “I’m assuming there’s a pistol in your purse that’s aimed at me, and should I try to leave, you’ll shoot?”

“You’re very smart, Mr. Cartwright.” The left side of her mouth twitched into a mocking grin. “Just so you know; I’m good with a gun. My pa ran businesses in a gold town, and he made sure I knew how to defend myself if I’d have needed to.”

“I see.” He grinned back at her. “May I ask why you feel it’s necessary to hold me at gunpoint?”

“I intend to shoot you. Whether it’s now or later is fine with me.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Later sounds good. But you should probably know that my family and the sheriff are still here, and they won’t take kindly to me being dead. Have you thought about what’ll happen to you and your child when you’re arrested for murder?”

Her gaze turned cold and hollow again. “It don’t matter what happens to me anymore. The doc in Last Chance City where I come from says the baby’s layin’ wrong and I’ll die trying to birth it. So my life will end soon just like yours. Fact is…I’m hoping somebody shoots me after I take care of you. It’ll be over fast that way.”

Adam’s shock at her statement showed in his deep frown and furrowed brow. “Are you sure about this? Another man at that other table is the best doctor in Nevada. He might have some ideas about how to help you.”

She snorted as her face settled into a scowl. “I think the baby’s already dead. I haven’t felt it move for some days, and I’m feeling more poorly every minute, so there’s no use in talking to any doctor. I just got one job left before I die, and that’s killing you.”

“Well then, we better get back to why you’re here. You think I’m responsible for Tom’s death because I led the posse? You might like to know that I didn’t want him shot, just captured.” He wasn’t nervous about his situation because he knew he could overcome her physically—overturn the table to deflect the shot or distract her to push the bag away—if it came to that. But he wanted to hear her out first. She obviously had cared about Tom Wilson, and she’d been driven to hopelessness because of it. Adam had seen this same behavior in Sue Miller after Tom had died. “Maybe you could begin with your name and how you met Tom.”

The fog around her lifted for a moment as a genuine smile of remembrance flooded her cheeks with a pink glow. But her answer was deferred as Ben came to the table.

The tall man stopped next to his son. “I don’t mean to interrupt, Adam, but we do have to see the lawyer, and Mike said he’d only be available until two. Perhaps you could meet Mrs…”

“Wilson,” Adam provided.

“Mrs. Wilson a little later.” He tipped his hat to Adam’s guest.

She looked up, staring straight at Ben’s eyes as she spoke, her tone emotionless as before. “Your son isn’t going anywhere, Mr. Cartwright. We’re going to have a talk, and then I’m going to shoot him.”

“She’s got a pistol aimed at me from inside her bag,” Adam explained.

Ben’s hand moved instinctively to his holster, but stopped when he saw the shape of a pistol draped in the fabric of her purse, “What’s this about?”

“I’m not sure yet. We were getting to the story as you came over.” Adam looked up reassuringly, and said calmly, “I’d like you return to the table and wait this out, Pa. If she goes through with her plan, she’ll need to be arrested. And either way, she’s going to need a doctor soon.” After a quick glance back at the woman, he realized he was correct about her need for care. She was becoming more ashen by the minute and rubbing at her stomach with her free hand. He suspected she was in labor, but doubted she’d admit it until she couldn’t control the pain. He addressed his father again. “I know you want to intervene, but please let me handle this for now. I think it might be a good idea to send Hoss and Joe over to Sue Miller’s place and bring her here.”

“I don’t understand,” Ben blustered. “What’s this got to do with Sue?”

Adam’s voice remained calm. “My guest says she’s Tom Wilson’s widow.” He stopped as he heard his father take a startled breath. “I’m assuming you remember Tom and the trouble he caused here. Mrs. Wilson feels I’m responsible for Tom’s death, and right now, I think Sue is the only person who can understand what this woman is going through.”

Four

“I’m gonna go put an end to this right now!” Roy vowed after hearing what Ben had to say when he returned to their table.

“Let’s give Adam a chance to figure out what’s going on,” Ben advised as he shook his head and leaned back in his chair. “I don’t like this anymore than you do, but we’ll know when he wants us to step in.”

Paul wrinkled his nose and tipped his head as he watched the woman. “I wish I could get closer. She looks very frail and her posture would indicate that she’s uncomfortable.” He pointed towards Adam’s table. “See how her back is curved and she’s leaning into the table.”

“What do you think it is?” Ben asked.

“She might be going into labor, but the fact that she looks ill doesn’t bode well if she is. There could be something seriously wrong with her or the baby. Time will tell, I guess. If she’s in labor, she won’t be able to continue threatening Adam much longer.”

***

The restaurant began to clear after Roy Coffee ordered the staff to stop seating guests and tell the other diners that they had to close due to a problem in the kitchen.

At their table, Adam demanded, “Now talk.” He leaned forward, observing the beads of sweat forming on her lip and brow. “You’re obviously in pain, so I think we need to get this over with, and then Doctor Martin can take a look at you.”

“Putting an end to you will put an end to any pain I’m feeling.”

He scratched his head and sighed disgustedly. “I’m tired of your threats, so shoot me or talk.” He waited a moment and said sternly. “Now…what’s your name? Your real name; I don’t believe you were married to Tom.”

She sat up straighter with his demand and accusation. “I’m Fiona Mackenzie. You’re right. I wasn’t ‘married’ to Tom Wilson, at least not in front of a minister or judge. But he said that he was taking me as his common-law wife when he got me to…” She blushed to a light pink, and averted her eyes.

He chuckled. “That sounds like something Tom would say.” He smiled sardonically. “So how’d you meet him?”

“He stayed at our hotel when he came through Last Chance. My pa owned the restaurant and saloon there, so I saw Tom all the time when I was working. He had a lot of luck playing poker with the miners.”

“Let me guess; he got real friendly as he found out more about your father owning those establishments.”

Fiona closed her eyes as she thought back. “We talked a lot, so I suppose it came up.”

“I bet Tom’s questions came back to your father quite often.” He saw he was right as she swallowed hard and bit her lip.

Her eyebrows rose and she sniffed sharply. “He was gentle and sweet with me, and he waited a whole week before he even kissed me. I’d gone to a convent school in Sacramento after my mother died, and came back when I got old enough to help Pa. Tom was the first gentlemen I ever met, and I got to like him fast. The miners who came to town were a surly and dirty bunch who cared nothing for romancing a girl properly.”

In spite of being held at gunpoint, Adam took satisfaction in pulling a story out of Fiona that confirmed his impressions. His initial thought in listening to her had been that she had some education. This was confirmed by her admission of attending school in Sacramento, and he assumed her lapses into bad grammar were due to living in a locale where proper speech wasn’t practiced or valued. Her talk of falling for Tom didn’t surprise him either. He’d seen the effect of the man’s charm on Sue Miller in the short time Wilson had spent with her. He had no doubt that Fiona had been just as easily smitten.

Now he wanted to see if his other assumptions were correct as well. “Why’d Tom leave?”

She turned crimson for an instant. “Pa caught us…um…together, and held a gun on Tom, saying he had to marry me for what we were doing.” Her lips turned in a genuine smile. “Tom said that he’d be proud to have me, and he said we’d see the judge the next day.”

“And did he show up?” Adam knew the answer, but asked anyway.

“I’m not sure how he got away since Pa was watching him like a hawk after a field mouse. But Tom left a note saying he wanted to be a proper husband, and would come back when he had enough money to do that.”

Adam laughed loudly. “Let me ask you something; did one of the ladies from the saloon come to get your father away from his post? Maybe she said there was an emergency in the bar?”

She gave him a scathing look. “It was one of the maids saying a hotel guest was needing to see Pa. But how did you…”

He gave her a kindly look. “I’m pretty sure Tom made lots of friends wherever he was. He obviously asked the maid to distract your father while he made his escape.”

“But he did it for a good reason.” Her mouth formed an angry pout.

“You must realize he never intended to come back.” He let his conclusion linger as he thought a moment. “What happened when your father found out there was baby on the way?”

The red cheeks made another appearance. “He said he’d find Tom and kill him, but he wasn’t sure where to look. Pa wrote to the lawmen in every city on the routes Tom might have taken from Last Chance. The sheriff in Placerville sent that article.” She nodded toward the paper. “Tom had been accused of cheating there, but they couldn’t prove anything and had to let him go. He wrote that he’d recognized the name in Pa’s inquiry, and thought he’d want to know what had happened.”

“I am sorry, Fiona.” He said soothingly. “It sounds like you’ve had a hard time since Tom Wilson came into your life.” His concern elicited no response. “Tom died four months back. Why’d you wait until now to come after me?”

“We didn’t get the paper until last month. I wanted to come right away, but Pa said I was a danged fool, and got so mad he had an attack of some kind and died. That’s about the time the doctor said the baby and me were gonna die too, and I decided you needed to pay for keeping Tom from coming back and making things right. I had to wait until I could get some money from the bank after Pa passed…you know, to pay for the trip and maybe get a headstone for Tom’s grave.”

Adam’s mind was spinning. What was it about men like Tom Wilson that turned sweet, seemingly normal women into crazies who would do anything for them, even after being abused and abandoned? It made no sense! Yet here he was, being held at gunpoint by a very pregnant—probably going-into labor—child who felt she’d  been wronged: not by the man who’d gotten her in this condition and left her to fend for herself, but by him, the man who’d proved Wilson a manipulating liar and murderer.

He did know one thing for sure; his time to find out more was waning. Fiona was now grimacing every few minutes, and during those times she’d grip the edge of the table so hard with her free hand that her knuckles turned white. Adam wondered if the naïve young woman understood what was happening.

Glancing toward the table where Paul, Roy, and his father held watch, he could tell that their patience was nearing an end, and they would act soon whether he had his answers or not. Ben’s face was set in a scowl and his foot was beating a steady rhythm on the floor, while the good sheriff’s fingers set their own muffled beat on the tablecloth. Paul looked concerned instead of angry, and Adam figured the doctor could see Fiona’s predicament, and was anxious to lend a hand…even if his future patient was threatening to shoot his good friend.

Once her face settled back into her menacing glare and she was breathing normally again, he said calmly, “We need to finish this conversation; you need a doctor. Tell me why you hold me at fault for your problems instead of Tom.”

“You stuck your nose in where it didn’t belong,” she growled as her face gnarled in pain again. After a few deep breaths, she added, “That paper says a girl’s pa was killed here, and Tom was arrested for it. But Tom went free after the daughter confessed that she’d done it by accident. Everything would have been fine then, but you got in the middle of it, and said it couldn’t have happened like she claimed. You’re the one who got him in trouble again; it’s because of you that he got cornered and shot.” Tears began to streak down her cheeks. “That paper said Tom saved your life, so how could you do that to him? You owed him!”

He drew a hissing breath between his teeth. “I owed Tom my gratitude. I gave him that along with an offer of friendship. But friendships don’t keep me from exposing the truth. Tom lied about what happened, and influenced the dead man’s daughter to confess to something she didn’t do. The Millers were my friends too, and I owed it to them to make sure the right person was held accountable. Tom needed to admit to what he did and stand trial.”

“I don’t believe a word you say. Why would Tom murder that man?”

“He did it for money…the same reason he was interested in you, Fiona. He met Sue Miller at a party given by my family. She was captivated by him, just as you were, and at first I figured that whatever was going on between Sue and Tom was their business. What I didn’t realize was how far Tom would go to get something for nothing. Mr. Miller knew that money was more important to a man like Tom Wilson than his daughter was, and tried to pay him to leave. Tom wanted more, and he said he’d go ahead and marry Sue to get her inheritance.” Adam shook his head. “The truth was that Tom knew Sue would do it, and her father knew it too. When Miller got worked up, Tom shot him and then tried to make it look like self-defense. Sitting in jail didn’t sit well with Tom. so he convinced Sue to say she’d done it.”

The agony of her latest contraction was gone, but a new pain reflected from her eyes: uncertainty. “Why would he want to marry this…Sue Miller…when he said he was coming back to marry me? It makes no sense.” She sobbed, “He must have been trying to come for me when he was shot. That’s the only thing that makes sense. He died trying to get back…” Her face sunk as the tears flooded her eyes, even while her hand remained fixed to the gun inside her purse.

A young, blond woman approached the table from the shadows. Adam had seen his brothers arrive with Sue some minutes earlier, but he’d given them a warning look to keep them from interrupting. They’d stayed far enough away to avoid attracting attention, while being close enough to hear the conversation.

Sue pulled a chair next to the weeping woman and spoke gently. “Did I hear Adam call you Fiona?” A brief head nod confirmed the name. “I’m Sue Miller, Fiona. I’ve been listening for a bit, and I heard you talking about Tom Wilson.” Another nod. “I loved him too, Fiona, so I can understand how sad you are about his death.”

Fiona turned toward the newcomer. “He must have been using you to get money so he could come back for me and our baby.”

“I’m going to be honest with you because you have to see the truth. I must have gone over what happened to me a hundred times before I could finally see what kind of man Tom was.”

“You’re going to tell me lies too,” Fiona snarled. “You’re jealous that he loved me instead of you.”

“The first truth is that he didn’t love either one of us,” Sue said gently. “Tom used people to get what he needed, and what he saw in us was cash that he didn’t have to work for. My father was wealthy, and I imagine you father had money too.”

“He never asked my pa for money.” Her head snapped up as she flashed a superior look.

“That’s because his plans got turned around in your case, Fiona,” Adam interjected. “You told me your father caught you and Tom together and insisted he marry you. Tom never meant to marry Sue either. He used the threat of marriage with Sue’s father to make him come up with more cash. But it was too late to ask your father for money not to marry you, so he ran. His scam was working in Virginia City, and he was close to getting what he wanted. But Sue’s father was a hardheaded man. He probably did make threats, and Tom shot first.” Adam shook his head. “If he’d stayed and told what happened, he might have convinced the sheriff that he’d acted out of fear for his life.” He nodded toward Sue. “Your father did have a temper.”

“Yes he did,” Sue agreed. “That’s why I believed Tom’s story about shooting in self-defense. Pa had run others off the property at gunpoint when he’d thought they’d tried to swindle him.” She touched Fiona’s arm. “Tom told me that others wouldn’t believe his story, and we would be together sooner if I would say I’d done it by accident. I believed everything he told me, and the frosting on his lies came when he said we’d have the sheriff marry us while I was still in jail. That way he wouldn’t have to testify about what happened, and he could get at Pa’s money to hire a good lawyer for me.” She touched Fiona’s hand. “I believed we would marry; I’d get off, and we’d live happily ever after. Luckily Adam and a friend of mine couldn’t accept the version of the shooting that I’d told the sheriff, and they went back to the house to look for evidence to prove what really happened. I was so angry at Jerry and Adam when I found out what they’d done. I thought they were to blame for Tom’s death too, and hated them for ruining my life.”

Fiona glanced quickly at Adam before turning her attention back to Sue. “What changed your mind about Tom?

“A woman came to speak with me, just like I’m doing with you. Her name was Tilly; she was a saloon girl Tom spent time with when he wasn’t with me. Tilly liked Tom too, but she said he wasn’t so nice to her as he was to me. She had nothing to offer him but ‘companionship,’ and he partook of that quite frequently while supposedly courting me. It still took time for me to accept what Tom Wilson was capable of doing, but her story finally got through my thick head. She was with him after he went free because of my confession. They were about to ‘celebrate’ his impending marriage and fortune with champagne and an evening together when Adam showed up and confronted Tom with the evidence proving that he’d killed my father.”

Sue took a breath. “The thing that stuck with me was when Tilly said that Tom treated her like she was stupid, but she was smart enough to remember what he said he was going to do once he had my money. He told her he thought I was sweet and pretty, but I didn’t fit into his plans, and he’d have left after telling me that he needed to go to San Francisco to find a lawyer. He figured I’d get the marriage annulled when I realized he wasn’t coming back, and the sheriff would let me go when I recanted my story. By then he’d be on his way to Mexico with a good amount of my money.”

Fiona remained mute as Sue concluded. “Tom Wilson didn’t care what happened to you, and he didn’t care what happened to me either. He never took responsibility for the messes he made; he just ran.” She stroked the length of Fiona’s hair. “I know how hard this is to hear, and harder to believe. I lost my father to Tom Wilson. And Jerry, the man who really loved me and helped Adam prove I was innocent, left me too when I continued to grieve Tom in spite of everything I’d found out. I hate myself for this, but there are still times I only remember the sweet-talking Tom Wilson; the man who made me feel like a woman for the first time.”

“Are you beginning to see a different Tom Wilson than the man you knew?” The forceful question came from Adam when he saw Sheriff Coffee and his father rise, while his brothers inched closer from behind. He held his hand up to stop the impending assault, saying, “Give us another minute.”

Fiona waivered, but then her resolve returned as she pulled the gun from the bag and pointed it at Adam. “Maybe he wasn’t the man I thought, and I’m not sure about everything. But he loved me; I am sure of that.” She jabbed the gun toward her black-shirted nemesis. “You’re the one who ended him, and I need someone to pay for that.”

“Pay?” Adam snorted as he shook his head. “Haven’t we all paid already? Tom only used people for what he could get from them. He used me to get credibility in town and to find a target for his scheme, and he took far more from you and Sue. I’m sure there’s a long list of others he used and discarded along the roads he traveled.”

Uncertainty flooded Fiona’s eyes as she thought about what she’d heard, but her broken heart kept her from surrendering. “He was different with me!” She shouted. “I don’t care what he did. I was the one he would have come back to. I know he…” her words ended as severe pain tore through her abdomen. Every muscle in her body began to cramp. Her teeth clenched and the tendons in her neck and jaw tightened to the point where she couldn’t even scream. The cramping moved its way down her arms to hands, where her fingers began curling into tight balls.

Paul Martin saw what was happening and shouted. “Grab the gun!”

Hoss lunged at the table and grabbed her arm as Adam reached to change the direction the revolver was pointing. He was holding the barrel as her fingers clamped around the trigger. The eerie silence after the bullet exploded from the barrel was followed by the agonized howl that finally escaped from Fiona’s mouth. She grabbed her belly and continued a keening moan, while across from her, Adam crumbled onto the linen tablecloth; bright red blood spreading from his head along the fibers of white fabric.

Hoss grabbed the gun from the table and tossed it to the Joe, while Paul shifted his gaze from Adam to Fiona, trying to decide who needed attention first. The decision made, he began barking orders. Pointing to Fiona, he hollered, “Hoss get her to my office. Sue, you go along and do what you can to make her comfortable until I get there.” Hoss lifted Fiona and had her out the door in seconds, leaving Paul to attend to Adam. Relief flooded from the doctor in a loud sigh when he found only a scalp wound where the bullet had grazed the side of Adam’s head.”

“How serious is it,” Ben asked as he stood behind his son, leaning over him protectively.

“It gave him a new part in his hair, but I don’t think there’s damage to his skull.”

“Then why’s there so much blood, Roy asked. He wanted to do something about the situation, but there was nothing to do but wait for Paul to handle the emergencies. He knew Fiona couldn’t get away in her condition, and he needed to find out how seriously Adam had been hurt before he could even decide what sort of charges he was looking at.

Paul glanced over, noting Ben’s pallor, and suspected the quantity of blood bothered him too. He explained, “There are many small vessels in the scalp that bleed like everything, especially when they get shaved off like this. It makes this type of wound messy, but it also means it will heal fast. He’ll probably have a headache for a few days, and the patch of missing skin will sting miserably at first, and then itch like crazy when the hair starts coming back.”

“If it’s not serious, then why is he unconscious?” Ben asked.

Paul hesitated, chewing his lip. “A bullet would carry a wallop even just passing by at such close range. It would be like Hoss smacking him in the head with an axe handle after swinging it around a few times to build up momentum. I don’t think there’ll be any injury to his brain, but we’ll see how quickly he wakes up and assess how he’s doing then. ” Paul grabbed a clean napkin from the table, using it to stem the bleeding, and then tied it onto Adam’s head with his handkerchief. “He’s lucky he got the barrel turned enough that he didn’t get shot between the eyes.”

Ben grunted. “Lucky? Maybe he should have jumped for cover instead. Then he wouldn’t have been shot at all.”

Roy chuckled. “But that wouldn’t have been like Adam, Ben. The man doesn’t know how to avoid trouble.”

Little Joe had made it back from helping Hoss get the two women to Paul’s office and was standing at his brother’s side. “You got that right, Roy. That’s when having his granite-hard head comes in handy.” He nudged his father. “C’mon; you take one arm, I’ll get the other, and Roy can grab his feet so we can carry him over to Doc Martin’s place.” He chuckled. “We better hurry. Hoss was looking mighty pale when I left him there, and he’ll think he’s gonna have to deliver that baby if we don’t get back soon.”

Five

Adam’s loud yawn was echoed by snorts and gurgles issuing from his family as they relaxed in their suite at the International House. Paul’s earlier prediction that Adam hadn’t been hurt seriously had proved correct even though his other prediction of a headache had been accurate as well. Adam had awakened shortly after arriving in the doctor’s office feeling dizzy, but he’d regained his equilibrium after resting for a while. He’d been forced to wait several more hours until Paul had been assured that there were no further side effects of the close-range shot. Eventually, he’d been allowed to leave with orders to remain in town overnight and come in for a checkup in the morning.

Ben had seconded the opinion and decided that all of them would stick around to make sure his eldest complied. The hotel manager had heard what had happened and felt so bad that one of his guests had nearly killed one of his finest patrons that he offered the best suite to the Cartwright’s at no charge, and then sent up a bottle of fine liquor along with a small feast.

Hoss laughed after smacking his lips and rubbing his eyes. “Why is it that when one person yawns, everyone else wants to do the same thing?”

“Yeah, it’s almost like it’s contagious,” Little Joe added.

“Science will probably prove that it is one day.” Adam stretched as he rose and went to refill his glass with water. “Anyone else want something before I sit down? Paul says I can’t drink any of this fine booze tonight, but that doesn’t mean you can’t indulge.”

“I don’t mind if I do,” Ben answered, holding his glass up for the addition. He chuckled and turned towards Roy, who had joined them for a nightcap. “Besides, now I can offer a final birthday tribute to the sheriff of this fine city.”

Roy shook his head. “I’ve had all the birthday excitement I can handle. I’m just glad Adam wasn’t seriously injured, and that young woman lived through her ordeal.” He thought a moment before adding, “I still have to decide how to charge her.”

“I don’t think she really intended to shoot me. It’s more likely she thought it would bring some sense to what she’d been through if she could blame someone else. I also think we were at a point where she would have given up when the gun went off accidentally,” Adam suggested.

“It’s a shame the baby didn’t make it,” Hoss said, bowing his head. “Paul said Fiona had been right in thinking that little’un had already passed.”

Adam nodded. “It’s interesting how things work sometimes. If she hadn’t come here to ‘kill’ me, she probably would have died just as that other doctor had expected. Paul said that mining-town doctors are often just animal doctors who treat the teams of horses as well as the people, so she wouldn’t have stood a chance. Most general physicians don’t know how to do what Paul did to save her.”

“Is that what caused the baby to pass?” Hoss asked.

Hoss was a big and burly man, but Adam knew things like a child’s death affected his brother deeply. “It couldn’t have been saved, Hoss. The cord was around its neck and the compression…”

The younger man cut in as he blanched. “I seen that happen with calves now and again. It’s a sad thing.”

Adam waited as the others nodded their agreement, and then looked toward Roy again. “Paul also said that women can behave erratically when things go wrong late along, and it was made worse because the baby died. One of what she did made sense, so he doesn’t think she was acting rationally anymore.”

“That may be true, but she did plan out what she was gonna do, and then followed through.” Roy’s serious look softened. “It’s up to me to decide what to do, but I will talk to her when she’s feeling stronger. If she still holds a grudge towards you, I’ll charge her to the full extent of the law. But if it’s as Paul says, I might be inclined to let it pass with just disturbin’ the peace.”

“You do what you think best, Roy,” Adam conceded, “but I think she’s been through enough. She apologized to me before I left Paul’s. And that haunted, empty look was gone. Paul said that once the delivery is over, things usually return to normal quickly. She’s still sad and confused, but not unreasonable.”

“You know what I think is interestin?” Hoss asked the group, and continued without waiting for responses. “That gal was willing to shoot you, but she took real easy to Sue. Seems to me she’d a seen Sue as the competition for Tom’s affection. I can’t never understand how a woman’s brain works.”

‘You just described the bane of men throughout the ages.” Ben laughed heartily, before adding, “Paul told me that Sue is going to take Fiona to her house while she recovers, and then accompany her back to Last Chance, if Roy allows her to leave. But Hoss is right. It does seem an odd acquaintance.”

“I think they share a common loss,” Adam offered. “And even though they know what Tom was, I’d bet they each still feel they could have saved him if he’d have given them a chance to do it.”

“How do you account for that?” Little Joe’s face puckered as he thought about it. “What makes nice women go after guys like Tom Wilson? It’s happened to us too. We’ve found women we’d have done anything for, and then they went off with some guy who treated them bad.”

Hoss snorted. “I know just what you mean, brother. It happened to me more’n once.”

“And after they go off with these guys, they usually blame us for letting them do it!” Little Joe squealed, before laughing. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand, so I’m gonna stop thinking about it.” He looked directly at Adam to change the subject. “When Wilson was killed, you said something about him being, ‘one of a kind.’ I wondered about that but didn’t ask then because it didn’t seem to matter since he’d died. But now that this whole thing came up again, I’d like to know what you meant?”

“I wondered the same thing, Adam,” Ben added. “I didn’t press you then either since you didn’t seem to want to talk about it.”

The oldest Cartwright son thought about his response as he massaged the throbbing area in his temple near the wound. “Many men who live off their wits lack any sense of humanity, but Tom was different. He could have let me drown that day and waited until I floated to shore to take anything of value. But he saved me and was honest about the kind of man he was. I respected his candor.” He looked around the room, “And you all have to admit that he was very likeable and entertaining that night he ate with us, and charming to all the women at the party we gave. He’d been a lot of places and done a lot of things that went into making him unique.”

“I agree with you to a point,” Been interjected. “But did his good qualities and frankness about his way of life make up for the trouble he caused?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Adam leaned back in his chair, steepled his fingers, and bit his upper lip as he considered his response. “In some ways, they did.” He grinned at the shocked expressions. “Let me explain before you conclude that I lost my mind when that bullet grazed my head. Tom ‘took’ money from my wallet that first day, but he told me about it later and repaid me. I’m sure he cheated at cards too, but since he could only deal himself a good hand when he had the deck, I’d surmise that he bluffed far better than he could cheat, and that galled the other players even more.” He stopped for a sip of water. “Even his cheating wasn’t flashy. The day I saw him accused of it, there was only a low card where they expected something big. What I realized after the others left was that card would have given Tom a straight. I have no doubt that those who played with him stayed in the game because they were convinced that they could outwit him at some point and get their money back.”

He watched for a second to gage the group’s reaction, and saw interest rather than shock. “At first I thought I’d met that singular man who was able to run his scams without really hurting anyone. In fact I figured most people knew very quickly what he was like, and if they stuck around they were as much to blame for what happened to them as he was. I knew exactly what Tom was, but my intellect was piqued, and I wanted to see how he’d act when I gave him the opportunity to function without resorting to trickery.” He breathed deeply and exhaled. “I was wrong about some of my assumptions. It was different when he was playing his marks at the poker tables than when he went after Sue and Fiona. He did hurt them. Even though they encouraged his attention, they were too naïve to understand his motives.”

Adam allowed the grunts of agreement to die down before continuing. “I was upset by his death because I truly wanted to see how he would have played the new hand he’d been dealt. He wasn’t used to anyone forcing him to do the right thing, and I managed to expose his lies and back him into a corner. He was an interesting study—one of a kind—but what I’ve come to see is that he couldn’t do the one thing that would have made him the most interesting: admit his lies and pay for what he’d done. Watching what happened to Sue after his death, and hearing Fiona’s story ended any sympathetic thoughts I had for him.”

Roy drained his glass and stood. “You summed that up just right.” He saluted Adam. “I’m just glad you didn’t die trying to let Fiona have her say.” Grabbing his hat from the coffee table, he adjusted it on his head before adding, “Those two women gettin’ together might be just what they both need. I heard Sue telling Fiona that what happened to them was on their shoulders because they didn’t pay attention to the warnings they were given about him. I’m glad she can admit that now. Wilson was a sweet-talker, but those girls did choose to act in ways they knew were wrong.” He paused in the doorway. “One thing that puzzles me is how Jerry stuck by Sue through the worst of it, and then left her.”

Little Joe cleared his throat. “Jerry stopped by to see me before he went to work for the Triple-M near Carson. He said he felt bad for Sue at first because she had no one to look after her when Wilson killed her father. But he got tired of being a shoulder to cry on, and having everything he did measured against a ghost. He said she knows where he is if she changes her mind.”

Hoss grinned. “I think she’s already doin’ that…changin’ her mind, I mean. Y’all heard what she said about how hangin’ on to those memories cost her a good friend. I’ll bet you she sends a letter off real soon.”

Six

Ben and his two younger sons continued to talk about the day after Roy left, while Adam drifted into silence.

“Are you thinking of Boston, son?” Ben poked at Adam’s knee and asked with a grin. “Or are you falling asleep and wish we’d all go to bed?”

“Neither one, Pa.” The eldest’s pink cheeks and sheepish grin confirmed that he hadn’t been paying attention. He’d recently told his family of his desire to return to Boston and pick up with his engineering career, and there’d been many times since then when they’d caught him making mental plans for the trip. The weeks he’d spent mulling over the decision to leave the ranch had distanced him from his family and the workings of the ranch, and his behavior hadn’t gone unnoticed. He’d been surprised and relieved when he finally confided his plans to his father, only to find out that the man he’d spent his entire life next to, had already figured it out.

A good part of his hesitancy in putting his thoughts into action had stemmed from his fear that Ben Cartwright would not take kindly to losing his oldest son to the East. But his father had told him to take the path that was right for him. Adam knew that no matter what Ben said, he would always remain hopeful that his son would return one day when city life lost its appeal. He wouldn’t dash those hopes yet, but there was far more to his change of locale than a career path. His grandfather wouldn’t be around too many more years and he wanted to spend that time with him, and there was a woman he wanted to see again…and just maybe—if the fates and angels steered his course—she’d become his wife.

Hoss pushed into his thoughts. “So what were you thinkin’ about?”

The blush returned for an instant. “I know you’d like a fairy tale ending to this story, but I don’t think it will happen. Jerry and Sue should each have a fresh start with someone who doesn’t know or care about Tom Wilson.”

“Why’d you say that?” The question came from Little Joe.

“Jerry grew up and learned a lot during that ordeal, but he’ll never be suave or easy with women like Tom was. He needs to find someone who thinks his awkward ways and painful shyness are wonderful assets. Sue, on the other hand, is going to have trouble moving past her ideal of what life with Tom would have been like. Those who’ve loved hard and lost, often try to find a person who makes them feel the way they once did. In Sue’s case, she’ll be afraid that she might be used again, but she won’t settle for someone just because they aren’t a scoundrel.”

Ben nodded. “That makes sense. So what do you think will happen to Fiona?”

Adam’s head moved side-to-side. “That’s harder to say. She’s lost far more, and will probably always think Tom was a better person when he was with her.”

“All I care about is that she stops blaming you!” Ben rose and stretched. “There’s nothing we can do to make things easier for any of them, so I’m going to bed before I fall asleep in the chair.” His earlier grin returned and deepened as he went over to inspect the bandage on Adam’s head. After assuring himself that all was well, he stood back in his typical fatherly pose—fists on his hips as he gazed down—and said sternly, “There is one thing I still want to teach you before you leave for Boston that will make your life a lot easier.”

The left side of Adam’s mouth rose in a half-smile. “What’s that, Pa?”

“How to duck.”

The End

 

Tags:  Adam Cartwright, Family, Paul Martin, Roy Coffee