{"id":36435,"date":"2021-05-21T11:21:58","date_gmt":"2021-05-21T15:21:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=36435"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:38:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:38:35","slug":"buried-alive-by-missjudy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=36435","title":{"rendered":"Buried Alive (By Missjudy)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:<\/strong> This is a sequel to The Trial of Jessica Hardy. Four months have passed since Adam’s disappearance and presumed death, and life has taken on a more normal flow for the Cartwright’s who have conquered their grief to find joy again.\u00a0 But just as things begin to even out, a series of coincidences and incidents bring them\u00a0 back to the woman accused of\u00a0 causing Adam’s death. The Cartwrights will become instrumental in helping others, while learning the truth of what happened to Adam.<\/p>\n

Rating: T<\/strong> – But only for adult themes and conversations. No overt situations<\/p>\n

Word Coun<\/strong>t:\u00a0 32615<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Trial of Jessica Hardy Series<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

The Trial of Jessica Hardy<\/a>
\nBuried Alive<\/a>
\nThe Empty Casket<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Previously: <\/strong>This is the sequel to The Trial of Jessica Hardy<\/em>: my story about a woman arriving in Virginia City who involves Adam in her scheme to rob a large bank. While she believed she could entice him into joining her in her criminal pursuits, she\u2019d picked the absolutely wrong man. All evidence at the time of her capture pointed to her having killed Adam following the robbery, even though his body was never found. She was tried for her crimes, and imprisoned in the state prison in Carson City.<\/p>\n

As The Trial of Jessica<\/em> Hardy<\/em> ends, she is entering the prison, while thinking it felt like being buried alive: the same fate she\u2019d provided for Adam ….<\/p>\n

(I\u2019ve included a recurring element in this story. It comes up early in Ben\u2019s memories, and repeats later with a different image creating the same thought. Let me know if you pick up on it.)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Buried Alive<\/strong><\/p>\n

One<\/strong> \u00a0(Four months after Adam\u2019s disappearance.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Hoss looked up from the checker board, noticing the serious set of his father\u2019s face. Aware of Little Joe\u2019s penchant for cheating, he kept his index finger on the double-stack of black discs he intended to jump over the last two red checkers for the win, and used his free hand to nudge Little Joe\u2019s arm, nodding towards the red chair where their father was reading the newspaper. Joe shrugged, his eyebrows following the same upwards motion as his shoulders.<\/p>\n

After completing his sweep of the board, he grinned at Little Joe, now howling in disbelief at losing. \u201cYou must\u2019a been thinking more about that pretty young filly you saw in town today, instead of the game. I beat you way too easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben lowered the paper, taking time to appreciate the normal post-game foofaraw. Normal <\/em>was not a guest they\u2019d entertained in this house for a while. He smiled, feeling great love for these two who\u2019d never left his side during the upheaval following Adam\u2019s disappearance, the trial and the life adjustments that had followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat were you readin\u2019 that got you lookin\u2019 so concerned, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn article caught my eye about plans for the hundred-acres of land near Reno set aside for a state asylum some years back.\u201d1<\/sup><\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t there an asylum there already?\u201d Little Joe asked as his cheek crept upwards.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s private. Inmates are funded by their families. This article says they operate a farm with patients doing some physical work to keep busy. Most of their clients come from Sacramento and San Francisco.\u201d His left cheek rose. \u201cMore money out that way, I suppose. But with Carson and Virginia Cities growing fast, the state wants a public institution they\u2019d operate much like what\u2019s there now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe scratched his head and looked at Hoss. \u201cDidn\u2019t you just tell us something about that place?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded. \u201cIt was Hoss\u2019 story that prompted my interest.\u201d When Hoss continued to look puzzled, his father jogged his memory. \u201cBill Sachs mentioned it when you delivered the heifers out that way last week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah!\u201d Hoss\u2019 face lit up. \u201cBill\u2019s crew was talkin\u2019 about a wildman man hidin\u2019 in the woods over there. Some\u2019a them swore it was a ghost that appeared and disappeared right in front of them. But considerin\u2019 this wildman had an abundance of dark hair and whiskers, others speculated it was the prophet Elijah returned. I told them about the wildman runnin\u2019 around the Ponderosaa couple years back, bein\u2019 a lost girl, and Bill said he figured one of them asylum fellas had wandered off. When he went over there to check, they said they weren\u2019t missin\u2019 no one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was probably the truth,\u201d Ben supplied with a knowing grin. \u201cThey\u2019d probably found him by then, and wouldn\u2019t admit that a confused soul had walked away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMight you be lookin\u2019 towards a lumber bid if they build a new place?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be years before they break ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 cheeks moved upwards until he was squinting. \u00a0\u201cYou do look more like it that article was weighin\u2019 on your mind instead of nudging your financial interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben put the paper aside and leaned forward to pour a finger of brandy from the carafe into his empty glass. \u201cI haven\u2019t heard anything about Truckee Farm Asylum in the years it\u2019s been there, but now it\u2019s come up twice in a short period. Coincidences always make me curious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe\u2019s lips pulled to the side. \u201cNow that you mention it, this is the third<\/em> time I\u2019ve heard about that place. \u00a0Garret Mills was at the Bucket the other day, looking pretty beat down. He said he\u2019d just come back from his uncle\u2019s place near Sacramento, and found out his aunt was placed there when she got so confused, she\u2019d wander away when she was home alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben frowned deeply. \u201cI\u2019m sorry to hear that. Yet, the only<\/em> negative thing I\u2019ve ever heard, is that the main question they ask at admission is whether there\u2019s money to pay, and the person is released if the money runs out.\u201d Ben glanced over at the clock and chuckled. \u201cThat\u2019s enough deep thinking for one day. I\u2019m calling it a night; you two are welcome to remain for a rematch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe yawned in response to his father\u2019s suggestion. \u201cI know I\u2019m tired when Hoss can beat me. I\u2019ll head up too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood and drained the last amber drops from his glass before carrying it to the kitchen. On his trip back through the living area, he diverted towards the empty blue chair, grasping the top edge for a moment before heading up the stairs.<\/p>\n

The two boys wished their father a good night, and waited until they heard his door close above them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like he gives that chair a little hug each night,\u201d Joe said quietly.<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded. \u201cTruth is, I often walk in the house expectin\u2019 to see Adam sittin\u2019 there like he was that night ….\u201d Hoss swallowed hard. \u201cNone of us thought it would be the last time we\u2019d see him.\u201d He ran his sleeve across his cheeks. \u201cEverything seemed fine as frog\u2019s hair. He talked about takin\u2019 a newcomer for a ride. It weren\u2019t even like he was callin\u2019 on her; he was just bein\u2019 neighborly. He couldn\u2019t have suspected she was pure evil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe nodded. \u201cI worried that Pa would never be the same after hearing the lies she told about Adam during her trial. What saved him, was that no one believed her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI gotta stop you there, little brother, or I\u2019ll be up all night thinkin\u2019 about Adam. And as I recall there\u2019s lots of work to do tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good point, Hoss. Seems like you\u2019re the man of logic in our house now. How about I clean up the checkers while you lock up and turn down the lamps?\u201d<\/p>\n

Two<\/strong><\/p>\n

This day, like every other for the last four months, weighed heavy on Ben\u2019s bones. He dropped to the edge of his bed, reaching to turn up the lamp and retrieve his journal from the bedside table. He\u2019d learned to keep a log as a young ship\u2019s officer, and started keeping his own thoughts in a private book back then too: a habit he\u2019d continued throughout his life. Most times, he\u2019d add brief notes to the date regarding the weather, business dealings, names of people he\u2019d encountered, and events he might need to recall.<\/p>\n

But he\u2019d penned detailed accounts for each day following Adam\u2019s disappearance, spurred on by the conviction that he had to document it all. Along with the cold, hard facts, he\u2019d laid his feelings bare on these pages, using his pencil to say what he could never voice aloud. He\u2019d warred with his emotions since Adam had failed to return home, and he\u2019d found solace in this secret place.<\/p>\n

Minutes earlier, he\u2019d celebrated a moment of normalcy between his son. \u00a0But as he moved his pencil, he wrote of his continuing struggle to accept Adam\u2019s death, and the surety that he wouldn\u2019t have peace until Adam\u2019s body was found. He\u2019d called off the hunt at the homestead where Jessica Hardy had been apprehended. They\u2019d done everything they could: lowered a man into the well; dragged the ponds and a nearby stream, and examined every mound of dirt, low-hanging branch and pile of sticks or leaves in a carefully executed search of the property. He knew in his heart that Adam wasn\u2019t there, and further searching would have been fruitless.<\/p>\n

Jessica Hardy\u2019s size, precluded her carrying Adam, and there was no evidence pointing to her dragging Adam from the house, leaving Ben and Roy convinced that he\u2019d still been able to walk out. They\u2019d assumed she\u2019d tricked him into thinking they were heading back to town, or if he had been wounded, she was taking him for help. What seemed most probable, was that she\u2019d driven him away, and left him in some remote place to die, meaning his remains would be found only if someone stumbled across them.<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t held a funeral, but he paged back to the journal entry telling of a short, meaningful service held at the farmhouse, where their minister had blessed the last known place his son had been, and recited verses of comfort and promise.<\/p>\n

He skimmed forward to an entry two months later where his shaky hand had noted an accurate description he\u2019d heard Hoss give Paul Martin, after being asked how the family was doing. His wise and thoughtful middle son had explained that it was like being on a teeter-totter with the devil where he lulls you into thinking he\u2019s playing fair, easing you with a gentle up and down motion until you get used to that rhythm. But that\u2019s when he slips off his seat while you\u2019re in the highest position, and you plummet full speed to the ground. The impact shatters your life, and you lay there stunned, unsure how to stop the pain.<\/p>\n

This was exactly how they\u2019d existed those first months: pinned on the ground, too emotionally injured to move\u2014too heartbroken to look upwards. But Hoss had gone on to say that the seat opposite them was now occupied by a sort of healing spirit that had let them rise from the ground until they were nearly even again: their broken hearts balanced by remembering Adam\u2019s life, instead of his death.<\/p>\n

A warm smile spread across his face as he found an empty page, and wrote his entry for today.<\/p>\n

While settling under the covers a few minutes later, he thought again about how perfect Hoss\u2019 description had been. Yet, maybe it was truer for his sons than for their father. What Ben had noticed, was that every few pages, he had written of a secret: an ember of hope he allowed to glow, based on the fact that Adam\u2019s death couldn\u2019t be confirmed. The hope wasn\u2019t without precedence. Adam had returned from situations where it seemed certain he\u2019d died. Most prominent, was after an ordeal in the desert with Peter Kane, and the second was after an accident when he\u2019d been prevented from getting home by injury and memory loss.*<\/p>\n

Yet, he truly understood that Adam\u2019s first return had been a blessing. The second homecoming had been grace. But a third … would require a miracle.<\/p>\n

Before closing his eyes, he turned his mind heavenward, and prayed … for a miracle.<\/p>\n

Three (Carson City State Prison)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Life for women in prison was hard, and Jessica Hardy had walked through the doors of the Nevada State Prison knowing it would be the same for her … if she allowed it.<\/p>\n

What she\u2019d noticed immediately, was the frowsy appearance of the women in her dormitory. They took no care of their hair; their uniforms were stained and hung on them like sacks, and they spent free time curled on their cots like spent shotgun shells.<\/p>\n

A few more forward women had sought her out, either to establish their dominance or to relate the horrors she should expect to endure. Jessica promised her allegiance to those thinking they were \u201cin charge\u201d and reacted with wide-eyed dread for the others. In reality, she\u2019d come through the door with a plan to prevent either of these situations from controlling her.<\/p>\n

Jessica hadn\u2019t looked towards making friends. She\u2019d approached life in prison the same way she\u2019d done when her parents had abandoned her at the Carthage Female Academy with orders to make the most of the opportunity and to never return home. In that case, she\u2019d quickly spotted those who best suited her purposes, and used them as needed. After finishing her schooling, she\u2019d moved to Texas along with her only friend\u2019s family. It was there that she\u2019d met the James and Younger brothers, and she\u2019d learned from \u201cthe best of the worst\u201d how to go after what she wanted; do what she needed, and most of all, to never apologize.<\/p>\n

When she\u2019d been introduced to the prison warden on her first day in the penitentiary, she\u2019d decided to go after the biggest fish in the pond, stroking his ego with high praise and bashful, yet suggestive glances. Within days, he\u2019d called her to his office for \u201ctea.\u201d Her \u201cgratitude\u201d for the social visit was duly noted, and since then, she\u2019d skillfully maneuvered him into housing her in a dormitory wing with only two other women. She\u2019d seen that kitchen work was the plumb assignment, and was soon assigned a job there. The work had the added benefit of having first pick of the food\u2014the kind without maggots. The matron in charge of the laundry was instructed to furnish her good uniforms to wear to her teas, and the guards who resided in the vest pocket of the warden, kept her from the rest of the male inmates and secured her dormitory at night.<\/p>\n

She played her role of the warden\u2019s consort with feigned enthusiasm, while hating every minute of it. The only thing she hated more was the reason she was there: Adam Cartwright. Her sanity came from one source, knowing that she\u2019d provided Mr. Cartwright with a similarly tortured existence. She was quite sure he\u2019d welcomed his death when it occurred.<\/p>\n

Yet she\u2019d never met a man like him. She\u2019d never been in the position to do so. She had honed her skill in spotting weaknesses in others, and using it for her advantage. Adam had been the first person she\u2019d seen in Virginia City, and she\u2019d misread his black clothing and quiet, observant manner, as evidence of a dark nature. In truth, he\u2019d been a good, honest and honorable man who wouldn\u2019t be swayed by a pretty face or the promise of an \u201cexciting\u201d life on the run. Of all the men who would have been exactly what she\u2019d assumed, she picked the one man who wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Despite her hatred, it was Adam\u2019s perfect face she pictured when she was forced to endure Warden Finney\u2019s clumsy, grunting intimacy.<\/p>\n

It was a certainty that she would fulfill her debt to society on her back: either in the warden\u2019s office, or as a prostitute in the dormitory brothel run by Finney\u2019s favored guards. At least she\u2019d chosen which it would be.<\/p>\n

The effects of prison life were already befalling her. Despite her favored status, the lack of sunlight, fresh air and exercise, along with a diet of wretched food, was making her skin dull, and lustrous hair limp. Deep creases were forming in her cheeks and forehead from her near-constant scowl, and her lips were so dry, she used bacon grease to keep them from cracking. The diet of bad meat and the abundance of potatoes, beans and rice, had added a little more padding at her waist. But … for now, she still looked better than those who\u2019d been entombed longer. For now, she stayed the course, knowing her options were limited. For now, she held the only way out of this nightmare in the deepest part of her heart\u2014never saying it out loud for fear of jinxing the possibility.<\/p>\n

Escape.<\/p>\n

Four<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben responded to the sharp knock on the front door, finding Will Krantz, their \u201coldest\u201d ranch hand, standing at attention with his hat clutched to his chest. While Will was younger than Ben, years of hard living had left him too arthritic to sit a horse for the hours required of a drover. What he lacked in physical stamina, he made up for in his ability to read, write and get things organized for the hands. He\u2019d always praised the Cartwrights for \u201ckeeping him on instead of sending him to the glue factory,\u201d and he\u2019d taken on more responsibilities since Adam\u2019s disappearance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs everything all right?\u201d Ben asked, observing Will\u2019s shifting feet and failure to look him in the eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t rightly know how to tell you this, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got me worried, Will. Did something happen to one of the men?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNothin\u2019 like that, Boss. You know Hoss is bringing them kids and that teacher to the ranch today ….\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded. \u201cHe should be back with them soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHoss said this teacher\u2019s from back east and never learned to ride, and some of the kids ain\u2019t never rid neither. Anyway, he gave me a list of the gentler horses from the far corral to have saddled and waitin\u2019, out there to bring up once the picnic gets goin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat makes sense.\u201d Ben held back a smile, knowing Will had to tell the whole story before getting to the point.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had Marty toss saddles onto a wagon and go do that, but after he got out there, he realized he\u2019d left the list of horses in the tack shed, and ran back fer it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben was at a loss for where the story was headed, and his impatience showed as he drew himself up to full height and rocked back on his heels. \u201cYou best get to the point, Will, or Hoss will be back before I know what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just that when Marty was up by the barn, he saw someone in that corral saddling a horse. He took off runnin\u2019 but the guy was fast, and rode away before Marty got there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMight it have been one of the crew changing out their horse?\u201d<\/p>\n

Will shook his head. \u201cIt weren\u2019t no one Marty recognized.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he get a good look at this … thief?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guy sat tall in the saddle, and wore a bright plaid flannel shirt, like lumberjacks do. Somethin\u2019 about the way he put his head into the wind at full gallop, seemed familiar to Marty, but he couldn\u2019t say why.\u201d Will chuckled. \u201cMarty said this … a … man had so much hair on his head and face it looked prid\u2019near like a bear in a shirt and dungarees ridin\u2019 off.\u201d The smile disappeared as he looked down. \u201cThere\u2019s somethin\u2019 more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou best just say it,\u201d Ben said evenly, even as his curiosity was mounting with the description of the thief that brought to mind the wildman seen near the Sachs\u2019 ranch.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe horse that got stolen was Sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s shoulders collapsed forward. \u201cCould Marty trail him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time he got another horse saddled, the guy was long gone. We looked some, but with all the ranch hands comin\u2019 and going from that corral, and all them horses having the same brand of shoes, there weren\u2019t no way to pick up one set a prints amongst the others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry further, Will. Just make sure the horses are ready for the picnic. Hoss and Joe can take a look later. I\u2019ll tell Sheriff Coffee about it when I see him, and he can alert nearby towns to watch for a bear riding a horse with the Ponderosa brand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Will grinned at his boss\u2019 description. \u201cWhat surprises me most is that Sport let the guy ride him. He never took kindly to anyone but Adam.\u201d Will sighed deeply as he looked up and met his boss\u2019 eyes. \u201cMaybe Sport was just tired of standin\u2019 around waiting for ….\u201d He couldn\u2019t finish his thought as his eyes pooled with sadness. \u201cI best get back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben remained at the door, and shouted, \u201cWait up.\u201d Will retraced his steps while Ben walked to meet him halfway. \u201cDon\u2019t tell Hoss and Joe about this until later. I don\u2019t want them stewing about it during the picnic.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The party being held on the Ponderosa had been Hoss\u2019 suggestion, made during a reception to welcome the newly hired teacher, Elly Henry. Ben had observed Hoss\u2019 smile when he\u2019d met the pretty young woman, and suspected this idea had come less from his son\u2019s stated outcome of Elly getting to know her students better, and more from Hoss\u2019 hope of getting to know their teacher<\/em> better.<\/p>\n

Ben rocked back in his desk chair, steepling his fingers on his chest, considering the most recent news about Sport\u2019s absence along with the other losses for his eldest that were coming back into focus with today\u2019s activities<\/p>\n

Elly had been hired to replace Abigail Meyer. She\u2019d taught for a year after her marriage to Hank so they could fix up the small ranch they\u2019d purchased. When it came time to start looking for her replacement, Abigail and Adam had sorted through the applications gleaned from an ad placed in a nationally published journal for teachers. They\u2019d both been impressed with an application from Springfield, Missouri. Miss Henry\u2019s letter of introduction included glowing praise from her current school, citing her ability to make every student learn in a way that sparked their enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

Adam had been looking forward to meeting their choice, but it proved another unfulfilled opportunity.<\/p>\n

The sound of heavy wheels grinding on the stone of the drive leading into the yard alerted Ben that Hoss and his charges were arriving. Grabbing a few papers from his desktop, he opened a side drawer to stow them away. Staring up at him from the dark space, was the wanted poster for Jessica Hardy that Roy had dropped off a few days earlier.<\/p>\n

He pulled the sheet out, laid it on the desk and examined the face that had changed life at the Ponderosa forever. He and Roy had initiated the search for Hardy\u2019s real identity when she\u2019d refused to say a word about herself. The Pinkerton agents had made progress, finding a number of similar-sounding robberies committed along the stage lines leading west. But he\u2019d walked away from the investigation after the trial, realizing it made no difference. What did matter, was who\u2019d she\u2019d been the day she\u2019d taken his eldest son from him.<\/p>\n

After the Pinkertons turned their information over to the U.S. Marshal service, they\u2019d produce a wanted poster with Hardy\u2019s image to ascertain whether she was the woman involved in the other heists. It had seemed to be true, but there was too much variation over the names. This poster was new, now offering a modest reward for information about Hardy\u2019s background and real name.<\/p>\n

What remained puzzling to Ben, was that while she\u2019d surely committed the many robberies, they\u2019d all been penny-ante affairs. What he couldn\u2019t understand was why she\u2019d turned deadly here.<\/p>\n

Ben jolted upright from his thoughts, when the front door opened and Hoss stuck his head inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Pa. Them kids are anxious to get started. You best get out here and say hello.\u201d<\/p>\n

He returned Hoss\u2019 smile. He could hear the excited, high-pitched voices of the youngsters outside his window, and rose quickly, taking a deep breath to clear his mind before joining Hoss at the door.<\/p>\n

Five (Nevada Penitentiary)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cCome in Miss Hardy.\u201d The prison warden stood as Jessica shut the door behind her and walked to his desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you well, today, Mr. Finney?\u201d she asked, flashing him a sweet smile. She\u2019d groomed herself carefully this morning: wetting her hair to encourage its natural curl, and wearing the uniform she kept for trips to this office.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, thank you, Jessica. And you?\u201d<\/p>\n

These pleasantries ate at her soul, yet she had to participate to maintain this man\u2019s favor. It seemed he had to think he was having tea with a willing paramour. \u201cI\u2019m fine as well.\u201d She smiled again as she sat in the hard wooden chair at the front of his desk. \u201cThis isn\u2019t our usual day to have tea, but I was thrilled when the guard said you wanted to see me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The warden\u2019s height at full stretch was barely five-feet, seven-inches, but he added to that with shoe lifts and pompousness. He strode to the side of the room where he retrieved a wooden crate and a cardboard box from a credenza.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe matron located your trunk in the storage room, and she pulled a few things for your trip to Arizona.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jessica shivered as she watched this spindly fingered man remove her underthings, a pair of stylish shoes, a green, quilted skirt with a matching jacket, and the calico dress she\u2019d worn at her trial in Virginia City. Unsure how these items had survived \u201cinspection\u201d when the trunk had arrived, she supposed her small size might account for the clothing being passed over, while items like her hair clips, hats and shawls had been \u201cappropriated.\u201d Still, the clothing produced a genuine smile of satisfaction over the fortunate turn of fate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Mr. Finney. You are so kind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s more.\u201d The man grinned, raising his eyebrows a few times to indicate his pleasure at what he was about to reveal. Pulling the lid from the white box, he withdrew a blue satin dress with gaudy, shimmering brocade panels and a neckline accentuated with a ruffle of lace. \u201cI saw this at a shop in town, and thought it your size.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely lovely.\u201d She still lied easily. At first glance, the dress was a pleasant color and seemed made of good fabric. But its lowcut bodice and overabundance of frills looked more like a costume worn by a courtesan in an 18th<\/sup> century erotic novel. Her next thought was whether the box also contained a bustier, a powdered wig with long ringlets and a soft pencil to provide an intriguing mole on her cheek. \u201cWould you like me to try it on for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would indeed.\u201d He quickly exited the room while Jessica changed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways the perfect gentleman,\u201d she mumbled before dropping the thin, shapeless cotton uniform to the floor. The satin garment was actually two pieces, making it simple to don the skirt and tighten the corseting ties of the bodice enough to show off her figure: still good despite a few extra pounds. She blew out a breath as she examined her reflection in the glass door of a cabinet. The odd little man who ran the prison did indeed know her body, the dress fitting as though it had been made to her measurements. She walked to the door where the warden had exited, and knocked to let him know she was ready.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look magnificent,\u201d he crowed as he locked the door behind him, and moved around the room to study her from every angle: finally placing his hands at her waist and moving them upwards to cup her breasts.<\/p>\n

\u201cShall we celebrate your kindnesses?\u201d she asked in feigned breathlessness while unbuckling his belt.<\/p>\n

Finney stepped back, allowing his instant arousal to abate. \u201cI don\u2019t have time today, but I\u2019ll hold you to it when you return from Arizona. I\u2019m still baffled that they want to proceed in Hardyville, the only city to want a trial based on the inquiries resulting from that wanted poster.\u201d He grew thoughtful. \u201cThey must know that even if you\u2019re convicted of the robbery, with the additional charge of contributing to the death of that teller who suffered a heart attack, the sentence here holds precedence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could wish for nothing better than returning to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh yes; your incarceration has proved fortuitous for both of us. In the future, I\u2019d like you to wear this gown when we meet. You\u2019re much too lovely to attend our teas in a uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded and smiled. \u201cIt will certainly bring a spark of elegance. Is this unexpected surprise your reason for seeing me today?\u201d<\/p>\n

Finney shook his head. \u201cI\u2019ve just received notice from the state prison board that I\u2019m to attend a conference in Sacramento later this week, and I must leave immediately.\u201d He grinned widely. \u201cI couldn\u2019t refuse. The board was made aware that I\u2019m to receive an award for the startup of this facility. They want me, and two of my top officers, to attend and accept the award. But that means I\u2019ll be away when you leave for Arizona.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow wonderful for you!\u201d Jessica clapped and smiled, even as she wondered what sort of award would be given to a warden and guards who steal the meager possessions of their charges, mistreat those they don\u2019t like, and run a brothel using women prisoners. Her dark thoughts didn\u2019t make it to her expression as her smile continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy trip, and your time away, will keep us from seeing each other for a few weeks. I know of your apprehension over the ordeal of this new trial, and wanted to surprise you with your things, and see you in that dress before I left.\u201d He became thoughtful again. \u201cI sent word to Hardyville that you\u2019ll need an attorney. There seems no response to the request you sent to your previous defender.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for anticipating my needs, and everything else you do for me. You are the finest man I\u2019ve met. Before I send you on your way to receive the recognition you deserve, may I ask about the favor I requested from you a several weeks ago?\u201d\u00a0 When the warden stared back blankly, she moved forward, touching his face and trialing her finger down to his lips, before kissing him. \u201cThe letter I asked you to post.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes. I read it, and found nothing to censor, so it went out the same day. You\u2019ve not heard back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friend travels frequently, and will only receive it if she stops home. The absence of her reply in no way negates your gift of sending it. Thank you again.\u201d<\/p>\n

A sharp rap on the locked door made Finney jump back. He hollered, \u201cI\u2019ll be right there,\u201d before gathering the items of clothing from his desk and handing the crate to Jessica. \u201cYou must prepare for the outcome in Hardyville. You might be best off to plead guilty and save the arduous journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want a chance to tell my story. The jury in Virginia City couldn\u2019t accept the truth, but perhaps these folks will be more open-minded.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she walked towards the rear door that exited into the locked hallways beyond, her mind slid back to the reason she was in this position, and she silently spat the name, Adam Cartwright<\/em>. \u00a0She turned back, offering a well-rehearsed smile. \u201cThank you again for your thoughtful concern. I look forward to our next meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

There were freedoms afforded the warden\u2019s mistress, like moving within this building housing the offices and women\u2019s dormitory without a guard. But the swish of the gaudy satin skirt reminded her again of the life she endured because of Adam. \u201cWhy?\u201d she voiced quietly. It was the one word that came to mind when thinking about him. Why hadn\u2019t she figured him correctly? Why hadn\u2019t he been swayed by her charms and refuse to accept her promises? And most of all, why had he chosen death over cooperating with her? As always; her questions produced no answers.<\/p>\n

The only thing keeping her from screaming in frustration, was Finney\u2019s confirmation that her letter to May had been sent. May was her only friend in the world. May was also a criminal.2<\/sup> Jessica knew she wouldn\u2019t receive a reply. But she had shown May how and when to assist, by requesting she visit Carson City if ever nearby … except during the dates when she\u2019d be transferred to Arizona. Jessica allowed a sneering smile, knowing that Warden Finney hadn\u2019t a clue that he\u2019d forwarded her request for rescue.<\/p>\n

Six<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben knew he\u2019d be hard pressed to concentrate with the boisterousness of the party going on outside the windows near his desk, so he\u2019d taken his ledgers and correspondence up to Adam\u2019s room, located on the side of house where the noise would be diminished. \u00a0When Hoss had made the offer of the field day, Ben had asked that he not be included except to make an appearance of welcome and join them for lunch.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d fallen so far behind in his bookwork as he\u2019d mourned Adam, the stack had grown into a leaning tower. Hoss had done a good job of excluding him, just as he\u2019d asked. With his greeting completed, he\u2019d trotted up the steps and entered Adam\u2019s room where his work awaited on the sloping desk his eldest had used. He smiled briefly as he realized he could still hear some of the enthusiastic shouting from below, and he took it as a sure indication that Hoss\u2019 party would be a rousing success.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

He broke away from his work to enjoy the picnic, grateful to see the happy smiles of the children devouring Hop Sing\u2019s feast. One thing he didn\u2019t see outside, was any interest growing between the teacher and her host. In fact, she\u2019d bypassed Hoss\u2019 company after eating, spending her free moments chatting with Marty.<\/p>\n

Hoss had found a perch on the bench outside the barn to relax while the children played simple games and the slower eaters finished their lunch. Ben could see that while his son\u2019s gaze swept the yard to keep an eye on the kids, it often stopped on the teacher and the ranch hand talking by the corral. He joined his son on the bench, nodding to the pair. \u201cThey seem to be getting along.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man shrugged. \u201cI can\u2019t say nothin\u2019 against them becomin\u2019 friends.\u201d Hoss kicked the dirt at his feet, and smiled sheepishly at his father. \u201cYou probably figgered out that I\u2019m sweet on Miss Henry. But maybe my hopin\u2019 she\u2019ll figure that out because of what I do for her, don\u2019t work as well as just tellin\u2019 her how I feel.\u201d His smile became a snort of laughter. \u201cIt\u2019s probably best, Pa. All Miss Elly\u2019s done since I picked her up today, is teach. It\u2019s amazin\u2019 how she gets some bit of learning into everything she says. She kept them kids doing arithmetic usin\u2019 trees, rocks … anything she saw from the wagon. Then she asked them each to make up a story about somethin\u2019 they spied around \u2018em. I got so nervous thinkin\u2019 she\u2019d asked me to do the same thing, I started to sweat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s pride in this son swelled as he realized Hoss was once again making the best of a bad situation.<\/p>\n

He decided he could get back to his own \u201cafternoon festivities,\u201d when the children began to hover around the bench, asking Hoss what they were doing next. He patted Hoss\u2019 shoulder and wished him a fruitful second half of the day, and headed for the house. Turning back at the door, he saw Hoss, Joe and Marty already demonstrating how to set and throw a lasso. The excited shouts he heard as he headed upstairs, let him know that the lesson had entered the practical application with the men roping the kids instead of fenceposts.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Entirely concentrated on the figures in a lucrative timber contract he\u2019d received, Ben nearly flew from the chair when the bedroom door opened and Hoss entered. Only then did he notice the lengthening shadows on the floor. \u201cIs the party wrapping up?\u201d<\/p>\n

A nod. \u201cThe wagon is loaded except for the kids, and Joe\u2019s seeing to … you know … making sure they all use the outhouse before we set out. Miss Henry\u2019s downstairs taking a peek at the inside of the house, and hoped for a chance to thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course; I\u2019ve spent enough time on this for today anyway.\u201d Ben gathered his books and papers before heading into the hallway with his son.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Emily was standing near Ben\u2019s desk when the two Cartwrights descended the steps.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour home is beautiful, Mr. Cartwright. It\u2019s spoken of with awe by those who\u2019ve been here, and I see why.\u201d She waited until he set his books down on the table next to the staircase. \u201cThank you for the kindness your family has shown me since my arrival in Virginia City, and for this wonderful excursion today. I had no idea so many of my students come from mining and merchant families, so they\u2019ve never been on a ranch, ridden a horse or seen such a variety of animals. Their memories will last forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re the ones who should thank you,\u201d Ben replied. \u201cYou chose to relocate, bringing your wonderful ideas with you. Please, never be shy to ask us for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The young woman\u2019s eyes strayed to the wanted poster Ben had left out in his haste to get outside with Hoss. She held it up for reference. \u201cMay I ask why you have a wanted poster with Leslie Richter\u2019s picture on it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s face paled as his eyes widened. \u201cYou recognize that woman?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sketch resembles a girl I knew back at school in Missouri. But this says it\u2019s a woman in prison for robbery and murder. Might this be a joke?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no joke,\u201d Hoss assured her.<\/p>\n

Ben hurried to Elly\u2019s side. \u201cTake another look, please. Do you truly think this is the person you knew as … Leslie Richter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d have to know more about her to be sure. Leslie was about my size. She was a pretty girl with dark brown hair, and her clothing indicated she came from a family of means.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems she\u2019d have been well-liked,\u201d Ben mused.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot at all. Despite her pretty exterior, Leslie was secretive, aloof and wouldn\u2019t give a straight answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s heart pounded with Elly\u2019s description. \u201cHow did you ….\u201d<\/p>\n

A shriek of laughter slipped in with Joe as he entered the house, and stood there impatiently tapping his foot. \u00a0\u201cSorry to cut this short, but Marty and I managed to round up the entire passel of kids and get them in the wagon. If we don\u2019t leave now, they\u2019ll scatter again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elly thanked all three Cartwrights again. \u201cI\u2019m sure the kids are not anxious to leave, so we best do as Joe says.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben touched her arm. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long day for you, but might we take you to dinner in town later? Everything you said about the woman you knew in school, corresponds to what we saw with the woman on that poster. I\u2019d like to hear more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suspected that,\u201d Elly told him while placing her hand over his. \u201cI\u2019ve heard a lot of talk about one of your sons since I arrived in town. Might this be the woman who killed him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll see you later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Ben said sincerely before turning to his sons. \u201cI\u2019ll head to town after taking care of a few details here, and ask Sheriff Coffee to join us at the International House at seven. We\u2019ll stay the night so there\u2019ll be no need to rush.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seven<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben wasn\u2019t surprised when Hop Sing ran up the steps to gather overnight kits for the three Cartwrights, and nearly pushed his boss out the door an hour later. Doing the final cleanup of the picnic with no one under foot, suited his cook just fine.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s demeanor, while waiting with his sons for their dinner guests to arrive, seemed calm. He\u2019d asked for the round table off in an alcove for privacy, and while he nodded and smiled at other diners, he was displaying his nervousness through continuous adjustments on his chair, and constant realignment of his silverware. Hoss and Joe weren\u2019t immune from nervous tics either. They craned their necks each time the hotel door opened, and then heaved great sighs when the person entering was not Roy or Elly.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Elly tell you anything more on the ride to town?\u201d Ben asked … again.<\/p>\n

\u201cThem kids were so whipped up after all the fun, she had to keep their brains thinkin\u2019, so they wouldn\u2019t jump off the wagon,\u201d Hoss replied … again. His face pinched in thought. \u201cOh, she did ask whether the photograph on your desk was Adam.<\/p>\n

Joe nudged Hoss\u2019 arm. \u201cShe said she\u2019d heard talk about what had happened, but had tried not to pay attention to what she assumed was more gossip than truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure she was right about that. People love to embellish.\u201d Ben nodded to confirm his comment.<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded as well. \u201cI could always tell people were talkin\u2019 about us, when it got instantly quiet after I walked into the room. Men in our crews have heard stuff too. Marty told me today that men are still riding out to that farm on their days off, looking for Adam\u2019s grave. They figure you\u2019d show your gratitude quite generously if they find it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head and snorted his disgust, but then sighed. \u201cIt\u2019s a macabre pastime, but I would be grateful.\u201d He nodded toward the door. \u201cThey\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Initial table-talk took an amiable tone. Elly told Roy about the picnic, including being scared out of her wits while learning to ride a horse. She laughed. \u201cMarty and Hoss kept saying it was a small horse. But nothing seemed small about it when I was sitting that high and had only that little knob to hold onto.\u201d<\/p>\n

The wait staff disappeared after taking their orders, and Roy pulled the wanted poster from his pocket, unfolding it on the table. He gave Elly a grandfatherly smile. \u201cBen came by earlier, sayin\u2019 you might know this woman. Is that still true?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s attack this in an orderly fashion,\u201d she said in her teacher\u2019s voice. \u201cTell me about the woman you know as Jessica Hardy, and then I\u2019ll recount memories that might connect her to the person I knew as Leslie Richter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothin\u2019 much to tell,\u201d Roy admitted. \u201cShe never revealed anything about herself, until her testimony at the trial. And that was all lies.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cBen hired the Pinkertons to investigate, but they could only track a series of robberies committed by a woman, probably startin\u2019 in Texas. She said she\u2019d come from St. Louis. You\u2019re the first person to put her in Missouri.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elly looked down at her napkin, running it through her fingers, while addressing Ben. \u201cI know you\u2019d like to make sense of what this woman did to your son, but I fear I don\u2019t have the answer you need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben smiled warmly. \u201cAll we ask is that you tell us about Leslie Richter, and we\u2019ll see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her head bobbed several times while gathering her thoughts. \u201cI was the youngest, and the only girl in my large family. My brothers treated me like one of them.\u201d A blush brightened her cheeks as she grinned. \u201cThat\u2019s why I spent so much time with Marty today. He reminds me of my brother Henry.\u201d She chuckled. \u201cMy parents named him Henry Henry, just like Marty is Martin Martin.\u201d<\/p>\n

The blush faded, as she continued, \u201cWe lived near Kansas City, and as I got older, my mother decided I couldn\u2019t remain a tomboy, and enrolled me in a boarding school called The Carthage Female Academy: a place promising they could turn young women into graceful, well-versed conversationalists while receiving a fine secondary education. I was 13 then, and Leslie began that year too. We were assigned to the same bedroom with two other girls.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must have gotten to know her pretty well then,\u201d Joe offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot really. Leslie kept to herself until she made friends with another loner named May Shirley. She was the daughter of one of the founders, and had her own room. Those two spent all their free time there, and May eventually took Leslie in as her roommate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid them two make trouble?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

A thoughtful pause. \u201cThey disdained us and made no effort to hide it, but I can\u2019t say they intentionally hurt anyone. They were smart and did what was expected in class, but they\u2019d disappear together after dinner.\u201d Elly laughed. \u201cI was going to say they were as thick as thieves. Maybe that was true.\u201d<\/p>\n

She leaned back in her chair and smiled. \u201cI got to know Leslie a little in drama club. It was the one thing she enjoyed that May didn\u2019t. The fellowship of thesbianism dictated that she at least try to be part of the group. When she was playing a part in a production, she honestly seemed happy. She loved to act, and was very good at it too, usually getting the lead role.\u201d She smiled conspiratorially while leaning forward. \u201cThere was something that made us laugh behind her back. When she got a part requiring an accent or a particular persona, she\u2019d drop that characterization into her daily life.\u00a0 She might strut about like a queen, ordering others around in a fussy voice, or slip around furtively if that\u2019s what was required. \u00a0Imagine her explaining an arithmetic problem in a heavy Cockney accent. It made her a good actress, but it distanced her even further from others who thought her odd.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all said she was playing a well-rehearsed part when she told her story at trial,\u201d Little Joe said while eliciting agreement from the others.<\/p>\n

Elly reached to cover Joe\u2019s hand. \u201cThat was Leslie! We agreed that everything she did seemed scripted. The only time she was kind to anyone was when she wanted something. She\u2019d act concerned and complimentary, and then returned to her normal disdainful state once she no longer needed you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have any idea where she grew up?\u201d Roy asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly by accident, so I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s true. On our first day of school, we were each required to stand and talk about ourselves, as a way to begin building confidence in speaking publicly. When it was Leslie\u2019s turn, she rose, looked around the room, and said she\u2019d lived in St. Louis, but the rest of her life was none of our business. The teacher was stunned, but there was something about the look in Leslie\u2019s eyes that made even adults know when to stay silent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019d ya mean about hearin\u2019 something by accident?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d she laughed. \u201cI forgot what I was telling you. May and Leslie fought regularly. Mostly it was head butting, and they\u2019d make up quickly. But one of those arguments got nasty. Leslie brooded, and became so vile that May asked to stay in our room for a few days. She was still spitting mad when she moved in, and told us that no one could stand Leslie Richter: not even her own parents. I don\u2019t think she meant to say as much as she did, but she revealed that Leslie\u2019s parents had dropped her off at school, paid her fees for the full four years, and then told her they never wanted to see her again. They\u2019d even arranged for a bank in Carthage to pay her a large sum of cash as long as she graduated. It was her inheritance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Four sets of rounded eyes stared at the young woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid May say why they\u2019d disowned her?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

Elly smiled widely as she recalled the conversation from long ago. \u201cIt had something to do with Leslie being incapable of telling the truth, and how her constant lies had made them outcasts in their neighborhood.\u201d A snort of laughter. \u201cMay was quick to tell us she\u2019d made everything up after they made amends, and she warned us not repeat what we\u2019d heard.\u201d The young woman\u2019s eyes took a far-away look. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have to be told twice to keep our mouths shut.\u201d<\/p>\n

The diners quieted as their meals were delivered, but after a few bites, Ben asked, \u201cHave you heard anything about Leslie since then?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI left Carthage after two years to get a teaching certificate at a different school. But I ran into a Carthage classmate in Springfield, where I was teaching. She asked if I\u2019d heard what May was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss inched forward on his chair. \u201cWhat might that be?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMarguerite showed me an article about how May Shirley was arrested while riding with a group of outlaws from Texas. The story said May had moved there … probably around the time she graduated … and had hung out with some young outlaws. Marguerite mentioned hearing that Leslie had moved to Texas with May.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy laid his fork aside. \u201cMiss Henry, you\u2019ve given us more information in twenty-minutes than we\u2019ve been able to hunt down in more\u2019n four months. What I\u2019m gonna do is wire the Marshal Service in St. Louis and have them look for those parents. Miss Hardy claimed her parents were dead, but I\u2019m bettin\u2019 the Ponderosa it was a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll back that bet!\u201d Ben offered.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The group was enjoying dessert and coffee when Ben sat up straight and looked at the sheriff. \u201cWith all the excitement, I forgot to tell you about having a horse stolen today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss swallowed his bite of pie, and quickly washed it down with a swig of coffee. \u201cSo that\u2019s what Will and Marty were hidin\u2019 from Joe and me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded. \u201cIt happened while you were getting the kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened, Ben?\u201d Roy asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone snuck into the far corral, and used one of the saddles taken out there for Hoss\u2019 get-together. Marty saw him from a distance and couldn\u2019t get back in time to stop him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The contented look produced by the fine meal, vanished as Hoss considered the news. \u201cHe took Sport, didn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you know that?\u201d Joe locked Hoss in an incredulous stare. \u201cYou didn\u2019t even know a horse was missing until a minute ago, and you figured out which one it was already?\u201d<\/p>\n

The big man sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. \u201cI just know.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff interrupted the brothers. \u201cI\u2019m sorry it was Adam\u2019s horse what got taken. Did your man recognize the guy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head, and allowed a hint of a grin. \u201cMarty said the guy was dressed like a lumberjack and was so hairy, he looked like a black bear riding off on a horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

The description produced a round of laughter.<\/p>\n

Roy\u2019s right cheek began to rise. \u201cWhen you say dressed like a lumberjack, might you mean a plaid shirt and heavy pants?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. Why do you ask?\u201d Ben turned, facing Roy directly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeems like we might have a crime spree goin\u2019 on around here.\u201d Roy\u2019s cheeks crinkled into a wide grin. \u201cBecca Lane stopped by a couple days back to report that her husband\u2019s spare set of clothes was taken right off the wash line while she was inside baking bread. Care to guess what was taken?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA bright plaid shirt and work pants?\u201d Ben replied: his grin as large as Roy\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a set of long johns. Becka wasn\u2019t looking for an arrest, but she wanted me to know some needful person might be stealin\u2019 to get by.\u201d Roy\u2019s expression turned serious. \u201cTaking a horse is a big step away from a shirt and underwear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo the Lane\u2019s live northwest of town … between here and Goat Springs?\u201d Hoss\u2019 lip twitched upwards with the question, and a nod from both Roy and his father prompted another thought. \u201cI done told Pa about talk of a wildman in the hills over at the Sachs\u2019 ranch when I was there. Now we got one here stealin\u2019 clothes and horses. Don\u2019t it seem odd?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere might be a connection.\u201d Roy suggested. \u201cThat same man could be moving this way. Still …\u201d He paused to scratch his head. \u201cI best send a few telegrams, just to make sure there hasn\u2019t been a jail break. A poor miner needin\u2019 a few worldly goods is one thing; a prisoner on the loose is different.\u201d Roy pushed his chair back. \u201cThanks for supper, Ben. I should get back to work.\u201d His cheek rose. \u201cI\u2019m thinkin\u2019 I should notify the law and livery owners to look for your brand on horses belongin\u2019 to strangers, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Signaling for the check, Ben directed his attention to Elly and his sons. \u201cI\u2019ll walk Roy to his office and help him with those telegrams, but you three don\u2019t have to rush away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank all of you for your hospitality today,\u201d Elly replied, covering a yawn with her hand. \u201cAfter the active day, my students are already tucked into bed, and they\u2019ll be raring to go by morning. I should follow their lead or I\u2019ll be so tired, Hoss and Joe will have to come lasso them after I doze off at my desk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eight<\/strong><\/p>\n

Three days after Elly had given a name to the woman in the wanted poster, she found herself waiting outside the state prison in Carson City with Sheriff Coffee and Ben Cartwright. Authorities in St. Louis had confirmed a Richter family with a birth record for a daughter named Leslie. But neighbors at the address reported that the parents had moved away some years ago. They\u2019d packed up their belongings, arranged the sale of their house through an agent, and told no one of their destination. One thing the neighbors remembered clearly, was the daughter who lied about everything.<\/p>\n

Unable to trace the parents, the Marshal Service requested Miss Henry be brought quickly to Carson City for an in-person look at Hardy. Elly was wary, but after Roy and Ben came up with a plan to keep her from being recognized, she\u2019d agreed.<\/p>\n

The heavy iron door opened from the wall surrounding the penitentiary, and the trio was greeted by a tall young man in a blue suit, who introduced himself as Nathan Travis, the \u201cinterim warden.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019d ushered them quickly into the administration building, and lost his urgent manner once inside the warden\u2019s office, extending his hand to each of them. \u201cThank you for coming on such short notice.\u201d Three chairs had been placed in an arc at the front of his desk, and he motioned for his guests to sit \u201cYou\u2019re anxious to get this done, but let me explain some new developments.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch as?\u201d Ben asked, inching forward on his chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cJessica Hardy was scheduled to leave for Arizona soon to stand trial in a robbery there. It was probably the last heist she did before going to San Francisco, and finally to Virginia City. She still thinks she\u2019s going there, and seems quite anxious for the trip. Why that is, I can\u2019t even speculate. However, we had them drop their charges in order for us to pursue a bigger problem in Carson City. For now, we\u2019re allowing everyone here, including Miss Hardy, to believe nothing has changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you gonna tell us what this big secret is?\u201d Roy asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis penitentiary is fairly new, and designed with barracks for the women in a separate building near prison officials, hoping to avoid the usual abuse faced by women in prisons where they aren\u2019t kept apart. But as always, people find a way to tarnish the good intentions.\u201d Travis blushed. \u201cI\u2019m going to be blunt, Miss Henry, but it will help you understand why we need your help so badly.\u201d The blush eased as he got back to facts. \u201cWe expected there\u2019d still be pairing up by the male and female inmates. Unscrupulous guards might even accept bribes by male inmates wanting into the women\u2019s dorms. But we never expected what the top officials have done here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMight this be the reason you\u2019re the \u2018interim\u2019 warden?\u201d Roy asked the solemn-looking man.<\/p>\n

A solid nod. \u201cWe hired a man named Finney as Warden. He espoused high ideals for the just treatment of prisoners, and keeping his house in order. On paper, he\u2019s doing a marvelous job. Inspections always bring glowing reports of how well he\u2019s taking care of his \u2018house.\u2019\u201d Travis looked down at his hands and sighed.<\/p>\n

Ben shook his head. \u201cThat seems good news, so why are you unnerved?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA woman released a few months ago, made an accusation that we assumed was her attempt to get even for discipline she received here. But soon others made similar allegations. Based on this, we planted two investigators here as guards.\u201d He shook his head and returned his gaze downward. \u201cThey confirmed that Finney and two top guards are running a brothel, using women inmates. They keep the prettiest and newest women for themselves, giving them special treatment for their favors. But the rest are offered up to anyone with money or goods to pay for the service. They\u2019ve gone outside the walls, recruiting customers from the saloons in Carson City. The women comply or face being left unguarded in the yard, where they\u2019d be passed among the inmates who can\u2019t pay. Our inside men report lines of men from town, standing outside the gate on Saturday nights. Finney and his two favorites make enough money to pay others to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s brows rose. \u201cDo you have enough evidence to move against these men?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough against those two guards for sure. We know Finney is the brains behind this, but he keeps his hands clean of the brothel operation. Jessica Hardy is pivotal to ensure charges against him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elly broke in softly. \u201cWhat can she say that the others can\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo put it bluntly; she\u2019s the warden\u2019s mistress. From what we know, she sought him out as soon as she walked in the gates.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf she sought him, how can she testify against him?\u201d Elly asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinney, as warden, is sworn to protect every inmate. Women prisoners are only required to serve time <\/em>for their crimes. Our goal was to give these women a safe environment, while teaching them skills like cooking, sewing or working in a laundry, so they can find work afterwards. None of them are required to pay their dues to society by pleasuring the staff. This institution is rotting from the top down, and we need Miss Hardy to confirm what goes on in Finney\u2019s office, and that she\u2019s expected to comply just as those servicing the brothel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Travis nodded to Ben and Roy. \u201cYou two have experienced Hardy\u2019s ability to lie or at least refuse to help. I don\u2019t expect her to assist us willingly.\u201d Both men nodded. \u201cIf she is this Richter woman, we can threaten her with federal prosecution for robbing banks using U.S. currency.3<\/sup> And since there aren\u2019t any federal prisons nearby, we also have leverage in allowing her to stay here rather than being transferred east.\u201d The young warden shook his head. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t wish those Eastern prisons on my worst enemy. The war left them in a horrible state of affairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes your being here mean you\u2019ve already taken steps to remove Finney and his men?\u201d Roy asked.<\/p>\n

Travis chuckled. \u201cWe told them they were being sent to a conference on prison reform in Sacramento to receive an award. They went happily, but were apprehended when the stage stopped in Genoa. We did it this way so no one would know of the investigation until we cleaned house enough to encourage cooperation from inmates and staff. Those who profited by helping Finney\u2019s men, will be fired, but we won\u2019t press charges if they cooperate. That should loosen tongues.\u201d<\/p>\n

The warden picked at a hangnail and chewed it off. \u201cWe have to move fast before anyone has time to infiltrate our witness pool with threats or cautions. Our trump card with Hardy is to verify who she is, thus limiting her options.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elly looked down at her hands. \u201cDespite what she\u2019s done, I feel sorry for this woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

Travis walked around his desk, perching on the corner. His serious look was diminished by his soft tone. \u201cI understand your sympathy. You can\u2019t imagine what being in this situation is like for the women inmates, and it truly should not exist. Our intention is to nip this practice before it gets any worse, and send a message that we will ferret out corruption. But I ask you to remember that every choice in life brings a consequence, and what we know of Hardy … or Richter … proves she is a cold, calculated criminal, who terrorized bank employees from Texas to Nevada without a thought to the pain and suffering she left behind. She went so far as to befriend those same people she stole from, and finally killed Adam Cartwright when he wouldn\u2019t do as she wanted. Even then, instead of telling the truth, she lied blatantly and attempted to ruin a good man\u2019s reputation to free herself, and left the Cartwright family with no way to bring Adam home. It may help ease your conscience in helping us, if you look at your possible identification as a way for us to pry a little truth from someone who rarely speaks it.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

It took a few minutes for Elly to stuff her brown curls into the silver wig Ben had borrowed from the Performing Arts Society of Virginia City.<\/p>\n

Ben nodded his approval. \u201cThat ages you by years, young lady. Now, for the finishing touches.\u201d He chuckled as he withdrew a small jar of dark makeup from the bag that had held the wig and a small hat. \u201cBernice, the woman who applies makeup for the plays, gave me a quick lesson in using this; let\u2019s hope I don\u2019t make you look like a raccoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

He carefully smudged the greasy, gray material below Elly\u2019s eyes, and then used his thumb to work it in, creating the effect of deeper set, aging eyes. Stepping back, he invited Roy and Travis\u2019 appraisal. The final additions to the teacher\u2019s disguise included a padded bodice that Elly tucked under her jacket; a hat with netting tucked in under her chin and a large shawl.<\/p>\n

Elly examined her disguise in the glass cabinet door of the warden\u2019s office and laughed. \u201cIf I didn\u2019t know it was me, I wouldn\u2019t recognize myself!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI still wouldn\u2019t get close to her,\u201d Ben cautioned. \u201cShe\u2019s familiar with the tricks we\u2019ve used, and might spot our attempts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Travis rested Elly\u2019s hand in the crook of his elbow. \u201cMiss Hardy is assigned to the kitchen. The prison staff thinks I\u2019m filling in while Finney\u2019s away, and I\u2019ve told them I\u2019m giving an inspection tour to a woman representing the prison board.\u201d He looked down at her and grasped her hand tighter. \u201cI\u2019ll ask Hardy to explain what she does. That way you\u2019ll hear her voice and see her from every angle. Give me a nod once you\u2019ve made your conclusion. Please don\u2019t say anything about it to me until we get back here. Prison walls have ears.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The team of Cartwright and Coffee shared their thoughts over the dramatic turn of events at the prison after the warden and Elly left to make the identification. But as time dragged with anticipation, their words ended and their bodies began to release their tension. They paced the room, nearly colliding at times. Roy finally stopped by the desk to examine a stack of wanted posters, and Ben positioned himself at the window, watching the prison yard below.<\/p>\n

Both men turned when the door opened. Elly blew in on a draft of fresh air and quickly removed the hat and wig, tossing them into the valise while fluffing her own hair back into place. She observed the three expectant faces staring at her, and chuckled softly. \u201cMr. Travis showed me the women\u2019s dormitory on the way to the kitchen, and it isn\u2019t the dungeon I\u2019d expected. The hallways and dining hall are clean and the kitchen staff was nice. The only disturbing thing was the number of worms and bugs I saw in the open containers of staples, and the poor quality of the meat they were frying up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI explained to Miss Henry that this is common,\u201d Travis said. \u201cBudgets in prisons are tight, but those in charge can buy sub-par supplies instead of first quality. The difference in price is either privately pocketed or used for other needs. They sift out the worst of the infestations, and camouflage the rest with gravy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben and Roy glanced at each other, with Roy speaking. \u201cThat\u2019s very interesting, but we\u2019re hangin\u2019 on a limb, waitin\u2019 to hear Miss Elly\u2019s conclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elly removed her outer jacket and stuffed the padding she\u2019d worn into the case with the other props. \u201cMr. Travis pointed \u2018Miss Hardy\u2019 out when we got to the kitchen, but I recognized her immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat tipped you off?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was rolling biscuits, wearing a dress resembling a sack with arm holes, a stained apron, and her hair haphazardly tucked in a net with tendrils sticking to her sweaty cheeks. Yet … there was an imperious set to her face that gave me the same goosebumps it did back in school. The cook spoke well of her when she was introduced, but that didn\u2019t surprise me; she always performed to rave reviews.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy\u2019s face crinkled as he blew a deep breath. \u201cThat\u2019s great, but it\u2019s still a matter of Elly\u2019s word against Hardy\u2019s. If you can\u2019t prove her identity better\u2019n that, she won\u2019t help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree. There\u2019s one further ploy we can use. She\u2019s gotten some favors as Finney\u2019s \u2018mistress\u2019 that she\u2019ll lose. We might offer to honor those for her help.\u201d Travis sighed loudly. \u201cStill, it would have been nice to have that one big lever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elly looked up at the three men and grinned. \u201cWho says you don\u2019t have that? I recognized something that can be confirmed by at least one other person. You\u2019ll need to send someone to see Miss Brown, our drama teacher at the Carthage academy. She\u2019s retired, but still lives there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you see?\u201d Ben asked. His lower jaw hung slightly open while awaiting an answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe helped each other with costumes for the plays. One time, Leslie asked me to fasten a cape to buttons on the back neckline of her dress. When she lifted her hair, I saw a good-sized, purple birthmark in her hairline that resembled a mitten. Those buttonholes were so tight Miss Brown had to help me, and I asked her later if she thought that was an accurate description of the blemish. She chastised me, but then laughed and agreed.\u201d Elly paused to increase the drama. \u201cI saw that mark when I walked behind her today. She wears a low bun to hide it, but the net was pulling her hair upwards. She was warm, and I saw that bright red, left-handed mitten pulsing on her neck.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben dropped into a chair next to Elly, and took her hand. \u201cThank you, again!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nine<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hoss and Joe exited the barn as their father drove their two-seated buggy into the yard. Roy and Elly had met him out on the main road to Carson City, and left their smaller buggy in a shaded grove on the Ponderosa so Ben didn\u2019t have to make the trip into town.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019d everything go today?\u201d Hoss called out as the team came to a stop.<\/p>\n

Ben gave his sons a quick rundown from the driver\u2019s seat, while they leaned on the horses\u2019 rumps.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad we know the truth of who she is,\u201d Joe offered.<\/p>\n

Hoss\u2019 cheeks reddened in frustration. \u201cCouldn\u2019t they put pressure on her to tell us where Adam is as part of this deal?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have to use their leverage to clean house,\u201d Ben stated without emotion. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t trust anything she\u2019d tell us anyway. I\u2019ll stick with praying for the answers we need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe noticed the grayness of his father\u2019s complexion, and realized how deeply the loss of Adam still weighed on him every time those memories were poked. \u201cHop Sing says supper\u2019s nearly ready, Pa. Go clean up while we take care of the horses.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going on with you two,\u201d Ben asked once they were eating. \u201cYou\u2019re trying to hide something, but you\u2019re both awful at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just that ….\u201d Hoss found it hard to report the news of the day when his father already looked so worn out.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust that what?\u201d Ben\u2019s tone inched towards a demand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell … Joe and me were out in the near pasture this morning branding them new little gals we\u2019re gonna use for milk cows, and Hop Sing had gone to town. We got home mid-afternoon, and found Milt here with that plow he fixed for us. When I got money from the safe to pay him, there was cash missin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did you know some was missing?\u201d Ben asked. \u201cI was going to balance out the cash with the receipts tonight, so even I don\u2019t know how much there should have been.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew because this was in the safe.\u201d He pulled a folded paper from his pocket and handed it across the table.<\/p>\n

IOU two-hundred dollars<\/em>!\u201d was printed on the square of paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s more, Pa.\u201d Hoss looked at his brother. \u201cTell him, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI used my rifle to scare off a coyote, and when I opened the gun cabinet to grab cleaning supplies, I noticed that Adam\u2019s old Colt and holster were missing, and this was in its place.\u201d He handed over another note that read, IOU, a pistol and a horse<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone robbed us while we were gone, and left IOU\u2019s for what he took?\u201d Ben pushed his plate aside to lean his elbows on the table. \u201cDid anyone see a stranger near the house?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWasn\u2019t anyone around to see anything,\u201d Joe concluded.<\/p>\n

Ben observed Hoss\u2019 wrinkled forehead. \u201cSomething else is bothering you, son. Out with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe door to Adam\u2019s room was open too, and I know it was closed when we all left. I don\u2019t know his stuff well enough to tell if something is missin\u2019.\u201d He shifted in his chair. \u201cDon\u2019t it seem purely odd this thief could figure the safe combination and find what he wanted without tearin\u2019 things apart lookin\u2019 for \u2018em?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s forehead crinkled like his son\u2019s. \u201cYou\u2019re thinking it might be someone who has been here before?\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss nodded. \u201cMaybe someone we let go, who figured out a way to have some nasty fun with us. They\u2019d have to read and write. The hands that can do that give you notes with herd counts and supply lists, so any chance this printing looks familiar, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood to examine the two papers under the lamp above the table. His breathing froze, while his mind flew back to Cleveland, Ohio, where his four-year-old son had been learning to print. Adam had always been a quick study, and he\u2019d soon begun leaving printed notes everywhere for his father to find. He\u2019d found them on his pillow wishing him a good day when he\u2019d come back from washing up in the morning. And for a few weeks after hearing about IOU\u2019s during a dinner conversation at the boarding house where they\u2019d lived, he\u2019d found IOU\u2019s in his lunch. Ben remembered his absolute favorite of those, promising one hour without Adam asking any questions when he got home: surely a suggestion from the woman of the house, who\u2019d witnessed Adam\u2019s constant barrage of inquiries as soon as Ben walked through the door each evening.<\/p>\n

The Ponderosa dining room took shape around him as he pulled from this memory. Adam had stopped printing once he\u2019d learned to write; thinking it more efficient to connect letters in script than to form them individually. He thought back again to those long-ago notes, finally deciding that his long day was allowing him to make connections that couldn\u2019t possibly exist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s goin\u2019 on, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked. \u201cWe lost you for a minute there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben forced a smile as he resumed his seat. \u201cThis seems harmless, even though the monetary loss is mounting. I\u2019ll talk to Will tomorrow; he might have some thoughts about which of our former employees might go this far to cause trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Despite his exhaustion, Ben made his journal entry describing all that had taken place before crawling into bed. He\u2019d come to a conclusion regarding the thefts. With the stolen items adding up, he\u2019d have to speak with Roy to follow up on past employees.<\/p>\n

Ten<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jessica Hardy stared open-mouthed at the man sitting across from her at Finney\u2019s desk, trying to slow the tornado of thought spinning in her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo … Warden Finney is being investigated for using his position for unseemly purposes and monetary gain, and you want me to testify that I attend to his … physical needs … when he calls for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. But we also want to hear about special favors granted for your service.\u201d Travis folded his hands atop the desk, and waited for her reaction.<\/p>\n

She finally was able to drag a thought out of the whirlwind, like latching onto branch caught in the swirl. \u201cYou said the hearing is convening in two days. I\u2019m leaving for Arizona today, so you\u2019ll have to do this without me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Travis controlled the turn of his lips in anticipation of her response to his next statement. \u201cYour trip has been cancelled. This takes precedence.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tornado picked up again, sucking away any hope of May\u2019s rescue during her travel to Hardyville. Her face reddened and angry tears pooled at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to cry in front of this man.<\/p>\n

No trace of her disappointment was evident when she spoke. \u201cYou said this investigation began in response to allegations made by released prisoners. Won\u2019t that ensure the charges against Finney and those guards? It\u2019s far more important to plead my innocence in Arizona for now. I\u2019ll surely be back in time for Finney\u2019s trial, where my testimony will do the most damage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat possibility is gone. Arizona has deferred prosecution to federal authorities because of your crime spree across several states.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her laugh was tight. \u201cYou\u2019re basing this on the wanted posters sent out after Old Man Cartwright hired the Pinkertons?\u00a0 Warden Finney told me that no towns have given the same name to the woman on that poster. And even more, their recognition of \u2018me\u2019 likely comes from the fact that I did stop at many small towns along the way out here. These well-meaning folks are confused. The fact I might have been \u2018seen\u2019 in a town during a stage stop, doesn\u2019t mean I robbed their banks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s two more things you should know, Miss Richter<\/em>.\u201d Travis took great joy in watching his prisoner pale and swoon just a bit, before her face turned to stone. \u201cThe first is that an enterprising young marshal was able to put all those robberies on a map. That allowed him to draw a pretty clear line from Virginia City all the way back to Texas, following stage routes. The outcome was that when he added in the names ascribed to the woman on that poster, he found that the name used by the woman when she arrived in a town further west on the route, reflected the name of previous city that had been robbed. I\u2019m sure there was a tinge of vanity in that, but it might also have helped her remember the new alias.\u201d<\/p>\n

Travis waited for a reply but saw only stone. \u201cThe last robbery reported was in Hardy … ville. The use of Hardy as your surname in Virginia City, is the pin that connects you back to all the others.\u201d He chuckled slyly. \u201cHad you not been apprehended; I imagine your next name would have included Virginia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still not evoking a reply, he continued to chip away. \u201cFurthermore, we now know your real name to be Leslie Richter. Following your trail should be easier now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie hadn\u2019t heard her own name in so long, it sounded foreign to her ears. The tornado in her brain had changed to an impenetrable fog. \u201cWho recognized me?\u201d She thought back, looking for a clue. \u201cIt was that old crone you brought through the kitchen, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Travis\u2019 smile revealed his admiration for the work of Ben Cartwright and the young teacher in creating a perfect disguise. \u201cThe identification was verified by two people. We know you were born in St. Louis; attended school in Carthage and moved to Texas after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve surely contacted my parents. How are they?\u201d The question arose from curiosity, not concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t find them. They disappeared some years back and left no forwarding information. They serve no purpose in this investigation, so there\u2019ll be no further search.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie\u2019s laugh was loud and unladylike. \u201cThey probably left because they feared I\u2019d darken their door one day.\u201d She snorted again. \u201cThey had no reason for that. I actually admired them for having the mettle to cut ties. The money they left me was far superior to their company.\u201d The storm in her brain had passed now, the fog had cleared, and a new idea was taking shape. \u201cWhat will you do for me if I cooperate?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t take away the benefits you\u2019ve received. Any of the current staff who participated in the warden\u2019s schemes will be fired, and everyone else will be expected to testify to the true conditions here. Then life will go forward with new staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

And what if I don\u2019t help you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll face federal charges for robbing institutions using United States currency. Those charges involve a transfer to a federal prison in the East.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen will this hearing take place?\u201d she asked, seemingly resigned to her fate.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Board of Review will convene in Carson City, two days from now. We\u2019ll move you to the local jail immediately, allowing the staff to think you\u2019ve gone to Arizona as planned. Meanwhile, we\u2019re bringing in multiple agents immediately to conduct interviews and begin cleaning house. You\u2019ll return here when the hearing ends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie nodded. \u201cI know when I\u2019m bested. A couple days away from there will feel good, even if it is just in the gray-bar hotel down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Leslie left the warden\u2019s office, her spirits lifted to a higher level that at any time since the day she\u2019d been apprehended outside Virginia City. She was in charge of her own destiny again. The transfer to town would remove walls and fences, and allow her to seize any opportunity to get away. She couldn\u2019t continue living like this. She\u2019d escape … or die trying.<\/p>\n

Eleven<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben hoped to get through as much ranch paperwork as possible before going to Carson City the next day. Warden Travis had offered a chance for him and Roy to sit in on Leslie Richter\u2019s testimony before the commission. The only reason Ben even considered going was that Travis had raised the possibility of her offering information about Adam to get an even better deal during the hearing.<\/p>\n

His sons had decided to go along, and they were trying to complete two days of chores before the trip as well. With Hop Sing off visiting his cousins for the day, he had the house to himself.<\/p>\n

He ran upstairs to grab a letter he\u2019d left on his bed, but stopped as he passed Adam\u2019s room. Stepping inside, he used the quiet solitude to make a careful inspection. He\u2019d taken a quick look the evening Hoss had reported the thefts and notes, but truthfully, his eldest had few possessions of monetary value and nothing had seemed missing. Adam\u2019s many books bowed the shelves of his bookcase. Some were first editions worth a great deal. But an average thief wouldn\u2019t know this. Adam\u2019s guitar was still hanging on the wall\u2014a nice one from New York\u2014but not expensive. Opening the top dresser drawer, he saw that the gold cufflinks and a spare silver-studded hatband remained. Still, something seemed off. Another visual sweep provided the answer.<\/p>\n

When he\u2019d used this room during the picnic, he\u2019d moved Elizabeth\u2019s picture and music box from the desk to the nightstand, and then left without setting them back in place. Hop Sing must have straightened the room, yet what puzzled him was that now the music box was standing atop Elizabeth\u2019s Bible. Adam had displayed them together in the past, but as the Bible got older and more fragile, he\u2019d stored it inside the desk. Ben had seen it tucked safely into its interior cubby hole the other day while looking for a blank sheet of paper. He hadn\u2019t disturbed it.<\/p>\n

A ripped edge of paper protruded beyond the pages, making Ben curious to know what passage Adam might have marked. Carefully separating the nearly translucent onion skin, he found its location in the gospel of John, chapter 13, with verse7 written in Adam\u2019s hand: Jesus answered and said unto him, \u201cWhat I do, thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.\u201d<\/em> The words, Please be patient,<\/em> were written beneath that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat were you impatient about, Adam?\u201d Ben spoke softly. A quiet chuckle followed. \u201cYour life was predicated on impatience, although most people only saw your calm exterior.\u201d He sighed, secured the Bible inside the desk, and spoke to the room as he exited. \u201cEverything seems accounted for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s stomach growled loudly as he reached the bottom step. His appetite had been off with the strange goings-on in the last week, and he decided to raid the cookie jar before tackling anything else. The aroma of coffee still warming on the stove, sent him first to the cupboard for a mug. \u00a0Grabbing the lidded crock next, he brought both to the table. After a cautious sip of the hot brew, he reached for a cookie.<\/p>\n

Instead of finding baked goods, he found a folded piece of paper in the empty jar. He held it up to read, and saw the same printing as on the other notes his sons had found.\u00a0 Grief he\u2019d held at bay for so long groaned from his soul. Tears blinded him after he read, I took the cookies, and I owe you an explanation<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Thirteen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Roy had spent the night at the Ponderosa, allowing the group to get an early start to Carson City. It was barely 8 A.M. when they rode into town and saw Nate Travis standing outside the courthouse.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ben,\u201d the acting warden told him after their initial exchange. \u201cI wish your sons could attend too, but the commissioners want Miss Richter\u2019s complete focus, and fear that won\u2019t happen if she sees you. \u00a0To thank you for the help you\u2019ve given us, they will allow you and Sheriff Coffee to sit behind a screen we\u2019ll place in front of the jury area. You\u2019ll have to be hidden away before she\u2019s brought in, and remain absolutely quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is cooperating, then,\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

The young warden nodded. \u201cShe was rattled when I spoke her real name, but only for a moment. Once she understood her limited options, she agreed to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t look convinced,\u201d Roy told Travis, prompting a round of nods from the Cartwrights.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not. She\u2019s an opportunist, so the absence of further demands for her testimony, or to get our offer in writing, makes me wonder if she\u2019ll ask for a better deal today with the full board present.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben blew out a deep breath. \u201cI agree with your prediction. This should be … interesting. When will Roy and I need to be back?\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The quartet had enjoyed Hops Sing\u2019s coffee at the house to get their \u201cjoints lubricated\u201d as Roy had put it, but they\u2019d refused a full meal, deciding to get to their destination before having breakfast.<\/p>\n

With more than an hour remaining before they needed to be at the courthouse, they headed to the restaurant in the St. Charles Hotel. The two cities near the Ponderosa were nearly equidistant. The family did day-to-day business in Virginia City; took care of things related to the government in Carson and were equally known in both places, which accounted for the hotel staff whisking them to a table as soon as they entered the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou boys must be disappointed you can\u2019t attend,\u201d Ben told his sons once their breakfast orders were placed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot so much, Pa,\u201d Joe responded with a grin. \u201cWe\u2019d as soon sit in a nice saloon as in some stuffy courtroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss added, \u201cThere\u2019s somethin\u2019 about that woman, just makes my skin crawl. I\u2019m with Joe on this.\u201d His nose crinkled. \u201cAny idea how long it\u2019ll take?\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy answered. \u201cAll they\u2019re doin\u2019 today is interviewing a couple former prisoners, Leslie and a few of the prison staff who can lend credence to what\u2019s been goin\u2019 on out there. This ain\u2019t a trial, although they do get sworn in. It\u2019ll go quick since there\u2019s no cross examination. Your pa and I\u2019ll leave before the panel starts deliberating on the charges.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The four men receiving their breakfast orders were being observed by a shaggy, bearded man, wearing a white shirt and dark pants, occupying a table in the far corner of the room. He smiled at seeing the pile of bacon on a plate being delivered to the other group, and took another bite of his own toast, while chewing mentally on a plan to let him hear the testimony to be given later. Despite the hushed nature of hearing, it was the hottest topic in town.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d been astonished when he\u2019d walked into town two days ago, and witnessed a prison wagon pull up to the jail. He immediately recognized the woman being transferred inside. Her hair, once shiny like silk, and her skin, nearly iridescent like mother-of-pearl, were both dull. She was hunched at the shoulders to accommodate the chain that ran from her shackled wrists to her ankles, but her chin was thrust forward with a superior expression belying her situation.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d stationed himself in the corner of a saloon after that and waited to hear what was happening. Although they would never admit it, saloons were the places men gossiped with the same enthusiasm as women at a church social.<\/p>\n

His destination from the start of his sojourn had arisen from his need to visit the exact prisoner he\u2019d seen being transferred. He\u2019d intended to make a surprise visit to the state prison, but with her relocation and the current gossip, he\u2019d decided to wait.<\/p>\n

Months of his life had been spent in a haze of drugs, \u201cprescribed\u201d by this woman. The fog had cleared greatly since he\u2019d been unceremoniously released from his imprisonment. The arduous trip eastward on foot had finally eased when he\u2019d managed to \u201cborrow\u201d a horse, some decent clothing, money and a weapon. His stop at the Ponderosa had not only brought him access to some physical comforts, but he\u2019d found something there that had provided him with vital information. It had helped, but it hadn\u2019t set everything right in his head.<\/p>\n

It took all his strength to not approach the group eating across the room. He wasn\u2019t even sure why they were in town today, but assumed they\u2019d come to attend the \u201cnot-so-secret\u201d hearing as well.<\/p>\n

He looked up when he heard the waitress clear her throat and ask, \u201cIs there anything else I can get you, Mr. Miller?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m all set, Nancy,\u201d he\u2019d told the young woman, handing her a dollar for the thirty-cent check, along with his suggestion that she keep the remainder. Both waitress and diner looked across the room when they heard a loud guffaw.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Hoss Cartwright laughing,\u201d the young woman explained. \u201cMary Sue, the girl who\u2019s waiting on them, is kind\u2019a sweet on him, and she just delivered him another full stack of flapjacks. Have you ever heard of the Cartwrights, Mr. Miller?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI expect everyone this side of the Rockies, has heard<\/em> of<\/em> the Cartwrights,\u201d he answered. \u201cBut I\u2019ve been away a while, so I haven\u2019t heard much about them lately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nancy leaned closer. \u201cThey\u2019ve not been here in some time. You probably don\u2019t know that Adam Cartwright was killed four … maybe five … months back. The rest of them must have stayed pretty close to home for a while, but I guess they\u2019ve gotten past the loss. They\u2019re acting like their old selves today.\u201d The young woman straightened up and offered a sad smile. I\u2019ll miss Adam stopping in. He was a really good man. Always left a big gratuity too … like you do. If I\u2019m honest; I was sweet on Adam just like Mary Sue\u2019s sweet on Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n

When her blush lessened, she began bussing the table. \u201cWill you be staying on a few more days?\u201d<\/p>\n

He grinned up at her and winked. \u201cIf I\u2019m here in the morning, I\u2019ll be sure to ask for a table in your area.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fourteen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben and Roy arrived at the courthouse early enough to get stationed behind two screens set at angles to form a blind.<\/p>\n

Travis checked his pocket watch once they were seated. \u201cAll right, you two; one of the commissioners just looked through the window. I\u2019ll let them in and they\u2019ll get set up while I bring the witnesses over from the hotel. The last person I\u2019ll gather is Miss Richter from the jail. Unfortunately, Sheriff Clark was forced to deal with a dispute outside town this morning, so I offered to be her escort. You have a few minutes yet, so do whatever you need to keep from fidgeting during the hearing.\u201d He pulled two notepads and pencils from his pocket, extending them to the two men. \u201cI am serious about remaining silent. Use these to communicate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before leaving, Travis walked over to a stoop-shouldered man who\u2019d been straightening the room when he\u2019d arrived earlier. \u201cEverything looks fine. Thank you. You can leave now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hirsute swamper nodded as he grabbed his broom and dustpan, and headed to the janitor\u2019s closet at the far side of the chamber.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The man called Miller by the waitress, was the one doing the sweeping, and he was now hidden away in the janitor\u2019s closet. It had either been luck or providence that provided him the perfect way to be inside the courthouse without being noticed. His original intention was to get into the courtroom before others, and crack open a back-facing window. This would have allowed him to hunker there during the hearing with hopes of hearing some of what was being said.\u00a0 But as he\u2019d rounded the back corner of the building earlier, he\u2019d seen the caretaker exit a door and hang a mop on the porch rail before walking away. A quick look around showed it to be a secondary door, with the official back entrance a little farther west.<\/p>\n

With the custodian far enough away, he\u2019d tried the knob of the extra entrance. It opened, revealing a janitor\u2019s closet with a door leading directly into the courtroom.<\/p>\n

The deserted building had allowed him to place a chair inside the closet for him to use during the proceedings, and then he\u2019d created some disorder that he could appear to be correcting when other participants began to arrive.<\/p>\n

The first arrival had been Sheriff Coffee and Ben Cartwright, along with a third man he hadn\u2019t recognize. He\u2019d kept his head down, busying himself in lining up chairs and sweeping nearby to hear their conversation.<\/p>\n

His suspicions that the two Virginia City residents had been allowed to attend because of their familiarity with one major witness, was upheld, yet they were asked to secret themselves from the attendees. The third man was called Travis, and he seemed to be both the substitute warden at the prison outside of town, and the person in charge of this gathering.<\/p>\n

When asked to end his cleaning efforts, Miller had walked to the closet, left the door open a crack, and settled onto his chair.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Staying still on the hard chair in dark closet proved uncomfortable, yet not as uncomfortable as listening to the horrifying testimonies given by former woman inmates. He imagined that the two men hiding on the other side of the room, were equally unnerved. The opening statement given by Travis, had told how they\u2019d tried to put in safeguards to avoid abuse, yet they\u2019d been astounded at how quickly the tide had turned towards greed and exploitation.<\/p>\n

Deep lines formed in Miler\u2019s forehead while hearing each woman tell of the lasting effects of their incarceration. What they\u2019d endured was best summed up by the last ex-inmate\u2019s articulate testimony.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understood I had to pay my debt for stealing fancy things from stores in town. I served my time, but now I\u2019m facin\u2019 a death sentence. Most of us women got the pox doin\u2019 what they made us do. The only thing they checked about those clients, was their wallets. We got it from one man and gave it to the next. There\u2019s no cure, and the doctor I went to see, treated me with his nose raised, looking like he was sucking a pickled egg, and sniping at me about how this was a sure judgment on my way of living.\u201d<\/p>\n

When one of the commissioners asked if she\u2019d explained her situation to the doctor, she\u2019d replied, \u201cWhy bother. Apparently looking half-dead on the outside and feeling half-dead on the inside, still made me a temptress these men couldn\u2019t resist.\u201d Her laugh was dry and crackled in her throat. Those men payin\u2019 for our service surely carried it home. Kind\u2019a makes you wonder what that fine doctor will tell the faithful, obedient wives, when they show up in his office with the same disease I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller leaned back in his dark shelter and sighed, knowing that the \u201cpox\u201d meant syphilis. The Gold Rush had brought many men, but few women to California, making brothels the main source of female companionship while causing an epidemic of the disease. The woman testifying had been right. There was no real treatment, and although it might go dormant, many people would face insanity and horrible disfigurement before the disease finished tormenting them.<\/p>\n

It was too small a gesture to these unfortunate souls, but at least the commission announced they\u2019d find a doctor willing to work with them, and pay for any treatment they\u2019d decide to try.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Sitting in the darkness listening to the testimonies, while letting his mind drift off to entertain his own demons between witnesses, left the hidden listener with a flawed sense of passing time. He suspected Leslie would be the last to speak, and was surprised when he heard her called forward to the witness table. There were several members on this commission, and while he couldn\u2019t see them, he\u2019d grown familiar with their voices.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve cleared the room, Miss Richter, so you can speak freely.\u201d This was said by the commissioner who led each witness examination. \u201cBefore we begin, I must alert you to a change. You were tried, convicted and sentenced under the name, Jessica Hardy. With conclusive proof of your identity, all documents using that name will be amended to Leslie Richter. Any other charges, even if you went by another name at the time, will also reflect your true name.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie said nothing, and the same voice continued, \u201cWe understand that you are willing to testify against Warden Finney in return for us dropping the pending federal charges against you.\u201d<\/p>\n

A different voice asked the first question. \u201cMiss Richter, please tell us about your meetings with Warden Finney.\u201d<\/p>\n

The voice drifting into the confines of the closet, carried the same sneering tone he\u2019d heard the last time he\u2019d been in this woman\u2019s company. With none of the visual distraction that those in the courtroom were seeing, he heard what they couldn\u2019t. Leslie Richter was up to something, and she had no intention of divulging anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was called into the warden\u2019s office shortly after I arrived at the prison,\u201d she began. \u201cHe said he\u2019d noticed my bearing and composure, and thought I might provide him with some intelligent conversation. We arranged to meet for tea at least once a week as a diversion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you do during these teas?\u201d another voice inquired.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spoke of books we\u2019d both read; where we\u2019d traveled and current events. You see, I\u2019d attended a finishing school for young women, where I was trained to converse in an intelligent manner. I\u2019m also a good listener. Warden Finney felt comfortable telling me about the challenges of running a prison.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another voice arose. \u201cDid the warden expect favors of a carnal nature at these visits?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was always a gentleman. What he sought from me was a social diversion from the stress of his position.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were given a good job within the prison. You were also moved into an unoccupied dormitory and given other special favors. Do you expect us to believe that you received this because you were a … good listener?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may believe whatever you wish.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMay I remind you that you told Warden Travis a far different story when he asked for your help.\u201d The new questioner was nearly shouting. \u201cMay I also remind you that you will face the full force of the federal government if you do not cooperate.\u201d<\/p>\n

She laughed. \u201cAs I see this, you\u2019re threatening me so I\u2019ll say what you want to hear. If I refuse, you\u2019ll take revenge by transferring me someplace vile. I\u2019ll hire a lawyer then who will point out that you\u2019re all just as bad as the men you\u2019re accusing of misconduct. A sympathetic judge might agree that I\u2019m<\/em> the victim in all of this and he\u2019ll let me go for what I\u2019ve endured.\u201d Her laugh was laced with venom. \u201cHow is what you\u2019re doing to me, any different than what Finney did? At least with him, I got a cup of tea before he scre….\u201d Her intended comment was lost amidst the commissioners\u2019 outraged shouting.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The two men behind the screen stared open-mouthed at each other. Ben\u2019s pencil moved across his pad of paper. Could she sway a judge into thinking she\u2019s been treated more unfairly than her crimes deserve?<\/em><\/p>\n

Roy had paled except for two small spots of red coloring his cheeks. He shrugged and frowned.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Miller chuckled, and spoke a quiet, \u201cBrava.\u201d He now fully understood Richter\u2019s intentions in creating the chaos going on outside his door. His supposition was confirmed, when he heard an angry, highly frustrated voice declare, \u201cGet this woman out of here. Make sure she\u2019s locked up in the general dormitory, and receives no further consideration. She will experience her life-sentence from the same position as everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie\u2019s brawling laugh overtook the boisterous commissioner. \u201cAnd knowing what most men in charge of the prisons demand of women inmates, that position will be on my back with my legs up ….\u201d<\/p>\n

The pounding gavel and shouts to remove the prisoner covered Leslie\u2019s final words, and the scape of chair legs on the wooden floor indicated she would soon be leaving the building.<\/p>\n

\u201cWarden Travis,\u201d someone said loudly, \u201cThe deputy can take her to the jail. He can use the back door so no one sees what\u2019s going on. You stay put while we figure out how to salvage this mess.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Miller had only moments to act during the ruckus in the main room. Following a streak of light snaking its way from the crack at the bottom of the outside door, he shot out the rear entrance, stopping on the porch only to let his eyes adjust from the darkness he\u2019d left in his wake. No one had yet exited the main door, so he ran across the backstreet and hid in the shadows of an alleyway between two buildings.<\/p>\n

He was sure that the chaos Leslie had created was leading to something no one else was expecting. Her vulgarity and refusal to cooperate was designed to cause indignation and get her sent back to the jail with a single escort. She couldn\u2019t have planned on Sheriff Clark\u2019s absence, but it played to her advantage. The young deputy assigned to accompany her was unseasoned with no idea what this woman was capable of doing. It was like a rabbit assigned to escort a coyote.<\/p>\n

He swallowed a mournful groan from the shadows, when the main door finally opened, and he saw that in the rush to get her outside, the deputy hadn\u2019t bothered to cuff Richter\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Leslie waited until they were far enough from the courthouse that a scuffle wouldn\u2019t be heard inside, and then feigned a trip that ended with her sprawled on the ground. She grinned to herself as she lay in the dirt, anticipating her next move.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d planned to escape on her own from the moment she\u2019d been relocated to the city jail. She\u2019d mentally kicked herself for not doing just that back in Virginia City, instead of thinking she\u2019d convince a jury to convict the missing Adam Cartwright and set her free.<\/p>\n

Things could not have gone better so far. She\u2019d created the reaction she\u2019d wanted, and some demonic intervention on her behalf had sent the sheriff from town. And the most encouraging sign that all would go well, happened as the acting warden had walked her to the courthouse earlier. A woman had ridden past on a tall black horse. She was dressed in trousers and a buckskin jacket instead of her stylish dress, but Leslie had recognized May immediately. Instead of wearing her ammunition as a necklace as she usually did, her presentation today included a rifle tucked into a scabbard on her saddle, and a pistol sitting easy in the holster on her hip.2<\/sup><\/p>\n

May must have received the letter she\u2019d had Finney send, and had arrived in Carson City at the most opportune moment. The enigmatic rider had pulled to the hitch rail up ahead, offering a hint of a smile and a nod when the prisoner walked by.\u00a0 The two old friends hadn\u2019t seen each other in years, but they could still communicate without saying a word.<\/p>\n

Leslie decided she had to act now. This was her opportunity to get free of the deputy, and May would surely figure out where she was and provide the means to escape from town.<\/p>\n

It was now or never! \u00a0She groaned while rolling to her back, and sat up to grab at her ankle. \u201cI\u2019m so clumsy sometimes,\u201d she told the deputy in a pained hiss, followed by a crooked smile. \u201cMy ankle hurts, but it\u2019s just twisted.\u201d She confirmed her disability with a yelp when she tried to right herself.<\/p>\n

The deputy\u2019s face was a wrinkled sheet of confusion and concern. He finally said, \u201cI\u2019ll go back inside and get some help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait,\u201d she said as he turned to leave. \u201cI don\u2019t want to make those men any angrier at me than they already are. Lend me your arm, and help me to stand.\u201d She pulled her skirt a little higher, twirling her ankle to show that she had full motion: even though grimacing throughout the maneuver. \u201cI couldn\u2019t do that if it was broken. You can fetch a doctor once I\u2019m resting on my cot in the jail.\u201d The smile returned as she winked at him. \u201cThe sheriff will applaud your quick handling of the matter when he returns.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat does sound good.\u201d The deputy breathed in relief. \u201cHow do we get you on your feet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re so strong, it should be easy for you to lend me your arm and pull me upright.\u201d As the deputy got himself set, Leslie noticed the sun\u2019s shimmer on the shot-silk fabric of her green skirt, and turned away to smile. Her spirits had soared when the vile little Finney had produced it.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d had this garment made in Texas while she\u2019d learned her criminal trade. The construction assured she\u2019d never be penniless and vulnerable. A woman lifting the dress might note that it \u201cfelt\u201d heavier than it looked, but a man wouldn\u2019t have a clue. The weight came from the many hundred-dollar bills5 <\/sup>and packets of potions she\u2019d stashed inside the interior pockets a seamstress had created by quilting the silk to a linen backing before constructing the garment. She\u2019d always received compliments on the uniqueness of the outfit, but no one could have known there was a small fortune and a pharmacy enclosed. Seeing May earlier had assured her escape, but the contents of her skirt would provide a comfortable life after her getaway.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

He watched the scene playing out from his hidden vantage point, but Miller didn\u2019t want to make his presence known too soon. His suspicion was that she\u2019d make a pained attempt to stand, followed by the declaration that she couldn\u2019t bear weight after all, and sending the witless deputy to get help. She\u2019d be gone when he returned.<\/p>\n

He was wrong.<\/p>\n

Everything happened too fast for him to react. Leslie had the young man lean down, pulling him even further towards her by wrapping her right arm around his neck and letting her weight drag him downward as she clumsily attempted to rise. With the kid now too off-balance to react, she shot upright; shed his grip by twisting to his right, and deftly slipping his pistol from its leather, knocking him out cold with the butt of his own gun.<\/p>\n

While bemoaning his miscalculation, he now realized he was hidden in the most fortuitous position for stopping the escape. With the deputy in a lump on the street, she did a quick look around, and ran toward the dark alley. \u00a0The switch from light to dark blinded her, making her screech when she ran straight into his arms. He grabbed her wrist, applying enough pressure to force the pistol from her grip, and then lifted and carried her to the closest building, pinning her against the siding.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow dare you!\u201d she hissed. \u201cUnhand me before I scream for the authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The chuckle rose from the deepest recesses of his chest. \u201cWe both know you won\u2019t do that, Leslie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes popped open as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The face inches from hers was unfamiliar, but that voice had lived in her mind. \u201cHow ….\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re at a loss for words?\u201d He laughed again. \u201cI guess there\u2019s a first time for everything.\u201d He loosened his hold, without giving her any wiggle room. \u201cIf you want to know how I come to be here, it\u2019s simple. The medicine you supplied the asylum ran out around the same time as the money for my keep. It\u2019s not a charitable institution, so they kicked me out.\u201d<\/p>\n

She eyed him warily. \u201cWhy haven\u2019t I heard anything about you …?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one knows except for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one\u2019s recognized you?\u201d she asked incredulously.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t recognize me, and I’ve stayed away from people who might make a connection, so I could take care of loose ends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you plan to kill me as one of those \u2018loose ends?\u201d<\/p>\n

He sighed loudly. \u201cOf course not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI doubt you were strolling past the courthouse for exercise when you saw me, so you must have known I was in prison here.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded. \u201cI know a lot more about you now. It seems your lies are finally catching up to you. I heard your testimony just now. If you hadn\u2019t chosen the life of a criminal, you\u2019d have found a career in acting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cListen, ah,\u201d she said with an authoritative tone, before silencing.<\/p>\n

He snorted softly. \u201cSurely you remember my name. It\u2019s Tony Miller … your severely demented husband, the one who\u2019d attempted suicide and needed to be drugged and institutionalized to be kept from trying it again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did what I had to do at the time. I needed to get away. I could have killed you outright instead of aiming towards the side.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are so thoughtful. I\u2019ve wondered; how did you know they wouldn\u2019t recognize me at the asylum?\u201d<\/p>\n

A tight laugh. \u201cI didn\u2019t, but I\u2019d seen the place when my stage passed by. I always pay attention to those … usable … details, and kept it in the back of my mind. If they had recognized you, I had an alternate story.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo … how did<\/em> you get caught? Seems like you could have made a clean getaway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d left the money bag at that house, and figured I had time to go back for it. I shouldn\u2019t have been surprised that I made a mistake. Nothing went right during the time I spent with you, and I have hated you every moment of my life since that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t say I\u2019m fond of you either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy don\u2019t you walk me to the jail, and we\u2019ll talk like civilized people.\u201d<\/p>\n

His cheek rose, taking his upper lip along for the ride, \u201cI don\u2019t trust anything you say.\u201d<\/p>\n

The grin persisted. \u201cI should probably be honest about my intentions towards you that day. That mixture of drugs I gave you knocked you out enough that you couldn\u2019t fight back, but it left you alert long enough to know that I meant for you to die. \u00a0I would have given you enough to kill you, but I meant for you to suffer before leaving that asylum in a coffin.\u201d A laugh, \u201cI should have known that wouldn\u2019t work out right either.\u201d<\/p>\n

He sighed heavily. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you listen to me? I would have helped you if you\u2019d faced what you\u2019d done. Was what you did to me worth ending up imprisoned for life and resorting to the things that were implied in that hearing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her greasy smile evaporated. \u201cI\u2019ve done worse to survive. You do what you have to.\u201d<\/p>\n

A nod. \u201cI\u2019m not judging you for those things. I am saying it didn\u2019t have to happen!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want you to reform me! I wanted you to choose me … accept me … just the way I was. Our life together could have been astounding, and we would have both stayed free.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat made you think I would consider leaving behind everything I valued and believed in?\u201d The question was genuine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d never met anyone as silent about themselves as you were. Your dark eyes and mysterious ways gave me the impression they were hiding a wildness that would welcome a chance to be free of your mundane life.\u201d Her line of sight rose to a place above his shoulder, producing a gentle grin. \u201cSince no one knows you\u2019re alive, why don\u2019t you come with me this time. Leave what\u2019s dead, dead. We\u2019ll head to Mexico. I\u2019m not proposing to you. You\u2019re free to leave whenever you want, but we\u2019ll have fun until then.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stared at her: his mouth dropping open to let a frustrated sigh escape. \u201cThere\u2019s a deputy on the ground needing attention. You just admitted that you\u2019d intended me to die, and above all, knowing what you do of me, why would you repeat the same offer I\u2019ve already refused?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy can\u2019t you just try something different?\u201d she hissed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy? My life\u2014as boring as it must seem to you\u2014is grounded in truth, and it suits me. I\u2019ve always given people second chances. I offered that to you too, and I offer it again. You might escape today, but you\u2019ll never be free.\u201d He paused, receiving her sidelong glance and a laugh as an answer. \u201cI\u2019ve dealt with others like you before. It\u2019s like talking to a board, because you are incapable of choosing right over wrong. The plain truth is that the person you need saving from, is you!\u201d He loosened his grip. \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re going to the jail now. Once you\u2019re locked up, I\u2019ll make sure the deputy\u2019s doing all right, and then I\u2019ll give my statement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re such a bag of hot air … Tony,\u201d she sneered, as her eyes strayed past his shoulders into the dark shadows again.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least I\u2019m an honest bag of air.\u201d He turned her around to pull her arms behind her for optimal control. \u201cOne last question. You had a chance to help yourself today at that hearing. Why didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

She wrenched herself around enough to bore a hole into his forehead with her glare. \u201cI don\u2019t trust anyone but myself. They\u2019ll replace Finney, but do you really suppose the next warden will be any different? They all come in thinking they\u2019ll save us, but then corrupt so easily. Weighing my options, I decided to escape. You ruined that. You ruin everything!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hate me because I hold you accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie laughed. \u201cIt\u2019s not that; I\u2019m just talking so you pay attention to me instead of what\u2019s behind you. Sweet dreams!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t heard anyone sneaking up behind him, but he did hear the sound of metal hitting bone as a weapon connected with his skull. He dropped like a sandbag testing the trap door of a gallows, and heard two women laughing as he passed out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks May,\u201d Leslie said sincerely as she and her old friend scurried towards the far end of the dark passage to the horses May had waiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d do the same for me, Leslie. I was glad you saw me today. I was peering into the windows of the courthouse when you were taken out. Sorry it took so long to grab the horses and get them around back. Looks like you did fine without me, though.\u201d She mounted her horse and turned to her companion. \u201cWho was that guy you were talking with?\u201d she asked as they threaded their horses between buildings to the edge of town.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe perfect man.\u201d Leslie laughed.<\/p>\n

Fifteen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben and Roy left the proceedings once Leslie was removed, and they joined Hoss and Joe at the saloon. While sipping on cold beers, they told of the testimony they\u2019d heard, along with the unexpected outcome of Leslie\u2019s outbursts.<\/p>\n

The four of them were curious about the charges being drawn, yet not enough so to remain in town. If they left soon, they\u2019d be home by mid-afternoon. The decision to go came easily, and they were mounting up a few minutes later when they spotted Sheriff Clark tying up in front the jail.<\/p>\n

Clark smiled at the group as they rode over. \u201cThe hearing done already? I\u2019d hoped to make it back in time for some of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe deliberations are still goin\u2019 on,\u201d Roy explained. \u201cWe left when the witnesses were done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sheriff Clark removed his rifle and angled it onto his shoulder, holding the butt with his palm. \u201cDid something go wrong?\u201d You four look like you know something I don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben chuckled. \u201cMiss Richter did not disappoint. We\u2019ll come inside and tell you about it if you have time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d enjoy hearing your take.\u201d<\/p>\n

The five men entered a decidedly quiet office. The door to the cell block was open, and Ben\u2019s quick look inside confirmed it was empty. \u201cSomething\u2019s wrong,\u201d he told the others. \u201cShe\u2019s not in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWere you expecting her to be?\u201d The sheriff asked; his brows dipping downwards to form a V.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe refused to say anything against the warden, and told them they were just as bad as he was in threatening her,\u201d Roy explained. \u201cThey sent her back here with your deputy a good hour ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe they\u2019ve already transferred her to the prison or called her back to the hearing to try again?\u201d Clark suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t see the prison\u2019s transport in town, but we should check if she\u2019s back at the courthouse. We\u2019d have seen her if she\u2019d been taken down main street, so we should go the back way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss pointed as soon as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight behind the jail. \u201cThere\u2019s a man down, just this side of the courthouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe was the fastest, arriving a few strides before the others. \u201cHe\u2019s breathing, but he\u2019s got a goose egg on the side of his head. Hoss and I can get him to the doctor while you tell the people at the courthouse what\u2019s happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe can\u2019t have gotten far on foot,\u201d Ben told the two sheriffs once his sons had the deputy between them, heading up the stairs to the doctor\u2019s office a few buildings down.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s take a quick look around before we say anything,\u201d Sheriff Clark suggested.<\/p>\n

Ben wasn\u2019t as skilled a tracker as his sons, but it was easy to see Leslie\u2019s small footprints headed between two buildings. They\u2019d barely entered the alley when Roy stumbled over something in the shadows. \u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s another body!\u201d he shouted as he realized what had caused his fall.<\/p>\n

They relocated the second victim to a spot where they\u2019d get a better look. \u201cIsn\u2019t that the guy who was straightening the courtroom this morning, Roy?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeems to be. Maybe he was coming back to work, and tried to help the deputy.\u201d Roy shivered. \u201cLet\u2019s leave him on his side. That gash in his head looks bad and I don\u2019t want more dirt in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben put his hand close to the man\u2019s nose and felt the warmth of his breath. \u201cHe\u2019s breathing fine. Let\u2019s get him to the doctor too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStay put,\u201d Sheriff Clark ordered them. \u201cI\u2019ll get help for that, and we\u2019ll keep looking for Richter.\u201d He returned a few minutes later with four men commandeered from a nearby saloon. As soon as they were on their way with the injured Good Samaritan, Sheriff Clark led the other two men back into the shadows.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell I\u2019ll be doggoned!\u201d Roy said when they exited the passage on the far end. \u201cShe had help. Looks like a set of woman\u2019s prints going into that passage from this end, and two sets coming out. Whoever it was, had horses waiting. She\u2019s not on foot like we thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark shook his head, sighed, and finally laughed sourly. \u201cI\u2019ll round up a posse, but I doubt she\u2019s waiting around for us to find her. She\u2019s smart. Even managed to let someone on the outside know how and when to help.\u201d He nodded at Roy. \u201cWhile I gather a few riders, maybe you and Ben could send telegrams alerting nearby towns of the escape. That Travis fella from the prison can inform the federal agents and get them headed here to take over.\u201d He rubbed his whiskered jaw. \u201cMight I ask one more favor? See to it that those men by Doc Oleson get whatever they need.\u201d His cheek drew upwards. \u201cWait … did you two say the second guy was cleaning at the courthouse?\u201d<\/p>\n

Both men nodded. \u201cWhy do you ask?\u201d Ben inquired.<\/p>\n

\u201cRufus James is the caretaker. I\u2019ve never seen that other man before.\u201d He shrugged. \u201cMaybe Rufus couldn\u2019t work today.\u201d Clark placed his hands on his hips and took a last look around. \u201cI\u2019m about to go give those commissioners a good piece of my mind for underestimating that woman. Would you two care to come along?\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The two women came to a stop after riding for 20 minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks again, May. When they said I wasn\u2019t going to Hardyville, I figured you wouldn\u2019t be able to help, even if you had received my letter.\u201d<\/p>\n

They dismounted and led their horses to the shade of a few scraggly trees. \u201cYou\u2019re the only person who still calls me May. I\u2019m known as Belle now.\u201d The young woman outlaw pulled her face into a sour pucker. \u201cMy father got your letter, and he wired enough of what you\u2019d written for me to know you needed help. How\u2019d you end up in such a predicament, Leslie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie laughed. \u201cIt was that man you conked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always a man when things go that bad.\u201d May\u2019s laugh echoed in the quiet landscape, but then her eyebrows rose towards her hairline. \u201cThat, uh, hairy guy? I wouldn\u2019t have figured him as your type.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wasn\u2019t. But that\u2019s what made him interesting. He was upright and good\u2014two characteristic I don\u2019t possess\u2014and there was nothing I could say to turn him. In his defense, he only looked the way he did because I poisoned him and left him in a mental asylum to die. He escaped too.\u201d She chuckled softly. \u201cI figured he\u2019d come back to haunt me as a ghost, not in person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie looked directly at her only friend. \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate you didn\u2019t see him with a shave and haircut.\u201d A deep breath. \u201cHe is a powerfully handsome man.\u201d<\/p>\n

May shook her head and laughed. \u201cI\u2019m just glad I decided to snatch you on the way to<\/em> Arizona instead of on the way back. Imagine my surprise when I saw you being led into the town jail my first day in town, wearing those stylish handcuffs.\u201d May grinned. \u201cI\u2019ve worn those same bracelets a few times already, but they couldn\u2019t make the charges stick.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two friends allowed a few moments to catch up on each their lives, before Leslie scanned the horizon from the direction they\u2019d come. \u201cNo dust cloud yet. The sheriff was away, and with the deputy down, we should have a good head start. But … things haven\u2019t been going my way in the last few months, so what we do next.\u201d<\/p>\n

May grinned widely. \u201cThere\u2019s a good reason the sheriff was gone. My gang was with me the other day when I first saw you, and there was talk of a hearing. Seems you bring interest Leslie, even though they were calling you Hardy. Speculation was you\u2019d been brought in from the prison to testify against the warden. We decided it was the perfect chance to get you out, and I assumed you\u2019d have a similar mindset. One of our men rode in this morning to report some suspicious goings-on he\u2019d seen on his way into town, and send that sheriff on a goose chase. I didn\u2019t want to call attention to my gang, so I said I\u2019d get you free alone, simply and quietly. Once you saw me, you knew to make your move.\u201d May\u2019s expression dropped to a frown. \u201cWe\u2019re camped south east of here, so we\u2019ll go that way now, and then we\u2019ll each ride out in a different direction. If the sheriff does form a posse, they\u2019ll chase their tails for days.\u201d<\/p>\n

When her friend fidgeted in her saddle, Leslie asked, \u201cWhat aren\u2019t you telling me, May.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d ask you to join up with us, but we\u2019re heading towards Missouri to settle down a while. I\u2019m pretty sure I\u2019m expecting a baby\u2014got all the symptoms\u2014so I can\u2019t get caught for helping you escape or hiding you. I don\u2019t want my baby born in a prison.\u201d<\/p>\n

May pointed to the large duffle strapped to the back of the saddle on Leslie\u2019s horse. \u201cI brought everything you\u2019ll need to get away clean. There\u2019s a set of man\u2019s clothes, and makeup … a bushy beard you can glue on … and even a pair of gloves to hide your hands. You\u2019ll be a small man, but you\u2019ll convince people you\u2019re a male just fine. There\u2019re women\u2019s clothes too, a blonde wig and veiled hat, so you can switch out to cover your tracks. You always were a good actress.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations on the baby!\u201d Leslie offered with a genuine smile. \u201cAnd don\u2019t worry; I just needed you to help me get away. I didn\u2019t expect you to adopt me. I\u2019ve always worked best alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHave they figured out who you really are?\u201d May asked.<\/p>\n

A nod. \u201cAnother good reason for us to part ways. They already looked for my parents. They\u2019ll find out we were friends, and come calling on you too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about us, Leslie. We have the law back home on our payroll.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seventeen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Roy and Ben decided against accompanying the sheriff to the commission, and headed up the steep flight of steps to the doctor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doc\u2019s in the back room with his wife,\u201d Hoss told them from his chair in the waiting room. \u201cShe came out a few minutes ago saying that Larry, the deputy, is awake now, but he ain\u2019t feelin\u2019 too good. Doc Oleson is working on the other one. He\u2019s still out cold.\u201d<\/p>\n

The door to the examination room opened, with the doctor\u2019s wife exiting, carrying a pan of bloody rags and instruments. She stopped short at seeing the packed room. \u201cOh!\u201d she cried out, while flipping her apron up over the macabre display. \u201cMr. Cartwright … Sheriff Coffee, how nice to see you both, even under these circumstances. Your sons told me what happened out there. Were you able to find the escapee?\u201d<\/p>\n

Both men shook their heads. \u201cShe had help, probably from another woman,\u201d Ben told her. \u201cThey left town on horseback. The sheriff will raise a posse, but isn\u2019t hopeful of catching her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother woman got Richter free?\u201d Hoss said while shaking his head. \u201cAin\u2019t that something!\u201d<\/p>\n

He gave his son an eyeroll and sigh. \u201cHow\u2019s the second man doing?\u201d Ben asked Mrs. Oleson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doctor put stitches in that gaping wound and there\u2019s no evidence of his skull being damaged. He has a strong pulse and he\u2019s breathing fine, so it\u2019s a matter of time until he comes to. He\u2019ll have worse headache than Larry.\u201d<\/p>\n

***,<\/p>\n

With nothing to do but wait, Ben sent his sons to get a table for lunch at a small cafe while he and Roy stopped at the telegraph office.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what do we do next?\u201d Roy asked as they exited Western Union.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe eat and then go check on those men again. I\u2019d like to know they\u2019re both on the mend before we make further plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they\u2019re up to it, we can get their statements written up for Sheriff Clark. I don\u2019t envy him gatherin\u2019 a posse with all that paperwork pilin\u2019 up too.\u201d\u00a0 Roy grinned sheepishly. \u201cA part of me wants to ride out and catch that woman; the other part of me wants to be over and done with her. I\u2019ll stick around to help Clark, but don\u2019t let that stop you from heading home.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re mighty quiet, Pa, and you ain\u2019t eaten much either.\u201d Hoss observed. \u201cWhat\u2019re you thinking about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben scratched the back of his head, pushed his half-finished lunch aside and leaned forward. \u201cSome odd things have been running through my head. You\u2019re going to think I\u2019m crazy, but listen with an open mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes popped open. \u201cThis sounds serious, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor nearly five months, we\u2019ve been stuck in the web created by that woman. We\u2019ve tried to distance ourselves from her, but we keep getting pulled in again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss groaned, \u201cAw, Pa, it\u2019s just coincidence,\u201d before remembering his promise to listen. \u201cSorry, go on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s gaze drifted to his hands, unable to watch the doubtful expressions taking shape on the faces of his companions. \u201cI don\u2019t think any of what\u2019s happened recently, is a coincidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

He heaved a sigh. \u201cLeslie didn\u2019t speak the truth this morning, but she wasn\u2019t outright lying either. She did the same thing in Virginia City by never denying being a party to what happened, just twisting the unsavory facts to Adam. Through everything, she\u2019s maintained that she didn\u2019t \u2018bury\u2019 Adam anywhere. What if that part is true? Might she have done something to<\/em> him that prevented him from coming home, rather than end his life ….\u201d The idea floated as he chanced a look up to find interest replacing the indulgence.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe claimed Adam had put animal blood around to indicate his death. Why couldn\u2019t she have done that just as easily! I don\u2019t know how she made him cooperate, but he must have for her to get him away from that farm. Maybe she lured him to the buggy, and then smacked him on the head like she did those two men in the alley. \u00a0She could have driven away and then dumped him. He might have survived.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy held up a hand. \u201cI had them same thoughts at one time, Ben. But if he did, where\u2019s Adam been all this while?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s kept me from saying anything.\u201d Ben sighed again, and slouched backwards in his chair. \u201cIt\u2019s a longshot, but what if she left him somewhere he couldn\u2019t leave?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere do you mean?\u201d Hoss\u2019 doubtful tone matched Roy\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou told us about the wildman at the Sachs\u2019 ranch. He was described as wearing white pajamas. That could have been a uniform worn by people in that asylum.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey denied having anyone missin\u2019, Pa,\u201d Hoss reminded him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying that the wildman was Adam, but it brings to mind that there are places a person might be stashed, like an asylum. \u00a0I don\u2019t have all the answers, only ideas that don\u2019t add up correctly, no matter how often I calculate them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss squinted as he gave his father\u2019s thought serious consideration. \u201cThere could be somethin\u2019 to yer theory, Pa. It could even be it was the same person seen at the Sach\u2019s place, moved towards the Ponderosa stealing clothes, then Sport and finally the stuff at our house.\u201d He swallowed hard. \u201cYet if it was Adam, why wouldn\u2019t he just come home, or at least stay put when he did get there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s head wagged sadly. \u201cThink back to how confused and even ashamed he felt after his time with Kane. We found him … helped him … made sure he felt safe, but he was mentally and physically exhausted and nearly didn\u2019t survive.\u00a0 When his health improved, he went right back to work, but had trouble later when memories of that miserable time, tortured him again.5<\/sup> It could be that whatever happened to him recently, opened those wounds again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy pulled his lips together and inhaled a whistling breath. \u201cYou want to believe this, Ben, but to keep thinking this way is gonna end up hurtin\u2019 you. You just have to get home and forget Leslie Richter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou might be right, Roy, but bear with me. The person who stole from our house figured out the combination to the safe. He picked Sport, the only cantankerous, one-man horse, from a corral filled with gentler animals. A true thief wouldn\u2019t have taken only a portion of what was in the safe, or leave IOUs.\u201d Ben shook his head. \u201cYou\u2019ll think me even more daft, but those notes …. reminded me of something Adam did when he was very young. And I didn\u2019t tell you about the IOU I found in the cookie jar yesterday, promising an explanation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy sat forward, leaning on the table to address his friend. \u201cThink on this, Ben. Why would Adam, who has a particular dislike for mind games since his tussle with that Kane fella, and after experiencing the absolute horror of what happened with his friend Ross, play those kinds of games with you? Your theory that it was a fired employee causin\u2019 you trouble, makes more sense. They could have stood close enough to your desk when they worked for you to see the combination you used. You ain\u2019t exactly secretive about what you\u2019re doing. They knew you were grieving, and set out to hurt you even more for getting rid of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if the notes weren\u2019t a game, but were meant as a message for me. If it was him, I\u2019d wager he came to Carson City, hoping for a chance to surprise Richter and get some straight answers before anyone knew he was alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben stood suddenly. \u201cThat man sweeping in the courthouse this morning, who got hurt trying to stop Richter\u2019s escape. The sheriff said he\u2019d never seen him before!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe wasn\u2019t wearing a red plaid shirt,\u201d Roy added, his voice now catching Ben\u2019s enthusiasm. \u201cBut he sure looked like the guy everyone\u2019s been describing! Do you really think it might be Adam up there getting\u2019 his head sewed back together?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know for sure, but if it\u2019s not, maybe he knew Adam, and there\u2019s only one way to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The four men nearly tripped each other trying to get up the stairs, and into the doctor\u2019s office. Mrs. Oleson eyed them sternly from the desk where she was working. \u201cYou nearly scared the life out of me! This is a doctor\u2019s office, not a saloon. Show some decorum.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry we startled you, but has the second man awakened yet?\u201d Ben asked, after catching his breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, shortly after you left.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he tell you his name … anything about himself?\u201d Roy asked, just as anxious to know the truth as the Cartwrights.<\/p>\n

\u201cTony.\u201d She closed her eyes in thought. \u201cNo last name yet, and before you ask, he wasn\u2019t able to say anything about how this happened before he drifted off again. He was dizzy and nauseated.\u201d She viewed the disappointed faces of the group. \u201cDo you think you know him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hoped we might.\u201d Ben\u2019s voice was little more than a whisper.<\/p>\n

\u201cLarry\u2019s awake.\u201d She offered. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t recognize the other man, and only remembers trying to help that woman stand up after she\u2019d tripped, and somehow getting hit with his own gun. She was alone at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMight we speak to the deputy?\u201d Roy asked while Ben nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband wants both men to rest more before getting them riled up with questions.\u201d She pursed her lips. \u201cBut … instead of waiting around here, you could figure out where Tony is staying, and see if he might have a clean set of clothes. The items he was wearing are soaked with blood and the water I used to clean him up. Maybe you\u2019ll find a little more about him that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The trip down the stairs was taken at a pace indicating their disappointment.<\/p>\n

Roy stopped the Cartwrights at the bottom. \u201cI\u2019m sorry this didn\u2019t end the way you wanted, but there\u2019s still the chance this is the person who stole from you, and maybe he has information. We should split up to check the hotels. That\u2019s if he\u2019s stayin\u2019 at one, not camping outside\u2019a town.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss looked up; the sun making his blue eyes sparkle like a summer lake as an idea took shape. \u201cDon\u2019t know why I didn\u2019t think of this before. I was sittin\u2019 where I could see the other tables in the restaurant this morning. I\u2019m purd\u2019near sure that guy was across the room eatin\u2019 too. He was gone when I looked up later. You wouldn\u2019t stay at a cheap hotel and then go to an expensive one for breakfast.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, he\u2019s staying here,\u201d the desk clerk replied after Roy used his badge to inquire. The middle-aged man swung the guest register around, running his finger down the signatures. \u201cHere it is. Checked in a couple days ago as Tony Miller.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben leaned forward for a better look at the signature. It didn\u2019t resemble Adam\u2019s scrawl. \u201cDo you know anything about him?\u201d<\/p>\n

The clerk shook his head. \u201cHe\u2019s not been chatty, but he\u2019s not unfriendly either. I recall thinking he wasn\u2019t feeling great. He had meals delivered to his room at first. But he looked much better this morning when he came down for breakfast. I haven\u2019t seen him go anywhere, but many guests use the back stairs.\u201d His cheeks puckered and his lips twisted sourly, making it look like remembering was painful. \u201cThere was one thing. I hadn\u2019t seen him here before, but he asked for room 204 or 304 when he checked in.\u201d He chuckled. \u201cThose are the same rooms you reserve when you stay here, Mr. Cartwright. You told me once they\u2019re the biggest, and the only two facing the street.\u201d The chuckle returned. \u201cI call them the \u2018Cartwright suites.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss motioned for the others to wait after the clerk gave them a spare key to room 204. \u201cDid this fella ask you to board his horse?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, and I haven\u2019t seen any horses tied out front overnight either. I assumed he\u2019d arrived by stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s arms dropped to his sides after sliding out the top dresser drawer. \u201cWell, this is the man who stole from us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe removed the evidence from the drawer; setting out the Colt and holster, a small roll of cash, two white shirts and a pair of pants bearing the Ponderosa laundry mark. \u201cThe only thing missing is Sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnybody stealing a horse from the Ponderosa is gonna know that others would recognize our brand,\u201d Hoss told the others. \u201cHe might\u2019a sold Sport to a drifter: someone who didn\u2019t care about that if the price was right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took a better look around the room, and made the discovery that upheld the rest of his theory. Hanging on the back of the door, were a red plaid shirt and tan pants. \u201cWe need to talk to this … Tony.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d Roy said with authority, stopping his friend from treading down a path of sadness without knowing if it was going the right direction. \u201cWe know he\u2019s a thief. We\u2019ll use the threat of prosecution as a lever to get answers.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me ask the questions when we get up there,\u201d Roy told the others as they climbed the doctor\u2019s stairs. He led the group into the exam room after explaining to Mrs. Oleson that they couldn\u2019t wait any longer to speak to Tony.<\/p>\n

While the doctor had allowed the deputy to head home after feeling steady when he woke the second time, Tony was still sound asleep on the treatment table with a sheet tucked up under his chin, and a muslin bandage wrapped around his head.<\/p>\n

Roy shook the sheet-encased shoulder. \u201cWake up, Mr. Miller.\u201d His voice wasn\u2019t unkind, but his authority as a lawman was audible. \u201cI need to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The patient\u2019s eyes opened slowly, and he freed his bare arms from the sheet to rub the blurriness away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWha\u2019s wrong?\u201d he asked sleepily, while exploring the head bandage with his fingertips.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found evidence in your hotel room to indicate you\u2019re the one who took a horse from the Cartwrights, and later broke into their home. Do you admit to this?\u201d<\/p>\n

His voice was still thick. \u201cYes. But I promised to return them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy cast a quick look towards Ben and shrugged. \u201cYou\u2019ll have your say in court Mr. Miller. The Cartwrights might even look favorably on your situation once they hear why you did it, but for now, I\u2019m placing you under arrest.\u201d His eyes popped open when the only reaction to this, was a low chuckle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d think you\u2019d be more interested in the prisoner who got away today.\u201d The newly arrested man said in a dry voice, giving him a frog-like croak. \u201cDid you find her? I got clobbered from behind while facing her, so she must have had help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe did,\u201d Roy confirmed. \u201cAnother woman, from the size of the prints. I\u2019m sure the court will consider your case favorably in light of your assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben took a step forward while Roy spoke. He\u2019d seen something when this \u201chorse thief\u201d had raised his bare arms to his head: a small, brown birthmark towards the lower end of his armpit. \u201cThey\u2019re forming a posse,\u201d Ben explained. \u201cBut Sheriff Clark doesn\u2019t think she\u2019ll be found.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d nod my agreement, but it makes me dizzy. Why do people always hit so hard? It doesn\u2019t take more\u2019n a good tap if they know what they\u2019re doing. When I\u2019m older, my bald head\u2019s gonna look like it\u2019s got craters and valleys from all the knocks it\u2019s taken.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked over at Hoss and Joe, and surreptitiously pointed toward the mark. When he saw the smiles forming, he raised his eyebrows, warning them to keep silent.<\/p>\n

Ben addressed Roy. \u201cI know this man is a thief, but the thought of him lounging around in jail awaiting a court date chaps my hide. He intended to pay us back, so how about we let him work off what he owes. We can always use a strong back in the bunk house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss grinned toothily. \u201cThat horse you took is worth a pretty penny. We can keep you workin\u2019 for nearly a year just to pay that off. By the way, where\u2019d ya leave him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t bring him into town, so once I got near, I gave him a swat on the rump. He\u2019s either running around feeling his oats, or he\u2019s back at your house waiting for someone to feed him oats.\u201d His smile turned into a grin to match the ones he saw on the three faces above him. \u201cI think I\u2019d prefer to be arrested, if you don\u2019t mind. I\u2019ve heard how hard everyone works on the Ponderosa. A good rest in a cell sounds more pleasant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy\u2019s focus moved from Miller to the Cartwrights and back again. He shook his head and blew out a frustrated breath. \u201cSo, you\u2019re telling me you\u2019d rather hire him than arrest him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can charge him as a horse thief if you\u2019ve a mind to,\u201d Ben suggested. \u201cBut a jury just might hang him for that and we\u2019d get nothing out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Ben … let\u2019s hear what he\u2019s got to say first. He\u2019s obviously had some trouble that forced his hand to thievery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe pinched his lips, and when he spoke, his voice was decidedly less teasing. \u201cTony needs to tell us where\u2019s he\u2019s been for 5 months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what gave me away?\u201d Adam asked turning his head gingerly to view his family.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour birthmark.\u201d Ben answered as he lay his hand on the unruly mop of hair sticking up from the bandage. \u201cI can\u2019t tell you how many times I thought it was dirt and tried to scrub it off when you were little.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy\u2019s glance around the group ended with the man on the table. \u201cHow can a man look so different just by adding hair?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m an expert at growing hair,\u201d Adam replied with a half-grin. \u201cI keep my hair short and beard shaved because if I didn\u2019t, I\u2019d resemble a tree covered with black moss in no time. Don\u2019t feel bad that you didn\u2019t recognize me. I saw my reflection in the glass cabinets behind Pa\u2019s desk the other day, and I drew down on myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Dr. Oleson and his wife were astonished when Adam\u2019s identity was revealed, but they quickly raised the head of the examination couch so he could see better and begin reclaiming his equilibrium. While they rounded up chairs for everyone, they anticipated hearing how a man who was thought dead, had ended up in their office, a little worse for wear, but alive.<\/p>\n

Sitting up involved some retching and sips of water to calm Adam\u2019s gag reflex, but eventually he was comfortable enough to talk. The patient grimaced. \u201cLet the inquisition begin!\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy took the lead. \u201cWhy\u2019d you tell the doctor your name was Tony Miller?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was what they called me at the asylum … that farm over near Reno … where I was the first four months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa was right!\u201d Hoss gave his father a look of admiration. \u201cHe took all them things that happened lately, and suspected that if you weren\u2019t really dead, you\u2019d been somewhere you couldn\u2019t leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam produced another lopsided smile. \u201cI was hoping the notes might spark something, while still giving me time to get here and surprise Jessica … Leslie. I figured she might give me a truthful explanation of what she\u2019d done if she didn\u2019t have time to lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s smile grew as he nodded. \u201cI suspected that if I was right about the rest of it, then that was your goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s expression did not bear the welcoming ease of the others. He rose from his chair, walked around it, and leaned against the back while folding his arms across his chest like armor. \u201cI\u2019m not sure yet how you ended up at that asylum, but why stay there all that time? Why didn\u2019t you tell them who you were, and demand your release? And when you did get out, why make your way home on foot, instead of flagging someone down on the road?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe caught a quick breath, while the others stared at him. \u201cAnd when you did get home, why\u2019d you play games with Pa, hoping he\u2019d figure out<\/em> that you were alive? Hoss and I watched Pa suffer and grieve for nearly five months while you were gone. Why would you let that go on any longer than it had to? Why be so cruel!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam closed his eyes and bit his upper lip. \u201cI\u2019m sorry you all went through what you did, but there\u2019s a lot you don\u2019t understand yet, Joe. It\u2019s not like I was on a vacation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The youngest brother\u2019s tone no longer sounded angry, but the next question seemed to come from a place of continued torment. \u201cYou know what I really<\/em> don\u2019t understand, is how you got into such a predicament in the first place. Richter was a lying conniver, but she\u2019s a wisp of a woman. How did she get you to drive to that farm, and stay there till she did what … drop you off at the asylum?\u00a0 People who stuck up for you at that trial are going to laugh behind your back when they hear this: probably think you were a coward who wouldn\u2019t stand up to a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam expression turned to the granite mask he wore when hiding his feelings. \u201cI understand your confusion, Joe. But take your confusion and multiply by a thousand, and then you\u2019ll know what I\u2019m feeling. And worst of all, there\u2019s a block of memory missing now. I can\u2019t tell if it was always missing or if it happened after getting smacked in the head today.\u201d<\/p>\n

His breath came faster. \u201cI\u2019m sorry you\u2019ll face the distasteful decision to hear me out as I remember it all, or to side with those who also weren\u2019t there, and label my actions as cowardice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben reached forward and patted Adam\u2019s arm, finally finding his voice. \u201cIt\u2019s all right, Adam. Just tell us what you do recall, Son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis much I remember clearly; I never wanted to take that woman for a ride …\u201d he began and paused to build up steam like a locomotive trying to move a full row of railcars from the inertia of a dead stop. \u201cBut she wheedled at me until I agreed. I assumed she\u2019d checked up on me after she forced the meeting at the stage office\u2014I know she tripped on purpose\u2014and I figured she had etched an eligible bachelor <\/em>tattoo on my forehead by the time I met her for coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think schemin\u2019 women see that tattoo on all our foreheads,\u201d Hoss said with an honest laug, \u201cAlong with dollar signs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t alerted to anything being wrong when she asked to stop at the bank, or by her request that I introduce her inside. But she had my gun freed of the holster, shoved into my ribs, and was demanding money while threatening to kill me, as soon as we got to the counter. She was good with that gun, and something in her eyes and the change to her personality once she held it, led me to believe she\u2019d use it if cornered. I didn\u2019t want anyone in the bank to get hurt, and I complied.\u201d<\/p>\n

He paused again, seeing the next part play out in his head. \u201cShe\u2019d planned everything, down to checking with the agent in town to make sure that farm she\u2019d seen for sale on the stage ride in, was deserted. \u00a0She insisted I take a circuitous route out there, and when we finally arrived, I can recall trying to get her to think rationally and go back. I even promised to put the incident in the best light possible so she\u2019d avoid going to prison. She refused. That\u2019s where my memories end until much later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben prodded him along. \u201cWhat is the next thing you do remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWaking up in the asylum, where they called me Tony. I tried telling them I didn\u2019t think<\/em> my name was Tony, but my words were jumbled. They\u2019d adopt their practiced look of tolerance while patting my hand; call me Tony again, and tell me not to worry and everything would be all right. By the time I knew I definitely wasn\u2019t Tony Miller, I had other clues that made me assume no one really cared who I was, and didn\u2019t challenge it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean by thinkin\u2019 nobody cared?\u201d Hoss asked, his concerned frown holding no condemnation.<\/p>\n

Adam had been energized by seeing his family, but he now realized he didn\u2019t have the words to adequately describe what experienced. None of what he was going to say sounded like the man previously known as Adam Cartwright. His struggle to remember and explain was producing deep shame, and he wanted to stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry; just keep going, Son. Everything will be all right.\u201d Ben encouraged with another a few pats to Adam\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s line of sight fell to the side of the table where his father was placating him in the same manner as the orderlies did at the asylum. He yanked his hand away. The words forming in his mind felt like shards of glass as they made it to his vocal cords, yet he knew there was expectation that he continue. \u00a0\u201cI had no idea how long I\u2019d been in that place at first or why I was there. And please keep in mind that I hadn\u2019t a clue about what had gone on outside those walls during that same timeframe. When I was released, I didn\u2019t feel comfortable just walking back into the house and saying, \u2018Tada! I\u2019m alive.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded, but his eyes became slits as confusion distorted his face. \u201cWhy would think we might not welcome you home?\u201d<\/p>\n

His volume lessened in an effort to decrease the rawness his spoken words were producing. It might have been the head injury causing his pain, but stitches in his scalp shouldn\u2019t be causing his chest to ache as he forced himself to speak what he wasn\u2019t ready to say. \u201cIt\u2019s just that ….\u201d<\/p>\n

He knew they were waiting, and he swallowed hard, tasting a metallic tinge in his saliva. It made him wonder if his words were actually causing his mouth and throat to bleed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a shadowy memory of swallowing something at that farm after she promised it would \u2018help with my pain.\u2019 Why<\/em> she\u2019d offered it to me is an enigma though. Whatever the reason, it\u2019s what started a long journey through a type of insanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on,\u201d Ben encouraged.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I was awake more and could listen rationally, my orderly finally explained how I\u2019d come to be there. \u00a0He said my wife, Virginia Miller, had dropped me off in a comatose state, telling the doctor she had to find me a safe place after my personal physician in Sacramento declared I\u2019d become \u2018mentally lost.\u2019 She gave them a few bottles of an elixir supposedly prescribed to keep me calm, since I\u2019d get angry when I had trouble remembering. She\u2019d also said I\u2019d tried to take my own life the day before arriving there, when I\u2019d figured out where we were headed. She\u2019d kept me fully dosed after that and recommended they do the same. She paid them for a few months and promised to have more medicine sent from Sacramento.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes flashed. \u201cHow did she get you to take it in the first place. It\u2019s not like she was strong enough to sit on you and pinch your nose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam sighed. \u201cI guess I either took it willingly or something happened to prevent me from fighting back.\u201d Another sigh. \u201cThe orderly said they fed me when I did wake, and then quickly dosed me, keeping me out cold for a couple of weeks. But the staff eventually asked the staff doctor to lessen the dosage and see how I\u2019d do. They\u2019d grown tired of tending to me as dead weight. When my behavior remained benign, they kept reducing the dose until I only took it at bedtime. I became more lucid and was able to care for myself, even though I was still in a deep fog. There wasn\u2019t any relief in being awake, though. In those hours, I felt constant anxiety that tied my brain and insides in knots.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid they mistreat you, Son?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy\u2019d you keep taking that stuff if it made you feel that way? Why not refuse and demand to leave?\u201d Joe asked before Adam could answer his father. His outburst netted him a stern, questioning look from Ben, but no verbal request for restraint.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey treated me fine, Pa.\u201d He glanced around the room. \u201cBefore I answer Joe\u2019s question, maybe you\u2019d like Roy and the Olesons to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked toward the sheriff and the couple. \u201cI\u2019m sure they will honor the confidentiality of this conversation, and they might offer a helpful perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam gave up trying to soften what he\u2019d say next. Since everyone seemed to want the truth, he\u2019d tell it. \u201cI already mentioned that I didn\u2019t have a sense for how much time had passed during what I\u2019d call non-aware wakefulness, and was shocked to find the truth. The day I left for that ride it was still spring. Trees were leafed out and the grass was green. It was cool and there were still mountain runoffs from snow melt. The asylum is a working farm, and once I was abler, they asked if I\u2019d like to work with the horses. When I ventured outdoors, I saw that it was clearly summer. Streambeds were dry and cracked from heat and lack of rain. Field crops were so mature it had to have been late July. This passage of months, not days or weeks, made me wonder why no one had come looking for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought you were dead,\u201d Joe said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that now, and I\u2019m sorry if my words will offend any of you, but you thought I was dead when I disappeared outside East Gate, and you kept looking. And you thought I was dead after not returning from Nevada City, and you came looking ….\u201d His eyes sought his father\u2019s, looking for understanding. \u201cPa, you told me that you\u2019d never stop looking for any of us, no matter how low the odds were of finding us. So … while I realized I was Adam Cartwright, I had to assume that you either hadn\u2019t bothered to look, or you had<\/em> found me there, and seeing nothing to indicate I\u2019d ever be normal again, you allowed me to remain there as Tony Miller, while fabricating a story to explain my absence from the ranch.\u201d He saw a hard look pass across his father\u2019s face, but couldn\u2019t determine the origin. \u201cThe reason I kept taking that medicine at night was because it allowed me to sleep without dreaming about a home where I wouldn\u2019t be welcomed, and a family who\u2019d adjusted just fine to my absence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you ever ask that orderly if anyone had come looking for you?\u201d Joe\u2019s words were pointed, yet not unkind.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe anxiety I felt was so pronounced that I couldn\u2019t ask. Having it confirmed as truth seemed far worse than suspecting it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The room echoed with its silence, but Dr. Oleson saw a chance to provide the perspective Ben had mentioned. \u201cFrom the facts you\u2019ve given so far, Adam, I\u2019d predict that medicine was a strong narcotic given in extreme doses. I am surprised you survived at all.\u201d He looked around the room making sure everyone was listening. \u201cThe word narcotic means numb, and it corresponds to what Adam is saying about those first months of utter nothingness, and later, of actually seeking the numb feeling that allowed him to sleep. Another side effect noted in medical journals, is a devastating sense of wariness, or as Adam called it, anxiety. You all thought he was dead. Without knowing that, Adam\u2019s wounded mind constructed an erroneous script that seemed absolutely real to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you. That explains a lot.\u201d Adam took his first deep, painless breath since he\u2019s started talking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a further thought,\u201d Dr. Oleson interjected. \u201cI have to believe the doctor at the hospital noted something worrisome in your condition early on, making him reduce the amount you were getting sooner than you think. A dose strong enough to keep you comatose, would also have affected your respiratory system. You would have simply stopped breathing if he hadn\u2019t intervened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam nodded as best he could without setting the room spinning. \u201cI spoke to Leslie today when I caught her in the alley after she\u2019d incapacitated the deputy. You\u2019ve probably figured out that I was in the courthouse, and saw what she was up to in time to get outside and thwart her efforts … until her help arrived. I remember some of that conversation, but not all, leaving me to think the current head bang is the biggest culprit in my memory problems. She admitted she\u2019d wanted me to die, and had expected I\u2019d be dead from that \u2018medicine\u2019 before they figured out it was killing me. She did it that way because she couldn\u2019t have moved my body by herself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss scrubbed at his face. \u201cI\u2019m glad someone saw somethin\u2019 to make them ease up the dose. I guess I\u2019d like ta hear how you finally did get outta there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJessica … Leslie didn\u2019t send more medicine or money, and their attempts to reach her had failed. Since I was doing well enough, they decided to release me rather than transferring me to the state asylum in Stockton. They concluded that my \u2018wife\u2019 had wanted out of the marriage and had left me there before taking off. Yet they explained that they owed me no more than the care they\u2019d rendered, and I was walked to the gate, handed a bag of sandwiches and a few dollars, and pointed towards Reno to catch a stage home. My original clothes had been ruined so all I had to wear was their uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stopped for a deep breath. \u201cI wasn\u2019t feeling well the day I was expelled, so I headed for the woods, found a sheltered area near the Truckee, and hunkered in like a wounded animal. I slept for days between periods of feeling like someone was doing surgery on my insides with no anesthetic. Once that passed, I started walking towards home. And before you ask, I still had no idea what had transpired during those months away. I regained some ability to fend for myself, and managed to set snares and find enough berries to eat. Even found a rock I honed enough to use as a knife.\u201d<\/p>\n

A deep breath. \u201cIt calmed me to do those very things. When I got to the Ponderosa, I saw a chance to get Sport, but then stuck around, observing from a distance. I saw the party you had that day, and the easy way you were with each other and the crew. Everything seemed so normal. That night you all went to town, and were all smiles the next morning when you returned. It won\u2019t sound fair, but the normalcy confirmed the fears I\u2019d had in the hospital. I\u2019d thought about riding in to tell you I was home, but what I saw made me decide it would be best to leave things as they were.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s quiet groan floated towards his son, but Adam soldiered on. \u201cThe morning I planned to leave for good, I saw that everyone had left the ranch, and decided I could take a few things to make traveling easier. I\u2019d taken the cash and the gun, but when I went up for some of my clothes, I detoured into Pa\u2019s room, where I found and read his journal.\u201d He finally looked towards his father. \u201cI\u2019m sorry for snooping, but your detailed notes explained everything I didn\u2019t know. Reading all that let me feel sane for the first time in months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo apologies needed. I felt compelled to write it all down, as though memorializing it for someone other than me. Now I know why.\u201d He touched Adam\u2019s hand again, and this time his son didn\u2019t pull away.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, after you read the truth, and understood that things probably weren\u2019t as normal as you thought, you decided to leave those notes … clues … as you and Pa describe them, and took off again? Seeing that woman was more important than seeing us?\u201d Joe\u2019s words ended the brief father-son moment of connection. \u201cYou should have stayed home then!\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam looked away again, not wishing to expose the emotional upheaval these memories were causing. \u201cI didn\u2019t value her more than you. After reading what she\u2019d said at the trial, I had to know why she\u2019d chosen me, lied about me and left me to die like that! I\u2019d already decided it was best to stay dead instead of upsetting things more, so I don\u2019t even know why I went back and left those notes. It made sense then, but you\u2019re right, Joe. It was a mistake.\u201d He chanced a quick look at his father. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Pa. I\u2019ve ruined everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Undaunted, Joe asked. \u201cHow could you think the worst of us, Adam? This whole story sounds like you decided to punish us for something we didn\u2019t do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam shifted on the exam table and pulled the sheet up to his chin, creating a white cocoon, and turned away without answering.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what I need to know, Big Brother?\u201d Joe said calmly. \u201cIs the only reason we\u2019re having this reunion because Roy literally stumbled onto you?\u201d<\/p>\n

He never looked back towards his family. \u201cI\u2019m not sure, but it seems you might have preferred that he hadn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Hoss took a good look at his family. His father was uncharacteristically quiet. He\u2019d expected him to put Joe in his place after the first accusatory jab, and when he still hadn\u2019t after several thrusts, Hoss wondered if he\u2019d decided it best to let Joe have his say instead of letting it fester. Yet even after the last perry, Ben Cartwright said nothing. He looked stunned and frozen.<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s jaw was set tight, but it was what Hoss saw on Adam\u2019s face that made him shiver most. There was exhaustion in the drooping of his cheeks and eyes, but most worrisome, was that there was nothing else. His brother had left the room or at least his mind had.<\/p>\n

He finally stood, and stepped toward his brother. \u201cI don\u2019t rightly know what you\u2019ve been through, Adam. All I know fer sure is that I\u2019m thankful yer alive, and that Pa wrote them words so you\u2019d know what was in our hearts, even if it\u2019s not exactly matchin\u2019 what\u2019s coming outta our mouths just now. Let me be the first to say what we should\u2019a said right away. Welcome home.\u201d<\/p>\n

His fear that something bad-bad had happened in this room was confirmed when Adam\u2019s response was a gentle lift of his left cheek when no one else joined in the welcome.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Roy knew he\u2019d witnessed a fracture in the Cartwright family. He\u2019d known them since he\u2019d first come to the area, and they\u2019d been instrumental in getting him elected sheriff some years ago. He wasn\u2019t sure where this reunion had gone wrong, but there was no doubt that it had. He even understood that Joe\u2019s questions weren\u2019t wrong. It was only that his impulsive nature had let him speak without considering the timing or his delivery.<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t thaw the frost that had settled over the scene, but maybe he could get them talking again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll need to know the details of what happened at the bank and afterwards, Adam. Are you able tell us more?\u201d<\/p>\n

The white sheet rose and fell as he made eye contact with the sheriff. Adam\u2019s eye snapped shut again when the room began to spin. \u201cI\u2019ll write up a statement later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Cartwright needs to rest,\u201d Dr. Oleson said as he walked to Adam\u2019s side. \u201cI have a bed in the back room where he can rest more comfortably.\u201d He addressed Ben directly. \u201cPlease help me walk him there and we\u2019ll get him settled.<\/p>\n

As they helped Adam to stand, Oleson turned to the others. \u201cThe rest of you can wait in the outer office.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cIs he going to be all right?\u201d Hoss asked as soon as the doctor and his father entered the waiting room.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat depends.\u201d Dr. Oleson looked around at the expectant faces. \u201cI have to wonder if his mental wounds will heal as well as the physical ones. Everything he said rang true for what he\u2019s been through. He was drugged to within an inch of his life, and there\u2019s a word being used now to describe those dark feelings of betrayal and abandonment associated with the continued administration of those drugs. It\u2019s called paranoia. It convinces a person that something is real. I\u2019m sure Adam felt truly alone, and believed that you\u2019d all given up on him. It wasn\u2019t his choice to believe that. It was a demand his wounded brain made of him to explain what he couldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oleson\u2019s eyes focused on Joe. \u201cI understand how you might question how a strong man like your brother could have let<\/em> this happen, but the tenor of your questions wounded him as certainly as the butt of the gun that split his scalp. Didn\u2019t you notice him turning away, unable to face any of you at times?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shifted uneasily. \u201cI don\u2019t know why I said those things, except I couldn\u2019t imagine Adam letting a woman get the best of him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss snorted. \u201cThat\u2019s funny comin\u2019 from you, Joe. Seems you\u2019ve been led into some horrible situations by a pretty face coverin\u2019 a dark soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll right, I\u2019ll admit that can happen, but how could he believe we\u2019d let him stay in that asylum? I had to stand up for us, and defend Pa against that accusation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t have to defend me, Joe. You didn\u2019t have to defend any of us,\u201d Ben said quietly. \u201cBut I understand. What you did was the same thing I was doing: we couldn\u2019t listen to what he was saying with an open mind, because we feel guilty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuilty?\u201d Joe squeaked. \u201cWhat do we have to feel guilty about!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easier to blame Adam for not doing enough, than it is to admit we might not have done enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI kind of remember us feelin\u2019 like that after finding Adam with Kane,\u201d Hoss told the others. \u201cPaul told us we felt guilty for not getting to him sooner, especially after hearin\u2019 that we\u2019d been so close to savin\u2019 him and rode away, never getting\u2019 off our horses to look over the side of that canyon. It poked me deep to think of him layin\u2019 mostly dead at that asylum, needing us to keep lookin\u2019 for him while we were only looking fer a grave.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben nodded. \u201cRoy and I knew from the beginning that Richter was not a novice. The comparison of her size her lawyer did at trial was effective. But today, she overtook a deputy who was also taller and heavier. She hammered him with his own gun within a few feet of the courthouse, silently and efficiently. We have always known she was a skilled manipulator.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben walked to the window and looked out, unable to face his sons. \u201cFor months I told myself I\u2019d done as much as I could, all while he needed us … me ….\u201d He turned to face them again. \u201cThat\u2019s the only thing that hurts me, Joe. That\u2019s what left me speechless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hoss pursed his lips. \u201cThe one thing we can\u2019t forget, is that Paul confirmed he\u2019d died, Pa. What went wrong just now is that we must\u2019a sounded like we only cared about what he hadn\u2019t done to get himself outa a bad situation, and didn\u2019t care about what she might\u2019a done to get him into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Oleson listened silently, unwilling to break into the important conversation occurring between Ben and his sons. But with Hoss mentioning Dr. Martin\u2019s testimony, he finally spoke. \u201cI\u2019ve already mentioned the severe problems Adam experienced due to the drugs he was given. But I think I can shed light on what Adam isn\u2019t remembering or more properly, what he\u2019s put out of his mind.\u201d He walked over to Ben. \u201cI asked you to assist me, so you\u2019d see Adam\u2019s abdomen when you helped him that with gown. Did you notice the scar running several inches along his left side?\u201d<\/p>\n

A nod. \u201cDid he get hurt at that hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s it from, then?\u201d Ben asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe blood found at the farmhouse was surely Adam\u2019s. The degree of healing in that scar corresponds to the length of time he\u2019s been gone, and further, I know he was shot … up close … because there\u2019s a deep, ragged channel where the bullet passed, with the entry point seeming burned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Oleson used his hand as a stand-in for a weapon, and walked up to Little Joe, poking him in his side as a demonstration. \u201cI\u2019d presume she was holding his gun on him like this, and shot him when he tried to take it away. The bullet cut across a long swath of skin and it would have bled profusely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t he tell us that,\u201d Joe said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d think that scar would remind him, but he\u2019s blocking it out,\u201d the doctor explained. \u201cBeing shot explains why he took what she offered him to help with the pain. Or, it can account for why he wasn\u2019t able to fight her off when she dosed him. \u00a0He gave us another clue to this being true. The orderly told him the woman who\u2019d dropped him off said he\u2019d attempted suicide. It was undoubtedly her excuse for his condition. He may have put the wound out of his mind at the asylum or there could be a modified amnesia after being struck in the head earlier. The important part of this is that you demanding a clear, and even heroic explanation, for his absence. He couldn\u2019t give you that. I\u2019ve no doubt that he was reduced to shame for his actions, when he viewed them from your perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctor watched as the faces around him registered the truth of his suppositions. \u201cAdam will recover. But he\u2019ll need a family who can get past blaming themselves for what a soulless woman did, and stop worrying about how to explain his survival to others.\u201d\u00a0 Oleson walked to the outside door and stopped with his hand on the knob. \u201cTrying to remember the things he\u2019s locked away will be difficult. But I will tell him what I\u2019ve just told you once he wakes up, and help him recover as much as he can. I\u2019ll keep him here tonight. \u00a0Why don\u2019t you plan to stop back and check on him this evening, after I\u2019ve had a chance to talk with him. Perhaps you can start over then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sixteen<\/strong><\/p>\n

The group made their way down the steps in silence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to the jail to see what needs to be done. You\u2019re all welcome to join me, since you\u2019ll be sticking around until morning,\u201d Roy told them once they reached the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good idea,\u201d Ben answered in an appreciative tone. \u201cThat didn\u2019t go the way I\u2019d have thought, but there\u2019s nothing to do until he\u2019s feeling better. He was looking gray when we finally got him into bed, and the best cure is rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Sheriff Clark was already back by time the Cartwrights and Roy made it to the jail, and they\u2019d barely found a seat when Travis came through the back door.<\/p>\n

After hearing the Cartwright\u2019s astounding news, Sheriff Clark pulled his emergency bottle of whisky from the desk drawer and passed out shot glasses that he filled to the rim with the brown elixir. \u201cIt hardly seems appropriate to offer congratulations, so I\u2019ll just offer a toast to life!\u201d Clark raised his glass in a salute, and then downed the liquid in one toss.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re back pretty fast,\u201d Roy offered as Clark refilled everyone\u2019s glass. \u201cI don\u2019t suppose you found her waiting for you at the side of the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sheriff laughed loudly. \u201cWe followed two horses from the back street to a spot about ten-miles from town. They cut across country then, and we picked them up hit-or-miss, until they joined up with several other horses at the remnants of a camp. From there, eight horses left in separate directions. I decided it made more sense to get back and alert the Marshal Service of what we found. I didn\u2019t want townspeople tracking them any further, and I surely didn\u2019t want my men shooting it out with a couple of women. It\u2019ll take more investigation than tracking to find her now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat makes sense,\u201d Travis said as he lifted his glass to make his own toast, \u201cTo Leslie Richter, a deadly snake wrapped up in a pretty package. May she be found hiding under a rock with the other vipers, and imprisoned for the rest of her life.\u201d He drained his glass, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and looked towards Ben. \u201cI am thankful your son survived. She hadn\u2019t killed before, but this is a major step towards doing that. I believe she enjoyed knowing he was suffering. It was a deadly adaptation of the game she played by using the towns\u2019 money to throw herself a party. And … it means she\u2019s going to need a whole new kind of excitement from now on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou seem pretty knowledgeable about criminals,\u201d Roy told Travis. \u201cIs she capable of staying out of trouble for the time it\u2019ll takes the marshals to tire of chasing her?\u201d<\/p>\n

Holding his glass out for a refill, Travis raised it again. \u201cA toast to your astute question, Sheriff Coffee.\u201d He downed it, and finally sat back, his shoulders slumping forward to lean his arms on his knees. \u201cOnce they find a replacement for Finney, I\u2019m going back to my own work. I\u2019ve interviewed a lot of men who are stone-cold, just like Richter. They are incapable of walking away. I\u2019ve never studied a woman with the same characteristics. We want to think women are delicate and unable to perpetrate such heinousness. But Leslie\u2019s living proof that this isn\u2019t true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s cheek rose. \u201cWhat do you hope to accomplish with your study?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a lick,\u201d Travis replied with a chuckle. \u201cPrison is a function of punishment not reform. I\u2019d think some prisoners could be rehabilitated, but there are those who live for the evil they produce. I only hope my reports will make a difference one day. This isn\u2019t that day.\u201d The young man sat back, making a visual sweep of the group. \u201cWhat I do know for sure is that Leslie Richter will no longer leave her victims unharmed. She unleashed the hounds of hell in her soul when she decided to set Adam\u2019s death in motion for his lack of cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seventeen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben had requested that his sons not accompany him back to the Oleson\u2019s after dinner, hoping he might say the things he\u2019d meant to earlier, and hold onto his son until he absolutely understood that his being alive was the single perfect answer to his father\u2019s secret prayers.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d approached the stairway leading up to his son with great hope. His descent had been less so, after receiving the news that Adam had fallen asleep again, along with the stinging news that he\u2019d asked not to be disturbed.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Dawn had barely stuck a narrow tentacle of light beneath the shade on the east facing window of their hotel room when Ben slipped from bed to wash up before rousting Hoss and Joe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go see if Adam\u2019s ready to travel,\u201d he said with a cheerier tone than he felt. \u201cWhile I\u2019m gone, you two can arrange to have our horses readied and rent one for Adam. Plan to meet here for breakfast in about an hour. Adam will need to give his statement to the sheriffs, and then we\u2019ll head home.\u201d<\/p>\n

He waited until he\u2019d made it into the hall before releasing the worry that had kept him tossing in his bed until early morning. He\u2019d rehearsed the words he\u2019d say to Adam, hoping it would be enough to wash the slate clean. He raised his eyes and murmured, \u201cPlease let him be willing to listen now that\u2019s he\u2019s slept well.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Dr. Oleson exited his exam room at hearing someone enter the outer office, his eyes widening in surprise at seeing Ben. \u201cIf you\u2019ve come to settle Adam\u2019s expenses, there are none. Sheriff Clark told me to bill the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s cheek rose as his corresponding eyebrow dove. \u201cI\u2019m here for Adam. Did I come too early?\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctor\u2019s expression mirrored Ben\u2019s. \u201cHe awoke shortly after you stopped last night; asked for paper to write his statement and had me witness it when he finished. Then he said he\u2019d prefer to sleep at the hotel. He looked better and claimed to feel fine, so I walked him there. He stopped at the desk to see if you were staying there as well, and was told that you all had gone to your room some time earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pounding in Ben\u2019s ears was deafening, even while reassuring himself he\u2019d find Adam at the hotel. \u201cThanks for your fine care and good advice.\u201d He stepped forward to shake the doctor\u2019s hand, and then rushed out the door and back down the stairs.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, Saul,\u201d Ben greeted the clerk when he arrived back at the hotel. \u201cHas Adam come down yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam? Adam, who?\u201d Saul\u2019s eyes widened.<\/p>\n

A chuckle rose in Ben\u2019s chest despite his anxiety. \u201cI\u2019m sorry; you haven\u2019t heard yet. Adam is the man registered as Tony Miller. I don\u2019t have time to explain, but has that <\/em>man come down yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

Saul rifled through a pile of things stacked nearby on the counter, and pulled out a large envelope. \u201cI didn\u2019t see him, but the night clerk said Tony Miller left around 4 AM, and he had him hold this for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you say he went<\/em> our or checked <\/em>out at that hour?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI sent the maid up to see if she could get an early start turning over the room, and she confirmed it was empty.\u201d Saul squinted and then pointed to the envelope Ben was holding. \u201cMaybe he left you a message in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d Ben\u2019s response was as weak as his knees felt. He found a lobby chair near the window, undid the clasp on the thick envelope and withdrew the contents.<\/p>\n

A blank sheet was folded around all but one of the pages. Adam\u2019s scrawl indicated the multi-paged grouping contained his statement for the initial incident and the escape. Scanning through the first sheet, Ben realized it was truly the affidavit promised to Roy, and he read through to the end. It was a concise, but unabridged story that included his reasoning for his actions. His words explained that he\u2019d worried others might have been hurt had he tried to overpower her at the bank. And while she\u2019d continued to hold his gun on him throughout the remainder of their time together, he\u2019d truly thought he could convince her to return with him and set things straight. When he realized she wouldn\u2019t\u2014or couldn\u2019t\u2014do that, he\u2019d finally tried to overpower her for the gun.<\/p>\n

Ben\u2019s heart ached when he read the next part\u2014the part Adam hadn\u2019t remembered until Dr. Oleson showed him the scar and pressed him to recall how he\u2019d gotten it. Adam\u2019s written words made him breathe faster as he imagined what played out next.<\/p>\n

As soon as he stepped towards her, she\u2019d realized his intent, and pulled the trigger. There\u2019d been no struggle or inadvertent discharge. She\u2019d simply shot him without so much as a change of expression. She\u2019d been unrepentant afterwards, blaming him for \u201cmaking\u201d her shoot, and she\u2019d left him tied up on the dirty mattress, bleeding all night. The following morning she\u2019d said she\u2019d take him for help, if he could walk to the buggy. After inching his way out there and getting up to the seat, she\u2019d pulled a brown bottle from her picnic basket, pulled his head back and flooded his mouth with the elixir. He\u2019d been comatose by the time she dumped him at the asylum, and he\u2019d remained that way for an undetermined time.<\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s story of the asylum contained only the facts of his stay as he remembered them, including his inability to reason at all at first, followed by the constant fogginess and the absence of feeling the passage of time. There was a brief description of how he\u2019d been released and the fact that he\u2019d been ill and unfocused for much of the next couple week. \u00a0His stop at the Ponderosa was mentioned to reference how he\u2019d found out what had happened in his absence.<\/p>\n

The remaining paragraphs told of his intention of seeing Richter in Carson City, and finding himself in a position to stop her escape and what followed. He did describe his brief conversation with Richter, where she\u2019d admitted to an expectation that he would die from the drugs, while hoping he\u2019d suffer first. The affidavit bore two signatures; Adam\u2019s, and Dr. Oleson\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Ben retrieved the separate sheet of paper from the table where he\u2019d set it, and saw, Dear Pa<\/em>. He wanted to crumple it into a ball, hoping that if he didn\u2019t read it, none of it would be true.<\/p>\n

Instead, he clutched it tightly and began to read.<\/p>\n

Dear Pa,<\/em><\/p>\n

Thank you again for documenting what happened while I was away. Your words gave me the first foothold on the deck of the rolling ship I\u2019d been sailing for so many months. <\/em><\/p>\n

Please know that my decision to approach Leslie Richter before telling you I was alive, stemmed from needing to know \u201cwhy\u201d she\u2019d done this to me. With that answered, I expected I\u2019d be fine, and would just resume my life. <\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not fine. And after yesterday\u2019s reunion, I suspect the rest of you aren\u2019t fine either. <\/em><\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s questions were valid. He\u2019s always been direct, and he doesn\u2019t hold back when he punches. I\u2019m the one who taught him to do that in a fistfight … and in life. I admire that he\u2019s comfortable saying what he thinks. <\/em><\/p>\n

What proved to me that I\u2019m not all right, was hearing myself give answers that confused me as much as everyone else. I have to sort through this. Dr. Oleson helped me remember the parts of the story that I\u2019d hidden away, and he explained why that might happen. Mulling over what he told me, I realize what\u2019s bothering me is deeper than putting something out of mind. Knowing that she shot me, doesn\u2019t eliminate the shame I feel for not doing as Joe said: refuse the drugs once I woke up at the asylum, tell them who I was, and walk out of that place. The truth is, I couldn\u2019t answer him. I\u2019m not the Adam Cartwright I knew six months ago, and I don\u2019t know why. I\u2019m scared. And I don\u2019t want you three to watch me fall apart if I can\u2019t find that person again. <\/em><\/p>\n

Please know that I leave for my own reasons. \u00a0I own and attest to my shortcomings, and the last thing I want any of you to feel is an obligation to defend me for staying alive because I was too weak to stand up for myself, or too weak to allow death to end the matter quietly, with some dignity\u2014just as others assumed had happened. You will face the judgment of others who see no victory in having a son or brother return after being bested by a woman and then hiding away in an asylum. It has led me to believe that my death would have been the better outcome.\u00a0 I can\u2019t recap the bottle on the news that I survived, but the ugly gossip will end faster this way.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019d ask that you, Hoss and Joe read my affidavit before you turn it in. It is the best explanation I can give right now, and does answer some of the questions Joe asked. I don\u2019t suppose I\u2019ll ever know \u201cwhy\u201d it happened. That information is held only in Leslie Richter\u2019s mind, and I\u2019m not sure she knows why she did it either. Why did Kane do what he did to me …. I can\u2019t control people who have no soul, yet I have to figure out how to live with the damage they inflict.<\/em><\/p>\n

Despite your journal entries noting your continued prayers that I had survived; you and my brothers had reached a point of finding normal life again. I saw it clearly at the house. Even the waitress at the hotel where I watched you eat breakfast, was glad to see you three looking so happy again. I grieve ruining that. Leslie did say I ruin everything. I guess she was accurate.<\/em><\/p>\n

Moving toward practical matters; I assume that without a body, my death certificate is still pending, but my bank accounts are on hold. I\u2019d ask that you please reinstate the accounts so I can support myself. Further, please withdraw fifty-dollars and get it to the Lane\u2019s for the clothing I took. <\/em><\/p>\n

I promise to come home if I can resolve this without making things worse for anyone else.<\/em><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want you to worry, so I promise to write. If there\u2019s an emergency, wire Frankie Wadsworth in San Francisco. I\u2019ve trusted him unreservedly since he was my roommate in college. He\u2019ll be our stable go-between even if I move around. \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry I said anything about wondering why you hadn\u2019t come looking for me. I didn\u2019t mean to accuse, judge or hurt you. I know now that my emotions had been distorted by the drugs, yet yesterday I was trying to explain what seemed unexplainable.<\/em><\/p>\n

I ask that this time, you not come looking for me, and I promise to tell you if I need help.<\/em><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t say that I love you often enough, Pa. But is the absolute truth today and always.<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam<\/em><\/p>\n

Ben folded the letter and tucked it in his shirt pocket. He understood his oldest son\u2019s need to work through what had happened on his own. It was his way. Adam\u2019s promise to keep in touch made this easier in some ways. He was always good to his word. But this wasn\u2019t enough to relieve the pain that was shredding his heart apart like riding full speed into barbed wire. It was the what-ifs that added to agony in the torn muscle in his chest. What if he\u2019d have put an end to the questioning yesterday. What if he\u2019d just rejoiced in his son being alive, rather than expecting an immediate accounting. What if they\u2019d simply embraced him, and brought him home to heal until he felt comfortable telling what had happened. What if ….<\/p>\n

Thoughts of all the times Adam had suffered at the hands of others intent on changing him, punishing him or breaking him, simply because he was who he was, flooded his mind. Adam had faced those, alone at first, and then with his family\u2019s solidarity. The result had been that he\u2019d always found peace. But this time was different. His son had effectively been dead for five months, lost in the darkness of drugs, physical injury and unrelenting fear triggered by his condition. He\u2019d survived, but he hadn\u2019t recovered.<\/p>\n

Ben held his breath as he imagined the empty coffin his son had managed to escape after that evil woman had laid him inside and sunk him six-feet down, waiting for the circumstances she\u2019d created to complete the interment. It seemed clear that the empty casket was still available with the name Adam Cartwright<\/em> etched in the brass plate on the lid.<\/p>\n

The stricken father shook his head rapidly, trying to shatter that image and the omen it held. Adam would have to overcome his demons to destroy that box\u2014burn it to ashes in a pyre\u2014after figuring out that he\u2019d been strong enough; had done enough; had been more than enough of a man in handling this latest assault, and most of all, that he would always have enough honor and courage to face what life sent his way.<\/p>\n

The unthinkable alternative, keeping Ben from catching a decent breath, was the final, \u201cwhat if.\u201d What if this last incident had left its wound while opening up the others again, causing pain so deep and lasting, his son couldn\u2019t recover. Would Leslie Richter\u2019s intent still produce the results she\u2019d sought? What if Adam sought that empty casket as the only place to find his peace. If that happened, the lid would lower over his son forever.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, Adam,\u201d he groaned quietly.<\/p>\n

Epilogue<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Garnerville way-station operator, Ralph Sinclair, looked up to see a rider approaching from the northeast, while he readied a team to change out the early morning southbound coach. Located 20 miles due south of Carson City, Garnerville had never grown beyond a small town with a few necessary businesses serving the surrounding farms and ranches. Its greatest value came from providing a change of teams for stages heading into the Sierras or those taking southern routes towards Arizona and beyond. It was also a last place for wagon trains to stock up before heading into California.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t unusual for lone riders to come in around the time the stages were due. Locals preferred leaving their horses or wagons with him rather than in the \u201cbig city\u201d of Carson. What Ralph noted about this rider, was that his stirrups barely dropped past the wide-bodied horse\u2019s midsection. What made the sight even odder, was that the cowboy himself seemed as wide as he was short, and therefore looked nearly square sitting in the saddle. Ralph wasn\u2019t judging. He was a little square himself from his wife\u2019s good cooking.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowdy,\u201d the stranger called to him when he pulled up to the corral. \u201cThe southbound come through yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope. Expect it shortly, if they\u2019re running on time. You wanting to catch it?\u201d Ralph asked.<\/p>\n

The rider nodded. \u201cGot a letter sayin\u2019 my ma is sick down in Bishop Creek. The stage\u2019ll be faster than horseback.\u201d He looked around. \u201cThe guys I work with said I can leave my horse with you until I get back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about we start with a name and where you work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cName\u2019s Reno Adams. I work on the Double K, some miles east of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeard of it,\u201d Ralph confirmed. \u201cHow long you expect to be gone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMight be two weeks; might be longer, depending.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s gonna cost you thirty-cents a day for three weeks, payable in advance. I\u2019ll refund any extra if you get back sooner, and I\u2019ll get someone from the Double K to take it back there if you\u2019re gone longer.\u201d Ralph had Reno lead his horse into the enclosure, and then grab his gear to follow him towards the house where they squared away the livery fee and a ticket.<\/p>\n

The stage pulled to a stop outside as the two men exited the station, creating a cloud of dust that settled on every surface and made both of them cough.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go ahead and board,\u201d Ralph told his customer between choking. \u201cThis ain\u2019t a meal stop for the driver, so he\u2019ll be ready to roll soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

With the team changed and the driver checking the harnessing before climbing up, Ralph walked to the window where Reno had settled inside the coach. \u201cHope you find your ma in good health. You sure you don\u2019t want me to toss your bag in the boot so it\u2019s outta the way?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, but It\u2019s soft enough to use as a pillow, and with no one else in here on this leg, I\u2019m gonna get some shuteye.\u201d Reno stuck his head out the window and gave a quick salute as the stage lurched forward.<\/p>\n

Once on the open road, the cowboy removed his gloves and checked his fingernails, giving a disgusted cluck at how dirty they were even with being covered. \u201cThat dust makes a mess of everything,\u201d he grumbled while swatting the coating of gray from his hat and shoulders, and lowering the leather shade on the window to keep some of the countryside from blowing in.<\/p>\n

A smile replaced the sour look once the coach hit the open road. \u201cI\u2019m as good as ever. That rube didn\u2019t have a clue I wasn\u2019t a short, fat cowhand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leslie opened a few buttons of her shirt to loosen the ties holding her padded belly in place. The beard and short wig would be too difficult to reapply in a moving vehicle, so she carefully scratched at the itchiness these items were causing, before setting the bag with her money-laden dress and the other disguises next to her on the bench, and curled up. The rocking motion of the carriage soothed her, removing the tension of the last two days.<\/p>\n

She thought back to confronting Adam Cartwright in that dark alley. While surprised he was still alive after her careful efforts to cut his life short, she\u2019d been excited to see him again. It made her breathe faster to conjure up an image of meeting him again one day\u2014after he\u2019d had time to shave and get a haircut.<\/p>\n

And yet, the complete change in his appearance from the addition of his face-encompassing beard, encouraged her, making her realize he could adapt to disguises as well as she could. Now … if she could just convince him to join her, everything would be perfect.<\/p>\n

Her eyelashes fluttered to her cheeks as she drifted to sleep; her last conscious thought pondering whether Adam ever thought of her, and perhaps wished he hadn\u2019t declined her offers. She yawned and mumbled, \u201cMaybe next time, Adam Cartwright … maybe next time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The End (Until Next Time)<\/strong><\/p>\n

(There will be one last story. Can Adam turn things around…)<\/p>\n

*************************************************************************************<\/p>\n

Notes:<\/p>\n

*<\/strong>From my story, Sunny, With a Chance of Rain<\/em>.<\/p>\n

1 <\/sup>In the early 1800\u2019s, land was set aside, and the Nevada Insane Asylum opened its doors in 1882. It did use farming as therapy for their patients (called inmates). A note mentioned that the patients \u201ccame back\u201d from Stockton when the \u201cnew buildings\u201d were completed. There\u2019s no mention of what was originally there, so I\u2019ve created a private institution catering to families with money.<\/p>\n

2<\/sup> The letter was written to Maybelle Shirley, a historic bandit\/criminal who later called herself Belle Starr. In the prequel to this story, these two women were friends at the Carthage Female Academy, an actual school May Shirley attended in Missouri. My character, Jessica\/Leslie is fictional, and a psychopath who is not affected by the trauma she causes.<\/p>\n

3<\/sup> Congress passed the\u00a0National Banking Acts of 1863 and 1864<\/a>, creating the United States National Banking System. This finally began a system of federally chartered banks using a national currency backed by U.S. Treasury securities.\u00a0 Until then, free banks existed that were often underfunded and overextended, with insufficient funds to back their deposits. It was why robberies were devastating to the towns.<\/p>\n

4<\/sup>Printing of $100 bills didn\u2019t come about until 1862, but it\u2019s close enough to use.<\/p>\n

5<\/sup> From my story, The Healing<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: This is a sequel to The Trial of Jessica Hardy. Four months have passed since Adam’s disappearance and presumed death, and life has taken on a more normal flow for the Cartwright’s who have conquered their grief to find joy again.\u00a0 But just as things begin to even out, a series of coincidences and incidents bring them\u00a0 back to the woman accused of\u00a0 causing Adam’s death. The Cartwrights will become instrumental in helping others, while learning the truth of what happened to Adam.\u00a0
\nRating: T – But only for adult themes and conversations. No overt situations
\nWord Count:\u00a0 32615
\nPart of The Trial of Jessica Hardy Series, links to all the stories included within<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":14761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1005,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-cartwright","category-drama","wpcat-1005-id","wpcat-23-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1943,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Unbenannt-1.jpg?fit=223%2C298&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":36348,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=36348","url_meta":{"origin":36435,"position":0},"title":"The Trial of Jessica Hardy (By Missjudy)","author":"missjudy","date":"March 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Virginia City is in the middle of a trial for a woman charged with bank robbery, kidnapping and murder. 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Rating:\u00a0 MA\u00a0 (93,000 words) Weekend Dad Series, links to all the stories within the series included.","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/CharactersofWeekendDad1.jpg?fit=800%2C323&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/CharactersofWeekendDad1.jpg?fit=800%2C323&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/CharactersofWeekendDad1.jpg?fit=800%2C323&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/CharactersofWeekendDad1.jpg?fit=800%2C323&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13043,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=13043","url_meta":{"origin":36435,"position":5},"title":"Seasons Of Change (by Adams_Lover)","author":"Adams_Lover","date":"June 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Seasons of Change is a continuation story from Weekend Dad, a modern day Bonanza story featuring Adam.\u00a0 The story begins ten years after the end of Weekend Dad, and Jason is getting ready to head to college.\u00a0 The story will continue the four years Jason is in college until\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alternate Universe"","block_context":{"text":"Alternate Universe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/frontporch.jpg?fit=439%2C305&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/82"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36435"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36435\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}