Julie Garwood - Come the Spring

replied.

"But it's true, isn't it? You shot all four of the Murphy gang before

any of them could get their guns out, didn't you, sir? " "Get going,

Spencer, " Cooper ordered. "You're embarrassing Marshal Clayborne. "

Cole laughed. As soon as the door closed behind the deputies, he said,

"They look awfully young."

"They are young, " Cooper agreed. "But they're fast with a gun and

they want to be lawmen. They're both tougher than they look." Daniel

spoke to Cole then. "I've decided to change the plans. Cooper's going

to take Rebecca to Blackwater, and you and I will take Grace and

Jessica. We'll split up and all meet in Red Arrow on Thursday, barring

any unforeseen problems."

"That's fine with me, " Cole said.

"I thought we should all travel together, " Cooper interjected. "But

Daniel thinks it's safer if we take separate trains."

"Three beautiful women are bound to draw a lot of attention, " Cole

said.

"Cooper just told me there's a signed order from Judge Abbott, " Daniel

said.

"Who's Abbott? " "A judge in Salt Lake, " Daniel answered. "The judge

in Blackwater wired Abbott asking for his help in getting our

cooperation. Since we're on special assignment, we don't have to do as

they ask, but I think we should go along. One of these women saw the

murders, and by God, she will testify."

"The judge in Blackwater is hopping mad, " Cooper interjected. "I

can't blame him. First, Daniel wires him and tells him he might have a

witness. Then the women say they weren't there, and then they all say

that they were. Have you figured out which one was really inside the

bank at the time of the robbery? " "Not yet, " Daniel said. "I

thought I'd know after each one gave me the details of what

happened."

"But? " Cooper prodded.

"They each have their own version. It's maddening."

"If you had to guess, which one do you think was really there? "

Cooper asked.

Daniel and Cole said the name at the same time. "Rebecca. "

"Interesting, " Cooper replied.

"The details she gave us are convincing. She was able to describe some

of the men, and she even knew a couple of their names."

"Jessica hasn't been able to tell us much yet. She's still pretty

shaken over the shooting." Cooper said, "I've gotta tell you one

thing. These women sure do intrigue me. I can understand why they

would all deny being there.

They'd be scared and they have all surely heard about the witnesses the

Blackwater boys butchered. What I can't understand is why they'd all

change their tune and say they were there."

"Daniel thinks they all joined forces, " Cole said. "Sheriff Sloan put

the three of them together in one of the cells, and Daniel thinks

that's when they hatched their plan."

"What do you know about these women? Have you looked into their

backgrounds? " {We don't know much . . . yet, " Daniel said. "I'm

having each one of them investigated. It's a slow process, though, and

we'll probably be in Blackwater before the information comes back. I

do know bits and pieces, but even that hasn't been verified."

"Such as? " Cooper asked.

"According to people she's met in Rockford Falls, Rebecca was born in

New York City and lived with her parents and her cousins in a

tenement.

There were nine of them in a twobedroom apartment. Both the parents

drank themselves into early graves. Rebecca is self-educated, and

about three years ago, she moved to St. Louis and severed ties with

her relatives. She met a businessman and she's planning to marry him

in the fall. She goes to church every Sunday and works in the

library.

" "If she's in love, she's probably trying to protect him. She's got

to know this gang could use him to get to her, " Cooper said. "What

about Grace and Jessica? What do you know about them? " "I don't know

anything about Grace yet, other than the fact that she came here from

England and that she wants to buy aranch. I wired some contacts in

London, but I haven't heard back from them yet."

"And Jessica? " Cooper asked.

"Her mother died about two years ago. Her father deserted the family

when she was a little girl. Jessica came to Rockford Falls from

Chicago to help with the delivery of her aunt's baby. The aunt was her

mother's sister, and she was the only family she had left."

"You're talking as though she's dead. Is she? " Cooper asked.

"Yes, " Daniel answered. "She died a couple of hours after childbirth

from hemorrhage. She and her husband had been married for over fifteen

years when she finally got pregnant. Her husband didn't want the baby,

though. After his wife died, he didn't stay around long enough to name

the baby. He left town the very next day and hasn't been heard of

since."

"What happened to the baby? " Cooper asked.

"Jessica happened, " Daniel answered. "She's very young, but she's

doing a hell of a job raising the boy on her own."

"That's a hard burden for a single woman to take on, ^ Cooper said.

"She's up to the task, " Cole said. "Jessica's strong."

"Sounds like she is, " Cooper agreed. "Her baby would be a good reason

for her to keep silent if she were your witness. She'd probably go to

great lengths to protect him."

"Grace probably had someone she was trying to protect too, " Cole

said.

"She does, " Daniel replied. "Her parents."

"Where did you get all this information? " "Tilly MacGuire, " Daniel

answered. "Like I said before, it hasn't been verified. The woman's a

wealth of information.

She seems to know everything about everyone in this town and all the

folks passing through. She's been very helpful." Cooper stood up and

stretched his arms. "When are you going to leave for Blackwater? " he

asked.

"I can't go until tomorrow. The doctor wants Grace to stay in bed

another day. It's too bad you can't get some sleep before you head

out.

You look like hell."

"You don't look so good yourself, Daniel."

"I'm fine, " he replied.

"Cole, when are you going to take Jessica? " '{Wait a minute, " Cole

said. "I can't take Caleb with us. That's out of the question."

Daniel agreed. "What are we going to do with him?

" Cole had already considered the problem. "I don't want to leave him

here. Every one knows who he belongs to, " he explained. "I want to

hide him, and I think I've thought of the perfect place."

"Are you thinking about Rosehill? " "What's Rosehill? " Cooper

asked.

"My ranch, " Cole answered. "My mother lives there, and my brothers

and my sister come and go. Mama Rose is in Scotland now with my sister

and her husband, and they won't be back for another month."

"Then where are you going to put Caleb? " "Tom and Josey Norton."

Daniel smiled. "That's good, Cole. Tom won't let anything happen to

the boy, but Josey just might kill him with her cooking."

"That's a risk we have to take, " Cole replied. "I'm going to tell Tom

to disappear with Caleb for a little while. If Jessica is the witness,

I don't want the Blackwater gang going after her son." He motioned to

the map spread out on Daniel's desk. "Where's Red Arrow? " he

asked.

"I've never heard of it before."

"Blink and you'll miss it, " Cooper said. "It's a tiny hole in the

ground and the turning-around point for the train.

The town boasts a saloon, a whorehouse, and a stable. In Red Arrow you

sleep outside cause they don't have any hotels. It's a godforsaken

place."

"It's surrounded by deep caverns, " Daniel remarked. "It's barren, but

beautiful."

"I think I should leave Jessica with Spencer and Cobb while I take

Caleb to the Nortons. I'll swing back here for her."

"That won't work, " Daniel said.

"It's safer for Jessica."

"It still won't work."

"Why not? " Cole asked.

"Because Jessica will be going with you." Cole didn't like the idea

one bit. "She'll slow me down, " he said. "And like I said, it's

safer. Once I get Caleb to the Nortons, I plan to cut down through

some rough terrain. It's hard riding."

"You aren't married, are you, son? " Cooper said.

"No, I'm not married, and I'm sure as certain not your son. You're

old, Cooper, but you aren't that old." Cooper laughed. "I've never

been married, " he admitted. "Daniel wouldn't let me in on this

investigation if I were a family man. He only wants bachelors in case

one of us gets shot. My brother's married, though."

"Is that right?

" Cole said, wondering why Cooper was telling him about his family.

"Yes, he is, " Cooper said. "He's got five girls and two boys, and I

swear to you that if you tried to take one of those seven children away

from his mama, there would be hell to pay. Just how do you suppose

you're going to get Caleb away from his mama? " Cole didn't anticipate

any problems. "I'll simply explain the situation to her." He paused