Desert Moon Page 9

  Adam nodded reluctantly. The stage only went up to the mountain town twice a week.

  “I’ve been meeting the stage the last couple of times it came in,” Oliver said. “But the robbery happened on payroll day. I had to make sure the books were in order, and the errand to the village seemed more urgent. I figured I’d get back within an hour or two of when the stage came in, and if Julia was on it, she’d be at the house.”

  “I talked to her that evening, and she didn’t seem to know where you were. So how did she know to find you out here?”

  “Don’t tell him,” she said quickly.

  “Oh, now that sounds innocent,” Adam said.

  “I am innocent. But you have a way of using things against people. This is something between Oliver and me that you don’t need to know.”

  “Well, I disagree.” Adam leaned forward and looked past Oliver, glaring at her in the flickering light. “If you two saw each other in town—”

  “We didn’t,” Oliver said. “When I walked into this cave half an hour ago, I hadn’t seen Julia for almost two years.”

  “Then I’ll ask it again, as a law enforcement officer. How did you know she’d be here tonight?”

  Oliver shrugged. “That’s easy. I wrote her a message, and the friend who told me about the robbery took it to her. Meanwhile, I packed some grub and water and headed out of there.”

  Julia exhaled in relief. Of course. Oliver had understood that it was the code she wanted to keep secret, not the fact that he’d written a message. Oliver always understood her.

  “It sounds to me like there would have been time for you to visit the miners’ village and then get up to the Flagstaff road,” Adam said with a stubborn note to his voice.

  Oliver shrugged. “I don’t know as I could pinpoint the times when I was at each place, Adam. I’m sorry. I didn’t think my life would depend on it.”

  Adam sat in broody silence for a minute or two. “It’s not like I want to think you did it. I know you wouldn’t deliberately shoot somebody.”

  “You got that part right,” Oliver said. “So what’s this so-called evidence?”

  Adam reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled his hand out clenched. “I found this near the spot where the stagecoach stopped. Right beside the empty treasure box.” He opened his hand in front of Oliver.

  Julia couldn’t see what he held, but Oliver stared down at it. Something small and white. Oliver’s blank expression told her nothing.

  “You think that’s mine?” he said.

  “What is it? Let me see.” She wriggled closer to him, pulling herself across the cold stone floor with her feet.

  Adam held it out to her, and she raised her bound hands. Into them he dropped a square of white cardboard. She bent close and held it so the firelight shone on it.

  “A matchbook?” She stared at Adam and Oliver. “I don’t understand.”

  Chapter 11

  That’s not just any matches you’ve got there,” Adam said. “I was in Phoenix in July, and somebody gave me half a dozen of those.”

  Julia peered at the cover of the matchbook. “Arizona, the forty-eighth state. What is this, some kind of advertisement?”

  “Exactly.”

  “I don’t understand. Is it to remind people to vote?”

  “Sort of. You know President Taft vetoed our constitution?”

  “Yes,” Julia said. “Arizona has to vote again.”

  “That’s right. And we hope it will go through this time and we’ll be a state. Then the map will be complete, and we’ll get all the benefits of statehood.”

  “But what were you doing in Phoenix?”

  “I helped take a prisoner down there for his trial. I had to testify.”

  Oliver looked at Julia. “I guess I didn’t tell you about that. I should have mentioned it in my last letters, but with Mama passing and all, I didn’t think to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?” Julia glanced from him to Adam, but Adam was now looking down, seemingly fascinated by the fire.

  “Adam helped catch a train robber last spring, and they held the trial in Phoenix, that’s all. But when he got down there, some folks started working on him, trying to get him to run for legislature.”

  Julia eyed her brother carefully. He probably hadn’t told her deliberately, because he knew she didn’t want to be told when Adam risked his life on the job. Not that it concerned her anymore. But, yes, it was the type of event Oliver might omit from his letters so as not to disturb her.

  “Well,” she said at last, “who’s this they you’re talking about?”

  “Some politicians,” Adam said. “I had to hang around the capital for almost two weeks, waiting for my turn to testify in the court case.”

  “Oh yes, because you were escorting someone you arrested. Who was it that time? Any of my friends?” Julia’s voice dripped acid.

  “Julia,” Oliver said softly.

  “Sorry,” she said, but she felt far from repentant. “I believe Oliver said it was a train robber, and I don’t think any of my friends qualify as one of those.”

  “There was a gang of them,” Adam said. “The county sheriff headed up the case. He called in all his deputies to help catch them. I was in on it. When it came time for the leader to go to court, they didn’t think he could get a fair trial up here, so they sent him to Phoenix. Anyway, it kept me away for a while. I wasn’t back when your mama died, and I’m sorry about that. I should have been there for Oliver.”

  She barked out a laugh. “That’s all right, Adam. You can be there for him while I’m in jail. Oops! I almost forgot. You’re putting him in jail, too. Who’s going to be there for the two of us, I wonder.”

  Oliver scowled at her. “Really, Jules, this isn’t the time—”

  “Then when is the time? The fact that Adam got a matchbook when he was delivering a prisoner doesn’t prove a thing. A lot of people probably have those.”

  “Except that they don’t,” Adam said. “When I got them, they were just printed. The men who approached me gave me a handful. They said if I ran for office, they could have a bunch printed with my name on them, so I could hand them out to people. See, as soon as statehood is approved by Congress, we’ll have to hold elections, and the folks in the territorial government want to have everything in place for that and have the candidates ready to go.”

  “And you want to run for state office?”

  “I thought a lot about it, and I don’t really know as I’m cut out for it.”

  “All right.” She felt like arguing with him and telling him he would make a horrible legislator, but deep down she didn’t think that was true, aside from his love of the outdoors. He might be very good at it. Adam was intelligent and usually fair minded—when he wasn’t being bullheaded, the way he was now. Belittling him wouldn’t get them out of the quagmire they were in. Better to stay calm and rational—something she hadn’t been doing this evening. She inhaled deeply. “But how does that prove that Oliver robbed the stagecoach?”

  “He gave one to me,” Oliver said.

  “Oh well, why didn’t you say so? That’s ironclad proof.” Julia wanted to march out of the cave and ride for home. Unfortunately there was the little matter of her bonds and an irate sheriff to prevent her from doing that. “Of all the—” She stopped and gritted her teeth. Once again she determined to keep this conversation civil. “Adam, please listen to me. Does it not make sense to you that lots of people may have received some of those matches over the last month or two? Hundreds of people.”

  “It’s possible,” he said, “but not people from Ardell. I’d have known if anybody else from town had been to Phoenix. The only person I know of besides me who’s been there lately is Leland Gerry.”

  Oliver’s eyes flickered at the mention of his boss. “Folks want him to go to Washington.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I heard,” Adam said. “Senator Gerry.”

  “Well, there. Those could have come from Mr. Gerry’s pocke
t,” Julia said.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?”

  The smoke was drifting toward Adam. He blinked then shifted his position. “First of all, Mr. Gerry was out at mine headquarters when the robbery happened. He was there all day, so far as I know. And he was there when I went out to the mine right afterward. He took me to Oliver’s desk, and he seemed genuinely surprised that Oliver wasn’t there.”

  Julia frowned. It looked as though Gerry had an alibi. And he was the richest man in town. He wouldn’t need to steal his own company’s payroll. Still, she couldn’t give in too easily. Businessmen had been known to rob their own companies when they had personal debts. “It wouldn’t hurt for you to make sure he was there all morning.”

  After a tense moment of silence, Adam said, “You’re right. I’ll check on it when we get back.”

  She nodded, somewhat mollified.

  “You know,” Oliver said, “I’ve been sitting here thinking while you two have been taking potshots at each other.”

  “Come up with anything?” Adam almost sounded hopeful.

  “Well, you gave me a matchbook, like you said. It must have been three or four weeks ago.”

  “That’s right.”

  Oliver nodded. “I used a few out of it. And then one day it was really cold up at the mine. When I got there that morning, Clew Harrison was out at the guardhouse by the entrance—you know where I mean?”

  Adam nodded.

  Julia started to speak, but held back. Oliver hadn’t revealed that Clew had been the friend who’d carried his message to her, and she would just as soon leave Clew out of this. No sense setting Adam off hounding the old man.

  “Well, we’d had a frost, and it was chilly. Clew was trying to get a fire going in the little box stove they’ve got in there. Wanted to warm up and make himself some coffee. So I gave him the matchbook.”

  After a moment, Adam said carefully, “All right. So where is it now?”

  Oliver shrugged. “Beats me. Clew never gave it back to me.”

  Adam’s mind whirled. One question hung there like a black cloud. “Answer me this, Oliver. If you’re innocent, why did you run away?”

  Oliver chuckled without humor and shook his head. “Like I said, my friend who met me in the stable said Mr. Gerry told you I was missing, and everyone at headquarters seemed to think I was guilty. I was scared they’d hang me. I mean, if they were convinced you stole that much money, would you stick around?”

  “How much was on that stage, anyway? Mr. Gerry gave me an estimate of five thousand dollars.”

  “Closer to six thousand,” Oliver said. “We have almost a hundred and fifty people on the payroll. The miners don’t get paid nearly enough, but it still adds up to a pretty big sum.”

  “I figured you knew Julia was coming in on the stage,” Adam said. There were still pieces he couldn’t fit together.

  “No, I didn’t. Not at first.”

  “Your friend told you that, too?”

  “I asked him to find out. I hoped she’d arrived, but I wasn’t sure. While he went into town, I hid out behind the stable at the mine. I was afraid to show my face. He was gone the better part of an hour.” Oliver looked over at Julia and grimaced. “I’m sorry, Jules. I was so confused, but I wanted to do the right thing. I almost gave up waiting and went into town. But a couple of men from the mine office went in the stable, and I heard them talking about it. So far as I could tell, they believed the rumors. I heard one of them say, ‘I never would have thought Newman would do something like that.’ It was enough to make me stay put until Clew got back.”

  Julia winced.

  “So Clew was the friend who told you all about the robbery,” Adam said.

  “Well…yeah.”

  “And also the friend who delivered the message to Julia.”

  Oliver glanced over at her. “Sorry. It slipped out.”

  Julia shrugged. “He would probably have found out sooner or later.”

  “Well, it seems to me that Clew’s in this thing up to his neck,” Adam said. “You gave him your matchbook, he told you to hide, and he carried your message to Julia for you.”

  “You think Clew robbed the stage?” Julia stared at him. “He’s an old man.”

  “He’s fit enough to clean up things at the mine headquarters.”

  “I wouldn’t think he’d do something like highway robbery,” Oliver said. “He’s a decent man.”

  “Well, somebody did it.” Adam stood and paced to the cave opening. He stood with one hand up on the natural lintel, staring out over the dark landscape. At last he turned. “So you ran away because you thought you’d be lynched.”

  “That’s right,” Oliver said. “I hoped I could get away from you, and maybe Julia could meet me out here and tell me how things were in town—and if you’d found the real culprit yet. If nothing else, I figured she could help me think of a way to prove I was innocent. At least she could let me know when it was safe to go home again.”

  “And instead, you’re trying to get us both hung,” Julia said.

  “Oh, wait just a minute.” Adam was tired of her carping on that issue. He walked over and stood towering above her. “I only tied you up as a precaution.”

  “Oh, that’s right.” She glared up at him. “I’m the vicious female robber, and I might take my evil gun out of my pack and shoot you.”

  “It’s ridiculous to think Julia’s involved in those crimes,” Oliver said. “How could you even imagine it, Adam? Just a few weeks ago you told me you couldn’t forget her, and you wondered if you’d ever get over it. And now you think she’s a cold-blooded murderess? It doesn’t make sense.”

  Julia’s jaw dropped.

  Adam frowned at Oliver. That conversation had been strictly private. He hadn’t expected Oliver to let it out that he still had feelings for Julia. But it was no wonder she seemed so shocked at the idea. If anyone went by the contact he’d had with her over the past three days, he’d probably say they hated each other. And she more than likely did hate him. She surely sounded that way now.

  Adam kicked Oliver’s boot lightly, just a cautionary tap. “Would you shut up, please?”

  Julia hauled in a breath, sounding for all the world as if she were strangling. She struggled to her knees then pushed with her tied hands and managed to stand. “Pardon me, gents, but I’ll step outside so you can continue this conversation in private.”

  She walked out of the cave into the chilly night.

  Adam stared after her. “Hey, wait.”

  She kept walking. He looked at Oliver. Only for a second did the thought gallop across Adam’s benumbed brain that he couldn’t go out there and leave his murder suspect alone.

  “Go get her,” Oliver said in a kindly tone, “but be nice.”

  Adam hurried outside. Julia had gone down the hillside toward where they’d all left their horses, but she’d stopped after going a few yards and stood still. He took a deep breath and walked down the slope to join her.

  “Where you going?”

  She turned her head toward him and wrinkled her lips. “You’re afraid I’ll escape and go pull some more robberies? Sorry to disappoint you. I just needed some air.”

  Adam shoved down the anger she fueled. Oliver had told him to be nice, but she was making it awfully hard.

  He walked around her until he was facing her. He stood a little lower than she did on the hillside, and so they looked each other straight in the eyes.

  “Do you think Clew pulled the robbery and then set up your brother?”

  She sighed. “I don’t know. Until yesterday, I hadn’t seen Clew in years. So far as you know, is he an honest man?”

  “I’d have said yes, but…”

  “Exactly. You’d have said the same about my brother.”

  Adam’s whole body drooped. Arguing with her was too hard, and he didn’t want to continue. “Oh come on, Julie. That’s not what I was going to say.”

  “Oh?”


  “No. I was going to say that I don’t know Clew that well. Look, I’m sorry about all of this.”

  “Are you really?” Her voice rose in a plaintive plea.

  He hesitated. If he said yes, she’d insist he cut the ropes that held her and Oliver and let them go. If he said no, there would be no regaining her respect in this lifetime. He glanced over her shoulder, up toward the cave. What if she’d drawn him out here to give Ollie a chance to escape? But Oliver sat where he’d left him, in the orange glow of the fire beneath the overhang of rock.

  “So,” Julia said bitterly, “we’re not doing any good sitting out here on Indian land.”

  “True. We’ll head back to Ardell in the morning and talk to Clew. And…Julie, I am sorry. I’m sorry I latched on to Oliver so quickly as my suspect. I should have at least looked at other people, too. People like Clew. And Mr. Gerry. Probably other people we haven’t thought of yet.”

  “You believe Oliver, then, about the matches?” The reflection of the stars glinted in her eyes.

  Adam swallowed hard. “Yes.”

  She nodded. “If we go back to town tomorrow, can you protect him from the people who think he’s guilty?”

  Adam squared his shoulders. “I can.”

  She eyed him doubtfully. “I’m not sure I can trust you that much anymore.”

  His heart plummeted. No matter what he said, she wasn’t satisfied, and she was bouncing him around like an India-rubber ball. One minute he hoped she would forgive him, the next he knew she never would. It was probably best that she’d refused to marry him. A lifetime of this pain was unthinkable.

  “I’ll tell people I have another suspect now,” he said.

  She shook her head. “You know what happened to our pa.”

  “Yes,” Adam whispered. He did know—all too well. Ben Newman was working as a deputy sheriff after his stint as Indian agent at Canyon Diablo. He was taking a convicted horse thief to the territorial prison when a band of vigilantes ambushed them, killing both Newman and the prisoner. Julia had a right to be wary of going back to face an angry town.