The Outlaw Bride (18 page)

At the edge of town, Callahan drew his horse to a stop, then cut off on the path behind the first building.

“What are you doing?” Josie asked.

“I’m hiding. You ride on in, stable Solomon, and see if Ellie has checked into the hotel. Find her room and wait.”

“Why? What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to get into that bank.”

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“I told you I was an outlaw.”

“Oh? Without tools?”

“I’ll find a way.”

“Listen, Callahan. Do you hear any noise?”

“No.”

“Nobody else does either. You break a window or batter down a door and it will sound like a gunshot. You’ll be caught before you even get in.”

“I suppose you have a better idea.”

“I’m working on it. Where is the bank?”

“Next building down.”

“Fine. You stay here and let me check out the front. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Before he could argue, Josie slid from her horse, grabbed her carrying case, and ducked around the edge of the building.

The roof over the sidewalk cast a shadow of darkness across the front of the building. Josie would have preferred to pick the lock at the back, but burglars and lock-pickers couldn’t be choosy. She’d learned early on that child thieves were expendable. Survival depended on how good you were. She’d just never expected to use those skills as an adult.

She hugged the darkness, wondering about Ellie. Was she all right? Was Will still here, and if so, had he believed that Callahan had forced her to accompany him? She’d been right when she’d called attention to the quiet. There was no sound. Only lamplight down the way signaled the presence of people—the hotel, probably. Callahan had been right. Sharpsburg was not much of a town. But the fact that it had survived meant that it had a future.

Picking the lock on the front door of the bank wasn’t easy. It took longer than she’d expected. Longer than Callahan expected too, for suddenly he was standing behind her. “What’s the matter, Josie, lost your touch?”

She gasped. “Callahan. You scared me to death.”

“Sorry. Can you open it, or do I break the door in?”

“Shush! Perryman must have a lot of money in his bank. This is a pretty sturdy lock.” One more click and it opened. “Quiet now, the bank might not be empty.”

Once inside, Josie allowed her eyes time to become accustomed to the darkness, then made her way to a caged area across the back. The lock there wasn’t any easier. Callahan said nothing to distract her this time. Still, he was there. She dropped her pick twice, thanking
whatever muse had inspired her to bring a few tools in her reticule. She had to hurry, they’d already been inside too long.

“How’d you learn to do that?” he asked in an admiring tone.

“It wasn’t easy. I had incentive. Let’s just get into Perryman’s office.”

They located the door and opened it.

“There aren’t any windows back here, so we can light a lamp. I have matches in my pocket,” Josie said, fumbling until she found one of the wooden sulfur sticks and handed it to Callahan.

“This is too easy,” Callahan said. “I don’t like it.” A moment later he fit the lamp on the desk, casting an eerie light around a luxurious room.

“Would you look at this,” Josie said. “A rosewood desk. Our Mr. Perryman has great expectations.”

“This desk is new. Seems pretty rich for a Sharpsburg man.” Callahan moved behind the desk, pulling out drawers and holding papers up to the light.

Josie walked over to the safe. Though she’d opened wall safes in rich people’s homes, she’d never encountered anything like this. It took her more time than she expected, but finally it clicked open. Even in the poor light, she could see that there was no saddlebag inside, only a stack of bills. If the money had found its way back to Perryman, they’d never identify it. And there was no sign of any jewelry. Letting out a sigh of disappointment, she closed the safe. “Nothing here, Callahan.”

“Well, well,” Callahan said. “Here’s the file on the Callahan brothers in this drawer. And here’s my signature on the loan attached to a letter that says it’s paid in full. It’s signed by Ben.”

“Let me read it,” Josie said, reaching for the paper.

“No need. This isn’t Ben’s signature.”

“Are you sure? I mean, if he was wounded, it might look a little different.”

“His normal handwriting already looks different. Ben is left-handed. Look at his original letter of inquiry about the land. The letters lean to the left. Whoever signed this payoff note didn’t slant them in that direction. Besides, whoever signed this has an ornate handwriting. Ben would never have put a tail on the C in Callahan. Somebody forged his name.”

Josie studied the paper. “You’re right.”

Callahan leaned back in the banker’s chair. He’d always known Ben didn’t steal the money, but now that he had the actual proof in his hand, he didn’t know what to do. Could he convince Will Spencer that the banker was somehow mixed up in this?

Josie obviously thought so. “Let’s find Will,” she announced.

“Not necessary, Josie. I’m right here.” With gun drawn, Will stood in the doorway.

“Will,” Josie began, completely surprised, “we’ve found proof that Ben didn’t pay off the note on their ranch. Show him, Callahan.”

“Thanks for getting him here, Josie. Ellie said you would,” Will interjected.

Callahan looked back at Josie in disbelief. “Getting me here? You had this planned all along? Why?”

Josie was just as stunned. It had to be jealousy making Callahan blind. “You can’t believe that. Not after …” But she could tell from the look on his face that he believed what Will had suggested. Either that, or he was protecting her.

“After all that big talk about being on my side, you arranged for me to walk right into a trap. Well, it won’t work. I’m leaving.”

“There’s only one way out, Callahan, and I’m blocking it,” Will said. “And I have a few of your former partners outside, just in case you decide to try.”

Josie moved as close to Callahan as she could. “You know I didn’t arrange this, I swear. Will’s doing the same thing you are—protecting me. Tell him, Will.”

“Yeah, tell me, Will. How’d you just happen to be waiting for us? How, Sheriff Spencer?”

“That was easy. When Ellie told me that you’d kidnapped Josie, I knew she was lying. I know how Josie’s mind works. Coming to Sharpsburg to see the payoff note was the logical thing to do. I had no doubt that you’d come with her.”

“But, Will,” Josie began, trying to bring both men to their senses, “in the interest of justice, you have to listen. No matter what you think, we really do have proof that—”

Will frowned and cut her off abruptly. “Breaking into a bank?” He was clearly uncomfortable. She could almost see the wheels turning in his mind. Then, he said, “Josie, if I hadn’t known what you were up to, I’d have to arrest you, too. Thanks for your help.”

“She didn’t have any choice,” Callahan said. “I forced her to come along.”

“Stop this, both of you!” Josie protested. “Nobody forces me to do anything.”

“Josie, shut up. You, too, Callahan,” Will said knowingly. “I’m locking Callahan up. Josie, you get on over to the hotel. Ellie is waiting. I’ll get back to you later.” He stood aside and waited for her to go, his gun pointed at his prisoner.

“I’m going with you,” Josie argued. “After all, I’m his attorney.”

“Get out of here, Josie,” Callahan barked. “I already told you, you’re fired.”

“We’ll just see about that.”

13
 

Ellie was waiting in their hotel room. She hugged Josie. “I was so worried. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. What did you tell Will when you came into town?”

“Just what Callahan said—that he’d kidnapped you and headed for the missionary wagon train.” Ellie looked worried. “I told Will I’d followed him to Sharpsburg to tell him because I figured he’d want to go after you. Did I do something wrong?”

“Of course not. But Will just told the men in his posse that I’d arranged to have Callahan caught breaking into the bank.”

“I guess I’m not a very convincing liar,” Ellie said biting her lower lip.

“No, it’s not that. Will lied in front of the ranchers so that I wouldn’t have to be arrested. But now Callahan believes him.”

“Oh, Josie. I’m so sorry.”

Josie patted her friend on the arm and moved toward the window. “It’s just as well. I need to do some investigating, and I couldn’t do it in jail.” Through the hotel window, she saw Callahan, his arms trussed up like a Christmas goose, walking up the street ahead of Will Spencer. Several other men closed in behind them.

“I wanted to ride out to warn you, but Will was camped out at the livery stable all day, just like he was waiting. I couldn’t get the horse. I’d planned to try again, but now you’re here. What’s going to happen to Callahan?”

“Will’s put him under arrest. Looks like he’s locking him up in the livery stable.”

Ellie came to look out the window. “Josie, what are we going to do?”

“What we set out to do,” she answered wearily. “We’re going to find out who is responsible for this mess. And I think we have our suspect.”

“Who?” Ellie asked.

“The banker, Mr. Perryman. He gave himself away by pretending to pay off Callahan’s loan. I just don’t know how I’m going to prove it.”

“Mr. Perryman?” Ellie asked in disbelief. “But he’s a very important man. He owns everything in Sharpsburg, even the hotel. The proprietor said he’s planning to get himself appointed territorial governor of Wyoming. He’s built himself a fine new house. He’s even throwing a ball for all the important folks in the territory on Saturday night. They’ve been arriving for days.”

“So that’s why he needs money—to buy the governorship. Callahan’s jail sentence is his ticket to the appointment.”

Will and the other men came out of the stable and headed for the hotel. Josie’s first inclination was to lock
the door. The last thing she wanted to do was face Will Spencer, but she had no choice.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. “Josie?”

Josie looked down at her still damp, wrinkled clothes, gave a deep sigh, and opened the door. “Come in, Will.”

He stood there for a moment, then stepped inside. His lips were narrowed; he was steaming. “Can you excuse us for a moment, Ellie?”

Ellie protested, “But, Will, don’t you think—”

“I think you spent most of today telling me how smart Josie is and how I should forget about the law and let her take charge. I know Josie Miller. You don’t have to tell me she has a mind of her own and knows how to get what she wants, including an outlaw.”

“What do you want, Will? I guess you know your little story turned Callahan against me.”

“Somehow I don’t feel real bad about that.” He gave Josie a long look. “Stop playing games with me, Josie. I intend to get some answers to some questions that I sure as hell don’t want to ask.” He glanced again at Ellie.

“I’ll be all right, Ellie,” Josie said. “Go on.”

Reluctantly, Ellie left the room.

“What have you done, Josie?” Will stared at her wrinkled clothing and the broken pieces of dried grass clinging to her skirt. “Besides breaking a criminal out of jail?”

“I don’t understand what you mean,” she said, brushing her hands against her skirts.

“I think you do. Why him? Any one of a dozen men in Laramie—and probably more in New York—would have gone through fire for you. Why this man?”

“I don’t know,” she said softly. “I love Dan and Dr. Annie. They took me in and gave me the kind of life any woman would want. But I’m different. I’ve always known
that. I pretend to be a lady when I’m really just an outlaw. The irony is, Callahan’s a gentleman hiding underneath that dangerous exterior. Maybe I care about him because we’re both alike—we’re frauds.”

“Alike? You and Callahan?” Will’s voice bounced across the room.

Someone next door pounded on the wall. “Keep it down in there.”

Will walked over to Josie and stood before her. “I knew I was too old for you, that you weren’t interested in me, and I accepted that. You were a Miller. I expected you to settle down with a younger, more educated man, someone with a future. But Sims Callahan? You’re no outlaw; Sims Callahan is. He even served time for bank robbery.” Will groaned. “I can’t believe he sweet-talked you into breaking into Perryman’s bank.”

“He didn’t.”

“Don’t excuse him, Josie. I don’t want you falling for a man who isn’t good enough for you.”

“You’re too late, Will,” she said softly. “I think I’m already in love with him. But that isn’t why I’ve done what I’ve done. I believe in the law and enforcing it. And I’m going to prove he’s innocent.”

“By breaking the law?”

“If I have to. In the end, I intend to see that justice is served, Will. What I’ve done is morally right.”

Will slammed his hand against the wall beside the window.

“If you don’t keep it down in there, I’ll call the sheriff,” the voice roared from the next room.

“I am the sheriff!” Will bellowed. He took a deep breath. “You do realize what you’ve done?”

“What do you mean?”

“All, come on, Josie. Dan told me a long time ago
about your career as a pickpocket. Nobody else could have picked the lock at the jail. Now there’s the bank. Tell me what you expected to accomplish.”