Trouble was, Will didn’t have the power to arrest him. Not anymore.
“I thought they’d taken your badge, Lawson.” Perry gave a short, barking laugh. “Lawson. Still gets me. You should change your name to Law-lost-his-badge.”
Will balled his fists at his sides but forced himself to take the taunt. Yes, he’d messed up the Colorado Citizens Bank case, and, yes, he’d let Ben get away. But Will would find a way to take down Ben Perry and his gang once and for all. Even if stopping Ben didn’t get Will’s badge back, at least there’d be one less evildoer on the street.
“Did you have something to say, other than to be childish?” Will glared at the other man, wishing there was something he could do besides follow Ben around and wait for him to strike.
Sure, Will could try to turn Ben in to the local authorities, but the price on Perry’s head wasn’t enough to make it worth anyone’s while. At least not on the petty crimes they could prove.
Will’s fault.
Will should have known that someone as pretty as Daisy Bostwick wouldn’t have been interested in a man like him unless she wanted something. He just never figured that she’d be working for Ben Perry.
“Wondering what you’re still doing this side of the Divide.” The casual tone of Ben’s voice was almost menacing. “I figured you’d hightail it out of these parts now that you’ve lost everything.”
A nasty smile crossed Ben’s lips. “Your poor mama. I can’t imagine how lonesome she must be, taking in the waters at Glenwood all by herself.”
Will tightened his fists at his sides. Not a man alive would blame him for laying Ben out flat. The rumors swirling around Will’s involvement with the Colorado Citizens Bank robbery had caused Will’s mother to take ill and retreat to Glenwood Springs.
Will was innocent. But the gun used to rob the bank and kill an innocent man was Will’s distinctive weapon—the weapon used by one of the masked robbers. Because the robber’s features had been hidden and the robber was the same height as Will, many had thought the robber had been Will.
Will’s gun had gone missing from his rented rooms the day before the robbery. Will hadn’t had a chance to report it yet. He’d left early that day because Daisy had sent him a note saying she’d finally found a way to run away from Ben and needed his help. And of course, Will would help her.
It was all a lie. A lie that had Will arriving back in town just in time to make it look as if he’d been helping Ben’s gang.
Though he hadn’t been charged in the crime due to insufficient evidence, everyone thought Will had been guilty. No one believed his gun had been stolen. No one believed that Will had been set up. But someday, Will would prove that Ben had been behind the robbery. Ben had pulled the trigger, and Ben would hang for it.
“My mother is perfectly well.” Will’s jaw barely allowed the words to escape.
“Glad to hear it.” Then, as if to prove to Will exactly what kind of vermin he was, Ben turned and said, “I’ll be sure to give your regards to Daisy.”
With a wink, Ben headed out of the saloon, whistling.
Ben might believe he was untouchable. For now, Will would go on letting him presume that. Better for a man to think he had the upper hand and get cocky than to have him be on his guard.
When the marshals had raided Ben’s previous boardinghouse, they hadn’t had enough men to both give chase and search Ben’s belongings. So Will had hunted for evidence. Ben was too good to leave much in the room, but Mary’s current address written on a sheet of paper left with the letters had been enough to at least give Will an idea as to where Ben might be headed next.
Mary Stone might say she didn’t know anything about Ben, but the fact that Ben had kept her letters told Will that the outlaw still had some interest in her. Ben didn’t keep things for sentimental purposes.
The marshals hadn’t done much to stop Ben anyhow, so it was up to Will to fix his mistake in letting Ben get away the first time. Ben had a scheme in mind, and Mary Stone was right at the center.
If only he had the missing pages from the letters. Then he might be able to see the full extent of Mary’s involvement.
The shadows behind Mary’s eyes had spoken of a deeper fear than just meeting a stranger. He’d seen the same shadows behind Daisy’s eyes just before she’d shot him. Daisy, whom he’d thought so noble and pure. Not so.
Mary seemed like an innocent girl. But he’d been deceived once before. He wouldn’t make the same mistake he had with Daisy. If Mary was involved, he’d have no problem helping the authorities put her away in a jail cell.
Mary stirred the pot of beans before dishing out a serving to the miner who stood before her in the churchyard. “Here you go. Polly’s got some cookies over there if you’d like one.”
A smile peeked out from his bushy mustache. “Thank ye kindly.”
The next miner approached, and Mary barely glanced up as she dished out another serving. “Enjoy. If you want some cookies—”
“I don’t want cookies. I want to talk to you.”
Him. Mary glanced around to be sure the rest of her family was busy with their tasks before looking at Will Lawson. “I already told you, I have nothing to say. Now, please go, before someone notices.”
“I hear you made these beans,” Will said with a twinkle in his eyes. “And I aim to enjoy them, then when folks clear out, I will talk to you.”
Not if she could help it. Mary looked down the line to see a number of others waiting to be served. At least it would give her time to figure a way out of this confrontation.
“Fine. Have your fill.” Mary plopped more beans on his plate.
“You know I want more than beans from you.” He touched her hand, sending a small jolt through her body.
Oh, she knew what that jolt was. Mary looked hard into Mr. Lawson’s eyes, letting him see that she was not affected by his charm. Not one whit.
The one good thing about her time with Ben was that she’d learned a lot about the way men thought they could get a woman to do their bidding with a pleasing look and flirtatious smile. And she wasn’t falling for it. Not now. Not ever again.
Only, the steely expression Mr. Lawson gave her in return was far from flirtatious. In fact, he looked deadlier than an unexpected blizzard in winter—and just as cold.
“I can’t help you,” Mary said slowly, quietly, trying not to draw attention to the conversation. “Please, go.”
Mr. Lawson’s gaze remained firm. “I’ll be waiting when the meal’s over. Talk to me, or I’ll be speaking with Pastor Lassiter about finding assistance.”
Mr. Lawson didn’t seem the type to make idle threats. And while Mary knew that Frank Lassiter preached forgiveness, she wasn’t sure she deserved it.
She’d done so many bad things in the name of love. No, she hadn’t known the various baubles she’d sold on Ben’s behalf were stolen, but she knew the law wouldn’t see it that way. And if there was one thing she knew for certain about Frank, it was that he believed in owning up to one’s mistakes and facing the consequences. If he knew the truth, he’d make Mary turn herself in.
How could Mary risk going to jail when her only crime was believing Ben’s lies?
When her brother Joseph had discovered the silver mine, making her family wealthy, she’d tracked down