Sloan obeyed the command. He grabbed the nearest chair and fell into
it.
"You have caused considerable trouble, Sheriff, " Rebecca said.
"Because of you, people in this town believe there was a witness to the
robbery and murders at the bank. I read the article in the paper. So
did everyone else. You were quoted numerous times. Do you have any
idea what you've done? If the men who murdered all those people read
the Rockford Falls Gazette or hear the rumors you started, they'll come
back here and kill Jessica and Grace and me. My God, don't you realize
what those fiends are capable of? They've already killed other
women.
They certainly wouldn't think twice about killing three more. "
"Ma'am, I wouldn't fret about the Blackwater gang coming back here.
They've probably left the territory by now." His cavalier attitude
infuriated her. "Witnesses don't last long, " she cried out. "Every
one knows what happened to that poor man in Middleton.
I believe those murderers killed his wife too, didn't they? If either
Grace or Jessica had been in the bank during the holdup, do you
honestly think she'd admit it? She'd be signing her death warrant. "
"I'm real sorry about your situation, " Sloan said. He blushed with
embarrassment. "I wouldn't worry about the gang reading our little
paper, though. No one outside Rockford reads the Gazette, " he added
in a halfhearted attempt to placate her. "And I didn't have a choice
about the interview. That reporter was hounding me for details, and I
am the authority in this town. I had a duty to tell him what I knew,
but all I remember saying was that the marshals happened to find a
purse under one of the desks.
He jumped to his own conclusions." After giving his explanation, Sloan
stood up and excused himself. "I promised a lady friend that we'd go
out walking, and she's waiting for me inside. Did you need me to hang
around, Marshal Ryan? " "No, " Ryan answered.
Rebecca waited until Sloan left the porch with the silly little woman
giggling on his arm before continuing. "The sheriff showed all of us
the purse. It doesn't belong to me. I never carry one, " she added.
"May I leave now? I really would like to go to bed. It's been an
exhausting day."
"I don't have any other questions at the moment, " Ryan said. He
closed his notepad and looked at Cole. "Do you? " "Just one, " Cole
answered. "How long will you be staying in town? " "Until the day
after tomorrow when the coach comes through again." Ryan offered
Rebecca his hand to help her stand. She looked startled by the
gentlemanly gesture and hesitantly took hold of him.
"You aren't going to bother Jessica and Grace tonight, are you? It's
already well after eight, " she said. "They were both so weary this
afternoon. Neither one of them is feeling well, " she added. "You
should let them get a good night's sleep before you hound them with
questions.
Good night, gentlemen." They watched her walk away. Each was lost in
his own thoughts until she paused in the doorway and looked at them