Chapter XXV
"Thank you very much, boys," Kid's angry voice resounded in the bunkhouse. "You're proving to me what great friends you are." His sarcasm did not go unnoticed to the riders that were getting ready for a brand new day. The night had been too long for Kid, too many worries flooded his head, and he had welcomed the morning eagerly.
The Southerner was willing to prove Lou's innocence and he would do it… as true as the sun shone high in the sky. Yet, his good intentions had been stopped short as nobody at the station wanted to take the ride he was scheduled for that morning. He would be gone a whole day, and he was afraid of what might happen during his absence. Kid knew that Teaspoon, or his fellow riders, wouldn't let anybody hurt her, but they wouldn't be able to face a whole town in a riot, he was well aware of that. Kid knew that in that case he couldn't do much either, but if he could stay, he would continue looking for the real killer of that poor girl, and naturally he would see to it that Lou wasn't or didn't feel lonely in this mess.
Now his hopes to help her vanished as he would have to take that ride, which made him furious. Seeing that nobody was willing to cooperate and help him, he stalked towards his bunk gruffly and began stuffing his things into his saddlebags.
"Kid," Buck called, "why don't you want to take that ride?"
"It ain't a question of wanting or not," the Southerner said without looking up as he kept preparing his gear in the same angered demeanor. "I need to stay for her; I have to help Teaspoon with the investigation. I owe it to her."
"Kid, in this moment it's better if you stay away," Noah added. "You're too involved in all this."
"Too involved?" Kid snapped. "She's carrying my baby. How in the world can't I be involved?"
"You're thoroughly biased in this matter, Kid," Jimmy replied vehemently. "You are too blind to see the truth."
"What truth?" Kid bellowed in his direction. He was still furious at his friend and his know-it-all attitude unnerved him awfully. "You mean the accusations of an upset woman or a drunkard's wise words, Jimmy? That's the truth I should believe? Sorry but I can't do that."
"Oh I see, how stupid I am!" Sarcasm was clear in Jimmy's words. "We should follow your example, Mr. Sensible. I've forgotten what wise source of information you have in that girl. Oh, wait, ain't she nuts?" Jimmy's antics were infuriating the Southerner greatly, but the rider kept talking, paying him no attention to his glares. "Good, Kid, very reliable."
As he helped his friend, within himself he felt a deep anger that threatened to spiral out of control. There was no mistake. He was alone, and his friends weren't going to help him much. He cursed himself for the bad luck that recently seemed to follow him anywhere. He needed to stay, as it was obvious that Lou wouldn't get much help around here, but he had to waste a whole day on this untimely ride.
"I don't want to fight with you, Jimmy," Kid said after a few minutes. "Just stay away from me." His voice was low and menacing. He resumed collecting his things, and headed towards the door. But when he was about to go out, a tug in his sleeve caught his attention. He looked back and saw Ike looking at him with a quizzical stare in his eyes.
"What did she say?" Ike signed quietly.
Kid looked at him questioningly, for a moment lost in the meaning of his words, and Buck hurried to say. "You talked to her last night, so…?" The Kiowa had realized that Ike was right asking Kid about Louise. They had been arguing about her guilt or innocence, but nobody had been curious to know what she had said.
Kid began reluctantly, "We mainly talked about the baby like that."
"Doesn't she know what's happening?" Noah asked surprised.
"Yeah, I told her," Kid answered curtly.
"And she told you she had nothing to do with it," Cody stated matter-of-factly and snickered wryly. "Ike, I could've answered you myself without sharing a word with her."
Kid glanced at Cody dangerously and the blonde rider shut up immediately, keeping a serious stance. "She didn't tell me anything," Kid continued irritated. He had the impression to be talking to air since what he was saying seemed to be falling on deaf ears. The riders had already formed an opinion, and nothing he could say was going to change it.
"Didn't you ask her?" Jimmy asked from his position at the table where he was cleaning his gun.
"I didn't have to," Kid stated firmly. "I know. I know her."
Ike patted Kid on the shoulder and smiled at him warmly. "We don't have anything against her, Kid," he signed. "We aren't running counter to her. We'll try to help."
At Ike's understanding attitude Kid relaxed a bit and smiled back at him. "Thanks, Ike." But then he turned to the others with a stern gesture and added. "If something happens to her, I hold all of you responsible."
With those last words he opened the door and headed towards the stables. Never had he feared a ride so much as this one. He knew that he should relax and stop worrying. He would be gone one day, and nothing was going to happen. Yet, a cold fear kept nagging him on the pit of his stomach and he prayed that he was just overfretting. "It's just one day," he said to himself. "Just one day".
Later that day the station came to life as the riders started their daily chores. The children had left for school, and Rachel was working in the bunkhouse like every day. The night had been a real ordeal for her peace of mind. When she had gone and seen the kids after Mr. Hedrick's visit, she had to use all her efforts to calm them down. They didn't understand what was happening and Rachel hadn't had the heart to tell them the truth about their sister. She knew that they were having a bad time coping with the fact that they couldn't see Lou, especially, Theresa. There was not one single day in which the girl didn't ask for her sister, and insisted to see her. She really didn't understand what was wrong with Louise and sometimes Rachel felt unable to cope with her questions. She just couldn't allow Theresa to see Louise after what she had realized Lou was able to do. The station mistress couldn't live with herself if something happened to the girl because of her carelessness. Louise wasn't reliable and every day Rachel felt gladder for adopting those extra measures for everybody's welfare.
The notion of Louise killing that poor girl was not totally senseless. Rachel had been thinking about it all night long, and she had reached a conclusion: Louise might have killed Marianne Herrick and in that case Rachel didn't want her at the station. Though Lou might not really be aware of her actions because of her sick mind, she would have to pay for it. Rachel had been shocked as well as angry when she had heard what had happened to that poor girl. Now that her certainty about Lou's guilt was growing she got angrier and angrier. In a way she felt guilty for letting Louise out of her control; she should have been on the watch. If that was case, Lou wouldn't have wandered away that day and Marianne Herrick would still be alive.
This thought made her hectic and left her in the brink of tears. Rachel considered herself a woman that always had everything under control, but this matter seemed to be slipping through her fingers. All this made her deeply furious; furious with herself, for her carelessness; furious with John for bringing her that kind of problem; furious with Kid for being the reason of her presence again at the station; furious with Lou for turning up in her life and furious with the whole world itself. The more she thought about it, the more certain she was about Louise's guilt. She had no more doubts. Rachel had been musing during the entire night and all the signs lead to that direction. Louise was guilty, and now she had the key to avoid any further harm to the town.
In spite of her certainty Rachel feared the impending doom that was in store for Louise. She still had a soft spot for the girl despite everything that had recently happened. Louise was sick and mostly she couldn't control her own actions, and probably that was what had happened in this case too. Rachel was sure what she had to do, but she wondered what Lou would have to face. Murder was a hanging offense but in Louise's case it had to be different. Louise was not responsible of her owns, and on top of it all, she was pregnant. Perhaps under these circumstances the sentence might be lighter, and she may be allowed to live secluded in a prison or a controlled establishment for the rest of her life.
Rachel was so deep in thought that she never heard the door open and close, or noticed the presence of somebody behind her. So when the man cleared his throat, she got startled and turned round as quickly as lightning. "Oh, Teaspoon, it's you," she said, relieved to see the old marshal.
"Forgive me for startlin' ya, Rachel," Teaspoon apologized. "We are all a bit nervous lately."
Rachel just nodded without saying one word, and continued washing the last dishes from breakfast. Teaspoon came to the stove and, after serving himself a cup of coffee, he took a seat at the kitchen table. From his sitting position, he kept looking at Rachel and her apparent sullen stance.
"Rachel, we'll clear everythin' out," he piped up after several moments of silence. "You don't have to worry. I have the boys lookin' into it."
Rachel stopped, and looked at Teaspoon surprised. She knew that the man was very perceptive and one didn't need to be a genius to see that she was upset. What had surprised her, though, was that Teaspoon was misunderstanding her reasons.
The station mistress hesitated whether she should come clean with Teaspoon. She wanted to let go of the confused feelings that she was having, but she feared the consequences that her testimony would bring. Again the uncertainties assaulted her, but her conscience kept nagging her. After a few moments she finally came up with a decision; a decision that would be the best option for everybody.
"Rachel?" Teaspoon called, concerned for the odd mood and behavior in the station mistress. "Are you all right?"
Rachel nodded, and before she knew what she was doing, she was telling everything to the marshal. She told him about Lou's sudden disappearance a few days ago, the flushed condition in which she had appeared, her lies, everything. The more she said, the better she felt, and as her telling progressed, she began getting angry. Her tone was hard, and she did not hesitate to state clear and loud what she thought about Lou's involvement in this horrible crime. She even confessed her true feelings about Louise, all the pain she was causing them. Rachel did not now why, but it was as if a dam within her had cracked open and now she could not close it. This matter with Marianne Herrrick had only worsened it, and Rachel felt an immense relief to be able to get rid of this burden. "Yeah, it was the right thing to do," she thought with a proud smile on her face. "Now everything will be better."
Warily Louise looked at the two people who were before her. She was standing in the middle of the cozy and warm lounge in Rachel's house, but today it was as cold as her heart lately felt. Louise had been surprised when her father's wife had called her to come down, but not in one million years could she have thought what this sudden release would have in store for her. After what had happened yesterday, she hadn't had good sensations and now when she heard Teaspoon talk, he had only confirmed her suspicions.
Despite everything she had never believed that Rachel could accuse her, but apparently the station mistress sounded very certain in her accusations. The thought brought a deep sadness, and pain struck her hard. She felt tears prick in her eyes, but she strongly refrained herself from weeping. "I won't cry," she told herself. She looked at Rachel with sad eyes, but the station mistress averted her eyes.
"Honey," Teaspoon began soothingly, "we ain't accusin' you of anythin'. Just tell us where you went that day."
Lou looked at Teaspoon with defeated eyes. She was sure that nothing she might say would help her cause. Everybody seemed to have reached a conclusion, and she doubted that they would believe anything she said. Last night Kid had tried to soften things for her, but the matter was apparently worse than he had made her believe.
"Where's Kid?" she uttered the question in a whisper. He had said that he would help her, and it was now that she needed him.
"Answer the marshal, girl," Rachel ordered harshly. Lou's attitude was infuriating her more than she already was.
"Rachel!" Teaspoon scolded. He was really astonished at the woman's attitude. This attitude was so alien in Rachel, and it baffled him completely. Rachel lowered her eyes and kept quiet. Then he turned his attention to Louise again, "He went on a ride, honey." He paused for a moment, and then continued softly. "So can you tell us where you went that day?"
Louise's face fell at Teaspoon's revelation. She had believed that Kid would be there for her and once again he felt betrayed by him. When will she learn that she should stop believing him? He had never been truthful but she kept deluding herself.
Lou looked at Teaspoon, smiled at him forcefully and answered quietly. "I… I went to the barn."
"I didn't see her there, Teaspoon when I checked it out," Rachel cut her off and talked to the man with a firm stance.
"I was in the barn and…" Louise repeated; her voice merely a murmur.
"I didn't see you there!" Rachel cut her off again, this time addressing her loudly. She came closer to the girl and gripped her by the arm strongly. "Stop lying."
Lou stared at her with wide eyes as if she was seeing Rachel for the first time. She didn't know what had happened to make the station mistress change so much. Rachel had been so kind to her, and in the last week she was acting like everybody else did… even worse. Louise didn't understand why everybody that came close to her ended up hating and despising her. She had been so happy when she had first come to the station; she had very tender memories of those days. Rachel and she had spent hours and hours chatting, and she had welcomed her friendship warmly. It was odd how everything could change so quickly. Rachel seemed a different person now, and was actually accusing her of a horrible crime. Louise had never felt so lonely before. Finding out that the people she considered her friends had turned their backs on her left her devastated and empty within.
Teaspoon came to her rescue and disentangled Rachel from the girl. "Rachel, please," he said. "What on earth is wrong with ya?"
Rachel let go of Louise and looked down bashfully. She didn't' know why she was behaving so oddly. Her mood and anger were out of control. Louise's presence made her extremely angry and watching her look so innocent and naïve seemed to ignite something powerful within her. A nice girl was dead because of Lou, and she had the nerve to make up that stupid story that nobody would buy.
Rachel wondered how she had been so blind to see Lou's true nature. She had been a fool and in a way she had contributed to the present situation with her softness. Naturally, Lou had taken advantage of her good intentions. If she had followed John's advice when Louise had first stayed in the station, she might not have gotten pregnant and they wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. Right now Rachel was questioning so much. When the bomb of Lou's pregnancy had been revealed, she had launched her anger against Kid. However, she now wondered if she hadn't been unfair to the rider. She did know him, and she was sure that Kid wouldn't harm or take advantage of anybody intentionally. Maybe he had been just a victim of Lou's scheming. She might be sick, but Rachel knew that the girl was very clever to do that and more. As she now saw her standing before her with that air as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, she wanted to slap her hard and direct all her ire against her. Yet, Rachel tried to calm herself down and turned her attention to Teaspoon.
"Louise," the old marshal was saying, "can anybody assure that you were where you say you were?"
Lou shook her head no slowly and sullenly. She looked down and kept staring at the floor. She knew what would come next. It was as if she were in the middle of a horrible dream and wished she could wake up soon. She felt as if she was looking at the scene from outside, as if she wasn't really actually there. The words that Teaspoon was uttering were meaningless to her ears; the only sounds that she was aware of were the ones that came from outside the house. She could hear somebody cutting wood; the strokes were direct, harmonious and rhythmical. One, two, three… plop. One, two, three… plop. And then again and again. Further away she could hear people chatting and laughing. She could not make out any words, but it was clear that they were lighthearted, enjoying a new day, an everyday occurrence. And at the distance if she paid real attention she could hear a dog bark. Probably the animal was claiming its daily meal or just some attention. Yeah, that was life, the kind of life she had been kept away of. And in that moment she wished she were one of those people, that dog, or even the tiniest splinter from one of those logs. Anything instead of herself.
"Louise! Are you listenin' to me?" Teaspoon called.
Hearing the old marshal call her name Lou looked up and watched him expectantly. The man kept staring at her and sighed.
"Uh …" he began uneasily. "I'm afraid we have enough evidence to… uh… well, the thin' is that … I'm afraid that … I hate doin' it … you know … I have … to … arrest … ya." He uttered his words clumsily and forcefully, not the way he was used to. Teaspoon prided himself of his easiness at speaking but in moments like this he seemed unable to articulate one single sound. He was aware that he was acting correctly, but at the same time he felt uncomfortable having to arrest Louise. She looked very sweet and innocent, but he couldn't turn a deaf ear to evidence. In spite of himself he had to do what he had sworn to do. Gosh, how he hated this job sometimes!
At Teaspoon's words Lou nodded slowly, and kept her gaze down. She felt the marshal's hand on her shoulder and pushing her gently towards the door. As they passed by Rachel, Louise dared to look at the station mistress with pleading eyes, but the woman looked away and kept a proud stance. She wanted to say something but felt a lump in the throat that prevented her to do so. She wanted to scream in frustration, hide away from the world and die. Finally she let Teaspoon steer her out of the house and towards the unknown.
Rachel kept looking behind Louise and watched her disappear from her sight. She had not been able to face Lou's disappointed eyes and though she felt she was doing the right thing, she couldn't help paining for her. In a way she wished she paid for her crime and suffered, but on the other hand she was just a sick girl. Her mind was in a tumult, her feelings were in a jumble and she hated the confusion she was in. Somehow she wanted to hate that girl who had brought so many problems to her, and had broken their peace. She had tried to convince herself of Lou's evil feelings, but deep inside Rachel knew that she couldn't help liking her. Louise had been the only female companionship that Rachel had felt at ease with in a long time. She lived surrounded by men and in town there wasn't a single woman she could call a true friend. She had enjoyed Lou's friendship and knew that the girl felt the same. For that reason she hadn't been able to face her; she felt she was betraying her trust, but she couldn't have done otherwise. "No, you did what you had to do," she told herself and tried to smile, but guilt nagged her within and she felt like crying.
As they neared the town, Lou came to realize that no matter what she did, her life had been doomed since the day she had been brought to the world. She couldn't remember one single moment in her childhood that she could reminisce pleasantly. Of course she remembered her mother fondly, but all the good memories of her were tarnished by her more abundant ones, the bad ones. She hadn't been like other kids. She hadn't enjoyed that free and careless spirit of childhood that she could now see in her siblings. Louise wondered if she had ever had a life of her own. Things hadn't improved when she had grown up, rather the contrary. Everything that might supposedly bring her joy had meant more pain. Love, a child. Why was everything so complicated in her life? What was the sense and meaning of all this?
Her end seemed to be close, but she didn't feel any fear. If people wanted her dead, she would accept her destiny with resignation. Maybe she deserved everything she was suffering. Sometimes she couldn't fully understand what was wrong with her. It was clear that she wasn't fit to live among normal people, to live a normal life, and in that case she'd rather have no life at all.
As the main street of Sweetwater appeared before them Louise could make out a group of people at the end of it, and as they neared the marshal's office, Lou could tell that the people were not just idling around. They seemed to be in an angry mood and she suspected that their anger might be directed to her. Her suspicions got confirmed as soon as the people saw the wagon that Teaspoon was driving; some of them rushed themselves towards them. Louise began to panic as the men snarled loud and harsh insults. They even tried to knock her but Teaspoon steeled his grip around her shoulders while shouting angrily but he managed to dodge them.
They came to a stop before the marshal's office, surrounded by the mob of people. More than once Teaspoon had to threaten them by upholstering his gun, but the people kept harassing them. Lou felt weak and dizzy as the marshal tried to steer her towards the office. The mob kept shouting menacing words, and pushing and hitting her strongly. The only thing she could think of was her baby, and she tried to protect her middle as best as she could. Then in a flash among the people surrounding them Lou caught a glimpse of Boggs, looking at her with the same serious expression as she knew. Forcefully she turned to look at him and began calling him. "Pa!" she cried. "Please help me. Please."
At her words the banker began walking away from the group who had gathered before the jail. He headed for the bank, but could still hear Lou's voice calling him, but not once he looked back. "Pa!" Lou's voice sounded among the loud voices surrounded her. She was in tears as she saw the only hope to help her walk away from her. "Pa, please."
Teaspoon eventually managed to make their way to the office and close the door behind them. He sighed loudly and seeing Barnett sitting lazily he began bellowing at him. Lou remained in the middle of the office, her mind still on the walking figure outside. The deputy came and steered her to a cell. Tears coursed down her face, and in a whisper barely noticeable she uttered a single word. "Pa".