Chapter 48

A piercing, terrified scream suddenly broke the silence in the first hours of the morning, reverberating throughout the jailhouse. Teaspoon had been dozing in his chair when the deafening yell woke him up startlingly, and he almost found himself hitting the hard wooden floor. The scream was followed by short high-pitched yelps and, as soon as the marshal shifted his glance in the direction the disturbing sounds came from, his eyes fell on Albert.

The young man was on his feet, taking in rapid, gasping breaths as he kept darting yell after yell out of his throat. Teaspoon grunted tiredly. Yesterday more than once Albert had crumbled down and made a show of himself, dropping to his knees, and crying for mercy and forgiveness like a baby. Teaspoon was running out of patience, and starting off the day with one of Albert's stunts did not help his growing irritation. "Sanders!" the marshal growled as he rose to his feet. "Please shut your trap!"

Albert's yelps were replaced by shivering wails and his index finger lifted shakily, pointing at the adjacent cell.

"Holy Mother of God!" Teaspoon breathed in shock as he finally realized that it was not one of Albert's stunts but he was genuinely distraught.

A couple of legs dangling to and fro was what the marshal first saw, and as his eyes travelled upwards and took in every detail of the hanged body, it was obvious there was nothing to be done. The man was dead. Dr. Hill's eyes were slightly open, directed to the floor, his head falling against his left shoulder, and his skin was so white that it looked translucent. It was obvious that during the night Dr. Hill had stealthily killed himself, using his braces.

Teaspoon ran to open the cell door and struggled to release the body. Dr. Hill fell heavily on the floor, and then the marshal hauled him up onto the bunk. Even though he knew the man was dead, the marshal checked for his vital signs. There was no heartbeat; his body was cold and showing signs of rigor mortis. Teaspoon lifted his eyes, and looked at Albert through the barred barrier separating the cells. A shake of his head just told the younger man what he already knew.

As Teaspoon looked away and shifted his gaze back to the lying body, something caught his eye. There were a few words scratched on the wall. His index finger touched and ran through the carved letters, and as he did so, the tip of his digit came out covered by a flimsy layer of whitish powder, so he deducted that the simple inscription had not been there for too long.

"I think he left you a message," Teaspoon muttered.

Calmer now, the young man wiped his bloodshot and puffy eyes with the back of his sleeve. "Wh… what?"

"Your father… it seems his last thoughts were for ya," Teaspoon replied, pointing to the letters scratched on the wall with his thumb.

"What… what does it say?"

Teaspoon cleared his throat before he said, "I'm sorry, son." Looking back at Albert, the marshal noticed the young man was clearly battling with a myriad of feelings, a mixture of shock, pain, and fear. "He must've loved you in his own way too," the marshal could not help but sarcastically drop the same comment Albert had uttered about Theresa. Yet, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. No matter what these two had done, he should not gloat in the face of death. Yet, he could not suppress the rage he was feeling, and he just could not show mercy for these men. They had crossed a line, which was untouchable. So before he did something he might regret, the marshal rose to his feet and turned from the cell. "I'll fetch the undertaker," was all he muttered, and without sparing a single look, he just walked out.


After Dr. Hill's suicide, Teaspoon found that this was not the last problem to face. When the judge arrived in Rock Creek a couple of days later, Albert decided to deny everything he had confessed before, swearing the marshal and his men had coerced him to say what was not true. Under oath during the trial Teaspoon and his ex-riders told the judge what Alfred Sanders had admitted to having done. Naturally, they all feared that those contradictory testimonies might acquit Albert, but thankfully the physical evidence found in the safe of the accused man as well as the suspicious accounts had finally proved that Albert was guilty. Just as it was expected and hoped, the judge sentenced him to death.

During the two days that the trial lasted, Theresa had been a constant spectator, and nobody had been able to persuade her to stay put. The young woman had been too distraught after discovering who her husband really was and what he had done. Several times in the last few days she had needed to be treated by the doctor when she had suffered several episodes of anxiety and nervous attacks. Dr. Sullivan had prescribed her some tranquillizing syrup, and had advised her to have some rest, but evidently, she had turned a deaf ear to his recommendations. Everybody could see Theresa was not well, but hopefully, time would finally heal her deep wounds.

Early that morning Teaspoon and Jimmy set for St Joseph where they would take Albert for execution. From a safe distance Kid had seen them ride away. The nightmare was finally over, but the Southerner still needed to see the snake go away with his own eyes. As the dust settled after the three riders and Kid could not see them anymore, he started back for his home.

Albert was a thing of the past, and now they would have to rebuild their lives out of the ashes all this morbid matter had left. Lou was getting better with each passing day, and Dr. Sullivan had assured him she would be able to travel in a few weeks. She had left the constant position in the bed a few days ago, and now took small strolls around the house, trying to get her strength and energy back. Even those brief walks she took were enough to tire her out, but day by day she was getting stronger.

When the time came to leave for Fort Kearney, they would not go alone. Although reluctant at first, Theresa had accepted their invitation to stay at their home. The young woman had argued, though, that her stay would be temporary, just for a few weeks, enough for her to get back on track. Kid and Lou had not insisted because at least Theresa would not be alone in these first hard weeks of her new life, and they would worry about her if she decided to stick to her intentions.

As Kid reached his house, Dr. Sullivan was on his way out after visiting Lou. The physician only came to see her every three days now, which was an obvious symptom that she was better and did not need so much medical attention. Kid smiled at the doctor, and asked the usual question, "How's my wife?"

Dr. Sullivan did not answer straightaway, and Kid noticed he seemed distracted. "Uh… fine, she's fine." The doctor paused, and then asked, "Could I have a word with you, Mr. McCloud? There's something important I need to discuss with you."

Even though the physician had just said that Lou was fine, his enigmatic last words troubled Kid. "Sure."

The Southerner led the way into the house and the study that had not been used for years. It was dark inside, so Kid opened a window and light rushed inside. The doctor sat down across from Kid, and in a very soft voice he finally spoke up.

Kid's eyes almost popped out as he heard the physician. "A… a baby?" he echoed as if he had not heard right. "Pregnant? Pregnant?"

"I don't know how I missed it before," Dr. Sullivan said in an apologetic tone. "I guess I was worried about other matters."

"But everything's fine, ain't it? She's fine, ain't she?"

Dr. Sullivan nodded. "You have nothing to worry about. Both mother and child are all right."

"This… this is so unexpected that I don't know what to say," Kid muttered.

"It's understandable," the doctor remarked. "You've all been through too much, but I believe a baby can bring some peace and joy after everything that's happened. It's a real blessing."

Kid simply nodded, and after walking the doctor to the front door and conveying his thanks, he rushed back to the bedroom. Contrary to his expectations, he found Lou alone, sitting on her rocking chair. "Good morning," he called as he slid inside. "I thought your sister'd be keeping you company."

Louise smiled and stretched her hand to him, which he took in his and placed a kiss on her knuckles. "She had a headache and went back to her room a minute ago." Lou paused, and then asked, "Where have you gone so early today?"

"I had some errands to run," he simply said. Lou got too upset when Albert's name came up in their conversations, so Kid tried to avoid uttering his name at all costs, especially after learning the news from the doctor. The least Lou needed was to start the day in a foul mood. That was why he rapidly changed the subject. "You definitely have more color on your face this morning. You look so pretty."

Lou grinned, pleased by his compliment, and then added, "Did you talk to Dr. Sullivan?"

"Yes," Kid whispered.

"And he told you."

"He told me."

"And how do you feel about it?" she asked.

"How do you think I feel, Lou?"

Louise nodded in understanding. "This is such a good thing, something we should already be celebrating, but all this dirty business has smeared everything with so much sadness and pain."

"I know, but we can't let this matter spoil things. For once we have good news, and like Dr. Sullivan just told me, this is what we need to lift our spirits. You know this is just wonderful."

"You're right," Lou admitted in a soft voice.

"And you're right too. We're so sad, and we should be celebrating instead of moping around. Maybe this ain't a good day, but let's tell Theresa, and we'll have our celebration… just the three of us. We need to make an effort for us and for her. I'll cook, and you girls can relax and talk about babies and all that."

Lou grinned. "Tessie really needs reasons to smile again. She's lost too much… way more than me, and I'm sure this can help us to leave the past behind."

"Like Ari told us once, a baby in the house will make a big difference. This is a sign, Lou, a sign for a better future that'll bloom like flowers in spring. I'm sure it is."

Lou smiled ruefully. "I really hope so."