Midnight Visitors 15
A huge sob escaped from Lucinda, like a dam suddenly bursting. Trembling violently, she covered her face with her hands and began to rock back and forth.
The two men looked on helplessly. Neither was a man used to feminine tears but this wasn't attention seeking. Lucinda's distress was heart wrenching. Heyes, being nearest, rested a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, I have to ask … who are you talking about?" he asked, feeling guilty. Right at that moment, knowing the answer, wasn't worth the pain he had inflicted on her.
Abbott frantically searched his desk for anything remotely like a handkerchief. Instead, having to resort to collecting the towel by the stove as a substitute. He thrust it at Heyes, who gave him a look. Abbott responded with a couldn't-find-anything-else expression.
"I'll get some water," he said, glad to be doing something and moved away quickly to do so.
Lucinda's sobbing was out of control. Both men saw she was trying to hold back, trying to maintain some charge over her emotions. Both could see she was losing the battle.
"I loved him so much … ." Lucinda snatched the towel from Heyes' grasp and he blinked in surprise. It didn't look particularly clean. Nonetheless, she dabbed with it at her eyes but the gesture did nothing to stem the tide of tears and mascara streaming down her cheeks. "I just … wanted him … to spend more time with me … ," she wailed, before folding over again, her shoulders shaking with her grief.
Heyes looked up at Abbott and swallowed hard. Abbott looked as shocked as he felt. Neither had expected this.
"Here," Abbott said, softly, holding out the glass of water.
Heyes took it and placed it near to Lucinda. There was no sign her crying was stopping. Heyes looked up at Abbott again, feeling helpless. Abbott inclined his head and nodded, with a reassuring smile. Heyes rolled his eyes in reply, sighed and laid a hand on Lucinda's arm.
"Ma'am?"
Heyes paused and with another glance at Abbott for moral support, fixed a smile on his face, which he didn't feel.
"Ma'am, let it all out now. It's a real good thing what you're doing. It shows you cared deeply for Stephen."
Lucinda gave a big sniff and her head came up a little. Heyes saw she was wiping her face. She sat up fully and sniffed some more. A shaking hand reached for the glass. Heyes handed it to her and steadied her as she took several gulps. She wiped her eyes again and looked at the black stains on the towel.
"Oh, I must look a complete fright," she gasped. "I'm sorry … ."
Heyes smiled at her as he took back the glass. "Feeling better?"
Lucinda sniffed. "Yes. A little." She looked at Heyes and then up at Abbott. "I didn't actually do anything, Sheriff." She gasped. "That was the problem. I didn't … do anything. I could have stopped it. Oh God!"
Fresh tears began to flow and she dabbed at them. "I didn't want any of this to happen. I just wanted … ." She sniffed. "Stephen to … show me some attention."
She sniffed again and reached for the glass, which Heyes handed to her. He had a tight-lipped smile as he watched her drink.
"D'you feel up to telling us what happened, Ma'am?" he asked, gently.
Lucinda took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. Please. A moment please."
"Take ya time, Mrs Mercer," Abbott said, drawing up a chair.
Lucinda scrubbed roughly at her eyes, sniffed and gave Heyes a weak smile. He returned a genuine look of sympathy, overlain with relief that she was feeling better.
"Stephen worked very hard and I appreciated his work was important to him. It always had been. Even before we were married, I knew he was a man who was determined to make a name for himself. He liked causes. Particularly if … ." She sniffed. "There was an underdog. Or … ." She glanced at Heyes. "Or a matter of public importance deserving justice."
Heyes looked uncomfortable and smacked his lips. Lucinda dabbed her eyes before continuing.
"He found a few such cases here recently … . He was so busy. I … hardly saw him." She paused. "I was so lonely," she breathed.
She took her time before continuing, her voice shuddering with her unhappiness and in relief at being able to tell her story.
"When … certain other men started to show me attention, I hoped Stephen would realise he was driving me away and we could talk. Put it behind us." She swallowed hard, fingers tearing at Abbott's towel. "On reflection that … wasn't the way to do things. It only seemed to drive him further away from me and … ."
Fresh tears began to flow and she scrubbed at them. Sniffing, she got hold of herself and took a deep breath. "He started seeing Celia Thorold and then … ." She looked at the ceiling. "Martha Pickering. That's when I knew I'd lost him. If he preferred someone like that to me … ." She shook her head in despair.
Heyes and Abbott's eyes met. Was now the time to reveal the real reason why Stephen had been seeing Martha? Surely, Lucinda must have known about Stephen's headaches. Heyes decided he had to ask. He took a moment to consider how to broach the subject.
"Martha was helping Stephen with his headaches, ma'am," he said, gently.
"H-Headaches?" Lucinda looked shocked. She shook herself. "Yes. Yes of course. You mean … he was seeing her … for a cure?"
"Yes ma'am." Heyes looked away as Lucinda sobbed again.
"Oh, no!" she wailed. "He didn't … tell me. I thought … ." Lucinda doubled over, wracked with sobs.
Heyes blinked, finding his own eyes wet. Abbott, equally affected, closing his eyes, shaking his head. Both men were beginning to realise a couple's inability to communicate with one another had led to a deadly conclusion.
"Ma'am, will you tell us what happened?" Heyes asked.
Lucinda gasped and sat up, her face streaked with tears and mascara. She was beyond caring. She sat, taking deep breaths.
"You said there was a plan but they didn't mean to kill him. Who is they?" Abbott pushed, receiving a glare from Heyes.
"Yes there was a plan," Lucinda breathed. "Fletcher Callaghan and Simon Long thought it up."
"Was Tubby in on the plan?"
"Tubby? No of course not. Why do you think he was involved?"
Heyes shrugged and pulled a face.
"Never mind. Carry on ma'am."
"I didn't … ." She shook her head and swallowed hard. "Want … to know the details." She swallowed. "It was to do with the chest. Simon … ." She pushed back her hair. "Simon had a padlock which … ." She took a deep breath. "He said it had a secret compartment which he would fill with … I don't know with what … something to … make Stephen listen. He wanted Stephen to stop defending Celia."
Heyes frowned.
"Why was this Simon's concern? It didn't affect him."
Lucinda shook her head. "I don't know." Seeing Heyes' doubtful look, she added. "Really I don't know."
Heyes had to accept her word.
"Was Stephen using Emmett to get back at Preston?" Heyes asked.
"Yes. Why couldn't he have … talked to me? We would have worked it out. I know we would." Lucinda wiped her nose on the dirty towel.
"So you say Fletcher was involved. How?"
Lucinda nodded. "He went into Stephen's office when I left."
"Was this part of the plan?"
Lucinda nodded slowly. "We counted on Stephen wanting to show me the chest. He would open the padlock … and he did. It was only supposed to make him ill. That's when Fletcher and Simon would slip in and persuade him to drop the case. I went along with it because I thought if Stephen became ill, he'd have to spend more time at home. With me." She took a deep breath. "Stupid, stupid idea." She shook her head. "Something went wrong. I don't know … what happened exactly. I wasn't there."
"We know you weren't ma'am. Do you know any more about what happened?" Heyes pressed.
Lucinda shook her head. "I went home and waited. They said they'd bring him home but … they never did." She sniffed. "He never came home again." She wiped her eyes. "Mark told me the next morning Stephen was found in the livery. Dead."
"What did Simon say happened?"
"He didn't understand either. He said … ." Lucinda shook her head. "I didn't want to know the details, Mr Rembacker. You'll have to ask him."
"Yes we'll be doing that."
Abbott inclined his head for Heyes to come away to the corner of the office. With a glance at Lucinda, Abbott said, in a low voice. "I'm gonna have to arrest her."
"Yes," Heyes agreed.
"I don't the facilities to keep a woman here. 'Sides looks like I'll be keeping Long as well, regardless of what his clever lawyer will say when he gets here. What d'ya suggest I do with her?"
Heyes resisted the impulse to grin at Abbott asking him for advice. "Well way I see it, Mark, you have two options. You put her in a cell." Heyes pulled a face and shook his head. "Or you take a room over at the hotel, keep the door locked and set one of your deputies outside."
Abbott nodded. "Yeah, I like the idea. Good thinking, Rembacker. I'll take her over there now."
Heyes caught his arm. "I have one more question for her first."
Abbott frowned. "What now?"
Heyes walked back to Lucinda and sat down by her. She was tearing at the towel again but she was dry-eyed and looking embarrassed.
"How are you feeling ma'am?"
"Better. W-What happens now?"
"Mark is gonna take you over to the hotel and get you settled in a room there."
"The hotel?" Lucinda looked surprised. "I thought … ." She pointed behind her to the cellblock door.
Heyes shook his head. "No you'll be more comfortable in the hotel. They'll be a deputy right outside."
Lucinda took a deep breath. "I see." She looked up at Abbott. "Are you charging me with Stephen's murder?"
"No ma'am."
Lucinda gasped in relief.
"I do have to arrest ya for conspiracy … . Judge'll have to decide what the exact charge is later and er … well Rembacker and me haven't got to the bottom of it all yet."
Lucinda nodded. "I understand. Thank you."
"Before Mark takes you over, I have one more question."
"Yes, Mr Rembacker," she sighed, tiredness taking effect.
"What was your last name before you were married?"
"My last name? What possible reason can you have for wanting to know that?" she said, with a laugh.
"Please answer the question." Abbott was short.
"Very well. It was Francis.
Heyes glanced at Abbott, before asking his next question.
"Do you own a rifle?"
She frowned in surprise. "A rifle? No … well Stephen did."
Abbott turned and fetched the rifle they had taken from Simon.
"Is this it ma'am?"
"I've no idea, Mark. All guns look the same to me," she smiled, first time in a while.
"Now Lucinda that's not exactly true is it?" Heyes said, watching her face carefully.
"W-what do you mean?"
"Did ya think I'd forget? How ya beat some of the best riflemen in the County a little after you and Stephen came to Medicine Bow," Abbott said.
Lucinda swallowed hard. It was plain on her face this was exactly what she'd hoped. "I-I haven't held a rifle in years," she offered.
"Except perhaps until the other night? When you shot at me?" Heyes looked at her hard.
Lucinda groaned and put a hand to her head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. He asked me do it but I made sure I didn't hit you. I was very careful."
Heyes put a hand on her arm, reassuringly. "Who asked you, Lucinda?"
Lucinda looked from him to Abbott. She sighed. "Simon." She paused. "He wanted me to frighten you off."
"Where did you shoot from?"
"From Simon's apartment. It looks all the way down Main Street."
"I know. J figured the shots came from there. After the shooting, Sheriff Abbott and his deputies asked around town in the hope someone saw something. They knocked on Simon's door. There was no answer. Where were you?"
Lucinda took a deep breath. "After the town was alerted, we left the rifle in Simon's apartment and we went to my house. Where … Simon stayed the night."
"Thank you ma'am." Heyes put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.
"Alright, Lucinda, that's enough. I'll take you over to the hotel now," Abbott said, gently.
ASJASJASJASJ
After Abbott and Lucinda had gone, Preacher entered the jail. He found Heyes sitting with his hands over his eyes. Heyes looked up as the door opened.
"Sure hope you've got some good news for me," he said, bitterly.
"Not exactly. Tubby wasn't in the office. It was all closed up."
Heyes frowned. "Strange."
"'Tis lunchtime, Heyes," Preacher reminded him.
"Oh, is it? Hadn't noticed."
Preacher sat down on the edge of the desk, Heyes was sitting at. "What happened with Mrs Mercer?"
Heyes groaned loudly. "Things are a lot clearer now." He looked tired and sighed, before proceeding to tell Preacher what had happened.
When he finished, Preacher glanced at the wall. "Filled in a lot of those gaps," he mused.
"Ye-ah."
"Here's something. I asked around the storekeeper opposite Stephen's office like ya asked me to."
Heyes sat up, looking interested.
"Two of 'em confirmed they saw Lucinda leave Stephen's office. It was closing up time see? Both of 'em saw Callaghan go in after she left."
Heyes took a deep breath. "Okay so they can confirm Lucinda's story. She wasn't there but Fletcher was." He nodded. "Good. Glad 'bout that."
Preacher shook Heyes' shoulder. "She didn't kill him, Boy. Perhaps the court will go easy on her."
"Mebbe."
"Where does this leave us?"
Heyes rubbed his forehead. "Lucinda said Tubby wasn't involved but … I can't get it outta my head he's not telling me the truth. This business with the tarp is bugging me."
"Could be he don't remember, Heyes," Preacher said, gently. "It was three weeks ago and it's an inconsequent thing."
"Ye-ah." Heyes sighed and rested his arms on the desk. "I still think I need to ask him again. You say he's not there?"
"No."
"Okay when Abbott comes back, we'll ask him where Tubby lives. He might be more forthcoming at home."
