"You heard what the woman said, Lucas. She might kill Mark if you go after her." Amos handed his deputy a cup of coffee before taking a seat at the desk.
"He's my son! How can I sit here and do nothing?!"
"Because it's your best chance of keeping him safe. Wait for the instructions."
Lucas shook his head as he continued pacing across the office floor.
"…You don't have any idea who she was? What she wanted?"
"I don't know why she took Mark, but I've seen that face somewhere before… I just can't place it." The worried father let out a sigh of defeat as he finally dropped into a chair. "How… how could I let this happen?"
"You didn't "let" this happen, Lucas. There was nothing you could have done. You're lucky the pair of you survived last night."
"…What if she's… she's done something to him?"
"If that was her goal, she would have done it last night. No need to leave town with him."
"…Unless she didn't want anyone to hear a gun go off…"
"Stop this. You're doing Mark no good thinking this way and it's only going to wear you down. He is going to be just fine, and we will get him back."
"…And if we don't?"
"Sheriff!" Both men turned to see the storekeeper bursting into the office. "Sheriff, I just heard! Is it true? Is… oh… Mr. McCain…"
"Yes, Leona," Amos answered. "It's true."
"Well then what are you doing here?! Go after them! You can't just-"
"We're handling it. Now get on back to the store; I'm sure you have customers waiting."
"But-"
"Good day." After seeing the woman out, Amos returned to the desk. "I'm sorry about that."
"She's only asking the same questions I am…"
"But you know the answer. You can't ride out; you could be putting the boy in danger."
The deputy slowly nodded as his son's cries again echoed in his head. "He must be terrified right now…"
"You'll get him back, Lucas."
"If that woman lays one finger on him…"
"You'll get him back."
The hours dragged by, Amos leaving to walk the town shortly before noon. The deputy again resorted to pacing across the wooden floorboards as the previous night played over and over again in his mind. Hearing the back door open, Lucas turned around, expecting to see the sheriff.
"Aren't you back a little…" He stopped short, anger shadowing Lucas's face as he charged the woman. "WHERE IS HE?!"
"Safe."
"WHERE?!"
"Lucas, will you calm down and let me explain?!"
He stared at her, his brow furrowing in confusion. "…Te… Tessa? You…" Lucas's grip on the woman suddenly tightened as panic filled his being. "If you left him with your brother, so help me…!"
"I said he was safe! I'm sorry about last night, but it was the only way!"
"The only way for what?! Why did you take him?!"
"Let go of me and I'll explain!"
Lucas abruptly pulled the woman aside, removing her gun from its holster before locking her in a cell. "Start talking!"
"It was my fault Paul escaped. ...I told mother I was going to visit him and she asked me to take him the family Bible. Said it would be good for his soul." Tessa shook her head in disgust. "She cut out some of the pages and put a gun in there. I didn't realize what she had done. And before I knew it, I was riding across the state with a wanted killer!"
"What does this have to do with you taking my son?!"
"Because I was there when Paul killed Hannah! I tried to stop him, but I couldn't… he's gone absolutely mad! …I saw the poster for Hannah's murder and I knew someone had seen something. ...And I knew that if Paul got to them before I did… Lucas, you know he doesn't leave witnesses."
"Then why didn't you just come to me?! Why take Mark?!"
"I didn't realize it was your boy at first… by the time I recognized you… it was too late. Besides that… it's been twenty years, Lucas. I didn't know who you'd grown up to be. ...I didn't know if you'd believe my story or lock me up for murder."
"Then why are you here?"
"…Because a child's life is worth the risk of prison. Paul doesn't know I took the boy… he thinks I already took care of you and that I'm here to kill your son."
"Then where's Mark?"
"Like I said: safe."
"Where?!"
"He's where no one will find him until Paul is behind bars again. If you bring your son back here before my brother is in custody, I don't care how careful you are, he'll find a way to get to the boy. Right now, he's safe. And that's something I'm not going to jeopardize."
"If something happens to him…"
"It won't. I promise."
"…Just how are we supposed to catch your brother?"
"Like I said, he thinks I'm here for Mark. If I don't return in a few hours, he'll come looking."
"Then just tell me where he is!"
"He'll see you coming, Lucas! The best way is to wait for him to come here. Just give it a few hours."
"Give me just one reason I should trust you! For all I know, your brother could be on his way to the Mexican border with my boy!"
"...Last night, you promised your son you would come for him. If you want to make good on that promise, you need to wait. Because if Paul sees you coming, he won't just run. He'll kill you first."
"Tessa…"
"Lucas, please. I've seen too many people killed because of this mess. I don't want to lose you, too. Paul will come… we just need to wait."
"Lucas, I just don't like it." Amos shook his head as he started pouring himself another cup of coffee. "I feel like we're being set up."
"…I have my own doubts. But she's not going to tell us where either one of them are. We don't really have a choice."
"How well do you know her?"
"…I can't really say I know her at all. We were friends as children… but the last time I saw her was twenty years ago."
"And you're trusting her with the life of your son?"
"Like I said: I don't have a choice."
"How long until she thinks Moore will show up?"
"You can talk to me you know," Tessa called from the cell, causing both men to turn. "He'll probably wait until dark."
"Miss Moore…"
"It's Mrs. Stevans."
Lucas looked at the woman in surprise, but didn't say anything.
"…Mrs. Stevans, can you explain to me what exactly happened the day of Mrs. Moore's death?"
"My brother snapped, that's what happened. He went back to get his son and when Hannah said he had died… he couldn't accept it. I tried stopping him… but he wouldn't listen."
"You really expect me to believe he just up and killed her, for no reason at all?"
Tessa stood and walked to the cell door, her eyes hardening as she answered the man. "No reason? …Sheriff, he had no right, but there was a reason. His son died. His entire world was shattered. The pain and grief and… and anger that grips you when you realize you've failed to protect your child… your only child… it's no excuse. But it's certainly a reason. He needed someone else to blame… and Hannah… Hannah became that someone. Don't say there wasn't a reason. Hannah's death wasn't an accident. Hannah was killed because her monster of a husband blamed her for their son's death. …There's always a reason. It's often sick and twisted and doesn't make any sense to those of us on the other side. But there's always a reason."
"…If there's always a reason, then how about you explain to me why twelve-year-old Tabitha Moore set fire to a church with fifteen people inside?"
The woman stared at the sheriff in shock, trying to push away the memories that flooded her.
"Just as I figured." Amos started to turn and walk away, the prisoner's voice stopping him.
"And just what makes you so sure it was me?"
"What makes me so sure?" The man laughed. "It was printed in almost every newspaper across the country!"
"Did you ever bother to read past the headline, Sheriff?"
"Tess…"
"No, Lucas. I've been called insane for twenty years and I'll be called insane for twenty more. But he should know. He should know that there was never a proper investigation!" Again, she turned to the lawman. "He should know that not everything in the newspaper is true! In reading those articles that were "printed all across the country," did you happen to notice that they never did find out how Tabitha Moore managed to start the fire while sitting in her seat with the other children? How a twelve-year-old girl managed to move a one hundred pound barrel from the place the fire began? How the minister who had been taking advantage of her just happened to be the only one who saw her do it? No, I didn't think so. Because no one wrote about it! No one looked at the facts- no one asked for my side of the story! And just like them, you're not interested in the truth. So if you want a reason, Sheriff, go back and read those old newspapers. They'll give you plenty of reasons why the devil-child set the church on fire!"
Amos looked to Lucas in askance, doubt in his eyes.
"You asked the woman a question, Sheriff. She gave you the answer. Now you get to make up your mind, just like everyone else."
"…That was for a jury to decide, not me."
"Jury," Tessa scoffed. "What jury? The elders met with my father and told him it would be best if I was sent away where I couldn't be a danger to anyone. Meanwhile, that minister stayed on for another twelve years before he finally saw justice."
Lucas suddenly stepped forward, his brow furrowing in confusion. "That… that's why Paul killed them? …For you?"
Tessa slowly nodded. "I didn't ask him to. I didn't want him to. But that was his reason."
"…Lucas, she spent fifteen years in an asylum! You can't possibly believe her!"
"It's been twenty years and her story still hasn't changed. I believed it then… I believe it now."
It was nearing nine o'clock that evening when the door burst open, the gunsmith running inside.
"Amos, the livery's on fire!"
Both men stood and started to follow the gunsmith back outside, the sheriff stopping Lucas.
"Stay here and wait for Moore. I don't want her left alone."
"Alright." As the door shut behind the sheriff, Lucas pulled a chair up to the cell and sat down. "…So it's Mrs. Stevans?"
She hesitantly nodded. "Fifteen years is a long time to spend with the same people every day."
"A patient or someone else?"
"A groundskeeper. He was such a gentle man…"
"…What happened?"
"Two years ago, there was a boating accident… our daughter drowned. After that… he just… he wasn't the same. A few months ago, I woke up and he was gone. …I haven't seen him since."
"…I'm sorry."
"He had a reason… I know he did. As distraught… as broken as we both were… as broken as we are… I know he wouldn't just leave me without a reason. ...And one day, I'm going to find out what it was."
"Well now, if it ain't Luke McCain!"
Lucas froze in place, recognizing the voice behind him. "…Paul."
"Now just what brings you here? Last I heard, you were still in Oklahoma."
The deputy started to turn around, stopping as he heard a gun being cocked.
"I asked you a question."
"Paul, this isn't a time to play games," Tessa declared. "The sheriff will be back soon. Get the key and get me out of here!"
"Well, you heard what she said, Luke. Let her out- nice and slow… no sudden movements."
Lucas briefly hesitated, Tessa's eyes asking him to trust her. He finally stood and retrieved the key, letting the woman out of her cell.
"Good, now you get on in there," Paul ordered.
As her brother locked Lucas in the cell, Tessa crossed the room and retrieved her own revolver from the desk drawer.
"…Paul?"
The man turned, his brow furrowing in confusion as he saw the gun pointed at him. "…What are you doing, Tess?"
"I… I'm sorry. I owe you my life… but I can't give you someone else's. Put the gun down."
"Come on, now… let's talk about this…"
"PUT THE GUN DOWN!"
The man slowly complied before raising his hands in surrender. "Tess… think about this. We could be across the border in just a few days…"
"In there," she ordered, gesturing to the second cell. "NOW!"
After locking the cell door behind her brother, the woman turned to Lucas, an apologetic look in her eyes. "...I'm sorry."
"Tessa… Tessa you let me out of here! We had an agreement! As soon as he was locked up, you would tell me where my son was!"
"…I never said that, Lucas. I'm sorry… but this is the way it has to be. Be at the stage depot tomorrow morning at seven o'clock."
"TESSA!"
The woman left the office, ignoring Lucas's calls. He slammed his fist against the bars, fear for his son's life racing through him.
It was almost an hour later when Amos returned, confused to find both of the cells in use. "…Well if you like the place this much, Lucas, you might as well move in."
"Hurry up and let me out of here."
As the sheriff retrieved the key to the cell, he asked what had happened.
"I'll explain later, just let me out!"
As soon as the door opened, Lucas ran from the cell and hurried outside. Grabbing a lantern, he studied the ground, unable to make heads or tales of the mix of tracks before him.
"Anything?"
Lucas turned to see Amos standing in the doorway behind him and shook his head.
"I'm going to assume she didn't tell you where Mark is?"
"...All she said was to meet her at the stage stop tomorrow morning."
"What are you going to do?"
Looking up at the cloud-covered sky, Lucas again shook his head. "I don't have much of a choice."
The men returned inside where Lucas explained what happened as the sheriff started a pot of coffee. In time, their conversation deviated, Lucas asking if Amos was going to put out a warrant for the arrest of Moore's mother.
"I don't really know what good it'll do; we'd have to get Tessa to testify against her for helping him escape… and I doubt she'll be very cooperative."
Both men turned around as Moore let out a booming laugh. "What on earth did that spitfire tell you?"
Lucas stepped towards the man, his brow furrowing. "…What do you mean?"
"My mother ain't helped no one get outta nowhere! You want her, you'll find her at the stage depot- buried right beside my father."