Chapter 16

The next morning Noah took the pouch on a handoff and set out to on the run. It was supposed to have been Buck's run but since Buck was the first rider to be abducted he was asked to stay in case he was called as a witness for court.

The remaining riders gathered with Rachel, Pip and Teaspoon at the courthouse for opening day of the trial. The case looked like an open and shut case to Teaspoon. The Pony Express had overwhelming evidence against Floyd Hepburn. He half expected a plea deal but wasn't sure what tricks Floyd Hepburn would employ next.

Teaspoon stood as a bailiff for the court as the riders took a seat in the audience section with Rachel and Pip. Quinn took his seat at the defense table and beside him was an empty chair. Floyd Hepburn was not there. Also absent was the town prosecutor, Harry Baldwin. The town Judge also had yet to enter the room.

Jimmy whispered to Pip who sat beside him. "So…your nearly adopted brother is going to defend the man who tried to sabotage our runs?"

"He has to as an attorney." she tried to explain. She then confessed, "Though it would be a conflict of interest since I'm so close to the family and I'm a witness against the defense." She cocked her head, "He would know that." She stood up from her chair and made her way to the defense table. She came to Quinn's side and kept her voice low, "I'm a witness for the prosecution." she reminded him.

"I know," he nodded glancing at his pocket watch for Floyd was late.

"Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest if you are defending Floyd?" she wondered.

He admitted, "Yes."

"Then why are you defending him?" she wondered.

He didn't wish to upset her by revealing the threats Floyd made against her. He made up an excuse, "Father sent me to defend him."

"But Sid didn't know I'm a witness." she rebutted.

"I have no choice." he gulped with pleading eyes.

"What do you mean you have no choice?" she asked.

"Not now." he refused to answer.

The Judge walked into the room sporting a black robe. He had dark hair with a thin mustache and was rather thin and lanky.

Teaspoon announced, "All rise."

Everyone in the room rose as the Judge walked to the bench.

Judge Alfred Stone took his seat and spoke, "Please be seated." He gave a perturbed look and then asked, "Will the defense please approach the bench." He then motioned towards Teaspoon, "Marshal."

Teaspoon and Quinn both walked up to the bench before the Judge. The Judge began, "Harry just informed me that he is dropping all charges against the defendant."

Quinn closed his eyes as he realized what Floyd had done. He sent for an attorney to represent him all while targeting the prosecutor at the same time.

Teaspoon asked angry and shocked, "What?"

"Harry had dropped the charges against Floyd Hepburn. He didn't drop the charges against your inmate. Harry then informed me he's leaving his position and town today."

Teaspoon looked at Quinn, "Did you know anything about this?"

Quinn shook his head, "No…I did not. I found Floyd in the saloon last night and I told him the case against him was solid. I also asked him to find another attorney since my family is so close to Agnes who is your witness. He refused and even threatened to have something bad happen to her if I stepped down. He must have either bribed your prosecutor or have something on him to blackmail him with." He guessed, "Maybe he caught your prosecutor in the saloon with one of the prostitutes? Anyways, if your prosecutor drops the charges then the case is done before it even begins."

The Judge agreed, "I have to dismiss the case and the town needs to find a new prosecutor."

"I understand," Teaspoon sighed feeling defeated. He and Quinn both walked back to their post.

Judge Stone stated to the audience, "The prosecutor has dropped all charges against the defendant. The case is closed." He then hit the gavel on the table and promptly walked out of the room.

The riders all sat stunned. Jimmy asked Pip, "What just happened?"

"Floyd got the prosecutor to drop all the charges against him. The case is dissolved." she explained miffed. She crossed her arms and gave a perturbed look.

"What?" Jimmy shook his head. He couldn't believe it. After all that work, everything they had gone through and Floyd walked free.

Kid sat dumfounded, "How can they just drop the charges like that? We know he's guilty."

Rachel sighed, "We all know he's guilty. But he skated around the law."

"Teaspoon can arrest him again." Kid figured.

"He can arrest him but Teaspoon is not the town's attorney. He cannot bring the charges to court. Only an attorney can do that." Rachel informed.

Kid sat beside himself, "You mean that's it? The case is done and no trial."

"I'm afraid so," she nodded. She rose to her feet. "I guess I should get back to the station house."

Bill Cody looked at his fellow rider Buck, "This ain't right."

Buck miffed, "So much for justice."

Young Wyatt Earp had followed the rider into the court. He heard the case was dismissed. He came up to Pip, "Agnes!" he hollered, "How can they do that?"

Pip explained, "Sometimes justice doesn't always work the way it should. Sometimes, guilty men go free and sometimes, innocent men go to jail. Floyd beat the system. He's good at doing that." She looked to Quinn, "I guess you will be going back to New York now."

He gave a deep sigh, "I guess so." He shook his head, "Least father can still say he never lost a case." He gave a slight chuckle of irony to himself.

Teaspoon stated, "The town needs a prosecutor, Mr. Sohur. There ain't a lot of you lawyers out this way."

Quinn asked him, "You want me to be the town's prosecutor?"

Teaspoon nodded, "You seem like an honest man. The town board will vote. The position doesn't pay much compared to what a big city lawyer would get."

Quinn looked to Pip who nodded in agreement.

He looked at the faces around him.

Jimmy asked, "If you take the position as town prosecutor will you go after Floyd Hepburn?"

"I can bring the charges." he agreed.

Pip stated to Quinn, "Ambrose Merryweather was an accountant in college who worked for me at the Pony Express and he found fraudulent bonds. He died last year in Sweetwater. When me and Ambrose went to look for the bonds they were gone. I think maybe Floyd took the bonds with him when he came out West. Ambrose was officially doing a route audit but I think he was looking for the missing bonds. If we can find those missing bonds and prove they are fraudulent we can finish Ambrose's work and we can have Floyd charged in New York City on bond fraud. That will send him to a federal prison for a very long time."

Quinn asked, "If those bonds are fraudulent what will happen to the Pony Express?"

"It will go bankrupt." she figured. "But it's going to go bankrupt anyways. They can't make a profit and the Army is gearing for war." She looked at Jimmy and Lou, "I will need your help finding those bonds. For Ambrose?" she pleaded.

Jimmy nodded, "For Ambrose."

Lou agreed, "He deserves justice."

Quinn wondered, "Any idea where Floyd would have hidden the bonds?"

Kid suggested, "Maybe the ranch where we caught him."

Jimmy agreed, "I would start looking there."

Teaspoon conjured a plan, "I'll get Quinn sworn in as the town attorney." He looked over the riders, "You boys will go back to that ranch and look for those bonds."

Billy asked, "Just what do these bonds look like? How do we know what to look for?"

Pip stated, "I know what they look like. I can go." She then grinned to Quinn, "I think you can go with us." She knew he would want to go on the adventure.

Quinn winced, "I can't go with you. If I do I become a fact witness and have to remove myself from the case and cannot prosecute." He knew she was trying to help him fulfill his wish to see the West but it simply impractical. "You know what the bonds would look like. You have to go and be the star witness in the case. Your friend, Ambrose is dead. Did he leave any evidence behind?"

She nodded, "His journal. He wrote about the missing bonds in it."

"That journal is evidence in the case." he informed. "Hand it over to Teaspoon and don't let anything happen to it."

Jimmy agreed, "I can do that."

Wyatt stated, "I'm going back to the ranch with the riders."

Kid added, "Then you are going back to your uncle."

He miffed the idea, "I still got weeks before school starts. I'm going with you."

Kid never knew what it was like to have a younger brother tailing him about until that moment. He wondered if he irritated his older brother when he was a child. He placed his hands on Wyatt's shoulders and started to lead him towards the door. He assured, "After we find those bonds you are going home."

Weekend

Saturday evening soon rolled around and the church dance was at hand. Pip stood before Lou in the station house pleading.

"Wear the dress I gave you." she begged. Pip wore a long baby blue silk gown with a matching hat with black lace.

Lou stood in her work clothes, "What if I get fired?" she asked hesitant.

"No one will know it's you." she assumed. "You won't get fired."

"I can't risk losing this job." she shook her head refusing to expose her disguise.

"Fine!" Pip huffed and then removed the velvet hat from her head and tossed it on the nearby bed. She then lifted the dress up and over her head as well, removing the article. She stood before Lou in her undergarments and went to the nearby truck for her trousers. She started to put back on the work clothing.

Lou stood befuddled, "What are doing, Agnes?"

"If you are going dressed as a boy than so am I." she deemed.

"You don't have to do that." she rebutted. "The whole town knows you are Teaspoon's daughters.

She shrugged, "If you can go in boy's clothes then so can I."

"What about Jimmy?" she gasped amazed at the bold action.

Pip slid on the shirt, "What about Jimmy?"

"He won't want to take you if you are dressed as a boy." she figured.

Pip grinned, "Why not? The whole town knows who I am."

"But you're not dressed like a lady." Lou countered.

She finished buttoning the shirt and tucked the tails into her trousers as she spoke, "Whoever said I was a lady?" She grinned mischievously as she went to her prized trunk. She dug through the clothing and pulled out a top black hat. She placed the hat on her head and then grabbed the silk black cummerbund. She dusted off the dirt and placed it around her middle. She turned and showed her ensemble to Lou. "What ya think?"

Lou blinked trying hard not to laugh for her friend look simply silly. "The top hat is a nice touch," she giggled.

"I thought so too." she laughed at herself. She then grabbed a walking cane twirled it about. "You can be anything you want to be, Lou. You simply just have to put your mind to it."

Lou chuckled, "Like father; like daughter."

Pip paused, "Sid would tell me that." She then admitted, "Sid and Teaspoon do have similar qualities."

Lou wondered, "How so?"

"They are both good men and have my weird sense of humor." she declared.

"It would be you who has Teaspoon's sense of humor." Lou reminded her.

"True," she agreed with a nod. "Let's go see the boys." She motioned for the door.

The two soon stepped outside onto the porch where the riders waited. Kid wasn't all that surprised that Lou decided to forgo the dress but was simply glad she was coming. He softly smiled at her.

Jimmy cocked an eyebrow at Pip's outfit. "What are you wearing, Agnes?" he balked. He expected her to be dressed in one of the pretty dresses she had shipped all the way out to Rock Creek.

"My best cummerbund and top hat!" she proclaimed.

"I thought you were gonna wear a dress." he rebutted. He motioned towards the house, "You got a whole trunk full of dresses in there."

She shot him a grin, "But this is much more fun." She found Rachel standing off the side on the porch wearing her house dress. "You better get changed."

Amused she asked, "Why?"

"Quinn will be at the dance." she grinned at her.

"And?" she asked her.

Pip declared, "You should dance with him. I should warn ya though…He's got two left feet."

She cocked an eyebrow, "Why don't you dance with him."

Pip repeated, "He's got two left feet." She stuck her arm out to Lou, "Lou can be my date tonight."

Lou gave her a displeased look.

"Fine," she rolled her eyes and went to Jimmy. She placed her arm in his, "You will be my date tonight."

"Date?" he asked. "Is that like courting?"

She grinned, "It's when a boy and a girl go out and have fun but are not courting."

He asked, "When we start courting will you start wearing dresses?"

She glanced at Lou, "Maybe." She placed her arm through his and began to walk beside him not fearing how she looked in the eyes of the town's folks.

Kid walked beside Lou behind the pair. He asked, "What happened to that yellow dress, Pip gave you?"

"It's in the trunk." she softly replied.

He wondered, "Did she take it back?"

She shook her head, "No, she didn't want me to feel alone so she dressed like a boy too."

Kid's eyes softened, "You're not alone, Lou."

"I know," she agreed.

Kid reached with his hand and gently grasped hers. They walked for a distance holding hands in the twilight. Soon they arrived in town and Lou pulled her hand away and placed it in her pocket before anyone could see. Kid felt bad for he wanted to hold her hand all night but knew he could not.

They soon arrived at the barn. The bales of hay were stacked in a circle around the floor. To the side was a large table filled with deserts and a punch bowl. To the other side was a band made up of locals. Young ladies were about dressed in their finest dresses and ready to dance with a fine young man. The riders caught the eyes of many young ladies.

Lou wanted to hide fearing she would be found out. She kept her hat pulled down over her face in hopes no one would see she wasn't a boy. She watched as the local girls giggled amused at how Pip was dressed. The woman stuck out like a sore thumb and drew much attention. Pip could have simply dressed like one of the riders and blended in but instead she wore the top hat and cummerbund to stand out. She wondered why she did so.

Kid mentioned, "With Pip dressed like that no one will notice you, Lou."

She gasped as the Pip's motivation suddenly became apparent. She drew attention so no one would think twice about Lou not being a boy. Lou figured that Pip must have known she would be mocked but didn't seem to care. She was having fun at the dance regardless. Pip took Teaspoon by the arm and led him to the dance floor. She stood before him and offered to trade hats before the music started. Teaspoon was rather amused and placed his hat on her head and took the top hat. He then began to dance with his daughter despite her being dressed as a boy.

Lou watched a recalled the words to herself, "You can be anything you wanna be."