Chapter 10
A new sense of determination carried Victoria swiftly to the hacienda. Felipe, thankfully, answered the door. She quickly told him all that had happened, hoping he understood it all. Diego had told her once that he read lips well, and she now knew the mind behind those piercing eyes was very sharp as well. But would he know what had to be done tonight?
He did. Felipe made straight for the stables. Tornado was his first concern; that would be one less worry for Zorro.
"Victoria! What are you doing out at this hour? Is something wrong?" Alejandro was still dressed.
"Don Alejandro! I have bad news. Zorro has been arrested! The alcalde was killed and —"
"Killed! Slow down. Tell me what has happened." He had heard the words but they couldn't be true!
"There was an accident. The alcalde is dead." She said the words evenly. "Zorro is in jail and will be accused of the crime. He —" She looked at the alarm in his father's eyes and hesitated before continuing. "Zorro needs your help, Don Alejandro. He is blaming himself and he is going to need a very good lawyer. You must —"
"Of course, I will help him. That goes without saying." Stray thoughts and confusion swirled in his head, then he straitened his back and said, "First things first! Let's get him out of that jail! Come!"
With a hastily scribbled note in his hand, he first sought out a vaquero to deliver a message to his retained attorney in Monterey. He ordered Dulcinea saddled as well as a fresh mount for Victoria.
They were well on the way before Victoria realized that Don Alejandro had not even tried to find Diego. It was well known that Diego knew more about the law than anyone else in the pueblo. It would have been natural to enlist his help. Did Alejandro know he would not find Diego in the hacienda tonight?
It was still well before midnight when the two riders arrived at the pueblo. There was light shining through almost every window. Word had begun to spread of the night's happenings. Alejandro and Victoria found Zorro lying on the cot, his full length stretched beyond its end, a hand covering his eyes.
He jumped up quickly at the sound of the jingling keys.
"Don Alejandro! I never thought I would meet you on this side of the bars." He offered a rueful smile.
"Nor I!" Don Alejandro's tone was serious.
Mendoza let him and Victoria into the cell and he paused as he took in the subdued condition of the young man before him.
"Well, we will get you out of this. You can be assured of that. I've already sent word to Señor Olvera in Monterey." He paused again as Mendoza shut the cell door. "He's my personal lawyer and a very good one. He'll know exactly what to do about this." He turned a hard glare at Mendoza as he saw the man apply the key to the lock once more.
"I'm sorry, Don Alejandro, but regulations, you know?" He gave the two men and the señorita a truly miserable look. Noise from the front office was filtering through the door and Mendoza excused himself to see what was going on in the front room. Anything was preferable than the stern looks he was getting from Don Alejandro and Señorita Escalante.
The elder Don continued, "I have a retainer with Señor Olvera and I know he will take your case. But Victoria says this was an accident. Surely you won't need much of a defense."
"An accident?" Zorro repeated sadly. "Only moments before I was threatening to do the very thing I did. I am not sure it was an —"
"Of course it was! And I don't want to hear another word from you about any other possibility! I've spoken to Mendoza. He is more than willing to allow you to be released into my custody until a trial is held - if there is a trial. I'm still unsure if there is even a need for one."
Zorro opened his mouth to object.
"Hush! You will stay at the hacienda!" said Don Alejandro.
Don Alejandro continued talking and laying out plans while Victoria fought to control a fit of laughter that threatened to bubble forth. The idea of someone telling Zorro to hush was just too much to be believed. But the fact that he did was even more so. Don Alejandro's confidence that everything was going to be fine was catching and she was much less worried than she had been. She watched the two men interact with one another with a newfound wonder. How strange it must be for Diego!
The conversation droned on in the small room, but there was a background rumbling that grew ever louder in her ears. Raised voices and loud banging noises assailed her ears and gradually garnered her attention. What was going on in the alcalde's...no, in Mendoza's office? The two men also turned toward the door as Mendoza burst through waving his arms.
"Madre de Dios! Zorro, you've got to do something!" Mendoza's hands were shaking as he worked with the keys to get the cell door opened. "It's a lynch mob! We've got to get you out of here! Madre de Dios!"
"A lynch mob! Sergeant, you can't be serious!" Don Alejandro's voice rose above the clamor. "The people would not want to lynch their hero!" But the rumblings beyond the door gave credence to Mendoza's words.
"No, not Zorro. They want to kill me! Oh, Madre de Dios!" The Sergeant sank onto the cot in misery and Don Alejandro rushed through the door of the barred cell and into the outer room. One look out the window told him all he needed to know. He went back to inform the others.
"The whole town's out there! They're shouting and chanting for your release. I think the Sergeant is right. It's his neck they're after."
"I'll talk to them," Zorro said simply and he strode for the door.
At the sight of him, the crowd stilled.
"Good people of Los Angeles! Go home. The sergeant has done nothing wrong. But I have."
The crowd came alive again with shouts and murmurs.
"Please, listen to me! The alcalde is dead by my hand. Sergeant Mendoza is now in charge of the garrison, and I trust him to be fair in all his dealings. You must trust him too. Justice will see this through to a proper conclusion. Go home to your families. Go home, and pray for the soul of Ignacio De Soto."
Don Sebastian spoke up from the front of the crowd. "I will pray for you, Señor Zorro, but I will not pray for one such as De Soto!"
"Don't let Padre Benitez hear you talk like that, Don Sebastian!" A few chuckles peppered the stilled crowd. "Please, find it in your hearts to forgive. And give the good Sergeant your allegiance. He will need your help in the coming weeks to restore this pueblo to the peaceful community it once was. Go home," he commanded once more. "Go home!" He turned his back on the crowd and reentered the building.
Slowly, the crowd dispersed and Mendoza began to calm down. He was even more relieved to hear Zorro agree to Don Alejandro's proposal for him to move out to the hacienda. This would surely placate those angry people when they found out he was no longer being held in the jail.