Jennings wore an expression of sorrowful patience as Micah locked the cell door. "Marshal, I assure you I'm not a wanted man."
"We'll see about that." Micah glared at his prisoner. "The last we saw of you was on your way to Leavenworth."
"Yes, I must admit it looked bad," Jennings said pensively.
Luke said harshly, "I'd say a wanted poster with a two thousand dollar reward looked bad. You must have killed someone pretty important to have that kind of price tag."
"Well, now, I didn't kill anybody." Jennings' eyes were wide with innocence. "I admit I was accused of cheating in a poker game but that cattle baron was such a bad player it just wouldn't have been sporting not to play fair. It wasn't my fault he turned up dead."
"I'm sending a wire to Leavenworth right now." Micah set his hat firmly on his head. "You watch him, Lucas boy."
"I'll do that," said Luke grimly.
It was almost an hour before the marshal returned with a crestfallen expression. "Have a look at that." He handed Luke a telegram.
From Leavenworth Prison Warden Thomas Garnett to North Fork Marshal Micah Torrance re Duke Jennings stop
Jennings innocent stop Wanted poster rescinded stop No pending charges stop Release immediately full stop
Luke's jaw tightened. "There has to be some mistake."
"There's no mistake," said Micah heavily. "That telegram is straight from Leavenworth. I have to release Jennings."
"What about Miss Bertie?"
Jennings was leaning against the bars enjoying their discomfiture. "I told you I wasn't wanted for anything."
The marshal stomped over to him. "You'll explain this telegram right now or you'll stay in this cell until after Miss Bertie goes home!"
"I don't believe that's an option, sir." Jennings was lazily amused. "However, I have no objection to telling you how I happen to be a free man. I told you I didn't know how that cattle baron wound up dead. The townspeople didn't believe me any more than you do and they were going to string me up." He shrugged. "It seemed an opportune time to leave the Oklahoma Territory, especially with that two thousand dollar reward dogging me. When I got to Leavenworth, courtesy of Miss Bertie, I learned the man's son had killed him and tried to pin the blame on me." Jennings sighed, shaking his head. "Can you imagine that? A man's own son killing his father so he could take over the ranch. Terrible. Well, naturally, the warden was very apologetic. It seems the wanted poster should have been rescinded but with so many outlaws on the loose, my innocence was overlooked." Jennings laid a hand on his heart, smiling broadly. "And now here I am. I heard Miss Bertie was coming to North Fork, so naturally I wanted to see her."
"That's never going to happen." Luke's voice was low and full of menace.
"Oh, but I had such a lot of time to think about what I wanted to say to her! All the way to Leavenworth, wearing those handcuffs that she oiled just for me." Jennings gestured to the door of the cell. "Marshal, if you would be so good as to unlock that door?"
