Chapter 44

His soft voice hovered in the air comfortingly as he read from the book splayed out on his lap. His right hand held hers gently while his left one turned over the pages of the novel once he reached the last line. Lou's eyes were closed, but Kid knew she was awake, listening to every single word he intoned with raptured attention.

If Kid had to define what happiness was, he would choose this very minute to exemplify what it meant to him. Lou and he joined in this simple peaceful moment. Now he was positive that she was going to be fine. She had woken up an hour ago, eaten some broth, and asked Kid to keep her company. The Southerner did not need to be asked twice, and had volunteered to read from the book he had brought for her before she had fallen sick. Fortunately, Louise had not asked him again about her ailment, not even when he had fed her the bitter spoonfuls of medicine that Dr. Sullivan had prescribed her. Lou simply swallowed them without a word, but Kid knew she would try to satisfy her curiosity sooner or later. He would not be able to stall her for too long, and was worried how she would take the news when he finally told her.

The door creaking open diverted his attention, and his voice stopped. "Kid, since I'm here now, you can go," Theresa announced abruptly as she walked into the room. "I'll stay with Louise."

Kid noticed Lou's fingers squeezed his hand more strongly as she heard her sister's voice, clearly expressing she did not want him to go. "I'm fine here," Kid contradicted Theresa. "I ain't leaving Lou."

"Suit yourself then." Theresa was eying Kid with cold interest, and missed her sister's open eyes. The young woman was still angry with her brother-in-law, and somehow everything he did or said now annoyed her beyond reason. "Kid, what the heck are you doing? Reading to Lou? What on earth for?"

"Because I asked him to," Lou's very weak voice replied to her sister's recriminating words.

Theresa's surprise was evident as she turned her eyes to find Lou fully awake and staring at her. For a moment she stood there speechlessly, looking at her sister with big, shocked eyes. "Lou… Louise."

Lou managed to crack a tired smile when Theresa almost threw herself to her and pressed her body and face against hers. "You're awake! You're awake!" the girl exclaimed over and over again like a mantra as tears slid down her face. Pulling away to look at her sister's open eyes again, she wiped her tears with her hand and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I… I'm not really sure."

Theresa turned to Kid. "Has the doctor seen her?"

"Not today," Kid replied, unsure how much he should tell Theresa. Teaspoon's warning still weighed on his mind, and after confessing to Ari what was wrong with Lou, he thought he had to be wary about how much to reveal. "He's coming later."

The young woman nodded, and directed her eyes back to her sister. Lou met her glance and smiled. Yet, Theresa kept a serious countenance as she grabbed her sister's hand possessively. Fear coursed over her overwhelmingly. In her young life she had heard countless times about people in the throes of death have an almost miraculous recovery just before passing away. Old folks believed that it was a granted chance to say goodbye before parting for the long journey. As the notion struck Theresa, she could not help but be crushed by strong pain. Dr. Hill had clearly stated that Louise would die inevitably, so she could not delude herself into having her hopes up. Thick tears poured from her eyes, and sobs started racking her body.

"Tessie, please, don't cry," Lou said, stroking her sister's hand comfortingly.

"I… I don't want to lose you. I need you!" Theresa wailed. "I need you so much!"

"Lou's gonna be fine, Theresa," Kid stated in a firm voice, unable to be indifferent to the woman's pain. The girl seemed not to have heard him he repeated, "Lou's gonna be fine."

"Wh… what?" Theresa croaked, lifting her wet eyes to him.

"The doctor in Rock Creek is positive," he said, turning his smiling face to his wife. "We need to look after her, and make sure she follows the doctor's instructions, and soon our Lou will be out and about, keeping us on our toes." The tears did not stop trickling profusely from her eyes, but Theresa managed a smile that gradually turned into weak giggles.

"If I weren't so tired, I'd jump to your arms for a well-deserved snuggle, my dear husband."

No sooner had Lou uttered the words that Kid bent over and brushed his lips very slowly and with all the tenderness he was able to show, wordlessly expressing what she meant in his life and how he felt completely alive once again.

Theresa watched the pair with a big smile, even though she wasn't totally sure she could believe her sister was going to be healthy again. Lou now sounded weak, but like the person Theresa knew and loved, and she told herself she should focus on that hope, and wish for the best.

"Oh Albert's going to be so happy when he hears… I can't wait to tell him," Theresa said, smiling from ear to ear as her heart swelled with love and pride. Life was not so bad after all; the black clouds would hopefully disperse, and very soon a blue sky would appear to her eyes, bright and spotless.

"Don't go thinking I don't know what my wife was up to," Kid suddenly said, looking at Ari sideways. "I know her too well to buy her… her fibs."

Ari grinned in silent admission. "You can't blame her if she cares so much for you."

Kid nodded. "I know, but next time she'll have to come up with something better than that sudden desire she claims she feels for pears."

"I'm sure she could do better if she weren't so tired," Ari continued in a soft voice. Kid's lips pursed in a bitter gesture, and the woman added, "Breathing some fresh air will do you good, Kid. You've hardly left her side for weeks, and she knows you need a break."

"I can barely stand being away from her even for a few minutes," Kid admitted in a soft voice. "I'm still worried… she's been so sick, Ari. I really thought I was gonna lose her."

"I know."

"Just thinking about these past few weeks fills me with utter dread."

"Louise's gonna be fine, Kid. Didn't the doctor say so?" The Southerner nodded, and Ari added, "Come on, boy. Let's go to the store and buy some scrumptious pears that your wife wants so much. The sooner we do it, the sooner you can return to her side."

The pair walked along Rock Creek's main street in companiable silence. Kid wrapped his coat more tightly around his trunk as the cold permeated through his bones. The winter was not far away, and the first snow flakes would soon cover the earth. This year they might enjoy a white Christmas, and even if that did not happen, it did not matter. After so many Christmases apart from Lou and the last scary weeks, this year was going to be perfect. Lou and him together as it should always have been. Kid planned to make it up to her for all those long lost years, and they deserved something good to forget what they had to go through in these last weeks.

Kid's thought stopped as well as his feet when something caught his eye on the other side of the street. His smile froze, and he simply kept staring while his heart thumped strongly in his chest.

"Kid, what's wrong?" Ari asked as she followed the direction of the young man's gaze, which fell on three men on horseback.

Ari's voice snapped him out of his reverie, and momentarily he averted his eyes as he said, "They're back. Cody and Jimmy are back."

It had been a wild, fast ride limits being pushed as the only perspective in their minds was to reach Rock Creek as soon as possible. They had stopped only when it was strictly necessary, and not even when torrential rain had stumbled upon them, had they been distracted from their aim.

Jack Stewart had ridden alongside them at the same breakneck speed. In Seneca he had been waiting for them at the appointed time and place, and reluctantly Jimmy had to admit that if Jack was actually a murderer, he was doing a heck of a job at faking his personality with this helpful alter ego. The odds were that Jack was no more of a killer than the local minister. Before leaving Seneca, Cody and Jimmy had talked to Jack's uncle, the herbalist, and it was obvious he had nothing to do with Lou's poisoning either.

When the first buildings in Rock Creek appeared in the distance, the three riders felt an overwhelming sensation of relief. The sun hanging low on the horizon announced that the evening was close, and as they finally made their way into town, they found half-empty streets, devoid of the frenetic activity that filled them during the rest of the day. There were a few sluggish citizens who with all probability would eagerly head for the saloon to indulge themselves in the earthly pleasures that it offered.

Dismounting before the marshal's office, Jimmy led the way inside the jailhouse. Teaspoon, spectacles dangling on the bridge of his nose, was reading the newspaper splayed out on his desk. At the sound of heavy steps the marshal lifted his eyes, and folded his arms over his stomach. Jimmy and Cody stood before the desk while Jack lagged behind discreetly.

"How's Lou, Teaspoon?" Jimmy asked right away.

"Better," the marshal replied with a crooked smile. "I dropped by her place earlier, and she was awake and talkin'."

Cody and Jimmy exchanged relieved grins. Even though neither of them had mentioned Louise on the way back, they had both been thinking of nothing else. What good would their findings do if they lost Lou in the end?

"I imagine Kid must be over the moon," Cody remarked.

Teaspoon nodded. "He's still cautious, and I bet he won't completely believe Lou's out of danger until she leaves that bed."

"That's Kid all right," Jimmy added.

There was a second's pause. Teaspoon leaned back on his chair, his hands intertwined over his paunch. His sharp eyes spied the figure lurking behind his two former riders, and he guessed he was the fella who worked for Lou and was suspected to be after this unfortunate business. "So did you find out anythin' in Seneca?"

Jimmy nodded, and moved aside as Jack took a step closer. "Teaspoon, this is Jack Stewart," Cody said.

Teaspoon rose to his feet, and rounded up his desk. Jack stretched his hand to shake the marshal's when suddenly, a strong push made him lose his footing and his body crashed against something. Before he could react, he found himself pinned against the wall, and a couple of fierce hands violently were intent to squeeze the air out of him. When his eyes managed to focus, he found Kid's red, angry face inches from his, silently threatening his wellbeing.

"You bastard!" Kid barked angrily, shaking Jack and pushing him against the wall. "Despicable hyena!"

"Let go of me!" Jack cried, thrashing and using every ounce of his strength to shove him off, but Kid was unstoppable.

"You tried to kill my wife, and you deserve no mercy! I should kill you with my bare hands!"

Cody and Jimmy instantly ran to Jack's rescue, and even in their joint effort it was not easy to restrain Kid. Jimmy circled his arms around his friend's neck whereas Cody strongly yanked his arms. When Kid felt he was being pulled off Jack, he tried to break free as he angrily roared. "Get off me! Get off me!"

Kid's violently thrashing and yanks were almost impossible to resist, and Jimmy managed to say, "Kid, he didn't do it! He didn't do it!"

When Jimmy's voice managed to penetrate the Southerner's foggy mind, his motions stilled and his confused eyes searched for Jimmy's. "He didn't do it?" Kid repeated slowly as if trying to make sense of what his friend was saying. Jimmy nodded, and Kid added, "So then who?"

This time the words came from Teaspoon's mouth. "Why don't we all calm down and let 'em tell us what they know?"

Kid nodded as he tried to get his breath back. Seeing Jack had ignited such a fire inside him that he had been unable to control himself. Like a madman, he had rushed across the street and barged against Jack blindly. Calmer now, he lowered his eyes, bewildered by his own reaction, but he realized this matter was more than he could handle. As Kid turned away from Jack, Ari smiled and patted him on the arm affectionately. For the first time Teaspoon and his riders noticed the woman's presence, and Kid realized what their expressions were hiding. "Whatever you have to say, you can do it in front of Ari. She knows everything."

Teaspoon nodded his assent. "Please, Mrs. Giles, take a seat."

Ari sank down on the chair the marshal pointed at while Kid remained on his feet next to her. Jack had not moved from the wall he had been pinned against before, and remained discreetly there. Jimmy dropped his saddlebags on Teaspoon desk, and took out the folder and other documents he had stolen from Albert's safe. Cody opened the folder in which Boggs' will was and Kid and Teaspoon studied the document. After a while, they looked up, visibly surprised.

"This means Lou's about to inherit good money," Teaspoon muttered reflexively.

"It makes sense," Ari stepped in. Kid had passed her the will and the woman ran her eyes through it. "Boggs was a very clever man, and despite everything, he was very proud of his family. I guess he loved them in his particular way. I always thought it strange that he didn't try to provide for his children after his death."

"You used to know Boggs, Mrs. Giles?" Teaspoon asked with evident curiosity.

Ari nodded. "Unfortunately, I did also see what kind of man he was. Mary Louise, his wife and Louise's mother, went through hell with him. At least, he did a decent thing before dying… leaving his children his money."

There was a silence pregnant with dread and anxiety as everybody in the room kept deep in thought. "What you're trying to tell us is that somebody tried to kill Lou for this money?" Kid asked, unsure of what this meant.

"Kid, we found the will in Albert's safe," Cody said.

"And if Lou, God forbid, died, Theresa would be the only heir. That money would be hers, and consequently her husband's," Jimmy filled in where his friend had left off.

At the implications behind their words Kid started running his fingers through his hair repeatedly, and his feet were unable to keep still. "Albert? I… I don't know."

"It makes sense, Kid," Jimmy continued. "He has a very powerful reason and the opportunity."

"I grant you that, son, but this paper doesn't really prove he tried to kill Lou."

"Teaspoon!" Jimmy exclaimed, annoyed even though he had already thought the same. "Who else could poison Lou if not him? Theresa is out of the question, and I very much doubt she knows this will even exists. She wouldn't be part of a malicious scheme. What we need to do now is to push him to speak up. I'm sure he was behind Jeremiah's death too! If we break him, he'll confess."

"If he keeps denyin' everythin', we'll have lost him!" Teaspoon contradicted him. "We need somethin' more definite."

Silence ensued, and then Ari said, "I wonder how he got hold of this will when Boggs' children had no idea of its existence."

"I wonder the same," Cody muttered.

Kid remained silent, trying to digest what he had just learned. Nothing made much sense. If accepting that Lou was the victim of intentional poisoning had been a real internal battle, this was not easier. How could he believe that wimp Albert was behind this malevolent campaign? Kid had never liked or even trusted Albert, but thinking that he was a murderer was going too far. Albert was family, and Kid knew Lou was very fond of him. How could he do anything to harm her?

"Did … did you find out anything else?" Kid asked in a stunned stutter.

"Not really. There was some more paperwork in his safe… well-fed accounts in several cities. We just think it must belong to one of Albert's clients."

Teaspoon took the documents from Jimmy, and whistled appreciatively at the figures imprinted on the smooth paper. "This is probably nothin', or maybe our man is simply involved in some other shady business with this…" Teaspoon paused, put on his spectacles, and read the name, "Alfred Sanders."

"Sanders… Sanders," Ari whispered, the name rolling easily on her tongue as memories rushed back to her. "Oh God!"

All the men turned to look at the woman who kept wriggling her hands nervously and lifted her wide eyes to Kid. Ari could sense the question in the men's stare, and she said, "Albert… I now know why he looks so familiar. Of course Sanders! How didn't I remember before? It wasn't in Fort Kearney I knew him from. It was years ago when he was still a child. That name… Sanders just hit me like a revelation."

"Who's Alfred Sanders, Mrs. Giles?" Teaspoon asked.

"It's him… Albert," Ari replied.

The men exchanged curious, cautious looks before Kid spoke up. "Are you sure, Ari?"

The woman nodded confidently. "I never forget a face, and even though many years have passed, I know it's him. I don't know why he goes by Albert Keller now, but his name is Sanders, Alfred Sanders." She paused to catch her breath, and as she noticed the disbelief in the men's gazes, she added, "His father… we learned later, had dealings with Louise's father."

The words had an instant reaction, and the men's curiosity perked up at once. "You mean Boggs and …uh… Albert's father?"

Ari nodded, and Jimmy questioned further. "Who was this man… Albert… Alfred's father?"

"He was the doctor… came to town when Dr. Bailey retired. Dr. Sanders was young, respectable-looking, and reliable. Everybody felt sorry for him and his young boy, you know, a widower and an orphan without a woman in their lives… that's enough reason to inspire people's compassion."

"How did Boggs get involved with the doctor?" Teaspoon asked.

"I don't really know. Dr. Sanders was ambitious, and I imagine a doctor's wages weren't enough for him," Ari explained. "I remember Mary Louise telling me about the suspicious growing friendship between her husband and Dr. Sanders. She didn't let on much, and not long afterwards Mary fled with her children and I didn't see her again."

"And Boggs?" Cody asked.

"Unfortunately, I did see him again," Ari muttered, remembering the unfortunate subsequent encounter with Boggs as the man believed she had helped Mary Louise in her flit. Naturally, he was right, but Ari had not let him intimidate her, and Boggs had eventually given in. "A couple of months after that he sold the house where Mary Louise and the children lived, and he was never seen anymore. But what is interesting is what happened to Dr. Sanders."

"What was that?" Teaspoon asked.

"He was sent to jail. The territorial marshal arrested him, and it was such a commotion in town. He was accused of assault and some other money matters. The whole town was there to watch the trial, and he kept denying the charges, and accusing Boggs. I suspect he felt betrayed. Anyway, in the end he was sentenced to serve five years in jail."

"What happened to his son?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't know… I imagine he was sent to an orphanage. The boy didn't have anybody else," Ari replied.

Kid had listened to the woman's account unblinkingly, and suddenly, an idea crept into his mind. "What was Dr. Sanders like?" he asked.

"A normal fella. Tall, slender, black-haired, bespectacled… I remember he had this strange habit of massaging the bridge of his nose as he was tired all the time."

Kid stiffened as a clear image came to his mind doubtlessly. "It's Dr. Hill," he whispered and suddenly, he remembered that time when he had spied Albert and the physician in a suspicious attitude, or how Dr. Hill had insisted on Lou taking her tea. It was that doctor who had made a mistake in his diagnosis, but now Kid realized that it might not be a mistake after. "Dr. Hill… he's the doctor in Seneca. He and Albert were in this together… Oh God!"

Before anybody could react, Kid turned on his heel and dashed for the door. Yet, Jimmy intercepted and grabbed him by the arm to stop him. "Where are you going, Kid?" Teaspoon said in a disapproving tone. "I told you; we have to calm down."

"When we left, Albert had just arrived. Teaspoon, my wife's in danger if that man is around her, especially when he realizes she's getting better."

As soon as Kid stopped, Teaspoon grabbed his belt from the peg behind him, and said, "Come on, boys. Let's go."