*Author's Note*
Thank you for all the follows, favs, and reviews.
Happy New Year, 1881
Shaw POV:
This was my second New Year's Eve in the Pike County Jail, but unlike last time I couldn't get somebody to pay my bail to free me. I was stuck rottin' in jail while waitin' for a trial date. That ginger fuck would have Perry Cline cry to his judge buddy; get bullshit charges brought up on me. Hell, what I did was payback for what he did. Tolbert knows it, just doesn't want to accept it is all.
Goddamnit, I've been locked up for days now and I'm about to go stir crazy. The only company I had was Sherriff Maynard, who was sittin' at his desk sippin' on stale coffee since he sent his deputy home and was too lazy to put on a fresh pot. I was laying on the bottom bunk of the hard-wooden bunkbed that was in my cell. I had my black Stetson over my face as I tried to sleep. Sad thing was sleep seemed to be the only thing that made time go by faster; made me stop thinking so much too.
I was driftin' off, but was shaken up by the loud sounds of guns goin' off. Ah, Happy New Year, it must be midnight. I removed my hat from my face and put it on my lap as I sat up and leaned against the wall. Looks like I'm wide awake now.
"Happy New Year, Shaw." Sherriff Maynard told me, tipping his coffee mug into my direction.
"From where I'm sittin', Sherriff, it's not too happy." I deadpanned, giving him a look that portrayed how tired and bored of being imprisoned I was.
"Well, reckon not, but soon 'nough you'll get your day in court."
"With how half-assed the legal system is I prolly won't get my case heard til Easter time. There goes my March weddin'."
"Just get married after the trial, if you're not hanged that is." The sherriff shrugged, acting like my predicament wasn't as serious as it was. Eh, maybe he was just being an old fat asshole too. Whatever… "Don't stare at me like that. Y'know, Shaw, there's a high chance that you'll hang if you're found guilty. Attempted murder's a serious charge."
"But, Sherriff, I can't hang. I'm innocent." I protested, furrowing my brows at the short and stout lawman.
"That's for a jury of your peers t'decide, not yourself." Sherriff Maynard told me with a pointed look before sippin' on his coffee.
Jury of my peers my ass, more like a jury of crazy Kentuckians.
Jessa POV:
Over the last few days I bought the repair supplies at the large hardware store in Charleston and with the help of Sully, Jim Vance, Johnse, Cap, and Todd I managed to get the livery cleaned up and fixed with new windows and doors. The office needed a new desk chair, but other than that it looked put together. I had planned to go to a furniture store for the chair, but didn't since Jim told me that he'd make the chair as a favor to one of his favorite nephews. Hell, that crochety mountain man was prolly just doing it cause he felt a bit responsible for Shaw being in jail (hell, he did help him burn down Tolbert's cabin).
It was January 1st aka New Year's and I was currently at the livery painting S.E. Livery in large gold scripted letters on the large windows that were just installed yesterday. I had just finished painting the large scrolling E whenever I heard the sound of boots against the wooden walkway behind me. "Miss Jessa?" John B. Floyd's voice sounded out from right behind me.
Turning around, I greeted the lawyer with, "Oh, hello, John B." I placed the paintbrush into the can of gold paint while telling the lawyer, "I was just putting the finishing touches on the new office window." Standing up straight, I pointed to the door and offered, "We can go inside and talk."
"Oh, no, I can't stay too long. I'm just here to tell you that I've just spoken with Judge Wall and the countersuit against Tolbert is a go." Patting his breast pocket, he added, "In fact I've got the writ here for it and I'll be serving it to his council Mr. Cline to pass along to him."
"Oh, okay." I nodded, feeling relieved that the process to free Shaw was underway.
"I'll also be meeting with Shaw while I'm in Kentucky." John B. informed me before asking, "Is there anything you'd like me to pass along to him?"
"Just that I miss him and that I'm running the livery while he's gone." I told the lawyer in a soft melancholy tone.
I really did miss Shaw, more then I thought I would too. I also was stuck with the burden of running a business I knew nothing about, all so that I could support my family. I hope that Shaw finding out that I'm taking care of things will put his mind at ease.
John B. just nodded his head before telling me, "I'll stop by after my visit with Shaw to relay anything that might be important.", and walking over to the hitch-post to grab his horse.
I didn't say a word, just waved a goodbye before returning to my task of painting the livery's logo on the new front window.
Brenton POV:
It was New Year's, but in the law profession it was just another work day, hence why I was boredly sittin' at my clerk's desk in Perry's office. Dear god, it'd kill my brother-in-law to shut his office down for a holiday that wasn't Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. Talk about Perry, he was just relaxin' at his desk goin' over notes and papers for the trial that he was representin' Tolbert in. I noticed that Judge Tobias was takin' an awfully long time to set a trial date. Hell, I think it was gonna be a slow trial in order for my brother-in-law to grease all the palms that he needed to ensure that Shaw Eldridge was sent to the gallows.
Honestly, I could give two-fuckin'-shits if Shaw hanged or not. I know that he was Sully's son and I was best friends with the man, Lord knows he saved my life my draggin' me back to safety after I got shot durin' Pickett's Charge in the last day of Gettysburg, but I had no allegiances to his boy. If you ask me, Shaw Eldridge had some mental issues. He came off as manipulative and hateful, but could also smile, be polite, and say all the right things at all the right times. Sully was blind to this since he didn't want to believe that his son had problems.
That was the fault of some parents, they were in denial about their children. I didn't have that problem; I knew that my daughter had a loud mouth and a strong will (which is the reason why I approved of her marriage to a politician…). Randall McCoy was in denial about his drunken son too, but I think that was cause the apple didn't fall too far from the tree.
Anyways, I'm just sittin' at my desk starin' idly out the window whenever I see a man on a horse stop at the hitch post. I've never seen him before so I was curious on who the new client could be. I watched as he dismounted and hitched up his horse. Well, looks like my bored day just got somewhat interestin'. I watched the man walk up the sidewalk and into the door, makin' the doorbell ring loudly.
"I'm looking for a lawyer, one Mr. Perry Cline." The man, who looked to be my age (give or take a few years), asked as he closed the door behind him.
Silently, I pointed to my brother-in-law's desk while he looked up from his papers and said, "Yes, I'm Perry Cline, attorney at law here." Sitting up a bit straighter he asked, "How may I help you?"
"Mr. Cline, I'm John B. Floyd and I've been retained as legal counsel for Shaw Eldridge." The man told Perry, takin' us both aback, as he made his way over to his desk. Shit, I knew that Sully would try to help his son, but I didn't think he had the money to hire a defense attorney on his teacher's salary. Hmm, maybe he asked Devil Anse for help? Mr. Floyd pulled a letter out from his breast pocket and handed it to Perry while saying, "I've got here a summons for your client, Tolbert McCoy."
"A summons for what?" Perry asked, snatching the folded-up paper from the defense lawyer.
"Countersuit that Mr. Eldridge is pressing Mr. McCoy with for $500 damages owed to him for the vandalism of his livery." Mr. Floyd flatly told my brother-in-law in one of those strictly business type of tones.
As Perry's eyes roamed over the paper he scoffed, "This is some kind of sham? No way is this countersuit remotely legal."
"Just like the charges your client pressed onto mine." Mr. Floyd countered, in a way accusing my brother-in-law of stooping low with having Tolbert press charges against Shaw since (apparently) he started a spat with him that resulted in his house going up in smoke. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must make my way over to the jail to confer with my client."
Shaw POV:
"Sherriff Maynard, please tell your wife that she needs to add some more buttermilk or somethin' in her biscuits cause they're drier than the Sahara Desert." I told the sherriff as I picked at my biscuit (that he didn't have to give me cause his wife couldn't cook worth a good shit) while sittin' on the bottom bunk, leanin' my back against the wall.
"Shaw, every day ya have somethin' rude to say 'bout my wife's cookin'. Will you just hush up and be grateful you've got somethin' to et."
I just rolled my eyes at the short and stout sherriff while placin' the dry biscuit down on the bunk. God, that was the grittiest, driest biscuit I've ever had in my entire life. How is it that Sherriff Maynard's so fat when is wife's a horrible cook? I picked my cup of bitter coffee (to wash down the few bites of dry ass biscuit I ate) whenever the door to the jail squeaked open. I sipped on my coffee while watching a man (who held himself like a lawyer) walk inside.
The man walked up to the sherriff's desk while telling him, "Sherriff Maynard, I'm John B. Floyd and I've been retained by Shaw's father and fiancé as his legal counsel. I'm here to speak to him about his upcoming case."
Yep, I called it, the man's a lawyer. Thank Jesus, Jessa and Sully got me a lawyer. I knew they'd do something to help me.
"He's in that cell over there." Sherriff Maynard pointed to the cell I was in. "Go and counsel him, I don't care." He told my lawyer before sipping on my coffee.
My lawyer just nodded and walked over to my cage. Quickly, I placed my coffee cup on my bunk, stood up, and went over to the bars that I was locked behind. Sticking his hand thru the bars for a handshake, my lawyer introduced himself with a simple, "Hello, Shaw, I'm John B. Floyd."
"Shaw Eldridge." I introduced myself (even tho I didn't need to) as I shook John B.'s hand. I briefly read about him in my dad's history class, he was a friend of Devil Anse's that becomes a politician and works closely with the governor to try and help the Hatfields (even tho it doesn't do much since Kentucky's governor refused to shut down the deputized posse and bounty hunters).
After breaking our handshake, John B. told me, "Your fiancé, Miss Jessa, told me to tell you that she misses you and that she's running the livery while you're here."
"I miss her too." I revealed in a soft chuckle. "Has she reopened the business yet?" I curiously asked, leaning against the iron bars.
"Not yet, but she's gotten it repaired. When I talked to her this morning, she was painting the main window with the livery's name." John B. answered, causing me to nod.
I'm glad that Jessa got the livery fixed and was going to run it while I'm in jail. I trust her judgement when it comes to money and things having to do with our family, but I don't think I'd be so trusting of somebody else managing our business and money.
"You got a paper and pencil?" I asked my lawyer since I wanted to write down a few notes that'd help Jessa run the livery.
"Yes." John B. nodded before pulling a pad and pencil from his breast pocket.
"Thanks." I told him, taking the paper and pencil he offered me. As I wrote down the things Jessa needed to know, I told my lawyer, "I want you to give this note to Jessa. It'll help her run the business."
"I will." He assured me as I handed him the pencil and paper back. While placing the pad and pencil back into his breast pocket, John B. told me, "Now, I've filed a countersuit on Tolbert McCoy for damages to your livery. That case'll be heard soon and will be good for proving our case here in Kentucky."
Grabbing the bars of my cell with a vice grip, I hissed, "How? That fucker's saying I was trying to burn him alive in his house."
"It'll make him look unstable and unreliable." John B. told me in a knowing tone.
'So that's my defense, make Tolbert look crazy?" I asked with a quirked brow.
"No, your defense will be that nobody saw you and Tolbert's charging you because he has a hatred for you, one that's been proven by the fact that he vandalized your business. Also, Jess told me that you were with her all night and that ya'll talked about her new pregnancy so that will be another large portion of your defense."
"I don't want Jessa up on the stand testifying for me." I quickly blurted out, shaking my head and makin' my golden-brown hair rustle wildly. A questioning look appeared in my lawyer's eyes, causing me to give the long explanation of, "Perry Cline'll go after her like a shark smellin' blood in the water for the cross-examination since she once had ties to Tolbert. They'll try to make her look like some kind of…I just don't want Jessa bein' torn apart by that slime ball McCoy lawyer."
John B. shook his head before giving me a slightly pointed look and telling me in a detached, but professional sounding tone, "Shaw, with all due respect I'm your lawyer and if I see it fit to your case, I will call your fiancé up on the witness stand."
Bastard, he can't do that. Jessa'll get dragged thru the mud and it's not worth it to free me. In these times a woman's reputation is everything and I don't want hers tarnished cause she made a dumb decision (taking Tolbert's too true to be offer) when she was 16-years old. Damnit, why won't he listen to me when I say she can't testify for me? He's supposed to be my lawyer, dumb bastard…
Cutting my honey eyes at the lawyer, I flatly ordered, "You can go now, John B. Just make sure to give Jessa that note."
"I'll be putting in a petition for your right to a quick and speedy trial, but with Perry Cline being Judge Wagner's friend I'm not sure if it'll get approved."
I just nodded at my lawyer before turning my back to him and going back over to my bunkbed. As I sat on the hard-wooden bottom bunk my lawyer exited the jailhouse.
AN:
Hope you guys liked this chapter. Is anyone shocked that Shaw doesn't want Jessa to testify on his behalf? Next up is the countersuit. With Tolbert, well drama with ensue.