A/N: I do not own Bonanza, only my OC. I did tweak this episode just a little since it didn't make sense they brought in a new sheriff that you never saw again in later episodes. I also figured Hop Sing would have something to say about them missing dinner.

Tonight: A Girl Named George

Edited 2-19-21 to add line breaks.

All four Cartwrights, plus Candy sat in a row at the back of the courtroom for the coroner's inquest. Annie stared at Isham Troxel's back. The two bit, cheating gambler would get what he deserved. "Prisoner will rise," Judge Neeley called out, and Troxel stood. "You've been convicted by a jury of your peers of the murder of a Ponderosa cowhand name of Walter Finn Herrel, when he came to town to play a friendly game of stud poker and wound up getting himself killed. It is therefore ordered by this court that you, Isham Troxel, shall suffer the punishment of death by hanging, in the week commencing Sunday, September 6th, the year of our Lord 1868, and may God have mercy on your miserable soul." Troxel hung his head; his lawyer shot to his feet.

"Your Honor, my brother –"

"And let that be a lesson to any other scissor-bill that gets caught with an ace up their sleeve and tries to shoot their way out of it."

"Your Honor!" Neeley pounded his gavel on the desk.

"Court's adjourned!"

"I demand a hearing!" No one answered; the crowd whispered among themselves. "Don't worry, Ish, he won't get away with this." The bailiff, one of Roy's deputies, came over and took Troxel by the arm to lead him away. Annie exchanged glances with Joe on her right, then Candy on her left. Candy shrugged. Joe glared after Troxel.

They all stood and waited for the judge to make his way over. Annie adjusted her skirts; she may hate dressing up, but Walter had deserved the show of respect; it was all they could do for him now.

"Judge."

"Ben." They shook hands.

"Judge, how are you?" Joe shook hands, too. Her pa cleared his throat.

"When are you coming out to visit us again?"

"Not soon. I find that socializing after a hanging case isn't quite seemly for a man in public office, but I thank you kindly." It might have ended there, had Troxel's brother not inserted himself.

"I want a word with you, sir." His face broadcast nothing but disdain.

"The case is closed."

"If my brother dies because of that sentence of yours, you'll die, too. Just as sure as my name is Cato Troxel." Annie's eyebrows shot into her hairline. Now she was the first to admit, she'd said some things she shouldn't have over the years – usually when one of her brothers was locked up for some reason – but she'd never threatened a judge.

Sheriff, yes, judge, no.

"You're a bigger fool than I thought you were, Troxel. Making a threat like that in front of witnesses."

"I mean it, sir." Neeley studied him for a second.

"Then it'll be Troxel and Troxel on Boot Hill, instead of that new law office across the street." He turned to go, but Troxel wasn't finished.

"If my brother hangs, I'll kill you. And I won't end up on Boot Hill."

"I'm gonna let that last remark go by for two reasons: one, your blood brother just got sentenced to hang, which would naturally lather you up a mite. Second, because it's twelve o`clock noon and it's time for me to go home and eat my dinner. Fried chicken, Northern style," Neeley added, then left the courtroom.

Ben waved them all out, and they followed him to the street. "You think he means it, Pa?" She couldn't keep quiet another moment.

"I hope not." He rubbed his neck. "Let's get back to the ranch, give the boys the news about the verdict."

They were back in Virginia City with the full complement of Ponderosa cowhands to watch Isham Troxel hang the next Monday. No one present shed a single tear when Roy pulled the lever and the cardsharp lawyer paid for his crimes.

Not even his brother, and that worried Annie. Without an outlet, anger and grief could always be counted on to build up one dangerous head of steam.

Almost a week later, they gathered on the porch, enjoying one of the last warm days of the year, when Joe interrupted the quiet. "Hey, you know I think there's something wrong with me." Annie raised her head over the spine of the novel in her hands.

"You're just now figuring that out?" He threw her a look and strolled away from the hitch rail.

"I really do." Hoss looked up from his whittling. Their pa didn't even glance up from his paper. "Here I am, I'm a young man, I got a little money in the bank. I ought to want to go someplace, see something different."

"Like where?"

"I don't know, East? St. Louis, Kansas City … Cincinnati."

"Cincinnati? Why would you want to go there?" Hoss made a face.

"I don't want to go to Cincinnati, that's what I think's the matter with me." Annie looked at Hoss over her book and mouthed, okay. "I ought to want to go to Cincinnati but I like it here." Hoss sighed.

"Joe, there ain't no way to figure that mind of yours."

"I know what you mean, that's bothering me too."

"You're looking for something different," their pa spoke up. "And it's coming right over there." They turned and saw a wagon pulling into the yard behind a kid on a roan gelding. The kid jumped off his horse and hurried over.

"Howdy! Are you Mr. Ben Cartwright?" Annie blinked. She might look like a boy, but that voice was definitely a young girl, maybe late teens or early twenties. Ben stood and made his way over.

"That's right." The girl swung her arm in a come ahead gesture.

"It's him!" She grinned. "I should have known. They said you was a bossy-looking galoot." Annie and her brothers burst out laughing. "With one daughter and two sons, one fat and one pretty." Hoss stopped laughing instantly. Joe grinned.

"Yes, that's a fair description. This is Annie, and this is Hoss." He clapped a hand on Hoss's back. "The fat one." Annie held back a snort. "And this here's the pretty one, Joe." The girl looked over her shoulder at Joe with an interested smile. "And who are you?"

"Well, I'm George. And that's my uncle Enos." Joe looked at them, mouthing George behind her back.

"Enos Blessing, at your service." The man walked over, spewing his hat off his head, carrying a slab of something tucked under his arm.

"Hello, Mr. Blessing."

"How do you do, sir?" They shook hands. "I am here to remind you of your mortality." He pulled the slab from under his arm, set it on the table where Ben had been reading his paper. "Someday, a stone like this is going to mark your final resting place." He scribbled the name Cartwright on the slab with chalk.

"Well, there's a happy subject just before supper."

"Sad, ain't it, mister? But one of these days these boys and your daughter are gonna have to buy you a stone just like that one." George said.

"Don't you believe it, Pa. We'd never let you down like that," Joe protested.

"Yeah, Pa, we'll buy you an expensive one."

"Great big." Joe spread his arms out for emphasis. Annie snorted.

"I'll keep them in line, Pa, don't you worry."

"Thank you very much, it's really very touching, your concern for me, but I feel rather hale and hearty at the moment, and don't think I can use one of those just yet." Annie snickered, the sound bitten off to keep from morphing into a full on laugh when she caught sight of George's face. Joe glanced to his right and finally noticed the girl staring up at him like a wolf might eye its supper.

"Exactly! What could a cold stone say of this handsome gentleman? Could it speak of his warm smile, his upright character, his manly appearance? Certainly not." Enos Blessing smiled. "What he needs is a different kind of memorial."

"You know, you're right." Annie hopped off the bench and turned her book over to hold her place. "You're absolutely right." The man beamed. "And he's got one." The smile fell like a rock slide. "The three of us – we will be his memorial." Four if you counted Adam, but he was long gone and not likely to come back.

"That's right, Pa." Hoss agreed

"Don't you forget it," Joe added. Ben shook his head with a half smile.

"Yes, indeed, you will be. But what kind of different memorial were you thinking of?"

"Well, I figured a photograph." Ben nodded. Hoss looked confused.

"A photograph?"

"Like a tintype, only it's a new process, isn't it?"

"Quit right, sir, a veritable likeness, produced by the chemical action of light on paper sensitized by the mysterious properties of precious metals to reproduce his very image. George?" Annie nearly swallowed her tongue. The girl was still standing next to Joe, staring up at him like a cat with a new bowl of cream. "George," he called again. "The samples." She started.

"Oh." She hurried back to the wagon, turning to look back over her shoulder at Joe. Annie caught her brother's eye and smirked. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Is George, uh …"

"George is my niece."

"Oh."

"Is that where you do your work?" Ben gestured at the wagon, throwing her a warning glance over Blessing's shoulder.

"Yes, sir, that is my traveling, portable dark room. I've just opened a new studio in Virginia City."

"Have you?"

"Enos Blessing, Portraits in silver. George, if you please." His niece brought him a stack of thin pages and they all crowded around for a look. "Let me show you some of my work. Vice President of the Union Pacific." Ben nodded. "Ship's captain." Joe took that one, his smile slipping when George pressed up against him again, peeking over his shoulder at the photograph she must have seen a hundred times already. Annie bit her tongue to keep from cackling like her twin.

"Sheriff."

"Very good." She peered over her pa's shoulder. It was good, not dark like some tintypes she'd seen.

"Oh, how did this get in here, George? Horse thief," he clarified.

"A horse thief," Joe laughed, the sound losing all amusement when he found George staring at him again. Oh, she could not wait for these people to leave so the teasing could begin.

"You know what, Pa? We could frame you and hang you right up over the fireplace." Hoss grinned.

"You know, what you should do is get one taken of all of you and hang them up together," George put in.

"Exactly," Blessing smiled like a master horse trader. "A father and his children, what an inspiring subject. I could do it right in front of the house. As a matter of fact, I could even throw in a group picture of all of your ranch hands."

"Hey, you know the fellas would like that." Joe looked like what he would like right now was anything that would get George away from him faster. Hoss grimaced.

"Right now? It's suppertime."

"Oh, no, that would be tomorrow, when the light's better." He paused. "Uh, that is, if you would bed me down for the night."

"I think we ought to do it, Pa." Hoss grinned.

"Not a bad idea," Annie added. Ben nodded thoughtfully.

"Of course, we could put you up in the bunkhouse, and we've got a spare room for your niece."

"No, no thank you, George has to go back to town for some supplies." Blessing gestured to her and she reluctantly – very reluctantly – left Joe's side to follow her uncle. Joe shivered slightly and joined them. Annie gave him a wicked grin and he raised one eyebrow.

"These are nice, aren't they?" Ben mused. "Annie, stop tormenting your brother."

"I didn't say a word, Pa."

"You don't have to." He studied the photographs. "After twenty-eight years, I can read your mind." Joe snickered. "I can read yours too, Joseph."

"She started it, Pa."

"And she'll finish it, too, so I suggest you both drop it." Joe shrugged.

"Yes, Pa," they replied in unison.

Annie would have busted a gut laughing at the sight of her twin gussied up in a nice blue suit that hadn't seen the light of day since last year's Christmas party, but she'd have to bust the corset first. At least she wore it loose enough she could do it up herself. She looked down at her dress. Come to think of it, her outfit hadn't been out of the trunk in at least as long as Joe's suit.

At least their pa looked every inch the dignified, prosperous rancher. The thought that one day, all they'd have of him would be these photographs sent a stab of pain through her chest. God willing, they wouldn't have to think of that for a good many years, maybe even decades if they were lucky.

George scurried around behind them, adjusting the braces that held their heads in place. Blessing came out from under the black drape over his camera. "There, now I'm all ready, just waiting for Mr. Hoss."

"Where's Hoss?" Ben hissed. "Hurry up, Hoss," he called over his shoulder.

"Oh, now we can't hurry this, this is going to take all morning."

"All morning?"

"Well, yes. This is a complicated chemical process. I've got to prepare every one of these plates in the darkroom before I can expose them." Ben sighed. Annie caught a glimpse of George leaning down closer to Joe and smelling his hair before the girl went back to her uncle's side. Brother and sister exchanged dubious looks. The front door opened and Hoss appeared to a chorus of cheers from the assembled ranch hands. He hurried over to the bench and sat down, still adjusting his coat.

"What took you so long?"

"Well, I figured if we were gonna get our picture took, I didn't want to look like no saddle tramp so I been in there getting duded up."

"Hm."

"Well, get him posed, George." She headed their way again and Joe flinched. Annie nudged him in the ribs, a wicked gleam lighting her eyes. He huffed in annoyance. Their pa's elbow landed in her ribs and she offered a contrite smile that died as soon as he returned his attention to Hoss.

"Just loosen up now, Mr. Hoss, you're stiffer than a hardshell deacon. All of you are." She finished and went back to Blessing.

"I wish I'd settled for that tombstone, I'll tell you that." Joe hummed agreement.

"Alright now, look this way everybody, I want you to watch George." The girl started dancing around behind the camera like she had ants down her britches. "That's good, now smile. Hold it." He squeezed the bulb in his hand, taking the first of what turned out to be many pictures.

All four of them. Ben sitting with Annie standing beside him, her hand on his shoulder. Joe and Hoss together, Joe and Ben, Hoss and Ben, Annie and her brothers, one of just her and Joe, then all of them by themselves.

Candy, finally back from checking line shacks, rode up just as Blessing took the last – at least she hoped it was the last – photograph, of Joe by himself. Candy dismounted and strolled over to Joe, laughing all the way.

"Ha, ha, ha, what's so funny?" Her twin hopped off the bench. "What's funny?" Candy gestured at his suit between laughs. "Oh, you think it's funny I get my picture taken? You're gonna get your picture taken now."

"Oh, who's this?" Blessing poked his head out from under the drape.

"Considering the trouble he can get into, you might as well consider him part of the family."

"Really? Is that a common occurrence?"

"You have no idea," Annie muttered, fiddling with her lace gloves. The dang things itched like burlap. Candy's eyes drifted over her and a slow grin spread over his face.

"Dig that get-up out of mothballs, sweetheart?"

"Maybe."

"George, get over there and pose him too, what's your name, mister? I think we need a picture of all four of them, Mr. Cartwright, your children and their best friend, from the sound of things, unless I miss my guess."

"It's Candy." He didn't look too pleased about the prospect, but a discreet nod from Ben had him sitting on the bench with the others. "I'm beginning to wish I rode out while I had the chance," he muttered under his breath.

"Only if you take me with you," Annie muttered back. His gaze swept over her fancy green dress.

"That rig would spook the horse." She slapped his arm and he chuckled.

"Hold it!" She plastered a smile on her face, sweat dripping down her back under the corset. As soon as this was over with, she planned on offering the blasted thing to Hop Sing in place of kindling for the kitchen stove. "Very nice, just one more, please? I want one of your lovely daughter and Candy here, if you could just stand behind him like you did with your pa, Ms. Cartwright." She moved to comply, hoping this really would be the last one. "Thank you, now hold it." He squeezed the bulb. "Excellent. Now, Mr. Cartwright, don't forget, I promised you a picture of all your cowhands and all your visitors, everybody, complimentary, no charge."

"Thought that's what complimentary meant," Annie whispered to Candy when he stood up.

"Guess he thinks not everybody knows that." They made their way over to the group of hands gathering around her pa and brothers. Annie slipped into line on Ben's right side, tugging Candy into place beside her. It was only fair he be right up front considering all he'd done for them.

"Alright, everybody hold it!" Blessing squeezed the bulb. "Perfect!"

As soon as Blessing drove his wagon out of the yard, Annie rushed upstairs to change out of the dress and back into her regular clothes. She sighed with relief and tossed the corset back into the trunk, then picked up her brush and took her hair down from the fancy updo her pa had insisted was only proper for a young lady.

Her stomach growled, reminding her they'd missed dinner, which had infuriated Hop Sing. Even being part of the group picture hadn't smoothed the cook's ruffled feathers. There was only one thing that would, and considering Hoss' appetite, that shouldn't be a problem.

The man in question was waiting for them when they finally sat down at the table, arms crossed over his chest, and a frown on his face. "Hop Sing slave away over hot stove all morning and you not eat! Good dinner go to waste! Should throw out for pigs, they appreciate more!"

"Now, Hop Sing, it couldn't be helped. We'll eat it, I promise."

"Humph." He stomped into the kitchen without another word, returning with several platters of now cold food. "Eat every bite or Hop Sing go back to China," he proclaimed, and disappeared back into the kitchen, muttering in Chinese.

They'd just finished the meal when a hard-ridden horse pulled up out in the yard. Heavy pounding rattled the front door. Ben hurried over and opened it, admitting Milo, one of Roy's deputies. "What's wrong?"

"Judge Neeley. His wife found him dead in their barn this afternoon."

"Dead?"

"What happened?"

"Was it Cato Troxel?" They all spoke at once.

"I don't know anymore than what I just told you. You heard Troxel threaten the judge, so Roy needs all of you to be at the coroner's inquest tomorrow morning."

"We'll be there." Ben's voice was hard as flint.

Annie wrinkled her handkerchief as Mrs. Neeley gave her testimony. The poor woman. Bad enough her husband had been murdered, but to have found him herself … there was no easing that kind of hurt.

"Just one more question, Mrs. Neeley. What time was it when you discovered the body of your husband?"

"Well, I can't say exactly, Doc, but I think I can come to it through my fried chicken." Fried chicken? "I give my chicken a good forty to forty-five minutes. Put it on about half past eleven, cause he adjourns his court right at noon, then it takes him ten minutes to come home, feed his horse, then he washes up and sits down at a quarter past." Her lips quivered. "I mean he used to. Anyway, my chicken was just about done when I heard him come riding up. And uh, he didn't come in, and he didn't come in …" She wiped her eyes with a soggy handkerchief. "So I went out to see what was keeping him and … there he was." Her face puckered and tears slid down her cheeks. "Fried chicken was his favorite."

"Then you would say he was shot a few minutes after twelve o`clock noon?" She nodded through her tears. "Thank you, that's all, Mrs. Neeley." She left the stand and went back to her seat. Annie reached out and squeezed her hand as she passed. A watery smile came in return. "Ben Cartwright, will you take the stand?"

Annie focused on Troxel's back, the arrogant set of his shoulders. She'd seen that stance before. The man thought he held a full hand of aces. She couldn't wait for his house of cards to be blown to smithereens.

"On Tuesday, September 1st, did you overhear a conversation between Judge Neeley and Mr. Cato Troxel?"

"I did."

"Would you like to tell us about it?"

"It happened right over there." Ben pointed to the rear of the courtroom. "I heard Cato Troxel threaten Judge Neeley. He said that if his brother was hanged, he'd kill Judge Neeley."

"That's all, Ben, thank you."

"Just a minute." Troxel stood up, a smug grin plastered across his face. "Acting as my own attorney, I'd like to ask the witness a couple of questions, if I may?"

"I guess it's your right."

"Thank you, sir." He glanced down, the back up. "Mr. Cartwright, yesterday a man named Enos Blessing came to your ranch and took a group photograph of you, your cowhands, and all your visitors." Annie and Joe looked at each other. How did he know that and what did it have to do with anything?

"That's right."

"At what time was that group photograph taken?"

"A little after twelve noon, I guess." Troxel smirked.

"Well, then, anybody who was at the Ponderosa when that group photograph was taken couldn't possibly have shot Judge Neeley." Ben looked confused.

"Well, no."

"Don't you remember seeing me there at twelve noon or a little after?" What? Annie stared at her brother in shock. What was Troxel trying to pull? He hadn't been there, any one of their hands could confirm that – and they would once they found out what was going on.

"I certainly did not."

"Well, you were facing the camera at the time the photograph was taken, all your visitors were lined up behind you."

"Yes."

"Then I could have been there and you might not have seen me."

"Why would you want to come to the Ponderosa?" Ben's voice rose. Troxel was pushing his luck.

"I came to make you an offer on your Lake Tahoe property." He had not! Annie's blood boiled and she squeezed her handkerchief in white-knuckled fingers.

"Mr. Coroner, he did not make me any offer on my Lake Tahoe property."

"Well, you were so busy, I thought it better to come back another day."

"No, sir, he didn't make any –"

"That'll be all, thank you." Troxel's smug grin spread even wider. If only she could put a bullet in him, right here and now. "Mr. Coroner, may I testify on my own behalf?" The coroner turned to her pa.

"That'll be all, Mr. Cartwright." Her pa shook his head and came back to rejoin them. "You may take the stand now, Mr. Troxel. Do you swear to tell the truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do." That lazy southern drawl sounded almost mocking. He sat down in the chair and crossed his legs at the knee. "Gentlemen, I'd like to make a statement for the record. Yesterday, a few minutes after twelve noon, I was at the Ponderosa when the group photograph was made, and the photograph will prove it."

"You are in the photograph?"

"I was. Consequently, I couldn't have been in Judge Neeley's stable at the same time." The coroner frowned.

"Where is this photograph now?" Troxel's brow furrowed. Annie wrung her handkerchief. How did he think he was going to pull this off? He wasn't there.

"Well, I don't rightly know, I suppose Mr. Blessing has it." And how did he know they'd had photographs made yesterday in the first place? She looked at Joe, who shook his head.

"This hearing is adjourned to the photographer's place. The jury, the witnesses, and the prisoner will come along with me." He pounded his gavel on the desk. Annie stood and followed everyone else out into the street. The crowd swarmed into Blessing's little shop and the man himself met them with a confused frown wrinkling his brow.

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm Doctor Martin, the coroner. We're holding a hearing on the death of Judge Neeley."

"Oh, yes, I heard about that." Who hadn't? They filled the small room near to bursting before the coroner turned again to Blessing.

"Now, did you take some photographs yesterday at the Ponderosa?"

"Why, yes, sir, I did."

"I'd like you to produce them for the inspection of the jury, please."

"Oh, well, those are the property of Mr. Cartwright." He gestured past the coroner's shoulder at her pa.

"Mr. Blessing, I wish you would produce those photographs." The man nodded and went over to a cabinet and retrieved them.

"The one you made about noon yesterday, the group photograph." Blessing flipped through the stack.

"Ah, here it is." He offered it to the coroner. The man examined it, then looked over at Troxel before heading over to the jury. The picture made the rounds of the room, finally coming to them. Ben grabbed it and they looked down. Annie felt her eyes widen.

What was going on? How had Troxel gotten himself in the picture? He hadn't been there, she would have seen him!

"Well, sir?"

"Oh, you're in it alright. Gentlemen of the jury, it looks like our verdict is clear: death at the hands of an unknown party." Troxel stood.

"Well, I guess you won't be needing me any further."

"No."

"Thank you, sir." He made his way across the room, stopping in front of her pa. "Thank you, Mr. Cartwright, for furnishing me with an alibi. Good day gentlemen, and lady." He tipped his hat to Annie and left them all staring in his wake.

Back at home, they leafed through the pictures Blessing had taken. Joe paced back and forth. "I wish we'd never seen that photographer. Gave Troxel a perfect alibi."

"Well, Joe, if Troxel's innocent, I'm glad we did see the photographer, I'd hate to see an innocent man hang."

"Well, I say he's guilty."

"There is he, right there in the picture," Hoss said, holding it out to them.

"But he wasn't there!" Annie spit. "I never saw him and I looked around before everybody lined up." Their pa came over and took the picture.

"Did you show it to all the hands?" Joe asked.

"Yes, and no one remembers seeing him."

"What about the men in the back from the Double H? What if we went over to talk to them? Maybe they know something."

"Joe, what's that gonna do if he was here, and he's right there in the picture."

"Hoss, he wasn't there." Annie flung her hands out. "He wasn't at the Ponderosa yesterday, not at noon, or anytime that morning."

"That says he was." Joe flung the picture on the table.

"So he was here." He turned away, then whipped back around. "Wait a minute, what if Judge Neeley's wife was mistaken about the time he came home? Look, she testified she was in the kitchen, there was a lot of noise, suppose he got home at eleven thirty instead of twelve fifteen, he'd have had plenty of time to ride back out here."

"Joe, Joe. Everybody knows that Judge Neeley was a man of habit, he was punctual. At twelve o` clock sharp, he shut his court, at twelve fifteen he was home having dinner, at one-thirty he was opening court again, people set their clock by him."

"Maybe he was here," Annie said. "But that doesn't mean he couldn't have hired someone to do it for him."

"There's plenty of guns for hire in Virginia City." Joe's eyes burned.

"And what are you going to do? Are you going to go around to everybody that wears a gun and say did Cato Troxel hire you to kill Jude Neeley, is that what you're going to do?"

"No, I'm going to go talk to Cato Troxel."

"What do you think he's going to tell you he wouldn't tell the jury?" Annie crossed her arms over her chest.

"Maybe the coroner went about it the wrong way. I guarantee you I can make him talk."

"Oh, how? With your fists?"

"If I have to."

"Oh, good, by all means use your fists. Why don't you try using your head sometime, you might eventually get somewhere." The door opened.

"Well, go on, start swinging." Candy stood near the door, a grin on his face. "Haven't seen a good fight in weeks."

"You won't see one now, either." Joe threw him a dark glare.

"We're having a family talk, is that any of your business?"

"Joe!" Annie slapped his arm. Candy's brows rose.

"No, not at all."

"Why don't you stay out of it? Go take a ride or something."

"You mean you're not extending the famous Cartwright hospitality?" Annie was the only one watching him closely, and the only one who saw the shadow cross his eyes. He might sound like he was joking around, but she'd bet her new saddle Joe's remark had stung worse than a kick from a mule. Joe just looked at him, that familiar look of wounded pride and disgust he'd always get when someone – usually her – proved his idea wasn't as good as he thought it was.

Candy sighed and threw up his hands. "Alright." He walked over. "The boys said the pictures were here. I'll just take a look and leave." Ben handed him the pictures he was in. Candy looked through them. "Not bad, are they? You look real nice in that dress, sweetheart." He came to the group photograph and smiled, looked up briefly and found no one else smiling. "Well, go on with your family discussion." He ambled over to the chair near the clock and sat down. "Were the boys resisting one of your fatherly lectures, Mr. Cartwright?"

"Don't you include Annie in that?" Joe's tone could freeze water in the desert.

"She's got sense enough to listen, on the rare occasion a lecture is necessary." Ben frowned.

"I'm not in the habit of giving fatherly lectures. And if I do, it's possibly because they need it. Might have been a good idea if your father had given you a few." Candy looked up from studying the picture.

"Oh, he did."

"Well, obviously, they didn't have much effect."

"Oh, yes, they did." Candy stared at them over top of the picture. "I left home." They all looked at him in silence, Annie tallying one more elusive fact into the mental notebook that was his past. He went back to studying the picture. A frown crossed his face and he sat up. "I can understand how Troxel got into the picture."

"How?"

"But I can't understand how he got this shadow on the side of his face."

"What are you talking about?" Annie wanted to shove Joe, how could he be so dismissive?

"Well, you got a funny kind of sun on the Ponderosa because it casts shadows in two different directions at once."

"That's impossible." Candy stood and held out the picture.

"I don't want to give any fatherly lectures, but that's a shadow, isn't it?" He pointed at Troxel's face.

"Yes, it is," Ben agreed.

"Well, do you see any on anyone else's face?" Ben took the picture and studied it, his face creasing with a frown.

"That's funny, isn't it?" Candy chuckled.

"If you think that's funny, you should have seen what happened to me in St. Louis once." He paused. "A fella was doing a couple tintypes of me. He was new at the business and got mixed up and he put both pictures on the same picture. And I came out looking like twins."

"What's that got to do with Cato?" Hoss asked. Candy shrugged.

"I didn't say it had anything to do with Cato, I just thought I'd throw it into the pot of interesting information."

Two pictures on one plate? Annie's mind spun. If it could be done accidentally … "Candy." She looked to her pa. "You said this fella made two pictures of you on the same picture?"

"Same picture. He called it a double exposure."

"An experienced photographer would know about potential mistakes, wouldn't he? He'd know what caused them, and maybe, how to do it on purpose?" Annie's voice rose in excitement. "Think, Pa, how did Troxel know we'd had Blessing take pictures in the first place? What if he set this whole thing up just so he could have an alibi?"

"It's possible." Ben shook his head. "Why couldn't he do it on purpose, if it can be done on accident?"

Hoss pout his hands on his hips. "I think somebody better have a talk with Troxel, ask him some questions."

"No, not yet."

"Well, what are we gonna do?"

"Let me think for just a minute, will you?" Ben strode away from the table, rubbing the back of his neck. "If this is a photographic trick, there are two people involved in this murder: Mr. Troxel, and the photographer. Now, let's take Mr. Troxel, he's got a legal mind, he thinks things through very carefully. He'd be prepared for almost any eventuallity.

"Now, our photographer friend, Mr. Blessing, is a different kind of man. I think he could be persuaded to help us out." Joe huffed.

"Well, Pa, what are we waiting for?"

"For me to finish this lecture and for you to get the horses ready. Let's get." They all scrambled to their feet and shot out the door. Ten minutes later, they were on the way to Virginia City.

They rode in and separated, Hoss and Candy going over to the saloon, and Annie going into Blessing's shop with Joe and their pa. George was hammering something on the wall when they went in.

"George?" She turned.

"Well, hello, Mr. Cartwright. Can I help you?"

"I was looking for your uncle, is he around?"

"Oh, no, sir, he's out at the Carson City cutoff, making some pictures."

"Ah." Ben walked over to the wall she'd been hammering on. "He sure makes some nice ones, doesn't he?" George beamed.

"He sure does. Had to put that one up cause everyone was coming in and asking to see it." Joe wandered over to the other side of the shop, studying a wall of displayed photographs. George's eyes followed him and Annie bit her tongue to keep from snorting. She must have made some tiny sound; Joe glanced back, then past her, a look of barely concealed dismay flitting across his face.

"Tell you what George. George?"

"Hmm?" The poor girl had it bad, that was for sure.

"You tell your uncle I'd like to have one of these for every single person in it." Her grin threatened to split her face.

"I sure will! I'll tell him the minute he gets back!"

"Yeah." Joe stepped away from the wall. "The hands were all real pleased the picture turned out so good. We have one fella, had a picture taken in St. Louis, it was terrible! He had two heads and everything." George laughed.

"Double exposure. Must have been a beginner." The Cartwrights exchanged silent looks. "Uncle Enos doesn't make mistakes like that."

"We'd better be getting alone. Tell your Uncle Enos we were in and we'll see him again."

"Sure."

"Bye, George." Joe hurried after their pa. Annie bit her lip to hide a smile. George would build a million dreams on those two words.

They collected their horses and made their way over to the saloon. Candy and Hoss waited outside. "Well," Ben started, "Enos is out in the country, George'll tell him we want to see him. Boys, how about we head over to the courthouse and finish up that business deal? Annie, you stay here, as soon as you see Enos come back, get us."

"Right, Pa."

"What about me, Mr. Cartwright?"

"You watch for Troxel, I don't want him getting to Blessing before we do."

"You got it."

It wasn't even five minutes after they entered the courthouse, that Troxel stepped out onto the boardwalk in front of his office. Candy slid back into the alley behind their position, tugging her along with him. Together, they watched Troxel disappear into Blessing's shop, then come back out not even three minutes later, get on his horse, and ride off. They looked at each other.

"What do you want to bet George just told him something she shouldn't have?"

"I ain't touching that one, sweetheart. Let's go." Candy took off into the street and collided with a portly man who smelled like he'd taken his Sunday bath in whiskey instead of water. Annie fought the urge to gag, it smelled so strong.

"Oh, who do you think you're bumping into?" The man grabbed Candy by his vest and hauled him upright.

"Let me go, Roscoe, I got –"

"Oh, how did you know my name?" Candy staggered, would have fallen if the man hadn't caught him. "How did you – Candy? Oh, my old friend, Candy!" Roscoe slapped him on the back. "How you doing, Candy?"

"I'm in a hurry, Roscoe!" He tried to pull free, but Roscoe, though drunk, was stronger than he looked.

"Hey, I want your unvarnished opinion of me." Good, the liquor was so strong it would strip the varnish off anything else.

"You're a good citizen, Roscoe, now I've got to go."

"Oh, there's a little apple-knocker in there says I am a big, fat liverwurst. He's drunk, he's belligerent, and he wants to fight."

"Well, go ahead and fight him, but let me go." Candy tried to pull free again, but Roscoe wouldn't let go.

"Now, Candy." Candy huffed out a tired sigh.

"I'm sorry." He drove a fist into Roscoe's ample belly and the man doubled over with a loud moan worthy of any roped steer. Candy grabbed her arm and they hurried away.

"Why is everybody so unfriendly?" Candy shook his head.

"How do you know him?"

"Poker."

"He always like that?"

"Pretty much." They rushed the rest of the way to the courthouse, met Ben and the boys on the steps.

"Well?"

"Troxel went into the photographer's place. When he came back out, he mounted up and headed south."

"South? Could be the Carson City cutoff, that's where Enos is. Let's go."

"We'll get our horses and join you." Annie ran back down the street, Candy right on her heels.

"Candy, old buddy!" Candy threw up his hands and kept going. She untied Reno and vaulted into the saddle, spinning the grulla around in time to see Roscoe waylay Candy again. "I been waiting for you!" She bit back a grin at the expression on Candy's face. "Tell you what, if you'll whip this little stinker for me, I'll buy a bottle and a couple of girls, and we'll have a time! Hee hee!"

"Sorry, Roscoe. Later." Candy brought his foot up and pushed the man backwards; Roscoe stumbled and landed in the street with a puff of dust. Candy spun his chestnut; she pushed Reno into a lope.

The five of them rode out to the Carson City cutoff with no sign of trouble along the way. Not until they drew rein next to Blessing's wagon and found the man lying dead next to his camera.

"I should have followed him," Candy said softly.

"You might be dead, too, if you had." Ben dismounted. "Let's get him in his wagon."

"He's not going to get away with this."

"We'll stop him, Annie." Ben sighed. "I'm not sure how just yet, but there's got to be a way."

Joe slammed his hand down on Roy's desk. "Cato Troxel killed Mr. Blessing, the same as the judge, I'll stake my life on it."

"Joe, I can't arrest a man without evidence, and there ain't a shred. You heard the verdict: death at the hand of a person or persons unknown. Motive: robbery. Enos had a thousand in gold on him."

"Who knew that?" Annie crossed her arms over her chest. "I wouldn't think it a very common assumption that any random man is going to have that much on him at any given time." Ben shot her a warning look.

"Any clues at all, sheriff?" Candy fingered his hat. Roy leaned forward.

"I ain't had any sleep for three days. Any of you think you can do any better, why throw on a star." He reached down and yanked open a desk drawer, threw a handful of badges on the desk.

"Now, Roy, nobody's criticizing you."

"I'm doing the best I can Ben."

"We understand."

"How did his niece hold up at the funeral?" Hoss sighed.

"Well as can be expected under the circumstances."

"She certainly did, fine young girl." Ben sigehd. "Bout time I called on her." The words, she'd rather have Joe, almost slipped out of her mouth, but Annie managed to keep the remark locked behind her teeth. Now was not the time for teasing anybody. "Get you a good night's sleep, Roy. You're not the first peace officer with an unsolved murder on his hands." He nodded at them and they all filed out of the sheriff's office with muted good-byes to Roy.

"You want us to come with you, Pa?"

"No, I'll see you back at the ranch."

"You sure?"

"Yes, go on. I'll be back before supper." Ben led Buck down the street to Blessing's shop. The four of them exchanged looks. Hoss shrugged.

"We best get home, I reckon. Let's go." They all mounted up and rode out of town, Candy trailing. The boys didn't seem to notice anything amiss, but he looked … down. She held her tongue until they reached the house and the boys took the horses to the barn. Candy headed for the bunkhouse.

"Joe didn't mean anything by it, you know."

"Hmm?" Candy turned around just inside the door. "You mean the family discussion?" He shrugged. "Didn't bother me, I know my place." He smiled as he said it, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I've got work to do so if you don't mind?" He gestured at the door. Annie stared at him a moment longer, then turned and swept out the door, slamming it with a sharp bang, and stalked into the house, closing that door with a hard slam as well.

"What going on here?" Hop Sing ran out of the kitchen, cleaver in one hand, a chunk of beef in the other. "Hop Sing no can cook when spices falling off shelves into stew."

"I'm sorry, Hop Sing, do you want me to come help?" The little cook's eyes narrowed.

"You know I no let you in kitchen since you and Mistah Joe rearrange everything in cupboards."

"We were six."

"Plenty old enough know better!" He shook the cleaver for emphasis, then vanished back into his closely guarded domain. Annie sighed. He was never going to forget about that, was he? She sat down in front of the fireplace and stared at the neatly stacked logs, ready and waiting for a cold night.

Joe really needed to watch his mouth, they couldn't afford to lose a hand as good as Candy. He'd made a few comments about moving on lately as it was. How they'd talked him out of it at Sand Dust was beyond her.

She was still sitting on the sofa when Ben came back, the boys and Candy following him into the house, all talking a mile a minute. She sat bolt upright when one name reached her ears and scrambled off the sofa.

"Troxel's in jail? How?"

"Mr. Blessing caught him for us."

"How?" Ben unwrapped the thin package in his hands and Annie drew in a sharp breath. There, in black and white, was perfect evidence of murder. The camera had even caught the puff of smoke from the muzzle of Troxel's gun as he fired the fatal shot.

"One photograph cleared him, the other will convict him. Judge Neeley was right, it'll be Troxel and Troxel on Boot Hill."