Disguise And What I heard as a kid

October 2023 Challenge

Hannibal Heyes and Jed 'Kid' Curry tried to look casual as they walked out of a dark alley close to the telegraph/post office. They knew they had never robbed this town and the sheriff's name was unfamiliar. Still, they were only thirty miles from Denver after visiting Clementine Hale for a few days. Denver was large enough that there were bound to be people who would recognize the most successful outlaws in the west.

"Don't see anyone in there," Curry said, as he looked in through the window. "But I see two familiar wanted posters on the wall. 'Course mine is partially covered by one for He and Her."

Heyes pushed Curry back into the alley so they could talk. "He and Her, that the masked man and woman that are robbing all of them banks without any help? They say her eyes are so pretty everyone gets distracted until it's too late."

"Yeah, the one time there was a third person with them, he was found dead outside of town." Curry stood in the shadows in the front of the alley, eyes searching the street as he spoke.

"Paper yesterday said no one knows their real identities. Maybe the law will look for them instead of us. This going straight is hard," Heyes answered. "Telegraph office clear?"

"Yeah, no customers."

"Then let me see if there's a telegram from Lom waiting for us."

Curry was watching two ladies chattering away as they went in the dress shop across the street when Heyes hurried towards him, telegram in hand.

Sitting on a bench in front of the telegraph office, Curry asked hopefully, "Telegram from Lom?"

"No, Clem, and I don't understand it."

"Let me see. Boys, need help now," Curry read. "Well, that part makes sense. It looks like it got here about an hour ago."

"We left her this morning. What trouble could she be in already?" Heyes didn't seem too concerned but Curry read on.

"Life and death. Mine. Meet asap at green tree like witch."

"That's the part that doesn't make sense."

"Green tree like witch?" Curry questioned.

Smiling, Heyes said, "Think it's that tree down by the river about seven miles from her house. She was talking about it how it looked like a witch when we drove by it. You were there."

"I love Clem, but when she gets titterin' on and on about somethin' and keeps goin', I just don't listen no more."

Heyes took a deep breath and caught his cousin's eyes. "Do we go?"

"We don't have to. Maybe we didn't get the telegram." Curry hesitated a minute studying Heyes' face. "But we're gonna, right?"

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By the time they got to where they thought Clem might be, dusk was threatening.

"Heyes, I don't see anyone here looking like Clem." Curry was leaning against a tree, arms crossed, watching. "Only female I see is that girl in the green dress, but she's way too tall for Clem and her hair is short and lighter."

Heyes looked at the woman and let his eyes drift right on by. The Kid was right, too tall and she had the wrong color hair. But something about her brought his gaze back to her. She felt familiar. And she was looking around frantically.

"Kid, I think that is Clem." Heyes set out toward her. As soon as she saw him, she took a quick step, tottered, and almost fell. She walked slowly toward him.

"Clem?" Heyes asked.

"Shh. Shh. I'm Madeline; remember that." Taking his arm, she leaned heavily on him, and he caught a glimpse of the four-inch heels she was wearing. They walked toward Curry. He knew something was wrong by the way she kept looking around them. No one said a word until they were further in the trees.

"Clem, what's happening? Why the disguise?"

"I saw something today and now he's trying to kill me."

"Start at the beginnin'." Curry's patience was wearing thin, and he was hungry. Clem could talk in circles for hours and not say anything.

Heyes helped her sit on a log with her legs and the high heels straight out in front of her.

"After you left, I went into town and I saw her."

"Who her?" Curry demanded impatiently.

"Her her. Of He and Her. She was standing outside the mercantile and I was inside. She couldn't see me because of the way the light hit. She used the window as a mirror, and I saw her face as she was putting her mask on. Then she walked into the bank and people started screaming in there. He and she robbed it and shot a clerk." She stopped to take a breath.

"I didn't see them come out, but I saw her without her mask on the street a few minutes later. I told the deputy and he arrested her. I identified her. And I'm the only witness who saw her put on that mask." A tremble went through her body.

She had the men's interest now and she knew it. "I got to testify tomorrow morning in court against her."

"So why did you cut your hair and start wearing those shoes?" Heyes asked, but he thought he knew why.

"A masked man came to my house about an hour later. I'm sure it was He. He said he'd kill me if I testify tomorrow. He meant it. So, I needed a disguise. I cut my hair and put lemon juice on it and sat in the sun so it got lighter."

Each of the boys were now holding one of Clem's shaking hands. "I don't want to die but I need to testify. When I was a kid, I heard my father talking to his brother about how important it was to do his civic duty. I have to do this, even though I'm scared."

"You're sure it's Her?"

"Yes. Will you help me?"

Locking gazes for a second, Heyes answered for them both. "There's an abandoned line shack about five miles back. We'll spend the night there and you can work on walking in those shoes. Where did you find four-inch heels?"

"The saloon. I borrowed them from Miss Dixie for five dollars."

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The next morning, neither Heyes nor Curry wanted to go into the courtroom, but they did it for Clem. Curry went in first. Standing against the back wall, he searched each man's face for someone looking for Clem. He was sure that He would be here…and maybe try to kill her. Heyes escorted the tall Miss Madeline with short, light brown hair in through the side door and sat in the second row.

The night before, Curry had delivered a letter to the prosecutor Heyes had written about Miss Hale's altered appearance. And the threat she had received and what the two men thought would happen the next day.

Curry nodded when he saw Heyes and Clem. Moving to the shadows in the corner, he found the man he was looking for. The dark-haired man was nervously looking at each lady that arrived…and his hand wavered about his gun. Neither man sat down when the trial started. Curry edged over until he was standing next to the man he thought was He.

"Interesting trial," Curry whispered to the man. He didn't get an answer. He hadn't thought he would.

They stood side by side. The man never took his eyes off of Her. She gave her name as Adelaide, only Adelaide. And proclaimed her innocence. But now everyone had seen her face. In his opening speech, the prosecutor spoke of an eyewitness that had seen the lady don the mask.

The defending attorney made the comment that it seemed the eyewitness had not shown up in court so there was no evidence that Miss Adelaide was Her. The man beside Curry relaxed at those words. Until the prosecutor called Miss Clementine Hale to the stand.

Taking off the long coat that she donned to hide the heels she had worn in, Clem stood up, now wearing her own shoes. She ran her fingers through her short hair nervously as she approached the front.

Meanwhile, the man next to Curry slipped out the back door. Quietly, Curry followed him and watched him put on a mask. He drew his gun and opened the side door only enough to see. Before Clem could testify, he pointed his weapon at her.

"Hold it right there. That's my Colt in your back. You shoot her. I shoot you," Curry told him with a growl. Pushing the side door open, Curry forced the man forward into the courtroom. Two deputies moved to take the gun. With a nod to the attorney, Curry disappeared. In the confusion, Heyes left, too.

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After the trial ended, Clem, Heyes, and Curry sat around her table talking.

"So, Her, who is actually Adelaide Russell, was convicted of all the robberies and as an accessory to murder," Clem explained.

"Russell? As in the president of the bank Russell?"

"Yes. Evidently, her pa didn't like her choice of boyfriends and refused to let her marry him."

"Am I missing somethin'? He was her boyfriend, right?" asked Curry.

"He's an unemployed ranch hand that decided it was easier to rob banks than work. And he recruited Adelaide. She was upset enough with her father to join up with him."

"So, all's well?"

"She was convicted of the robberies and accessory to three murders. And he was convicted of the robberies and the murders. Both will be in prison until they are old and gray." Clem stood and cleared the plates from the table. She nervously pulled at her short, light hair as she said, "So, you two will be leaving again?"

Smiling, Heyes stood, pushed her hair down and kissed her. "Your hair looks cute. Fits you. And we are leaving now. Been here too long."

Curry pulled her away and gave her a strong embrace as he, too, kissed her goodbye.

She turned away and took a package off the counter. "Some food for the road. You know, the prosecutor said he wanted to thank you in person."

The partners looked at each other and grinned. "You'll just have to tell him he's welcome."