Come the Spring by Julie Garwood Page A

dog, Sloan obeyed the command. He grabbed the nearest chair and fell into it.
    â€œYou have caused considerable trouble, Sheriff,” Rebecca said. “Because of you, people in this town believe there was a witness to the robbery and murders at the bank. I read the article in the paper. So did everyone else. You were quoted numerous times. Do you have any idea what you’ve done? If the men who murdered all those people read the
Rockford Falls Gazette
or hear the rumors
you
started, they’ll come back here and kill Jessica and Grace and me. My God, don’t you realize what those fiends are capableof? They’ve already killed other women. They certainly wouldn’t think twice about killing three more.”
    â€œMa’am, I wouldn’t fret about the Blackwater gang coming back here. They’ve probably left the territory by now.”
    His cavalier attitude infuriated her. “Witnesses don’t last long,” she cried out. “Everyone knows what happened to that poor man in Middleton. I believe those murderers killed his wife too, didn’t they? If either Grace or Jessica had been in the bank during the holdup, do you honestly think she’d admit it? She’d be signing her death warrant.”
    â€œI’m real sorry about your situation,” Sloan said. He blushed with embarrassment. “I wouldn’t worry about the gang reading our little paper, though. No one outside Rockford reads the
Gazette,”
he added in a halfhearted attempt to placate her. “And I didn’t have a choice about the interview. That reporter was hounding me for details, and I am the authority in this town. I had a duty to tell him what I knew, but all I remember saying was that the marshals happened to find a purse under one of the desks. He jumped to his own conclusions.”
    After giving his explanation, Sloan stood up and excused himself. “I promised a lady friend that we’d go out walking, and she’s waiting for me inside. Did you need me to hang around, Marshal Ryan?”
    â€œNo,” Ryan answered.
    Rebecca waited until Sloan left the porch with the silly little woman giggling on his arm before continuing. “The sheriff showed all of us the purse. It doesn’t belong to me. I never carry one,” she added. “May I leave now? I really would like to go to bed. It’s been an exhausting day.”
    â€œI don’t have any other questions at the moment,” Ryan said. He closed his notepad and looked at Cole. “Do you?”
    â€œJust one,” Cole answered. “How long will you be staying in town?”
    â€œUntil the day after tomorrow when the coach comes through again.”
    Ryan offered Rebecca his hand to help her stand. She looked startled by the gentlemanly gesture and hesitantly took hold of him.
    â€œYou aren’t going to bother Jessica and Grace tonight, are you? It’s already well after eight,” she said. “They were both so weary this afternoon. Neither one of them is feeling well,” she added. “You should let them get a good night’s sleep before you hound them with questions. Good night, gentlemen.”
    They watched her walk away. Each was lost in his own thoughts until she paused in the doorway and looked at them again. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Because she had been as cool as ice during the questioning, the emotional display surprised them.
    â€œAre you ever going to catch those horrible men? Do you have any leads at all? The sheriff told me you didn’t, but I was hoping he was wrong.”
    Ryan’s shoulders slumped. “No, we don’t have any leads now, but that could change.”
    â€œOne thing’s certain,” Cole interjected. “We will catch them. It’s only a matter of time. You can count on it.”
    â€œYes, of course you’ll catch them,” she said. “If you think of any other questions, I’ll be here.”
    Once