The Blacksmith's Daughter: A Mystery of the American Revolution by Suzanne Adair Page A

over me, and people were shouting and running about, and
the Sheridans' house was afire."
    Another uncomfortable,
Fairfax-induced silence ensued while the lieutenant's gaze roamed Tom's
clothing and profile.   "Were you
injured anywhere beside your head, Mr. Alexander?"
    "No."
    "Any bruises or scratches on
your shoulders, neck, or arms?"
    "No."
    "And that's the clothing you
were wearing this morning when you were knocked out.   Allow me a look at that knot on your head.   Here is where you were hit?   Ah, yes."   Fairfax fingered the back of his own head.   "I know exactly how much that must pain
you."   He meandered to the other
side of the room, turned about, and faced Tom, triumphant.   "Let's go over this again.   What did you see when you arrived at the
Sheridans' house this morning at approximately four-thirty?"
    "I told you I didn't see
anything."
    "You also said you were struck
by a falling object.   A limb, you
conjecture.   Were you bending over to
examine something on the ground when it hit you?"
    "No."
    "Then you weren't hit by a
falling limb.   Mr. Sweeney and Mr.
Cochrane told me there was nothing on the ground around you such as branches or
limb debris to substantiate your claim that you were struck by a falling
limb.   Furthermore, you received no
injury to your upper body or damage to your clothing, common when a limb falls
on a person.   And there is a clearing in
the overhead foliage above where you were found.   No limbs or branches could have fallen on you at that spot.
    "Your injury was caused from a
blow to the back of your head with a blunt object, likely a piece of wood and
not metal, since your skull doesn't appear to have been fractured.   You know someone struck you from
behind.   So here we have arrived at the
same question.   What did you see just
before you were struck from behind?"
    "I-I don't remember."
    "Let me assist your memory,
then.   You saw a wagon loaded with the
Sheridans' property in their yard, ready to be driven off, did you not?"
    Wham !   Betsy tensed, feeling the trap slam about Tom.   Dear gods, why wasn't he divulging information to Fairfax?   Why was he letting the lieutenant disembowel
him with interrogation?   She resisted
looking at Clark, fear and suspicion like dizzy birds winging and swirling in
her stomach.   Had Tom witnessed
something that compromised Clark's integrity?
    Tom turned from Fairfax and stared
through Betsy to the door.   Escape, she
read on his face, escape.   His voice
emerged dull.   "Yes, I think I
remember the wagon now."
    "Excellent.   And how many men were with the wagon?"
    "I don't know."
    "There must have been at least
two?"
    "I'm not sure.   But one man couldn't have loaded all that
furniture alone."   Apprehension
rippled across Tom's face.
    "What were they saying to each
other?"
    "I was only there a few
seconds before I was knocked out."
    "But you heard them
speaking.   What words did they
speak?"
    "Another language, I
think."
    A chill prickled Betsy's
spine.   Fairfax drilled his attention on
Tom.   "Which language?"
    A tremor shook Tom's head.   His eyes filled with desperation.   "I don't know.   I only speak English."
    Like many in the Georgia colony, he
understood Spanish.   Why was he lying
again?
    Fairfax's eyes glittered with that
unholy, archangelic light.   " Parlez-vous
Français?   Sprechen Sie Deutsch? "
    "I don't understand what
you're saying."
    " ¿Habla usted Español? "
    Tom turned back to him.   "If you want my help, ask me in
English."   His color gray, he shut
his eyes.   "My head hurts.   I don't care to answer more questions
now.   Come to my house on the morrow if
you must.   I'm too tired to continue
today."
    Betsy had seen tabby cats watch
field mice with the same intensity that Fairfax regarded Tom.   "Very well.   I shall leave you to rest.   Thank you for your time.   You've
been of tremendous help toward solving this crime.   Don't leave town tonight, not until I can