Corbin held out his gun. “Harrison Tucker, I’ve got a gun aimed at you. I want you to throw your rifle down in front of you then drop to the ground.”
Harrison turned toward him without dropping his weapon. “Sheriff, what’s going on?”
“That’s exactly what I was about to ask you.” Catherine stepped between them. “Corbin Hunter, put that gun down.”
“Get out of the way. Now.” Corbin took a step forward. His jaw twitched. Why did she always have to be so stubborn? “Mr. Tucker, I want you to drop to your knees and put your hands where I can see them.”
Neither moved.
“Catherine, I’m only going to ask you one more time. Move out of the way now, or so help me, I’ll arrest you both.”
Catherine stood her ground. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me. Tucker, slide the gun across the ground toward me.” Corbin fired a shot over Tucker’s head, all formalities lost in the moment. “Now.”
Harrison complied then dropped to his knees.
Catherine moved aside. “You’re making a big mistake.”
“No, you’re blinded to the truth. What am I going to have to say to convince you that this man isn’t the man he claims to be? He’s robbed half a dozen banks and is responsible for the murder of at least five innocent victims.”
Harrison’s face paled. “You’ve got to be kidding. Miss Morgan, please. You know me. Audrey can vouch for me.”
“Which is simply a part of your plan, isn’t it?”
“I think it’s time to clear the air once and for all.” Catherine pushed her shoulders back and nodded at Harrison. “Mr. Tucker is not involved with the Masked Gang, Sheriff. And if you could find a way to get past this vendetta of yours, you’d see that he’s nothing more than a farmer who happens to love my sister.”
Corbin frowned, not buying a word of it as he picked up Harrison’s rifle off the ground and threw it toward the barn before pulling out a pair of metal handcuffs. “Of course he’s going to try and convince you that he’s innocent.”
“I just spent the past thirty minutes asking my own questions. He told me the truth.”
“You want the truth? The truth is that I just watched Frank Sutherland breathe his last breath.”
“Who’s Frank Sutherland?” Harrison asked.
“Cut the act. He confessed you were the ringleader of the Masked Gang.”
Harrison’s face paled. “Does this have something to do with the conversation we had?”
“I’ve managed to tie together a few more pieces since then.”
Corbin grabbed Harrison’s wrist. “Give me your other hand.”
Harrison’s shoulders slumped as Corbin snapped the metal cuffs into place.
“Corbin—”
Corbin grabbed Catherine’s arm and pulled her out of Harrison’s earshot. “I told you not to get involved, Catherine.”
“But I am involved.” Her expression darkened. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because, like I said, I finally have the proof I need to arrest him.” Corbin kept his gun on Harrison to ensure he didn’t move. “I want you to go get back in your buggy and ride back into town. Wait for me at your house.”
“I really don’t think—”
“Catherine!”
She didn’t budge. “First tell me what you found.”
“When we arrived at the VanLeer homestead, Mr. VanLeer and his daughter were being held hostage by Frank Sutherland, one of the gang members.”
“So you took him into custody?”
“I wish. Sutherland was killed in the standoff, along with the woman he took hostage.”
Catherine pressed her fingers against her mouth and let out a soft groan. “She’s dead?”
“Murdered.”
Catherine choked down a sob. “Which is all the more reason to find the truth. Harrison’s not the man you’re looking for.”
“Catherine—”
She set her fists against her hips and raised her chin. “What if I can prove his innocence?”
“He’s a con artist, Catherine. He can make you believe anything he wants. And besides that, I show up and find him with you and firing a rifle. What do you expect me to believe?”
“That there was a weasel in the chicken coop.”
“A weasel?”
“What do you think he was doing?” Catherine demanded.
“Game’s over, Miss Morgan.” He lowered his voice, praying he could control his temper. “I’ve got the evidence I was looking for, and I’m going to arrest Harrison.”
Catherine felt a wave of nausea shoot through her at Corbin’s announcement. “He didn’t do this.” She moved back toward Harrison. “You’ve got to tell him the truth.”
Harrison gritted his teeth. “You promised.”
“And I promised my mother that I’d protect my sisters. You can stop this.”
“I don’t think I can. You’ve got to find Audrey. I can’t have her finding out about this from one of the townspeople. Tell her everything will be fine. That all of this is nothing more than a big mistake.”
Corbin let out a loud whoosh of air. “Except everything’s not going to be all right. At least not for you. The law in this town doesn’t take too kindly to bank robberies and murders, which means justice will be fair but swift.”
“I’m not a murderer.”
Catherine gripped Corbin’s forearm. “You’ve got to believe him. You’re chasing after the wrong man.”
“So you’ve said.” Corbin shook his head. “But I’ve got the confession of a dying man who admitted to me who his ringleader was.”
“Who? One of the gang members shot during the last robbery?” Catherine continued her defense, determined to convince him of the truth. “I’m sure his word is worth a lot.”
Corbin gripped Harrison’s arm and led him toward his horse. “I don’t have time for this.”
Maybe not, but she wasn’t done with him yet. “Did you ever stop and think that Harrison is being set up? All your evidence against him is based on anonymous tips and the dying word of a known bank robber and murderer.”
Corbin stopped in front of his horse. “Listen to me—”
“No, you listen to me. Harrison’s no more a criminal than you or I are. If you go through with this, all you’re going to do is destroy his life along with my sister’s. And in the meantime, the real leader of the Masked Gang is out there free somewhere, planning to strike again.”
Corbin helped Harrison onto his stallion before turning back to her. “William Marker’s gang killed my father.”
Catherine felt her knees buckle beneath her as the reason behind his determination fell into place. So his quest had been personal. “When?”
“Eight months ago the gang was terrorizing Kentucky. My father was living in Frankfort.” Corbin avoided her gaze. “He tried to help one of the hostages and they shot him.”
“Oh, Corbin. I’m sorry. So very sorry.” She brushed her hand against his arm then pulled away. It all made sense now. His ragged determination to hunt down the leader of the Masked Gang at all cost.
But there was still one serious problem. Revenge for the sake of revenge was as big an evil in her eyes as murder. Harrison sat on the horse, jaw clenched, mouth shut, and looking straight ahead. He was as stubborn as Corbin. And she wasn’t going to let this happen. She raised her chin in determination. “Please understand how very sorry I am about your father, truly I am, but please don’t go through with this arrest.”
Corbin grasped the reins of the horse tighter. “If I don’t do this, I’ll be endangering all of you. You, your sisters…the entire town.”
“Think about it. Harrison just willingly surrendered. Do you think the leader of some rogue gang would have done that without a fight?”
“He’s a con man, Catherine. And the evidence points to—”
“The word of some anonymous tipster and a dead convict. That’s not real evidence.”
Corbin’s jaw tensed. “I have all the evidence I need, and I don’t have time to stand here and argue with you. Can you get back to town all right on your own?”
Her frown deepened. “Of course. Especially now that you’ve captured a mass murderer. I shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”
Harrison looked down at her and caught her gaze. “Talk to Audrey for me. Please. I can’t have her finding out about this from someone in town.”
She nodded. “I’ll find her. Then I’ll come to the jail to see if I can talk some sense into our sheriff…and into you.”
Corbin swung up onto the horse, ignoring her comment.
“You’ve got to make sure Audrey knows that I didn’t do this,” Harrison repeated.
“Don’t worry. She loves you. You’ve got a wedding to attend in another week.”
“Catherine,” Corbin said. “You’re only making this harder on everyone.”
Catherine stood at the edge of the yard and watched them ride away until they disappeared behind the hundreds of rows of corn framing Harrison’s field. Another piece of her world had just crumbled away. Which promise was she bound to keep? The one she made at her mother’s deathbed, or the one she’d just made to Harrison?
Corbin yanked William Marker’s wanted poster off the wall behind his desk and waited for the surge of relief he should feel after catching his father’s murderer. He’d followed the gang across hundreds of miles of lonely prairie and through a dozen towns, and now William Marker, Harrison Tucker, or whatever alias the man chose to go by, was locked behind bars. And he’d avenged the death of his father.
So if he had the right man, why did he feel so empty inside?
Revenge had turned out to be a persistent companion that had haunted his dreams at night and kept him focused during the day. How could it have forgotten to bring with it the deep reward of satisfaction he’d expected? Corbin crumpled the poster between his fingers and thrust it into the trash bin beside his desk. Of course, until the rest of the gang was brought in, there was still a chance that the Masked Gang would strike again, even without their leader.
Tomorrow he’d put together a posse with several of the lawmen from the surrounding towns. With the ringleader behind bars, the odds of the group sticking together were small. They would track the criminals down before another night passed.
Corbin glanced at the closed door that led to the jail. Catherine was right about one thing. Harrison Tucker wasn’t the ringleader he’d expected to bring in. He’d prepared himself for a man who thought nothing about shooting anyone who got in his way.
Not that he was having second thoughts about bringing Harrison in. He couldn’t forget that the man who killed his father was a smooth-talking con man. A charlatan wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing. No doubt he found it to his advantage to continue playing the role of innocent farmer, believing it would somehow help him get off. No. He wouldn’t let Harrison’s smooth exterior and cunning ways cause a moment of weakness on his part. That very identity was one Harrison had taken on in order to charm everyone around him. He was simply playing another role.
Give it up, Corbin. The man you’ve been looking for is behind bars. Period.
Catherine’s image surfaced again in his mind’s eye, uninvited. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get her out of his head. Her stubbornness made him madder than a hornet; her insistence that Harrison was innocent made him question his own professionalism; and her presence…her presence made him wonder why he hadn’t ignored her protests and married her all those years ago.
Because she’d made it clear she didn’t love him, and that there could never be anything between them.
He let out a deep sigh. And nothing had changed since that day. He had let Grady O’Conner’s comments the night of the party and the town’s whispers since then mingle in the recesses of his mind until he’d convinced himself he’d seen something in her eyes. But he’d been wrong. And as soon as the last member of the Masked Gang was hanged, he was going to leave Revenge forever.
The front door of his office slammed open, jerking him away from his turbulent thoughts.
Audrey stormed into the room, slammed her handbag onto his desk, and planted both fists on her hips.
Corbin caught her insolent stare. “Miss Morgan. Can I help you?”
“You can start by telling me what’s going on.”
Corbin moved behind his desk, suddenly feeling the urge to run. Two women after him in the course of an hour was two too many. “You talked to Catherine?”
“Catherine? No. I ran into Mrs. McBride in front of the hotel. She saw you ride into town with Harrison in handcuffs.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “She’s right.”
Audrey’s face colored. “You arrested him?”
“I had no choice. I’ve been hired to uphold the law—”
Audrey smacked her hands against the desk. “Harrison had nothing to do with those robberies, and if I have to find a way to knock some sense into you personally, Sheriff, I’ll do it.”
Corbin pressed his lips together. Apparently Catherine wasn’t the only Morgan in this town who harbored a temper. He motioned to the chair, offering her a seat. With his track record, he’d prefer tangling with a copperhead over fighting one of the Morgan sisters.
“I’ll stand, thank you.” Audrey rubbed the base of her neck with her fingertips. “Harrison had nothing to do with those robberies.”
“So you’ve just said.” Corbin proceeded cautiously. “But I’m afraid I have evidence that says otherwise.”
“What kind of evidence?”
“An eyewitness, for starters.”
“They’re mistaken.”
“I also happen to know that there is no record of him staking a claim in the Alaskan territory.”
For the first time, Audrey seemed at a loss for words. “Harrison—Harrison likes to tell stories. We all know they’re often embellished, but that doesn’t make him a murderer.”
“It’s not his stories that put him here.”
Audrey looked up at him, her lashes laced with tears. “So you believe he’s guilty?”
“I have no doubt that he’s guilty, but that’s not up to me to decide. My job is to follow the evidence and, with that knowledge, to make an arrest. Which is exactly what I’ve done. Harrison will have to defend himself, but Miss Morgan…you’re going to have to prepare yourself that there’s a good chance he will be found guilty.”
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I…I don’t think I can do that.”
Corbin combed his fingers through his hair. He didn’t want to hurt her, but her love for her fiancé didn’t change the circumstances. “Miss Morgan, please. I understand how upsetting this is, but you must realize that when I find evidence regarding a crime, I must follow through with it. Harrison’s real name is William Marker. He’s a con man who knows all too well how to weave his way into the lives of young women.”
Her face paled. “What are you implying, Sheriff? That this isn’t the first time he’s done this?”
Corbin proceeded cautiously. “I’m sorry, Miss Morgan. I truly am. But it’s far better to know the truth now than wait until you’re married.”
Corbin pressed his lips together. He knew the promise Catherine had made to her mother, and knew that what happened to her sister would be just as painful as if she’d had her own heart betrayed. Even the sweet satisfaction of revenge did little to salve his guilt. Audrey Morgan wasn’t the only one ready to hang him on the nearest tree for doing his job. Catherine had made it quite clear that he’d arrested the wrong man. The problem was, neither of them realized just how convincing a man like Harrison could be. He knew what to say and when to say it. Everything necessary to make the very women they were conning come forward and defend them with their lives.
Tears began to roll down her face. “I just don’t understand. We had plans to expand the farm…to add wheat next year…have children. I know Harrison. He’s not that kind of man.”
“I am truly sorry.”
The sobs increased.
“Miss Morgan, please don’t cry.” He reached into his front pocket and handed her his handkerchief.
“I want to see him.”
“He…he requested no visitors.”
“What?” Audrey dropped into the chair. “But I’m his fiancée.”
“I realize that, but Harrison made it quite clear that he doesn’t want any visitors,” he repeated. “Including you.”
“You must be mistaken.”
“Please, Miss Morgan, don’t make the situation more difficult than it already is.”
She dabbed at her face with his handkerchief then grabbed her purse off the desk. “You’re wrong about Harrison, Sheriff Hunter, and I’ll find a way to prove it.”
A moment later the door slammed behind her as she slipped outside into the humid afternoon air. Corbin knew that Audrey Morgan wasn’t the only person determined to prove Harrison’s innocence. But while Catherine was resolute in her stance, he also knew that there was something she wasn’t telling him. And it was up to him to find out what it was.