Chapter 35
Telling Sheriff Hanson the truth wasn’t as difficult as Violet feared it would be.
She would have preferred Tate not hear about their circumstances, but the sheriff insisted he remain, so she went to the front door, locked it, and dropped the wooden bar down into place. It would not do to have an interruption—or an eavesdropper—while they came clean.
She let Lin tell the tale, mostly. The language barrier required that she assist at some points, but her friend did an excellent job of telling her story on her own.
Violet saw Tate wipe an eye when she showed how her brother had been killed. An understandable soldier’s reaction to seeing a shot to the chest, even in pantomime. She wondered how many of Tate’s fellow soldiers, friends, or family he had witnessed dying that way. By the hardening of his jawline, she had her answer. There had been some.
The sheriff rose and walked over to the teacher’s cupboard. He opened the narrow door, stuck his head inside, and looked at the shelves, extra sweater, and assorted items kept within. Turning back to them, he pointed his thumb to the closet and directed his question toward Lin. “You mean to tell me you spent a whole night and a day inside here?”
A fast nod. “Yes, I lived inside. All night. All day.”
He closed the door and walked back over to them. Their chairs were arranged near the stove, but he did not return to his. Instead he stood beside Lin and gazed down at her with unconcealed admiration.
“I have seen a lot of things in my time, ma’am, but I have never seen such a small woman with so much courage. You are a force to be reckoned with. Your wits kept you alive.”
Lin looked down at her hands and sighed. “But not brother. They kill him. I could not save.” A tear slid down her cheek so Violet reached over and put her arm around her.
The sheriff stepped back, turning to the pile of firewood and choosing a piece. He opened the heavy stove, tossed the log inside, and latched the door. He rubbed his hands together over the stove’s flat, cast iron top for a minute.
He returned to his seat. The chair had been intended for a pupil and the man tested its capacity. So far, its legs had held the big man and his slight paunch.
Sheriff Hanson turned to Tate Taylor.
“And you came riding into town to hang garlands? Is that what you’d have me believe?”
Tate didn’t take offense at the sheriff’s brusque questions.
“No, sir. I learned from Miss Bloom’s family—her sister Miss Lily Bloom, to be exact—where to find her out here in the Wyoming territory. I planned to head this way anyhow so I figured I would call on her. The garland came as a surprise.”
He grinned at her and, despite the conditions of the moment, she smiled back. Tate’s presence lifted her heart better than any gift in any box beneath a tree could have. For so long, she had assumed the worst. But here he sat, with those unforgettable blue eyes, in her schoolroom.
She nearly pinched herself to be sure she wasn’t dreaming, but the sheriff would raise an eyebrow over it, so she resisted.
Sheriff Hanson glanced over at Lin. She delicately wiped her eyes on a hanky pulled from her dress pocket. Violet appreciated that the seasoned sheriff gave a distressed woman time to collect herself.
“And how do you know Miss Bloom?” He spared no mercy for Tate. “You must have some strong feelings for the lady, to come all the way to Wylder to see her.”
Tate sat back and scrubbed a hand across his chin. “Well, it’s quite a story, how we became acquainted.”
“I’ve got all day.” The sheriff crossed his arms over his chest and waited.
Fortunately, Tate left out the grisly details. He gave an abbreviated version, one that cast Violet in too high a light in her opinion, but when she demurred, he insisted.
“The lady saved my life. Without her, I’d be resting under a tombstone alongside my own brother, who was killed at Gettysburg. See, I never made it that far. After Miss Bloom saved me from bleeding to death, I spent some time in a hospital before finding my way home.”
The sheriff didn’t respond so Tate continued.
“I made a promise the day I met this admirable lady. If I lived—and I determined I’d give it my best to do so—I would find her and thank her someday. Today, it seems, is that day. After all these years, I’m here to thank Miss Bloom for saving my life.”
“Really, I didn’t do anything special. I happened to be in the right spot at the right time.” Her face warmed, and she knew the heat didn’t come from the woodstove.
Sheriff Hanson stroked his beard as he met her gaze. “It sounds like you’ve been saving lives for a while now, doesn’t it?” He looked to Lin. “I have a few more questions to ask, if you’re up to it.”
She gave a fast chin dip. “Yes.”
“So, you’re telling me that you’re the last survivor of an ancient family line and that the men who are trying to kill you will gain the family treasure if you die. Is that right?”
She and Lin both nodded.
“I’ve been tracking these Chinese killers for a while. Don’t look so flabbergasted—your brother isn’t the first person they’ve killed. He seems to be the only one they’ve murdered with intent. The others have been average guys, people who got in their way.”
Violet shot him a questioning look, one she generally reserved for when she suspected a pupil of withholding information from her.
“So, you knew there were Chinese murderers on the loose when you stopped me to ask if I knew of a Chinese woman who suddenly appeared in town? You were aware of a problem when you asked me those questions, weren’t you?”
He didn’t try to hide the truth. A slow drop of his chin to his chest, then back up. “I sure did. You don’t think I’ve been sheriff this long without understanding how to track the lawless, do you? Of course I knew—and I had a feeling you were hiding something that morning, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it.”
“But you didn’t tell me there are murderers on the loose. Why not?”
He shook his head as the edges of his lips pulled up. The white beard couldn’t hide his amusement. “Have you forgotten where you are? Ma’am, there are murderers, scoundrels of all kinds, and unruly fools lurking around every corner out here in the west. I don’t have time to warn every citizen about every villain—there aren’t enough hours in the day.”
“I appreciate that. So now that you know Lin’s story, you see she didn’t kill her brother, don’t you? And you must see that she needs protection—her life depends on it. You must catch those Chinese bad men so she can live in peace.”
Tate cleared his throat. “That’s a tall order. I’m quite sure the sheriff here has a lot going on, and finding murderers isn’t as easy as all that.”
“I’m not trying to be unreasonable, but Lin has no one else but us. She has no people—the only one she has is me, and the folks in town who will become her family if she agrees to remain in Wylder. That is, if we can keep her alive.”
Sheriff Hanson looked at Lin. “One last question for you, Miss Sun. Rumor has it that the Chinese men are after a large, valuable black pearl. Do you know anything about that?”
Lin giggled, surprising them all. Violet had never asked her about the pearl. It had actually slipped her mind with everything else that had happened.
Placing a hand on her chest, the Chinese woman said, “My people have legend. Last princess is precious like black pearl. I am the pearl.” She covered her mouth with her hand and giggled again. Sharing her story had been good medicine. Lin’s shoulders were not held as rigidly high as they had been, and she looked less frightened.
“We still need to find those men,” Violet insisted.
“You’re right.” The sheriff nodded thoughtfully. “But how? We need to lure them into a trap and the only one I can think to set is right here, at the Christmas party on Tuesday. Unfortunately, Miss Sun would have to be the bait for that trap.”
They all glanced at each other as they considered their options.
Tate’s brow furrowed and his navy eyes blazed.
Lin’s smile fell away.
Violet looked at the sheriff. “If you consent to be our Santa Claus, you’ll be in the midst of the trap. I’d be more comfortable with you close by to protect Lin. I don’t want them to hurt her, so please, say you’ll do it.”
Sheriff Hanson studied his boot tips. Then he met her gaze and gave a wise nod. “Do you have a red suit, or do I have to find one of my own?” Patting his belly, he winked. “I already come with padding.”