The Marshal and the Bride on the Run Read online

  “Katy? It’s Simon. Can I come in?”

  There was silence. Simon listened closely. There was no indication that anyone was in there. He couldn’t even hear any breathing. Was she asleep?

  Simon tried the door gently. But it wouldn’t budge. He pressed a little harder. It still wouldn’t give way.

  “It’s locked.”

  “What?” Mary tried the door herself. She frowned. “The door shouldn’t be locked.”

  “May I?”

  “Please.”

  Mary moved back as Simon hit the door with his shoulder. It jarred his arm, but he didn’t care and he did it again. This time, the door gave way. Simon was sent stumbling into the room, falling to his knees. He looked up and saw the room before him. It didn’t look as though anyone had been in here for a while. The only indication someone had been in there was an indentation on the bed where someone had been sitting.

  Simon rose to his feet as Mary hurried inside. She looked around the room and stared in surprise.

  “What… she was here a few minutes ago. I came from here straight to you.”

  “So, she can’t have gone far.”

  The outside door. It hadn’t been blown open by the storm. Simon silently cursed. He had missed her by mere moments. Now she was gone, and Simon didn’t know where to start looking.

  “There’s a note here.”

  Simon turned. Mary had picked up a scrap of paper from the bedside table. She looked up at Simon with a solemn expression.

  “It’s to you.”

  “What does it say?”

  Mary scanned the note.

  “She says she’s sorry and she couldn’t go through with it. Her courage has been lost.” Mary looked up, her eyes wide. “She’s running, isn’t she?”

  Simon nodded grimly. Katy had lost her nerve. Now she would be fodder for Jerry Coleman unless he could find her first.

  Chapter Three

  “I can’t believe you were thinking of telling Simon Huckerby the truth, Katy!” Emma cried.

  Katy flinched as Emma turned away with a huff and resumed her pacing. She had managed to get back to the house in the rain and had arrived, dripping wet and shivering, on the doorstep. Luckily, Emma had been inside, and she had let Katy in before the wind blew her away.

  Katy hadn’t been able to talk; tears and the cold had stopped her from speaking.

  It wasn’t until Emma had helped her dry off, put on fresh clothes, and sat her in front of the fire that Katy was able to tell Emma what she had been up to. To say Emma was furious with her was an understatement.

  And that, Katy couldn’t quite understand. Emma had been adamant that they all told the truth eventually, but that they had to lie low. She had been supportive of Jessica telling Simon her part. Now her attitude seemed to have changed completely. She was furious that Katy wanted to tell Simon the truth? It didn’t make any sense.

  Then again, Emma had been getting a little erratic lately. She had always been kind and patient when they had been at the orphanage. Now Emma was snapping and sharp with her orders to all of them. Katy couldn’t understand the change. It was as if Emma had turned into one of Colemans stooges.

  Katy didn’t like the change. She wanted the old Emma back. But Emma was in no mood to tone down her fury.

  “I had no choice, Emma,” Katy protested, tightening the warm blanket around her. “It’s been killing me for months now, knowing the truth and not being able to tell it.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us if you wanted to talk to someone? We’re in this together, aren’t we?”

  “I didn’t say anything because I knew you’d stop me.”

  Emma rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up into the air.

  “Of course, we’d stop you!” she snapped. “Simon would take you back to Philadelphia and you’d be going to trial for a double murder.”

  Katy wanted to cry. She felt like she was backed into a corner.

  “I didn’t mean to kill them,” she whimpered.

  Emma snorted.

  “You think a judge and jury who aren’t sympathetic to your plight are going to believe that? You’ll hang, Katy. You know that.”

  “I didn’t…”

  Flashes of that night came back to Katy, causing her to falter. They had been happening a lot more frequently, and they were disjointed. Katy knew she had killed the Colemans, but something in the back of her mind seemed to be trying to tell her something important. It was throwing her.

  Did she really kill them? If she didn’t, why was her mind telling her she had a hand in it?

  “I mean…” Katy stared at her hands. “The poker was by my hand. It had their blood on it. I was splattered with blood. And they… they were…”

  Then a sharp sting exploded on her cheek. Emma was standing over her, her hand raised as she breathed heavily. The look in her eyes was close to panic.

  What was she panicking about?

  “Stop thinking, Katy,” Emma said sharply. “You cannot tell anyone what happened. Jessica and Rebecca have already told, but they were innocent in all this. The net is narrowed down to both of us now. And I won’t let them hang you. Which means we have to get out of here.”

  Katy wanted to cry again. This was like a nightmare she hadn’t been able to wake up from. It plagued her, and Katy felt like she was going mad.

  “I didn’t mean to kill anyone,” she whispered.

  Katy couldn’t bring herself to raise her voice to anyone, even if she was being shouted at. She wanted to be friends with everyone. So, to know she had killed two people… it was too much to comprehend. Katy was going to go mad with this guilt, she knew it.

  There was a rustling of skirts, and then Emma was kneeling before her. Her expression had softened, and she reached out for Katy, pulling her into a hard hug. Then she drew back, cupping Katy’s face in her hands.

  “Look at me, Katy.” Her voice was soft, low and soothing. “Don’t fall apart now. You can’t fall apart on me yet. Not just yet. Honey, I know you want to tell Simon everything, but you have to remember that he’s not one of us anymore. He’s a lawman who’s looking for us. That’s his job. Emotions and hearts don’t come into it.”

  Katy knew that. She knew Simon was dedicated to his job. He loved it. It gave him a sense of purpose. Katy admired him for that. His loyalty was something to be proud of.

  It was that loyalty that had made her fall for him.

  “He deserves to know, Emma,” she whispered.

  “If he does have a heart still, you’ll simply break it,” Emma reminded her. She kissed Katy’s head and stood. “Now, we need to get out of here. To keep running. Things will be fine once we’re safe. We’ll be able to look after ourselves.”

  Katy didn’t want to run. But Emma was right; they had no choice. They needed to keep running. Even if they were the victims in all this, no respectable jury was going to believe them. They would be hanged regardless. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

  “When do we leave?”

  “Now.” Emma rose to her feet. “Get a few things. We’ve got ten minutes.”

  Katy wasn’t about to stop and argue. The storm wasn’t as bad as it had been before, so they would be able to travel, but she didn’t want to pause and think about it. They had to get away before they were caught.

  Her fingers were still cold, and she was still shaking despite being warm and dry now, but Katy managed to get herself upstairs and pack a small bag. After being raised with practically nothing to her name, it wasn’t difficult to keep things light. Katy had no materialistic sentimentality. Just a couple of changes of clothes was needed. Everything else could be procured somehow on the way.

  Even then, Katy found herself hesitating as she started to leave her room. It had been her home for some months now. A room of her own, one she didn’t have to share with anyone. This house had shown her things the orphanage had never prepared her for. Katy had finally found a place she could call home.

  Now they were hav
ing to run away from it again and Katy was tired of running.

  Emma was already in the foyer when Katy came back downstairs. She took Katy’s hand and they hurried to the front door. Emma opened it, only to pull up abruptly.

  Filling the doorway, his Stetson pulled low over his eyes with the rain dripping off him, was Simon.

  Katy felt her heart trip and lodge in her chest. This was the first time in months she had been so close to him. The urge to reach out and touch him was strong.

  Simon looked down, his eyes locking with Katy’s. Katy couldn’t help herself. She moved past Emma and ran into his arms.

  “Katy…”

  But Katy didn’t care. She threw her arms around Simon and held tightly onto him, burying her face into his chest. Simon’s arms came up automatically, tightening a strong hold around her. She felt him kiss her head and murmur something Katy couldn’t quite catch. It had her bursting into tears.

  “Let her go, Simon,” Emma said. “We can’t stay here.”

  “No, you can’t,” Simon’s voice was grim. “But we do need to talk.”

  Katy looked up. Simon was looking down at her with sad eyes. He looked as though he was in pain. Katy wanted to wipe that pain away but she knew that she was the cause of it.

  Unable to stop herself, Katy reached up and pressed the palm of her hand to his cheek. Simon’s jaw tightened, his eyes darkening. But he didn’t make an attempt to move away.

  “I’m so sorry, Simon,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  “I know.” Simon’s fingers were cold and wet as they brushed across Katy’s cheek. “I know, Katy.”

  “Katy!” Emma hissed. She grabbed at Katy’s arm. “Get away from him! We have to go!”

  “Emma, don’t.” Simon shifted Katy until she was sheltered under his arm, pressed against his side. Compared to his hands, his body was very warm. Simon looked up at Emma and shook his head. “I’m too tired to chase you. Jerry Coleman’s here now, and if he finds you two, he will most certainly kill you.”

  Emma faltered, her eyes widening. Katy felt a chill go down her back. Both of them had met Jerry Coleman several times, and neither of them had a good feeling about him. Jerry was just as mean as his brother. Like the rest of his family, in fact. Katy had heard rumors that Hugh Coleman was planning on marrying Emma to his brother, but Emma had never confirmed it.

  Her expression now said there was more going on.

  “The two of you need to come with me,” Simon’s voice was stern, saying he wasn’t about to argue. “You will be safer with me.”

  But even as he spoke, Emma was shaking her head.

  “I don’t believe you,” she murmured.

  However, Katy did. She had always believed Simon. Even as a little girl when Simon would protect her, a scrawny boy growing into a strong man who saw himself as the protector of his orphaned brothers and sisters, Katy had believed him then and she believed him now. Simon could tell her the sky was bright pink and she wouldn’t argue. She hugged him tightly around the waist. It felt a relief to be touching him again.

  “I do,” she whispered.

  She felt a rumble in Simon’s chest. It was almost like he was laughing.

  “You’ve always been too trusting, Katy.” His arm squeezed her shoulders. “But I’m glad about that now.”

  Katy could see Emma glaring at her, her body looking like she was ready to run. She ignored her friend, shutting her eyes tight as she leaned into Simon.

  For the first time in months, Katy really felt safe.

  Chapter Four

  The walk back to Philip Anthony’s sheriff hut was agonizingly silent. Neither Emma nor Katy were in bracelets, but Katy knew that Simon wouldn’t hesitate to put them on if they tried to run.

  She didn’t want to run anymore. Like Simon, Katy was far too tired to keep doing it. This needed to be settled no matter what happened. She needed to put her mind at rest. Even if the night in question was a little hazy.

  Katy could remember parts of the night, but not everything. The actual murder itself was a complete blur. She could remember Coleman raising his fist and then her face exploded with pain. The next thing Katy knew, she was lying on the floor near Rebecca’s unconscious body, the poker just out of reach. Both of them were covered in blood.

  Rebecca had thought she had killed them. Then she started to remember more, and those memories pointed to Katy. Somehow, they had managed to get out. How, Katy still had no idea. But then they were suddenly on the train, being joined by Emma and Jessica, running away from possible murder charges.

  If they hadn’t managed to contact Mary Stanier through her advertisements that were dotted all over the place, they would all still be on the run.

  Simon led them into the sheriff’s hut, taking them into the back where the cells were. Katy whimpered when she saw them, and Emma started to run back out. But Philip stood in the doorway, catching her before Emma could get past him.

  “Calm down, Emma.” He eased her back into the room, following Simon into the first cell. “This is just for your protection. We don’t want Coleman to grab you.”

  “But you said we would be safe,” Emma protested. She was still struggling. “How are we safe in cells?”

  “At least Coleman can’t get into them,” Simon said grimly.

  He sat Katy on the bench. Then he left the room a moment, returning with two blankets. Passing one to Philip, Simon put the second one around Katy’s shoulders. He knelt before her, tucking the blanket around her. His movements were slow, gentle. Katy wanted to lean into him, even with Emma and Philip nearby. Simon gave her a soft smile, chucking her chin as he had once done when she was a child.

  “It won’t be long,” he reassured her. “Just until Coleman is pacified. Then you and I are going to talk.”

  Katy nodded mutely. That could take forever. The Coleman family weren’t known for being easy to please unless it was on their terms.

  After one more agonizing moment, Simon stopped abruptly and left. Philip followed close behind, locking the cell door and then leaving the room. Emma was sitting on the floor, leaning against the bars. Her blanket was haphazardly across her lap. She brought it up and burrowed herself into it.

  “At least it’s warm,” she shivered. “Better than being outside.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Katy said. “I feel like we’re waiting for some sort of slaughter.”

  “You’re the one who’s trusting Simon Huckerby right now. You should be the one being optimistic.”

  Katy sighed.

  “We have to tell Simon the truth about what I did.”

  Emma was silent for a moment. Then she nodded sagely.

  “I know. We will tell the truth. But let me talk first, all right?”

  “Why?”

  “Just follow my lead, will you?”

  What was going on here? Katy tried to read Emma’s expression, but she wasn’t giving anything away. However, she did look resigned. She didn’t want to run anymore, either.

  Katy could only hope Emma could fill in the gaps missing in her memory. Having done something and not remembering it was killing her… but running away from it was killing her too. What she had to say was going to break Simon’s heart.

  The door opened, and Katy sat up. Then her heart sank when she saw Coleman striding into the cells. The man looked like the cat who had got the cream, strutting in as if he owned the world. Katy shrank back as Coleman came up to the bars, leaning on them with a smug smirk spreading across his face.

  “Well, well. Finally, I’ve got you.”

  He wasn’t talking to Katy. His whole attention was on Emma. Emma drew herself to her feet, dropping the blanket to the ground.

  “When I heard you had gone missing, Emma, I never expected it to be under suspicion of murder.”

  “I’m full of surprises, Jerry,” Emma said evenly. Her voice didn’t even waver.

  “You certainly are.” Coleman sighed and shook his head. “It’s
a pity. Hugh had told me you were the right age to become a wife. You would’ve been Mrs. Jerry Coleman before the year was out.”

  There was a sound that came from Emma that made Katy jump. She saw her friend’s hands clench into fists.

  “I would never marry you,” Emma hissed. “Never. Not even if you had a gun to my head.”

  Coleman chuckled as he leaned on the bars. Katy wished he didn’t sound like he was enjoying seeing Emma squirm.

  “You might not end up my wife if I find out you murdered Hugh. I won’t marry my brother’s murderer.” He paused. “Then again, I might still marry you. Keep a tight hold on you. Give you more discipline than Hugh ever did.”

  “There’s not a chance.”

  “Oh, really?” Coleman smirked. He looked like a coiled snake about to strike. “One of you is going to hang, Emma, dear. Maybe both of you.” He cast an eye over to Katy, leering at her. “And the only person who will be able to stop that from happening is me.”

  “You mean I choose between marrying you or going to the gallows.” Emma snorted and shook her head. “No contest. Being dead is preferable to being married to you.”

  Katy had never heard Emma talk like this. She had always been a placid but no-nonsense woman. The former maid had made sure everyone pulled their weight, acting more like the mother figure. Lately, she had been getting a little more agitated, but Katy never thought she would witness such genuine hate coming from Emma. She looked like a completely different person.

  There were footsteps, and then Katy saw Simon looming up behind Coleman. He looked ready to throw Coleman into a cell of his own. The marshal glowered at Coleman’s back.

  “Coleman, what are you doing in here? No one is allowed back here unless you’re one of the sheriffs.”

  “I was merely having a pleasant conversation with your… prisoners.” Coleman winked at Emma. “Discussing our upcoming nuptials or a potential trial, whichever goes.”

  “Sheriff Anthony didn’t give you permission to come back here,” Simon snarled. “And neither did I. Get out.”

  “I’m not one of your subordinates, Huckerby.” Coleman flexed his muscles. “I don’t answer to you.”