Anyplace But Here (Oklahoma Lovers 4)

With the way things stood right now, her life was on the line as much as Hunter’s. Without him, there would always remain a gaping hole in her heart. If she wanted to have the full life she’d always dreamed of, she had to act, and not sit and wait upon others. Hadn’t she yet learned her lesson about depending on someone else?

Despite Hunter’s stern warning, she would search Smith and Sanders’ office. She’d hopped from the bed and made a list of names Louis had ordered her to unearth gossip about. His favorite way to control people.

That list could easily lead them to the person who had murdered Louis.

At the last court session, Mr. Sanders had testified about the business he and Louis had been involved in. Since to date no charges had been filed against the partnership, Jesse had been unable to question him about any criminal activities. Why no charges had been brought was frustrating. Just another example of the police refusing to believe such ‘upstanding’ citizens could do any wrong. Sanders would likely escape before they could gather enough evidence to stop him.

Idiots.

As she descended the stairs, she once again checked her pocket for the key to the office that she’d found in Louis’s desk drawer in the library. That had been the only worthwhile thing she’d recovered before she’d been escorted from her home. She’d turned it over to Jeremy, but Hunter and Jesse hadn’t known Jeremy gave it back to her when they were both staying at the boardinghouse.

A good thing, too, since it would have burned up in the fire with him. With her list of the names of those Louis had her spying on, she would search the office for their financial records. She had no doubt someone on their client list had lost enough money to kill Louis.

The morning air was cool and crisp. While Galveston rarely got actually cold in the winter, this day was one that reminded her winter had indeed arrived. As she rode the trolley she’d caught to take her further into town, she enjoyed watching diamonds of sunshine sparkling on the gulf water. When she left Galveston, there was no doubt she’d miss the beaches.

It seemed to take forever to arrive at the end of town where the office was situated. Emily slowly approached the building where Louis had worked for years. She shivered as she stared up at the structure housing Smith and Sanders, Financial Investors. Sometimes it was hard to believe he was really dead. If someone made a quick move near her she still flinched, waiting for the blow.

The stairs creaked as she climbed to the second floor. She let herself in with the key and softly closed the door. She wasn’t surprised to see Miss Blake’s desk empty. Poor woman probably lost her job as soon as Louis was killed.

After removing her coat and rolling up the sleeves of her shirtwaist, she pulled open the top filing cabinet drawer in Louis’s office. Empty.

Damn.

“Please state your name for the record.” The district attorney had advised the court this was his last witness. Tomorrow Jesse needed to be ready to present his defense, and right now things didn’t look good from Hunter’s standpoint.

“Captain Robert McNeil.”

“And you are a Captain in what law enforcement branch?”

McNeil leaned forward. “The Texas Rangers.”

Hunter twisted in his seat,

once more checking behind him for Emily. Small kernels of fear clenched his gut. Ordinarily Emily walked with them to the courthouse each day, but this morning she told them to go ahead without her, that she would join them soon. The Ranger on the stand was the third witness of the day. The driver, Martin, and the dressmaker, Millie, had given their testimony earlier. Emily still had not appeared.

“Captain, please tell the court what type of gun is used by the Texas Rangers.”

“A Walker Colt forty-four caliber.”

“And was Mr. Henderson issued a Walker Colt forty-four caliber?”

“He was. When Henderson first joined the Rangers the men supplied their own weapons, but then several years back we began to issue the guns.”

“And did you have occasion to work with Mr. Henderson when he was a Ranger?”

Hunter once more checked behind him. He glanced at the clock on the wall alongside the jury. Eleven fifteen. Where the devil was she? He leaned over toward Jesse. “Emily’s still not here.”

Jesse nodded. “I’m getting worried myself.”

“Yes, I worked with Mr. Henderson a number of times,” the captain said.

“Would you say Mr. Henderson was skilled in the use of the Walker Colt?”

“All our Rangers are.”

The district attorney rubbed his chin. “I see. Would you say Mr. Henderson was comfortable with his gun?”

Hunter crossed his arms over his chest and examined the twelve men in the jury box. A few looked interested, but most looked bored. They’d sat in the same spot for two weeks now, hearing the district attorney drone on as he built his case.