Harvest Moon (Borrowed Brides 2)

Sheriff Bradley opened the note and read: “‘Arnie, meet me in my room when the saloon closes. It’s important. Love, Tessa.’”

“Do you believe Miss Roarke wrote that note, Sheriff?”

“I did at the time we found it,” the sheriff answered, “but now I don’t.”

“What changed your mind?” David asked out of curiosity.

“Well, sir, yesterday at lunch, Miss Roarke asked my wife for the recipe for that cake you liked. The missus wrote it out for her, but Miss Roarke asked her to tell her how to make it. Said she couldn’t read. She never learned how.”

“Thank you.” David took the note from the sheriff and placed it beside the other one. “I have two more questions for you, Sheriff Bradl

ey. Did you look at the wound on Mr. Mason’s throat?”

“Yes, sir. I studied it real good.”

“Can you tell from studying the mark how it was made?”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Alexander. You can tell from the angle whether a right-handed or a left-handed person made it.”

David looked down at his boots, then back up at the sheriff. “I apologize, Sheriff. I said I only had two questions left, but now I feel I have to ask you one more.”

“That’s all right, Mr. Alexander.” James Bradley chuckled. “Your job is asking questions.”

“Absolutely,” David agreed. “Now, in your expert opinion, did a right-handed person or a left-handed person make the cut on Mr. Mason’s throat?”

“A right-handed person.”

“Thank you, Sheriff Bradley. I have no more questions.” David looked over at his opponent. “Mr. Cook?”

Jeremy Cook glared at David. “No questions. I think the sheriff has answered most of them.”

David turned to the judge. “Your Honor, I’d like to ask for a show of hands of right-handed and left-handed people in the courtroom to demonstrate how many people could have killed Arnie Mason.”

“This is unusual,” the judge told him. “But I’ll go along with it. How about you, Mr. Cook?”

“Fine with me, Your Honor.” Jeremy chuckled. “I’m left-handed.”

“All right-handed people in this courtroom, please raise your hands,” Judge Emory instructed, raising his own right hand.

Other hands went up all over the courtroom.

“That includes our learned members of the newspaper profession,” the judge announced when the reporters continued to scribble notes.

More hands went up.

David raised his right hand, then took a deep breath and turned around.

Tessa’s hands remained folded together on the top of the table.

David released the breath he was holding. He searched the faces. Myra Brennan’s hands were also down. Damn! He’d gambled on her being right-handed. Unless she was lying…

“All right, let’s see a show of hands by all of the left-handed people,” Judge Emory ordered.

Tessa raised her hand. So did Jeremy Cook and two members of the jury. David turned back around. Myra Brennan’s hand was up, too. Clever, he thought, very clever.

“Put your hands down,” Judge Emory instructed.

“Thank you, Your Honor,” David said.