Harvest Moon (Borrowed Brides 2)

“Did you know Miss Roarke, too?”

“No, we’d never met.”

“But you followed her to the Satin Slipper,” David reminded him.

“I was with Eamon Roarke the day he died.” Lee saw the shimmer of tears in Tessa’s blue eyes. “I promised to watch over his sister.”

David turned to face Lee. “Eamon Roarke asked you to look out for his sister?”

“Actually”—Lee’s face reddened—“he asked me to marry his sister.”

“What?” That revelation shocked David. He glared at his friend.

“I decided to look her over before I committed myself,” Lee said. “When she left Chicago, I followed her.”

“What happened next?”

“She walked into a vipers’ den without realizing it,” Lee explained. “Arnie Mason was managing a band of thieves. Running it out of the Satin Slipper. The gang was responsible for robbing trains and stagecoaches throughout Wyoming and Nebraska. They smuggled guns to renegade Indians, and they sold illegal and poisoned whiskey to the Indian reservations.”

“All of that was going on in the quiet town of Peaceable? That seems incredible.” David walked a short distance away from Lee, then turned back to face him. “How do you know all this?”

“I infiltrated the ring.”

“Detective Kincaid, do you have any idea who murdered Arnie Mason?”

“The person who had the most to gain,” Lee said. “The leader. The brains behind the organization. Arnie controlled the gang, but he was getting too big for his britches, shooting his mouth off. He suspected Eamon of being a lawman from the start, and he traveled to Chicago to kill hi

m. But he made a mistake. He acted without orders, and that made the boss very angry.”

“You said Miss Roarke walked into a den of vipers,” David reminded him. “Will you elaborate on that statement?”

“She upset the delicate balance,” Lee said. “She walked in and announced that she was Eamon Roarke’s sister and that she’d come to take his place. Miss Roarke meant that she would rent his vacant room, but Arnie didn’t know that. He thought she meant she’d come to investigate his criminal activities.” Lee paused in his narration. “The night Arnie Mason died, he went to Tessa Roarke’s room to kill her, but someone killed him first.”

“The boss?” David suggested.

“Yes.”

David walked to the evidence table, picked up the note Tessa was supposed to have sent to Arnie, and handed it to Lee. “Do you recognize this note?”

“It looks like the piece of paper I saw Myra Brennan give to Arnie Mason the night he died.”

“Do you recognize the handwriting?”

“Yep. It’s Myra’s. I’ve seen her sign invoices and papers dozens of times.” Lee glanced over at Myra.

David reached into his waistcoat pocket and removed a length of gold chain. A tiny Celtic cross dangled from the end. “What about this? Have you seen it before?” David asked. “It matches the piece of gold chain found on Arnie Mason’s body.”

Lee grinned, a beautiful triumphant grin that illuminated his entire face. “I sure have.”

“Do you know who it belongs to?”

“Yes,” Lee answered. “Anybody who worked at the Satin Slipper can tell you that.” He searched the faces in the crowd once again. “It belongs to Myra Brennan, the owner of the Satin Slipper. She wore it on her right wrist until the day after Arnie Mason’s murder. The clasp was permanently fastened. She couldn’t take it off.” Lee couldn’t contain his smug smile of satisfaction.

Myra Brennan leapt to her feet, pointing a finger at Tessa. “She stole the chain! You got it from her!”

David faced the judge. “Your Honor, I found this chain on the floor of Tessa Roarke’s room the day after the murder. It was wedged in a crack in the floorboards under the washstand,” he explained. “If you check Miss Brennan’s right arm, you’ll find the remains of the marks left on her wrist when Arnie Mason ripped the bracelet off while she held the knife to his throat.”

Myra slipped from her place and headed for the front entrance of the courtroom.