Harvest Moon (Borrowed Brides 2)

“Where was this bakery?”

“Twenty-seven Lennox Street,” Coalie recited. “Tessa lived in four-B.”

David smiled. “Did Tessa live alone in apartment four-B?”

Coalie’s face clouded. “She had a brother until he got killed. Tessa was real sad when he died. I used to sneak back to her ’partment after I finished work, but I had to be careful not to get caught or Mr. Clayburn would beat me.”

“Your employer hit you?”

Coalie shrugged his thin shoulders, then replied matter-of-factly, “Sure. All the time. Sometimes he took a strap to me, but mostly he hit with his fists.” He leaned closer to David. “He drank a lot.”

David turned to Coalie. “Why did you come to Peaceable?”

“We had to leave Chicago ’cause Tessa was afraid Mr. Clayburn was gonna beat me to death. She tried to buy me, but he cheated her. He took her money, then wouldn’t let me go.”

“Tessa Roarke tried to buy your work contract from Mr. Clayburn?” David said, paraphrasing Coalie’s testimony.

“Yeah. He took almost all of Tessa’s money, then wouldn’t let me go.” Coalie grinned. “But I sneaked out one night. We rode the train and came here.”

“Is it correct to say Tessa Roarke took you away from Mr. Clayburn because she wanted to help you?”

“Yes, sir, ’cause Tessa loves me,” Coalie said. “She didn’t want me to be hurt anymore.”

“Thank you, Coalie,” David said. “Would you answer one last question for me?”

“Okay.”

“Will you tell the court who hired me to defend Tessa Roarke?”

Coalie stood up. “I did,” he announced. “I ran to your office. I woke you up when I saw the men taking Tessa away. I heard it was your job to help people. I got you to help Tessa.”

David smiled down at Coalie. “Thank you, Coalie. I’m very proud of you.” He turned to Jeremy Cook. “No more questions.”

The prosecutor got to his feet, then walked over to Coalie. “I’ve got a few questions.”

“Okay.” Coalie climbed back into the chair.

“How much are you paying Mr. Alexander to defend Miss Roarke?” Jeremy asked.

“I ain’t paid him anything yet,” Coalie informed the prosecutor. “I’ll pay him when the job’s done. Not until.” He stuck his hand in his trousers pockets. “But he pays me good wages.” Coalie held out a silver dollar. “See.”

David groaned.

“Mr. Alexander paid you to testify in court?” Jeremy asked.

“He pays me for fillin’ the coal bin in his office and shining his boots. He says it’s my wages,” Coalie corrected. “I do chores and he pays me.” He leaned over and whispered to the county attorney. “I didn’t have any money when I hired him, but we made a deal. He pays me so I can pay him. We shook hands on it.”

“Coalie, isn’t it true that you would say anything Mr. Alexander asked you to say? Wouldn’t you say anything to help Miss Roarke even if it wasn’t the truth?”

Coalie thought about the question for a minute. He looked Jeremy Cook right in the eye. “I would have…”

The prosecutor glanced over at David. He was practically gloating until the boy completed his thought.

Coalie pointed toward Mary Alexander. “But Mary told me the only way I could help Tessa was by telling the truth”—he looked up at Judge Emory—“just like it says in the Bible.”

“He can step down,” Cook said to the judge. “I’m finished with him.”

Coalie hopped down.