Harvest Moon (Borrowed Brides 2)

“Take him back to the sheriff’s house,” Judge Emory said to the bailiff. Then he turned to Coalie. “You did a fine job, young man.”

Beaming with pride, Coalie practically skipped down the aisle. “Bye, Tessa.” He waved at her.

“Good-bye.” Tessa waved back.

“Do you have any more witnesses, Mr. Alexander?” the judge asked.

“One, Your Honor.” David turned to the gallery. Myra Brennan stared at him. “The defense calls Liam Kincaid.”

“What?” Mary and Tessa spoke simultaneously. Tessa clamped a hand over her mouth. Mary stared down at her shoes, too embarrassed to look at David.

Lee strolled up to the front of the courtroom. He placed his hand on the Bible and promised to tell the truth, then sat down in the chair Coalie had vacated.

David pulled the other chair out of the way. “Please state your name and occupation.”

“Liam Kincaid. I’m currently employed as a bartender at the Satin Slipper Saloon.”

“Is that your only occupation?” David asked.

“No,” Lee replied. “I’m also employed by the Pinkerton Detective Agency.”

A murmur of surprise rippled through the courtroom. Newsmen scribbled furiously on their notepads, and several artists hastily sketched pictures for their newspapers.

“Did you come to Peaceable on business or for pleasure, Detective Kincaid?”

“I’m here to investigate the death of Eamon Roarke,” Lee stated, staring at Tessa. “He was the brother of the defendant, Tessa Roarke.”

Tessa’s head began to spin. She felt dizzy, lightheaded. She thought she might faint.

“How did Mr. Roarke die?”

“He was struck and killed by a wagon outside the Pinkerton offices in Chicago. We don’t believe it was an accident. We believe he was murdered.”

David paced the distance between the witness stand and the defense table once again. “Will you tell us why the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency is investigating this man’s death?”

“Eamon Roarke was also employed by the agency. He was working on a case centered in Peaceable when he died. I followed the man suspected of running Mr. Roarke down.”

“Who was that man?”

“Arnie Mason.” Lee looked out over the sea of faces until he found Myra Brennan’s.

The crowd in the courtroom reacted, buzzing with excitement.

“How long have you been in Peaceable?” David asked.

“Five, almost six weeks.”

“And how long have you worked at the Satin Slipper?”

“About a month,” Lee replied. “I worked at two other saloons before I applied at the Satin Slipper.”

“Was there any reason you chose Myra Brennan’s establishment?”

Lee met David’s gaze. “There were two reasons.” He paused a moment, weighing his words, before he continued. “The first was that I knew Tessa Roarke had taken her brother’s room at the saloon; Eamon was staying there before he died. I knew that because the agency had reimbursed him for expenses, including three months’ rent at the Satin Slipper. The second reason was that the agency had reason to believe that a large-scale robbery and smuggling ring was operating out of the Satin Slipper. Eamon was investigating that operation. I was assigned to complete Eamon’s case.”

“You speak as if you knew Mr. Roarke well,” David commented.

“Eamon and I were partners on several cases,” Lee answered. “He was my friend.”