Page 17 of Montana Lawman Rescuer
“I hate to leave you, but I need to send some letters to inquire where you got on the stage and perhaps learn who Aunt Hilda,Abigail, and John are.” It was too late to send messages back along the line today, but he could get letters ready and start asking questions.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll sit and rest while Mikey plays.” She returned to the bench and appeared to be relaxed.
“I’ll be back as soon as I’ve taken care of business.” The best thing he could do for Emily at the moment was help her get Mikey to his adoptive parents. This Abigail and John would be waiting for their child. More than that, they would know who Aunt Hilda was and where Emily had come from. Once he knew that, he would be able to find Emily’s family.
“No need to rush on my account.” She smiled.
He really needed to leave, but he hesitated to do so. It took a great deal of effort to force his steps to the house. “Gram, I have to go. Keep an eye on that pair, would you?”
She chuckled. “Do you really need to ask?”
“Thanks.” He left via the front door.
Jesse strode down Mineral Street, checking on each store. He completed his circuit and then went to Marshall’s Mercantile. His jaw muscles hurt, and he realized he’d chomped down on his teeth way too hard and forced himself to relax. Someone had threatened his town. Whoever was responsible for the robbery and murder, for bringing harm to a young woman and little boy, would be found and captured. Jesse Hill would see to it.
He entered the store and let his eyes adjust to the interior dimness. He circled the inside of the store as George waited on a customer. The displays were familiar to Jesse, so he took little notice of the goods, though he paused to look at the women’s wear and wondered if something in the array would spark Emily’s memory.
The customer left with his arms full. George turned to Jesse. George Marshall saw almost everyone in the area or passingthrough because they soon learned his store was well stocked and could supply their needs.
“Howdy, Jesse. Find those robbers yet?”
“Not yet, I’m afraid.” He explained Mikey and Emily at the house and Emily’s loss of memory, though George had by now likely heard a dozen different versions of the details concerning the pair Jesse brought in.
“Could she at least give a description of the men responsible?”
“Pretty sketchy one. They covered their faces, so she is unable to describe what they look like.”
“Didn’t find anything at the site to tell you who they are?”
“One of the horses had an odd-shaped horseshoe that will help identify the robbers. The rain made it impossible to follow their tracks.” He leaned on the counter. “Any strangers around recently? Someone who might have been checking out the stagecoach schedule? Or someone waiting for an arrival?”
“There was a stranger in town today buying supplies. Said he was joining his partner at Wolf Hollow.”
“Sounds innocent enough. Did you happen to notice anything odd about his boots?”
George laughed. “Don’t often have cause to notice a man’s feet. Why?”
“Emily said the one thing she saw was that one of the robbers had silver-tipped boots.”
“Well, I’ll sure be keeping my eye open for that and will let you know.”
“Have you heard of a couple by the name of Abigail and John?”
“What’s their last name?”
“’Fraid I don’t know.” Jesse told about the letter.
George stroked his chin. “There was an Abigail and John Newman who lived north of Wolf Hollow. They came in once ortwice. I remember because she would always go to the selection of baby items and look so longingly at them that I wondered if she’d lost a baby.”
“I’ll plan on heading out to Wolf Hollow tomorrow and look around.” It was the perfect place for riffraff to hide. He had two things to look for—a horse with an odd-shaped shoe and a man with silver-tipped boots. And a third—a couple by the name of Newman.
George chuckled. “How do you plan to find an Aunt Hilda?”
“Now, that is going to be more difficult, I think. An aunt who sends a boy for adoption.” That fact alone gave him a few clues. “She could work in an orphanage or be a preacher’s wife who helps orphans find homes.”
“Or a lawyer’s wife. Or she could simply be acting as agent for her niece or nephew and their spouse.”
“I simply don’t have enough information to go on. All I can do is send letters down the line to the various sheriffs with the few facts I have and hope someone, somewhere, can connect the dots.” He said goodbye to George and stepped into the street.
