Page 80 of Inventions of the Heart

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

LEANING HARD ON HISARM, Michelle let Zane support her as they followed the sheriff to the jail.

Marshal Irving stepped out as they reached the boardwalk in front of it.

The marshal studied Michelle’s face, his expression grim. Zane suspected it matched his own.

“When they get here, my men are going to transport Jarvis to Sacramento. He’ll be tried and convicted before his pa comes in with another crooked judge to get him set free. And he wouldn’t dare try that right under the governor’s nose anyway. Horace and Governor Booth are mortal enemies.”

“He and Uncle Newt don’t get along?”

Sheriff Stockwood said, “Uncle Newt?”

“Yes, Newton Booth, the governor, is a personal friend of my family,” Michelle said. “I should probably ride along to Sacramento. Uncle Newt won’t like seeing what Jarvis did to me.”

Zane tightened his grip on her to keep her from hopping on a horse and riding off.

“I’ll make sure and describe your injuries very well, Mrs. Hart. I witnessed him hit you. It was a cold-blooded, terrible thing to watch.”

When Zane pictured it, which he seemed to be doing every minute, it made him killing mad. He couldn’t believe she was on her feet, alive and going to heal. His whole life hadn’t been as long as that single horse ride chasing after Jarvis.

“We can hold him, try him, and jail him without your testimony, Mrs. Hart. He’ll end up in San Quentin, probably before the end of the week.”

The name of the notorious California prison sent a shudder up Zane’s spine. It’d been built about twenty years ago in response to the violence that came along with the gold rush. He’d heard tell it was a harsh, crowded place. It was supposed to be an improvement over the prison ships that used to anchor off the coast of San Francisco. But harsh and brutal or not, bad men had to be held somewhere. Zane thought it was a stern warning to stay on the right side of the law. Jarvis, with his arrogance and being accustomed to wealth and comfort, wouldn’t do well in that prison.

“Don’t forget he stole a horse,” the sheriff said.

Irving cracked a mean sort of smile. “I won’t. And I’ll make sure he doesn’t forget, either.”

“Trey, I’m letting Mrs. Hart come in and see Jarvis while I ask him some questions. I’m hoping the sight of what he did to her, and what we’re going to do to him because of it, will get a few answers out of him. I’d sure like to hear him say a few words about attacking Zane’s sister’s ranch and shooting Todd Lane. That’s an ugly business, and Horace Benteen’s land grab can’t be allowed to stand, but a landgrab isn’t ordering murder. I’d like Jarvis to slip up and mention that.”

Then Sheriff Stockwood turned to Michelle. “I’ll apologize here and now for any foul language you might hear. You might prefer to not be exposed to that.”

“I’ll come.” Michelle squared her shoulders and reached for the doorknob.

Zane regretted what she might hear but didn’t bother to try to stop her.

“Then come right along, Mrs. Hart,” Irving said. “Glad to goad Jarvis any way we can think of.” He took over opening the door and gestured for her to enter.

“Let me go first, ma’am.” Stockwood went inside.

Michelle went in ahead of Zane, but he was glad Stockwood was already in there.

“The last time I was in this jail, I’d brought Jarvis in for breaking into my house and assaulting my wife and her sister. Too bad you didn’t hang on to him when you had him.”

Stockwood looked back at Zane, scowling. “Too bad for a fact. I had to open fire on two men today because of Jarvis and his pa. I lay a good bit of that at the feet of the judge who forced me to let him go.”

The door clicked firmly shut behind Zane.

“He’s not getting out this time. I guarantee it.” Irving came up beside Zane, then passed on ahead to follow the sheriff through the door to the room where the cells were.

Michelle gasped quietly. Zane suspected he was the only one who’d heard it. Then he saw Jarvis and understood why. The man had apparently fallen really hard off his horse. Hard enough to blacken both eyes and break his nose. There was a rough bandage around his leg just below his knee. Itlooked like Jarvis had tied it on himself. And he had a few stubbornly bleeding cuts from that window he’d crashed through.

He was flat on his back on the cot inside one of two cells. The other cell was past Jarvis. Its door stood open.

Only one prisoner today.

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