The Librarian

Episode 11

The storm passed but the effects remained. Soggy roads, damaged windows and signs. The horse troughs were filled with mud and debris and a weary citizenry plodded through the mess. Aaron knocked on the hotel room door and was mildly surprised to see Amanda. She kept it partially closed and asked the purpose of his visit.

"I'm here to speak to Harriet, obviously. Is there no school today, Miss Holden?"

"Harriet isn't inclined to give an interview just now, Mr. Trenholme."

"This is not for my paper. I've been appointed special deputy to take Miss Folio's statement for the sheriff, who remains incapacitated." His voice displayed a measure of annoyed impatience.

"Still, she is not—" The door opened wider and Harriet appeared, one hand on Amanda's shoulder.

"It's fine. Mr. Trenholme is correct on insisting. The sooner it's done the sooner it is over. Come in, Mr. Trenholme."

He stepped past Amanda, exchanging cold looks, and followed Harriet to a lounge.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience but circumstances demand this be investigated."

"I understand. Won't you take a chair." She sat on the lounge and immediately Amanda settled beside her. Aaron seated himself and took out his notebook and a new pencil.

"First of all, I guess would be the victim, Cass Wenderby. Could you tell me how you knew him?"

"He was a member of the gang that attacked the wagon I was riding in on my way here."

"You were in a train, were you not?"

"The husband of the family I was with had to stop and do some repair work on the shoe of one of the horses . . . it was limping. The Wagonmaster warned him they wouldn't be waiting but the father stated we could catch up easily enough."

He jotted some quick notes and looked up at her face. Her eyes were staring at nothing he could see but he imagined she was seeing the incident all over again in her mind.

"While you were stopped this gang attacked?"

"Yes. They killed the husband right away then two of them forced themselves on his wife." Amanda reached over and clutched Harriet's hand.

"We don't need every detail here, Harriet, what about this Wenderby?"

"I had wounded two of them and tied them to the wagon wheel overnight. In the morning only Wenderby was alive. I left him tied up, unable to stand. That was all I knew of him." Her eyes found Aaron's and he saw the sad but determined defiance.

"How many were there?"

"Four."

"And you wounded two, so . . ."

"I killed the other two after they murdered the entire family I was with." Her voice rose with the first indication of anger.

Aaron moved away from that and asked about the confrontation at the social. She went on to explain, beginning with Amanda's concern, which led to her seeing and recognizing Wenderby.

"The gun in your purse, was that- do you always carry that?"

"Yes."

"Harriet, you experienced two, almost identical uhm, experiences rather close together, with amazingly similar outcomes and now this- this unfortunate . . . what can you say to all that?"

"What am I expected to say, Mr. Trenholme? I have endured nothing but grievous circumstances since travelling here to establish my library. I have survived and will continue to do so, and will devote a good measure of my time to encouraging women not to allow themselves to be victims."