Cherry Springs

Chapter 19

They followed the trail of Belle's horse as it headed west. Duke and Anna took the lead, with the sheriff and a few of his men trailing behind. They spotted Belle's horse racing toward the town, laden with saddlebags. The two of them quickly closed the distance.

"Okay, Belle, this is the end of the road," said Duke, firm but polite, even given the circumstances. "Dismount from that horse. We know about the young men you killed, and you won't escape justice."

Belle looked back, dismounted, and attempted to bluff her way out with what remained of her charm.

"I'm just fleeing from a burning house; I know nothing about dead men," she said, batting her eyelashes coquettishly.

"We'll leave that for the judge to decide," replied Duke. He took the horse's reins and waited for the sheriff to ride up, his horse as portly as he was, breathing heavily.

"Belle, you're under arrest for the murder of two young men and insurance fraud," declared the sheriff. Once the guilty party was in custody, the sheriff had no problem doing his job, and maybe even getting a little extra credit.

"We'll need to find a place for the girls to stay," Duke suggested. He wanted to stay practical, especially after his recent argument with Anna, which had left her quite angry. Indeed, Anna appeared a bit off, shuffling her feet nervously. Was she still angry with him? Would she leave town as she had threatened? Now that the excitement of dealing with the rustlers and the fire was over, he felt apprehensive about what lay ahead. The removal of two dark shadows from the town, both the rustlers and Belle, would face justice at the hands of the law, but he couldn't help but feel that his life would be bleak without Anna. However, he realized that this was not the time for sentimentality.

"There's something I need to do," said Anna. "Sheriff, if you wouldn't mind coming with me. Buster, GO!"

The sheriff followed her and Buster into the woods, behind the burnt house, where she finally showed him the shallow grave, where she identified her brother's body for certain.

"Well, I have to say, Belle had us fooled. No wonder she could keep that ranch going without help. Mighty nice job, missy, for bringing this to my attention," the sheriff chuckled indulgently, provoking indignation in Anna. She was about to righteously protest that he had done nothing when she felt Duke's hand on her back, calming her rage. She still wanted to give the sheriff a piece of her mind, but Duke's presence made her reflect that it wouldn't bring Walter back, and the sheriff was just a lazy man half-doing his job. There was nothing she could fix there, and she needed him to help bring Belle to justice.

"She's an ornament to our community," Duke said quickly before she could say a word. While the sheriff was patronizing, at least Duke had her back. She almost forgave him for delaying her case until after the rustlers were caught.