By Any Other Name

Chapter 19

"Annie, this is ridiculous!" Levi said. "Would you come out of there already?"

I smiled sadly. "It's a jail cell, Levi. I can't just walk out of it."

After my admission, Jasper didn't have any choice but to bring me here. As he should have. Charles was dead because of me.

"You can tell Jasper you were wrong," he said, angrily. "It wasn't your fault."

I just looked at him, not convinced.

"You did it to save my life!" he added.

"I know." I gave him a small smile. "And I'd do it again. But...it's still my fault he's dead."

Levi huffed in frustration before turning to Abigail and Minnie, behind him. "You two try to talk some sense into her!" He walked over to the window and glowered out at the street.

"Annie." Minnie moved to the place Levi had been standing a moment ago. "It was an accident."

"He had a gun." Abigail joined her. "You didn't have a choice."

I looked between the two women who had come to feel like my mothers and attempted another smile for them. It was getting harder to pretend that I wanted to do anything other than throw myself down on a bed somewhere and cry.

"I know," I answered both of them. "But he's still dead because of me."

Levi huffed angrily again and pushed his way in front of Abigail and Minnie.

"It's not your fault!" he tried again. "It's his own fault! He deserved to die!"

I just watched him sadly. Whether Charles deserved it or not, wasn't the point. But there was no use trying to make Levi see that.

Levi's shoulders sagged and he looked like he might cry. He slipped his hand through the bars and took hold of mine.

We hadn't allowed ourselves even that much familiarity in the last several months, but just now, craving the contact and support, I happily squeezed his hand, so grateful not to have to be all alone.

We waited an eternity. Jasper didn't believe I was guilty any more than Levi, Abigail, or Minnie, but since he had a confession, he had to hold me in the jail cell until a cause of death could be determined.

Levi never moved. He stayed planted outside the cell, holding my hand and not even shifting enough to pull over the little wooden stool to sit on.

He briefly allowed the doctor to tend his arm after everything happened, but I doubt they'd been able to do a thorough job with as impatient as he'd been. And of course he wouldn't take anything for the pain, which had to be considerable by now. But he acted like he didn't even notice.

Hours after Jasper left us, he returned with a paper in his hand. I lifted my head from where I'd rested it against the metal bar and watched him as he came to stand in front of the cell.

"Got the official report." He indicated the paper.

Levi and I exchanged a nervous glance and I held my breath.

Jasper focused on me. "You, little lady, did not kill your husband."

Sure I must have heard him wrong, I blinked stupidly for a moment. "W-what?" I barely managed to get the word out.

"You are not responsible in any way," he clarified before he stuck the key in the door of the cell and opened it with a loud click.

Levi rushed in and hugged me as soon as the door was clear. Mechanically, I hugged him back, still not able to grasp it.