A Lethal Lady
Chapter 26

The townspeople began to whisper early in the morning about the stranger's escape, all wondering where the woman had gone, whether she was dead, or whether she was coming back for revenge. The gossip spread pretty fast, but no one would go to the sheriff's station to ask the sheriff about the woman.

It was said that he was not in a good mood....

While the town was buzzing about Rouse's escape, Tom was at the station house in a rage. First, because that woman played him dirty, second, because the whole damn town knew about his escape, and he still didn't understand how the hell everyone found out so fast, and third, because he'd just taken off like that....

The truth was that he was quite furious with her for leaving like that, but he was also annoyed with himself. Because a part of him, and a big part of him, didn't care about the other reasons why she ran away, he was more annoyed by the fact that she left the village, when he was helping her.

He had no intention of forgiving her, especially not in the situation she was in. Her injuries were serious, but if his intuition wasn't wrong and he was right, in a couple of days she would be better, and it was then, when he planned to drag her back to the village. It was clear that the blonde was at Joy's ranch, he wasn't so sure about that theory, but he was pretty sure that the old man had given the woman shelter. His reasons, he didn't know, he would replace out later. The important thing was that the townspeople didn't know about his suspicions, the main thing was that Rouse would get better from her injuries and then the rest would follow.

He was not being objective at all, that much was clear to him. His badge and his integrity hung in the balance, and all for covering up for that woman. He's not like that, and it drove him crazy to know that he didn't want to change his mind for a reasonable one. He didn't want to give Rouse away.

-Damn it! -He shouts aloud.

-Sheriff! -Tom looks up and notices Lauren, who looks at him in astonishment. Mr. Harry sent word that you wanted to see me.

-Miss Miller, please come in, have a seat," she obeys and remains silent. I need you to tell me what you know about Rouse. I hear you're friends.

-Friends?! Well, not that close, Mr. Wesley.

-Are they or aren't they?

The almost blonde looks at him with both confusion and fear, Tom realised she was hiding something and he wanted to know what it was. -Tell me the truth, I need to know.

-I don't know if she considers me a friend, Mr. Wesley. But ever since she defended me from my mother's assaults, I think of her that way," she looks down. -What assaults? -Tom asks, and she looks up, startled. Tell me.

-My mother hit me for an errand I ran and I didn't do it in time, Miss LeRoy defended me from my mother continuing to hit me. For that reason, I think Rouse ran away. I told her my mother would tell you everything, I guess she didn't want to get in trouble with authority anymore.

Tom leans back in his chair, not knowing that part of the story. Hilary told him her version of events, but of course he believed the daughter more than the mother herself. She wasn't an idiot, she knew Hilary, she wasn't a good woman.

But then, was that why she ran away from the village? It wasn't really a strong enough reason to run away like that, let alone take off with her damn hair... and that was another matter, how the hell did she ride Belze? That hair wouldn't be ridden by anyone but him. -I think she left because of me," Lauren adds, as Tom looks up. For defending me from my mother, the lady got in trouble, and that's why she left.

-Don't feel guilty, I'm sure the lady had other reasons. Remember that she was already in trouble with the law, maybe she was just looking for the right time to leave. Besides, that's why I sent for her. I want to know what you two have been talking about. -Nothing, sheriff. I swear to you, she wouldn't tell me anything about her life. She's very closed, she always did her job quietly, she didn't ask me much. She was never interested in anything, or anyone.

The sheriff clasped both hands together as he looked carefully at the young woman before him. He tried to replace the lie in her eyes, but she seemed sincere enough.

Though she was quite right about one thing, Rouse wasn't much of a loose mouth. She was a rather reserved woman, and despite replaceing her dying in the desert, she hadn't said a word about why the hell she'd ended up in such a deplorable condition. -I'm going to take her word for it, I hope and trust that she's telling me the truth.

-I swear to you, sheriff.

-I'm going to ask you, please don't tell anyone that you and Miss LeRoy are close. I don't want you to make any enemies in town, do you understand me?

-Of course, sheriff, but I'm sure the lady's not a bad person.

Even he was thinking about it himself, but first there were his duties as an officer. And then, well, then there was him as a man.

-Listen to me, in case Miss Rouse is sneaking around looking for you to...

-Good morning, sheriff.

Both the sheriff and Lauren looked at the person entering the police station, automatically, Tom frowned as he saw Wyatt approach them uninvited in. But of course, since he was the mayor, he thought he could do whatever he wanted in his town. -Why, Tom! Doing your job so early in the morning, how efficient you are," he added wryly.

-At least someone is doing something for his people. What brings you here, Mayor Butter? Are you here to give donations to the town? The truth is that it wouldn't be bad at all, the town needs a lot of improvements, ones that I've been asking for a long time," the sheriff answers with mockery, but at the same time with a lot of seriousness.

-Well, as a matter of fact, yes. Tom clenches his jaw, "Don't worry, I know what you think of me." The man lays his gloves on the table, and watches Lauren silently.

Immediately, the young blonde notices the man's powerful gaze on her, then looks at Tom in horror. Then she stands up without saying a word.

-With your permission, sheriff," Lauren leaves the station almost at a run.

-My people don't like you, Mayor. I hope you realise that and your stay in Coloma will be short. I don't want people living in fear because you're here.

-I don't care what a little girl or other inhabitants feel, I've come here on a really serious matter." The man sits down uninvited by Tom, which infuriates him even more.

-What do you want? I'm not here to waste my time with you.

-Oh, yes, you are concerned with the matter of the runaway. I've heard the rumours from the villagers about the lady who ran away from you. I'm surprised the great Tom Wesley escaped a prisoner, do you know where he is yet? -Wyatt smiles mischievously at him. Tom's eyes sharpened, what interest did this guy have in Rouse? Wyatt was the kind of mayor who didn't care about anything, the only thing he cared about was power and money. What happened to the outlaws didn't matter to him; whether they got caught, or hung. It didn't make any difference to him.

At this point, he kept thinking, how the hell did he keep winning the damn elections?

-He seemed to be aware of the situation.

-Well, I'm the mayor. There's no way I wouldn't know what's going on in this town. And it seems to me, you've been pretty soft on that woman, sheriff.

-You think so?

-Yeah, you've gone soft because she's a lady? -Yeah. I remind you that she stole an officer's horse, and in the condition in which you found her," the man denies. They don't approve of the lady. Everything seems to indicate that she is a bandit.

-I'm surprised you're so knowledgeable in this matter, Mr. Butter. If that's the case, she's just another outlaw... What harm does that do you?

-I didn't come here to talk about who is or isn't hurting me, Sheriff.

-You know, Mr. Butter," Tom leans back. Since you walked into my station a moment ago, I've been wondering something really curious and strange," the man didn't even flinch at his comment. I wonder, who's been busting the Mayor of Tombstone's face?