Hannah opened her document case.
"But a ledger is."
She stood.
The room went quiet enough for her to hear paper sliding beneath her fingers.
"April 9th," she said. "38 head moved from Black Pine to the Pine Hollow holding pens."
Mercer gave a small shrug.
"Your source?"
"Black Pine tally book written by Mr. Cole."
"Partly."
She looked toward Ben.
"Mr. Shaw recorded the final count."
Ben nodded from the back.
Mercer said, "And six apparently failed inspection."
Hannah lifted another sheet.
"Then why were those same six later listed as freighted south?"
Mercer's smile stopped moving.
A chair creaked.
Hannah continued.
"September shipment. 24 head delivered. Payment issued for 21."
Mercer closed his folder.
"Errors happen."
"Yes."
Hannah laid out three receipts on the front table.
"But they usually don't happen in one direction."
Nobody laughed now.
Mercer's eyes sharpened.
Hannah pointed to another page.
"May of '82. You charged Black Pine for transport over the North Mountain Road."
"So?"
"That road was gone."
Mercer blinked.
Hannah looked around the room.
"Spring flood took the bridge on May 3rd. It wasn't rebuilt until June."
Owen Price spoke from near the stove.
"She's right. I hauled iron up for the new span."
Another rancher nodded.
"So did I."
Hannah turned back to Mercer.
"Your receipt says you freighted cattle across it on May 19th."
Mercer looked down at the paper.
"Clerical error."
"Another one."
His jaw tightened.
Hannah brought out the copied brand notes from her father's records.
"Then there are cattle recorded as dead under one account that appear months later under another brand."
Mercer said, "Careful."
The room changed.
His voice had lost its pleasant edge.
Nathan rose slowly.
Hannah did not touch him this time.
She did not need to.
Nathan stood behind her, not in front.
Mercer looked at him.
"Men who accuse respectable businesses without proof sometimes find themselves without freight, credit, or buyers."
Nathan's voice was low.
"That a warning?"
"Advice."
Hannah closed the document case.
"Then here's mine."
Mercer's eyes went to her.
"Keep better records."
Someone near the back coughed into his fist to hide a laugh.
Mercer did not.
He buttoned his coat.
"I'll expect payment on legitimate charges."
"You'll get payment on legitimate charges," Hannah said. "That may be less than you're accustomed to."
Nathan's hand covered his mouth for a moment.
Mercer saw it.
So did Hannah.
For the first time, the polished cattle broker looked openly angry.
He gathered his papers and left before the meeting ended.
The room stayed quiet for several seconds after the door shut.
Then conversation started all at once.
Men who had barely looked at Hannah when she entered were suddenly asking Nathan who had found the duplicate charges.
Nathan answered the same way every time.
"She did."
Hannah packed her documents.
No speech.
No smile.
Just the papers back into their case one by one.
Outside, evening had settled over Pine Hollow.
Snow along the street reflected the lamps hanging beneath the hotel porch.
Nathan walked beside her toward the wagon.