Thorne listened as Clara laid out the story. She spoke of the letters, the fence cutting, the intimidation. She showed him the pages from Sarah's stolen ledger. Thorne rubbed his temples. It is a pattern.
I know it is. Pike moves cattle across the border, rebrands them, and sells them as legitimate stock. He uses the profits to buy water rights and squeeze out the small holders. But this, he tapped the ledger page. This is hearsay.
It is a page without a book and your testimony. He hesitated, looking at Clara with a sad kindness. Mrs. Kincaid, a jury will look at your history. Pike's lawyers will tear you apart.
They will paint you as a woman of low morals with a grudge. Unless we have a corroborating witness. Someone else who saw the operation? Clara went cold. There was one, Sarah.
But she is dead. Anyone else? Thorne asked. Anyone who worked at the Looking Glass? Clara thought back to the smoke and the noise of the saloon.
Most of the girls drifted like tumble weeds. But there was one, Molly. The girl who did the laundry in the back. Molly, who had been there the night Sarah was shot. "There is Molly," Clara said slowly.
"I saw her here in town just as we rode in. She was carrying a basket behind the hotel. " "Find her," Thorne said. "Get her to swear to an affidavit. If I have two witnesses, I can get a subpoena for Pike's private records. " They found Molly an hour later, behind a boarding house on the east side of town. She was pinning wet sheets to a line. her hands red and swollen from the lye soap.
When she saw Clara, she dropped the clothes pin basket in the mud. "No," Molly whispered, backing up until she hit the brick wall. "No, Clara, I ain't part of it, Molly. Please," Clara said, stepping over a puddle. "I just need you to tell the truth about what happened to Sarah. " "About the men Pike sent.
He will kill me," Molly said, her eyes wide and terrified. He has eyes everywhere. Clara, even here, especially here. He is killing us anyway. Clara said he is taking the land.
He is burning people out. If we do not stop him, there will be nowhere left to run. Molly looked at Eli, who stood at the alley entrance, watching the street. She looked back at Clara. You got out.
You got a husband, and I am fighting to keep him, Clara said. Please. Molly let out a shuddering breath. I finish my shift at 6:00. I will come to the lawyer's office, but then I'm getting on a train west.