I saw his men shoot a girl named Sarah because she found a ledger. I am not here to hide who I was. I am here to tell you who he is. The silence in the room was absolute. Then Eli was called.
He took the stand. He was awkward. His large frame too big for the chair. But when he spoke, his voice was clear. "My wife is the bravest person I know. " Eli said to the jury, "She has worked my land until her hands bled.
She has faced starvation and threats. She did not steal. This warrant is a lie to protect a thief who is stealing the water from every ranch in this county. " Judge Atherton peered over his spectacles. He looked at the prosecutor, then at Clara. The warrant for the brooch is suspicious.
The judge rumbled. The evidence is thin. However, the accusation against Mister Pike is grave. You claim there is a ledger. Yes, Clara said.
Sarah found it. It lists the bribes. It lists the rebranded cattle. Where is this ledger? The judge asked.
Pike has it, Clara said. Or he destroyed it. I cannot isSioux a ruling on a missing book. The judge said, "I will recess this hearing until tomorrow morning. If you can produce this ledger or a witness who has seen it, I will dismiss the charges against you and open an inquiry into Pike.
If not, you will stand trial for larceny. " It was a reprieve, but a terrifying one. They were released on bail, paid by Thorne. They stood outside the courthouse in the gathering dark. Molly never came, Thorne said, checking his pocket watch. She must have run, so we have no witness, Eli said.
And no ledger. Pike is in town, Thorne said. He stays at the kettleman's club. He has a private suite on the second floor. If the ledger exists, it is in his safe.
We cannot just walk in and ask for it, Eli said. Clara looked at the building down the street. The Cattleman's Club. It was a place of mahogany and cigar smoke, a place where rich men felt safe. No, Clara said, "We cannot ask. " She looked at her hands.
"But I know how to get into rooms where men think they are safe. The plan was madness. It was dangerous and ethically gray. But it was the only card they had left. " They waited until midnight. The streets were empty, save for the occasional drunk stumbling home.
They went to the alley behind the club. The service entrance was locked, but Clara knew the type of lock. She used a hairpin and the small knife she carried. It took 10 seconds. "Stay here," she whispered to Eli.