The Lone Rancher - By Carol Finch Page 0,81
have riled Boston more if he tried.
“For your information, Hobbs, I did my own detective work and uncovered the plot of rustling and arson.”
Quin smiled to himself, knowing she still was hassling Hobbs to take the pressure off him because he’d been a murder suspect. He also thought she enjoyed her role as agitator.
“You?” Hobbs’s dark brows shot up his forehead to collide with his hairline. His startled gaze bounced between Boston and the prisoners.
“Furthermore,” she added in her crisp Eastern accent, “I have evidence to prove these two men purposely set fire to my home and I will be turning the evidence over to the court myself.”
He jerked upright in his chair. “Are you suggesting—?”
“I’m suggesting,” she cut in sharply, “that I am handing over evidence directly to the judge. These two men admitted they were hired to keep the story about a supposed curse alive as a diversion while they rustled on and burned my ranch and the 4C, and I will admit the evidence in court.”
Hobbs glanced at the criminals, then turned his attention to Quin. “Apparently, you dragged the information out of them. There are laws against vigilante justice.”
“After the sloppy way you handled the murder case, I’m not certain of your ability to enforce any laws,” she countered caustically.
Ah, how Quin loved to watch this firebrand in action. She was indeed at home and thriving in the wide-open ranges of Texas. Hobbs was getting huffy but he deserved her harassment…which reminded Quin…
“Perhaps we have solved the murder for you, too,” he insisted as he herded the captives to the cells.
Hobbs stopped being annoyed with Boston long enough to toss Quin a surprised glance. “You think they tried to extort money and set you up for murder, too?”
“We did no such thing,” Chester protested loudly. “Okay, so we were hired to prey on Cahill and the woman but we didn’t know who set it up. We were contacted by anonymous notes from the very beginning. And that’s the truth!”
“Sound familiar? Anonymous note?” Quin prompted the marshal. “I, for one, would like to see the face be hind these mysterious directives, wouldn’t you?”
Grumbling, Hobbs surged to his feet to lock the captives in their cells, then he wheeled around to fetch the necessary forms from his desk.
“You can file formal charges, Cahill. I’ll ask around town again to see if anyone can identify the dead man.”
He glanced toward the prisoners, who had plunked onto their cots. “Did they give up a name and save me the trouble of looking?”
“No,” Quin replied. “Would you admit to involvement with a dead man until you gained clemency?”
Hobbs pensively stroked his mustache with his forefinger. “No, I suppose not.”
While Quin filed criminal charges, Boston breezed past Hobbs. “Unless you need my statement I’ll be in Rosa’s shop.”
Hobbs frowned and scowled. “No, you can go…please.”
She flashed an ornery grin and said, “Are you glad you met me yet, Marshal?”
“Elated,” he muttered caustically. When she shut the door behind her, Hobbs turned to Quin. “It is beyond me how you put up with the mouth on that feisty female.”
Quin bowed his head over the form he was filling out and swallowed a grin. He loved Boston’s lush mouth. Hobbs had no idea what he was missing.
Adrianna gave Rosa the boiled-down version of the capture of the men responsible for the rustling and arson. Rosa stared at her in amazement.
“You think you’ve put a stop to local thieving? That’s marvelous! Did those scoundrels confess to silencing their partner and extorting money at Phantom Springs?”
“No,” Adrianna grumbled. “But I wouldn’t be dismayed if word spread the men might be involved in murder.”
Rosa nodded comprehendingly. “I’m not one to spread gossip to my clients but I’ll make an exception to clear Quin’s name.”
“Thank you. Cahill has enough problems trying to figure out if his parents made a careless mistake on the curve of the road or if they were trying to avoid a robbery and crashed at high speed at Ghost Canyon.”
“I imagine that not knowing disturbs Quin greatly.” Rosa shot her a pointed glance. “Fortunately, you are close by to console and support him.”
“We moved out yesterday,” Adrianna reported.
“Did you?” Rosa busied herself by selecting a bolt of fabric for one of her new creations. “A pity. I thought you and Quin made an interesting couple.”
Adrianna smirked. “You mean we deserve each other? He’s hardheaded and outspoken and I’m a hoyden at heart.”
Rosa glanced over her shoulder and said, “You know what I’m asking, Addie