PART 13
Ten minutes later, the judge
continued. “We have heard both sides of
the event and the evidence surrounding it.”
He paused for a moment before giving his verdict. “I find the defendant, Mr. Hank Lawson…”
“…Innocent.” A young woman said from the back of the
room. All eyes turned to look at her.
“Excuse me, miss,” the judge
asked. “Who are you?”
“The name is Rachel. I’m one of Hank’s saloon-girls.” Rachel began walking toward the judge. “Hank is innocent.”
“Do you have evidence to
back this up?” Judge Thomas asked her.
“Yeah, I was there. Hank didn’t shoot Dr. Blake. I did.”
The judge looked startled at the statement. The crowd became deathly quiet.
“You did?” the judge raised
his eyebrows in question. “It’s nice of
you to stick up for Hank…”
“I ain’t sticken up for
him. I did it.” Rachel pulled out a beautiful golden
heart-shaped locket from her pocket, and showed it to Nan.
Nan gasped. “Oh my.
It’s my locket.” She took the
locket from Rachel, and opened it. The
inscription that Nat put inside the locket was there. It said, ‘To my wife and doctor, with love.’ “This was my
graduation present from Nat. I had this
locket on the day I was shot.”
“Yeah, I took it from you,
after Hank ran off frightened that you had been shot and he didn’t do it. Thought the locket would look good on me.”
She paused then continued, “I was hiding behind some of those bushes. I wanted to kill you. I just wish I’d had better aim. You killed my best friend. Emily was the only friend I ever had, and
you killed her,” she yelled at Nan. “I
wanted to frame Hank, and I almost succeeded, but I couldn’t do it.” She turned to Hank. “You’re a good man, Hank. You treated Emily well. You don’t deserve to die.” Rachel couldn’t go on with her speech.
The judge looked over at
Dan. “Put her in jail.” Dan took the
handcuffs off of Hank and placed them on Rachel. He and Sully took her to jail.
The judge quieted the crowd
down. “It seems I have a change of
verdict. I find the defendant, Hank
Lawson, not guilty of attempted murder.”
Hank began to smile. “But I do
find you guilty of being there. You
were there and you were holding a gun on Dr. Blake. You owe Dr. Blake $1,000 for the trouble you’ve caused. That should pay her medical bills plus some.”
“That’s great. I’ll find the money. Thank you, Judge,” Hank said, relieved to
find out that he wouldn’t be hung.
“Quiet. I’m not done. By law, you will be sent to Denver for one-year of
treatment. The doctors there will treat
your state of drunkenness. And you will
close your saloon down.” Judge Thomas
slammed down his gavel one last time.
“Case dismissed.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * *
The next day, Hank was
packed and ready to leave for Denver.
His saloon was boarded up and out of business. He stood at the train station that afternoon, bags in hand, ready
to board the train.
Nan and Nat walked up to
him. “Hank.”
Hank looked down at
Nan. “I’m sorry, Nan.” He said before she could say anything, “for
everything I did.”
“Hank. I came to apologize to you. I just assumed you did it. I didn’t see anyone else around. I’m sorry.”
“Tell you what, if I forgive
you, will you forgive me for what I did?”
“Yes, of course, Hank. You’re forgiven. Just do me a big favor.”
“What’s that?”
“Change your life. Get the help you’re supposed to get in
Denver. Make a new life for
yourself. You could have a good life,
if you really try.”
Her request choked up
Hank. “Yeah. I can do that.” He
cleared his throat. “You couldn’t have
known there was somebody else there. I
didn’t even know it, but you are forgiven for assuming it was me. You had every right to assume what you did.”
Nan stuck out her hand; Hank
grabbed it and shook it. Hank looked
over at Nat. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, just
get help, Hank.”
“I will.” They shook hands. Hank boarded the train and soon the train departed from Colorado
Springs and headed toward Denver.
“Nat, honey. You know what I’d like to do with that extra
money?”
“What’s that, sweetie?” he
asked Nan as he escorted her back to the wagon.
“Find us a place to live,”
she said.
“You want to live here?” he
asked, not really surprised at what she wanted.
“Yes, I do. I love it here. I love Concord too, but the West has something magical about it. The beauty of it; I love it here, Nat,” she
looked up at him with her deep, brown, irresistible eyes.
“I figured you would want to
stay. I’ve seen the way your eyes light
up whenever you see something beautiful here.”
“So does that mean we can
stay?” she asked in her child-like voice.
Nat laughed. “Yes, we can stay here.”
“Oh, Nat.” She threw her
free arm around her husband. “We’re
going to have a wonderful life here. It
won’t be perfect, but it will be wonderful.”
“Because we’ll be
together. Forever.” He kissed her. “It will never matter where I live. As long as I’m with you.”
THE END
CONCLUSION:
Nat and Nan settle down in
Colorado Springs and get ready to start their new family. Nan starts working as the new doctor with
Michaela at her clinic. Nat becomes a
permanent writer for the ‘Colorado Springs Gazette’, working with Dorothy and
Brian.
Colleen and Andrew Cook add
new baby Abigail Cook to the family, giving Charlotte and Charles a baby
sister.
Dan settles down in Colorado
Springs as permanent sheriff.
Hank gets to Denver to
receive help for his problems and reunites with his teenage son, Zach, to begin
a new life for himself.
Rachel is hung for the
attempted murder of Nan.
