Julie Garwood - Come the Spring

her hands together on the railing so the jury could see them, she took

a shuddering breath and began. She told them why she had been in the

bank and what she had seen.

Tears came easily, and her voice had a halting quality she was quite

proud of, and by the time her story ended, she was sure there wasn't a

dry eye in the courtroom.

The judge was as shaken as the jury by her gut-wrenching recollection

of the murders. He sat hunched over his desk, leaning toward her as

though he thought his nearness would somehow comfort her.

"All right, then, " he said. "I know how hard it was for you to go

through it again, and I appreciate it. Now, I want you to look at the

man shackled to the table over on your right and tell me if he was one

of the men in the bank." Rebecca stared at Bell for several seconds

before shaking her head.

"No, " she cried out. "He wasn't there." The judge's face betrayed

his disappointment. His frustration was palpable, but he wasn't ready

to give up. "Take your time and look him over real good before you

make up your mind." She did as he instructed. "I'm so sorry, Your

Honor. I wish he were one of the Blackwater gang, but he isn't. I

swear to you he wasn't there." Bell's attorney was grinning from ear

to ear, and that offended the judge almost as much as her devastating

testimony.

"Don't even think about getting to your feet again, Proctor. You keep

your seat glued to your chair until I'm finished. I've got a couple of

nagging points I want to clear up before I let this young lady leave

the stand." Rebecca bowed her head and pretended she was desperately

trying to compose herself. She knew the judge was watching her

closely, and when she looked up at him again, she felt a burst of

gloating satisfaction over Rafferty's compassionate gaze.

"I'm going to make this quick, " he promised. "I just have a couple of

questions. Are you up to answering them now, or would you like a

recess? " "I'd like to finish now, please." He immediately asked his

first question. "I ordered three women brought here, and I'm curious

to know where the other two are. Do you have any information about

their whereabouts? " "No, I don't. When Marshal Cooper told me Grace

and Jessica were also being brought here I felt terrible, just

terrible. Their lives have been uprooted because of me. If I had told

the truth from the beginning, none of this would be happening to

them.

They've become dear friends. I expected them to be here when I

arrived, and I was looking forward to seeing them and telling them how

sorry I am. I'm sure they were just delayed. Grace wasn't feeling

well when I left her. She might have had a relapse."

"Let's move on to the next question. You said you got on the train

with Marshal Cooper and that he left your compartment and didn't come

back.

Why did he leave? " "I had a pounding headache and my medicine was in

my suitcase. Because Marshal Cooper was such a gentleman, he insisted

on going to the baggage compartment to fetch it for me. If I hadn't

complained . . . if I had suffered in silence . . . he would still be

alive. It's my fault he's dead, all . . . my . . . fault." She

buried her face in her hands and began to sob. Rafferty looked at the

jury and noticed their united sympathy for the poor woman.

He realized he had better hurry up then before a rebellion broke out.

"We're almost done, " he announced. "Tell me what happened when you

heard the gunshots. Do you recollect how many you heard? " She wiped

her face with the handkerchief as she nodded. "I'm pretty sure I heard

two shots fired. I was too frightened to find out what was

happening.

The train made an unexpected stop, and that's when I heard that poor

Marshal Cooper had been killed."

"And then what did you do? " "I was afraid to get back on the train.

I didn't know what to do, " she cried out. "I hid in the brush and

waited until everyone had gone. I don't know how long I stayed there

.

. . It could have been hours, " she stammered. "When I was finally

able to pull myself together, I ran into town."

"But you didn't go to the sheriff there, and that's one of the little

nagging points I'm confused about. Why didn't you seek his help? " "I

was terrified, " she cried out. "And I didn't know who to trust. I

wanted to get away from there. I knew you were waiting for me, Your

Honor, and that you would protect me. All I could think about was

getting here . . . to you." His expression was comical to her.

Rafferty looked as though his dog had just been put down.

"You did the right thing, " he said gruffly. "I'm not going to fault

you because you came here, and that's exactly what I ordered you to

do.

You've been very brave. Very brave indeed." The prosecutor stood

up.

"Your Honor, before we go any further, will you please ask Miss James

one last time to look at the defendant. Maybe recalling the sequence

of events . . . " "This poor woman has been through a terrible time, "

the judge said.

"You and I both have to accept that we were about to hang an innocent

man."

"Please, Your Honor, " the prosecutor pleaded.

"I don't mind, " Bell's attorney called out.

The judge ordered the sheriff to unshackle the defendant and bring him

over so that the witness could get a close look at him. When Bell

stood in front of the railing, the judge reluctantly turned back to

Rebecca.

"This is the last time I'll ask you. Is the man standing in front of

you one of the Blackwater gang? " "No, he isn't, " she insisted.

"Yes, he is! " The shout came from the doorway of the judge's

chambers. Every one turned as Jessica slowly walked forward into the

courtroom. She wanted to run to the stand and tear Rebecca from her

seat so outraged was she, but Daniel had made her promise not to go any

farther than the defense table so that she wouldn't be near the killers

she was condemning.

The rage was building momentum inside her. Images kept flashing into

her mind. Malcolm down on his knees looking up earnestly as he tried

to be helpful . . . Cole carrying her baby across the fiery inferno,

the roof collapsing behind him. . . Franklin's head exploding . . .

Daniel grabbed her arm to keep her from going any farther. He stayed

by her side, but Cole had already moved to the center aisle and was

diligently searching the audience for signs of hidden weapons.

"He was in the bank. I saw him put his gun to the back of a man's head

and shoot him. I saw everything, " she shouted, "because I was

there.

" She was pointing at Bell when she made her accusations, but her

attention was centered on the woman who'd tried to kill Caleb and who'd

shot Marshal Cooper. Rebecca was shaking her head in denial as she

started to stand, then fell back against the chair. Her face was so

white she looked as though she were rapidly bleeding to death.

The crowd was going wild, the judge was pounding his gavel, and in the

fracas a young deputy in the back of the room shouted, "Those men are

armed, Judge." He then tried to bring his rifle up.

Before anyone in the crowd could summon a scream or dive for cover,

Daniel's gun was out, his arm fully extended, his target the center of

the deputy's forehead. The man hadn't even gotten his rifle past his

waist when he realized it was too late.

"Put the gun down, boy." The command was given in a deep, yet

surprisingly calm, voice.