CHAPTER 1
Judge Launer unfolded the sheet of paper the bailiff had handed him and looked at it for a long moment, as though reading through it twice. His gaze shifted to the jury foreman then swept along the two rows of faces, eight women and four men. He cleared his throat.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is this your verdict?” he asked.
The jury foreman rose.
“It is, your honor.”
With no expression, the judge handed the open sheet back to the bailiff who returned it to the still standing foreman.
“The defendant will please rise,” said Launer.
The defense attorney, a tall, bespectacled, fair-haired young man put his hand gently on the arm of Sherry Johnson, and they rose from their seats at the defense table. They presented a stark contrast in physical appearance together, though they were not far apart in age. Though not ugly, he was gangly and rather awkward looking, his long limbs seemingly ill at ease at being attached to his body. On the streets of Kermit, he would have been noticed, if at all, as an egg-headed young man who needed to get more sun and exercise.
On the other hand, every man on those same streets would have immediately taken note of Sherry Johnson. Her perfectly proportioned face, with her dark eyes and hair, pert nose, full lips, and creamy complexion, would have brought a smile to any male she passed. And even had they not been able to see her face clearly, there was plenty to enjoy in the rest of the package of her luscious figure. Even though the plain navy blue suit she wore in the courtroom had been chosen to de-emphasize any sensuality, it could not hide the trim waist, full breasts, beautifully rounded hips, and shapely legs of its occupant.
As she stood she reached one hand behind her, as though searching for something. Copper Ryder reached forward from her seat in the first row and took the hand. Sherry held on tightly. Sky Ryder, sitting next to Copper, noted the almost child-like appeal of the attractive young defendant standing there, a full head shorter that her lawyer and holding the hand of her friend.
“The foreman will read the verdict,” intoned Judge Launer.
“We, the jury, find the defendant, Sherry Johnson, guilty.”
Sherry Johnson sagged slightly against her lawyer and gripped Copper’s hand even harder. Sky Ryder looked around the courtroom. Many of the women spectators, and even one of the female jurors, were smiling. The men sat stonily, though Sherry’s former boss, John Wilberforce of the Ranchers Trust and Savings Bank of Kermit, mopped his brow under the vigilant eye of his wife beside him. As the judge thanked the jury for their time and efforts, Sky laid one hand one on the arm of his agonized niece. Copper turned to him and seemed about to make some comment out loud, but he silenced her with a shake of his head.
The jury filed out of the room.
“Your Honor, the Defense intends to appeal the verdict,” said the tall young man.
Judge Launer nodded while writing something a yellow pad.
“So noted, Mr. Paulson.” The judge looked at Sherry for a moment then scanned the faces in the room.
“The jury has returned a verdict of guilty in this case, a verdict that, on the surface at least, seems justified under the law. But I’m troubled by some of the evidence presented here, so I’m going to delay sentencing for one week. This will allow some time for further investigation by the Sheriff and additional evidence to be developed. The clerk will notify both parties as to a time for a sentencing hearing on say—“
The judge flipped a few pages in his calendar book.
“—next Wednesday, the 23rd.”
The prosecutor stood.
“Your Honor, because of the defendant’s lack of ties to the community at this time, we request that she be held in custody of the Sheriff.”
The judge looked again at Sherry. He looked thoughtful then nodded.
“Though it is regrettable, I feel that under the circumstances Mr. Hazen’s point is valid. Defendant is remanded to custody of the Sheriff. Court is adjourned.”
The clerk called for the room to rise as the judge left the bench through the door to the judges’ chambers.
Sherry looked up at Paulson.
“What does it mean, Bill?”
Paulson looked a bit sick. He tried to be comforting by awkwardly putting one of his long arms part way around her.
“It means you’ll be held in jail for now,” he said softly.
Sherry looked horrified.
“But I didn’t do it, Bill! I didn’t!” she protested. “How can they lock me up for something I didn’t do?”
Deputy Amy Cole stepped forward. Except for having blue eyes, Amy was very similar to Sherry in height, build, and abundant good looks. In her right hand, Deputy Cole held a pair of handcuffs. Sherry gasped when she saw them.
“Oh, no!” she cried. “Not now! Not in front of everybody like this!”
Sky Ryder looked earnestly at the deputy.
“Are those really necessary, Amy?” he asked.
Deputy Cole looked a bit sheepish.
“I’m afraid so, Sky. Some of the prominent … uh, people in town have been accusing the Department of going easy on Miss Johnson because she’s so … young.”
Sky understood that by ‘people’ Amy meant ‘women’ and ‘young’ meant ‘attractive.’ What he had seen in the faces of the women in the courtroom testified to that.
“We’ll stick by you, Sherry!” said Copper earnestly. “We’ll do everything we can to prove that you’re innocent, won’t we, Uncle Sky?”
Sky nodded.
“We sure will,” he said. “And from what Judge Launer said, I think that he thinks the same way. Try to be brave, and give us some time.”
Sherry looked about to cry, but she nodded bravely. She turned to Deputy Cole and held out her hands for the cuffs.
“I’m sorry, Miss Johnson,” Amy said gently. “I have to cuff them behind your back.”
Sherry turned her tear-welling eyes first to Paulson then to Sky. He gave a slight smile and nod. She nodded back to him and blinked back her tears. Turning her back, she presented her hands to Deputy Cole who snapped the cuffs on her wrists.
The crowd was filing down the rows of spectator seats toward the aisle. From somewhere toward the back a female voice snapped:
“Make sure those cuffs are good and tight on her!”
Everyone looked but no one seemed to know who had spoken. After a momentary pause, the movement began again.
Sky and Copper looked back to Sherry, wondering if the mocking remark would totally break the woman’s show of bravery. But Sherry seemed to be strengthened by the taunt rather than broken. She held her head high.
“Let’s go, Deputy,” she said calmly.
Amy Cole took her by one elbow and helped her to the prisoner’s door that led back to the waiting area.
Sky Ryder was still shaking his head when they emerged from the courtroom and paused on the steps of the Kermit County Courthouse in the bright, pleasant October sunshine. Copper was fuming.
“Have you ever heard anything so spiteful, Uncle Sky? That woman gloating about having Sherry handcuffed, I mean. Just because she’s young and pretty and unattached doesn’t mean she’s some criminal!”
Sky took the cowboy hat he had been holding and put it on. It looked a bit out of place with his neat dark suit. And those who were used to seeing Copper in checkered shirts and jeans might have wondered who was the attractive young lady in the lightweight yellow dress and high-heeled shoes.
“Unfortunately, Copper, there are some people who think that anyone who’s good-looking gets used to having an easy way of things. And you can’t blame women who are a little older for suspecting their husbands of looking a little too long at such a pretty girl.”
“Well, I don’t see why they think they’re threatened,” Copper retorted. “Everybody knows that a few married men have been after her, but she’s never given any of them the time of day. The wives of Kermit don’t have any complaint with her.”
Sky smiled at the passionate defense his niece was making for her friend.
“Sherry’s lucky to have a friend like you.”
Copper frowned.
“No. I’m the one who’s lucky to have a friend like her. Even though she was the most beautiful girl in school and two years ahead of my class, she was always nice to me. And she’s the only one who didn’t tease me to death when she found out my real name was—“
Copper dropped her voice.
“—Coppelia.”
In spite of the seriousness of the moment, Sky laughed.
“Your parents had quite a gift for names,” he said.
Copper smiled in spite of herself.
“Dad was your brother! Did you inherit that same gift?”
Sky looked at her dubiously.
“We won’t mention what I suggested for your name.”
Copper was about to keep up the banter when she suddenly stopped. Her expression turned darker.
“Sherry’s had such a tough time with both her parents dying within the last five years. Is that why the District Attorney said what he did about ‘ties to the community’?”
Sky nodded. Copper crossed her arms and looked ferocious.
“That’s so awful!” she exclaimed. “To be punished and humiliated for being unlucky!”
Sky kept nodding.
“But it also gives some folks more reason for believing that something might have snapped in her, and made her want some easy money. Out west we take it personally when someone steals from a bank. It probably comes from the days when embezzlements or robberies could cause banks and even towns to fail.”
Sky saw that his niece needed some reason for hope.
“We’re supposed to pick up the Hummingbird from the airport shop in a couple hours. That should give us some time to get a bite at Jeb’s Café and have a talk with Winch to see what we can do for Sherry. What do you say?”
Copper tried to stay gloomy but failed. She smiled and nodded.
“Okay, Uncle Sky. I know we can find out the truth!”
Something had indeed snapped in Sherry Johnson. The hateful taunting in the courtroom and the sea of jealous female faces had convinced her that most of the town was against her and even rejoiced in seeing her railroaded. A desperate plan, quite unlike anything she had ever done, had taken form. As Deputy Cole walked her along the quiet corridor to the cells, Sherry slowed and let her head fall forward.
“Are you all right, Miss Johnson?” asked the deputy.
“S-something in my stomach,” Sherry replied dazedly. “It hurts.”
Real concern showed in Amy’s face.
“Come on. The County Nurse’s Office is just down the hall.”
Sherry nodded. She was breathing in short gasps, her eyes almost closed. They walked on a few more steps when she almost doubled over and groaned.
“Just a few more steps!” urged Amy. “You can make it!”
Sherry nodded and took a few more wobbly steps. She groaned again and fell against the deputy. Amy tried to lift and pull her into the office, calling for the nurse as she struggled on.
A pretty, cheerful-faced, sandy-haired woman in her late twenties wearing a white nurse’s uniform appeared at the door. Ruth Leeson was a former dancer who had taken up nursing when a knee injury ended her career.
“What’s wrong?” she asked the deputy.
“I don’t know,” Amy replied. “She got a pain in the stomach and started to collapse.”
Sherry groaned again and doubled over more. Her knees buckled so that she was almost sitting on her haunches.
“Let’s get her up on the exam table,” Ruth directed. “You’d better take the cuffs off so we can lift her.”
Deputy Cole nodded and stooped to unlock the cuffs. As she and the nurse tried to lift Sherry, Amy had the fleeting glimpse of the holster strap that ran over the hammer of her revolver hanging loose. Before she could interpret this fact, Sherry doubled over again, slipping out of her grasp. When she and Ruth lifted the prisoner again, Sherry came up quickly. In her hand was Deputy Cole’s service revolver. She moved it from side to side, alternately pointing it at both of them.
“All right, nurse,” she said, breathing hard. “Close the door.”
Ruth Leeson obeyed as Amy Cole raised her hands.
“Now don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Amy cautioned. “Nobody’s hurt so far and we can all just forget this if you’ll give me the pistol.”
“I’m not giving you the gun, so just forget it,” said Sherry. She appeared agitated but in control of herself. “The only thing I regret is staying in this town to be accused of taking money I never saw, and thinking that this trial would clear me. I’m not going to prison for somebody else’s crime.”
“But this won’t do you any good!” said Ruth, her hands also raised now. “You can’t possibly get out of this building.”
“You’re right. I can’t. But you can.”
Sherry swallowed hard, as though steeling herself.
“Take off your clothes.” She ordered.
Amy Cole reached for the top button of her uniform shirt. Ruth glanced at the deputy and did the same. As the two women undressed Sherry pulled Ruth’s desk chair into the center of the room, then grabbed a first aid kit from the wall.
“Are there bandages here?” Sherry asked the nurse.
“In there,” Ruth answered, pointing to a metal cabinet.
Sherry opened it and removed some rolls of cloth bandages. Finally she picked up the handcuffs from the exam table where Amy had laid them. Her two prisoners were now reduced to their panties and bras.
“That’s enough,” said Sherry. She handed the cuffs to Ruth. “Cuff the deputy’s hands behind her back.”
Amy turned and gave Ruth her hands. The nurse cuffed her wrists and, directed by Sherry, tightened them a couple more clicks.
“I’m sorry to have to do this to you, deputy,” Sherry apologized. “You’ve been good to me, and I used that to trick you. And now I have to be sure that those cuffs are tight. Your wrists are dainty and I can’t have you getting away.”
She handed a roll of bandages to Ruth.
“Put those in her mouth, then cover her mouth with tape.”
Ruth had no choice but to obey. When the entire wad would not go in, Sherry allowed her to reduce the size of the roll and cut off the excess. Then Ruth cut several pieces of adhesive tape from roll and sealed the deputy’s mouth. Handing her another roll of bandages, Sherry ordered her to loop the cloth around Amy’s body and arms just below her breasts and just above her waist.
“Now help her up on the table.”
Ruth helped the bound woman onto the exam table and, ordered by Sherry, bound her legs at the knees and ankles with more bandages. Amy Cole sat helplessly on the table as Sherry turned her attention to the nurse.
“Sit in the chair,” she said pointing with her free hand.
Ruth sat.
“Don’t you think that---“ she began.
“Quiet!” snapped Sherry. “Put your hands around the back of the chair.”
The back of the chair was narrow enough that Ruth’s hands met without straining. Sherry crossed the nurse’s wrists and began looping them with tape.
“If you were going to try to tell me that this plan is crazy, you don’t need to,” said Sherry. “It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life. But I’m started now, and there’s no turning back. I’m just glad I didn’t have to hurt either of you.”
She finished tying Ruth’s hands, laid the pistol on the desk, and began binding her ankles with more tape. The young nurse watched her without anxiety, but more with sympathy.
“What’re you going to do?” she asked.
“I’m not quite sure. As you said, I may not make it out of the building. But I think I have an idea who took that money and, if I can, I’m going to prove it was him. Or them.”
Finished with Ruth’s ankles, Sherry unrolled more bandages and used them to tie Ruth to the chair. She did a thorough job, looping the woman’s body at the waist, bottom of the ribs, below and above the breasts, and finally over her lap, around her thighs and the chair seat. She wadded part of one of the bandages.
“Sorry,” she said to Ruth, “but I have to gag you too.”
Ruth nodded. Before she opened her mouth for the wad she said softly:
“Good luck.”
Sherry stuffed the wadding in Ruth’s mouth, sealed the gag with tape, and then used more to cover her eyes. She then rolled Amy Cole over on her tummy and used one more strip of bandage to connect the deputy’s bound ankles to her handcuffed wrists. She also blindfolded her with tape.
“This is to make sure you stay on the table,” she explained. “Please don’t hurt yourself trying anything heroic.”
The unseeing Amy nodded.
Her prisoners secured, Sherry quickly stripped off her own clothes and put on the deputy’s uniform. There was a mirror on the closet door and in it Sherry noted that the resemblance between her and Amy was striking. The only thing wrong was her shoulder length hair. She crossed to the helpless deputy and removed the rubber band that held her hair in a bun. Putting up her hair completed the transformation. A quick search of Ruth’s purse produced a pair of sunglasses, which would help to hide any differences.
Sherry replaced the pistol in the holster she now wore and went to the door. She turned back to the two bound women.
“I’m really sorry for all this. Don’t worry. I’ll call the courthouse this afternoon and make sure you’re found.”
She glanced into the hallway. It was empty. She slipped out and walked in the opposite direction of the courtroom. At the end of the hall she opened the door and went from the building into the bright sunlight.