Chapter 18 - Aftermath

By Monica Rose and Marina Kelly
Proofread by: Qmodo

Leslie watched the elder Kaylock be loaded into the ambulance with mixed emotions. The paramedics could not tell her much about his chances though, she would have to speak with the doctors at the hospital. The man’s entitled attitude had made him unlikeable, but seeing anyone injured always bothered her. It was one of the reasons she had pursued law enforcement as a career.

Ron found himself handcuffed in the back of one of the cruisers. She knew that Ron was a product of how he had been raised, but he was still responsible for his actions and decisions. Whether he had intended to hurt his father or only stop him from talking was not the point, he had resorted to violence. She really was not surprised as she suspected that Ron settle most issues that way.

Before the troopers left to take him into be locked up, Leslie gave strict instructions that he was to speak to no one and that he was to be kept in a cell away from everyone else. The last thing she wanted was to have Ron suddenly coordinating stories with someone else. It would make it harder to get to the truth later.

Ten men had been found on the ranch that were obviously not there to handle livestock or to do any apparent productive work. It appeared that they were there representing the other business Judge Anderson had referred to in private. To cover herself and the Feds, they requested wants and warrants on everyone. Half of the bad eggs came back with misdemeanor warrants out-of-state. The rest came back with rap sheets but nothing outstanding. Privately, Leslie doubted that the sheriff would have acted on the warrants anyway.

They were ostensibly involved with a criminal organization, but there was no proof and they were not necessary to Leslie’s case. She threw her FBI friends a bone and let them take the gangsters back to Cheyenne. She was glad to see them all go because their presence would have just muddied the water for her.

Yes, arresting them all might look good on her record, but it would really not mean much to her or her team in the long run. Her personal philosophy had always been to do a good job and she expected to be recognized for that. Getting ahead by blowing her own horn just was not her. But she made sure that all of the members of her team were recognized for their performance. It was only right.

As the officer in charge, Leslie had to stay at the ranch until everything had been reviewed and put to rights. She talked with the ranch foreman to make sure that lines of communication, responsibilities, and authorizations to keep the ranch operating had been addressed. The man was a professional, even though he was definitely a Kaylock man, he would still keep the place running properly. Because the ranch was a working concern, with crops, livestock, and employees to maintain everything, the foreman was put in charge. The Kaylock house itself was now a crime scene and needed to be sealed off. A team would have to remain on site until the court decided to release the building.

Leslie found that being in charge of things could be a real pain at times. It didn’t get any better when she finally got into the car to leave. She had messages waiting from the two men she had sent to search Liz’s apartment, letting her know that they had found an antique rifle and they had taken it into custody. They assured her that they had left the apartment in good condition.

Leslie sat in her car for several minutes, thinking. Everything pointed to Ron as being the sniper who had shot Mary Sue, even those ever-present flowers said so. But now she had to investigate Liz. Fortunately, she would be at the hospital with Samantha Jackson. She also needed to go to the hospital to get an update on Tom’s condition.

* * * * *

It took less than half an hour to reach the hospital and Leslie was able to track down the chief resident easily. The hospital administrator was also present, both in the emergency department. Tom Kaylock was a powerful man in the area and everyone would bend over backward to make him happy. The reason the administrator was there was not a good one though.

“I’m sorry Lieutenant Caldwell,” the doctor began, “but Mr. Kaylock expired not long after he arrived.” He went on to explain that Tom never regained consciousness, the blow to his head was too severe.

While the doctor also acted as the area’s medical examiner, he had asked for help from Cheyenne as backup because of the high-profile nature the Kaylocks presented. An autopsy would be performed as soon as they arrived. The cause of death would be an important factor regarding charges that might be brought against Ron.

The death of one of the chief suspects changed the complexion of the entire situation and Leslie wasted no time in reporting to her superiors. A prosecuting attorney had already been dispatched to deal with the case, he or she would just have this new wrinkle to deal with now.

She left the chief resident and the hospital administrator to prepare for the autopsy and so that she could prepare for the arrival of the prosecutor. Foremost on her list was to collect Samantha Jackson’s statement and interview Liz McHenry. Stopping at the admissions desk, she identified herself and asked where Samantha had been moved to.

She met Sam’s doctor outside of her room. “Hi, Doc, how is Samantha doing?”

“She is going to be fine,” he answered. “I’m going to keep her for a night or two for observation because of a mild concussion. It will help us keep her ribs immobilized as well.”

Leslie frowned. “Is Miss McHenry still here?”

The doctor grinned and rolled his eyes. “Oh yes. I decided not to fight with her and arranged to have a cot put into the room for her. It was that or find some way to put her on staff."

Leslie returned his smile. She had gotten a sense of the devotion Liz had for Sam earlier. She hoped to know that feeling someday.

She paused outside the room to look in at the two women. Sam was reclining on the bed; her head was probably raised as far as was safe for the ribs that had been damaged in the beating she had taken. Liz was in a chair right next to the bed, Sam’s hand held in both of Liz’s. They were talking quietly, but she could see that they were devoted to each other. Leslie could not keep the smile from her face as she entered the room, even though the reason she was there was very serious.

They looked up at her as she came in, their smiles barely fading.

“Hi Leslie,” Liz said happily. “The doctor said that Sam’s going to be okay, but she’s going to have to take it easy for a while.”

“Yes, I was just talking to the doctor. But, right now, I need to talk to you both. Separately.” The smiles dropped as she said the last as she slipped back into peace officer mode.

“What’s the problem?” Liz asked.

“Let’s go down the hall and talk shall we?” Leslie said, trying to lighten things up. She looked back at Sam and continued, “I need to get a statement from you regarding how you got hurt. We just need a few minutes.”

Leslie waited for Liz to step out into the corridor and then guided her down the hall to an empty waiting room, her hand on Liz’s elbow the entire way and leaving her other hand free. After all, Liz was a suspect in an attempted murder case, if an unlikely one. She managed it so deftly that Liz really could not tell that Leslie was in control. Once the door was closed, Leslie took a seat facing Liz. She set a small recorder on the table between them.)

“Liz, a couple of my men executed a search warrant on your apartment this morning.” They were looking eye-to-eye and Leslie was letting her know this was deadly serious.

“Why? What could you have been looking for?” Liz could not have been more shocked at the revelation.

“We had information that you owned an antique rifle and the judge ordered a search. I also led a search of the Kaylock estate for the same reason.” Leslie took a deep breath. “The reason you and I are talking now is that we found the rifle in your apartment and it appears to have been recently fired. I need to know why.”

Liz blinked a couple of times before she said, “There are probably several people in town with old guns, but I think that mine might be one of the few that actually works properly. I don’t know about the Kaylocks though. I only use mine for target practice and I take it to some of the gun shows in Cheyenne. I used it a few days ago to spook some coons that were getting into the trash as the diner. With all of the craziness that has been going on, I haven't really had a chance to clean it.”

Leslie nodded. Her story made sense at least. Liz already had an alibi for the time Mary Sue had been shot, it would just be necessary to follow things through the end. They would analyze the gunpowder residue found on the evidence where Mary Sue’s shooter had been against the gunpowder they found in Liz’s apartment and at the Kaylock house.

Leslie looked Liz in the eyes, “Have you loaned your rifle to anyone recently? You may have an alibi, but that doesn’t mean your weapon wasn’t used in the assault on Mary Sue.”

Liz was still coming to terms with things, managed to answer, “No ma’am, that rifle hasn’t been out of my control.”

“Could someone have taken it without your permission?”

“Absolutely not. If I found someone ‘borrowing’ my stuff without permission, they would be singing soprano in the church choir. Everyone knows it too!”

“That’s good to hear. Now… my guys were under orders to make sure that they treated your place with respect. Most people think that law officers just trash a place while they are searching and that they enjoy it. If you find that your place was messed up, I want to know about it. Okay?”

Liz acknowledged her with a nod. She was still processing the fact that her home had been searched. “I have to ask, am I a suspect in any of this?”

Leslie looked up from her notebook and replied “Let’s just say you are a person of interest.” Her expression was impassive, but then she continued, “We are looking at everyone that could have been involved in everything that has been happening here. I promise that you have nothing to worry about if you have done nothing wrong.”

Liz was either a good actress and able to hide any guilt around owning the rife and her involvement in things or she really was innocent. Instead of continuing with her interrogation, Leslie decided to bring things to a close.

“We are going to confiscate your rifle for a while to do some tests and I don’t want you to leave town until I tell you. Okay?”

Liz just nodded again. Leslie knew that the shock would pass and that it would be replaced with a combination of outrage, violation, and some humor. All normal reactions. She was sure that Liz would come to see that the search of her apartment had not been directed at her personally, but was just necessary as part of a criminal investigation.

She turned off the recorder and stood up, drawing Liz to her feet.

“Come on. I need to take Samantha’s statement. You can sit with her as long as you do not say anything. This needs to be in her words. Okay?” She looked Liz in the eye, trying to impress upon her how serious she was.

Liz smiled a bit and nodded her understanding. Outside of Sam’s room, Leslie asked her again, “Are you okay? Do you want to sit down somewhere until you have a handle on all of this?”

Liz was nowhere near her bubbly self, but she shook her head at Leslie’s invitation. “Really, I’m okay. I just didn’t think that I would be drawn into whatever is going on around here. I’ll be quiet while you talk with Sam.”

Leslie patted her on the shoulder and ushered Liz into Samantha’s room. True to her word, she sat beside her friend and just held her hand while Samantha told her story. Leslie did pay attention to how Liz held her hand though, in case they attempted to pass a message of some kind. The only times that Liz moved her hand was when Sam told about how Royce had come into the house angry about the fact that his wife’s affair with Liz was made public. Samantha was unable to remember much after Royce had hit her in the head, it all ran into a blur of kicks and fists.

Sam looked down as she said, “I should have left him the first time he ever hit me, but he had almost as much power around here as the Kaylocks. Besides, my family is from here too and I wasn’t ready to pick up and leave.” Sam squeezed Liz’s hand at that point and their eyes met. They exchanged warm smiles.

Sam looked back to Leslie with a determined look on her face.

“I don’t know if they are still there or not, but Royce had a couple of boxes from the sheriff’s office hidden in a closet that might be important. He brought them home a day or two after Miss McLaughlin came to town, asking questions. You are free to look at them as far as I am concerned.”

“I looked at them when he was out one day and I found that they were reports and evidence from the time the first Kaylock family settled here and one of the sons was murdered. I remember stories from that time that my great-grandmother used to tell me about how life was back then.”

Leslie nodded at Sam’s information, not sure how any of this mattered to her, but more than willing to find out where her story went.

“My husband’s family was the sheriff back then. The Kaylocks have made sure that his family has always had a family member as the sheriff. They supported each other for all of these years. Almost like a dynasty.” Sam paused and then said, “I think that Mary Sue was shot because she was researching the town’s gypsy school teacher, Yolanda.”

Leslie wrinkled her forehead. “Out of curiosity how did you determine Yolanda was connected to the Kaylock murders?”

“Why I assumed you knew, the school teacher, Yolanda, was married to Tom Kaylock’s great--great-uncle, the one that was murdered!”

The revelation that additional evidence existed that might be related to her case was very interesting. Leslie was already planning what needed to be done to take the files into custody and how to do it.

“I’m going to need permission to enter your house to get those files,” Leslie said.

“I’ll give that to you,” Sam replied, with a smile.

Leslie and Sam worked to get everything written down and recorded. Once signatures were done, Leslie told them to just relax and recover. They were not to leave town without checking with her and she would talk to them in a day or two.

Samantha told Leslie, “I have no intentions of going anywhere. This is my home. If you need me after I am released, I will be living with Liz in her apartment. I don’t want anything to do with my husband’s house.”

She felt like she was dead on her feet, but Leslie had to stop by the former sheriff’s office which had become the offices for herself and the officers assigned to her. She was happy to discover that the four men had already organized themselves into patrol shifts, so there were just two men in the office. With that burden lifted from her shoulders, she just dropped off the documents she had gathered from Samantha and joined Emily for a quiet evening.

* * * * *

A federal prosecutor showed up after breakfast the next day to review everything that Leslie’s team had collected. It had been moved into an empty office and laid out on tables. He looked at everything that had been seized and the search warrant that Judge Anderson had signed.

What had started as a case of arson on a federal landmark now appeared to involve a case of assault, two separate attempts at murder, and the possible murder or manslaughter of Tom Kaylock. In addition, evidence gathered during the search at the Kaylock estate indicated that Ron Kaylock was involved with a plot to sell control of the area’s main supply of fresh water to an organized crime group. It harkened back to the water rights wars from the 1800’s. The plot could very well allow them bring charges under the RICO act. In addition, it looked like Leslie might be able to solve two very old cold case murders. Things promised to be very interesting and noisy for a while, both here in Laramie and in Cheyenne.

Ron’s fingerprints had been found in his deceased mother’s rooms indicating that he had been handling items linked to the assault on Pat Summerfield. Tom Kaylock had said that he was the only one to go into the room, there was now no way to prove that Ron had not also been allowed in.

Once the review was over, the prosecutor could see that he was going to need an entire team to prepare and try the charges. The man could already envision making his entire career on this one case. Leslie and the prosecutor, Dan Franks, went in to inform Ron of the charges that would be filed against him. Interestingly, Ron’s legal representation had appeared within hours of his arrest and Ron had not even made a phone call.

The four of them sat down in the conference room of the sheriff’s office. The confident smile on Ron’s face did not start to fade until they were done reading the charges and his own attorney asked if they were willing to make a deal. They started with the lesser charges and moved up from there. Assault, kidnapping, RICO charges involving limitation of water rights, attempted murder, and murder.

The man was a smarmy weasel whose upbringing had given him an entitled view of life. Instead of conducting himself as a gentleman, he had become a thug and expected everyone to kiss his ass.

Leslie took some personal pleasure at watching Ron’s expression go from a sardonic smile to an angry snarl as each item was explained. She loved his reaction when she told him that his control of the ranch would be non-existent while he was being tried for the charges and, if he was found guilty of causing his father’s death he would not be able to inherit his father’s estate.

They had to explain that Ron’s assault upon his father had precipitated his death, if not directly caused it. They also had the evidence of Ron’s ring with the missing stone that allegedly caused the bruise on Pat’s head as well as the missing diamond itself that had been found. Ron would be moved to Cheyenne where a federal judge would hear the official reading of the charges and decide if bail was warranted. Dan made the statement that they would oppose any possibility of bail. In fact, there was the strong likelihood that the death penalty would be discussed, unless Ron was willing to cooperate. There was nothing more heinous than killing a member of one’s own family.

That is probably what set Ron off. He began yelling that he needed to be running the ranch and that he had done nothing to keep him locked up. Then he segued into bargaining, as if Leslie or Dan could change things. Despite his lawyer’s advice, he freely made a statement, “He had only intended to make it look like his father was doing everything so that he would end up in jail. That way he could take control of the ranch. Selling the water rights would set him up for life.” All of the time Ron was ranting, his lawyer was yelling at him to shut up. Ron managed to do plenty of damage to his legal situation before he wised up.

Leslie helped move Ron back to his cell before Royce Jackson was brought in. It was not overly surprising that the sheriff had the same legal representation.

For all of the problems that seemed to swirl around the sheriff’s office, they were only able to charge him with malfeasance in the performance of his job, corruption because he took money from the Kaylocks for certain services rendered, and felony assault upon his own wife. The arson fire at the library was suspicious as well and Leslie really wanted to hang that charge on Jackson as well, but she had no evidence to prove it.

When the lawyer questioned the charges, they pointed out that they had evidence of regular payments from the Kaylocks to him by check and Samantha’s sworn statement accusing him of assault. They shut the lawyer down by showing him copies of Samantha’s permission to search the house and her statement regarding the beating he had given her.

It was clear that Tom Kaylock had been involved in the arson that had precipitated the whole investigation and Ron appeared to be an accessory after the fact in trying to coerce witnesses and he was the primary suspect for attempted murder of one of those witnesses. This was enough to hold Ron until he could appear before a judge.

Jackson’s deputy was released from custody before Ron was transferred to Cheyenne for arraignment. Leslie interviewed him and found that the man was pretty much clueless about what had been going on around him. He had to have known that things were not being done properly in the office, but there was nothing to indicate that he had been involved in any wrongdoing. Leslie was sure that the town council would decide to discharge him for incompetence and she wanted nothing to do with the deputy.

As the sheriff, Jackson’s office had been responsible for law enforcement over a very large area, which would fall to the state police with the absence of a sheriff. Because the state had stepped in to supplement law enforcement while the sheriff’s office was being investigated, it was decided to allow Leslie to remain in place until a new sheriff was hired, with Leslie having the option to decline the posting. She could not accept the temporary placement fast enough, though it was dependent upon finding a place to stay. She found that she had very little problem in that regard. After a quick phone call to the mercantile store, Emily was thrilled to have a roommate, even if it was only for a little while.

* * * * *

With the arrest of the sheriff and Ron Kaylock, as well as their cohorts at the ranch, Leslie determined that the danger to Pat and Mary Sue was minimal. As a result, she advised them that they could come out of their self-imposed house arrest with the admonition to be careful. 'No nighttime walks and stay out of dark alleys,' was her advice.

Mary Sue had installed herself at a booth in the back of the diner to review her notes while Pat was taking care of the library. He had been unable to do his job properly these past few days and library patrons had been met with a brief message on the door that told them the library was closed until further notice. Mel (owner of the diner) didn't mind letting Mary Sue use a table as a desk as the breakfast rush was over and she had promised that she would leave if the lunch rush became heavy. Mel's business really had not suffered because of the arrest as they involved a negligible number of men.

Mary Sue looked up as Liz stopped to top up her coffee. "Liz?" she said a bit puzzled. "Why are you here instead of at the hospital?"

Liz looked much better today than she had been at the hospital with Samantha.

"They sent Sam home yesterday. Right now, she is with Leslie," the waitress said. Once the doctors were satisfied that the danger for a concussion was past, they had allowed Sam to go home with Liz, with the order that Sam move carefully and that she not lift anything heavier than a coffee cup.

They had been happy to release her, knowing that Liz would practically wait on her hand and foot. Liz had been driving the nursing staff crazy in just the time that Sam had been in their care. She had already stated that Sam would be staying with her.

The only reason Liz was working today was the Samantha was with Leslie to allow a search of her former home. She had actually wanted to go along, but Leslie had explained that it was necessary to maintain confidentiality of any evidence that might be collected.

"How are you doing?" Mary Sue was actually glad for the break. She had not been making much progress on her notes.

"I'm doing pretty well now," she responded, smiling down at Mary Sue. "Sam is able to move around a lot better, she just needs help sitting or laying down and then getting back up."

"Where is she? Did you leave her home resting?"

"Oh no. Leslie took her back to her house to allow Leslie to do the search. I wasn't allowed to be there, so I decided come in for a few hours to stay busy. How are you?"

Mary Sue signed and sat back in the booth. "I don't know." She looked like she was close to crying.

Liz made a quick scan around the dining room to make sure that her attention was not needed elsewhere and slid into the seat across from Mary Sue.

"What's wrong, hun?" Liz reached across to take Mary Sue's hands.

"It's Pat. I've been hinting to him that I would like to stay, be he doesn't seem to care. He seems to like me though."

Liz smiled and patted Mary Sue's hands.

"It's not you and really it is not Pat either," she said. "You see, Pat grew up without a father, so he was always around his mom. He went on a few dates in high school. We were even an item for a while."

"Really? What broke you guys up?"

Liz shrugged and smile a bit self-consciously, "I realized my tastes were more to silk and lace, not jockie shorts. If you know what I mean. His mother's health was suffering by then anyway and he was taking care of her. That took up all of his free time."

"What was wrong with her?"

"I believe that it was early onset dementia." Liz said. "It's really a shame too. Mrs. Summerfield was the best seamstress around and she was always working. I remember that her appointment book was always full around the time when the girls wanted prom dresses."

"What happened to Pat's dad?"

"I never heard. Mrs. Summerfield never talked about him to the other ladies in town. It's funny though. Even though she was a single mother, no one ever caused her trouble about it. I know that Mrs. Kaylock, Ron's mother, was one of her biggest customers. Also, I heard a lot later, from some of the older ladies, that Kaylock ranch hands were told not to bother her, or else. I believe that came from Tom Kaylock."

"So Pat just does not have much experience with girls?" Mary Sue asked. "Where does that leave me?" It was frustrating to be in love with someone who did not know how to recognize it.

"All I can suggest is that you keep trying. Pat is definitely worth having."

Mary Sue smiled at her as she tried to think of what else she could do to win Pat over. Liz gave her warm smile as she scrambled back to work. Seeing that lunchtime was quickly approaching, Mary Sue packed up her notes and headed over to check on her man.

* * * * *

Mary Sue decided to go for a walk to work her options and found herself at the library. Pat was closing the building's windows for the day. There was still a hint of wood smoke in the air, but it wasn't entirely objectionable. Probably due to what little seasoned oak and cedar that had actually burned. It made her think of the smell of incense in some Oriental-themed stores she had been in.

Pat's eyes lit up as she walked into the library from the small entryway. "Hi! Did you get your notes organized?"

Mary Sue found herself captivated for a moment by his broad smile and those deep, green eyes. After a moment, she came back to earth and returned his smile. "I made a little bit of progress, but I just couldn't concentrate." 'Please ask me why,' she thought.

"Mel's can be noisy," he replied, dashing her hopes that she could just come out and tell him that she could only think about him. "I was going to close up for the afternoon. I was wondering if you would like to see some of the sights. Things have been so crazy that I haven't a chance until now."

"You mean like a date?" she asked. She might not want to trap him into something he didn't want by telling him that she thought she loved him, but she was still going to push a little.

"There isn't much to do here on a date I'm afraid. Most folks go over the Cheyenne because there is more to do over there."

Pat escorted her out to his truck and held the door for her. He drove around town for a bit, pointing out some of the historical sites that she had not had a chance to see because of the chaos they had been embroiled in. Laramie seemed to be split between homes of one form or another and buildings that dated back to the Old West.

One of the obvious visitor sites of interest was the old fort. The fort itself was nothing more than a visitor center and they had no information or resources that she could not already find on-line. There were buildings that had existed in some form from the time when the town had been founded. Mary Sue took pictures to provide some context for her research. They also stopped at Yolanda’s old schoolhouse for pictures.

After that, they headed west out of town. The terrain was relatively flat and the mountains that seemed to rise up in the distance were really too far to go on a sight-seeing trip. The same mountain range that Yolanda's wagon train had to winter over before crossing in the spring.

"I'm sorry Mary Sue," Pat said. "I forgot that a lot of our attractions are outdoors. With the exception of a couple of memorials to be seen, you have to be into rock climbing or fishing to really appreciate Laramie." He sounded a bit frustrated that there was not more to offer her. How could he show a girl from New York the value of Laramie when it had little night life and little shopping? She would have to go to Cheyenne to find anything like that.

"That's okay Pat," she replied, trying to make him feel better. "I liked fishing when I was girl. I would go out with my dad or my brothers once in a while."

They agreed that it was time to eat so they headed back to the diner instead of just eating at Pat's. The place was about half full and Liz was no longer in evidence. They got a table near the back of the diner and were waiting on their meal when Leslie bounced into the café, obviously looking for someone. They could see that she looked a bit lost and they waved her over.

Pat rose out of his chair and to hold the deputy’s chair as she took a seat, “Hi, Leslie, what’s new?”

“Thank you, kind sir,” she said, trying to imitate a Southern belle. She looked at them with a big smile, lowered her voice to avoid eavesdroppers, and said, “I’m busting at the seams to tell someone. I’ve been asked to stay in town until the township can hire a new sheriff.” Blushing she went on, “Emily and I are taking advantage of the situation and are testing out living together.”

Mary Sue smiled at her and put her hands over Leslie’s, “That’s wonderful. You make a great couple.”

“Thank you.” Leslie lowered her voice a bit and said, “I think I’m falling in love, Emily makes me happy.” She had found the feeling that she had been looking for and it felt so nice.

“Mary Sue, I have a message for you. We’ve relocated Ron Kaylock and Royce Jackson to Cheyenne, so there is no reason to ask you to stay in town. There might be a point where you might be needed in court, but that will be months away. You’re free to leave and continue your research whenever you want.”

While it was news that came as no surprise, it was still a letdown to hear. Her shoulders slumped at the news. Dejectedly, Mary Sue looked over at Pat and said, “Thanks. My university has been pestering me to wrap this thing up. I think I have sufficient data to complete my thesis I can’t see any reason to follow this all the way to Oregon. Now I need a few weeks to organize it all and put it on paper.”

“There is something else Mary,” Leslie continued. “I found things in the box of papers Sam gave me that just might interest you.”

That piqued Mary Sue’s interest, “Really? Like what?”

“Well, I found the original investigation report on the Yolanda and Nathaniel Kaylock murders. It seems the Kaylock family’s homophobia goes way back. You can read it for yourself, but it appears Nathaniel’s brother lost it when the word got out that Yolanda was really a man, living as a woman. He went to Nathaniel’s house, confronted him about living with a man, and ordered Nathaniel to come home to the ranch. When Nat refused, Peter drew his cavalry pistol and said he was prepared to make Nat come home whether he wanted to or not. The two wrestled and the gun went off, killing Nathaniel. Yolanda started screaming at the murderer, who shot her down in cold blood.”

Mary Sue realized she had closure on her story, but needed more than hearsay. So she asked, “How do you know that’s what happened? All the eyewitnesses were killed.”

“Not all of them, Peter was so overcome with remorse he turned his pistol over to the Sherriff and confessed the entire thing. The pistol was in the file box with the records. I didn't see a signed confession, but it was in the sheriff's report.”

“That is fantastic. Why wasn’t he prosecuted?”

“His father interceded with the sheriff and got all the charges dropped on the grounds of self-defense. Then the sheriff just told everyone that a stranger must have committed the murders and then disappeared.”

“Do you think that I could come over to see those papers?” Mary Sue asked. It would be at least one or two more days that she could justify staying in Laramie.

“I have them over at the office. If you want to stop over tomorrow morning, I’ll let you read through them.” Leslie stopped as she saw Emily come into the diner. She bid the two of them a good night before she practically skipped over to Emily and they exchanged hugs. When Leslie and Emily were together, Leslie acted nothing like the focused law officer that she normally presented herself as. The two women waved to them as they moved off to their own table. Mary Sue noticed that no one paid any special attention to the two women.

There was an awkward silence between Mary Sue and Pat before he said, “So when do you think that you will head back to New York?” He seemed to be searching for some kind of sign in her expression.

“I guess that it will have to be after I look at the papers Leslie has. It might not be related to the wagon train directly but I’ve found that I’m more interested in Yolanda now. I’m going to have to be careful that my thesis does not end up sounding like a piece of fiction.”

She stopped for a moment to think about her answer to Pat’s question.

“I guess I should plan on flying back the day after tomorrow. After all, that ‘accident’ with my car was the last straw.”

She made air quotes when she said accident. Hiram had called them earlier that day to tell them that repairing the car would cost more than the car itself was worth. Even though she was fond of the vehicle, Mary Sue was pragmatic enough to know that it was best to cut her losses.

“I wish you didn’t have to go,” Pat said. He wanted to say more, but he just did not know how. She was a big city girl with a bright future ahead of her. He didn’t think he had the right to ask her to give all that up to be with a small town librarian. He wasn’t even able to look her in the eye. He wished that he could say what he wanted, but he was afraid that she might not feel the same. Then he would just sound creepy.

“I wish I could stay, but I have to go back to finish my thesis and my degree,” she replied. “I thought that I would have enough money for this trip, but I was burning through cash faster than I thought. Now that I don’t have a car to continue on to the coast, I just have to give up following the Trail. I have to hope that I’ve gathered enough information and that I can complete my research with the computer.”

She wished that she could think of a reason to stay, but she had no logical excuse that she could use. She had no job that would support her and Laramie’s economy did not appear to have a job for a college student who supported herself as a cocktail waitress in a casino.

The two of them had been living in Pat’s house to protect them from possible trouble from the Kaylocks. There was the constant temptation to repeat their intimacy, but neither ever spoke of it. Both wanted it but they each feared the other would see them as only being interested in a fling. Mary Sue was afraid if she gave into her passions, Pat would lose respect for her. Pat, on the other hand, had really strong feelings for this woman, which went far beyond lust. He forced himself to be a gentleman and treat his houseguest like the lady she was. They slept in separate rooms and used the bathroom facilities at different times, only sharing meals and common entertainment time. They were actually involved in standard dating rituals, though neither of them recognized it.

Once they got back to the house, Mary Sue used the computer to purchase plane tickets and they spent the evening playing cribbage.

“Do you mind if I ask why Yolanda is so important to you?” Pat asked.

Mary Sue was thoughtful for a moment. “From the stories that I gathered from people on my way here to Laramie and from Yolanda’s own journal. It is obvious that the Yolanda might have been transgendered. She was a kind and gentle person who was successful at the task she had been given, but then met the same kind of negative attitudes and discrimination that we see today.”

She paused for a moment and seemed to look far away.

“I had a good friend in my home town who came out as transgendered in our junior year of high school. She was beaten up by some of our ‘well-educated’ rednecks in town and ended up in the hospital. After she was released, her parents wouldn’t even let her come home. When I wanted to have her stay with us for a night or two, my own family wouldn’t have anything to do with her either.” Her voice was a mix of pain and anger as she remembered that time.

“A couple of our friends and I got her a room in a motel for the night.”

Mary Sue stopped, tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked up at Pat and said, “Being rejected by so many people that she thought cared for her hurt her more than we knew. I was the one who found her. When I went to pick her up the next morning for a doctor’s appointment. She took an overdose of the painkillers they had given her at the emergency room. Her note thanked us for caring about her, but she just couldn’t deal with the hate.”

Blinking back her tears, Mary Sue said, “At least they let her be buried in the cemetery. Yolanda wasn’t even permitted that.”

Pat covered her hand with his and just let his presence be felt. After a moment, he said, “I think that Yolanda was every inch a lady. She was a great woman and she was respected by everyone until her secret was revealed. Instead of judging her for who she was, the people around her judged her by their own small minds and attitudes.

“I think that Yolanda was just like your friend. She wanted to live her life without hurting anyone.”

“Thank you,” Mary Sue said, smiling through her drying tears.

Her sharing of why she cared so much about Yolanda opened the doors to more conversation. The two chatted for the rest of the evening about themselves and each other. Pat learned what it was like to grow up on a working dairy farm with 4 older brothers and Mary Sue got an idea of how it was for Pat to grow up as an only child whose father had left his mother before he was even born.

Pat and his mother had been very close. When she became too ill to care for herself, he had taken the librarian / museum management job to be remain in town with her. He still felt her loss deeply, but he was glad that she had escaped the pain she had been in.

Mary Sue’s experience with her friend had served to drive a wedge between her and the rest of her family. While she still loved them, a rift grew between them. It was hard when the people you look up to and trust show that the regard they have for others comes with conditions. It was always in the back of her mind that she might not measure up to some standard.

They finally called it a night when they both started yawning. Mary Sue wanted to properly review the records Leslie was holding for her, so they headed off to sleep. Still in separate beds.

* * * * *

They met with Leslie the next morning after picking up some pastries and coffee for the office. As Mary Sue was finishing up her recording the pertinent facts from the old files, Liz and Samantha came in.

“I can see why Tom Kaylock was so afraid that someone might dredge up his family history for the wrong reasons. He must have been scared that news that there was fratricide and a non-traditional marriage in his family tree might hurt his political career.”

She was rewarded with wry smiles and understanding nods.

“When you’re a bigot,” Pat said, “you just assume that everyone else is too. That is probably why Tom and Ron were so angry all of the time. They expected the rest of the world to agree with them and they wouldn’t admit that they were wrong, so they were mad at the world instead.”

Samantha was moving slowly so Liz helped her take a seat at Mary Sue’s work table. Sam was not looking too good at the moment. Because of the assault, she had surgical tape across her forehead that almost went into her blond hair. There was also a strip along one cheek. One arm was in a sling and Mary Sue could see various bruises on her face and shoulders. She could only assume that there were others across her body. It was plain to see that Royce had been murderously angry when he attacked her.

Sam had to turn her whole body to face Mary Sue, undoubtedly to avoid straining her damaged ribs and said, “When I heard that you were going to be reading through the old files, I wanted to come over to talk with you.”

Mary Sue heard what she was saying, but found herself staring into the greenest eyes she had seen in a long time. She could see that Samantha was attractive, but her time with Royce had been hard on her. He must have been taken with her beauty and had then proceeded to break her spirit. She was lucky that she and Liz and discovered each other.

Liz stopped speaking when she saw that Mary Sue seemed to be elsewhere. When Mary Sue finally blinked and actually focused on her again, she smiled and said, “Thank you. I haven’t seen that reaction in a long time. Except for Liz that is.” She smiled at her loved one. “I used to see it a lot in school. Guys will do anything for a cheerleader. Right, Pat?” She looked up at Pat who was at Mary Sue’s shoulder.

“That’s true, but I wasn’t around after school much. I didn’t see much that kind of thing,” he replied. “I do remember stories of guys falling over their feet when you smiled at them the right way.”

That all got a laugh out of Pat’s joke and then Sam took a small book from her purse and held it out to Mary Sue.

“This is the reason Royce didn’t want you and I to talk,” she said. “It’s a diary from my great-grandmother. I’ve marked the pages near the end that are related to Nathaniel Kaylock and Yolanda.”

Mary Sue looked between the diary and Samantha in surprise. Then she carefully took the small book and set it on the table. It was very old, bound with string or thread instead of glue. That was why the pages were not falling out of the book. In addition, Mary Sue could tell that pages were not typical paper as they would have crumbled away over the years, so they were probably parchment. The book itself must have been expensive when it was first purchased. Its age made it even more valuable now.

Sam opened the diary to the first marked section and indicated the entry she wanted Mary Sue to read. The pages were filled with script that could have been attributed to a hurried hand.

Well now I know what kind of woman Nathaniel jilted me for. Doc Meyers told me himself that he went to
look in on Yolanda when she came down with a fever because Nathaniel is travelling for his daddy.

I cannot believe that Yolanda is a man! I don’t even know whether to say her or him. Doc Meyers found
Yolanda passed out on the floor and got her into bed. I assume that he had to examine her because of
her fever and he discovered that Yolanda was not a real girl.

A page later, there was another entity:

Peter Kaylock just left. He told me that he went to Nathaniel to force him to be a man. He says that
Nathaniel attacked him and Peter shot him. Then he shot Yolanda when she attacked him. Peter told
me that what Nathaniel did to me was wrong and that he should not have left me at the altar, especially
for someone like Yolanda. I guess that Peter has always loved me. (Peter told me he always loved me, but didn’t want to interfere in his brother’s affairs.

“My great grandmother married Peter Kaylock,” Samantha said. “I’m related to the poor side of the Kaylock family.” She grinned. “I guess that makes Yolanda some sort of great aunt or great uncle… whatever because she was married to Peter’s brother.”

She flipped the pages of the diary for a moment before she put it down.

“My grandmother had other things to say about Yolanda. It would appear that there were a lot of bigots here during her time. She did comment on the fact that the children in her school did not feel the same way about her as their parents did.” She squeezed Liz’s hand as she said, “I can just imagine what they would have said about Liz and I.”

“I imagine that is why the caretaker at the cemetery was not able to tell us anything. The town has really changed since then,” Pat said. “I think that the bigots are the ones in the minority now. Most people just do not care how folks live their lives.” There were nods from everyone.

With Samantha’s permission, Mary Sue took pictures of the diary pages and gave Samantha some advice on how to preserve the book for her descendants. After the five friends chatted for a while, they broke up when a call came in that required Leslie’s attention. Outside, Liz and Sam bid Mary Sue goodbye and wished her a safe trip home.

They spent the remainder of the afternoon working in the library. At closing time, they decided that a trip to the grocery store was in order for a going away dinner. Pat had really wanted to take her out for a last meal together, but Mary Sue was formulating a plan to show him how she felt and then he would not want to let her go.

Mary Sue swept thru the store to gather the makings for the light dinner she had in mind, Pat trailing behind her. As she filled the cart, her imagination about how the evening might go was getting her more and more excited. It was fortunate that she was wearing a skirt instead of jeans as she could feel her panties sticking to her. A damp spot in the wrong place would have been embarrassing. She would have to take the time to go to the restroom before they headed home.

In Pat's kitchen, the two of them worked smoothly together to slice vegetables and meat to put together a meal of cold cuts and salad. Over dinner, they chatted about Emily and Leslie, Liz and Samantha, about the journal that Sam's ancestor had passed down to her. The only subject that they avoided was Mary Sue's departure or the possibility that she might remain in Laramie, both of them too insecure to broach the subject and to hear rejection from the other.

Mary Sue was sure that her plan would work. They would both have fun and, when Pat told her that he loved her, she could tell him the same thing and she could stay. The next step called for a bit of misdirection on her part and was going to be messy. It simply called for her to "accidentally" lose her grip on the serving spoon as she was getting a second helping, which resulted in filling lap with a very warm helping of food.

She did a credible job of acting shocked. "Oh no! This is one of my favorite skirts!" Mary Sue was sure that everything would wash out, but it was a cheap price to pay. "I'm sorry. Do you mind cleaning up while I change and try to rinse this out?"

"No, you need to get cleaned up," Pat said helplessly. There was nothing that he could do for her. "I can take care of everything."

She hurried to the bathroom, breaking into a smile only after the door was closed. She quickly removed the skirt and rinsed their dinner out of it. Satisfied that it was salvageable, she set it aside before stripping and hopping into the shower. The only thing she did not wash was her hair. No one likes to have sex with wet hair and she doubted that Pat was any different. It only took a few minutes, but it always feels longer when you are trying to hurry.

She patted herself dry before pulling on her scandalously short coral colored Satin Kimono that she had staged there earlier. Belting it loosely around her, she headed back out. Pat had finished the clean-up and was hunched over the table lost in reading something. She sauntered up behind him and asked “What’s that you're reading?”

"I took Yolanda’s diary out of your bag and was reading it. This section is fascinating.”

“Where are you in her story?”

“At the end, she is describing her wedding night. Have you read this?”

“No, not yet. Even though it's a century in the past, it almost felt like an invasion of privacy."”

“She was really a remarkable person. In no way gay, yet she married a man. She was terrified of what was going to happen on her wedding night. According to this, she was more worried about disappointing the man she loved than the act itself. That is the definition of love in my book.”

Mary Sue put her hand on Pats back and leaned over his shoulder to see what he was reading, this put her mouth adjacent to Pat’s ear. Pat read aloud how Yolanda arrived on a way to satisfy her husband, hoping to relieve the pressure of his passion. She didn’t describe the act, but did comment she didn’t find it as distasteful as she had anticipated. She didn’t find the act pleasurable but delighted in the joy it brought her husband. She commented that she felt it was her duty as a wife to keep her husband satisfied. She was prepared to do anything to achieve that end.

Mary Sue was getting hot visualizing the scene. She was leaning against his back, her boobs had fallen free of her robe, and as she slowly swayed back and forth she lightly rubbed her feminine charms against his back. She was panting softly in Pat’s ear. She whispered, “Is sex your ultimate fantasy?"

Pat coughed and squirmed in his seat.

“Giving and receiving pleasure is what sex is all about, no matter what form it takes.”

Mary kissed his ear and said, “Good answer.”

Pat did what any normal man would do. He spun in his chair to face this femme fatale that was driving him crazy. He was not prepared for what he found. Mere inches from his face were two of the most magnificent breasts he had ever seen.

He froze, not sure if he should cover his eyes or appreciate what was being presented to him.

She stood less than an arm's length away, without a stitch of clothing under her robe. From his vantage point, Mary Sue's breasts were completely on display. The robe came together at her waist and provided her with a minimum of modesty. But it was apparent that she was hardly concerned with her modesty.

His gaze lingered on her breasts for only moments before he looked into her eyes. Her look was full of challenge that said, 'Okay. What are you going to do now?' He accepted the challenge and smiled as he slid his arms around and pulled her to him. Even though he was a head taller than she was, it was easy to bend over to meet her lips.

Her breath was sweet, with a hint of her mouthwash. Their tongues danced together and probed around the other's mouth. Even though they had been intimate before, it had been more like the urgency of two people needing the closeness of the other. This time, it was as two lovers wanting to be together. She was wobbly-kneed as she relaxed into Pat's hold. If she had been excited before, what she felt now could not compare. There was a tightness through her entire body and she knew that could not wait much longer.

Mary Sue's plan would probably have worked perfectly except for what she said next. Taking him by the hand, she pulled him toward the bedroom and said, "Come on. I have a present for you.” Fiddling with the belt of her kimono she teased, “All you have to do is unwrap it. I want to say goodbye properly."

Her words were like needles that stabbed at his heart. He had been on the receiving end of farewell sex a few times in college, the girl somehow thinking that giving her body to her boyfriend one last time was some kind of gift or a gesture of mercy. Pat kept his disappointment off his face as he let Mary Sue pull him along to the bedroom. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her think that he was not glad for the time they had spent together or that he was ungrateful for this gift.

They were hardly through the door before Mary Sue was trying to help him undress. In the process, her robe loosened and dropped to the floor. Pat was down to his skivvies and stood back to behold the vision before him.

Mary Sue was quite obviously aroused. She stood with her legs slightly apart that tapered up to a small waist. Her belly exhibited a bit of a pooch that made her beautiful instead of looking out of shape. Her full breasts stood out above, her pink nipples proud and crinkled with excitement.. She looked at him, her eyes sparkling. Her cheeks were flushed and, while she was not breathing heavily, her pulse was quite visible in her throat.

Pat knew that he was as excited as she appeared to be. He quickly dropped his drawers and closed the distance between them. They were kissing and stroking each other tenderly before laying down. The night was spent in a collage of giggles and moans of ecstasy.

* * * * *

They were up early the next morning to make the trip to the airport in Cheyenne. Both were rather subdued when they spoke to each other and neither knew how to break through. Pat was down because this would be the last time he would be seeing Mary Sue and she was upset because Pat had not said those magic words during the hours that they had been making love.

The almost hour long drive to the airport was very quiet with the two of them making polite conversation. Mary Sue had opted for no breakfast, saying that she wanted to make sure that she got through security without any problems. It was obvious that she was in a hurry to get back to New York.

Pat wished he knew what to say to her that would change Mary Sue's mind about getting on the plane. Mary Sue really wished that she had the nerve to turn and tell this wonderful man that she loved him and wanted to stay with him. Neither wanted to force the other to change their lives just for them.

The line through security was relatively short, so Pat stayed with her as long as he could. When it came time to separate, Mary Sue gave him a deep kiss while she looked him in the eye. As they hugged goodbye Mary Sue could fell his arousal against her thigh. In just moments, she was through security and had gathered her bag. He went to the tarmac and watched the plane until it took off. Pat watched the plane until it was long out of sight.