Page 13 of Earning Tia’s Trust

THIRTEEN

Robert sent Rainer back to Stone Falls with Francine’s mother. He suggested Rainer take Mrs. Mason home before meeting him at Judge William Bentley’s house, but the woman refused. She was elderly but she was fighting mad!

He saddled a horse, caught up with the buggy, and traveled together toward town. They didn’t go directly to the jail but to William’s house first. They arrived early, and most town businesses weren’t open yet. Robert pounded on the door, and William opened it, still in his robe.

“What the hell do you want this early?” William growled.

“Justice,” Robert exclaimed as Rainer helped Mrs. Mason from the buggy.

William opened his door and backed out of the way. “Excuse me, ma’am. Please go into the parlor and wait for me. I have to get dressed.”

A few minutes later, Judge William Bentley entered the parlor, dressed casually, not in one of his business suits. “Now, tell me, what’s wrong?”

Mrs. Mason cried, telling him that her daughter Francine had been dragged out of bed and arrested by Sheriff Briggs for theft and taken to the jailhouse.

“He was disgraceful, accusing my daughter of theft! He wouldn’t listen or even let her get dressed properly. He dragged her out of the house in her nightgown!”

“What was she supposed to have stolen?” William asked.

“Books and school supplies!” Mrs. Mason exclaimed. “He said she stole the school books, but she didn’t. She quit her job as a teacher and took only what she’d bought!”

“Does she have proof that she bought those supplies?” William asked.

“Yes, she does,” Rainer spoke up. “She showed me the ledgers she has kept for the past three years. Francine even kept her payment vouchers.

“Martha Higgins had her arrested because Francine has refused to sign a contract to teach when school resumes. I have hired Francine to work as a clerk in my bank. She was supposed to start work this morning. Yesterday, Robert and I helped Francine move her personal belongings to her mother’s house. We stored the books and ledgers in the bank’s backroom. This isn’t the first time Mrs. Higgins has accused Francine of trying to break her contract with the school board. Only she’s not under contract. Her contract was over on the last day of school this year.”

“All right. I want to see those ledgers and that contract before busting into Sheriff Briggs’s jail,” William said. “Mrs. Mason, we’ll stop by your house first so you can assemble proper clothing for your daughter to appear in public.”

“Thank you, sir,” Mrs. Mason responded. “I’ll only be a few minutes! I can assure you that my daughter has never stolen anything! Ever!”

“I hope to hell, you gentlemen know what you’re doing,” William said, sitting in the buggy as they waited in front of Mrs. Mason’s house for her to return. She finally came out, carrying a large basket.

The next stop was at the bank, and Rainer unlocked a back room filled with boxes. He found what he was looking for and handed the ledgers to the Judge, along with a large envelope that held the teacher’s contract. Robert was looking over his shoulder.

“Miss Mason has kept detailed records of her years as Stone Falls school teacher,” Rainer said. “I was impressed when I saw them. I also believed her when she said the school taxes are not being used for the school or the students. Mrs. Higgins has been using those funds for her personal use.”

“Is there proof of those accusations?” William demanded.

“If you look at the books on the school bookshelves, you’ll agree. The books on the shelves are marked as property of Stone Falls School. The books in these boxes were labeled with her name and the purchase date. Francine showed me copies of letters she has forwarded repeatedly to the school board in the last three years asking for supplies. Each time, she was turned down by Martha Higgins.”

“Show me,” William said, and Rainer opened several boxes and handed the books to William.

Robert trailed behind his friends, walking beside Mrs. Mason and taking the basket of clothing she carried. The schoolhouse bookshelves were nearly empty, and the supply cabinet shelves were in the same condition. William went upstairs into the teacher’s lodging space. The ceiling was so low that he had to bend over to avoid a concussion. All that was left was a narrow bedframe, a stack of blankets, and two straight-backed chairs.

“These were the accommodations offered to the teacher?” William asked, frowning.

“Yes, and she was charged a dollar a week,” Robert offered, subduing a smile. He’d known William Bentley since college and recognized anger, even when his friend tried to hide it. He also recognized when his friend switched into his ‘I’m in charge,’ Judge persona.

“Gentlemen, we need to visit the jail and Sheriff Briggs,” William Bentley ordered.

Robert and Rainer fell in line. The words were spoken in William’s ‘I’m ready to kick ass!’ voice.

William pounded on the jail door, and after a few minutes, a sleep-eyed Sheriff Briggs opened it, pulling his suspenders up over his naked shoulders.

“Why the hell are you pounding on my door this early?” the sheriff grumbled.

“Where is Francine Mason?” William inquired.

The sheriff blinked and suddenly realized who he was addressing.

“She’s locked in the first cell. I arrested her last night on charges of theft.”

“Where are the keys?” William demanded.

Sheriff Briggs opened his desk drawer and removed a set of keys. “I arrested her on legal charges last night.”

William handed the keys to Robert, who led Mrs. Mason down a hallway and opened a cell door. Francine jumped to her feet and was hugged by her mother. “Get dressed fast if you want to see Briggs scorched,” Robert advised quietly, leaving the two women alone.

“Who gave you a warrant or permission to arrest Miss Mason?” William demanded.

“The charges against Miss Mason are theft,” the sheriff mumbled.

“Where is the warrant?” William demanded.

“Stone Falls is a small town. We don’t need those citified warrants,” the sheriff mumbled.

“Who filed those charges?” William demanded.

Briggs scratched his head. “The head of the school board.”

“Who happens to be your sister?” William said, flicking his eyes toward Rainer; that meant stay out of this!

“Don’t you think that’s an abuse of power?” William demanded.

“All I know is my sister told me to arrest her for stealing,” Briggs said, pulling on a dirty shirt. He’d probably worn it the day before because the sheriff’s badge was still pinned to the breast pocket.

“Where is the proof?” William demanded.

“Ugh, well, I reckon Martha’s word should be good enough.”

“Wrong answer,” William growled. He ripped the badge off the sheriff’s shirt. “As of right now, you are fired, and I will file charges!”

“You can’t fire me!” Briggs grumbled.

“I already have,” William said. “And if you want to take on a District Judge, you are welcome to try.”

Rainer, who had been standing back and watching, stepped forward. “I’ll see you and your sister in court for unlawful arrest of my employee,” he promised.

“There ain’t no reason to get all riled up!” Briggs exclaimed. “Martha only wanted to scare her so she would continue teaching. It was Thomas’s idea! There ain’t been no harm done!”

William turned to Robert. “Who would you recommend to replace this idiot?”

“I’m as new in town as you are,” Robert said. “You can’t trust the mayor, that’s for sure. Thomas is Martha Higgins’ husband and brother-in-law to this idiot.”

“Hey!” Briggs objected.

“Silas Kent was the sheriff for years. That was when Stone Falls was a decent town to live in,” Mrs. Mason exclaimed.

“When the Higginses started taking on the roles in running the town, Silas was fired, and this idiot replaced him!” Francine added, stepping from behind her mother with a pointed finger. “The Higginses will have a fit when they hear they are being challenged!”

“Ask me if I give a…” William growled, but he didn’t swear. Rainer had slapped him on the shoulder and nodded toward the women. William took a deep breath. “I apologize, ladies. When I get angry, I tend to swear. It looks like I’m going to have a busy morning.”

He turned to the now unbadged lawman. “Have you been bunking here?”

“Yeah,” Briggs said.

“That’s, Yes, Sir to you!” William snapped. “Give me the keys. You have ten minutes to clear out. Those orders apply to the jail and the town of Stone Falls. If you have half a brain, you will disappear. Fast.”

“I’m owed two weeks salary,” Briggs grumbled.

“I don’t care!” William growled. “I came to this town to clean up the wrongdoings, and if you’re smart, you’ll clear out fast before I start racking up charges against you and the rest of your relatives. Do you understand?”

The former Sheriff Briggs wasn’t totally stupid. He went to the backroom and then came out carrying a sack.

“The horse and riding gear are mine, and I’m taking it with me!”

“Make sure the door does hit you in the uh... butt, and don’t make any stops on your way out of town!” William growled. “That includes waking up your relatives. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Briggs said nervously.

“One down,” Rainer said as Briggs high-tailed it out of the jail, mounted his horse, and was seen riding in the opposite direction of his sister’s house. “What are you going to do about the Higginses?”

“I can put a scare in them,” William said. “The Higginses may think they own this town, but I’ll tell them straight... they don’t.”

“Can you do that within the law?” Francine asked.

“Cover your ears, ladies,” William suggested. “I came to Stone Falls to rid it of the trash. But it looks like I did a half-assed job of it. Rest assured, I will finish the job. This situation sounds like these people believe they are above the law, and they’re going to learn real fast, they aren’t.”

“Rainer, go to your bank and audit the town accounts. If you suspect the town accounts have been used for private means, lock down those accounts. Before you do that, take these ladies home.”

“I’ve already started audits on the town and the Higgins’ accounts,” Rainer said. “Money from the school and town accounts mysteriously jumps to similar amounts deposited into the Higgins’ accounts.”

“What are you going to do?” Robert asked William.

William looked around at the empty jail. “First, I’m going to send these ladies home. Second, I’m going to locate Silas Kent, apologize, and return his badge if he will take it. Then, we will have an interesting discussion with the mayor and his wife, explaining how long they could rot in jail for stealing community funds, taking advantage of their positions, and facilitating a false arrest.”

“You haven’t seen the evidence yet,” Rainer said.

“If you say it’s there, that’s good enough. Between you and Robert, I trust that you have discovered proof,” William said with a smirk. “Meanwhile, the Higginses need to spend a couple days in jail, which, in my opinion, is well-earned. Let’s see how they like it!”

* * *

“I’m sorry you had to go through this,” Rainer told Francine and her mother as he led them out of the jailhouse.

“It’s not your fault,” Francine said. “Do I still have my job as cashier?”

“Of course,” Rainer said, turning to the Mason women. “None of this is your fault. It’s been an awful night for you and your mother. Both of you have been put through a traumatic experience.”

Robert stood by the door, watching Rainer escorting the Mason women home. “What can I do?” he asked of William.

“You are my backup,” William said. “I don’t know if you’ve met the Higginses yet, but neither impressed me. They need to be taken down several pegs.”

“You’re the guy to do it,” Robert agreed with a smile. “Scare the devil out of them. They deserve it, and Francine should be reimbursed for the supplies she’s had to pay out of her meager salary and what she had to pay for rent.”

Getting directions from the mercantile’s owner, Robert, and William followed the instructions to Silas Kent’s property and cabin. After introducing themselves, Silas was a fountain of information. He knew precisely how the Higginses had taken control of the town.

He believed Thomas Higgins was in cahoots with Raymond Kingston and his efforts to steal the Kingston ranch. Kent hadn’t moved on after he’d been fired. He’d simply bowed out of Stone Falls politics.

William offered the badge to Kent. It was a tough sell until William explained that in his position as District Judge, he had already fired Briggs and would either run the Higginses out of town or charge and arrest them. The Higginses didn’t know it yet, but they would pay a heavy price for their arrogance. The next stop would be to the bank to verify what Rainer had discovered.

After hearing what was about to happen, Kent agreed. William pinned the badge to Kent’s shirt and offered his hand to close the deal.

Riding back to town, William and Robert explained what they were facing.

“I was the sheriff for ten years,” Kent explained. “The town was clean in those days, and we kept it clean until that rough bunch moved in after Kingston died. Raymond had Thomas Higgins in his pocket within a few days of taking possession of the ranch. I don’t blame the townspeople. Most of them are honest, hardworking people who don’t want trouble. After that gang of roughs moved in, they were scared.”

“We’re going to change that,” William said.

Riding back into town, the first stop was the bank. There were no customers, and Rainer locked the door behind them.

Rainer nodded to Silas Kent and offered his hand. “I’m glad to see you wearing the badge again.”

“What have you discovered?” William asked.

“It’s going to take a while to go through these books. It also looks like my previous clerk may have known what the Higginses were doing. I fired him three days after he was hired. He left town on the stagecoach the day after I fired him.

“I have proof that Thomas and Martha Higgins have been siphoning money from public accounts into personal accounts. The receipts and the withdrawals are clear. They have been stealing from the accounts for years.”

“I have locked down the town’s finances. I also locked down what was left in the school board’s account, but there’s not much in it. I have called for a town meeting at the schoolhouse on Thursday evening. We can have the school board meeting at the same time. I’ll have posters made up and posted.”

William turned to Silas Kent. “Are you ready to resume your position?”

“Yes, sir, I am,” the reinstated sheriff said.

William turned to Robert and Rainer. “From this point on, this becomes a legal matter. Miss Mason will need to file charges against the Higginses for false imprisonment, and she might have a case against the school board for not being reimbursed for purchasing books and supplies for her students. However, if reimbursed, she will have to return the books to the school. Charges against Thomas Higgins must be filed by whoever is appointed the temporary mayor.”

“I guess I’m not needed here,” Robert said.

“Not unless you’re hired to defend the Higginses,” Rainer challenged his friend.

Robert laughed. “I’m not that desperate for clients, but I will act as an advisor to Francine.”

Robert wasn’t needed, but he was interested in what would happen. He followed William, Rainer, and Silas Kent as they returned to Mrs. Mason’s home. In order to arrest Martha Higgins, Francine had to file a complaint. Francine had no problem with the request, filled out the papers, and joined the group of men, refusing to stay behind and not be involved in the arrest. She wanted to file a complaint against Sheriff Briggs but was told he’d already skipped town.

The same rules applied to Thomas Higgins. They had to locate the second in charge at the mayor’s office. When James Grover, the owner of the mercantile, was questioned, he wasn’t surprised and agreed to file the charges against the mayor.

Thomas Higgins was the first to be arrested, although he bitterly objected, claiming no one had the authority to arrest him. He was wrong, and he was handcuffed, while Martha Higgins was screaming ‘How dare you!’ when her husband was arrested. Within a few minutes, she was crying because she was charged, arrested, and handcuffed.

Both Higgins were marched across town, to the surprise of the townspeople, but no one seemed to be upset. They were separated and locked in the jail cells.

“I’ll have you fired!” Thomas Higgins yelled, pounding on the bars.

“You can try,” William said, unconcerned. “I was appointed to this position by the Judiciary Act enacted this year. I’ve already called for a town meeting on Thursday and a school board meeting on the same night.

“You can try to explain to the citizens of Stone Falls why money that has been set aside for town and school improvements has been used for your private expenses.”

Higgins ran his fingers through his silver hair. “Grayson! I need a lawyer!”

“I’m busy,” Robert said. “And, I’ve offered my services to the Masons. If you want someone to take on your case, you need to find and hire them.”

“That’s taken care of for a couple days,” William said, stepping out of the jail and lighting a cigar. “I’ll give them until Friday to contact a lawyer or confess and accept their punishment.” He looked over to Rainer. “Do they have enough money in the bank to repay what they’ve stolen?”

“Thomas has enough to repay the town money. Most of what he has comes from the town’s money. Martha has emptied the school funds.”

“Let’s stew on the situation until the town meeting,” William said. “A couple of days in jail might change their attitudes.”

* * *

Robert took a swallow of coffee and smiled at his wife’s frustration.

“Why couldn’t I have been there!” Tia exclaimed. “I despise Martha Higgins! She is the most obnoxious woman I’ve ever met! Can I at least go see her behind bars?”

Robert laughed. “No, she’s not on public display! If anyone has a right to gloat, it’s Francine and Silas Kent. You can attend the town and school board meetings because they will be back-to-back Thursday night.”

“Yes!” Tia exclaimed, raising her fists. “Did you have time to talk to Jim about building the house?”

“He’ll have the new drawings ready by Tuesday, and I’ll transfer enough money for him to order the pink granite that will be the base for the foundation and the oak lumber he’ll be using.”

“Shouldn’t I be paying for part of the new house?” Tia asked.

“No, we’ve discussed this subject before,” Robert said, shaking his head firmly. “There will be other things we can decide on together.”

“Like what?”

“Furniture,” Robert said. “And, decorations, what my mother called do-dads. My last house was decorated by a friend of my sister. She did a good job, but...”

“But?” Tia challenged.

“It was... too fancy,” Robert admitted. “Everyone thought it was grand, but I was never comfortable there. The wallpaper and colors of the rooms were dark, and every surface was covered with lamps and fake sculptures. The only room I felt comfortable in was my office, although it was called a library .”

“Why did you accept it if you didn’t like it?” Tia asked.

Robert shrugged. “Probably because my friends thought it was grand, and everyone I knew thought I’d reached the pinnacle of my career.”

“Didn’t you want to be a lawyer?” Tia asked, confused by his admission.

“Yes,” Robert said. “But when I came to Stone Falls, I was almost ready to leave it totally.”

“Why?”

“Because when you deal with wealthy people, especially people in high levels of government service, they start believing they are above the law.”

“That’s the Higginses,” Tia said. “They were nice when they first came to town, but then they got snooty. Thomas was Raymond’s friend, so that made him an enemy to me.”

“Rainer suspected but had no proof, and without a clerk, he’s been overwhelmed and didn’t have any time to look into the matter,” Robert said. “Now we have the evidence, and a few days behind bars might change the Higginses attitudes. What Mrs. Higgins has done was petty, but she will pay for it. What Thomas has been doing is on a larger scale, costing Stone Falls a lot of money.”