Now that she had told the truth, Maria was composed. She looked to the judge, sensing that he was the one who most needed convincing. "I saw Senor Brodie kill Don Luis and then he saw me. I was so afraid. I was not even sure that my eyes had not betrayed me. Like the senora, I could not understand why."
"Because," Longarm said, "he loves Lucy and he wanted her and her husband's land. His intentions were to comfort Lucy, be her friend, and then win her heart and hand in marriage, thus gaining everything. But he needed a scapegoat."
"Si," Maria said.
"And why," Longarm asked, "did he settle upon poor Miguel Rivera? Why not one of the relatives? Like the brother, the cousin, or the uncle?"
"They were all together outside," Maria said. "Only Miguel was alone."
"Is that all of it?" Longarm asked.
Maria shook her head.
"Then tell us the rest of it," Longarm ordered.
Maria sighed. "Senor Brodie knew that I hated Miguel Rivera. He had married my older sister and then left her with a child. So the senor used my hatred. And later, he came to me and said that if I swore that Miguel was the real murderer, I would not be hurt."
"Of course that would work to get Lucy freed," Longarm stated. "Because Juan, Manuel, and Renaldo all said that they only heard a shot. Remember, they did not actually say that they saw Lucy kill her husband."
"Yes," Lucy exclaimed, "that's right!"
Longarm came to his feet. "It all figured to work out perfect for Hal Brodie. He wanted Lucy, and in Miguel he found his scapegoat. Later, he helped Lucy escape without her even knowing it, and then he even coerced poor Maria into coming here and testifying that she actually saw the cook, Miguel Rivera, kill Don Luis."
Judge Benton leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Maria, has the deputy explained everything correctly?"
"Si," Maria said. "I did not want to lie! But Senor Brodie said that I would be killed if I did not and that it was only justice that Miguel would be sent to prison."
"And you would be paid in addition to the hundred dollars you asked from me?" Longarm said.
"Si" Maria said, nodding her head up and down. "Senor Brodie promised to pay me five hundred dollars, but I was never to return to Prescott."
"And that's it?" the judge asked.
"As God is my witness, I have told you everything," Maria said, eyes brimming with tears. "And now, Judge, will you send me to prison?"
"Of course not." Benton beamed. "My dear girl, none of this was your doing! What else could you do but agree to lie saying that Miguel killed Don Luis? To have refused would have been your own death sentence."
Maria managed a smile. "I cannot go back to Prescott. I must go away."
"Don't worry about Hal Brodie," Longarm said. "I'll see that he is arrested and brought to justice for the murder of Don Luis."
Judge Benton came to his feet. "This has been a most interesting session. Maria, Miss Ortega, I must insist that you remain in Yuma until this matter is cleared up. It should not take more time than is necessary for Deputy Long to arrest and escort Mr. Brodie to the Yuma Territorial Prison for trial."
They nodded.
The judge looked to Longarm and said, "How soon can you return to Prescott and arrest Brodie?"
"I can leave on the first stage."
"Good! Then do so."
There wasn't much left to say after that. Longarm excused himself and the others, then went to find Lucy and Maria suitable lodging while he returned to Prescott and made his arrest.
"I can't believe that I'm free of this," Lucy said the next afternoon as Longarm prepared to board the stage back to Prescott. "It seems unreal that Hal Brodie is my husband's killer. He was so nice."
"Too damn nice," Longarm said. "There was just something wrong about that man from the first moment we met. At first, I attributed it to petty jealousy."
"You were jealous of Hal?" Lucy asked.
"Yes," Longarm admitted. "But I also sensed he was lying about something. I never suspected that he was actually Don Luis's killer."
"Be careful," Lucy said, kissing Longarm good-bye.
"Don't worry," Longarm promised as he climbed on board the stage, "I will."
Longarm was off then, riding across the stream that was now the Colorado River and returning to Prescott.
CHAPTER 13
In another week, he hoped, this case would all be over and he could telegraph Billy Vail and tell him the entire remarkable story. Longarm was jarred to jelly by the time he finally got back to Wickenburg. He'd spent most of a week sitting in a miserable stagecoach that traveled across the most boring and inhospitable land in all of North America. He was exhausted, out of sorts, and in serious need of sleep and rest. Even his legs felt rubbery when he finally came to rest on solid ground.
"Honey," a melodious voice said, "you look like you been dragged through a knothole ass backward."
Longarm pulled his Winchester and saddlebags from the coach and turned to see who had spoken to him. He blinked and then smiled. "Betsy?"
She was big and exceedingly buxom, with long blond hair and cute double chins that wagged when she nodded her head. With a squeal of delight, Betsy grabbed Longarm and locked him in a crushing embrace, mashing his lips into his teeth."Honey," she yelled, loud enough for half of Wickenburg to hear, "I just arrived from Santa Fe and was planning to go on over to San Diego tomorrow or the next day!"
Longarm struggled free. "Why, Betsy, you have grown!"
She giggled and pranced with the lightness of a draft horse. "I have put on a few extra pounds," she admitted, "but you always said you liked your women big and strong."
Longarm didn't recall saying that. Betsy York, when last he'd seen her some five years before in a place he couldn't exactly remember, had been about a hundred pounds lighter. But she still wore the same overpowering perfume and had that same raucous laugh that started at the belly and floated through her nostrils to make them quiver like bowstrings.
"Well," Longarm said. "It's been quite a while, all right. How have you been?"
"Missin' a man like you, honey-pie! Where are we staying tonight?"
Longarm gulped. "Well, listen, Betsy," he said, not wishing to hurt her feelings but definitely not up to spending the night in bed with this behemoth. "I... I'm just all dogged out and I was planning to get a good night's sleep and..."
"Aw, we can sleep in the grave!" she howled, slipping her thick, bracelet-ringed arm around his waist and dragging him up to his toes. "I got a nice room in the Baltimore Hotel and a great big bed that we can fill up together."
"Shhh!" Longarm said, noticing how everyone was staring. "Really, Betsy, I need some rest."
"Then you shall have it! Come on up to my room, stretch out, and let me call the hotel desk for a bath and some champagne. Honey, have you got any money?"
"Some, but..."
"Good!"
"But what about your trip to San Diego?"
"Oh, hell," Betsy said, waving off the thought, "this stagecoach leaves bright and early every morning. I can go there any old time, but I sure can't wait to get re-acquainted with an old lover-boy like YOU."
Had he not been so tired and his defenses at an all-time low, Longarm would have broken free and insisted that he get his own room. Then he would have somehow managed to avoid Betsy York until she tired of waiting for him while he found and arrested Hal Brodie.
"Listen, Betsy, I..."
"Here," she said, "I'll carry that rifle and those saddlebags. You just look plumb tuckered out."
"I am about to fall asleep on my feet, Betsy."
"Well, then, let's get you to bed. Want a meal and a bath first?"
"I could use both."
"Give me some money and I'll order us a couple of chickens brought up from this wonderful restaurant that I ever saw. It smelled so good I was droolin' as I passed. They got a sign in the window saying you can buy a whole fried chicken for one dollar. I expect we could each eat one or two."