Planning her schedule for the next few days, Lucy looked up from her appointment book as Mattie skipped into the room. "Hey, sweetie. I thought you were still with Casey."
"I was, Momma, but I couldn't wait ta show ya what I found so I asked her ta bring me home early."
Lucy wearily closed the book, and focused on her child. "And what did you find that was so important?"
The vet accepted the crumpled printout Mattie pulled from the pocket of her overalls, expecting to see one of her daughter's computer generated pieces of artwork.
Knowing full well and mighty what inappropriate items a child could find on the web, Lucy allowed Mattie use of the computer only with strict parental locks in place and trusted Casey to supervise what sites Mattie visited when in her care.
"Casey said it was downright spooky…." Mattie declared in a quiet voice as Lucy scanned the printout, her gray eyes growing larger with each word.
Surely it was someone's idea of a joke. A very poor joke at that. "Where…where did you find this, Mattie?"
"Casey was doin' homework about ginology---"
"Genealogy." Lucy corrected. "It studying your family history."
"Yeah, that. Casey said everyone could find their name out there—"
"Out where?" Lucy quizzed with a frown.
"On the web." Mattie sighed, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Anyway...so we were putting our names in Google and she put in yours…."
Lucy quickly skimmed the printout again, her astonishment growing. It was an article from an old 1860s newspaper named The Clarion and was written by someone named Travis, another very familiar name. It had to be a joke... JD was a wizard with a computer. Perhaps...
Forgetting her daughter's presence, fascinated, she reread the article:
"Ranch Offered For Sale -- Local rancher Lucy Garth has put her property up for sale and has informed this reporter she will be leaving the Four Corners area as soon as possible. When asked why she was willing to part with property which has been in her family for years, especially now that it is a thriving ranch, the young cattle woman simply remarked, 'There is nothing holding me here any longer.' She also added her future plans are unknown at this time. However, this reporter believes she will be tacking up a "GTT" sign on her door."
When she finally focused on her surroundings again, Lucy was stunned to see the paper shaking in her trembling grasp.
"Are you okay, Momma?" Mattie questioned in alarm, seeing her mother's stricken expression. Lucy forced a small smile. "Yes, honey, I'm fine. It's just really strange seeing my name in this old newspaper. Are you sure it wasn't some joke site Casey visited?"
Mattie solemnly shook her head. "Nope. It was in an old newspaper archive. See," she pointed to the URL printed on the bottom of the page, "there's the address. We just thought you might like to see it. I'm gonna go play with the kittens, okay?"
Lucy nodded absently. "Just stay in the yard." She called after the child as she turned back to her desk and booted up the computer.
*******
May 1867
*******
Lucy Garth slowed as she approached the huge old cottonwood. It didn't seem that long ago she had stood in this very spot and looked into the bluest eyes she had ever seen… and her life had changed dramatically in ways she had never dreamed. She had found friends, a new sense of worth, but most of all, she had found love. She had found Vin Tanner and nothing had been the same after that eventful occurrence.
But now…
Now… she was walking this path to her favorite spot one last time.... Alone.
She would never be returning. This spot, this land, the cabin were no longer hers. She had signed the paperwork earlier in the week relinquishing ownership of the 640 acre spread to some stranger from back east.
She knew the townsfolk, and certain individuals in particular, were not pleased with her, but the fact of the matter was there was nothing to hold her here any longer. She had scratched and struggled and barely hung on for years before fate had smiled on her in the form of a blue eyed peacekeeper and his six friends. Not only had the small ranch begun to prosper and show a tiny profit, but she had found love and friendship.
Lucy couldn't bare the thought of remaining here without the object of her heart's desire. She had taken the eastern buyer's readily available money; selling everything she didn't need to take with her.
Lifting her head, trying to halt her quivering chin, she turned to look down on the small ranch house one last time. Squaring her shoulders, she made her way down the slope, stopping by the small fenced plot where her parents were buried, saying her goodbyes, and her apologizes.
Swiping at the tears which slipped down her face, she pushed to her feet and headed in for one last look inside the cabin. She could hear Mattie on the front porch, talking to her cat.
Strolling through the sturdy structure which had been her home for so long, her gaze lingered on the bedroom… and the memories it conjured up. With the current circumstances, she had been satisfied with the all too few blissful encounters with Vin and had hoped for nothing more than they would continue through her lifetime... It wasn't meant to be.
Gathering her resolve about her like a cloak, she moved for the front door, refusing to look back.
As she stepped out onto the porch, Lucy realized Mattie hadn't been talking to her cat, but rather the two men who stood beside the loaded battered old covered wagon which had once belonged to Vin.
Josiah touched his hat brim as he moved to assist her down the steps. "Ma'am, we thought you might welcome an escort."
As she stared at him in disbelief, Ezra spoke up. "Folks in these parts are aware you sold this place and there might be those who are inclined to find out if you are transporting the funds on you and use whatever methods necessary to relieve you of said funds."
"Oh..!" She hadn't thought of that. Digging in her jacket, she fished out the crumpled bank draft and handed it to Josiah, returning another smaller well used piece of paper to her pocket. "Here, will you carry it please?" She gave Standish an apologetic shrug.
He smiled, "I totally understand, Miz Garth. Perish the thought of someone assaulting Mister Sanchez."
Josiah gave him a disgusted look as he lifted Mattie up on the wagon seat. Ezra handed up the carpetbag he had fashioned to transport Mattie's beloved cat. Purchasing the old bag from Mrs. Potter, the southerner had diligently placed air holes about the luggage and cut a small square in one end, replacing the heavy tapestry with cheesecloth, fashioning a window of sorts. It hadn't been the gambler's thoughtfulness as much as the cleverness of the idea which amazed Lucy.
Since their first meeting and especially through this difficult time, Ezra had proven himself a friend, not only to Vin, but herself and Mattie as well, and he seemed to understand how hard it was for Mattie to leave the only home and friends she'd ever known. Lucy knew the ability to take her beloved pet along would lessen the disruption in her daughter's life.
Assisting Lucy onto the wooden seat beside her daughter, Ezra mounted and urged his horse close to the young woman as she gathered the reins.
The young woman was touched by the sadness shining in the gambler's emerald eyes. "Miss Lucy, I would be remiss in my duty as a friend to both you and Mister Tanner if I didn't ask again if you are, indeed, certain this is the action you wish to undertake."
In answer, she clucked to the horses and reined them out of the yard. She did not look back.
*******
May 2003
Pushing back from the desk, Lucy glanced around the office doorframe into the living room. She'd heard a vehicle pull into the drive and Mattie's excited chatter as she led their visitor into the house.
"In here," she called out in response to Mattie's beckoning.
It was Ezra who strolled into the small office, the child clinging to his hand. "Good afternoon, Miz Garth."
"Oh, Ezra, I'm so glad you could come!" She motioned toward the computer and the print outs scattered across the usually neat desk top. "I need help!"
Standish arched his eyebrows and flashed a bright smile. "Perhaps you should have called Mister Tanner," he remarked jokingly. "I understand he's very good at creating messes as well."
"But you're so much better at cleaning them up," Lucy teased before turning to her daughter. "Mattie, would you mind playing outside while I talk to Ezra for a while?"
"Okay," The child released the man's hand and skipped for the door. "But you owe me ice cream!"
Sighing, Lucy nodded and as the child left the room, she motioned Ezra to the other chair beside the desk.
He settled in it and waved a hand at the papers. "What appears to be the problem? If your computer is malfunctioning, perhaps you should have called Mister Dunne. He is well versed in computer repair. Far better than I."
"It's not broken, Ezra. I needed to talk to someone about this…" She shoved several printouts into his hand and fell silent as he quickly scanned the items.
"Well…?" she prompted when he made no response after several long moments.
Ezra frowned as he handed the pages back to her. "I'm at a loss, Miz Garth."
She swore softly in exasperation. "Don't you think it is odd someone over a hundred years ago had my name?"
"It is a universal practice to hand down names through a family, Lucy," he pointed out quietly. "Any one who has researched genealogy at all will tell you what a quandary it is searching through names which are used repeatedly thru the generations."
"Then, you think this person could be a relative of mine?"
The southerner hesitated, and then nodded. "It would seem a logical explanation. Of course---“
"What about the name Travis," she interrupted, “and the fact when I pulled up other copies of that Clarion newspaper, I saw your name and Chris' and Buck's…?"
"It could simply be coincidence…. I'm sure if you pulled up any of our names today, there would be several dozen of them scattered across the country. As I was about to say, if you look in any phone book, you'll find dozens of people with the same name. People with the same name in the same town may not be related and may never have even met.”
"I'm sure I might find the name Standish, but I doubt I would discover another Ezra. It's not exactly a common name," she pointed out.
He flashed a bright grin. "True. But then, of course, I'm a most unique individual." His next words held a more somber note, "While Lucy Garth isn’t exactly a well established moniker, what with parents preferring names such as Tiffany and Brittany these days, I'm certain, like me, you aren't the only one in the country."
"But---"
"Lucy, I may appear obtuse at times, but I do know where this conversation is leading. You think that Lucy Garth..." he tapped his long finger on the printout and the yellow highlighted name, "and the Lucy who owned your locket may be one in the same, don't you?"
The young woman hesitated, her cheeks tinged with pink and then nodded. "Yes, Ezra, I do."
"And you want to prove it?" he pressed.
She nodded again, suddenly embarrassed. "Silly as it sounds, I really do."
"I take it, then, you have searched the entire collection of Clarion articles you could find on line?" He eyed the stack of twenty or so printouts which held the newspaper's banner.
"I just printed out the ones with my… well, Lucy's name. And, of course, a few other familiar names." Her smile waned. "It was kinda spooky, actually."
The gambler smiled in understanding. "And what was the last thing you discovered about her?"
"She left town." Rifling through the pages, Lucy finally pulled Mattie's original printout. "I have no idea what ‘GTT’ stands for, but the editor expected her to put that sign on her door."
"It means your Lucy went to Texas," Ezra stated, quickly skimming the document.
Lucy stared at the southerner in puzzlement. "How do you know that?"
"I've always been interested in history, especially this time period," Standish explained. "It meant ‘Gone to Texas.’"
********
May 1867
Lucy wearily stood staring up the street, a frown gracing her pretty face. She had been in town for a week and it was killing her not to walk down the boardwalk and into the crowded building where she truly wanted to be.
She looked down at the crumpled paper clutched tightly in her clenched fist. The young woman had read the words so many times her fingertips and tears had blurred the words written in what appeared a childish scrawl. 'Please don't come!'
She knew that plea was an attempt to save her the pain of witnessing what might happen and she had tried so desperately to stay away, but equally as desperate was her desire...her need to be here, whether she was wanted or not. Lucy was well aware her presence would further devastate the note's author and while she needed to be near, no matter what happened, she refused to destroy the last of his pride and so had forced herself to remain on the outskirts, getting news second hand.
Lucy paced the porch. The long day had passed slowly as she waited for news. Struggling to keep herself occupied, she'd helped Mrs. Campbell with the laundry and, while it had been steady work for her hands, it had done nothing to keep her thoughts from straying to what was happening in the building down the street.
Thanks to Mrs. Potter, who had telegraphed her friends in Tascosa, the kind hearted Campbells had opened their home to Lucy and her daughter. Mister Campbell, the manager of the local bank, had deposited her bank draft, keeping it safe until she made further plans. The couple's three children had happily welcomed Mattie and were doing their best to keep the child occupied and blissfully forgetful of their reason for coming to Tascosa.
Seeing the approach of a familiar figure in a wine red jacket, Lucy stiffened, studying the gambler's expression as Ezra vaulted up the steps and politely removed his hat. "Miss Lucy..." His poker face was firmly in place.
"What happened? Is everything okay?" she blurted out the questions without giving the gambler a cordial greeting.
Gently grasping her arm, Ezra steered her to the side verandah and settled her in one of the chairs. Leaning back against the railing, he fiddled with his hatband.
"Ezra…" Lucy growled impatiently.
The gambler smiled apologetically. "Everything is going as well as can be expected, Lucy."
"Which means what? I have to know, Ezra! I want to know! I want to be there…"
"I know, Lucy, I know. But I think under the circumstances, it is better if you are not. I don't think our friend could handle it if he knew you were sitting there, listening to the things being said about him…"
"And what is being said, Ezra? Isn't anyone speaking up for him?"
The gambler nodded. "Judge Travis sent his personal deposition, and of course Mister Larabee, Mister Sanchez and young JD have spoken on his behalf." Nettie Wells, Mary Travis, and half the townspeople had sent letters testifying to the help the Texan had given Four Corners. And as much as the southerner wanted to take the stand and speak up for his best friend, knowing how people felt about gamblers and con men, he feared it would do the tracker more harm than good.
"And…?" She pressed, certain he wasn't telling her everything.
"The jury is out…. Mister Madison says we should know something later today."
*******
May 2003
"It was nice of Miz Nettie's friend to forward all this to you," Ezra remarked as he eyed the growing pile of printouts on the young vet's desk. He knew she was intrigued by the information she had found a week earlier, but had no idea she had been pursuing it so vigorously.
The southerner mentally kicked himself. He should have realized the young woman wouldn't let this go easily. Like the other half of her heart, Lucy could be as tenacious as a robin with a worm when something piqued her interest. However, he feared the tender hearted woman's fantasy would be shattered by what she might discover.
Lucy hadn't been fooled by Ezra's excuse his beloved Scoundrel seemed to be a little off his feed. She'd examined the tiny animal who now playfully romped in the yard with her daughter, knowing full well the gambler was merely watching out for her during Vin's current absence.
"Look," she pulled a red post-it flagged sheet from the stack. "Read this." She thrust several papers into his hand as she rocked back in her desk chair, watching his face.
Ezra skimmed over the pages, and then flipping back to the top sheet, reread them more carefully. He brought his incredulous gaze up to meet hers. "This is…. Well, it’s---"
"Spooky?" she supplied with a grin.
"Where did you find this?"
"The Tascosa Tribune." The vet responded. "When you told me what that 'GTT' sign meant, I started checking the census records for that particular period of time, looking for any towns that still existed today. When I’d find one, I’d do a search of their newspaper archives."
"Certainly it is just coincidence---" he began.
"Oh, c'mon, Ezra! You're a gambler! What are the odds?" She snatched the pages from his grasp and read the old headline aloud: "MURDER TRIAL IN THIRD DAY; VERDICT EXPECTED TOMORROW…"
"I'm quite confident murder trials were a regular occurrence in the Old West, Lucy," Ezra responded pragmatically.
She waved the printouts under his nose, "But how many of them have a defendant named Tanner! Vin Tanner!" She dropped into the desk chair; her face going pale as she suddenly reached up and grabbed the locket which had encircled her neck. "Oh my gosh!"
Frantically fumbling for several seconds, she finally released the catch and tossed the antique piece of jewelry onto the desktop. It skidded across the worn wooden top and dropped with a resounding clatter on the floor at Ezra's feet.
"He was a murderer!"
*******
May 1867
Lucy froze as she watched the familiar figure moving slowly up the dusty street. Her face paled and she dropped into the porch chair, wrapping her arms around herself as if she could protect herself from the devastating news she knew the gambler was going to deliver. His defeated posture and slow steps were all the answer she needed.
She looked up; her eyes brimming with tears as Ezra slowly climbed the steps and stopped in front of her. She didn't speak, and waited as he took time to find the words.
"They…" he cleared his throat, attempting to break it to her as gently as he possibly could, "they found him guilty, Lucy."
Her tears spilled over, coursing down her pale cheeks. She thought she had prepared herself for this eventuality, but it was still a shock. "Wh-what…?"
Ezra huffed out a deep breath. "The jury said the evidence pointed to him, but the judge… I guess he listened to some of the things Mister Madison said because he wasn't so certain. I believe the testimony and letters of commendation from his friends helped as well. The judge gave Mister Larabee a week to locate Yates before he pronounces sentence."
"Yates?"
"Yes, it would appear he was present when Eli Joe was bragging about Jess Kincaid's death. If he could be found…."
"The money from my place is in the bank, Ezra. Use it, post a reward for Yates… use whatever you have to to find that man…."
"Miss Lucy, it isn't that simple. Sheriff Dunne sent Yates’ description to local lawmen throughout the territory shortly after Eli Joe was killed. There hasn’t been a single response. As Mister Tanner would say, it would appear, after his release, the man simply leaked into the landscape."
"But if he’s Vin's only chance…."
Ezra stooped in front of the distraught woman, taking her hands in his. "Believe me, Miss Lucy; we are doing everything in our power." He didn't think it prudent to advise her that various methods of freeing Tanner had already been discussed, each of the tracker’s companions willing to spend the rest of their lives on the run if it meant deliverance for their friend.
"H-how did Vin take it?" she questioned quietly.
"As well as expected. He was actually joking with Mister Larabee about how he was glad he hadn't shot that low down weasel Yates when he had the chance…" He shook his head ruefully. "Now it would appear that low down weasel is his best chance for overturning the verdict."
"And if Yates isn't found?" Lucy quietly voiced the feared question. "If the jury's found him guilty…"
Ezra shrugged. He had promised the young woman he would be honest with her. "I don't know, Miss Lucy. I just don't know."
*******
May 2003
The southerner carefully picked up the locket and sadly laid it back on the desktop. Giving the woman who'd rushed from the office time to compose herself, he skimmed several of the documents lying next to the computer.
"Ya want something ta drink?" Lucy asked when Ezra finally stepped into the kitchen doorway. She silently cursed her trembling hands as the ice cubes in the glass tinkled loudly in the brittle stillness. Seeing his worried expression, she forced a smile. "Don't worry, it's just Pepsi. Don't wanna be drunk if Jenkins' mare decides to foal today."
"Miss Lucy, you don't know all the circumstances which led to the trial described in that old article. People are often arrested for crimes they never committed,” the southerner offered, amazed at his automatic defense of the Vin Tanner from the past.
"I just didn't expect him to be that…." She whispered in a broken voice.
"You expected that Lucy's Vin to be the same upstanding gentleman as the Vin Tanner you know and love," Ezra volunteered.
She nodded, popping the tab on a second can and pouring the liquid into a glass. As she watched the last of the Pepsi drip from the can, she shook her head. "I don't know what I expected, Ezra. I guess I thought they would be the same, just as I sorta see that Lucy being a lot like me." She gave him a self-conscious grin. "Silly of me, I know."
Ezra leaned his shoulder against the door jamb. "I don't think that's silly at all, Lucy. From what I have gathered, in the little bit you've told me, I do see much the same in the both of you." She started to protest and he held up his hand to silence her. "You are both strong willed, independent, loving, gentle, thoughtful women who care very deeply about the man who holds your heart. If that Lucy is anything at all like you, I can't imagine she would have given her love to a man who would have killed without reason. I think it might be wise if you took a bit of time to read the articles from The Clarion. From the few I just glanced over, I think you might find that Mister Tanner from the past is indeed very much like our own."
Lucy gave him a puzzled frown. "Is that really how you see me, Ezra?" she asked, discomfited by his frankness.
He nodded quietly. "Both Mister Tanners are very blessed to be loved by women such as you two."
There was a slight note of wistfulness in his words which didn't escape her notice as she handed Ezra the glass and started to move past him. Lucy stopped and hesitantly laid her hand gently on the reserved southerner's sleeve. "You know, Ezra, one of these days, you are going to find a woman who will knock your socks off. And I hope she knows just how lucky she will be."
Ezra laughed. "My dear, Miss Garth! I have no inclination to have my 'socks knocked off.' Besides," he smiled down on her, "it has come to my attention the good ones are already taken."
Lucy smiled at the flattery and lightly slugged his arm. "Mark my words, Ezra. One of these days, you will be smitten!"
She moved back towards her office and didn't see the sad expression which flickered across the gambler's face or hear his softly whispered, "Oh, to be so lucky…"
*******
May 1867
Lucy froze, gripping the porch post until her knuckles whitened, using every ounce of her willpower to remain upright as she watched the men step from the temporary courthouse. Heads down, not conversing, she could, without reservation, read the dreaded news in their slow steps.
With few words and a brisk nod, Ezra broke away from the others and moved in her direction.
His emerald eyes locked with her own gray ones. He rushed forward as, still clinging to the post for support; she slowly sank onto the top step, her legs too weak to hold her any longer.
Afraid, but needing to be certain she seen the correct answer in his stricken expression, she looked up, holding her breath as the gambler hesitated in front of her.
"I'm so sorry, Lucy…."
She choked on the sob welling in her throat and stubbornly shook her head in disbelief and denial.
Ezra sank down on the step beside her. Gently unwrapping her fingers from around the wooden support, he took her trembling hand in his. "We knew without Yates this was likely to happen…" he reminded her softly.
Knowing she wanted to help, but reminding her she had a young daughter to support, Ezra had allowed Lucy to donate only a hundred dollars to the reward money for information on Yates, while he himself had added everything he'd saved toward the purchase of his saloon to the funds offered by the tracker’s other friends. Unfortunately, no one had come forward to claim the money or even answered the dozens of telegrams the lawmen had sent. No one had seen the one person who could clear Vin of the murder charges. They had not even been able to unearth evidence Yates was still in the territory.
She nodded, staring at the strong hands clasping her own.
"The judge, at least, wasn't as certain as the jury. Vin won't hang."
Lucy's breath caught and she looked up, her tear filled eyes brimming with hope which was shattered by Standish's next words.
"He sentenced him to life in prison."
Lucy wilted in on herself, "M- m-m-might a-a-as w-w-well h-h-hang h-h-him and b-b-be d-d-done w-w-with i-it…" she sobbed.
Era gathered her against his shoulder, trying to soothe her, even as his own heart was breaking. To confine a man such as Vin Tanner in a six by eight cell was condemning him to death as surely as if a noose had been placed around his neck and the executioner had released the trap door at his feet. If confinement – of any kind – didn't kill the gentle tracker, it would do irreparable damage to his sensitive soul.
The southerner had felt as if his own soul had been crushed beneath a mountain of stone when the territorial judge had pronounced his verdict. Ezra knew the sentence would not only destroy his gentle friend, but the other five peacekeepers the gambler was honored to call friend, not to mention the multitude of townsfolk who thought so highly of the young Texan. Not the least of them was the proud woman with the fragile heart he now held in his arms. Ezra felt as if he were watching Lucy shatter into tiny pieces right before his very eyes.
"We're not giving up, Lucy. The reward will stay in place and I, for one, will keep adding to it. We'll keep looking and when we find Yates, we'll drag his sorry ass before a judge and get Vin released!" The con man spoke intensely, trying to reassure Lucy, while at the same time he was making a silent vow to himself no matter what it took, or cost, his friend wouldn't pass the rest of his days rotting away in a stinking cell for something he had not done.
"W-we don't even know if he's still a-alive."
"I don't give a damn if Yates' is crow bait! If he's anything like that bastard Eli Joe, he couldn't keep his mouth shut and we'll find someone he talked to!" Ezra swore. "You have my word, Lucy, I'll never give up and, while I can't speak for the others, I would bet every cent I shall ever acquire, our Mister Larabee will search just as diligently for Yates as he has for the man who murdered his own family."
Ezra’s heart ached for Vin and this woman. It wasn't fair she was made to suffer and as for Tanner, the man was the closest thing Standish had to a brother.
There had to be something they could do, but all the cards had been played. Against his better judgment, they had played by the rules and they had lost….
He could feel Lucy's desperate sobbing as it racked her body and his. He could feel her pain throughout his soul, knew how hard this had to be on her. Yet he knew he had to crush her even further and quietly told her, "They are moving him to Yuma day after tomorrow…."
*******
June 2003
The ringing of the phone awoke Ezra and he fumbled with the cordless on his night stand, blindly punching the 'talk' button. "'Lo?"
"He didn't end up there!" Lucy's excited voice rang over the line.
Blinking, Ezra struggled to sit up, sleepily eyeing the alarm which said 2 a.m. Covering both Buck and Nathan's shifts while they recovered from the flu, the undercover agent had been on surveillance for almost forty eight hours, before finally crawling into his large bed only a few hours earlier.
"Who…what?"
"Ezra, it's Lucy. Are you awake?"
He shook his head, "I am now," he mumbled. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just I found he never made it there and I just had to tell someone!"
"So you elected me?" he half groused, trying to clear his sleep muddled mind. "Again I reiterate…who… where?"
"Vin never showed up at Yuma Prison!"
"I wasn't aware Mister Larabee had sent him to Arizona…"
"No, no, Ezra… the OTHER Vin!"
Ezra groaned. It had been nearly two weeks and he thought the young vet had given up on her quest to discover what had happened to her 1860s namesake. "Lucy, can we talk about this later?" Perhaps in the intervening hours she would come to her senses as he believed she was traversing a road which would lead her to nothing but heartache and disillusionment.
"I suppose…" her tone was subdued. “Look, Ez, I'm sorry I woke you," she apologized.
Ezra raked a hand thru his tousled chestnut hair. Lucy was his friend and it was obvious she wanted to share what she had discovered.
"My apologies, Miss Lucy. As I'm certain Misters Tanner and Larabee will attest, I'm not at my best first thing in the morning." He pushed from his bed and made his way to the large kitchen. "Okay, what did you find out?" He questioned, filling the tea kettle and pulling a mug from the cupboards. Coffee would take too long to brew and at least tea would allow him return to sleep at the end of the conversation.
"Are you sure, Ezra? I can---"
"I'm certain my curiosity will not allow me to return to sleep so I'm listening, Lucy. Tell me what you found," he retorted again, dropping down on the nearby bar stool to await the water's heating.
He listened as Lucy told him of everything she'd discovered about the namesakes of the people she considered friends. He had to admit the parallel between those 1800s lives and the lives of the men he knew now were uncanny. And Ezra didn't miss the undisguised amusement in Lucy’s voice as she told him about the articles from The Clarion which described how that earlier Ezra P. Standish, gambler and con man, had joined forces with the other peacekeepers in exchange for a pardon for unnamed crimes.
"…You were right about that Vin Tanner, Ezra. From what I read about him and the other lawmen, I don't think he could have murdered anyone." Lucy didn't tell him how much the descriptions she’d read of each of the men reminded her of their twenty first century counterparts.
"Well, The Tascosa Tribune was missing about a month's worth of papers after that one I showed you. The curator said the original copies had been destroyed when the roof leaked and the papers were damaged too badly to copy over onto fiche. I figured it was dead end…"
He could hear the disappointment in her voice as she described the conversation with the person who worked in the paper's archive morgue.
"But…." Ezra fished as he pushed to his feet and poured hot water over the tea bag in his mug.
"I figured there wasn't any way to find out what happened to that Vin Tanner…. And then it dawned on me, the prison would have records, so I contacted their archive… The person there was very helpful and finally got back with me this evening. He said he checked all the old paper records they had for that time frame and during that period there was no Vin Tanner… In fact, no one at all named Tanner was ever incarcerated at Yuma Prison until nineteen twenty three!"
Dunking the teabag up and down in the water, watching the liquid turned golden, Ezra was surprised to find his curiosity truly was piqued, "So what do you think happened to him?"
"I don't know, Ezra," she replied wistfully. "I'd like to think he and his Lucy lived a long and happy life together and had a whole passel of children…." She trailed off, wondering if he realized that was her wish for Vin and herself.
"Then perhaps it would be best to stop your research now and hold on to that belief," he pointed out quietly, hoping to save her the heartbreak he was sure lay ahead. The con man had found that digging into someone's past, more often than not, led only to disenchantment and regret.
She was quiet on the other end of the line, and then he heard her soft, "Maybe… Look, Ezra, I'm sorry I woke you up and I'm sorry I dragged you in on this wild goose chase. It's just---"
"You needed to talk to someone," he finished. "It’s okay, Lucy. I understand."
"You're such a good friend, Ezra. I really do appreciate it. This isn't something I could sit down and discuss with Vin," she admitted.
"Perhaps you should," the con man suggested quietly.
"Do you really think he would understand? I mean, some people don't get into past lives and all that sorta paranormal stuff."
"I'm sure Mister Tanner is more open to such things than you would like to believe." The strange ESP between Tanner and Larabee flickered across his thoughts. He had come to learn Vin had an almost spiritual connection with nature and was more open minded about numinous things than most people. "You might honestly be surprised."
"I might just do that, Ezra…. " She sighed softly, "but I'd still like to know what happened to them…"
"Maybe you'll find out one of these days and most likely when you least expect it…" While the southerner found himself wanting an answer to the same question, the gambler hoped Lucy would settle for what she now knew, leaving her optimistic fantasy undamaged.
"You're probably right. Thanks for listening to me rant and rave, Ezra," she responded with heartfelt thanks. "Good night."
"Anytime, my dear. It was truly my pleasure." He smiled. "Good night, Miss Lucy."
*******
May 1867
Needing to stretch her legs, Lucy wrapped the reins around the brake handle as the team rested, her sad gray eyes checking on her daughter, asleep in the back of the wagon, before she turned that same gaze to search the barren countryside as she climbed from the wagon seat. It wasn't exactly where she wanted to be, but it really didn't matter. The way things had gone in Tascosa, nothing mattered anymore.
Belatedly, she realized she must be seven kinds of a fool to be dragging her young child into the wilds alone. What the hell had she been thinking? She’d taken out, refusing to hire an escort or even wait for other travelers going the same direction. She knew she had only been thinking of Vin. The man she loved was headed for Yuma prison and she had to follow him... had to follow her heart... her love.
Ezra's earlier suggestion she move to Yuma where she might, with the warden's approval, occasionally visit the Texan had earned the southerner a scathing glare from Larabee. The gambler had done exactly what Tanner didn't want and Chris was afraid, knowing Lucy was so close and not being able to see or touch her, would only make Vin's incarceration that much harder.
Lucy herself had debated only a few long minutes before deciding Standish was right. She knew Vin wouldn't be happy with her. He'd already sent word via the con man of his displeasure she had come to Tascosa. She was to forget him and get on with her life.
If the circumstances hadn't been so dire, she would have laughed. How dare the tracker make such a demand! As if she could forget the other half of her soul….
Once her mind was made up, she had used the short time to gather supplies and check her horses, readying them for the long trip to the federal prison.
Only Ezra and the Campbells knew of her plans.
To her surprise, the elder Mrs. Campbell had been pleased with her decision, telling the younger woman she had followed her own heart forty years earlier when she had followed Mister Campbell over the mountains to set up life in an adobe mud house. 'Things will work out for you, dearie, and you and young Tanner will live happily… I just know it,' the old woman had proclaimed, hugging the young rancher as Lucy made ready to leave. 'You listen to your heart and you'll never go wrong…'
That same heart had nearly broken two days previous when the prison wagon had arrived to transport Vin. His friends had talked the local sheriff into giving the two of them a few minutes alone. Pale and thinner – if that were possible – the long haired tracker had not said a word as she had stepped into his arms. His azure eyes, usually so full of life, were now filled with a hopelessness and had closed as he had held her close, his face buried in her hair.
Lucy had fought – and lost – her battle with her own tears and stood quietly sobbing in his arms.
Vin had finally released her, stepping back, his blue eyes shining wetly. "Gotta go, Lucy," he murmured thickly, not taking his gaze from her face. "They're waitin'…."
"Vin---"
He gently laid his calloused finger across her lips. "Shhh…. Ain't nothin' that needs sayin'…." He tenderly caressed her cheek, "'ceptin' I'll always love ya….."
Spinning on his heel, he moved quickly for the door, and threw it open. As he stepped out on the boardwalk to be surrounded by the lawmen, he glanced back. "Forever…"
Lucy had stood there listening to the chains rattle as the sharpshooter's wrists and ankles were shackled. Her breath caught in her throat as the iron door slammed shut, the heavy bar falling into place with a loud clatter as it seemed to seal the heartbreaking doom within her own soul. The tracker had already said his goodbyes to his friends and within minutes, the wagon was rolling out of town, taking her heart with it…
She hadn't been able to bear watching it leave….
She was still standing where Vin had left her, her hand at her throat, when the four peacekeepers moved quietly into the jail. Chris, his voice subdued, questioned if she was okay and suggested perhaps she would like to ride back to Four Corners with them.
Chris’ visage seemed to be aging before her very eyes. Lucy knew Vin had made the gunslinger swear to do nothing to secure his freedom other than keeping an eye out for Yates. Tanner, always mindful of others, didn't want the added burden of endangering the lives or futures of his friends.
She had silently shook her head and left them, needing to be alone.
Only when she had walked out of town a short ways to a clearing by the creek did she realize Ezra hadn't said a word to her. She was aware the gambler had ridden out the previous day to make his peace, she imagined, with the loss of his friend. The southerner had once told her Vin had been the first of the men to welcome him into the group of misfit peacekeepers. The gambler had been overwhelmed and amazed the Texan had been willing to defend him against a bar full of angry marks before Tanner even knew the southerner's name.
The sharpshooter was the con man's first true friend and she'd seen the devastating effects this was having on Ezra. Too late, she realized she had been acting selfishly. She wasn't the only one who was affected by what was happening to the tracker…. There were men here – Chris, Ezra, Josiah and JD – and in Four Corners, as well as townsfolk, who cared deeply for the Texan and were struggling just as hard as she to cope with what had happened.
Belatedly, she appreciated Ezra had been there for her, putting aside his own fear and pain, offering comfort, doing what he could to help her deal with the loss of the man who held her heart and she had failed to do the same for him. Lucy could only hope Chris and the others would be able to help Ezra as he had tried to help her.
One of the horses suddenly threw its head back and whickered loudly, drawing her attention back to her present surroundings. She heard the approaching horses before she saw them. She looked about, realizing she was standing in the open road and half turned to grab her rifle from its place by the seat.
Then, she saw the horsemen and her eyes grew large, brimming with tears.
"Vin?!"
The one word escaped her trembling lips as she stumbled toward the horses.
The scruffy rider threw himself from the saddle and rushed to her, gathering her close, huskily repeating her name over and over.
Lucy clutched at him, unable to believe he wasn't some aberration; some tenuous ghost conjured up by her over wrought mind. But he was solid, warm, flesh and blood. "How…? Vin? What…?"
He shushed her with a gentle kiss, holding her close.
She could feel his heartbeat, knew he was no phantom, and realized he was real, but …. She suddenly remembered there had been two riders and she focused on the other horseman.
"Ezra?!" Reluctantly, she pulled back from Vin and fell back a step to eye both men. "What-?"
Ezra swung down from the saddle. "There's precious little time, Miss Lucy. You need to make haste before they come looking for Mister Tanner."
Her mind reeling, she swung her gaze to the tracker, looking for some sort of explanation.
"Ol' Ez there bought off the prison wagon guards and I slipped away when they stopped ta change horses. I'll tell ya all 'bout it later."
"Alas, I could only purchase your escape and a couple of hours head start. They will be searching for you and once you are reported missing…." Ezra shook his head, hating himself, but knowing it had to be said. "I'm afraid I have done you no favors, Mister Tanner. They will shoot to kill an escaped prisoner. You cannot linger here."
"Thank you, Ezra!" Lucy threw her arms around his neck as he moved to help her back to the wagon. "Thank you for giving me back my heart!"
Uncertain how to respond around the sudden lump which lodged in his throat, Ezra handed the still stunned young woman back up on the wagon seat, and stepped aside as Vin scrambled up beside her to take the reins. "At least they will be searching for a lone man, not a man and his family."
He turned to pull extra supplies from his saddlebags and handed them up to Vin, along with a pair of jeans and work shirt. "I would suggest you change clothes at the first opportunity. You need to go north or east and get lost in some city. Perhaps build a place on the seashore. Ya once told me you'd like to see the ocean. They will expect you to run west or to the mountains. This should help." The gambler slipped a thick envelope into Lucy's hand before swinging up in his saddle and grabbing the trailing reins of the horse Vin had ridden. He reined up next to the wagon. "I'll double back and after a few miles I'll turn west, just in case they do happen to trail you this far. You must go…"
"I'll never ferget this, Pard,” Vin vowed fervently as he leaned over Lucy to fiercely clasp the gambler's hand. “Take care a Chris and the others for me... And, Pard,...let them take care a you."
Lucy fumbled with, and then gave the locket around her neck a jerk, breaking the chain. "Can't have this around if Vin changes his name…" She leaned out and dropped the necklace into the gambler's hand. "I'll be back for this," she vowed and bent to kiss the gambler, "Thank you, Ezra!"
The gambler smiled as the tracker clucked to the team and the wagon rolled away, leaving him sitting alone for a long moment.
"Watch your back, my friend. I'll miss you," he whispered before turning the horses back the way they had come.
*******
June 2003
Lucy frowned in puzzlement as she stared at the printout. There had to be some sort of mistake. Maybe the computer hadn't cleared out the previous name. She turned back to the monitor and rechecked what she had typed in. It was correct, but there was no way… It just wasn't possible….!!!
She had pulled up the 1870 census again and typed in the name 'Vin Tanner.' And again the response she had received earlier popped up: Name not found.
"Now, damnit, he just didn't vanish off the face of the earth," she had muttered to the screen, "or did he?"
Chewing on her lip, she had typed in 'Mattie Garth,' and waited impatiently as the computer searched the huge file. Several minutes later it flashed '1 found.' She had clicked on the link and had stared in utter disbelief at the words scrolling on the monitor.
Printing out the information, she had typed in another name and back tracked….then typed in another, and another…. Parent, grandparent, great-grandparent…Losing all track of time, she traveled back through time and history.
Finally sitting back, staring at the screen, a wide smile broke over her face. "I'll be shit!" Double-checking and making hard copies of everything, she reached for the phone….
*******
EPILOGUE:
May 1870
"Picked this up for ya while I was at Miz Potter's." Larabee grinned, pressing the envelope into Standish's hand before strolling off, softly whistling a vaguely familiar tune.
Ezra frowned as he looked at the battered missive. It was postmarked Georgia and was addressed to him, the writing a darkly inked scrawl: Ezra P. Standish, 4 Corners, Colorado.
Who in the hell would be writing him from Georgia? While he had plenty of family who still resided in his home state, his paternal grandmother was the only relative he gave a damn about and he hadn't seen her since he was a teenager. It definitely wasn't the delicate handwriting he remembered from all those years ago.
Crossing the dusty street, he paused at the worn table outside the saloon and sitting down in the shade; he carefully opened the envelope and apprehensively withdrew the folded pages from within.
'Howdy, Ez,' it began, 'It's been a wile so's reckoned I should rite ya an let ya no how things are gonin'. Luc read them papers ya gave her and we ended up bac here… there's a 'hole passel of them Standishs here 'bouts so it was rite easy fittin' in. Yer granmama's farm neaded work, but we was happy ta do it…I think ya'd be proud of it. She's a real good woman an we dun tole her what a fine fella ya growd up ta be. Says she never doubted it.
I no, Ezra, there ain't many folk who'd do what ya dun ta help us out. Ya gave me a second chance an us a new life… at the risk a yer own. Ain't meny men who'd dun that and we jist wanted ta say how much we apresheate it…Thanks.
Oh yeah, Luc shoot me if I don't tell ya… like I would rite and not tell ya... I got me a son, Ezra. He'll be two next month. Looks like his momma…. And, Ez, we named him Christopher Standish, after the two best men I no.
Iffen ya see the oth'r fellas, give 'em our best.
Yer a helluva friend, Ezra Standish.
Yer cusin, Tanner Standish"
South?
They'd gone south! Along with a fake letter offering Lucy's husband a job in case they were questioned by a posse searching for the escaped man, Ezra had placed the name and address of his grandmother in the envelope of money with a note telling Lucy to contact her if they ever needed to reach him. For reasons he could never explain, even to himself, he had always written to advise his elder relative of his whereabouts on the few occasions he had remained anywhere for more than a few days.
He quickly shoved the envelope into his pocket as Larabee placed a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses on the table before sinking into the other chair still whistling. Ezra suddenly realized the song Chris had been whistling was the only tune Tanner had ever really learned to play on his harmonica.
They had never discussed Vin's escape and, while Chris suspected the gambler had aided Tanner, the older man had never asked or let the others ask. After all, what they didn't know, they couldn't testify to.
Without a word to anyone, Ezra had left Tascosa the evening Vin had been transported. Josiah had insisted that, having never allowed himself friends before, the gambler had simply needed time to himself to deal with his loss.
Looking haggard, dust covered and weary, two days outside Four Corners, the southerner had finally joined them on the trail and, that very evening, a posse had approached the camp, asking questions about a missing prisoner. To Ezra's surprise, Larabee had vehemently insisted the four men had been together the entire trip….
"To a helluva of a southern friend." As Larabee lifted his glass in a toast, Ezra saw an envelope tucked in his pocket with the same scrawled writing as on his own. "Thanks..." Chris’ grin widened and his green eyes sparkled brightly. "And to Christopher Standish."
"May he grow up to be as a fine a man as his father." Ezra added with a smile.
*******
July 2003
Lucy eyed the man who sat across from her and smiled at the look of utter disbelief on his handsome face. The same expression she'd worn when first reading the papers in his hand. She had called him earlier and now, seated on the chair across from her desk, he stared at the printouts.
Ezra brought startled green eyes up to meet her amused gray ones. "This most certainly can not be correct---" he began.
"'Fraid so, Ez. I checked several different sites, and have the printouts if you want to see them."
The southerner shook his head. "It can't be right!"
Lucy's smile widened. "But it is. Check those census printouts. I followed up… there's no mistake. I've checked, double checked and then checked again. I even got Maude's number from Chris and called her to be certain. Your father's name was Michael...right?"
The gambler nodded hesitantly. It was about the only thing he knew of the man who'd sired him.
"Michael's father –your grandfather – was Ezra Clinton Standish and his father –your great-grandfather was Christopher J. Standish….He had a half sister named Mattie Garth and his father's name was listed as.... Tanner Standish." Unable to contain herself, she began to laugh….
Ezra's face paled as the realization sank in. "Oh, my God!!" He brought wide stunned eyes up to meet her laughing ones. "I'm a Tanner!"
Still chuckling, Lucy nodded with excitement. "Now, do you tell Vin, or can I?"
THE END