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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2078261" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter Fourteen, “Jailed”, Friday, March 10th, 1882, 2:45 P.M.Luc left the Lucky Lady early afternoon. The sun was bright and it hurt his eyes after being in the shadowy saloon. The food was good and Luc hadn't had a good meal like that in over a month. Luc needed a place to stay. He couldn't sleep in the barn night after night. He also needed a job if he was going to keep eating. He decided to go to the hotel the singer from the Lucky Lady suggested. After that he would look for a job. As he made his way there he noticed a large number of people standing outside the bank.  Luc stopped and asked the nearest person," What's going on?  Someone die?"   “Nope, just closed,” a man says. Over at the Marshall’s Office Jake sighs and begins to tell Wyatt Earp his story.  "Jones approaches me not long after I get the job at the bank. He talks in innuendo, implying that the bank would be easy to rob, and that he knows how to do it. I tell him he's crazy, I'm no bank robber and I don't want anything to do with it and he should not think about it."  He pauses and sighs again. "Look Wyatt, at the time I'm new in town, I don't know anybody, and I'm supposed to run to the bank owner and say your trusted employee might have said he's planning to rob the bank? I had met Jones before a long time ago and my personal opinion was that Jones is incompetent, and that nothing was going to come of it." Jake describes the other times that Jones contacts him the same way he did with Berg. "Each time, there is enough not said, that he can deny it if I tell someone, each time I tell him he's crazy and I'm not interested. I even told Chester Martin a long while ago to keep an eye out for Jones. Finally this morning I decide to warn Frank Condon. I still didn't have any hard facts to go on. I told him that I didn't know for sure, and didn't want to ruin a man’s reputation, but that Jones had a reputation and was saying strange things to me. Only a few hours later Jones walks into my saloon and hands me keys. He put keys in my hands. No more innuendo. I believe your friend Eduardo was in the room at the time, though I didn't know him nor was I paying any attention to him. I talk to my friends for advice for a couple of minutes. They don't know what to do either. I decide to go to Condon right away. I tell him and he asks me to wait around, so I do. From there you know the rest." Jake looks Wyatt in the eyes the entire time he is talking. There is no threat in Jake’s expression, but no pleading either.Wyatt Earp replies "Cook. I've been at this game that I'm usually able to tell when a man is telling the truth or not. But I've also found that's not always the case with gamblers, they know how to bluff and lie just a little too well.   But that Danby Jones, he's no gambler, he's not even all that bright. He says that you and Martin are in on this, which you even helped with the details of the plan. I stared him down when he said that and by Jupiter and Mars I swear he was being truthful. So I'm inclined to believe him instead of you. Thankfully, I'm not the one who has to make that final decision. And don't try to use what you did today as a defense with me, that just shows that you chickened out and decided to sell out your partners. So make yourself comfortable, you're staying in that cell until your trial."Outside, Ruby sits on the bench, waiting anxiously. She notices Eduardo come out but does not acknowledge him at first. She sits swinging her feet for what feels like an eternity. Finally she jumps up and looks at him, "What is going on? It's taking forever!" She sees a look for concern cross his face. She sits slowly back down and quietly says, "Can you please tell me what's going on, I'm so worried." And there is genuine concern and worry on Ruby's face.Eduardo calmly states "You friend's lawyer was the one who asked you to remain outside not me. And I've been here with you, so I obviously do not know any more about what is going on inside than you do." Berg glares at the Marshall and then agrees to defend Jake. Earp tells Berg "This town only has two jails, and the other one is currently occupied, so Martin will have to be here in the other cell. He'll probably have his own lawyer so you may want to tell your client to not talk to him about the case." Berg replies, "We heard you." He unlocks the cell and lets Berg out, then relocks it. Once that is done he tells Warren to go back and get Martin. Ruby and Eduardo look up as Warren Earp walks out. A minute or so later Berg follows, and tells Ruby "The Marshall is holding Mr. Cook until trial, so at least until Monday. You may want to get him some things to keep him occupied. I have agreed to defend him." "Trial? Why is there a trial? I don't understand any of this..." Ruby looks to Mitchell Berg. "In any case, thank you for agreeing to defend him. He IS innocent." With that Ruby heads inside to see Jake. Wyatt Earp tells her "Hold on a minute there Miss West. Have a seat", and gestures to a chair. "We have another prisoner on his way over and I'm not taking any chances until he's safely locked away too." Ruby does take the seat and glances over at Jake. She says quietly to Wyatt, so Jake can't hear, "Do you really think Jake is the type of person to rob banks, and stupid enough to do it in this manner? We helped save your brother's life, not because we had to because we wanted to. Do bank robbers do that?"He replies softly, "Ma'am, I think your friend is an opportunist. When he arrived in town and saw his old riverboat gambling buddy working at the bank he saw an opportunity to get rich. Since then he's found what he considers to be better opportunities and decided this was the easiest way to get rid of his co-conspirator. But his plan backfired and now he's caught and trying to weasel his way out of it.""If any of that was true why would he come forward? Why not just stay silent? This is what you get from being honest around here?" Ruby shakes her head, "You're so wrong about him. He's just trying to make a life here and you can't just take all that away." Ruby pauses, looks at Jake and the continues under her breath, "I won't let you."Warren Earp arrives at the bank. He tells Chester "I can tie your hands or we can do this honorably and respectfully. Your choice." In clipped tones, Chester replies, "Honorably will be fine, Marshall. I don't have any place to be."Warren has Frank get Chester's gun belt out and remove all of the revolver bullets. Chester is then allowed to put the belt back on. Warren says "Let's just walk down the street side-by-side. Don't try anything stupid. Eduardo will be backing me up. You won't see him, but he'll be there." Morgan unlocks the door and the two depart. Frank heads out to, telling his brother "I'll go get the tellers. We can still get in the last half-hour."Warren Earp arrives a few minutes later with Chester. Wyatt yells to his brother "Why is he armed!" Warren says, "We removed the bullets first. Didn't want to make it obvious what the problem was, as small crowd had formed outside waiting to do their banking. Remember Wyatt, the Merchant's Association pays our salaries, we shouldn't go hurting the Condon's business." Wyatt just grumbles and has the gunbelt removed. He opens up the other cell and has Chester go in. Chester sits down on the bunk in silence. He thinks to himself, “Did Jake give me up? I can't believe it, but I've known him and the others only a couple months. What do I do now?”Wyatt now allows Ruby to stand and visit with Jake.  She walks over to the cell where they are keeping Jake. She puts her hands on the cell bars and leans in close. Jake can see Ruby is holding back tears. "This is all my fault," she shakes her head, "If I hadn't been distracting you all these weeks you would have taken care of this a long time ago. Now you're in here and... and...a trial.... and Judge Isby..." Ruby looks down and doesn't finish her thought."I can't see why any of this is your fault." Jake gives her a hopeful smile. "I live to be distracted." He chuckles and then gets a serious look on his face. "I should have known better. What was I thinking trying to do the proper thing? This morning trying to help Katherine, look what happens. Get Chester a job, and later try and keep the Condons from getting their bank robbed and this. I may not be the smartest boy, but I do learn from my mistakes." He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "Don't do anything too foolish, take Bergs advice if you can when he gives it. Ask him if the Condons are pressing these charges. Perhaps they can be convinced by Berg to drop them to avoid the bad press." He stops talking and looks her in the eyes for a minute. "Maybe I'll be lucky. Berg is a good lawyer."“ Too foolish? What’s that?” Ruby won’t let Jake continue his stare and she looks away. “When you sit and think about it, and you’ll have time to do that now, you WILL realize it my fault. We should have been checking Danby out, finding out what he was really up to, but we didn’t and now you are here.” Ruby continues to look away from Jake, “And you’re right, we keep getting crap for trying to do the right thing around here. I’m done with that, all of it.” She kicks at the bars with her foot. “People like us can never do the right thing, it just never works for us. Why did we even think it could?” Ruby sighs. “You know Judge Isby doesn’t like ‘people like us’. That’s what I’m most scared of. You're going to need Berg to be the best lawyer he can be AND some luck.” “I will find out what I can, maybe pay Jones a visit. Why isn’t he in here too?” Ruby shakes her head. “I’m sure there is no good answer for that.” She turns back towards Jake but still doesn’t look at him. “So what do you need?”He says, "I'll bet Jones is in the other jail. At least that's what I'd guess based on what Wyatt said." In a faint whisper, "I'm sure there is payback for being involved with Katherine asking after Morgan here. So don't give them any additional opportunities with you." He goes back to speaking softly, "What do I need, what do I need.... hum. I don't think they'll let me have whiskey or a female companion." He grins. "I already have a deck of cards, but they are holding the silver case so I don't try and bludgeon my way out of here." He chuckles. "So I just need you to stop blaming yourself, stay out of jail and make the second night of grand opening successful." He kisses his fingertips and reaches through the bars to touch her lips."I don't care about the Lucky Lady right now, I can't sing feeling like this." Ruby closes her eyes and feels Jake's fingers on her lips. A tear starts falling and she tries to quickly turn so Jake can't see her crying. She starts walking out, "I'll bring you and Chester some dinner later, find out if he needs anything," and she starts walking out. Jake can see her rubbing her eyes from behind. When she gets outside she gives herself a few moments to compose herself before heading back over to Berg's office. She knocks on the door and he answers. “Ruby, what are you doing back here?”  She says, “Mr. Berg, I have a few things I need to talk to you about. I need advice, I don’t know what to do.” Ruby sits. “Do you have some time? And everything that gets said between us stays that way, right?”He replies, "Probably, but if you have information about the bank conspiracy that's a different matter altogether. I've told you before, I don't defend people who I feel are guilty. And if I'm not involved with the case and you're not my client I could be called to testify, in which case I would have to tell what I know." He invites her in and gives her another cup of tea.  “Well, it’s not directly involved in the case…” Ruby takes the tea and actually drinks it this time. She says, “I need a will drawn up. I can’t even believe I am doing this. I need to leave my share of the Lucky Lady, and everything else I have, which isn’t much, to someone, in case something happens to me.” Berg looks up at Ruby, “Why do you think something would happen to you?”  She answers, “Because of something I know. And today’s events. Jake IS innocent and I believe there might be more to this than what has been said. Probably not, but it’s possible. I want it written up that if something happens to me this comes out in public. If something happens to Jake, I’ll bring it out myself, but if something happens to me… take it to the Judge, the newspapers, I don’t care.” Ruby sighs and begins the story of Thomas Kale. She includes all the details, including the Earps trying to change their story and blame it on Colby Tucker. She indicates that she knows where he is, and therefore if he was needed to testify she would be able to get to him, and that the Earps do not know where he is. “Kate and Jake also know where he is, but I will never let on that anyone knows that but me. It’s just too dangerous for them.” She does not tell him where Tucker is, instead leaving a sealed envelope with her papers. He listens intently and nods. He says that he doesn't know if Thomas Kale's death has anything to do with the present situation. This robbery conspiracy looks to be isolated to Promise City. He does then write down some notes of what she said and promises to pass it on to both newspapers if anything should happen to her.  “Now about that will…” She has Berg start to draw up the papers. Ruby finishes up her business with Berg and departs. Nanuet heads over to the livery to look for Danby Jones. The only one working the livery is the owner, Austin Blake. He tells Nanuet "Danby didn't come back after lunch, but that's not all that unusual. He also works for Condon's Bank and they pay him better than I do, so if they have work for him he sticks around there instead."  Nanuet replies, "Yeah, I already checked at the bank and he wasn't there. Any other ideas where he might go?" Austin suggests the boarding house. After getting no more information from Mr. Blake Nanuet heads dejectedly over to the boarding house where Danby is supposed to live. He enters the boarding house and asks if Mr. Jones is around.  He is told that Jones picked up the lunch for the bank employees a few hours ago and hasn't been back since. They suggest that he check either the bank or the livery. Nanuet scratches his head and heads back to the Lucky Lady hoping that Ruby had more success.Jake passes the time quietly with the deck of cards. For endless hours he plays some solitaire, does shuffle and cut tricks but mostly manipulation tricks with a single card in each hand. The cards go nimbly back and forth across his fingers, turning this way and that in an entertaining and impressive fashion. Periodically they stop faces out, as if he was giving a show to some unseen audience. But there is no one there to applaud as the Jack of Spades and Queen of Hearts present themselves.After finishing her business with Mitchell Berg Ruby makes her way back to the Lucky Lady and finds Nanuet there. She sits next to him at the bar, and Hoover brings her a drink. Ruby looks at him, "Jake won't be back for a few days, just so you know." Maria walks in with Harry, arms full of food. Ruby instructs her to make 2 packages of food for Jake and Chester, and 2 plates of dinner. Ruby tells her she will bring it over herself when it's ready. She turns to Nanuet, "This is really bad, I don't know what to do." Nanuet can tell she is on the verge of crying and trying everything she can to keep it in."Oh... uh, wow." Nanuet says weakly. He stands up and awkwardly moves to Ruby's side, then stops. He takes out a cloth handkerchief and hands it to her. "Here you look like you might need this." "I don't need this!" Ruby slaps the handkerchief down onto the bar, making a fist around it. "I don't want to need it," she continues quietly, "But I can't help myself," and with that a few tears starting rolling down Ruby's cheeks. "I am so embarrassed," as she tries to wipe them away with Nanuet's handkerchief. "See what I mean about people making you weak..." she says to herself, shaking her head. Nanuet says, "We'll figure something out, Jake is innocent and there has to be a way to prove it. Jones is the key, we have to figure what in heck he is thinking and if he was bought out by someone to do this."  She replies, "Let's go upstairs, we have some things to talk about."</blockquote>

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