The Town Laughed at Her Empty Market Stall. One Lonely Cowboy Bought Everything
Chapter 7
Thomas took Anna to the old county records office.
The building stood beside the chapel.
Inside, dust covered everything.
The clerk recognized Thomas.
“What brings you here?”
“We need the land ledger.”
“Which year?”
“Twenty years ago.”
The clerk hesitated.
“Those records were transferred.”
“Where?”
“To Crowe’s warehouse.”
Anna stared.
“Why?”
The clerk shrugged.
“His people paid for storage.”
Thomas’s hand tightened.
“Of course they did.”
They left.
That evening, Thomas showed Anna how to compare handwriting.
Her father’s signature had been forged on the debt document.
But proving it would require the original.
They needed the ledger.
Crowe had it.
The following night, they entered the warehouse.
Moonlight fell through broken shutters.
Rows of barrels stood against the walls.
Thomas carried a lantern.
Anna followed.
“Third room,” he whispered.
They found the records.
But before they could leave, voices came from outside.
Crowe’s men.
Thomas extinguished the lantern.
They hid between crates.
Anna could hear her own breathing.
A man entered.
“We know Hale is looking.”
Another answered.
“And the woman?”
“She’ll sell eventually.”
Thomas’s hand found Anna’s.
He held it.
They waited.
When the men left, Thomas whispered:
“We go now.”
They slipped through the rear door.
But Anna stopped.
“What is it?”
She pointed toward the river.
A wagon stood there.
Covered.
Thomas walked toward it.
He lifted the canvas.
Inside were boxes of forged documents.
And one contained Anna’s father’s original ledger.
They had found what they needed.
