Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
Maude did not see her husband's killer but she certainly heard him.
They were having dinner that night when the door knocked loudly. Peter had been somewhat distracted lately and Maude had the feeling it had to do with his investigations into Thomas Cotran. It appeared that the incident with Mr. Pennyworth was only the first of many such swindles that were taking place in town. The local sheriff had asked for Peter's help in combating the problem since a Marshall might have the authority he lacked to do something about the worsening situation in Eagles Nest. Unfortunately, Sheriff Oatley was killed a week later and what had only been cursory investigations by Peter into Cotran's affairs suddenly gained urgency. The Marshall had opted to stay in town, attempting to uncover as much evidence as he could about Cotran by talking to other clients who had been similarly cheated as James Pennyworth.
Although Maude understood the necessity of what he was doing, she could not deny that a part of her was a little afraid of where this investigation might lead. After hearing of how Pennyworth had been gunned down in the street and the murder of Sheriff Oatley not long after, she felt rising fear about what Cotran and the men around him were willing to do to protect him. However, she remained silent about her fears because Peter was a lawman and she had known this when she had married him. It was unfair to start making demands of his profession when she knew what it was she was letting herself in for. She loved his courage and his determination to do right and if he stopped being all those things because of her than she had done nothing less than rip out the heart of what he was. She loved him too much for that even if she was terrified of losing him.
When the door had knocked, silencing their dinner conversation so abruptly, Peter had bid her to stay at the table with Ezra. However, she could not help notice that he went to answer the door with his gun tucked firmly in his hand. Holding Ezra, Maude crept up the hallway, whose long passage provided the perfect amplification needed to eaves drop and hid in the shadows listening. Peter was attempting to lower his voice when he spoke, no doubt to keep her from hearing what was being said. Unfortunately, she did hear and in hearing, her heart clenched with alarm.
"Mr. Cotran asked me to pay you a courtesy call, Marshall."
Maude recognized the voice as that of Murphy, one of Cotran's men. He had been present when Pennyworth had been murdered and was also credited with the death of Sheriff Oatley.
"Is that what they call it these days, Murphy?" Peter had returned coolly, perfectly aware that the visit was a warning.
"Now Marshall," Murphy drawled with menace oozing from each word he spoke. "I'm just offering you some friendly advice. You don't spent much time in Eagle Nest so you don't know how things work around here."
"I know enough," Peter retorted, the tempo of his voice indicated he was getting angry at being talked down to as if he were a fool. "I know that Cotran is a swindler and not just a swindler, a murdering swindler."
"That Sir, is slander." Murphy declared, with a hint of outrage in his voice. "Since when is it illegal to have one paid was is owed?"
"Its illegal when a slick lawyer with more nose for money than the law, decides to abuse the trust placed in him by those who entrust their livelihoods into his care." Peter said sharply. "That Sir, is not slander but a truth that Cotran is living out this moment at the expense of Eagle Nest. I won't allow it to go any further than it already has, you can tell him that."
"What are you going to do?" Murphy sneered. "He hasn't done anything wrong."
"Then he won't mind if I contact the Federal bar Association and discuss it with them. I'm sure the letter I'm going to write about what he's doing here will interest them a great deal. I may not be able to arrest him but I sure as hell can cause enough stink with those Federal boys to have him disbarred! It's going to be tough to swindle people without a license to practice law."
"You wouldn't dare...." Murphy hissed real anxiety in his voice for the first time.
"Try me," the Marshall said coldly.
"You're a dead man Marshall," Murphy warned. "You hear me, a dead man!"
"If you don't get off my porch, you'll be one long before I am." The Marshall punctuated that statement by producing the gun in his hand and aiming it at the man's face.
"This isn't over," Murphy warned impotently but his withdrawing footsteps indicated otherwise. "You here me Marshall? It ain't over!"
Maude slumped to the floor, still holding Ezra as she heard Murphy screaming those words.
When Chris learnt about the sale of the Potters Good Store, his first reaction was anger. Anger because he had known something was wrong with Gloria, he had felt it in every fibre of his being but the lack of cooperation from the lady herself had prevented him from investigating the situation any further. However, it was incontrovertible now that Benjamin Bosshard was out to practice the kind of 'business' that turned Lincoln and Colfax county into a war zone. In those beleaguered communities, men like Bosshard who owned mercantile businesses that dealt in staples, would allow settlers to purchase their goods on credit, allowing them to accumulate vast sums of debt in such a manner and then demand lump sum payments. Unable to pay in cash, the settlers would have no alternative but to relinquish their land in order to make restitution, making their creditors richer than ever.
The practice, mostly inspired by cattle barons and ranchers who were attempting to drive out the homesteader at any cost, was at the heart of the Lincoln Ð Colfax County Wars. Opposing factions, attempting to stop this exploitation had turn the area into a no man's land rife with lawlessness. Hired guns had thrived there because there was always someone to kill and the infamous Billy the Kid had been borne of such violence. Chris knew that by acquiring the Potter's Good Store, Bosshard who was lackey to men like Thomas Cotran and Lawrence Murphy who were the main practitioners of such dishonesty, was now in the position to do the same thing in Four Corners. No doubt, he would get plenty of support from men like Guy Royal and Stuart James who had always disliked the influx of settlers into the community. The unfortunate part of the whole situation was the fact that as abhorrent as the practice was, it was not illegal just dishonest. Unfortunately, though it may seem amazing, the one did not often mean the other.
Chris could run him out of town but Bosshard had money and influence enough to see to it his exile would not last indefinitely and the seven men who were responsible for law in this town would find themselves accountable. Chris did not entirely care about the dangers to himself in that respect but he objected to doing something that would remove the seven from their position and leave Four Corners undefended from Bosshard and his plans. As much as Chris hated it, he had to show restraint even though his first impulse was to go to Bosshard and shoot the man. It was bad enough that the Judge was due in town today tomorrow to deal with Maude Standish, with only her word that Bosshard was guilty of any crime but the fact that the man might be running rife through his town, was enough to drive the gunslinger to distraction. Particularly when there was nothing Chris could do about it at this point.
He knew that Ezra was watching the man closely and if the truth were known, Ezra was an unknown factor he could not rely upon too closely these days. Although Chris trusted Ezra as much as he ever did, the fact of the matter was Ezra's ordeal at Hannibal Julius' hands had left him something of a wild card. In the past, Chris could always rely upon the gambler to keep a cool head. In fact, next to Vin, Ezra was the one who could most remain calm under pressure. These days however, he had many demons to deal with and was more inclined at striking at the heart of his pain rather than considering his actions first. Chris had said nothing because he was the last person on this earth to point out such failings to another human being, not after what he had been like when the seven had first formed their fellowship.
It was bad enough that Bosshard was responsible for the death of Ezra's father and so far, he had shown remarkable restraint in not reacting but Chris knew that he was also under a great strain to keep himself in check. Chris wanted justice for Ezra but he did not want his friends succumbing to the darkness inside himself given birth when Julius had tortured him so viciously. Chris did not wish to see Ezra lashing out at Bosshard in an act of vengeance that would most likely destroy his friend rather than see justice done. Bosshard was no fool. His actions to date in Four Corners ensured that he was a law-abiding citizen going about his business. Despite what was known about Bosshard's shady past, a judge might be inclined to think that Ezra had killed an innocent man, if the gambler was prompted into doing anything rash. Chris was determined to see that this did not happen. He had stood by and let Ezra kill Julius, an action which still haunted him although he comforted himself in the fact that if anyone had deserved to die that way, it was certainly Julius. However, this was different. Bosshard's innocence or guilt lay solely with Maude Standish and on that basis, Chris had reason to doubt. That doubt alone was enough to make him hold back on his opinion.
"How did he do it?" Chris mused to himself as he sat inside the Standish Tavern at their usual table, pondering the news Mary had delivered to him a short time ago regarding the Potter Store.
"Do what Chris?" Buck Wilmington inquired.
The mood around the table was tense because Chris was tense and it translated to all of them. Ezra on the other hand was merely quiet and that was usual for him these days, even before his mother rode into town and tried to gun down a man in front of a dozen witnesses. They continued to play cards, going through the motions of relaxing when they were all thinking hard about what Mary had told them. Each man knew Gloria Potter well. The lady had been one of their strongest supporters since their arrival in Four Corners. Each had formed their own opinion of the woman and that opinion did not correlate with the action of selling the store, which her husband had died to protect.
"How did he get her to sell?" Chris raised his eyes to Buck and then the others.
"It must have been a hell of a good price," Josiah frowned, having enough conversations with the woman to know that she had always been determined to stay in Four Corners, no matter how difficult things became for her and her family. She had always claimed that being run off by outlaws would only allow them to win and make her husband death for nothing. Josiah was in as much disbelief as the rest of his companions that she could make such a bout face.
"Was it a price she could afford to turn down?" Ezra inquired. "We all know Mr Bosshard's habits. His reputation in Colfax and Lincoln speak for themselves. He is a protégé of Thomas Cotran who made his fortune as a lawyer by swindling his clients out of their money. Could he have done something of the same here?"
"No I don't think that's the case here," Nathan replied. "Mrs Potter ain't fool enough to be tricked. She may be a woman but she's a shrewd about money."
"That may be," Chris spoke up, agreeing in part with some of Ezra's assessment even though he suspected that much of it was motivated by Ezra's personal feelings about Bosshard. "I think Ezra is right in a small way though. I think that he bought the store as a precursor for making a grab for land like he did in Lincoln. Buy a goods store and let people make purchases on credit."
"Yeah," Vin nodded. "I've seen this kind of thing before in Texas. People were buying stuff on credit until they owed so much money it was like in the hundreds of dollars with interest of course and the next thing you know, the store wants their money and the only thing they got to pay with is land."
"And you think Bosshard wants to do that here?" Buck asked. "Why?"
"Because they're almost finished in Lincoln and Colfax. With Governor Axtel out of office, the Santa Fe Ring don't got the protection they used to, or half as much money. The new Governor has been appointed by the President to clean up the mess down there so everyone is being watched real close. Four Corners may be a little rough but it ain't got the near the reputation that Colfax and Lincoln counties do. I think they're expanding their business interests here because the law ain't looking closely in this direction."
"And now he's got a way in because of Gloria Potter selling him his store." JD pointed out. "I never imagined she'd do that."
"She seemed very nervous when we talked to her yesterday morning," Vin pointed out. He recalled the meeting inside her store where Gloria had ordered him and Chris out of the place when Chris' questions became to invasive, though Vin did not think that they were but Gloria seemed to take offense nonetheless. "Especially when Chris asked her about Bosshard. We caught her looking at him from her store earlier and it seemed like she could have killed him where he stood so I can't imagine her selling to him less than a day later."
"Unless she didn't do it willingly," Buck said sipping his beer and peering over the edge of his glass at Chris, his eyes filled with suggestion.
"I've been thinking about that," Chris confessed, having mulled the thought around his head about that particular point. "Gloria doesn't scare easily though. I'd like to know what he has on her that would make her that afraid to stand up to him and give up her store."
"Maybe I should ask her," Josiah suggested. Sometimes being an ex-preacher tended to make people let down their defenses, even someone as stubborn and determined as Gloria Potter. "She doesn't mind talking to me most times," Josiah explained. "I guess she still sees me as a man of the cloth."
"I don't know Josiah," Chris shrugged unsure of that point winning the woman over in this instance. "I think she's very scared and while she might think of you as a preacher under normal circumstances, this ain't one of those times. If we try and push her, we could make things worse."
"Especially if Bosshard has warned her from speaking to us," Ezra suggested.
The rest of the seven, except for Chris glanced in his direction. "You think?"
"It's worth a try," Josiah offered. "If we can get her to tell us what he has on her, maybe we can help her."
"Maybe," Chris pondered the question. "Or maybe it might make things worse. If Bosshard is threatening her, he might be smart enough to use whatever it is he's got against her to see to it that she don't talk to us."
"That makes sense," Nathan retorted. "They're bound to know that as soon as she decided to sell, there would be questions, especially from those of us who knows her well. That's why she was so short with you Chris, she probably wasn't supposed to tell you anything."
"What if she does tell us the truth?" JD asked once more. "Can we do anything to help her? I mean the store will still belong to Bosshard.
"It wouldn't be a legal sale if she made it under duress," Buck explained. "It's almost certain that Bosshard is holding something over her head. Mrs Potter's a tough old bird. No way she'd just up and sell without good reason. I reckon Bosshard is blackmailing her someway."
"You know," Vin suggested. "If Bosshard wanted to land grab this way I kind of think he would have gone for something bigger than Mrs. Potter's store."
"What do you mean?" Chris gazed at the younger man who appeared to have stumbled across something they had yet to discuss.
"Well think about it," Vin said, tossing the idea around more than putting any real stock into it. "If you wanted to get lots of people owing you money, why settle for Mrs Potter's store? Sure it does brisk trade but its small pickings. If you really wanted to make some money, you'd go for the Emporium."
Ezra was raising his glass to his lips when those words escaped Vin Tanner and for a moment, it did not register. However, that moment was brief and when they sunk into his consciousness, the idea that screamed out at him was so loud that he was surprised the others could not hear it. Suddenly, Julia's behavior made sense. Was she not doing the exact same thing that Gloria Potter had done? Contemplating the sale of the Emporium that was not only her livelihood but her life and one that she loved almost as much as him.
"Damn!" Ezra Standish swore so loudly that he silenced that room immediately and drew an astonished expression from those seated around him.
"Ezra what?" Nathan stared at him in confusion, speaking not merely for himself but the rest of the gambler's friends who were presently staring at Ezra in surprise.
Ezra could not answer for a second. His mind was reeling and he was rebuking himself for being so obtuse. How could he have not guessed the truth before now? Suddenly everything he had gone through with Julia fell into place like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He had attributed her decision to his behavior of late and realised that had he not been so self conscious, he might have realised the truth; that she was being blackmailed in very much the same way Gloria Potter was. Ezra knew that there was no conceivable reason why she would part with her beloved Emporium and why she had been so anguished about the making the decision. If he had not been so absorbed in his own securities, he might have been able to see past her lie and understood that she needed him for a change.
"Julia," Ezra spoke finally through clenched teeth. "She told me morning that she intended to sell the Emporium."
"He couldn't be that stupid," Nathan started to say, almost sputtering with the same outrage that Ezra was having great difficulty keeping in check at the present moment. "I mean surely he'd know that she'd tell us?"
"Not necessarily," Ezra mused lowering himself into his seat. In stumbling upon this unsettling truth, Ezra tried to understand why Julia would have chosen to keep this a secret from him. Why did she lie to him? Was she afraid that coupled with what he already knew about Bosshard's murder of his father, Ezra would do something rash if he learnt that Julia was being threatened? Or was the reason even simpler? That with all his present difficulties, she did not want to burden him with her own situation. He was shocked at that being the answer and wondered how Julia could think such a thing. However, he answered his own question before the thought had left his head. She had not told him because she did not wish to make his feelings against Bosshard any more incendiary than it already was. After what he had done to Hannibal Julius, how could she be certain that he would not react in much the same way.
"What did Julia say Ezra?" Chris asked, watching the gambler closely. He could see the darkness in Ezra's eyes as the threat to Julia materialized and hoped that this had not pushed the man over the edge.
"Very little." Ezra muttered almost to himself. He was still to dazed and angry at himself for being unable to see what was right in front of him . How could he have been so mistaken about Julia? He should have known that she was in trouble! She had been so afraid and he had been unable to see it! Of course, Ezra had been unable to see a great many things of late and this only brought to home just how detached he was from the woman he loved. It was more than just a physical disconnection but an emotional one. Oh he showed he loved her but he kept telling himself that his ordeal at Hannibal Julius' hands gave him the moral justification to be so detached. He had a plethora of excuses as to why he could not commit to her but none of them seemed at all important at this moment.
"Ezra?" Nathan prompted again, seeing his friend had lapsed into thought again. Considering what Ezra had just found out, it was completely understandable.
"I apologise," Ezra rose his gaze to his friends and took a deep breath. "She stated that she wished to sell which I found rather abrupt considering that she adored the place. The Emporium was where Julia said she became a whole person because she discovered she could be more than just a beautiful face but someone with a mind capable of taking care of herself. I was rather astonished that she could even consider it but she was so angered by my inquiring why she wanted to sell that I eventually let the subject drop."
"That's more or less how Mrs Potter was," Vin pointed out. "Bosshard must have gotten to Julia the same way he could have gotten to Mrs Potter."
"What could he have on her though?" Josiah asked.
Vin, JD and Ezra exchanged brief glances since they were the ones present to meet Mr. Clemens, the Pinkerton detective who had come searching for Julia some months ago. Vin nodded gently at Ezra, indicating that Chris needed to know the truth. Ezra tended to agree because he trusted everyone at the table like brothers and knew that what was said in secrecy would go no further than this point if he so desired it. Ezra took in a deep breath and hoped Julia would forgive him for divulging her secret because he was almost certain that this was what Bosshard was using against her. He would tell the others the truth first and then decide whether or not he was going to remove Bosshard's head from his body.
"Her father." Ezra admitted after a time.
Chris' eyes met his sharply. "What about her father?" He straightened up in his chair and held Ezra's gaze.
"Her father is Donald Avery, a real estate tycoon. A man with a great deal of money with an unnatural fixation to his only daughter." Ezra said in a measured voice, hoping he did not need to explain in detail what he meant by that statement. However, judging by the darkening expressions on all the faces before him, Ezra guessed he did not have to. Their eyes spoke volumes.
"Jesus." Buck Wilmington exclaimed softly.
"When Julia arrived in Four Corners, she had in fact fled from a wedding arranged by her father to a man named Roderick Packard," Ezra continued to explain. "Packard is twenty years her senior and only wished for the marriage in order to gain swift entry into Philadelphia's high society. When Julia fled, she took with her a sum of $60,000 in order to set herself up here and remain hidden from her father. Last year, a Pinkerton detective arrived in Four Corners searching for Julia but she and I managed to convince him to go back the way he came without revealing Julia's whereabouts. Unfortunately, before his departure, Clemens indicated that Julia's father had not relented in his search even after all this time and Clemens had spoken to enough people around town for them to guess that it might be Julia whom he is searching for. If Bosshard made inquiries after Julia in order to find something to coerce her with, he might have stumbled onto that information."
"She stole $60,000?" JD asked, unable to even imagine such a sum of money let alone knowing someone who was smart enough to steal it and get away with the crime.
"Yes," Ezra nodded, noticing the uncomfortable expression on the faces of his friends with that aspect of his explanation. "She still has all of it. Apparently, the Emporium and certain business investments have seen to it that she has earned that money back and then some."
"Why don't she give it back?" Josiah offered. "Perhaps he might leave her be if he has his money back."
"No," Ezra shook his head. "His obsession with her is more than just monetary." Ezra did not wish to go into too much detail regarding the exact nature of Julia's relationship with her father, deciding that was information that was not required at this time. "That amount of money would leave a trail back to Julia and she has no wish to see her father or have him trace her. Besides, its money that he would hardly miss. The man is worth millions."
"So you think Bosshard found about Julia's dad and is blackmailing her into selling him the Emporium." Nathan concluded.
"I would almost guarantee it," Ezra retorted, his jaw tensing in anger. "First the man kills my father and now he threatens the woman I am going to marry. I think it is time to deal with Mr. Bosshard."
Ezra started to rise out of his chair when Chris spoke up curtly. "Ezra sit down."
Ezra stared at Chris, unable to believe that the gunslinger was telling him to stand down. Bosshard needed to pay for making his Julia weep as she had done when she told him about selling the store. He saw her heart break at the telling and Ezra never wanted to know that kind of pain in her eyes again. It was bad enough that he had caused her enough heartache in recent months, he was not going to let someone else do the same. "Are you telling me to do nothing?"
"Of course not," Chris returned, perfectly aware that Ezra would not stand for that in any shape or form but then neither would he if someone made such a threat to Mary. In fact, he would probably be less restrained than Ezra was being right now. "Unfortunately, we can't just rush in blindly. You threaten him and he'll take it out on Julia."
"He would not dare touch her." Ezra hissed, his hand inching to rest his fingers against the cool steel of his Remington revolver.
"He doesn't have to touch her to hurt her," Buck reminded. "Not if he's got her running scared of her father. All he has to do is get word out and Avery and we'll be left with the same problem."
"Oh maybe," Josiah sucked in a deep breath and hope his suggestion was not going to be balked at since it seemed like the most logical explanation even if it was a little difficult to consider it that way at first. "Maybe we should just let Bosshard make good his threat."
"Josiah that would bring her father here!" Nathan stared at him, trying to comprehend if Josiah's logic in all this particularly after what they had just been discussing. "We'd be letting Bosshard win."
Ezra held Josiah's gaze for a moment as it dawned upon him what the preacher was alluding to. Perhaps it was time that Julia faced this particular aspect of her past. This for dogged Julia for too long and each time the mere possibility arose that she might be forced to face her father, the woman's first impulse was to run or to capitulate to demands such as the one that was forcing her to sell the Emporium. He knew that the reason for her intense was the belief that her father would force her to abandon the life she had built for herself in Four Corners if he were to discover her whereabouts. However, a great deal had changed since she had fled Philadelphia in order to start her new life. She was no longer alone. In Four Corners, she had friends who would fight for her, most of whom were seated at this table right now. If Donald Avery came to Four Corners with designs of reclaiming his daughter, Ezra knew with confidence that none of them would allow it.
"You are suggesting that we allow Bosshard to tell Avery where she is?" Ezra voiced.
"Yes," Josiah nodded. "She can't hide forever. Eventually her past will catch up to her. If it's not because of someone like Bosshard, it might be another detective, one you can't convince to look the other way. Maybe its time that she faced him."
Ezra considered the idea. "If it were my choice to make Josiah, I would agree with you but it is not." He looked up and swept his eyes across the table. "It is Julia's choice. I can offer the suggestion when I see her but I cannot force her to face him. I will not."
"That's fair enough," Josiah nodded in understanding. Ezra was right; it was not their decision to make Julia face her demons. "However, you are the one person who might be able to convince her that it is time to stop running because we wouldn't let anything happen to her."
"That's right Ezra," Buck added. "If her father comes looking for her, he'll find all of us and we're not letting him take her anywhere if she don't want to go"
Ezra's lips curled slightly as he exchanged a brief moment of warmth with the friends at the table and felt singularly proud to count himself as one of their number. "I will relay that message to her when I see her. However, now that we are aware of the nature of Bosshard's business interests in town, what are we to do about it? I will belay my plans to kill the son of a bitch for now as you asked Chris but I will not allow him to make any further threats against Julia."
"We got him for blackmail that's for sure," Vin pointed out.
"Not necessarily," Chris quickly interjected. "We got to get Gloria to talk and if we don't know what he's got on her, she isn't going to help us. As for Julia, I rather not put her in that position yet and we have no idea how Bosshard is going to react if she says no to blackmail. I'd say getting the Emporium is more important to him than just getting his own back if she refuses to sell it to him. He might be provoked into doing something more direct."
An idea began to form in his head as Chris made that grim statement and for an instant, Ezra could not imagine how he was even considering such a plan. However, it had come upon him so suddenly and with such clarity that he knew it could work. Since Maude had told him the truth about his father and Bosshard, Ezra had been wrestling with the dilemma over what to do about it. He was unprepared to kill Bosshard the way he had killed Hannibal Julius because he knew the kind of nightmares that would plague him because of vengeance and Ezra was enduring enough of these as it is to wish inviting more upon himself. However, Bosshard had murdered his father and that had to be answered for. The man he might have been and the father he had never known demanded justice. Unfortunately, at the time there did not seem any way of extracting it that would not destroy him in the process.
"Perhaps this is the way we force Bosshard into the open," Ezra found himself stating for all to hear and hoped he was not being too presumptuous considering he had not even confronted Julia with the fact that he knew what was behind her abrupt decision to sell the Emporium. "We do not know what it is Bosshard has over Mrs. Potter but we do have some idea of what threat he might use against Julia. To solidify his interests in Four Corners, he must have the Emporium. Chris is right, if she refuses to sell he will take more direct action and perhaps that is the only way we will be able to trap him."
"Ezra that's kind of dangerous," Nathan retorted. "He's already proven himself a killer by what he done to your pa. Are you willing to put Julia in that kind of danger?"
"It would not be my first choice," Ezra answered. "However, I think we could guarantee her safety by remaining in close proximity. We would have to stay close in order to be present when Bosshard makes his move."
"We'll keep an eye on her up close and from afar," Chris stated, showing his agreement of Ezra's idea. "If he makes any move towards her, we'll get him. That is if she agrees to this." He looked questioningly at Ezra. "Do you think she's liable to?"
Ezra shrugged since that was the only unknown in their present discussion. He hated using Julia's vulnerabilities to trap an animal like Bosshard when what should have been done was a swift bullet to the back of the man's head. He had promised his mother that he would deal with his father's killer but Ezra was not about to ruin everything in achieving that goal. This would see that justice was done as well as protecting Julia and the rest of Four Corners from Bosshard's sinister plans. "I cannot say until I have asked her. In this one issue, she can be most intractable."
"Do what you can," Chris said gently. "In the meantime, Josiah you talk to Mrs. Potter, see if you can get her to talk to you. I don't like Julia being the only evidence we got against Bosshard. If we got Mrs. Potter to talk, we'll have a stronger case for the Judge when he arrives."
"I'm going to keep on eye on Bosshard," Vin volunteered. "When things don't start to go his way, I'm sure he's going to get more help than what he's got now. Man like that is used to doing things in numbers, I'll make sure we have some idea of what's coming at us when he decides to up the stakes."
"I suppose all that is left for me to do is make the opening move," Ezra sighed as the outline of decisive action was finally mapped against Bosshard.
Now came the difficulty; convincing Julia to play the part of bait.
Julia finally willed herself to return to her office at the Emporium. Until she actually sold the business, there were still day to day affairs that required her attention. Even though it pained her to sit at this desk with the knowledge that very soon, everything around her would be sold off to ensure Benjamin Bosshard's silence regarding her whereabouts; Julia bore it stoically because that was how it was to be. She had entered the room and placed herself in her chair, oblivious to the questions and requests of her staff who had been waiting for her return to the Emporium ever since she stumbled out of the place more or less in a daze, following Bosshard's cruel demand.
Julia allowed her gaze to sweep past her office, which was not terribly luxurious, as offices went. It was more or less a small back room that had been converted into what it was at present, with a window cut into it so that she could see the day light and the floors and walls covered with polished wood. Thanks to Mary, Julia had learnt some aspects of clerical work so she did not require a secretary though one of her suppliers did make mention of it to her. Julia had shrugged off the suggestion because doing her own filing and maintaining her books and records gave her a sense of accomplishment. Perhaps it was simply because no one had thought she would be able to be so precise in her thoughts. Until then, everyone had seen her as the wayward child of a rich aristocrat whose substance went only as far as her beauty and her ability to charm men. For Julia that had been a hollow pursuit indeed. Being accepted for being something else was no acceptance in her opinion.
The Emporium had given her a chance to be what she was and took pride in those characteristics that had been deemed socially unacceptable. She studied the ledger books, bound in leather, the filing cabinet with all its paperwork. The appointment book on her desk and the shelf of buyer's catalogues. In the insanity that went with being the lover to one of the Magnificent Seven, this place had been the center of the storm that was her life. It had given her stability and a sense that no matter how terrible things became; she could rely on this to remain unchanged. She thought of her office being occupied by Benjamin Bosshard and it made her shudder with despair. Julia could feel the venom surge inside her veins but it was a sour feeling because she was helpless. He had exploited her fears and there was nothing she could do about it. She was almost ready to kill him for that if it was not for Ezra.
Ezra needed her to remain strong for him.
If one thing could be worth the loss of her Emporium it was Ezra and Julia was willing to sacrifice it if it meant that she could remain at her lover's side. She could have brought her situation to him but at this moment, he was already dealing with the fact that Bosshard had murdered his father. If Julia were to tell him that Bosshard was also threatening her, there would be no telling what he would do and Julia would not be the match that ignited that situation. Ezra was hurt and she had to protect him as best as she could. She would give him the time he needed to think up some way to bring Bosshard to justice but she would not act as a catalyst.
"Wool gathering?" An unfamiliar voice asked, slicing through her thoughts.
Julia looked up from her desk and was rather startled to see Benjamin Bosshard and his companion, Mr. Spenser standing before her. Julia's reverie had been so deep she had hardly noticed the men entering the room, though she was unsurprised that they had done so without announcing themselves. She supposed as far as they were concerned, they might were as good as being the Emporium's owners and had no need to stand on ceremony. She raised her eyes to Bosshard who had reached her desk, glaring at him with all the hatred she could muster because he had the unfair advantage over her and Julia hated him for it. If it would not hurt Ezra more than her, Julia would have been glad to plunge the silver letter opener on her desk into his hateful face and relish in screams of his agony.
"What do you want?" She asked barely able to keep from screaming at him.
"I think you know," Bosshard smiled. "I want the Emporium."
"I think you are aware that I have no choice but to sell," Julia said after a long pause. The words escaping her lips as if each syllable left a terrible taste in her mouth. "Draw up the papers and I shall sign it but until then, this place is mine so I will ask you to kindly get out!"
"I'm afraid that's no longer enough," Bosshard's eyes narrowed and his lips pulled back into a sneer of triumph. He leaned further across the desk, until his face was inches from hers. "I've recently come into some intelligence that requires me to alter our agreement somewhat."
"What kind of intelligence?" She asked. Her insides were starting to knot as she stared into his eyes and realized that he was too smug. The expression on his face indicated triumph, not just at acquiring her Emporium but more than that. It made her skin crawl because she remembered how he had looked at her before. It was a look laced with desire and hunger. The notion made Julia's physically ill for she was past the days when she would use her sexuality to meet her own ends. The idea of sleeping with someone else other than Ezra was abhorrent to her especially when she loved him so much and the idea of betraying him in that way was almost as offensive as the act itself.
"Maude Standish is Peter Reeves wife." Bosshard responded slowly, watching her reaction and relishing how she cringed slightly at his knowledge of the truth. To her credit, she returned his statement masterfully, even though it was a pointless exercise.
"Now you know why she attempted to kill you," Julia said nonchalantly. "I do not see what it has to do with the sale of my Emporium."
"I'm afraid it changes quite a great deal madam," Bosshard reached for her cheek and did not give Julia the chance to back away when he sunk his fingers into her auburn hair and felt her firm.
"Let me go!" She cried out in pain upon feeling the pull from those strands of hair.
"You would be well advised to remain silent," Bosshard returned sharply, pulling even harder. His eyes bore into hers as he spoke. "I know who that bitch and who her whelp is! If you do not want me to fill this town with a hundred hired killers before the day is out; you will hold your tongue. The only reason your precious Ezra still lives is because I want this town, lock stock and barrel. Your emporium is the way to get it. If it were not for that, I would have wiped Reeve's wife and son off the face of the earth already. I will curb my vengeance for now Miss Pemberton but I expect to be well compensated for that."
"You have the Emporium," Julia grunted, refusing to let her see her pain even though it was reflected in every line of her grimaced expression. "I'll sign the damn thing over to you!"
"That is not enough," he lowered his face to her and claimed her mouth in a demanding kiss.
Julia reacted immediately, her whole body repulsed by the taste of his mouth on hers. Her nails sunk deep into his cheek and pulled back viciously, extracting a cry of pain and outrage from Bosshard. He pulled back from her as Spenser moved in quickly to grab Julia from the back, pinning her arms to her side and ensuring she had no escape. Bosshard touched his cheek and came contact with the warm sensation of blood running down his face. His teeth were bared in anger at the injury and when he raised his eyes to meet Julia's again, she saw that it was almost yellow with fury.
"This could have been pleasurable," he said coming towards her and despite her efforts to struggle, she could not break free of Spenser's grip. She considered screaming but that would do little good and in the amount of time that it would take for someone to come to her assistance, Bosshard could have already done his worst.
"I would rather die first." She returned venomously, unprepared to beg for anything.
"I would not kill you Miss Pemberton," Bosshard retorted. "I would kill your lover."
"You wouldn't dare," Julia shouted angrily. "You even try going after him and the entire seven will serve you your guts on a platter!"
"I have done worse than see seven men dead," he snapped. "In fact, I have been preparing for that eventuality since coming to Four Corners. Do you think I would be foolish enough to attempt any dealings in this town without more than two men at my side? Just because you cannot see my men is no reason to believe they do not exist. They're out there waiting for me to give the word and they'll bath this town in blood, starting with Reeve's brat, then his wife and the rest of the seven. If I'm feeling charitable, I may not wipe out the entire brood seems it appears that there is a lesson to be learnt here in leaving loose ends."
Julia did not know if what he had claimed was possible. There were many villains in the past who had made such grandiose threats against the seven and who had failed in the attempt. However, she now lived in a world where Ezra Standish was kidnapped by Hannibal Julius and then brutally raped. After that, no one, even Chris Larabee, could take anything for granted any more. She did not believe he would be able to kill all the seven and their families but did she believe that Ezra could be hurt? Absolutely. Bosshard would wait until he was alone and then kill him and the man had patience, he had shown that by how capable he was to hold back his men until the time was right. How could Julia know when it would be safe for Ezra.
"What do you want?" Julia asked finally, although she had a good idea of the answer.
Bosshard smiled in triumph. "If I cannot have my vengeance on Reeve's wife and child, I will have you."
Julia's entire being balked at that horrifying possibility. "Over my dead body!" She spat at him.
Bosshard's reacted with a backhanded blow that caught Julia on the jaw and almost toppled her out of Spenser's grip but the man held her steady and so Julia swayed in his arms with disorientation and the flaring pain that burnt the tender flesh where he had struck her. "You will sell me the Emporium and you will come to me or I'll swear to you that I will kill him. Even if I have to abandon my interests in this town, I will gladly do so if I have the pleasure of knowing that you will be seeing my departure from Boot Hill!"
Suddenly, the door swung open and Ezra stepped in.
"Ezra!" Julia cried out instinctively, never more relieved to see him, not because he would put an end to this present ordeal but also because he had entered before she was forced to make an agreement with the devil that would see her soul traded along with her virtue.
Ezra's expression was unreadable. When he had come to Julia's office, it was to discuss with her rationally that he knew about Bosshard's attempt at blackmail. He had arrived at her door and heard voices. For an instant he thought that she might be discussing matters with staff and had held back but when he heard her fear, he knew it was anything but that. Now he was faced with the scene of Spenser holding on to Julia, clearly against her own will. Her cheek welting with color where Bosshard had struck her and, as Ezra had been able to determine in the last few seconds of listening had been threatening her with more than just the revelation of her whereabouts to her father. The man had dared to force his Julia by threatening his life.
The awkwardness of the position he found them in had him in the advantage. Spenser had to release Julia before he could go for his gun. Bosshard, who was attempting to appear the benign businessman, was not carrying. Ezra drew his Remington before Spenser could reach the butt of his gun.
"I would not." Ezra said with a glacial edge to his voice that made Spenser's hand fall lifelessly to his sides at the realization that he would never reach his gun if he continued the attempt. Ezra's other hand was also occupied with the small derringer in its harness slipped comfortably into his palm at the smooth activation of its mechanism. The smaller weapon was aimed squarely at Bosshard. "Julia," he regarded his frightened fiancée'. "Come here."
Julia did not waste any time obeying his instructions. She quickly hurried away from the two men and took her place behind Ezra. "Ezra don't kill him," she begged. "He's got men hidden away somewhere."
"It seems to be my dear," Ezra answered; his eyes still fixed on Bosshard. "That I would be perfectly justified in killing Mr. Bosshard at this point. He was threatening you."
"I'm unarmed Standish." Bosshard retorted cockily. "Are you going to shoot an unarmed man?"
"I do believe that your compatriot is carrying Sir," Ezra responded silkily. Ezra was hiding how furious he was. He saw the bruise on Julia's face and knew that he should kill Bosshard for the outrage but he was not going to do that. Bosshard was unarmed and despite his timely arrival, killing Bosshard in cold blood here and now was going to unleash a great deal of bloodshed, particularly after what Julia had said about there being men hidden away somewhere. A bloodbath was what Chris wanted to avoid and as much as Ezra wanted to kill the man for what he had just done, Ezra knew that he would have to show restraint once more. He was done killing anyone in cold blood.
"Your father was a lawman," Bosshard snorted, trying to provoke Ezra into doing something foolish that would give him the advantage. Bosshard was confident that Ezra would not harm him despite the fact that he had murdered the gambler's father. These lawmen were all the same. They were all trapped by their codes of honor. "He wouldn't approve of his little boy turning murderer."
"He probably would not," Ezra agreed, being goaded just enough at that point to decide that even if he did not kill Bosshard at this moment, a lesson needed to be imparted to the man nonetheless. "However, thanks to you I did not know him so I cannot be certain of anything he would approve."
Without warning, Ezra pulled the trigger.
Julia let out a short cry of fright at the discharging weapon but Bosshard's scream soon filled the room and eclipsed her voice. Spenser reached for his gun, only to have a bullet slam into his palm. The lackey groaned in pain at the bullet penetrating his hand. It drove Spenser back into the wall, clutching his bleeding hand in pain. Bosshard had gone down whimpering. Julia was standing behind Ezra fearfully, wondering how badly Bosshard was hurt. His cheek was splattered in blood and he was holding the side of his head in agony, blood running thick rivulet over his hand. He raised his eyes to meet Ezra's as he body trembled from the gunshot would he had sustained.
"Get out." Ezra ordered, glancing at Spenser briefly. "Get out before I decide to take any more exception to your vile behavior towards my fiancée'."
"You'll pay for this!" Spenser hissed angrily as he hurried to Bosshard who was sill on the floor. "You and those lawmen are going to pay!"
"I'm sure." Ezra retorted stiffly, reminding himself of what he and the others had discussed earlier. This episode would no doubt lend itself well to their plan of provoking Bosshard into acting rashly, giving them the opening they needed to do away with him permanently. He watched indifferently as Spenser helped Bosshard to his feet, the white of his shirt, red with blood and felt a hint of satisfaction.
Consider that a down payment, Mr Bosshard, Ezra thought.
"You just made a fatal mistake boy!" Bosshard groaned painfully as he was helped shakily to his feet. Despite the pain he was suffering, Bosshard's eyes filled with hatred and Ezra knew that he was precisely at the place the seven had wished him to be. Anger had clouded his reason and his actions after this would be tempered with vengeance. The man was still clutching the side of his head, hiding the injury whose proof was in the bleeding.
"It will not be the first time." Ezra responded smoothly, aware that behind him, Julia was trembling. Possibly because she now understood that Bosshard's hatred would also extend to her and he would make them both pay for what Ezra had just done.
"This changes nothing!" Bosshard glared at Julia, her earlier belief about his hatred for Ezra now including her, proven by the hate filled look he cast upon her. "I will have your Emporium and when he is dead, I will have you!"
"I think you are done Mr. Bosshard," Ezra cocked his gun once more, indicating that the two men better be quick about their departure or else he would reconsider letting them leave with only minor injuries between them.
"Not by a long shot!" Bosshard hissed as he and Spenser when towards the door of Julia's office. "You will pay!"
Ezra gaze shifted away and glanced at the floor for a moment before he called out. "Oh Mr. Bosshard," Ezra called after him almost smugly. "You seem to have left part of your ear behind."
An eternity of minutes passed after Bosshard and Spenser had gone before Julia was finally able to rest easy. The first thing she did was embrace Ezra hard, her body shuddering as she wept in his arms and took comfort in his presence. Ezra held her gently, whispering soft things in her ear that things were going to be alright, allowing her to be swayed to the silky sound of his southern drawl and allowing her to forget for a moment, the predicament that Bosshard had placed her. She did not know how long she remain in his arm, relishing the feel of him and allowing the horror of her earlier situation bleed away in the security of his embrace. She felt his lips nuzzling her hair, his hot breath against her scalp and enjoyed his heat. She wished they could stay like this forever even if it meant having the rest of the world stand still.
"Julia," Ezra spoke her name. His voice switched from the smooth caress of comfort into something stronger and more commanding.
"Yes Ezra," she said dreamily.
"Why did you not tell me what Bosshard was doing?" He asked.
Julia looked up at his eyes and he saw guilt and fear immediately flood into those pools of emerald. She pulled away from his abruptly as if touching him would also make him similarly tainted. "I didn't want to worry you. You have so much to deal with lately. You did not need this too."
"Julia," he stared at her in shock "I will deal with my problems in time but this is something you should have told me. He could have hurt you!"
"He did hurt me!" She snapped, pointing to her bruised face. "He threatened to tell my father about where I am if I didn't sell him the Emporium Ezra! What was I supposed to do?"
"Tell me for starters!" Ezra retorted. "You are not the only person he is blackmailing! We believe he had induced Gloria Potter into selling as well!"
"I couldn't!" She cried out. "I didn't want you to do anything crazy! The man has murdered your father and somehow you haven't killed him. You've kept a cool head and I didn't want to make things worse by telling you what he was trying to do to me!" She sobbed in anguish. "I was trying to spare you any more hurt!"
Ezra came towards her and took her face in his hands. "It would not spare me any hurt to know that you are suffering on my account, dear Julia. I love you and while I cannot deny that I want to kill him for what he has done, I am not fool enough to risk my future with you because of some misguided need for vengeance. I know what its like to exact revenge, coldly and brutally. I have let it stain my hands and no matter what I do for the rest of my life, I will never be truly free of it. I am not sorry of what I did to Julius but I do regret his dying. I would not make that same mistake with Bosshard. My father was an honorable man, far more honorable than I have ever been but even I will not besmirch what his sacrificed himself to give me, a full life, a life I want to spend with you"
Julia blinked, feeling the emotion well up inside her as she gave herself over to his words. She thought of all the others that Ezra had mentioned in town, suffering quietly as Bosshard used their demons against them. What did he use against Gloria Potter? The widow was one of the forthright people Julia knew and there was very little that could frighten her. In a small voice, she met Ezra's eyes and whispered, "I don't want my father to find me."
She could not bear him finding her, not now when she had built a good life for herself in Four Corners. Julia knew that if Donald Avery were to learn of her whereabouts, he would do everything in his power to take away that life. Tear started to run down her cheeks as she made that admission. "I didn't know what else to do."
"Julia," Ezra took a deep breath and ran his finger over the tender flesh of her jaw where Bosshard had struck her. "I know you are afraid of your father finding you but it has to happen sometime. We cannot keep running from him, living on the hope that he will never find you. If he is as determined as he appears to be, we cannot outrun him forever."
Her brow furrowed as she began to comprehend what he was trying to say. "Are you suggesting that I let him find me?"
Ezra could see the pure terror that sparked in her eyes at the possibility of being find out. However, he needed to convince her. For Bosshard to have power over his Julia was something that Ezra could not abide and he would do anything to make her see that there were some evils that needed to be faced in order to vanquish others. "Yes," he nodded. "Let him find you"
"Are you insane!" She exclaimed backing away, not wishing to her this but Ezra's grabbed her arms and forced her to remain where she was and listen to him.
"No I am not insane," Ezra retaliated. "I love you and I also know that nothing short of death would ever allow me to let you go, especially when you love me just as much. If your father comes looking for you, we will face him together. Not just you and I but the rest of our friends. Nothing your father did could ever make us abandon you."
Julia was trembling because she wanted so much to believe him but she was so afraid. "You don't know him Ezra," she started to weep. "You don't know what he is capable of! He loves me to the point of madness! I sometimes think he is insane! He smothers me in love but it is the vilest kind!"
"It is true," Ezra had to concede this point. "However, I have seen the utter worst of human ugliness of late Julia and if your father tries to take you by force, I will stop him. This is our home, the place we intend to raise our children. I will allow nothing to change that. If your father comes for you, he will not only have to come through me, he will have to come through everyone in town who knows and loves you. Josiah alone would break him in half first."
Julia wiped the tears from her eyes, wanting so much to believe him but she was frightened and Ezra had no idea what her father was capable of despite his brave words. However, there was one thing she could not deny; he was right. She could not keep running. If she left this place and start a new elsewhere, there was no telling that her father would not find her there too and then she would be forced to run again, until the freedom she had fought so hard to acquire would become meaningless. And she did not want to leave Four Corners and her friends. She had the family she had always wanted and after what had happened to Bosshard, she could not be sure of what he would do even if she gave him the Emporium. Ezra had hurt him badly and Bosshard considered her as much as an enemy. Chances are, even if she did surrender the Emporium to him, he would tell her father anyway and then she would have still lost the place she had built with so much hard work.
"I am scared Ezra," she confessed and yet Ezra could see that she was starting to capitulate. "I don't want to do this."
"I know," he reached for her hand and was gratified when she placed her small palm in his and allowed him to pull him forward. She went into his arms once more, resting her head on her shoulder as he held her. "I know you are frightened but I promise you that I will not let him take you away. You are my reason for living, the one person that makes all that I have endured worthwhile. Whatever happens when your father arrives, we will face it together."
Julia believed him. If she could believe nothing else, even in her own strength, she believed him when he said she would not be alone. The prospect of facing her father terrified her still but in the last few minutes, what he had said made sense. Their lives could not truly begin until this was dealt with. She could not be truly free to live as she wished if she feared discovery at every turn. What happened when they were married and when they had children? Would she uproot her entire family to escape her father? Her father had blighted her life too much already, she would not give him any more power over her existence then he had managed to steal and by the same token, she would not allow a stranger like Bosshard to manipulate her every again.
"Alright," she nodded." I won't run and I won't sell the Emporium. Bosshard can make all the threats he wants but I won't give in."
"Good," Ezra smiled. "Because I have a feeling that things are going to become a little more difficult for Mr. Bosshard."
Julia did not ask Ezra to elaborate, but if the glint in his eyes were any indication then Mr. Bosshard should be afraid. Very afraid.