"Tell me who supplied those weapons," AJ’s words hung in the air and echoed over and over in Molly’s ears. The woman was standing only a few feet away from her and was glaring at her. She took a step toward Molly, Molly tried taking one back but backed into the crate and nearly lost her balance. Molly took in a breath and tried to keep her voice as steady as she could.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about," she said. AJ took another step toward her Molly didn’t move.
"I think you do," she said to her, her hand was still covering her own gun. "What are they do’n out there all those nights at that ranch? Is that were they’re com’n from?"
"If you come any closer I shall scream," Molly threatened her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
"I ain’t want’n to hurt ya," AJ said to her. "I just want to know who supplied them weapons."
"I meant what I said, do you hear?" Molly said raising her voice praying someone would hear. "Leave me be."
"Molly?" a deep voice from the side of the house came. Both women jumped at the unexpected sound, AJ nearly drawing her gun until she saw it was Josiah Sanchez. She knew him as being one of the seven who protected the town. He was restoring the church and AJ had heard he was once a priest. "Everything alright?" he asked.
"Not at all," Molly said still trying to remain composed.
"I think you were asked to leave the girl be," Josiah said to AJ moving toward her. "I suggest you do as the young lady asks."
"Ask her what she’s hid’n in that box," AJ said, pointing to the crate Molly was still in front of.
"What’s in the box is of no concern to anyone," Josiah said to her. "Now I’m gonna say it one more time, leave this property." Molly watched as Josiah began to cover his own gun. AJ noticed it too. If it had been anyone else she might have drawn on him but she wasn’t about to start a gunfight with one of the seven. She took one last look at Molly.
"I’ll find out myself," she said. Walking past Josiah she stopped at his side. "Don’t threaten me again," she said and walked away. Josiah waited until AJ was out of sight before turning to Molly. She hadn’t moved from the front of the crate.
"You all right child?" he asked her. She took in a breath and forced herself to smile at him.
"Yes, I am now. Thank you."
"Anything you wanna tell me about?" he asked. She shook her head. "You know, God didn’t mean for us to carry our burdens all alone," he said. "You ever got something you want to unload you can come find me."
"Thank you Mr. Sanchez, but I’m fine. Really I am," she said to him. He waited a moment but finally touched the brim of his hat to her and left. There was still mystery that surrounded that young woman and those close to her. Josiah wondered what it would take for that mystery to reveal itself.
Vin watched Chris leave the livery. Everything he’d just told the younger man was the truth. It was nothing that Vin hadn’t told himself a thousand times since the night Frank and Jesse escaped. He had to make it right again with JD and with Molly. He walked outside and saw JD with his horse across the street. Vin walked toward him. JD looked up and saw him coming across but didn’t acknowledge him.
"Can we talk?" Vin said to him. JD didn’t look up from the saddle he kept readjusting over and over. "JD, I’m sorry ‘bout all that’s happened. You gotta know, Molly didn’t do anything." JD still didn’t look up at him but he’d stopped playing with the strap so Vin knew he was listening. "I ain’t gonna deny that I care about her. She’s a special girl, JD. You gotta let her know that. You gotta let her know that you care about her." JD finally looked up at him.
"So, nothing happened between you two?" JD asked. Vin smiled and shook his head.
"Go find her, JD. Talk to her and let her know her care about her." Vin held his hand out to JD in an attempt at a truce. JD looked at it for a second before shaking his hand.
"Vin, I’m sorry," Vin cut him off.
"Just take care of her," he said to the young man watching him go off in the direction of Molly’s house. He knew that Molly would always mean a great deal to him but that JD and her had the start of something special. "You were right once again, cowboy," Vin said to himself thankful of his older friend’s honesty and advice.
Molly went into the house and grabbed her market basket. The contents of the crate kept flashing through her mind and the confrontation with AJ Cinders played over and over in her ears. What did she mean by supplier? How could she have known what was in that box? As she walked up the street she found herself watching for the arrival of her father and uncle. Not paying attention to what was in front of her, Molly collided with someone dropping her basket. It was Mr. Jacobson, a man who owned a farm not far outside of town.
"I’m terribly sorry, sir," Molly said, bending down to retrieve her basket and the contents that had tumbled out.
"It’s alright Miss Molly," he said to her, helping her pick up the items. "I saw your father and uncle in Dellwood. They plan on coming home today?" he said to her.
"Dellwood?" Molly said. "You must be mistaken, they went to Eagle Bend."
"No, Miss. They were in Dellwood. I tried talk’n to them but they acted like they didn’t know me," he said with a shrug. "Looked pretty busy."
"But they were going to Eagle Bend," she said taking the items out of his hands. He simply shrugged, touched his hat to her and said,
"Good day, Miss," before walking away. Molly watched him walk down the boardwalk before continuing on her way. She saw her father and uncle ride in up the street. She picked up her pace walking up to them. They dismounted and walked up to her each one kissing her in greeting.
"I’m glad your home," she said to them. "How was Dellwood?" she said, taking a chance. Her uncle turned to her.
"We weren’t in Dellwood, sweetheart, we were in Eagle Bend." Molly bit her lower lip and nodded.
"Of course," she said. "I just got the two mixed up. Why don’t you two get cleaned up and I’ll start dinner," she said.
"Wonderful idea," her father said. Molly watched them lead the horses away and caught site of the telegraph office across the street. She crossed and went inside. The operator was behind the counter.
"Good afternoon, Miss. Need to send a message?" he asked her.
"No, actually I was wondering if you have any maps of the area?" she asked.
"I do," he said, bending down and coming back up with a rolled up map that he unrolled it on the countertop. Molly set her basket down and began to study it.
"What are you looking for if you don’t mind me asking?" he asked her. She looked up at him.
"Where is Eagle Bend on here?" she asked. He pointed to a place east of Four Corners. "And where is Dellwood?" she asked.
"Well that’s south," he said pointing below Four Corners.
"So one wouldn’t go through one to get to the other," she stated.
"Well, no, they’re in two opposite directions from here," he said. Molly just looked up at him feeling ill. They had lied to her. Blatantly lied to her. "Are you alright?" he asked her. Molly shook her head and made herself smile at him.
"Of course, thank you for your time," she said, retrieving her basket she walked home.
Molly went through the motions of making dinner. Her father came in and said he was too tired to eat. He said that Colum was going to the saloon and would most likely eat there. Molly waited until her father was asleep before pulling on her sweater and walking into the early night toward the saloon. There were too many things that didn’t make sense and she knew she wouldn’t be able to rest until she found out what was going on with her father and uncle. Molly gingerly stepped inside the swinging doors to the saloon. It was busy this night. She could see both Lily and Joseph busy behind the bar. Molly scanned the room and saw her uncle was sitting alone at a corner table. She made her way through and up to the table. He had a glass and a bottle in front of him. The bottle looked nearly empty. Colum looked up when she reached the table.
"What are you doing in here girl?" he asked. His speech was slurred and Molly realized he was nearly drunk.
"I need to talk to you Colum, may I sit?" she asked. He straightened himself.
"What’s the matter?" he asked. She sat in the chair next to him. "What is it?" he asked again.
"I saw Mr. Jacobson this afternoon, before you came home," she started out. "He said that he saw you in Dellwood yesterday."
"Could be," he said to her taking another drink from his glass.
"But you said you were in Eagle Bend," she said to him.
"You have to pass through one to get to the other," he said. Molly took in a breath. She could tell he was getting agitated whether from her questions or from what he was drinking. "What is wrong with you?" he asked her.
"Colum, I looked at a map. Eagle Bend is east of here. Dellwood is south…" Colum cut her off by slamming the glass into the table. She jumped.
"What are you doing looking at maps?" he hissed at her. Molly could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Checking up on us?" he said to her. The sarcastic brogue cut through her.
"Something else happened today," Molly started. She had come this far and she wanted to know what was going on. He turned and faced her pouring more from the bottle into the glass. "There’s a box that Da is keeping for you underneath the porch. He said it was supplies for the ranch you wouldn’t have had time to bring back before your trip. I accidentally opened in this afternoon. Colum, what does the ranch need with all those guns…" he cut her off again the same way only this time slamming the glass into the table so hard it shattered. Molly jumped up from the table and backed into the wall.
"What were you doing in that box?" Colum yelled at her throwing the bottle into the wall near her. She turned her body against the flying glass. He flipped the table and grabbed her shoulders.
"Colum stop it," she shouted. The laugher and noise had grown silent.
"You never do that again, do you hear me?" he yelled shaking her.
"Stop, Colum, stop," she yelled.
"Colum," Buck said, coming up behind him pulling him off Molly. Chris stepped in between the two shielding her. "Let’s go," he said to him. Colum seemed to realize what had just happened and reached out toward Molly
"Oh Lily, I’m so sorry," she said, kneeling down to pick up the glass. Lily knelt down next to her putting her arms around her shoulders.
"Don’t worry about that Cher, Joseph will get it," she said helping Molly back up.
"Where’s Colum?" Molly asked. "Where did they take Colum?"
"Just down the street," Nathan said to her. "You get hurt?" he asked. She shook her head.
"Let’s go upstairs," Lily said, leading her toward the staircase. The activity had started to grow again but most people were glancing at the two women heading for the staircase. It was well known that Colum and Bryan Gallagher adored the girl and Lord help anyone who would try and hurt her. What had just happened didn’t seem possible. AJ Cinders was one of the people that witnessed the incident from the opposite end of the room but didn’t intervene. She watched now as Lily led the young woman up the stairs. Molly glanced back down and caught her eyes holding her gaze for a moment. AJ knew then, this young woman didn’t know anything.