Chapter 15

When Jarrod took Audra to the sheriff's office, he wasn't entirely sure Madison would be there. There would have to be an arraignment, and other charges against the man would probably be brought. He might very well be in court. Madison would have to find a lawyer to defend him, at least for the Stockton portion of the charges. Everyone knew that Jarrod would not be that lawyer. Madison might be consulting with a new lawyer.

Jarrod and Audra rode into town in silence. There was nothing to say. When they went into the sheriff's office, they did find Madison there, alone in a cell. No lawyer there, not Taylor, just Sheriff Madden. "I'd like to see your prisoner, Sheriff," Audra said, taking off her gloves and handing them to Jarrod.

Sheriff Madden looked at Jarrod, who nodded.

"Jarrod, I'd like to talk with him privately," Audra said.

Jarrod nodded. "Of course."

Sheriff Madden took Audra back into the cellblock, but he was not going to let her into the cell. He did close the cellblock door and go back out to his office, letting them have the privacy Audra had asked for. Madison was standing by the window. He looked at Audra, but did not approach her. "I saw you ride in," he said.

"You must know how angry I am," Audra said, almost growling the words but holding the ire back. She did not want to sound like a shrew.

Madison nodded. "Indeed, I do."

"You've robbed orphans. You've betrayed your country – "

"The Confederacy is my country," Madison said quickly. "It always will be."

"The Confederacy doesn't exist anymore and it doesn't matter how much you want it to," Audra said. "You're an American, and you've betrayed the United States. And you've betrayed me."

"It's that last one I regret the most," Madison said.

"I don't believe you," Audra said. "None of it was real, was it? Nothing you told me about your family, nothing you told me about wanting to help the orphans, nothing about planning to make your life in Stockton, nothing about how you might have felt about me. None of it was real."

Madison shook his head. "None of it was real. I won't try to tell you about the nobility of my cause – "

"There is no nobility in your cause," Audra said. "There are only lies, and betrayals, and robbery and slavery and probably even murder somewhere in there too."

Madison nodded this time. "I would kill for my cause. I have killed for my cause, during the war."

"The war is over," Audra said.

"No, it isn't," Madison said.

He looked at her, but then he let his gaze down and turned away, back to look out of the window.

Audra said, "Go ahead, turn away. I have nothing more to say to you. Except that I won't forget you, Luther. You're a shameless traitor who will do anything and hurt anyone so that you can enslave other people, and that's what I won't forget."

Audra turned, opened the cellblock door and walked out.

Jarrod and the sheriff had been talking about what would happen now to Madison, but Jarrod could tell right away that Audra didn't care one iota what that was. She'd said her peace. She was done with Luther Madison.

"Are you ready to go?" Jarrod asked and handed her her gloves.

"There's one thing I'd like to do," she said, trying to settle down. "I want to go to the orphanage. I want to play with the orphans for a little while."

Jarrod smiled. "Do you think they could use another playmate, even if he's not as sweet as you are?"

Audra smiled a little bit. "I think the playmate could use the orphans."

"He could," Jarrod agreed. "Let's go grab a bunch of apples from the mercantile on the way."

"I like that idea," Audra said. "Good-bye, Sheriff."

"So long," Sheriff Madden said with a smile, and as they went out the door he caught a look at Luther Madison.

Audra had not closed the cellblock door when she came out, and Madison could hear what was said and see her leave with her brother. As soon as Madison noticed the sheriff looking at him, he turned to look out the window again. He watched Audra and Jarrod ride away.

The End