Unedited. Read at your own risk:)

Chapter 15

“I’m telling you the truth, Avery. I came in here to give myself up for that robbery. I didn’t kill anyone” Trey tried to reason with the uptight Sheriff.

“You fit the description of the man we’re after. The man who killed Josiah Williams” Sheriff Avery said.

“That’s preposterous” Trey said from his place on the wrong side of prison bars.

“No to Alan Carter, an eternally scarred man who saw a man murdered before his very eyes and personally gave me the description of the man who killed Mr. Williams. Tall, broad, dark eyed, packing a Colt .45. Not very men in Casden fit that description.”

“Then Mr. Carter is mistaken. You have to believe me when I tell you that I’ve never killed anyone” Trey said, gripping the bars.

“Mr. Shannon, I am a well-seasoned sheriff, been in law enforcement for nearly twenty years, and I believe I can tell when someone’s lying to my face. Do you have any idea what you did you that old man’s daughter? Josiah was all she had in the world. Word has it that now she has to work for a dark and cantankerous man in the middle of nowhere just to survive” Sheriff Avery said.

What were people spreading around about him?

Trey found it amusing that the sheriff was telling him all about his wife and all that she had went through.

*****

Millie stood in front of Texiss at the door of the orphanage, her friend’s shocked expression bringing a smile to her face.

“Hi” she said.

“H-Hey. What’re you doing here?” Texiss asked.

“I’ve come for a little visit” Millie smiled.

“Now? What about your job?” Texiss asked, stepping back so that Millie could enter.

Millie smiled at little Caroline on Texiss’ hip and sighed. “My job has changed drastically. I’m getting to have a break for a few days.”

“What’s wrong?”

Millie sighed. “I’d rather not get into it right now, Tex.”

“Oh, I see. This outlaw man. He’s taken a turn for the worse” Texiss shut the door and looked over to a pair of boys who were exchanging heated words on the other side of the room. “Pipe down, boys!”

For once Millie wished her friend wasn’t so nosy and didn’t reply to Texiss’ previous comment. Texiss took her bags and gave Caroline to Millie.

“You’ll stay here while you’re in town. I need the company something awful” Texiss said as she placed the two suitcases on the kitchen table.

Millie sighed and plopped down at the table, blinking back tears.

“Miss Millie!” Millie turned toward the sound of her name.

“Hey, Billy” She smiled at the sight of the thirteen year old boy walking toward her.

“What brings you here?” Billy asked, shaking his blonde hair out of his eyes.

“A visit. I’ve been missing you guys” Millie smiled.

“What about that job you had working for that grumpy guy?” Billy asked, sitting beside her.

Millie cut her eyes at Texiss, who shrugged nonchalantly. Millie stroked Caroline’s head and directed her attention back to Billy.

“Actually, my employer isn’t grumpy anymore. He got saved a few weeks ago” she said.

Billy raised his eyebrows and Texiss gasped.

“You’re kidding” she said, plopping down into a chair across the table with a tea kettle in her hand.

“Why are you so shocked, Miss Texiss? Have you met him?” Billy asked.

“No, Billy” Texiss said, setting out teacups.

Millie smiled at Billy’s confused expression.

“God can save anyone, Miss Texiss” he said, his brows furrowing.

“That’s right, Miss Texiss” Millie said, taking a sip of the tea that Texiss had poured.

“I know. I was just… surprised” Texiss said.

Millie didn’t know why someone hadn’t already adopted Billy. He was a sweet, caring, and hardworking boy whith a servant’s heart. There was no one like him in the world.

“What’s his name, Miss Millie?” Billy asked.

“Mr. Shannon” Millie said.

“Shannon… I think I’ve heard that name before” Billy said thoughtfully.

Millie didn’t say anything. Her heart was aching for her husband behind bars. Sheriff Avery was probably throwing the “I’m a very seasoned officer of the law” routine at him that very moment.

*****

“What happened to a man being innocent until he’s proven guilty?” Trey asked the sheriff, who sat behind his desk with his hat over his eyes, but still managing to argue.

“There is proof” Sheriff Avery said.

“Proof. You call the testimony of a kid proof? I’m gonna get a trial, right?” Trey asked.

“Regrettably, yes. Don’t thank me, though. If it was up to be you’d be hanging from the tallest tree we have in town right now, dead as a doorknob” Sheriff Avery said.

“You’re a real kind man, you know that Sheriff?” Trey said sarcastically.

“I don’t have this badge for bein’ a nice guy, Shannon” the sheriff said, thumping the tin star on his shirt.

Trey sighed. “I’m entitled to a lawyer, ain’t I?”

“Uh, I guess so. We don’t have very many lawyers in town, though. Especially one that’d be willin’ to take you on” Sheriff Avery said.

“You’ll still get me one, right?” Trey asked.

“Don’t have a choice in the matter.”

Trey sighed and leaned against his cell door. There was no dissuading this man from thinking that he was a murderer. The sheriff had to be the most obnoxious and cocky man Trey had ever encountered. Even Adam, and that was saying a lot.

“Don’t you think the little banker man should come identify me before you go off all half-cocked?” Trey asked.

The sheriff pulled his hat from over his eyes and sat straight up.

“I’m not half-cocked. As a very well seasoned officer…”

“Officer of the law” Trey mocked. “I know. Are you still gonna have me identified?”

“Fine, Shannon. So you can rest easier, I’ll go get him” The sheriff stood and walked out of the door, but turned around and came back in for the keys.

Trey smiled and waved at the man as he left. Sheriff Avery rolled his eyes and walked down the street.

Turning around, Trey saw a small window on the opposite wall. How had he not seen it before? Walking to it and looking out, he saw Casden under the cover of night.

He could barely see the orphanage in the distance, and thought about his sweet wife there. Hopefully she would get out of this with her reputation unscathed.

The Sheriff returned with Alan Carter, a young man who looked like he should still be in school instead of identifying a criminal.

“There he is. Does he look similar?” Sheriff Avery asked Alan.

“I-I don’t know. The man who shot Mr. Williams was a little more heavyset” Alan said.

“He could have lost weight in the past few months” Sheriff Avery offered.

Trey felt his stomach. He hadn’t gained or lost a pound in five years.

“Guess it could be him, I’m not too sure” Alan said shyly.

Trey shook his head. There was something wrong with a man who was as bashful as Alan Carter.

“Well, good for him the circuit judge came in yesterday to hear some civil cases tomorrow. I’m sure he won’t mind hearin’ this case, too” Sheriff Avery spun the ring of keys around his finger.

Trey blew out a breath. It was good that he wouldn’t have to wait for weeks until his case was heard.

“Thanks a lot, Alan. See you around” Sheriff Avery showed Alan to the door, and when he opened, he was surprised by another person with their hand raised, ready to knock.

“Miss Williams!” the sheriff exclaimed.

Mrs. Shannon. Trey mentally corrected.

“I heard that you have a suspect about Papa’s murder” she said.

“Where did you hear that?” the sheriff asked.

“Mr. Jennings down at the bank came to the orphanage to notify Texiss and I was there” Millie said, obviously trying not to look at him.

“Well, we do have a man that came in to turn himself in for the robbery. Thought he could slip past the murder charge, but I’m a little smarter than that” Sheriff Avery said in his most obnoxious voice.

“Can I speak with the man?” Millie asked.

Trey held his breath and didn’t look at her.

“I suppose” the sheriff let her enter.

Millie looked at him and her eyes conveyed her worry. “So this is the man you think killed my father?” she asked.

“Yes ma’am.”

Millie neared the cell, but stayed back just far enough so that the sheriff wouldn’t have a conniption fit.

“He doesn’t look like a killer to me” she said.

“Looks can deceive someone who hasn’t learned to read people like I have” Avery stuck his thumbs into his gun belt buckle.

“I see. Could I have a word with him alone?” Millie asked.

Trey gave her a look, and she raised her eyebrows.

“Absolutely not” Avery said.

“Sheriff, he’s behind bars and he can’t reach me where I’m standing. He doesn’t have any weapons. That is, unless you forgot to check for them” Millie looked over at the sheriff, who scoffed.

“I would never forget to do a weapon check, Miss Williams.”

“Then I don’t see the problem” Millie said.

“Why do you want to speak with him alone?” Avery asked.

“I might know the man from some dealings my father had that I don’t want you privy to. If I can identify him, that would be one more witness against his character” Millie said, facing the sheriff head on.

Avery thought a moment. “You’ll stay there?”

Millie put her hands on her hips. “Do I look stupid to you?”

“No ma’am” Avery said quickly. “I have some business to attend to, I’ll be back shortly.”

The sheriff left, and as soon as Millie saw his brown chambray shirt pass the window she rushed forward to put her hands on the cell bars.

“Have you lost your mind, Trey? If they stick you with that murder charge in court, you’ll… you’ll…” She lost her voice as tears welled in her eyes. “I’d kill myself.”

Trey reached through the bars and placed his hand on her cheek. “Don’t you dare say that again, Millie. I’ll be just fine. We both know that I didn’t kill your father, so it’ll all work out. I’m sure of it.”

“I couldn’t live knowing you’re dead. There’s no way I could make it. You’ve got to promise me that you won’t let yourself hang. Right now” Millie demanded through clenched teeth.

“I can’t promise that, Millie” Trey said.

After a few moments of trying to compose herself, Millie opened her eyes and sighed. “I know Who holds tomorrow” she whispered.

Trey admired her bravery for him.

“It’s gonna turn out like God wants it. That I can promise you” he said.

What he wouldn’t give to just make the bars between them disappear and take her in his arms.

Millie nodded. “He’ll be back soon. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Not sure they’ll allow women at a murder trial” Trey said.

“Ha! Let them try to keep me out” Millie smiled.

She pulled away from the cell just as the door opened again and Sheriff Avery entered.

“Well, did you find out anything?” he asked.

“He’s not the man I was thinking about. All I have to say is that you better have some pretty good evidence tomorrow to convict him. He seems harmless” Millie said.

“So it would seem” Avery scowled.

“I’ll be seein’ you, Sheriff” Millie nodded toward the sheriff and to Trey then left the office.

*****

Millie paced the sidewalk in from of the courthouse, anxiously awaiting the hearing’s verdict. If the judge decided that there needed to be a full fledged trial, then it would happen tomorrow. If he convicted Trey today, then he would be either carted to the state prison or there would be the sound of hammers ringing tonight as they built his gallows.

Her stomach twisted unnaturally at the thought. That couldn’t happen. If she had to break Trey out of that jail herself, she would do it to keep him from hanging.

“That cursed sheriff. To think I used to respect that man” she mumbled to herself about the arrogant lawman.

Suddenly, the doors of the courthouse flew open and several men exited, including the sheriff and his handcuffed prisoner.

“What did he say?” Millie asked the sheriff.

“There’s gonna be a trial tomorrow” Sheriff Avery said.

“Where’s his lawyer?” Millie asked.

“He stayed behind to talk to the judge” Avery said, manhandling Trey as if he would try to escape at any moment.

Millie stayed behind and waited for Trey’s middle-aged lawyer as he came out of the courthouse.

“Mr. Hill?” she asked of him.

“Yes? Can I help you, young lady?” Sam Hill adjusted some papers into his briefcase and kept walking.

Millie hurried to keep up.

“That man over there. What are his chances?”

Sam fixed her with a strange glare. “Why?”

“I’m very interested in this case. Josiah Williams was my father” Millie said.

“Oh! Why didn’t you say so? I’ve been wanting to speak with you. Is there somewhere we can talk?” Sam asked.

Millie nodded.

Seated at the café in Casden, Millie slowly sipped her tea as Sam Hill threw questions at her.

“What do you think of Mr. Shannon?” Sam asked.

“I think he’s innocent” Millie said.

Sam quirked an eyebrow. “You do? I’d think you’d want your father’s death avenged.”

Of all the words to use, why “avenged”?

“I do, but I want the right man convicted. Mr. Shannon doesn’t strike me as a man who would shoot an old man in cold blood.”

“You know that looks can be deceiving. In my line of work we focus on facts, not personal hunches. If we did, I would have set Trey Shannon free the first time I saw him” Sam said, stroking his graying beard.

“Why’s that?” Millie asked.

“Well, in my experience, a murderer has this certain look about him in the courtroom. Kind of fidgety and skittish, you know? Trey Shannon was the picture of ease and composure. Men were yelling at him and pointing their fingers while throwing accusations that he believes are wrong at him yet he sat there and took it. I’ve never seen such calm on a murderer’s face” Sam said.

Millie smiled. That was her Trey, calm and collected, so different from the man he used to be.

“So you think his chances are good?” she asked.

“I say it’s a fifty-fifty chance of him getting away from this with only a robbery charge” Sam said.

“How long do you think he’ll get if that’s all he’s charged with?”

“The least I’ve seen a man get is five years, and that’s not even being as involved as Trey was. I can’t rightly say” Sam said, shaking his head.

“You’ll do everything you can for him?” Millie asked, leaning forward to lower her voice. “This man in significant in my life. I can’t have him hung.”

Sam narrowed his eyes at her. “He’s a relation?”

“I can’t say. Just promise me that you’ll do all you can to the best of your legal ability” Millie said.

“Of course. You have my word” Sam said.

Millie sighed with relief. There might me hope for her future yet.

*****

People filed into the courthouse around noon the next day, all of the anxious to get the trial underway. Millie, of course, was among them, lingering outside until everyone was in and then slipped into the back of the crowd. This was the time that she was most agitated about her height. She couldn’t see two feet in front of her. Moving through the men gathered around the back of the courthouse, she found her way to the corner and could see the judge’s seat up on the high stage, and the place where Trey was to be seated to the side. She wished she could see Sam Hill’s seat from her position, but she figured she had better stick to her limited view as it was. She looked around and figured that Cameron was somewhere near the front, taking notes for the local paper.

The courtroom was loud and the heat from all of the bodies gathered in it, and the smell told her that a few of them needed a good lesson about personal hygiene. Nonetheless, she stayed put in spite of all the jostling and banging around her. Just to get a glimpse of her husband was all she needed. To see that he was okay and for him to know that she was there.

Suddenly, the courthouse door opened and Sheriff Avery pushed Trey through them. Trey sent his a chilling look before continuing to walk up front. Millie stood on her tip toes to see him as he walked to the front, his head held high.

“I thought they didn’t allow women to these things” a man behind her said.

Millie felt her redhead show. “You gonna do somethin’ about it?” she glared at him, summoning her worst scowl.

The man put up his hands. “Sorry.”

Directing her attention back to the front of the room where Trey had been seated and Sheriff Avery stood in his place off to the side with his rifle.

“A’ight! It’s time ya’ll shut up now! Avery bellowed. “The Judge Willie Carpenter is here, and ya’ll gotta stand up and be quiet out of respect.”

The courtroom hushed as a man walked up the center isle and to the desk on the stage. He looked to be in his late fifties, with silver hair and a white beard and bushy eyebrows, giving him a look that Millie had always compared to Moses in the Bible. She smiled in spite of her surroundings.

Judge Carpenter took his gavel and beat the desk with it. “This court is now in session. Any attempt to cause a ruckus will result in an overnight stay in the local law facilities or a fine.”

“If he hangs Trey, there’ll be a little more than a ruckus from me” Millie muttered to herself.

The trial was soon fully underway, with the jury’s chairs full with local respectable men. Alan Carter was the first witness to the stand. After Alan was sworn in, the opposing lawyer, Dwayne Tawny, paced the floor in front of the witness’ chair and rubbed his jaw.

“Mr. Carter. Can you give the jury an account of what happened on that day five months ago when the local bank was robbed?”

Alan wring his hands and began his story. “Well, it was just like a normal day when we opened that morning, and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary except that Mr. Stoddard was out of town at the time. We’d had a few customers come and go when these four men entered with guns and bandannas over their faces. They told us to give them the money and so we did. When my back was turned to the safe, I heard a shot fired and turned around to see old Josiah fall to the floor and a man with a smoking gun. Another man who looked similar threw him out of the door and followed. I never saw them again after that.”

“How would you say the men were positioned in the bank?” Mr. Tawny asked.

“The man who I assumed to be the leader was in front, telling us what to do. The man who shot Josiah was positioned to his left, and two others were watching the windows” Alan answered.

“Can you give us a description of the man who shot Mr. Williams?” Mr. Tawny asked.

Alan thought a moment. Millie thought him unnaturally nervous, and the way beads of sweat streamed down his face told her that something was amiss.

“He was tall, broad, had dark hair, brown eyes, and a black hat” Alan said.

Dark hair! Wes has no hair at all! Someone's been tampering with Alan. 

The words rolled off of his tongue too easily.

“That is all, your honor” Mr. Tawny smiled and sat down.

“Do you have any questions or the witness, Mr. Hill?” Judge Carpenter asked.

“Yes, sir” Sam stood and walked up to Alan.

“Mr. Carter, was the murderer wearing a hat?” Sam asked.

“Yes, I already told the jury that” Alan said.

“And he had a bandanna?” Sam asked, pulling out a brown Stetson and a red bandanna.

“Yes.”

Sam placed the hat on his head and tied the bandanna around his neck, pulling it up over his ears. “Like this?”

“Yes, sir” Alan said, looking unsure of what Sam was getting at.

Millie studied Sam. There was no way of telling what color his hair was from her pint of view.

Sam turned toward the jury. “Can you see my hair at all?”

Several men of the jury shook their heads and muttered “no.”

Sam pulled off the hat and bandanna and turned toward the judge. “That’s all, your honor.”

As Sam returned to his seat, he leaned and whispered something to Trey. Trey looked around and Millie held her breath, hoping his eyes would find her. Trey’s eyes scanned the room until, finally, they landed on Millie. She smiled and slightly waved, and he quirked a smile at her.

“I love you” she mouthed.

Trey nodded, meaning that he loved her too.

“You may return to your seat, Mr. Carter” Judge Carpenter said. “Mr. Hill, you may call the next witness.”

Sam stood and looked at her. “I’d like to call Millie Williams to the stand.”

Millie gasped as every eye in the room looked around for the woman Sam had called for.

“Is she in here?” one of the men asked.

Millie swallowed hard and pushed through the crowd to the center isle. Mutters filled the air around her and Mr. Tawny stood and pointed at her. “Women aren’t supposed to be in here!”

Several other men agreed until all of them were in an uproar. Two men grabbed her arms and decided that they were going to pull her out of the courtroom.

“Let me go!” Millie kicked and tried to pull her arms free.

She saw Trey stand up and make a move to stop them, but Sheriff Avery held him back and stuck a rifle in his ribs. Judge Carpenter beat the desk with his gavel, demanding order in his courtroom. “Let the lady go, men. There’ll be no manhandling women in my courtroom, is that clear?” he hollered.

No one in the room quieted and the two men still managed to get her to the door. Millie jerked one arm free, nearly dislocating it, and ignored the pain as she drew it back and hit one of the men in the face, his head flung back and the entire courtroom hushed. The man felt his bleeding nose and the other man released Millie’s arm.

“Let me alone!” Millie hollered.

“Sheriff, escort those men out” Judge Carpenter said.

Sheriff Avery threw Trey back into his chair and Trey sent him a chilling glare. The men were escorted out of the building and Millie approached the witness’ stand. The room was deathly quiet, like one could hear a pencil drop. Each step Millie took echoed, making her heart pound faster.

Seated in the straight backed chair, she looked around at some of the familiar faces in the room. She found Cameron, with a pencil and paper in his hand, staring at her as if she were a ghost.

“Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” The Sheriff asked as she placed her hand on the Bible he held out.

“I do“ Millie said.

“Miss Williams. Please give the jury a description of what happened the day your father was shot” Sam asked.

Millie took a deep breath and remembered. “I was over that the general store picking up some groceries when I heard the shot over at the bank and people were rushing toward the sound. Naturally, I followed and heard someone calling out that my father had been shot. I rushed inside and saw him laying there bleeding. Some men came and carried him to the doc’s where he later died.”

Have you ever seen this man before the day before yesterday? Ever?” Sam asked.

Millie’s heart hitched. She couldn’t lie, yet she couldn’t get her husband hanged. She looked over at Trey, but she read nothing on his face. She hesitated.

“Answer the question, Miss Williams” Judge Carpenter said.

There were so many people looking at her, so many eyes watching her reaction. She pulled herself together and did the right thing.

Help me, Lord.

“Yes” she said, looking over to Trey, who smiled slightly and nodded, letting her know she had done right.

“Did he pose a threat to your father at all?” Sam asked.

“Objection!” Tawny said.

“Overruled” Judge Carpenter said.

“No! He never knew my father” Millie said.

“I see. Did you catch a glimpse of anyone suspicious when you ran toward the bank at the sound of the shot?” Sam asked.

Millie closed her eyes and retraced her steps. “Come to think of it, there was some movement down and alley that I passed. There were two men there, mounting horses, but I didn’t recognize either of them.”

“I see” Sam said.

Suddenly, a memory came flooding back to her. “Wait. There was this man out toward the side of the bank. He was looking around with this wild look on his face. As soon as he saw me, he looked up and down the street and ran out of sight.’

“Can you give us a description of this man?” Sam asked.

He looked like Wes.

“His head was angled weird, so I didn’t get a good look. He had a tan hat and a blue bandanna around his neck, but not over his face. He had a small beard that looked like it was only a few days old, but it was blonde. I can’t recall his hair” Millie paused to try to remember more.

“Thank you. That’s all” Sam winked at her and she felt reassured.

“Any questions for the little lady, Tawny?“ Judge Parker asked.

“No.”

Millie stepped down from the witness’ stand and cast a glance at Trey. He didn‘t look at her. Was he angry? Maybe he was just trying to disguise himself from knowing her. He was trying to keep her safe.

Millie returned to her previous position and waited. Something told her that the trial was far from over.

Trey was called to the stand next, and Millie’s heart nearly stopped beating. Her stomach clenched at her fingernails dug into her palms. Her hands shook with nervousness.

Trey was sworn in and Mr. Tawny was let loose on him.

“Where were you around noon on November 16th?” Tawny asked.

“At the bank in Casden” Trey answered.

“Why?”

“To rob the bank” Trey said as if he’d said the words a hundred times.

“Did you have a gun?” Tawny asked.

Trey glared at Tawny. “No. I was gonna scare the wits out of the bank tellers with a ball bat” he said sarcastically.

“Answer the question, Shannon” Judge Carpenter said.

“Yes, I had a gun” Trey said.

“Was your gun in it’s holster?” Tawny asked.

“Nope, naturally” Trey said nonchalantly.

Tawny walked to his desk and retrieved something wrapped in a towel. Withdrawing a gun and something small, he turned to the jury.

“This is the bullet that was withdrawn from Josiah William’s body” he held up a shot bullet. “If you’ll notice it belonged to a .45, the exact gun that Trey Shannon carried around at all times.” Tawny held up Trey’s gun in his other hand.

All of them carry .45s. Something's wrong with this.

Question after question from Tawny continued to point to Trey as the murderer until Sam couldn’t possibly have any other defense.

“I’d like to call Alan Carter back to the stand, please” Sam stood in front of the crowd.

Trey had returned to his seat and Alan had taken his place.

“Mr. Carter, it is to my understanding that you were the teller that was filling the robber’s bags with money, am I right?” Sam asked.

“Yes.”

“So you didn’t actually see who shot Williams.”

“No, but I saw who’s gun was smoking” Alan said quickly.

“I see. The man who you claim shot Williams, which hand was he holding his gun in?”

“His right” Alan answered.

Aha! Trey's left handed.

“And the boss, which hand was he holding his in?” Sam asked.

“His right” Alan said as if he were confused.

“Something’s fishy about this” Millie whispered.

“Your honor, my client is left-handed” Sam said to the judge. “I have no further questions.”

Sam sat down and Alan was sent back to his seat. Neither lawyer seemed to have anything else to say.

“Do either of you have anything else to say?” Judge Carpenter asked.

Both lawyers shook their head. Judge Carpenter beat the desk with his gavel again.

“This court is at recess while the jury makes their decision” he said.

Millie waited behind while the rest of the crowd filed out. She had to speak to her husband.

Sheriff Avery began to lead Trey out after everyone else had left and the courtroom was empty except for Sam, Avery, and Trey.

“I need to speak to him, Sheriff” Millie said.

“Are you still here? I’m sorry, but there’s no way I can do that” Sheriff Avery said.

“Please. It’s awful important. We’re…. we’re relatives” Millie blurted.

Avery’s eyes widened. “Is that so?”

“Yes, now please let me speak to him alone” Millie pleaded.

“I’ll stay in here, Avery. Just give me your gun while you tame the crowd out there” Sam said.

Millie smiled at him.

“Fine” Avery handed his gun to Sam and went out to do crowd control.

“I have some papers in the back room I need to get” Sam said with a knowing smile directed at them.

He left with the gun, and Trey seized the opportunity to slip his handcuffed hands over her head and wrap his arms around her. Millie clung to him and kissed him over and over.

“It’s in God’s hands now” she said, giving him a hug and leaning her head against his sturdy chest.

“I know” Trey kissed her hair. “I’m not scared.”

“I wish I had your faith” Millie whispered. “What if God’s will is for you to hang? What if…” Millie chocked back a sob.

“Then His will has gotta to be done. What He does, he does perfectly. You know that as well as me. If your father hadn’t died, we never would have met, never would have fallen in love, and never would have married. I’d be just like a was before met you, and I hated that person.”

Millie nodded slowly. She understood the words he said, but it was hard to accept them.

*****

Millie paced back and forth out behind the rest of the crowd. It had been two hours, and the jury still hadn’t reached a decision.

Suddenly, the doors burst open and Sheriff Avery exited.

“The jury has reached a decision” he said.

Millie felt her heartbeat quickened.

“Well, Mr. Shannon, do you have any last words before the I pronounce your sentence?” Judge Carpenter asked Trey.

Trey sighed. “Only that I’m not afraid of dying, if that’s what you chose to do with me” he looked directly at Millie and smiled. “I know Who holds tomorrow.”

Millie smiled at him, her gut twisting with nervousness.

God, please allow Your perfect will to be done here. Be with us and give us strength to bear whatever happens.

The judge hit the desk with his gavel and said so that all could hear. “Trey Shannon, you have been found guilty of robbery and murder in the first degree. I sentence you to hang by the neck until dead.”